Omnivistascope 2 - Slightly Fantastic

paulvonscott · 22 May, 2006, 08:15:21 PM

Okay, here is a proper plug for the second outing of SF comic Omnivistascope. If you want more science fiction in your diet, then why not give it a go? It's full of SF comic stories, a little different from what you'd get in 2000AD and counts as one of your five, weekly SF portions.

To plaguerise my own press release:

It's an annual perfect bound Science Fiction comic, issue 1 was 66 pages, and issue 2 is 76 pages. It is ?5 plus post from the website, issue 1 is ?4 + post (and If you type Omnivistascope into e-bay, easier said that done, a comic shop is selling it even cheaper).

Though many of the same characters appear in issue 2, you don't need to own issue 1 to enjoy it, for the most part the stories are self-contained.

54 JONES (OVS 1&2) is the tale of a cloned sewer worker in 12-Station City, a subterranean refuge from the warped earth above. And here in 12 Station City, 54 is at the bottom of the pile. Even his own clones are trying to kill him in return for his K-Hol rations and undertime bonus, all perks of the worst job at the bottom of the world.

SPACE LORD (OVS 1&2), at under 4 foot is one of the shortest dictators in galactic history, but he is still a force to be reckoned with. His misdeeds of barbarity and vengeance are legendary, but less well known is his series of small press comics he works on when he's finished the 9 till 5 tyranny.

RATHBONE (OVS 2) is a robotic senator from a distant future, where the organic creatures' war with the machines ended in their defeat. His military career now thousands of years in the past, he lives in exile, alone on a desolate boneyard. Rathbone has had time to reflect on the war and his part in it, but little does he realise that the last of the organic wars is about to begin.

DIRK DESPAIR (OVS 1&2) is here to save the galaxy. Mind you, just looking at the galaxy tires him out. So it's to the galaxies benefit that his live-in heroic partner Sarah Alfer makes him do it. Otherwise, nothing would get done.

KEEGAN JASK (OVS 1&2) is a galactic raconteur, saving his hide with stories that would make Peter Ustinov blush. Convincing though they may be, they can't all be true, can they?

LUBATEK (OVS 2) works for From Beyond, the deep space salvage company. So far her career has been unremarkable, drifting from post to post. But now she is working on the Space Orchid, a grimy slab of metal, and it's all going to go tragically wrong.

PROFESSOR BRABBLEPAP (OVS 1&2) is an alien reconstructive archaeologist from millions of years in the future, fascinated by a now extinct species called Homo sapiens. You may have heard of them, after all, for someone that looks like a heavily mutated conker, he writes an exceptional scientific paper. You follow the Professor as he follows the trail of mankind's downfall, invalidating his field trip insurance along the way.

And more...

QUISLING (OVS 1&2) is a polymath, a brilliant man, buried in a nonexistent department and doomed to the obscurity of his two predecessors. Which is just how he likes it. Quisling is also a department formed in 1947 to put its name to anything the government won't touch. Now Quisling investigates the Ghosts of the House on Klein Street, he doesn't believe in them, but will they believe in him?
THE SURVIVORS (OVS 1&2), AUTO MUTO (OVS 2) and ALBERON (OVS 1) are short story titles covering tales of those who have skipped Armageddon, the rise of the automobile and a world where science is enslaved to magic.
And finally, what you see presented here is a strip called ONE GIRL AND HER CHAINDOG (OVS 2), and this one you get to discover for yourself?

You can also find a cheap copy of OVS1 on e-bay, as a comic shop is selling one off.

Link: http://www.solarwindcomic.co.uk/shop.html" target="_blank">It's this way...

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paulvonscott · 22 May, 2006, 08:16:47 PM

I only slightly cocked that all up, pretend you didn't notice.

JOE SOAP · 22 May, 2006, 08:21:49 PM

This sounds fantastic, any scans of inside pages to get a taste?

paulvonscott · 22 May, 2006, 08:30:23 PM

The first page of Lubatek, drawn by Simon Penter...

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paulvonscott · 22 May, 2006, 08:36:00 PM

A Complex Murder, drawn by Paul McCaffrey...

I'll post up more later, better start getting ready for work.

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WoD · 22 May, 2006, 08:57:00 PM

I've read it, it's great.

House of Usher · 22 May, 2006, 10:05:08 PM

I've also read it. It is also great (as it were).

Bolt-01 · 23 May, 2006, 12:16:24 AM

I've read it too, and it is definately great. The art all round is top notch, and the scripts are as good as you would expect.

Bolt-01

James · 23 May, 2006, 12:48:15 AM

Ive read it, and so's my Dad*!

And yes it is indeed great.
And so is issue 1.

*My Dad hasn't actually read it.

House of Usher · 23 May, 2006, 01:29:32 AM

"and the scripts are as good as you would expect"

Maybe even better.

;)

House of Usher · 23 May, 2006, 01:39:52 AM

Honestly, I can hardly express just how good Omnivistascope II is: it is, quite simply, the best small press anthology I've read, and the artwork is, indeed, outstanding. Quite a list of names there, too.

Wow. Impressive.

Buddy · 23 May, 2006, 05:07:40 AM

Ohh Paul, that looks very tasty.

Think I'll be gettin me some o that.

Dudley · 24 May, 2006, 04:58:51 PM

That's some lovely art right there, particularly the Paul McCaffery.

Rex Banner · 03 August, 2006, 12:39:32 AM

There's a small plug for this on the letters page of the new SFX.

paulvonscott · 03 August, 2006, 01:03:23 AM

Thanks Matthew, I'll have to take a look. Is it their fanzine of the month mini-section, once the more expansive Farenheit 451 section, or is it in a letter?

Oh and it's still on sale :p

I'm currently writing stories for issue 3... due next May. Seems a long way away, but next thing you know...