Shift Comic - new UK anthology

[tonyf33]

ComicScene did run strips (Rok of the Reds, Captain Cosmic, Lady Flintlock, Milford Green. Whackoman! to name a few) but was mainly features.  We have eight pages in Shift! which mainly cover new and indie comics.
People seem to want strips and retro articles separate, which is why we are launching the History of Comics Books.  Interviews include John Wagner on anything but Dredd and Ian Gibson on Halo Jones.  https://comicscene.org/subscribe-to-the-history-of-comics/
We have also launched the 116 page hardback Annual for Christmas which you can order in print or digital now - the cover inspiration from a certain publication you may know! https://comicscene.org/2020/09/30/buy-your-comicscene-annual-here-now-even-bigger-at-116-pages/

[Sinx]

No disrespect to the '77 lads or anyone else making fanzines, but anyone can print books and sell them from a car boot, however, almost nobody turns a profit from doing so.  I imagine Mills' plan is to actually be able to continue to make Spacewarp beyond the first issue.

The77 isn't isn't a fanzine.
Also I got paid for my strip art, not an huge amount of money admittedly but in my experience of contributing to both fanzines and indie publications this is a first. This was not an agreed page rate but a cash dividend because the Kickstarter went several times over its target i.e. it made a profit.

[TordelBack]

Bit late to all this, but seeing Steve Yeowell's name on the cover, I hope it isn't connected to his disappearance from recent Sinister Dexter? He's ours dammit, you other comics ain't having him (unless of course he's getting more dosh/satisfaction, in which case, shine on you crazy owl).

Good roster of talent there, wishing it well.

[Colin YNWA]

Well my copy has landed and while I won't be reading it until this evening (with any luck) first impressions are very positive. It looks GREAT and is a health sized beast of a comic. For comparison it feels and looks pretty much the same as battle of Britain Special. Shift is £6.99, the BoB Special £7.99. Shift is america comic proportions, but UK sized (if that makes sense), so same proportions as Crisis of old but square bound.

The all important smell test is a pass to. Slightly less petrolium than the B0B Special, but with a subtle fresh printed smell.

Inside the production values are strong, if I find the design a little chaotic and messy in places, nothing too off putting and probably pretty contemporary and its just that I'm old.

Key thing for me flicking through the art its looks the business, a fantastic variety of style and if I'm being harshly honest all the art looks professional as opposed to what I've seen of the '77 and Spacewarp some of the art on which has been very much small press - which is not to say bad at all, just not quite of the standard I'm seeing here and to be honest why I've gone for this as opposed to those others mentioned. Also has the exciting novelity of a 6 page fold out story by The Mighty Yeowell.

At the back he text features from Comicscene are coralled and makes a nice little addition, but doesn't get in the way of the chunk of adventure comics pages.

Im summary - I chuffin' can't wait to get stuck into this, it looks superb and very pleased I took the plunge. More later...

[Funt Solo]

The all important smell test is a pass to.

Not something I'd considered before, but ok.

[Colin YNWA]

The all important smell test is a pass to.

Not something I'd considered before, but ok.

Seriously you need to be smelling you new trades and geaphic novels. Its an important comic facet that is rarely discussed. Obviously if you are fully digital this will get you the same weird looks, but with none of the rewards.

[Funt Solo]

Now that you mention it, The Stringbags did smell gorgeous.

[Colin YNWA]

Bloody hell I wasn't expecting it to be this, or this good! For some reason I thought Shift was going to be a bit more all ages, somewhere between The Phoenix and 2000ad, but it didn't read like that. It was more aduly focused. It was also brilliantly diverse and fantastic mix of first rate stories. If you haven't checked this comic out do. Its superb.

To the Death - sets out as a typical war is hell, jaded trooper and his ragged band, but then spins its ideas on their head and slips into something all the more interesting. Really striking visuals.

Foot soldiers - so the boot based powers thing should just be silly. The 6 page gatefolder format has a real danger of being gimicky. Yet with the power of The Mighty Yeowell's visuals, so imaginative storytelling technics and some really interesting ideas it a triumph.

Kora - possibly my favourite of the bunch as a washed up space pilot defies the expectations you are set and does when she needs to to survive. There's some fantastic moments that utter catch you off guard and all done with no dialogue or narrative captions.

Soulwind - first of a couple of stories that show that these stories might not have been designed for an anthology and rather as a graphic novel. This one is billed as a pulp futuristic fairy tale but does not get to that as it starts as a piece of contemplation, a mouse and then on the last two places drops you into something entirely different and really amusing. This one will go to different places one suspects.

Tiny Acts of Violence - is a brutal urban horror I suspect - but does quite get to its central story points but it is brilliant and horrific in what we do get. Another contender for favourite.

Shifter - is the weakest of the bunch, in that again I think it suffers from not being designed for this format and the piece it places out don't hold together just yet. Still plenty of time for this to pull into something.

Hungerville - Essentially a longer, very strong future shock and great to have one offs in a title like this.

Lots of decent back matter and interviews with creators and Uncle Pat.

This is basically Cinema Purgatorio from the UK comic market and while it wasn't quite I expected in the end it was better than I could have hoped.

Buy this comic.

[SmallBlueThing(Reborn)]

Yep, would agree wholeheartedly. I was also "not expecting much", but ended up putting it down after reading in one sitting, and thinking it absolutely money well spent.
In fact, having read both this and Spacewarp #1 consecutively (and really liking them both), I had a sudden flashback to the days when i could close the prog and immediately open Crisis- because that's what Shift reminded me of. Experimental, some rough edges, but on the whole a brilliant shift from the norm.

The fold-out Yeowell strip is glorious- it really, really, shouldn't work but it absolutely does. And the augmented reality phone app nonsense, despite being a bit of a tit on my device and not working *exactly* as planned, was a hoot. Especially the mosasaur and the animated cover. Not sure what the game was though, and it went a bit wonky at that point, meaning I had to faff with my phone a bit.

But yeah, a really strong opener. Cant wait for #2- 10th December, I believe.

SBT

[Colin YNWA]

But yeah, a really strong opener. Cant wait for #2- 10th December, I believe.

Oh good to have a date on that. That's what 6 weeks. If they can keep that pace up I'll be happy.

Not done the AR yet will try it in the morning.

[SmallBlueThing(Reborn)]

Issue #3 Feb 4th (longer shelf life for first two issues due to initial punt and then xmas) and then every 5 weeks after that, according to Facebook.

I hope they keep it up.

SBT

[Dandontdare]

|was ambivalent , but after such recommendations from Colin & SBT, I'm definitely going to give this  a go.

[Bolt-01]

Yup, I'm ordering some of this. I really liked Kora in ACES weekly too. Chris Geary is a heck of a storyteller.

[Bolt-01]

I got this late week, and hurried through it. And was soundly disappointed.

I was going to offer it here for a squaxx to take of my hands, and then I've just read it again and totally revised my opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed it this time.

There are still some things I'm not sold on - and a lot of lettering needs work but I'm really glad I gave it another go.

What changed for me -- Mood? Time of day? Not had my prog so in need of a thrill-fix?

Either way, I'm now looking forward to the second issue.

[Colin YNWA]

Oh that's good to hear. I was a little worried since I've been gushing about it all over the place!

I do worry sometimes that my mood / tiredness oftwen colour now I see any given comic I read. Very possibly unfairly.

For me as well Shift was so different to what I was expecting I'm surprised I was so favourable as I went in expecting one thing but found something entirely different.

And so it goes.

Glad you like it.