Spaceship Away Back with More Dan Dare

By John Freeman on June 8, 2009

The latest issue of British SF comics magazine Spaceship Away, on sale soon, continues to deliver a terrific mix of classic SF comics, including new Dan Dare adventures and more.

The magazine features three Dan Dare strips featuring the original version of the space hero from the 1950s Eagle comic, published under license from the Dan Dare Corporation – Green Nemesis by Rod Barzilay and Tim Booth, Rocket Pilot by Keith Page and The Gates of Eden by Tim Booth. Also included are re-presentations of other strips such as Journey into Space and Nick Hazard, the latter beautifully re-coloured by John Ridgway.

New, original strips for the magazine include Ex Astris, a CGI strip from Mike Nicoll, creator of the popular adult comic Saffyre Blue, which completes a three-part story this issue but will return later next year; plus a feature on 1960s Dan Dare comics, art by Ian Kennedy featuring Dan Dare’s spaceship Anastasia, and more.

It looks like it’s going to be an interesting year ahead for the title: in addition to continuing Dan Dare stories and more, Issue 19 will see the arrival of the Daily Mirror‘s classic strip Garth, coloured by John Ridgway – a story that has never been reprinted in the UK.

Talks are also going on with Sydney Jordan about completing the Dan Dare story he started
in the Planet on Sunday, and Keith Page tells downthetubes he’ll be contributing what he hopes will be a fully painted steampunk story, Iron Moon, to the magazine.

While the magazine isn’t cheap, the cost is down to the high quality printing and editor Rod Barzilay’s determination that the creators receive payment for their work for the title, whose sales are steadily growing worldwide. We hope you’ll give it your support!

• Spaceship Away Part 18 is being distributed to existing subscribers. For more about the issue, click here

• To order Spaceship Away, click here

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.