Underfire Comics Brighton are proud to announce the launch of Frequent Flyers 52 pages of superpop madness as itinerant blaggers Fishboy and Yumi ricochet around the multiverse and True Romance Comix, 52 pages of heartbroken tomorrows.
You can see previews at www.comicspace.com/danielcox Because we want these out in your hands and eyeballs and hindbrains we are flogging them at cost. And if you swear blind before buddha that you were not entertained we will give you your money back. A world of mind-bending fun awaits you.

The Darkness Calls at BICS 2007

Hellboy artist Duncan Fegredo returns to
Birmingham’s Devilishly Excellent October Event!

Following hot on the heels of news that Hellboy creator Mike Mignola will be making an exclusive UK weekend long appearance at The Birmingham International Comics Show (BICS 2007) comes confirmation that Duncan Fegredo, the artist on Hellboy: Darkness Calls, will also be attending the much anticipated event on October 13-14th.

Leicester born Fegredo recently commented on his delight at both illustrating Hellboy: Darkness Calls and his own return to Birmingham for BICS 2007.

“It's a good time to be a Hellboy fan - Mike Mignola is shepherding an array of new Hellboy related titles onto comic book shelves across the land, including the long awaited Hellboy: Darkness Calls. The BICS is your only chance in the UK to meet both its creator and artist together!

“Okay, I appear at the UK cons regularly, but it has been many years since Mike has made an appearance on these shores. Who knows when he will do so again? Anyway, the last show was fun with a great variety of writers and artists both mainstream and independent, this year is shaping up to be even better... Do you want to miss out?”

If the advance interest fans are showing is any indication, then missing out is on no one’s agenda!

Fegredo also spoke enthusiastically of his creative relationship with Hellboy’s creator.

“As both a fan of Mike's work and a professional artist I couldn't be happier. I hesitate to gush overly as it'd embarrass Mike! I get to play in Hellboy's rich and textured world and even to expand it to areas we haven't visited yet, meet old friends and enemies, and make new ones too. As a fan that's exciting, as a pro it's enriching.

“Whilst Mike has a very definite idea of his creation and how he wishes the tale to be told he is open to anything I can bring to it, which is great. What is even better is that should Mike want something handling differently he only has to ask and I'll do my utmost to achieve his vision. These aren't abstract editorial changes that have no real bearing on events but actual meaningful changes that affect the emotion and atmosphere of the way the story is told.

“I really feel my work is evolving on Hellboy and that is incredibly satisfying. I think it's down to the deceptively simple manifesto of ‘living up to Hellboy’, I want Mike to be happy with the book. I figure if Mike is happy then the fans will be happy, and with the reaction to the first issue it seems that they are... And they haven't seen anything yet!”

Fans of Duncan Fegredo can also purchase at least two more titles featuring the artist in time to have him sign them at BICS 2007 this October.

“Apart from Darkness Calls there is the imminent release of Intersections, my arty book with Sean Phillips. You can order it from Amazon. If that whets your whistle for more you could do worse than to check out my book Stuff, literally stuffed full of drawings culled from years of sketchbooks. You can see a sampling at my website, or if you are the impulsive sort buy, buy, buy!”

Amusingly, the artist has no need to go for the hard sell, as he happily let slip, and thus announced, his own plans for the foreseeable future.

“I can't imagine I'll be revealing new projects at the BICS as I aim to be working with Mike on Hellboy for three more series. I think that'll keep me going for some time yet.”

Along with scheduled signings and hosted talk events BICS 2007 is looking into screening the Hellboy live-action and animation films. As always there will be quizzes and fancy dress competitions, prize give-aways and surprises galore.

Hellboy at BICS 2007 will appeal to comic book fans, movie buffs, horror aficionados, and followers of fantasy. What is more, thanks to its silver screen success, Hellboy is well known to the mainstream public and just as superbly accessible to the bloke on the street!

A NEW FORM OF MEDIA IS CREATED.
A REVOLUTION IN BRANDED AND FAN GENERATED CONTENT.
A CALL TO ARMS TO CUT OUT THE GLOBAL MEDIA AGENCIES.

London, UK. Factory Publishing Ltd in association with Triumph Motorcycles
launches a world-first trilogy of second generation graphic novels designed
for iPod and PC download.

The trilogy stars British actor Colin Salmon (Bond, AVP, Resident Evil,
Prime Suspect) with an original score by European rock star, Steve Hart. It
marks a revolution in on-line branded content and user generated content.

Designed specifically for download onto the iPod and PC The Many Worlds of
Jonas Moore combines comic book illustration, with 3D animation, live action
photography, newsreel archive and an original music score. The project
pushes the boundaries of the graphic novel genre to the next level and
creates an entire new form of media and fan generated content in the
process.

ARTIST WANTED FOR PAID WEBCOMIC

BOSTIN HEROES is a new adventure serial, in which four strangers are
charged with protecting the Black Country and Beyond on the eve of the
Second Industrial Revolution. The series is a lighthearted,
relationship-based superhero story - think FANTASTIC FOUR meets DIESEL
SWEETIES - and all it needs to make it work is the right artist.

The Right Artist!

1. Will have a clear, friendly line (as the series will be marketed to
the broadest possible audience, including non-/ new comics readers).
2. Will be familiar with the West Midlands/Black Country area (as
stories will have a strong Midlands flavour, set in familar landmarks
such as Dudley Zoo and The Black Country Museum).
3. Will be committed to producing at least 1-2 pages per week,
starting with the 16-page origin spectacular (suiting an artist
looking for their first regular job).

Based on characters created by Donato Esposito, and written by Matthew Craig, Bostin
Heroes is a spin-off of the Bostin website and T-shirt store.
We're still looking at funding the strip, but the initial plan
involves sourcing local business sponsorship, web advertising, print
editions of finished stories, and grants.

Character notes, sketches and the initial origin story are available
on request. Interested parties should email Matthew Craig (mattscrew
at hotmail dot com). Links to portfolio sites/previous work only,
please: do not send attachments.

Bristol report by Leon Hewitt, Matt Badham and Dave Baillie

David O'Connell's Herge-esque "Tozo - the Public Servant" has been running for a few months now.
Updated weekly, it's the tale of a detective investigating a murder in a futuristic city - though all is not what it seems. It's drawn in a European style, with steam-punkish and fantasy elements.

Biff! Bam!! Crikey!!!
Comics as Art, Entertainment and Design
Fri 25th & Sat 26th May 2007
D'Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre, Tower Building
University of Dundee

Hi Bugpowder people
I've started a new blog, which features comic strips, illustrations,
canvas paintings and photographs.
Enter the world of Tall Guy
Darryl

Have I got some powerful liquid for you Bugpowder people. Semiotic
Cohesion is pure, concentrated Human Soul, flavoured with all the goodness
one can expect from awesome comics. Every day, anyone at all can thrill to
the latest terrifying but beautiful meandering through the mind of The
Ancient Shark Of Despair, or be touched by the profound greatness of the
Shark Of Wisdom.
There's more, and how. See for
your good self.
Sincerely,
Tom McNally

hi check my blog im a comc artist/illustrator/mural etc

Zine Arcade is in its infancy but we hope to showcase some of the exciting, unique and deeply personal work being self-published in zines. Come and take a look at www.zinearcade.com. Hopefully there's enough to tempt you to get involved. Our latest feature is an interview with Sound of Drowning comics creator Paul O'Connell.

We've got Jon Haward, John M Burns, Neil Cameron and John Stokes creating, with Gary Erskine about to start.
Jason Cobley and Sean Michael Wilson are working on our two latest scripts, and the first book should be ready in October 2007.
Cheers
Karen
Classical Comics

On this week's "I'm ready for my close-up", Alex Fitch's guests are Bryan
Talbot & Mark Wright, creator and audio adaptor respectively of The
Adventures of Luther Arkwright... Alex will be talking to Bryan about his
career in comics, focusing on Luther and Alice in Sunderland and asking Mark
about the challenges of converting a graphic novel to the audio medium...
There's even a competition to win one of 5 signed copies of the Big Finish
adaptation at the end of the show...
10.30pm BST Resonance 104.4FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast at www.readyformycloseup.blogspot.com

Hello. Some of you may remember me and my comics back in the late 90s, like
A Virtual Circle, Under the Bed, Tamara Knight etc. Well, I'm back drawing
improvised-in-ink comics, this time on the web, and trying to get the word
out.
My new comic is The Ulster Cycle, a historical adventure series set in Iron Age Ireland, serialised here

The acclaimed documentary THE MINDSCAPE OF ALAN MOORE is finally released on DVD, and comes with a mountain of extras. You can watch the trailer, and order copies at the link.

DISC 1
Special Features

* Making of Documentary
* Interviews with the Director
* Interviews with the Special FX-Make up Artist
* Interviews with the Music Composer
* Original Theatrical Trailers
* Chapter Selection
* Selected Voice over commentary
* Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
* Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

DISC 2
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS FROM THE COMIC BOOK UNIVERSE

* Interview with Melinda Gebbie (Lost Girls)
* Interviews with Paul Gravett (Comics Historian)
* Interview with Dave Gibbons (Watchmen)
* Interviews with David Lloyd (V for Vendetta)
* Interview with Kevin O’ Neill (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen)
* Interview with Jose Villarubia (Mirror of Love, Voice of the Fire)

Patrick Brown, author of 'A Virtual Circle' and 'The Ulster Cycle', has a stripblog. Here ya go you lucky people !

Chris Denton OF www.massacreforboys.co.uk has blogged the Comic Expo

Leonie O'Moore will be the featured artist of the day at www.uneetee.com on the 25th of May 2007.

'A 52 SECOND SILENCE FOR TOPSY' by Malcy Duff will be released on Friday 25th May 2007 by MISSING TWIN publishing.

It will be available for £4.00 (plus p+p) from http://missingtwin.net

Please email missingtwin@hotmail.co.uk for more information.

Peace and love

missing twin...

Andrew Luke posts his revision notes for his Sociology exams. Nineteen pages of low-fi educational jolly. covering two modules.

Dear Bugpowder

I have just published my fifth Scary Go Round book, "Great Aches" and invite people to buy it and read it. All I can tell you is that it has 200 pages, is in colour and costs a ten spot from my website, scarygoround.com.

Best wishes
John Allison

Hello everyone.

This is just a little short but sweet message to say that phlegm comic issue six is out and available from my website. Most of the shops are all stocked too. I also have about sixty special editions left that come signed, numbered and with a colour postcard…let me know if you want one.

Cheerio.
X phlegm x
www.phlegmcomics.com
www.myspace.com/phlegmcomics
www.phlegmcomicnews.blogspot.com

Just got back from Bristol Comic Expo with a big pile of books to read. Luckily there was only one thing in the Bugpowder inbox on my return. You're obviously all still down the pub, or recovering from late night drinking sessions. Remember, if you have Con reports, send us the link and we'll do our best to post it.

Alex writes to say:
Hi gents, I'm a writer, you can read some of my stuff here in the regulars column under 'decline and fall'. i want to link up with an artist and have a crack at some graphic novels based on real western news stories. i live in north London.

If you think this is of interest to your community please post it up with my contact details. (Which I did - Dan)

cheers
Alex
alexdelascasas@yahoo.co.uk

The Ragged Man is in Small Press Idol 2007. Check out the entry and send them a vote if you like them!

The Human DK Dynamic! a meditation on the tragedy of human existence disguised as pure joycore kick ass zombie kung fu action needs your help. We are through to the second round of Small Press Idol, we posted late and are lagging. Please check us out and if you think the world need us please click on the 'Official Vote Click Here' link at the bottom of the bios, register (free) and post a 'YES' in the thread. Our undead love will be yours forever. Voting ends May 13th

Also, look out for his two books at the Bristol Expo (say hi if you're down there) you can see previews on www.comicspace.com/danielcox

If you go down to the Bristol Comic Expo this weekend, there's a chance I may hand you a copy of my latest minicomic, entitled 'Dead Elvis'.

You will also have the chance to buy copies of '4321', my 24 hour comic, direct from me for £1, or available as a swap.

Hello Bugpowder

Rolling Stock Press will be in…erm, full effect at the Bristol Comic Expo where we will have exclusive editions of Trains Are…Mint 3 available. This isn’t being released until September and will available for just £4 with all three Trains Are…Mints for just a tenner. What’s that? Bargain you say? That’s not all. We’ll also have copies of Jim Medway’s new mini at just a pound each. Jim studied at The Centre For Cartoon Studies last year in the U.S of A. We’ll also have free copies of Manc zine, Swings and Roundabouts. See you there with bells on.

all the best and hope you have a good expo

oliver
Rolling Stock Press
trainsare.blogspot.com
www.rollingstockpress.co.uk

This October, AAM/Markosia Enterprises will release Beowulf: The Graphic Novel. Written by Stephen L. Stern and illustrated by Christopher Steininger, the graphic novel is a cinematic retelling of the Beowulf story that remains faithful to the original material while adapting it for a modern audience.

Beowulf: The Graphic Novel is a 64-page black-and-white graphic novel. It will be published with two alternate covers, both by rising talent Christopher Steininger. A preview of the book will be shown at the Markosia Panel on the Saturday of the Bristol Comic Expo.

Declan Shalvey's new anthology comic YOUR ROUND is being launched in Asylum Books and Games in Aberdeen on Saturday 19th May with a signing and doodling/drinking session.

Your Round is an anthology series set in a pub. Any pub. Everybody has a pub story, Your Round is where creators can tell one. The first issue, 'Tequila,' has 3 stories. One by Mike Collins (artist on Doctor Who, Superman, Star Trek, etc.), another by Bob Byrne (of Mbleh, The Shiznit and 2000AD fame) and one more by myself.

Should be a great night. Thanks.
Bob

www.clamnuts.com
Updated Mon-Fri except when it's not

If you enjoyed Bryan Talbot's recent graphic novel Alice in Sunderland, you might be interested to read the original illustrated manuscript "Alice's Adventures Underground" online for free at the British Library website.

The previously mentioned free Twomorrows magazines are up HERE

Spider-Man protects New York! Superman keeps Metropolis safe! Batman watches over Gotham! Manchester is guarded by... The Queen of Diamonds!

The series is written and drawn by Bevis Musson, and so far there are 7 issues online. The fun starts with "SPOTLIT IN BLACK", and the latest issue is “EVIL NEVER SLEEPS... BUT SOMETIMES GOOD HAS THE DAY OFF”. Links to every issue are on this page. Just click on each cover to read the story.

Speaking of Twomorrows: They just posted PDF previews of three new books online:

WORKING METHODS
And, less relevant to comic creating, but possible also of interest:
BRUSHSTROKES WITH GREATNESS: THE LIFE & ART OF JOE SINNOTT
COMICS GONE APE!

Just go to the detail page for each book, and click on the link. You'll need Adobe's Acrobat Reader to view them. All three books will be shipping in the next three weeks, so check 'em out!

TwoMorrows is giving away free PDFs of some of its magazines this weekend,
for Free Comic Book Day. I haven't read all of their titles, but the ones I
have contain pretty interesting behind-the-scenes stuff, with lots of
articles on writing and drawing comics. Check out the free magazines, then
maybe order a few titles:

Who says you can't get something for nothing? On Free Comic Book Day (this Saturday, May 5), stop in your local comic book shop and ask for a free copy of Comics 101, our new primer created just for the event. If they don't have any, then order yours at our webstore (www.twomorrows.com) by Sunday, and it'll only cost you enough to cover our printing and postage costs. After Sunday, we're going to start charging more for it, to help recoup our expenses (but it'll still be a bargain!).

Best regards,
John Morrow
TwoMorrows
10407 Bedfordtown Dr.
Raleigh, NC 27614
919-449-0344
fax 919-449-0327

Marc Ellerby has a new mini comic out ... Here's a brief outline of what it's all about....

What exactly is a muse? Does he or she actually exist or is it just something in the artist's head? Marc Ellerby explores this idea in a "conversation" to the reader about a past relationship and how she's influenced/hindered his creativity.

Marc Ellerby is the artist on Oni Press' Love The Way You Love series and featured in the Put the Book Back on the Shelf: A Belle and Sebastian Anthology graphic novel from Image Comics (both written by Jamie S. Rich.) For a preview of Venal Muse, or to buy a copy, check out his website.

28 pages, B/W. Full Colour Cover. £5 including P+P to anywhere in the world (and he might even throw in some extra goodies.)

It's also on sale at Page 45, Nottingham. Gosh! London.Ok Comics, Leeds. Travelling Man, Newcastle.

And he made a flickr set of what the book looks like

The Bristol Comic Expo is fast approaching (11th-13th May), and details of the panels are up.

Independent publishers can show off their wares at this Monkeys with Machineguns preview site - And don't forget, you can email us here at Bugpowder with promotional text, and if you have links to images, we'll do our best to accomodate. I'll be distributing my latest free minicomic 'Dead Elvis', look out for more details on my website." Oh, and I'll be selling my 24hour comic, stop me and buy one for £1!

Hello,

The job that kept me chained to the drawing-board for the early part of this year has now been officially announced, so I thought I’d let people know what I’ve been up to; penciling a 128-page comics adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry V for new UK publisher Classical Comics. I’ve put some sample pages up on my website at www.neillcameron.com so please feel free to go and have a look if you’re, you know, interested in that sort of thing. More details, and some sample inked and coloured pages, are to be found at the publisher’s website

Hope all’s well with you,

Best,
Neill

Neill Cameron Illustration
comics | illustration | cartoons
web: www.neillcameron.com

Andrew Reed has a new blog that can be found by going to his website and clicking on the news page.

David Beaumont is looking for an artist to illustrate an epic satirical verse on Tony Blair with a view to getting it published - split any commission 50-50. It's set in the wild west and is called 'The Wrong Sheriff'.
Anyone interested? Email dbeaumonster@googlemail.com