Forthcoming Attractions: Nicole Goux will be launching her new comic, Pet Peeves, published by Avery Hill at Gosh! Comics in London on Thursday 27th April.
This is a personal project for Nicole, a horror following aspiring musician Bobbie as she faces struggles with her artistic journey and… terrfiying yet adorable hounds!
The launch party starts at 7.00pm. You can also pre-order a signed copy from the Gosh! Comics website for collection or mail-order here.
Farewell to a Legend: Actor and comedian Barry Humphries, who died last week aged 89, best known in the guises of Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson, was also a comic strip writer, penning The Wonderful World of Barry McKenzie (with art by cartoonist Nicholas B. Garland) for Private Eye between 1964 and 1974. The strip followed the trials of an Australian in London. Humphries and Garland were paid £15 a strip between them for their work.
Garland, who became the Daily Telegraph’s first cartoonist in 1966, recalled McKenzie’s chin was taken from The Dandy’s Desperate Dan, and his double-breasted suit, striped tie and wide-brimmed hat were inspired by a group of middle-aged Anzacs he once saw marching down Whitehall during a Remembrance Day parade.
The strip was collected in The Complete Barry Mckenzie (Not so Much a Legendary Strip, More a Resonant Social History Per Se) in 1988, and partially collected in two collections under Private Eye’s Gnome Press banner, in 1972 – The Wonderful World of Barry McKenzie and Bazza Pulls it Off.
A film version, The Adventures of Barry McKenzie, was released in 1972, centring on a young Australian who travels to England with his Aunt Edna after his father dies and a request is revealed in his will. A sequel was released in 1974.
Comics archivist Steve Holland notes Humphries was also a book collector and had 50,000 books, split between homes in London and Sydney.
Project Teasing: Cartoonist Paul Grist has revealed he’s currently working on new issues of his popular police series Kane, but is “still a little way off from making a formal announcement as to when comics will actually be coming out.” You may also know Paul for his superhero series Jack Staff. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter for the latest news.
Tripwire Trail: Publisher Joel Meadows has teased a massive feature about creating independent comics in Britain the upcoming issue of Tripwire, out next month. Joel talked to a wide range of creators about the pros and cons of working in comics, including me, artist Russell Mark Olson, The77 Publishing’s Ben Cullis, indie creator Rik Worth, and Thought Bubble Festival Director Chloe Green. Check out tripwiremagazine.co.uk for more information
Award Winner: Neil Gaiman has been named one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2023 by Time magazine. “The way he writes makes you feel like you’re being let in on a massive secret,” enthuses James McAvoy. “His worlds are hidden, shrouded in mystery, yet they’re never that far removed from ours. They’re always just barely within your peripheral vision—under the street or in a dark building or at the end of a lane. He brings dreamscapes to life.”
And Finally for this “Tube Surf”: concise and compelling, Paul Gravett drew my attention to a new video from the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration explaining what illustration comes from and can do… (and yes, that includes comics) Watch it here!
Sources: Gosh! Comics, Paul Gravett, Paul Grist, Joel Meadows
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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