2000 AD Online Forum

As mentioned in the 'Solar Wind wins' post, here's the post for boarders independent (or what used to be known as 'small press') comics.  To those not in the know - the lack of a UK comics industry has meant that creators have moved to self-publishing.  There's still some great stuff out there and a good many 2000AD writers and artists still contribute to these comics.  Production quality is near rivalling the professionals, it's just a little difficult to find them in comic shops...but that's all about to change (more news later).

And how about a links page on the main 2000AD website for them?

To editors, please put, the name of the comic, a one or two line description, a 'similar to', format, cost, where to buy from and a website link.

STARSCAPE - Valiant for the 21st Century

A selection of original sci-fi, fantasy, superhero and horror comics from new talent and established creators from the likes of 2000AD, Commando, Spider-Man, Solar Wind and more.  Published bi-monthly, there's also classic British reprints such as Fleetway's the Leopard from Lime Street!  There's also features on British comics and Tales That Astonished, that looks at ground-breaking series and stories.

Similar to a cross between 2000AD and the Mighty World of Marvel, with nods to Warrior and Creepy.

Published bi-monthly in colour and black-and-white in A4 (2000AD/ tabloid size).

Costs ?2 + 50p UK postage (see website for overseas) or downloadable as a pdf for only ?1.25.

Send cheques/ POs/ cash made payable to SuperHeroStore MultiMedia c/o 20 Green End Road, Chesterton, Cambridge, CB4 1RX or purchase online by credit card at the website.

Link: www.StarscapeComic.co.uk

C'mon folks!

What new comics haven't I got?

Is there a Starscape #4 yet?
Solar Wind #3
Future Quake #2
I've got a B&B already (thanks Gary!)
Devilchild #1-2 (are there still any #1s available?)

Have I missed anything?

Yep,there's still copies of Volume 1 available.

Natalie

I've just bought Starscape #1 + 2 online, along with a couple of issues of The Girly Comic and Violent #6, plus The Rainbow Orchid #1 - can't wait for them to arrive!

When is Starscape #3 going to be available for purchase from the website? And does anyone know where I can get a copy of Violent #5?

Finally, can someone run down the issues of Solar Wind that have been published so far, and give me an idea of availability?

Cheers!

No problem Blackblood

Solar Wind 1 is soldout, but may be reprinted if demand is high enough.

Solar Wind 2 is in single figures now, again it may be reprinted, but not for a while and the price would go up.

Solar Wind 3
Sunny for Girls 1
Big War Comic 1

These are all new releases and sold out at Bristol, but I will be printing some more next week if people want to order them.

This should be all on the website, but I'm just getting round to adding the details.

Link: Solar Wind

Cheers, PVS - I've emailed you about them...

You've put out three comics at once?? Sheesh you have been busy! I thought they were going to be merged with Solar Wind (as was done in SW#2)!

Sign me up for a copy of each then Paul.

Due to the complicated science of chrono-importing, comics may first merge and then de-merge as they travel through the time streams.  Therefore in the future, comics will appear to merge first, then become independant titles.  

Imagine time as a giant mirror made of mercury sandwiched between two sheets of glass with a spiral tube running through it and it'll all start to make sense.

Dunno about making sense... but time sure does look pretty!

As Andrew Lewis doesn't seem to be about any more, here's a plug for Zarjaz.




I did the cover you know...

When is Starscape #3 going to be available for purchase from the website?

It's been available for quite some time, as is issue 4 to pre-order, which remoinds me...

Link: StarscapeComic.co.uk

I like Donnie Darko's view on time, that all time is pre-determined and the only sign of time travel is a large watery spear emitting from our chests, that make it to placesa few seconds before we do.

That's weird - when I checked the Starscape site earlier today, there didn't seem to be a link for purchasing a paper copy of Starscape 3. Ah, well - I'll just go and grab a copy :-)

With any luck you should now be able to buy FutureQuake#2, with seven new shocking tales of  including pitchfest-runner up "Sperm Count" online from the FutureQuake site now.

Issue#1 of FutureQuake is also available as a printable PDF download.

Link: http://www.arthurwyatt.co.uk/futurequake/

Art - any printed copies of FQ #1 still available?

Yeah, theres a new print runof them, for the same price as FQ2. Eventually I'll set up links to buy FQ1, FQ2, or FQ1 & FQ2 at a discount rate (?5 + P&P)

So, could I pay ?5.60 into your PayPal account for the two issues just now?

Yup!

If anyone feels like emailing me at beatgirlcomics.com, do so at once! You can get Rogue Trooper for 40p, Beatniks A-Go-Go for 50p... you provide the SAE for best results.

Sorry... that's beatgirlcomics@hotmail.com ...

Done - I look forward to receiving Future Shocks that will Shit Me Up!

...and Al - an email is on the way :-)

I just read Al Ewing's Ultimate Future Shock comic this morning. I laughed so hard it brought tears to my eyes !!!

B&B

It's funny
It's got swearing in it
It's a celebration of the three panel cartoon strip
It's furture award winning
It's two quid inc postage!
It's got 'funny man of the moment' Al Ewing in it (Plus Wyatt, Molcher, Paul 'Sperm Count' Glasswell in non-rude joke shocker, Oddboy, Ben 'Greifbringer' Clark, Alan Moore and Me) One of those I made up btw

Use the email clicky thing on the site to find out where to send the bunce to

"This is really funny!" Random Punter at Bristol
"Well bloody buy it then" Me.

I will have a collected edition of Whistler available at Dreddcon this year.

I have reached the point where I now know my page count and I have a couple of pages spare.

It works out to an A4 space, so does anybody want to mail me an Ad?

Hoping to space it to put the ads on the centre spread, or maybe not.

Bolt-01

Can i just hijack this thread to ask a question of the folks who produce their own comics.

What computer program, if any, do you use to letter/format the comic for printing?

I'd like to produce an ashcan mini-comic(A5) for Dreddcon and need to know what program is going to help me out the best.

I do it all wrong. I use photoshop to letter, and then plonk the resulting images onto pages in Corel Draw. I so it this way because i'm reasonably profficient with those programs, but Page Maker and Illustrator are probably a better bet.

For your A5 booklet any DTP program thats capable of importing images and printing the pages onto A4 in a correctly paginated manner, ie the first page facing the last page, inner cover facing each other, etc... etc... should do the trick.

I've used Illustrator to letter comic pages.

Where do you sell your comics? Specialist shops? Record stores? Cool-cat cafes? Oxfam?

Tulk, Adobe Illustrator is often used for lettering, though lots of avdanced art boffins will tell you photoshop is just as good.  Personally Illustrator makes it easy enough for me to do it, while I found photoshop a bit difficult with my limited knowledge.

As Art said, any DTP package, from Qaurk Express to Microsoft Publisher can be used to put together an A5 comic.

Good luck with it, I'd love to see it.

Cheers

Paul

Where do you sell your comics? Specialist shops? Record stores? Cool-cat cafes? Oxfam?

There's a few for sale at the Superhero Store (www.superherostore.co.uk) including the now unavailable (IIRC) Solar Wind #1

People tend to sell on their websites, maybe at Smallzone, comic festivals and sometimes at their local comic shops, bookstores and newsagents.

There's a new scheme to help sell comics in shops that needs volunteers to act as reps, as well as new publishers to come onboard.  If interested, go to the link below

Link: UK Independent Distribution Network

Despite the mad hassle that was printing B&B I?d still like to do something in landscape A5 sometime, in a similar manner to garys letterbox format.

Tulkas, I use Illustrator (10) to letter my pages now. After a shaky start I am beginning to get the results I like.

Jim Campbell put together guide for lettering on Illustrator that I found invaluable in getting going with the program. I'll put a link down below.

I have firmed up my running order and I have two A5 space available for ads. I suppose that the smaller the ad, the more I can put on!

Bolt-01

Link: Comics lettering

If you have ad space to swap with other Indy comics, then there is the Yahoo Group is set up called Ad Swap, just for that.  A place to upload files etc.  Only about 6 comics in it, but I didn't have time to get the leaflets done in time with all me Solar Wind malarky.

Cheers

Paul

Link: Ad Swap Forum