There have been some major the big Marvel and DC announcements at this weekend’s San Diego Comic Con – a new She-Hulk series, a new Shazam! film among the many, not too mention a host of American comic projects, including Damn Them All, by Charlie Adlard and Simon Spurrier, from Boom! Studios. But perhaps overlooked might have been The Mission, an intriguing fusion of comics and poetry, masterminded by an imaginative team of creators that include author and poet Igor Goldkind, featuring the work of British talents such as designer Rian Hughes and artist Mal Earl.
Developing out of another project, Take a Deep Breath, a book of poetry, fables and philosophies born during the Pandemic, The Mission is a new, US-based literary magazine.
“The Mission is to recall and recollect our humanity through the expressive arts,” Igor, who was instrumental in building audience for graphic novels in the 1980s and early 1990s in the UK, tells downthetubes. “That includes all new poetry, short fiction, comics, cartoons, photography and visual arts.”
The first 96-page issue of The Mission, edited by Jessie Cunningham, designed by Rian Hughes, launches next month, features all-new, creator-owned work from Alex Bosworth, artist Mal Earl, Igor Goldkind, Curran Jeffery, Miles Krogfus, poet/spoken word artist Ellyn Maybe, Chris Ernest Nelson, Christopher R, Deborah Ramos, Nicca Ray, daughter of film director Nicholas Ray, and Belinda Subraman.
Neil Gaiman, the award-winning author of Sandman, made a guest appearance at the San Diego Comic Con launch, reading his poem, Batman, as part of a larger poetry reading in the Omni Hotel Grand Ballroom yesterday, Saturday 23rd July.
The new San Diego-based title aims to use art as a remedy for social ills, “recalling and recollect our humanity through the expressive arts,” and will launch in August simultaneously with the subscription-based The Mission Channel, the intelligent place to be entertained.
• Check out The Mission at themissionarts.com
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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What, Me Worry? At of MAD exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum