More About Comics

I haven't been doing this for a number of weeks as I've been trying to get a couple of things done and there's been really nothing to talk about. The comics industry seems to have gone completely flat with nothing of interest happening, The only thing I've even looked at is an edition of Heavy Metal which I get sent to me but even that now seems more of the same. Is there nothing happening out there? I seem to remember a comics press somewhere in Scotland who sent me some of their comics which remuinded me of some of the old underground stuff which used to be around in the 1970s - and nothing wrong with that. But they now seem to have disappeared and I haven't heard from them since. And of course there are Print Media Productions, I'm not sure where they are although I know that the publisher is in Bosnia which seems tobe producing stuff, although it's more for downloads. And that seems to be the future of comics. I'm old fashioned enough still to enjoy the comic you can hold in your hand rather than on your phone - but then I'm something of a dinosaur anyway. There's going to be a big comics and media convention in Belfast this weekend though. I can't go as things are really busy at the moment but my friend Adrian will be there and we're to meet up and discuss it. We'll see what comes out of it - though I would suspct that it'll be more about media and tv than about actucal comics. It might be good but it'll be busy and I don't think I would be able to sit down and really discuss things. But Adrian is helping to organise it so we'll see what it turns up. It's all very depressing but there might be hope. If anybody's out there willing to take a chance get in touch. Will head off and get something to eat, then it's back to writing the books. Sorry I haven't something more positive to say. That'll come I think - I hope. Will get back to writing this after I've the books finished

Strip Magazine

I stand corrected! There might be hope for some sort of comics scene and it might lie out there in Eastern Europe. I would guess, from what my friends in the US tell me, that the comics scene in the US and UK is either dead or stagnating or both. However, I was in Belfast on Tuesday for a meeting with Adrian and on the way home I stopped into Forbidden Planet and picked up a copy of Strip magazine which is a kind of comic anthology. I'm still reading through it - this week has been hectic, I'm not long out of hospital and I've been running round trying to get things done - but it looks interesting. The introduction says that the publisher, who's based in Bosnia, I think, has been a fan of strips like Adam Eterno and the Steel Claw. I can't fault his taste. He also can't understand why something similar is still not being produced in Britain today. Nor can I. These are the comics I grew up with and for better or worse I still think they're the best. There was a bit of thought and a bit of adventure with them - not the formulaeic material that's brought out now. I had a look round Forbidden Planet and do you know - for the the first time in a long while there was nothing there that I genuinely wanted. The American and British scene seems to be more or less petered out. So maybe the smaller publishers in Eastern Europe and I'm told South America may point the way to the future. So here's to Eastern Europe which I may explore further. Anbody who likes the Steel Claw can't be all that bad!

Sunday Supplements?

Just out of hospital where I had to go for tests - nothing major, just a few ulcers but it wasn't a pleasant experience. I took a few days off - well sort of - to recuperate although I have to go back in tomorrow for a few more tests to make sure that things are working o.k. It was not an experience I'd care to repeat. Just before I went in last week I was rushing around like a mad thing trying to get a lot of things cleared up. Consequently I haven't had a chance to see what has been happening in the comic world but I guess not a lot. All my friends in the US state that the comics scene there is completely stagnant and there's nothing worth having. I've spoken to a couple of people over here who tell me that they've cancelled all their comics at the comic stores as there's really nothing they want. And thanks to those of you who contacted me telling me that 2000 AD was still on sale but that it's pathetic and they don't buy it any more. I haven't seen a copy either here or even in Belfast for a long time - so much for the UK's leading weekly comic! Is it still weekly? Rob told me that it'll probably fold very soon as nobody buys it now. Not like the great old days when it was gone every Friday morning. There was one short-lived spot of light. I happened to lift the Times and there was a free comic in it. Great, I hought, maybe some of the newspapers are taking comics seriously - the way they used to. It was all syndicated stuffbut it was a start. But I haven't seen it since. I take it that the Times has ditched the idea. I hadthought that a nice Sunday supplement might be the way forward but it doesn't look like it. Oh well. Still thinking about 1949 and I have a meeting with Adrian hopefully this coming Tuesday in Belfast and we'll see what we can come up with. He thinks digitial comics may be the way forward and I would guess he's right. We'll see and I'll keep you posted. I'm supposed to be taking things easy for a while but there's some chance! I'll go on but let me know what you think of a Sunday supplement for comics - now that would be back to basics but it might be worth it. And would there be a newspaper that would be interested. Who knows?

Materia Osscura

A Happy New Year to you all. I hope you all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year - although I think 2012 is going to be a really rough one, especially if you're in the creative market. All my friends in the States tell me that both the publishing and comics business as we know it is going downhill and they doubt if it will pull back. I tend to agree. Comics are now being digitalised and the choice is now so restricted that I don't see how it can pull back to what it was even several years ago. Having said that, on New Years Eve, the postman knocked my door and handed me a package. And when I opened it I can now truthfully say that I've got my name on the front of a recent comic. It was Materia Osscura which I'm told means Dark Matter, a collection of stories illustrated by David Lloyd who did the original V for Vendetta comic strip and it was published in Italy - in Tuscany I think. So it's sitting here beside me on my work desk as I write and it looks very well. But outside of Italy there doesn't seem to be much going on in the comic world. Certainly not here in Britain . Does anyone know if 2000 AD is still running? I haven't bought it for years and when I asked about it in one of the Northern Ireland newsagents I was told that they didn't bring it in from England any more as there was no in terest in it. I asked Adrian who works in Belfast and he said that he hadn't seen an issue for a long time, even in Forbidden Planet. So maybe it's stopped publishing. The last issue I saw of it was dreadful so I wouldn't be surprised. On the other hand, I lifted a copy of The Times today and found a weekend comic. However, it's all the usual stuff but it's good to see that some of the newspapers are taking comings a bit more seriously, even if it is The Times. I wonder how long it'll last though - I seem to recall that some other paper tried something similar a little while ago and the comic folded pretty quickly. It's aimed at children and how many children take an interest in The Times? So let's see what 2012 brings - after all it is a time when Britian is supposed to be investing in culture with the Year of the Olympics and so forth. And we'll see what American comics do - everybody I talk to in the States say that they're on their last legs, that all creativity's gone and merchandising has taken over. However, I live in hope. We can do little else. Have a great New Year and we'll all talk soon

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!

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!

Comics in Northern Ireland

Yes, it's been over a month since I last looked at thse blogs - things have just been so hectic. I've been working on a number of new projects which have really nothing to do with either writing or comics. It's part of my other persona in community work and a lot of it seems to be taking over my life. And I'm struggling to get some writing done on two books at once - and do television and radio work as well. So comics I'm afraid has come slightly down the pecking order. We're finding it very difficult to advance with the comics - plenty of ideas but few outlets. There's another tranche of CIIF money coming up here in Northern Ireland - this is the Creative and Innovative Industries Fund which is designed towards setting up creative new businesses - but none of us are really considering applying. It's co-funded by the Arts Council who in my view and the vierw of many others are not all that interested in the arts at all. We applied both to the Arts Council and the CIIF, who said that they didn't really fund comics as it was too risky a venture for them. This does not appear to have been true as they have just funded a comic - which sells at £6 for about 30 or so pages - run by the Greater Shantallow Community Arts. Now I have absolutely no problem with a community group producing a comic - and this looks to be a one-off - and genuinely wish them all the best. But is it something that the Arts Council under the CIIF should be involved in - are they setting up a business? They may very well be and if so I would love them to get in contact through this blog because I can then meet and discuss strips with them. However, I doubt that many other groups will get any money out of the Arts Council - I know of groups in Belfast who ar involved in graphic work have been trying for years without even the remotest chance of success. Under the last CIIF granting the money went to all the usual suspects - local Borough Councils, who are hardly creative businesses, Government agencies, a firm which made greetings cards and a jewellers shop. Of course the Minister in charge at that time was Nelson McCausland who is well known for his rigid views and meddling in various aspects of life, the new Sinn Fein Minister doesn't seem to be making much of her post either. So I think we're in the wrong place at the wrong time - and will remain so for some time. In the meantime we'll have a meeting around the start of December and see where we go from here. Maybe a move to the US is in order and get out of Northern Ireland?Too old for that now. Anyway, still have the blog - that's always something!