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And now Bleeding Cool:

www.bleedingcool.com/2012/04/01/when-stephen-pound-mp-visited-brett-ewins/

Which gets listed on Google News, which is handy if people are monitoring that for updates:

www.google.co.uk/search?q=brett+ewins&tbm=nws

You could pick up a full set of progs for that.  That's crazy.

The key is the quality of the issue, this makes it significantly more desirable.

My "favourite" bit:

*WHY PAY HUNDREDS, IN SOME CASES THOUSANDS FOR A COMIC WHEN YOU CAN GET THEM FOR NEXT TO NOWT

I'd like to see Tharg find out where he works and pop in and help himself to whatever he can find.

Of course, then Dave points out he has hardly been subtle about this, slapping the Atomeka logo on all sorts of things. Here is Maximum Force with Simon Bisley on art duties:

http://monstermassacre.keenspot.com/d/20120319.html

Wow. I have those two Monster Massacre issue (started a thread about it a loooooooong time ago).

Ah ha, so you did:

http://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php/topic,26915.0.html

Details of those two issues:

http://comicbookdb.com/title.php?ID=17232

Thanks!  I think 305 is probably going a bit far back for me to buy up all the issues in a timely manner, but I might hop back to that point and fill in from there after I've caught up on more recent stuff.  I'm contemplating starting with 314, actually, even though it's at the tail end of some things, since I'm pretty interested in the Cursed Earth Koburn story, and it will give me a bit of a lead-in should American Reaper indeed turn out a bit Marmite.  (I have to confess I've not really got on with Pat Mills' recent works in my prog catch-up, so I can't say I'm expecting to fall into the 'love it' camp, though I guess I might be pleasantly surprised.)

Yes, there is no easy jumping-on point within range where everything starts afresh, but diving in has not been a problem for most of us unless we started with issue #1. If that works for you then you can always work your way back in batches anyway.

Dave Elliott has been announcing a few projects this year, like the return of Atomeka Press' Monster Massacre (initially through two special issues of Heavy Metal) as well as some new projects he is writing himself:

www.bleedingcool.com/2012/01/13/odyssey-graphic-novel-from-dave-elliott-garrie-gastonny-jim-steranko/

www.bleedingcool.com/2012/01/25/return-of-dave-elliotts-monster-massacre/

www.bleedingcool.com/2012/03/15/heavy-metal-revives-monster-massacre-for-san-diego-comic-con/

www.bleedingcool.com/2012/03/30/dave-elliotts-shiny-new-things/

What was largely missed was that that first Odyssey teaser image includes the Atomeka logo, so I pressed Dave on the matter and he said it is indeed coming back:

You got me!

:-)

The MONSTER MASSACRE collection will be out under ATOMEKA.  I'm not planning on reprinting anything from back then and all the old A1 material was all owned and controlled by the creators.  That's why Garry and myself did it in the first place,  Back then creator driven and owned material was a little thin on the ground, especially in the UK so we only took one printing rights on everything.

The Monster Massacre collection this October will be a hardback containing the two Heavy Metal issues I'll have put together by then.  The September issue of HM from last year I did with Imaginary Friends Studio and the Monster Massacre September issue this year with a couple of new pieces in for good measure.

Will there be more Atomeka projects?  I certainly hope so and if the stars align properly either a monthly Monster Massacre or A1 will be launched before the year is out.

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

- Dave

Happy days - A1 was like a continuation of Warrior, with all sorts of top talent contributing to a creator-owned anthology (something the mainstream comics industry needs more of), and if it or its horror-themed cousin make a comeback then that can only be a good thing.

More as it emerges...

And, as promised, the update is now doing the rounds:

http://downthetubescomics.blogspot.com/2012/03/brett-ewins-mp-makes-statement-on.html

http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2012/brett-ewins-update/

Welcome, there is a price guide here:

http://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php/topic,27071.msg478523.html#msg478523

You really are a more eloquent and grammatically-polished Cyberleader, aren't you, Emperor?

Oh indeed, I can't offer any advice based on success (other than get to know a lot of women and drink heavily, something is bound to happen*) - it is all "don't do what I did."

* Even if that something isn't ideal, like waking up with a friend's girlfriend, now ex-wife, which I thought I;d got away with for years until a friend mentioned the incident in passing, suggesting I'd clear not.

Put me down for a copy of each.

I don't think there's a problem with borrowing another artist's layout if it's fully acknowledged as a learning opportunity (rather than a commercial one) and you've chosen to borrow from a nice bloke who isn't likely to go thermonuclear too. He might well be flattered.

And in a lot of professional art, 'quotations' are going on all the time, especially the Last Supper by Da Vinci. It's often to make a point or for fun.

And adding a note to the piece (as has been done) is seen as good form.

See also the use of the Pieta in comics (some of which riff on the statue, some on the COIE cover, whcih itself was inspired by the Kirby one):

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2008/06/22/cool-comic-cover-gallery-the-best-pieta-covers/

and Steranko's classic Hulk cover;

http://www.giantsizemarvel.com/2008/06/recreations-jim-sterankos-logo.html

Oh and what is on TV tonight? Forgetting Sarah Marshall - which the film makes it impossible to do. She was a girl at school who was, if memory serves, the first one I thought was potential girlfriend material, but a "friend" sharked her out from under me (metaphorically speaking, of course). With hindsight I more miffed at my not moving fast enough and by his behaviour than losing her.

If I might cheekily hijack this thread while it's here, can anyone recommend a good jumping on point for the Megazine?  I've been catching up on digital and am just about up to the present prog-wise, so now I'm eyeing up getting into the Meg as well.  I see the shop has digital issues going back to 294, but my budget won't stretch to that many, so is there a relatively recent issue that would make a particularly place to start?  (And/or maybe specific Megs from that range that have standout stories worth getting?)

The Megs are usually pretty easy to jump into - the Dredds are usually one or two parters, the Tales From the Black Museum are one-offs and because the stories usually get a longer page count there is a quicker turnover of them. So one good place to start is Meg 305 as that gives you the start of Insurrection II and the first Samizdat Squad. It is the last Lily MacKenzie (but you can catch-up online, I believe) and then Numbercruncher starts in the creator-owned slot of Meg 306. Another bonus is that, if you're quick, this is only £3 in the sale (cheaper than the digital):

http://shop.2000adonline.com/products/judge_dredd_megazine_305

After that it could be Meg 316, which saw the start of American Reaper but that might be a difficult call as AR has proved a little... Marmitesque for the readers - you might love it but if you don't then it might be a bit off-putting as your first Meg.

So I'd recommend 305 - it makes a useful jumping-on point with a really solid line-up of stories which should ease you into the Meg nicely.Then, even if you don't like AR, you'll have the incentive to hang on in there as the Cursed Earth Koburn, Armitage and Strange & Darke stories that start in Megs 314, 318 and 319, respectively, make it worth sticking with.

I made the classic schoolboy error due to obliviousness during my first year at University. I had a very pleasant evening at a party and spent quite a while talking to a girl I knew well. At the end of the evening I walked her back to the block her flat was in, she invited me up for coffee and I declined because I didn't like the stuff. I later went out with her flatmate at the time, who was most amused by the whole thing as it really was an invitation for "coffee." She also suspected that the "coffee girl" had was the sender of my first (and only) mystery Valentine's card - all the girls in their flat had decided to send me a joint birthday card but my girlfriend's boyfriend at the time (who was a guy I'd know from school) kicked off and the card was never sent, apparently the "coffee girl" was rather upset about this, so may have been the one to send that Valentine's card.

Of course, she then went out with one of my best mates for years and we were never both single at the same time. Also the opportunity to ask her never arose and I haven't seen her since.