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Sneak Peek: Aces Week Volume 36… Are You Ready for Wikkaman?

By John Freeman on October 11, 2018

The latest volume of digital anthology Aces Weekly published by David Lloyd is coming and not only includes new strips by Bo Hampton, David Leach and many more, but Rik Hoskin and Nick Taylor‘s tale “Wikkaman” comes with added musical accompaniment!

Earlier this year, Rik won the Dragon Award for the New York Times bestselling graphic novel, White Sand. However, his latest project is much closer to home.

“Wikkaman are an acoustic band who have been doing the pub and folk festival circuit around Dorset for the last few years,” he tells downthetubes. “The idea of doing a comic strip about them began when I saw them perform at the Music on the Quay event in Christchurch last year.

Inspirational: Wikkaman, the band

“My wife had just joined the band playing whistles and recorders, and their combination of clever lyrics, a charismatic lead singer and a jumbled, almost-steampunk look cried out to be turned into a story.

“I wrote a four panel comic, which my longtime artistic collaborator Nick Taylor illustrated, intended to be used by the band as a promotional poster or flyer.

“The band loved it, but those four images nagged at me to be turned into a full-blown story. So I approached David Lloyd – comic book royalty, the man behind the V for Vendetta design -about showcasing a full Wikkaman story in Aces Weekly, and he welcomed us aboard.”

Told in full colour, three-page instalments, the Wikkaman comic strip has the vibe of an old Hanna-Barbera cartoon, with humour mixed with folklore and legend.

The band have also recorded two songs that will be released online at the same time, adding an extra dimension to the story.

There’s plenty of other great strips in Aces Weekly Volume 36, too – find out how to subscribe below these teaser samples from both the upcoming volume and Volume 35…

“Hyena Man” by Daniele Presicce and Marco Natoli

“Outrun” by Matteo Filippi and Marco Morale

Psycho Gran by David Leach

• Don’t miss out on the opportunity of subscribing now before Aces Weekly begins on 15th October 2018 to secure Volume 35 as well. Why start your subscription with just one massive collection of strips when you can start it with two? Just £1 per week for Volumes 35, 36, and then all volumes to come. It can’t get any sweeter, really, can it? It’s easy to join and – as you see – extremely inexpensive. Go check it out at www.acesweekly.co.uk/shop

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as 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.