Preludes, Previews and Purchases

Locked in your house for a year with nothing to do? Unable to leave your council area? Forbidden from “congragating” with others? These might be the terms of your bail, or it might just be the last year for all of us. So what to do with all the spare time? Make a comic of course. 

There have been a lot of amazing releases over the past year and something of an explosion in crowd-funded comics. With shops closed and cons cancelled creators have found their own outlets, and there has been an eager audience. Will it change how we make and consume comics in the future? We shall see…

So here are a few recent releases and current kickstarters. Fill yer boots.

The Tay Bridge Disaster. David Robertson is well known in UK comics for his autobiographical stories. This book is a bit of a departure for him, with a look at a legendary tragedy which still casts a shadow over his home town of Dundee. Written in a newspaper strip style (fitting for the home town of D.C Thomson) I backed the Kickstarter for this and found it to be a fascinating and educational read. You can get your copy from his online store here.

Killtopia Volume Three. We recently had the amazing news that writer Dave Cook’s Killtopia is to be adapted as an animated TV show. That was fantastic news for an indie book from Scotland and an inspiration for all you creators out there. The third volume of Killtopia is out soon and will be available for pre-order later this month from BHP Comics. With Clark Bint taking over on art, the book continues to be visually striking with a Frank Quitely takes on a Transmetropolitan vibe. 

Atomic Hercules: Weapon of Mass Destruction – What more can be said about the mythical and disturbing adventures of a demi-god making his way in a wanton world? Tony Esmond and Adam Falp want to answer that question. This comic channels the underground vibe of those books you would see in back street comics shops with a sickly sweet smell hanging about them. You can support this latest installment on Kickstarter now.

Alex Automatic Volume One Trade Paperback – A tale of spy paranoia through the lens of media like The Prisoner and TV21. This crowdfunding campaign compiles and concludes the story. Written by Fraser Campbell with art by James Corcoran and David B. Cooper and contributions from Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, Aditya Bidikar, Rob Jones and Colin Bell. It even has a groovy theme tune by Allan J Swan Back it on Kickstarter now. 

Lad – The Homecoming issue 3. I was very impressed by the first few issues of Lad – The Homecoming by Umar Ditta with Carlos Pedro and Hugo Boylan which I read on the comichaus app. A book with a sense of lengthening shadows and growing menace. Now on Kickstarter with catch-up options available.

Rusalka – this stunningly illustrated book of folklore tales by Kamila, a Polish creator based in the UK was a must-have as soon as I saw it. You can get your copy via the Kickstarter page here.