Messages

A big thank you to Steev Thulin-Hopper of Hasting, E Sussex, for his letter in Meg 230's Dreddlines. An hysterical missive, in every sense of the phrase. ;-)

davidbishop

My work here is done!

davidbishop

Bad Andy wrote: And are we going to see Lauren vs Jena going head to head in the World Series of Love then?

You are Sheena Easton and I claim my five pounds.

davidbishop

You would assume correctly.

davidbishop

Amazon's listing is mostly accurate. The novel is called Operation Vampyr and is planned as the first book in a trilogy. Alas, the terms of my contract with Black Flame preclude me from saying much more, especially I haven't started writing the book yet.

I've just delivered my second Dante manuscript, Imperial Black, which opens during the dying days of the Tsar Wars and builds into a rip-snorting adventure full of sex, honour and death on the roof of the world.

davidbishop, hype-merchant

Another interesting interview. My memory of how Charlie got work on the Megazine is a little different from his recollection of events, but such is the nature of things after more than a decade.

Steve MacManus tasked me with finding the next generation of British talent for the Megazine, so the then-monthly wouldn't have to compete with 2000 AD for the same creators. Among the wannabes who sent me stuff were a writer and artist team, of which Charlie was the artist. I invited the two guys into the Fleetway offices (then at Greater London House, opposite Mornington Crescent tube station) and took them to a pub on the nearest corner (the Hope and Anchor?).

Anyway, it was obvious that Charlie had potential as an artist but I was less enthused by his writing partner. I didn't like to do it, but I took Charlie to one side and said I'd be happy to work with him but not as part of that creative team. Charlie took the hint and soon after got his first commissionn for the Meg, a one-off Dredd.

Before anyone asks, I decline to name the would-be writer I shafted. They are still involved with the comics industry but, IIRC, never made it as a script writer.

davidbishop

"hay david, you want an icon?"

Yes, please. My web-fu is lamentable and I have yet to figure out how to achieve such things. I'm on a Mac, not a PC, if that's relevant - OSX and all that jazz.

davidbishop

Close, but not quite right. The line is:
'I'll never kill anything again, Shimura-San.'

Ronin Breed is included in the collected edition. The two Shimura stories left out are:-
- Heavy Metal (Meg 2.75, 17.3.95) Artist: Duke Mighten, Colour: Simon Fraser
- Angels of Death (Judge Dredd Mega Special 1996) Artist: Lol

Also missing is a strip featuring Inaba that was commissioned for the Daily Star, but ended up in the Meg:-

Judge Dredd: Warriors (Megs 3.31 to 3.33, 1.7-1.9.97) Artist: Jack Couvella (1-2) and Andrew Currie (3), Colour: Alan Craddock

davidbishop

No Lol, but it does have Cyril Julien's art on Web, the Dredd/Shimura crossover that ran in Meg 3.19 during 1996 and was originally commissioned for a yearbook.

davidbishop

Thanks for the nice review. I had a blast writing The Strangelove Gambit and I guess that shows in the book. As for that character name that made you groan in the first chapter, that's not my pun. Check out the final episode of the Tsar Wars saga (Prog 1262, IIRC), when Dante mentions his mentor's name in conversation...

davidbishop

The woman who's dying of cancer and has raised a million pounds for charity with her endeavours while enduring excruciating pain - that's worthy of note.

Some potato-faced woman who's been away sailing for 71 days? Not so much.

davidbishop

The Amazon listing for NIKOLAI DANTE: Imperial Black is inaccurate, as I'm writing that book at the moment.

I suspect several of the other Amazon listings may also be less than 100 per cent correct...

davidbishop

Simon F. has supplied a new cover for the second ND collection. IIRC it was on the Andy Diggle Forum.

davidbishop

Thanks for all the encouragement. In answer to Trout's query "Any luck tracking down GFD?", I did interview him for TPO and his quotes can be found in the articles regarding Rogue. However, his comments about The VCs and a few other strips were obtained after the early articles had already been published. That and similar material all await inclusion in a revised, expanded edition of TPO...

davidbishoop

Rebellion and I began discussing a book edition of TPO about a year ago - but everything ground to a halt when the DC graphic novels deal took off , as that understandably took precedence. Perhaps now that is in motion, it's time to take another look at TPO - Mr Barnes, if you're reading this, any thoughts?

Certainly there should be a revised, updated version in some format for 2007. Chillingly, the 30th anniversary of 2000 AD is now only two years ago. But there's the 15th anniversary of the Meg to be celebrated first...

davidbishop