Saturday, 24 December 2011

Happy Christmas

This is just a quick blog to wish everyone a Happy Christimas and all the best for 2012. Where comics are going I just don't know - probably the way of music. I was in a comic shop in Belfast the other day and I didn't see a comic tht I would actually buy. I used to get 2000 AD regularly but I haven't seen a copy in well over a year anywhere. Is it still being published? I do recall seeing an issue about a year and a half ago and it wasn't all that good so maybe it's stopped. Future doesn't look too bright but we can still hope. And I hope that each and every one of you have a great Christmas and have all your Christmas shopping done. I'm just about finished - I've all the presents bought, the tree decorated and all the Christmas bills paid. And I've just realised that I'm sounding pretty boring. Not like a comic writer should - I should be unruly, drunk and witty I suppose. Just spoken to Adrian and he's busily wrapping presents - I suppose when you get to a certain age. We're to meet up at the end of January and think about 1949 and what we can do with the strip as the comics world out there looks so bleak. I'm wittering on so I'll go and finish off a couple of things. Will talk again in the New Year. Happy Christmas!

Thursday, 15 December 2011

Northern Irish Comics

Well, it's almost Christmas and I've never been so far behind with things. Christmas has sort of crept up on me this yar - I've usually presents bought and cards sent but I'm just getting round to it now. I was at a carol service this morning watching my daughter do a solo in the local church as part of her school's celebrations. This evening I travel up to another town nearby to see her play in the Northern Area Orchestra at the Mayor's concert. It's all a bit of a rush. So what about comics? I've been talking to some people who tell me that the comics scene everywhere has more or less flatlined. Marvel and D.C. are continually trying to reinvent themselves - witness rebirths of Johnny Storm, Batman etc. - and are keeping to their stock characters. There's no attempt to develop anything new or exciting. I've stopped buying comics - although I'm buying some of the collections of reprints that are coming out. But that's what they are, reprints of former comics - and I know of a lot of other people who've done the same. There's nothing exciting anymore. Anyway Adrian and I had a meeting on the 1st December and we've though about trying 1949 with more digital formats - since that seems to be the way that comics are going. We plan to put up some more of David's stuff on Joachim Darke on the web but it won't be until around Christmas as both of us are busy with other things. I can't see the comics that we grew up with continuing for much longer - they're dead already. Anyway off to take my daughter to her concert. I'll try to get another blog out before Christmas but I seem to keep repeating that the comics scene is really dead. What are we going to do about it? Answers on a postcard please!