Watching the Watchmensch

By John Freeman on 16 January 2009

Lying in the Gutters’ Rich Johnston’s parody of — well, you can guess from the cover — is to be be published by Brain Scan Studios, an alternative media company based out of Boston in the US that publishes a variety of blogs and creator-owned comics.

In Watchmensch, after one of them is murdered, a team of lawyers who have had dealings with the comics industry must band together again against a conspiracy. But who is trying to kill Nite Nurse, Spottyman, Silk, 1700 Broadway Manhattan and Ozzyosbourne? And what is the cloned creature about to be dropped on New York City?

“It’s a little parody comic by myself and Simon Rohrmuller,” explains Rich of the nine-panel-grid parody of comics, the comics industry, the movies they spawn and the creators that get trampled on. The story by the writer, not just of one of comics most well-connected gosspip columns but also of titles such as The Flying Friar and Civil Wardrobe, reveals the story stretches back to the signing of the contract for Superman in the 1930s.

“As with any small press comic, the likelihood of your local retailer stocking the book for you to pick it up off the shelf is slimmer than with, say X-Men,’ Johnston notes in his latest LTG column. “So if you would like a copy, please tell your retailer this week, while they are preparing orders for March.“

• Comprising 24 pages B+W with full color covers, to order Watchmensch from your local comic shop see Diamond Previews Order #: JAN094081ISBN: 9780615234182

• Watchmensch will be available in comic shops everywhere in March 2009. Visit the Brain Scan Studios website for more information. For sample pages, a list of stockists and other info, visit the book’s official web site: www.watchmensch.com

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.