Stake Your Claim to Sector 13!

By John Freeman on June 16, 2023

The latest edition of Sector 13, the superb 2000AD-inspired fanzine edited by Peter Duncan, Issue 7, with a cover by Will Simpson, is available now.

*Sector 13 Issue 7 sprawls across three separate but perfectly formed publications*

You can order it now from the team direct, details below a guide to what’s on offer courtesy of Peter himself.

Alternatively, if you live in Northern Ireland, you could head to the Ulster Rugby Summer Market at the Kingspan Stadium this weekend (17th – 18th June), where Sector 13 will have a stall. If you haven’t picked up our latest three zines, this is your latest chance do do it in person, and meet some of the team, after the zine’s successful launch at Enniskillen Comic Con earlier this month. It’s free to get in, and there’ll be loads of other stalls with food, gifts, arts and crafts, you name it. More details here.

To say this issue is mammoth – both in terms of content, and the efforts involved in putting it together – would be an understatement. Leading with the A4 zine Sector 13 Issue 7 sprawls across three different publications, rammed with terrific stories from a wide range of creators, both longtime professionals – including John Smith and Will Simpson – and a host of rising stars.

(A review from Luke Williams is in the works, but I’d better declare an interest in this stunning edition of the zine, as co-writer on a “Judge Dredd” story by Matt Badham, drawn in superlative style by Ste Pickford. I hope you enjoy it).

The flagship element of Sector 13 Issue 7 is the A4, standard format title, which sees the return of 2000AD’s Tyranny Rex, written by original creator, John Smith and with art by Will Simpson, who also supplies a superb cover painted especially for the occasion.

Will Simpson’s “Tyranny Rex” cover art for Sector 13 Issue 7

From top, detail from “Judge Whatley” by Peter Duncan and Joseph Parangue. Joseph McCafferty from “Laced”, Paddy Brown on the, Misty influenced, “Burning Time”, written by Maxine Roe and finally spectacular art by Ste Pickford on “Held to Account” by Matt Bedham and John Freeman

“Experimenting with format we selected strips that we thought needed a bit more space and moved them to the 32-page, tabloid sized Supplement that has a Dave Broughton, Dredd cover,” says Peter Duncan, “and story and artwork that really stands out at the slightly larger scale.

*Dave Broughton cover to the oversized newsprint edition*

“It’s impossible to single one artist out, but wait until you see Sara Dunkerton‘s funny animal art – and nobody will be surpised that Scott Twells has once again turned in the an amazing colouring job on his two strips.

“Big personal thanks, too, to Gary Whitlock and Dave Windett, on bringing to life two pretty silly ideas of my own.”

“Fergus the “Ulsterman” by Sam Poots and Rob Anthony. “Ed Whiting give Sara Dunkerton a perfect vehicle for her amazing anthropomorphics,” says editor Peter Duncan. “Mark McCann and Lukask with a strip that needed as much space as possible. ‘An Escalation of Violence’, a strip intended for Zarjaz, we are proud to present it here and to say thank you to Bolt-01. Scott Twells, in colour, as he always will be in our pages if I have anything to do with it.”

Nigel Parkinson cover. — *Nigel Parkinson cover*

And finally, there’s an A5 digest issue in the mix, with a cover from BEANO artist Nigel Parkinson, created, we’re told, for one strip, “Going Down”, a story set in a lift, by Pete Howard, originally designed to be an 18-panel, two-pager. But artist Joseph McCafferty did so much with the story, added so much detail and character to the players that it clearly deserved more space.

“Nobody put more effort than Mike Slattery into their art and nobody deserves his place in our pages more,” says Peter Duncan, of the A5 supplant strips featured here, which include: “‘Only the Good Die Young’, the story that would not die. Forced its way in the zine with energetic art by Ciaran Duke. ‘The Lift Story’ you know about and finally, Garry Wharton's art to Pete Howard's second story in the zine” — “Nobody put more effort than Mike Slattery into their art and nobody deserves his place in our pages more,” says Peter Duncan, of the A5 supplant strips featured here, which include: “‘Only the Good Die Young’, the story that would not die. Forced its way in the zine with energetic art by Ciaran Duke. ‘The Lift Story’ you know about and finally, Garry Wharton’s art to Pete Howard’s second story in the zine”

This digest also includes three additional stories and pin-ups from Dave Broughton and Pete Stewart and rounds off a package the Sector 13 team are, deservedly, really proud off.

• The full three-part Sector 13 Issue 7 release costs in the UK, for all three zines is £18, plus £3 P&P. That assumes that the oversized, tabloid, newsprint comic is sent folded. Payments via Paypal to Sector13@boxofrainmag.co.uk

Just to remind potential readers – Sector 13 is non-profit. Nobody, bar the printer, is paid for their efforts so the team really appreciate when payments are sent as family and friends – but do remember to include your address in a message to the team

If you want the tabloid sent unfolded, parcel postage costs apply, adding an additional £2 to the postal charges, so £18, plus £5 P&P. it also seems to take a bit longer.

• If you only want individual zines, the costs are Sector 13 07, 56 pages A4, Will Simpson cover £8 plus £3 P&P | Sector 13 Sunday Supplement tabloid, 32 pages £6 plus £3 P&P | Sector 13 7b , A5, 40 pages £4 plus £2.30 P&P

For Republic of Ireland sales, prices will be the same, but there will be a slight delay as they’ll be posted on weekends when one or other of the editorial team crosses the border!

• More about Sector 13 here on the Box of Rain website | Follow Sector 13 on Facebook

Back Issues

All previous issues of Sector 13 are still available. Issues 1&2 have been compiled into a single 44 page comic. That’s five comics, normally priced at £5 each. At the moment the team are offering all five for £20, plus £4 p&p. (£24 – P&P paid – UK)

For those of you who already have one or two issues, you can substitute a copy of the first issue of Splank!, and/or either of the two issues of Cthulhu Kids in the same offer.

And for those of you owning all issues of Sector 13, why not try the trio of humour comics produced or written by Sector 13 editor Peter Duncan for £18 inc UK P&P.

Payment via paypal to sector13@boxofrainmag.co.uk. Please use family or friends option, or add £1 extra to cover fees. And remember to add your address in the comments section.

John Freeman

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.