Stuffed down the back of a filing cabinet…

By John Freeman on July 29, 2002

Unpublished art for a planned G-Force mini series from Marvel UK, scripted by John Freeman, art by John Ross

So I came across some old artwork the other day and wondered “What the heck is this?” Turns out it’s an unpublished first issue of G-Force, a character I created for Marvel UK back in the early 1990s.

So I’m wondering if I should put it up on this site, and what exactly the © situation is on it, any way? I know Marvel UK trademarked all the characters, but do Marvel US now own them? Hmm… It’s a bit like trying to work out who owns Wham! and Pow! characters from the 1960s, Time-Warner AOL or Egmont?

Seems to be a week for turning up the past — just begun the process of interviewing Bryan Hitch for Memorabilia Magazine, haven’t talked to him for 10 years. Very strange. Turns out he’s been visiting my home town on a regular basis for a few years. Even stranger.

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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.