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Terry Hooper-Scharf

Tuesday 27 September 2011

New Black Tower Comics!

Black Tower Adventure 7




Adventure 7
various
60pp
A4
paperback
B&W
£5.00!!!




The First part of a new series begins this issue!

How do you follow up Return Of The Gods? “The Cross Earths Caper” is how!Zom the Mystic calls upon Earths heroes to help out those on another Earth and, against their better judgement, some of those still active after the Gods saga agree. Part 1:”The Ages Of Swing, Pop and Techno”

In the final part Xendragon confronts the Legacy of Frankenstein and has to re-assess some of his old beliefs. But with a cracked Frankenstein creating creatures and a werewolf on the loose will Xendragon survive?

And there are tragic consequences for Thaddeus Twatt in the final part of The Jungle Planet.Any dry eyes left at the end of this tale will belong to heartless swine!

Silvermaigne tracks down a vampyre.

The Thinker over thinks.

And more. This is The Black Tower Age Of Comics!

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/adventure-7/17143438?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_338105_


Purple Hood 3:Rule Britannia


Purple Hood 3 (of 3)
Ben R. Dilworth
Black Tower
A4
Paperback
B&W
27pp
£5.00


This is it! The pulse pounding, bullet riddled, high octane finale to the first Purple Hood series since 1967! Ben R. Dilworth guides the generational Purple Hood line from era to era fighting Great Britains enemies and hinting at future possibilities.

The hit comic of 2011

This is it! The pulse pounding, bullet riddled, high octane finale to the first Purple Hood series since 1967! Ben R. Dilworth guides the generational Purple Hood line from era to era fighting Great Britains enemies and hinting at future possibilities.

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/purple-hood-3-rule-britannia/17277095?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_338105_

The hit comic of 2011

Purple Hood 2: Glory

 


Purple Hood 2 (of 3):Glory
Ben R. Dilworth
Black Tower
A4

Paperback
27pp

B&W

£5.00

The second part of Ben Dilworth’s Purple Hood trilogy shows just how crime and international terror ought to be handled -with gloves. Not “kiddy gloves” of appeasement but Purple gloves of justice and retribution!
We see the Hood finally closing in on the European warlord responsible for the deaths of aid workers in a massacre.


Whether at Home of Abroad the Purple Hood cannot be beaten…

…and sales figures agree!


http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-purple-hood-2glory/17272613?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_338105_


Purple Hood 1:Land Of Hope


Purple Hood 1 (of 3):Land Of Hope
Ben R. Dilworth
Black Tower
A4
Paperback
25pp
b&w
£5.00


It began during the 1500s and The Dutch Wars. A man scarred while thwarting the Dutch invasion plans dons a purple hood and vowed to be Englands protector at whatever cost.

Generation after generation of the Britton family have taken on the role. The cost has been heavy but not one Purple Hood has ever bemoaned this.

The 1960s incarnation was one of many to wear the hood and in this first of a three part series, Ben Dilworth explores the past and present of the Purple Hood and what it takes to wear that hood. this is non-stop action and adventure!

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-purple-hoodland-of-hope/16789044?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_338105_

The first original Purple Hood comic since 1967.

D.C. Thomson:I Take NO Joy In This…



I’ve been telling D.C. thomson and others for over 20 years WHAT is wrong with the books they produce but they have closed minds and, subsequently, are committing commercial suicide.

I did state that the new incarnation would not work.

Does it take someone with a rolled up copy of the Dandy to beat its editorial staff to a bloody pulp in their offices for anyone to take notice?

I had hoped it might bring in a few readers but even long time readers have stopped buying and Thomson’s recent rather brusque response to my polite and detailed suggestion of new projects goes to show that all editors need sacking and new people who know comics need to be brought in.

This is the death knell for Dandy. “Disappointing” sales. Christ on a bike, for Thomson that is not disappointing it is a downright disgrace and humiliation.

Sales of 7,448 copies. Time to get that revolver out of the drawer and do the decent thing. Thomson COULD make a comics come back but they just don’t want to and I only have one question to ask: 

What are the senior company management at Thomson doing? Is this a comic cancellation tax dodge?

THOMSON:WAKE THE F*** UP_!!!




NO COMMENTS WILL BE ALLOWED ON THIS POSTING FOR REASONS PREVIOUSLY STATED -WHETHER SUPPORTING ME OR OTHERWISE. IT’S A DEAD CONVERSATION.

Desperate Dandy: comic’s celebrity relaunch “backfired”

Desperate Dan still walks tall in Dundee but sales of the Dandy comic have slumped
 
 
A REVAMP of the Dandy has backfired and sales of the world-famous comic are at an all-time low, it emerged today (sun).

Scots publishers DC Thomson tried to reverse the comic’s sales decline a year ago by introducing celebrity-based strips and even a Big Brother-style voting system.

But the firm has admitted it is “disappointed” after half the readership abandoned the title and sales plunged to just 7,448.

A spokesman even referred to the Dandy as a “blot” on an otherwise successful period.

Some fans of the comic fear it is only a matter of time before the Dandy disappears altogether, although DC Thomson today insisted they remained committed to the title.

The Dandy was first published, in Dundee, in 1937 and delighted generations of youngsters with characters such as Desperate Dan.

But sales sharply declined in the post war years from their peak of more than 1m.

Household names such as Harry Hill, Cheryl Cole, Simon Cowell and Jeremy Clarkson were drafted in to try to appeal to a new generation of readers.

And fans of the comic were even given the chance to vote to evict their least favourite character from Dandy.
A spokesman for DC Thomson today admitted: “The figures for The Dandy are disappointing and there is no getting away from that.

“The Dandy is the one blot on an otherwise quite successful period for us.

“We will be taking steps to address that, but we are not looking at radical surgery.”

John Freeman, a former editor of the monthly Doctor Who Magazine, claimed The Dandy was facing possible closure.

He said: “Sales are nowhere near where they were even five years ago.

“It would become difficult for them to print the comic if sales dropped below 3,000.”

Mr Freeman added: “I know that comic titles with circulations higher than that have been dispatched.”
The decision to stop attaching free gifts to the front cover could have accelerated the declined of The Dandy, said Mr Freeman.

“Maybe kids don’t want a comic that’s just a comic. Sad news if that’s true,” he said.

Former comic strip artist Kid Robson said the decision to introduce celebrity-based characters is the central reason for the rapid decline of The Dandy.

He said: “The Dandy, in particular, pursues this position to the extent that the fix has resulted in it being far more broken than was the case previously.

“The evidence suggests that the treatment is killing the patient.”

Recent editions have featured ITV presenters Ant & Dec challenging BBC rivals Dick and Dom to a bare-knuckle boxing match.

Harry Hill’s Real-Life Adventures in TV Land and a paradody of rapper Tinie Tempah, Tiny’s Temper, have also appeared.

Experts have suggested that DC Thomson may merge The Dandy with The Beano, another legendary title but one whose sales are declining more slowly and which still sells 40,000 copies.

Several high-profile titles in the same market are continuing to sell well.

The weekly Doctor Who Adventures magazine has maintained its 50,000 sales over the past year. And the TV spin-off, Simpsons Comics, sold 65,000.

Taken from
http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2011/09/11/desperate-dandy-comics-celebrity-relaunch-backfired/

Sunday 18 September 2011

lulu.com is still crap

Seriously, “2-4 days” to get a tech problem THEY created sorted out..but that was 26th AUGUST. It is now the 18th September and despite daily emails -nothing.  The Authors Spotlight page THEY moved me to still has multiple listings over 10 pages.  The page keeps re-arranging itself.  Books vanish but some do return. Some do not. I got a review in a national magazine of The Red Paper. I’ve had lots of emails asking why its not available and the magazine has had 20 emails asking the same thing. Its hit-or-miss if you find it on search.
Placed a trial order this morning -”No content available”.
So I’ve lost coming up to £400 in sales.  Lost.  I doubt after weeks of trying anyone is going to be interested in trying again.
So, lulu.com is still UTTER CRAP in dealing with “its” authors problems.
THIS POSTING IS ALSO GOING TO MY FIVE OTHER BLOGS AND ALL OF MY YAHOO AND OTHER GROUPS I RUN. AWFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE REQUIRES GOOD PUBLICITY.

Thursday 15 September 2011

Jean Marc Lofficier -The Interview


Now, I think that everyone who is a regular CBO visitor knows that I love European comics (you missed that?!) but in the last couple years one company has pressed my “Like Button” so many times that I’m quite dizzy!  That company is Hexagon Comics.


As I discovered, all these cool French characters from the 1960s and 1970s have been combined into one consistent universe -you have probably even read comics from the United States with them in and not realised it. But who could possibly be the mega brain behind such a venture?


Jean Marc Lofficier, that’s who. And I am very pleased and, I’ll admit to being excited at the prospect of this creator of a French comics universe answering some of my questions and revealing the story behind all of this!

****************************************








Terry: Now, I’ve obviously seen the incredible Cool French Comics site set up by yourself and wife Randy (http://www.coolfrenchcomics.com/ ) which covers characters from A-Z from Adele Blanc-Sec to  Zembla but also includes a timeline of French comic book/strip characters.
http://www.coolfrenchcomics.com/
Is it fair to say, in the nicest possible way, that you and Randy are French comic geeks?


Jean Marc: I definitely am the geek of the family! Randy used to read METAL MEN and some of the cool DC comics as a teenager, but obviously she wasn’t aware of the rich tradition of French comics; I’m the one who introduced her to it – as well as the films, TV series, etc. derived from those characters. It is of course much easier to find even the rarest of books or TV series today. We truly live in a Golden Age of Geekdom!


Jean Marc and Randy Lofficier 



Terry: I don’t think comic readers in the UK, and definitely in the United States, have no idea how rich and extensive French comic characters and comics have been.  After all –“It’s not in English”!

So, how old were you when you “discovered” comics -what are your first memories of French language comics: did you have favourite characters or a title you’d go out of your way to get a hold of?

Jean Marc: The first comics I read as a very young child was Le Journal de Mickey, which published Disney stories. Then, later, I switched to Spirou, Tintin and Pilote, but parallel to that, I also discovered French translations of DC’s Mystery in Space in the early 60s (the big name superheroes such as Superman or Batman weren’t imported until 1968, but I knew Adam Strange and Martian Manhunter!). I also read a lot of French digest-sized magazines which contained translations of British, Italian and American comics (again, DC), plus a number of original series created at the behest of the French publisher but often drawn by Italian artists. This was particularly true at Editions Lug, which created a large number of characters, which became the “Hexagon Universe” under my guidance. 




When I was a kid, I was particularly fond of Lucky Luke and The Smurfs, and Spirou too (which I preferred to Tintin). As far as more realistic stories are concerned, I was always drawn towards the more fantastic type of heroes. Because these were not well represented in the “mainstream” mags like Spirou or Tintin, I read in the  digest magazines: there were jungle lords like Zembla, Akim and Tanka, but also weird monsters like Wampus (which, even then, was supposed to be “mature readers”), super-agents like Mister Song of CLASH, and characters like Jaleb the telepath, Homicron and the Time Brigade which shared the spotlight in a mag called “Futura”, about the only comics mag fully devoted to home-grown sci-fi/superhero comics.




Terry: Now, Cool French Comics is a very, uh, cool site. Lots of history and, of course, colour illustrations.  But I was impressed by SHADOWMEN 2:Heroes & Villains Of French Comics. There is a great cover and the book is almost encyclopaedic in its scope. In fact, you detail the creators, the story behind the character, publishing history and a huge bibliography for some characters so the reader knows the chronology of the stories and their titles. This IS encyclopaedic. But it needs a larger format!  It’s 319 pages, indexed (!) and, I forgot to mention, full of black and white art.
How long did it take you and Randy  to put the book together –I’m guessing the Cool French Comics (CFC) helped to a degree; the entry on Super Boy on CFCs is a simple page but in the book the character takes up (with illoes) 13 pages. So was it a case of saying “We’ve got the basics now let’s fill in with more detail”?



cover by Andrew Paquette


Jean Marc: The source of all this is an 800-page book I did in the mid-90s for an American publisher of scholarly/academic tomes called MacFarland. The book was called FRENCH SCIENCE-FICTION and included an extensive section on comics. I’m not 1200% sure but I think I created the CFC website at about the same time, primarily to feature more art, in color, which I couldn’t do in the MacFarland book. Then when we started Black Coat Press in mid-2003, it was easy to spin off the materials regarding the LITERARY heroes into SHADOWMEN and the COMICS heroes into SHADOWMEN II. I already had all the information; it was mostly a matter of reformatting, and providing some historical context.



Behind all this, of course, was the same desire to share my knowledge of French popular fiction with US/UK readers. When I grew up, as I mentioned, the French, Italian, USA, UK stories were all published equally by the same publishers. I mean, bookwise you could find Sherlock Holmes and Arsene Lupin at Livre de poche, or The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Black Coats at Marabout, and comicswise Martian Manhunter and Fulguros at Artima, or Zembla and Spider-Man at Lug. So to me, you (the US and UK readers) are the ones being deprived, because you grew up with only half of the stuff I grew up with!



another excellent cover by Paquette


Terry: I forgot to mention that, naturally, there was a first volume, again co-written by yourself and Randy: Shadowmen:Heroes & Villains Of French Pulp Fiction. I’m going to have to track that down one day!

But  I ought to mention that both you and Randy have quite distinguished careers.  I’ll quote here:
“Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier are writers, editors and translators of screenplays, teleplays, books and comic books, mostly in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, animation and popular literature.


They have co-authored a dozen books about movies and television, several novels, as well as numerous comics and translations, including the Moebius graphic novels. They have also contributed scripts to animated series such as The Real Ghostbusters and Duck Tales, among others. In 1990, in recognition of their distinguished career as comic book writers, translators and editors, Randy and Jean-Marc were presented with the Inkpot Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comic Arts.”


Did this help when it came to getting hold of old French comic characters to reprint in collections under your Hexagon Comics imprint?

In case newer readers have missed the reviews:
STARLOCK
http://www.comicbitsonline.com/2011/06/13/hexagon-comics-starlock/
JAYDEE, STARKNIGHT and DICK SPADE
http://www.comicbitsonline.com/2011/06/05/jaydee-starknight-and-dick-spade/
HOMICRON
http://www.comicbitsonline.com/2011/06/05/homicron/
ZEMBLA
http://www.comicbitsonline.com/2011/06/04/zembla/
KABUR
http://www.comicbitsonline.com/2011/06/04/enter-kabur/
PHENIX
http://www.comicbitsonline.com/2011/06/02/phenix/
C.L.A.S.H.
http://www.comicbitsonline.com/2011/05/30/c-l-a-s-h/
And then the legend that is WAMPUS!
http://www.comicbitsonline.com/2011/05/25/hexagon-comicsthe-legendary-wampus/

Jean Marc: First, when you decide to be a professional, you write whatever you’re being paid to write, so being in Hollywood, we were lucky to be able to write film articles, non-fiction books, short stories, comics, cartoons, film scripts, etc. I’m not saying we’re equally proud of everything we did – there are a couple of cartoons I’ve virtually never watched again since we wrote them – but overall, I think we’ve done OK, and I’m really happy with a comic series like TONGUE*LASH which is really unique, or the DC Elseworld “German Cinena” trilogy.


In the case of what became Hexagon Comics, the story is simple. In 2000, Thierry Mornet who was then editor-in-chief at SEMIC S.A. which had taken over the old Editions Lug, asked me to resurrect the old characters I used to read as a kid. You bet I was thrilled! So from 2000-2003 I was like the head writer & managing editor (under Thierry) of line of new stories featuring Phenix, Kabur, Dick Demon, Wampus, etc. and I created some new groups like Strangers and Hexagon. 





Semic went out of business at the end of 2003 and the original creators of the characters and I and several authors got together and started a syndicate or an association to exploit our properties. Under French Law there is no such thing as work for hire (yay!) so reclaiming the rights was perfectly legal. So I started with the idea of reprinting the classic stories (which Semic had not done) as well as some of the new stories we’d created. I did eight reprint books in English in a smaller paperback format, but I stopped because, a) it took too much time to translate & re-letter the strips, and b) a few years ago Diamond decided to no longer carry our books.



However the French reprint series, which is done in a Marvel Essential-like format is quite successful and that one, I intend to continue for the foreseeable future.



Terry: Now, you’ve not been content to just leave it at reprints. I was surprised to walk into a comic shop in 2003 and see the first issue of the full colour Strangers comic published by Image Comics. I’d heard of C.L.A.S.H. and vaguely recognised some of the other characters.  I looked at the assistant, I think it was Chris Rice and said: “These are French characters!” So I got my standing order set up as I didn’t want to miss an issue!


(Image Comics, 2003)


You and Randy had taken the characters to the next level in establishing them in a, shall we call it an “Hexagon Comics Universe”?  And then –BOOM!- “Nexus versus Wampus”—Wampus I’d seen the odd page of and loved the look of the character. Now I could see him go up against Nexus.

My first question is –I’m guessing that you both approached Image Comics with the project: did they take much convincing?


Jean Marc: That was entirely Thierry Mornet’s doing. Semic was publishing several Image books in France and it was structured as an exchange. We gave Image all the films lettered in English, and the only thing they had to do was print & distribute. They did rather well, starting at 8000 copies and finishing at 6000 which wasn’t bad for characters no one had ever heard of on that side of the pond.







Terry: Now, we’ve mentioned that you got hold of these old characters and I’m guessing you and Randy thought uniting them in one consistent comic universe would be cool. Creators can be a bit “odd” when it comes to others using and developing their characters did you get any problems?


Jean Marc: To give some historical perspective, the “Stan Lee” of Editions Lug, if you will, was its co-founder, co-owner, head writer & editor Marcel Navarro. His “Roy Thomas”, if you will, was Claude Legrand who came in the late 60s, started FUTURA, and created quite a few of the characters. Later, Claude went on to write several novels and was also the translator of all the CONAN comics in France. Claude is the one who first crossed over Jaleb and Time Brigade in one story. So when I came in in 2000, the idea of a shared universe was totally undeveloped, but not inexistent. Claude passed away a few years ago but I had a chance to talk to him and correspond with him, and he and the other original artists such as Luciano Bernasconi (who was the “Jack Kirby” of Lug to carry on with the analogy) have all been thrilled with what I’ve been doing. In fact, even today, Luciano keeps drawing stories for us in the “classic” style. He did an origin of Futura a year ago and is now doing an episode about young Kit Kappa. We’ve had a terrific relationship with all the “old” artists.



Marcel Navarro .

Below -sent to me years ago so I don’t know who to credit, but its a rare photo of Navarro at the LUG offices.







Thanks to Jean Marc -a photograph of legrand!!
 
Terry: Mike Baron and Steve Rude created Nexus –they had no problems with your using him?
And a final question here: why did it end with issue 6 in the English version?!

Jean Marc: Of course we received the permission of Mike and Steve to use Nexus! I don’t think they minded at all. Steve told me he liked Jay Stephens’ version of the character. 



Initially, SEMIC only did 6 issues in color, hence that’s what we gave Image. I had done one more issue in B&W, plus the origins of Starlock also in B&W, but we didn’t feel like going to the expense of coloring them just for Image.



Recently for the French TPB, we colored #7 and created an all-new issue #8. The Starlock Origins, I had reprinted in B&W in the tpb reprint of Starlock, but we’re having it colored now and we’ll reprint it again in a one-shot Starlock issue of HEXAGON UNIVERSE next year.




Terry: I did get a shock when I found that some of the characters published in Hexagon’s collections have several volumes in French. But this was nothing compared to my shock on finding, accidentally, Wanga Comics: http://www.wangacomics.com/


The number of comic titles and characters was a little mind-blowing. Can you tell me about Wanga Comics –what is it’s connection with Hexagon Comics?


Jean Marc: Wanga Comics is a small French publisher which was doing its own creator-owned comics, such as LE PATROUILLEUR and NOUVEAUX GARDIENS and wanted to expand its line, but didn’t have materials or resources, so we teamed up 50-50 so to speak, sort of like with Image: I provide the books; they print & distribute them. I continue the reprint line of TPBs in black & white, they’ll do all the new stories in color. It’s a good arrangement.



We have two bimonthly mags planned: one HEXAGON UNIVERSE is a 64-page rotating character mag like the old Marvel Super-Heroes, featuring different characters every issue; the other is a classic 32-page comic featuring the STRANGERS. #1 will be released at the Angouleme Comics Fest in January 2012.



above -a teaser courtesy of Jean-Marc




Terry: I think it’s a pity comic fans will not try comics because they are not in English. I’ve got Chinese, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Polish –lots of foreign language comics but not understanding the languages never ruined by enjoyment!


So what titles are you currently working on that you’d recommend and can you reveal anything about future plans  –Cinebook The 9th Art, under Olivier Cadic have proven that not only can English translations of French language comics prove interesting but they also sell! Maybe a route for Hexagon to take in the future?


Jean Marc: My friend Steve Bissette has been discussing incorporating some of our “classic” stories in his TALES OF THE UNCANNY “1963” spin off project because they are after all authentic, genuine old comics from the 60s. Otherwise, I’m afraid that with all the French projects in the pipeline, I haven’t had the time to pursue the American market lately.



above:cover by Stephan Martiniere
below:cover by J-M. Ponzio




Terry: Anything we’ve not touched on you’d like to mention?


Jean Marc: Leaving comics aside, I’d like to plug some of the books (I mean, prose novels) published by Black Coat Press which should appeal to folks who like Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, etc. 




Every year we put out an anthology of literary pastiches in which pulp heroes and villains meet. It’s called TALES OF THE SHADOWMEN. There are 7 volumes to date with #8 coming up in December. Look it up:

http://www.blackcoatpress.com/talesshadowmen01.htm


It’s really exciting! We also have collections of stories with such great pulp heroes as The Nyctalope, Doctor Omega, Sar Dubnotal… Again, the perfect complement to comic book heroes.



cover art by Christine Clavel




Terry: Jean Marc –many, many thanks for taking the time to answer some dumb questions and hope to see yourself and Randy, or Hexagon, at a British convention some time!


Jean Marc: I’d love to be invited! Ryan Air has cheap fares from Carcassonne (near where I live) to London Stansted. If someone wants me to come over, I’d be happy to do it. 


Terry:There you have it -if the organisers of the International Comic Expo want to have a really good international feel invite Hexagon Comics and Jean Marc Lofficier!
sketch of the poster for Strangers (c) Hexagon Comics


photo of Jean Marc Lofficier from “Le bleu du ciel en hiver” which can be found here with links to other pages (all in French):
http://castelneau.canalblog.com/archives/2009/04/19/13434774.html

photo of J. M. & Randy Lofficier from the Black Coat Press site (in English):
http://www.blackcoatpress.com/lofficier.htm

Hexagon Comics:
http://www.hexagoncomics.com/books

Wednesday 14 September 2011

Ordering Black Tower Books & Comics




Default Logo


Thanks to the  total lack of support from lulu.com, who seem to want to break the “wait-a-month” for help record, I’m listing all the books here and the links will take you to the ordering page.


PLEASE NOTE THAT THE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER COVER PRICE REDUCTION ENDS 30th SEPTEMBER AS DO THE LIMITED NUMBER OF BOOKS AVAILABLE AS DOWNLOADS -SO ORDER BEFORE THEN!
COMICS & COMIC ALBUMS


Black Tower Adventure 1

Paperback, 68 pages
. . . . .
Price: £5.00
Ships in 3–5 business days
It’s back! Twenty-five years ago the digest sized Black Tower Adventure first appeared featuring some later-to-be top UK talents and the title was put on hiatus in 2007. Now it’s back,bigger and better than ever! Part 1 of the mega Return Of The Gods:Twilight Of The Super Heroes comes in at 43 pages! Thaddeus Twatt In The Twatt-Verse -first part of a truly microscopic titanic tales [which makes sense if you read it!]. Kotar & Sabuta race to face The Deadly Dilemma Of Sigismund Benfriggisund! The cold war between China and Russia couldn’t get any hotter as The Phoenix Team stumble into the evil Salamander’s plan. And more? Of course. Comics ARE Fun!
Add to Basket



Black Tower Adventure 2

Paperback, 68 pages
. . . . .
Price: £5.00
Ships in 3–5 business days
Things begin to pick up apace as Thaddeus Twatt and Tomas go on foot to explore Friggia. The mystery and action continue in Return Of The Gods:Twilight Of The Super Heroes. We learn why using reptilean DNA to replace human limbs might not be a good idea. The Crimson Cowl packs a punchline. Kotar & Sabuta confront…the Ghost We learn the deadly secret of Yucca Plants. And there is much,much more -at a bargain price!
Add to Basket




BLACK TOWER ADVENTURE 3

File Download, PDF Format
. . . . .
Price: £5.00
Download immediately
Things get grim as heroes begin to fall and the truth is realised in Return Of The Gods:Twilight Of The Super Heroes part 3. Lady Sivana and Tarot help Kotar & Sabuta tackle a nasty lycanthrope problem. Will Thaddeus Twatt and Tomas escape The Fearful Fate Of Friggia? Ben Dilworth provides not one -not two -THREE Purple Hood strips. Is there more? Can there possibly be more? YES!!!!!
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Black Tower Adventure 4

Paperback, 56 pages
. . . . .
Price: £5.00
Ships in 3–5 business days
Krakos takes care of some burglars! The Purple Hood deals with a suicide banker! Kotar & Sabuta rescue a young woman in Antarctica,the action gathers pace in Return Of The Gods. Thaddeus Twatt and nephew Tomas land on The Jungle Planet -and it looks as though this could be their deaths! The Thinker decides that thinking alone can get a little boring while one of China’s Phoenix Team has to deal with..well,you’ll see! What more could you ask for?!
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Black Tower Adventure 5

Paperback, 60 pages
. . . . .
Price: £5.00
Ships in 3–5 business days
It’s the penultimate part of RETURN OF THE GODS:TWILIGHT OF THE SUPER HEROES and on Earth and in space heroes confront the invading Boarmen! Kotar and Sabuta try to have a quiet night in but..well… Xendragon (see Tales of Terror 1)investigates the Legacy of Frankenstein. Thaddeus Twatt and Tomas are held by the Crystallids and we hear of their origins. Lord of the Flies teaches a very naughty boy a lesson. The Iron Warrior rushes to the rescue down the Amazon way whiile The Bat (II) and Reverend Merriwether, God’s Demon Thumper put in an appearance. Its 60 pages of Black Tower Action!
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Black Tower Adventure 6

. . . . .
Price: £5.00
Download immediately
Yes! It’s 80 page Giant time! The final chapter in Return Of The Gods:Twilight Of The Super Heroes! Thaddeus Twatt faces the Ultimate Crystallid! The Purple Hood versus The flame! Whatever Happened To Mark Tyme? Atomic Tommy! Dr Sorrow! And the origin of Runestone! It’s 80 pulse-pounding pages of graphic delineation!
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ADVENTURE 7

Paperback, 60 pages
. . . . .
Price: £5.00
Ships in 3–5 business days
The First part of a new series! How do you follow up Return Of The Gods? “The Cross Earths Caper” is how! in the final part Xendragon confronts the Legacy of Frankenstein. And there are tragic consequences for Thaddeus Twatt in the final part of The Jungle Planet. Silvermaigne tracks down a vampyre. The Thinker over thinks. And more. This is The Black Tower Age Of Comics!
 
 
 
 
 

The Tall Trees

Paperback, 12 pages
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Price: £2.50
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Paul Ashley Brown, renowned co-creator of the 1980s cult Vigilante Vulture and in more recent years the Browner Knowle series and Laurie Bird (amongst others), wrote and drew a weird and disturbing strip for a Black Tower anthology. No way was this being hidden amongst other strips. Here it is in all its lush black and white goryness!
 
 
 

Silvermaigne:Knight Ghoul Hunter

Paperback, 41 pages
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The Silvermaigne line is said to go back to the time of the Ancient Britons. Silvermaignes ancestors were part of a druidic clan based in the great forest that is today known as Leigh Woods, overlooking the River Severn entering (today) Bristol. All the members of the tribe had white hair from birth and they were known as the mwng arian (Silver Manes). Even the druids bowed to their knowledge of demons, spirits and things of the darkness. But at a point several centuries ago the family split and took two paths -one embraced magik for its own fight against evil. For the first time Ben Dilworth looks at this branch of the family and what one of them endures to keep the fight Holy!
 
 
 
 

THE OWL -MASTER OF THE NIGHT

Paperback, 80 pages
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A Fan Project.
The Owl. Created by Frank Thomas in 1940 for Crackajack Funnies:this book contains three Golden Age stories including the rare first appearance of Owl Girl plus the rare 1967 Owl Man and Owl Girl in their own comic. Black and white,text features and more.
 
 
 

DENE VERNON THE THING BELOW

Paperback, 53 pages
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He was the first British comics investigator of the supernatural. Dene Vernon -Man Of Mystery! Dene Vernon gets his first adventure in 60 years. Set in the late 1940s, Vernon is recovering from a previous case when he is called upon to investigate mystery deaths in London dockland. Despite the assistance of one of the Silvermaigne family, famous werewolf, demon and vampire hunters, it looks as though the threat of Lorimed may be the Man of Mystery’s last….
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Merriwether:God’s Demon-Thumper

Paperback, 58 pages
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Merriwether:God's Demon-Thumper
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The complete Merriwether series,originally published in Black Tower Adventure and A Little Midnight Horror–but with three strips never before published:including the Reverend’s battle with the ultimate Evil! From The Horror Of Hob Street to The Village Of Demons and Varney the Vampyre to The Fallen Angel himself,see how one Church of England vicar deals hard-fisted [and various spiked objects] justice to the ungodly…and the ultimate price!!! If you were into Charlton Horror Comics or any horror comic then this one is for you!
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Merriwether:The Test Of Satan

Paperback, 27 pages
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At the end of Merriwether:Gods Demon-Thumper,the Reverend had been confronted by Satan and as a consequence lay fatally injured. Star of 1980s comics,Benjamin R. dilworth,takes us through the fleeting seconds before death as Merriwether has flash backs showing just why he took on the career he did. Be prepared for horror and a little tongue-in-cheek humour. Horror fans will love this.
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Chung Ling Soo 1

Paperback, 29 pages
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Chung Ling Soo. World’s greatest conjurer and said to be an American stage magician in disguise. Or was he? In this story,Chung Ling Soo is called in by Scotland Yard to investigate a gruesome series of deaths -all amongst a party who discovered a Jade Dragon statuette in China. Is the statuette cursed -and can Chung stop any other deaths? Story by Terry Hooper-Scharf Art by Gavin Ross Let the Deception Begin!
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D GRUPPE 1

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Germanys first super team created in the 1970s when there were no German created super heroes. D-Gruppe first saw print in the 1980s in this story “The Revenge Of The Ice Queen” written and pencilled by Terry Hooper-Scharf and inked/lettered by Ben R. Dilworth. The back-up strip is Deutscher Michael in “Carnival of Death” by John Erasmus.
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D GRUPPE 2

Paperback, 22 pages
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It’s all change as, after the events of issue 1,the new D-Gruppe are suddenly confronted by strange phenomena and equally strange abductors. But can the new line-up deal with the worlds-shattering menace of Zeit Geist? First part of the Zeit Geist story arc.
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D-Gruppe 3

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Now gathered at The Place Of The Gods, D-Gruppe meet heroes from other worlds that have been attacked or face attack by the Zeit-Geist. Sent to seek out the enigmatic being, the group realises that something is wrong -and Zeit-Geist strikes from within!
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DIM EVENING

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Five previously lost strips from the 1980s found and cleaned up for 2011! Earthquakes, nuclear meltdowns,TV scandals, unemployment. The depressing thing is that over 20 years later these strips are still up-to-the-minute!
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The Purple Hood Collection

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It was the Swinging Sixties! Britain was hip as hip could be -The Beatles ruled Pop! And everyone was looking toward a bright future…if there wasn’t a nuclear war! Middle Eastern threats,Eastern European fascists,flying saucer flying megalomaniacs and super mole machines and others threatened our little island. But we had the ultimate answer to these:The Purple Hood -International crime-smasher! Michael Jay’s Purple Hood now collected into over a hundred pages of action and text back-up. This is THE ultimate collection!
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The Purple Hood:Land Of Hope

Paperback, 25 pages
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It began during the 1500s and The Dutch Wars. A man donned a purple hood and vowed to be Englands protector at whatever cost. Generation after generation of the Britton family have taken on the role. The cost has been heavy but not one Purple Hood has ever bemoaned this. The 1960s incarnation was one of many to wear the hood and in this first of a three part series,Ben Dilworth explores the past and present of the Purple Hood and what it takes to wear that hood. this is non-stop action and adventure!
 
 
 

Journey Of The ID:The Dr Morg Trilogy

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Metapsychophysics meets comics. Its the next natural evolutionary step in comic books! For the first time all three parts of the highly acclaimed Dr. Morg Trilogy are combined into one volume:WORDS WITHIN WORLDS,AFTER ORWELL and the final explosive THE DEATH OF DR. MORG!
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The Job Interview

Paperback, 9 pages
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In a world with ever increasing population and food resources being stretched to the limit unemployment is a major problem. A drastic solution is needed. Ben Dilworth delivers a warning and is back on great frorm with his latest one-off!
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Liz & Jen

Paperback, 21 pages
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Originally drawn back in the 1980s, this story of the coming out of two life long friends has never been properly published. Up-dated for 2011 with story and pencils by Terry Hooper and inks by Ben R. Dilworth
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Black Tower Presents 1

Paperback, 59 pages
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Tom Elmes,one of the most under-rated British comic creators began drawing comics back in the 1980s and earned the title “King of the Zine Nasty”! This book contains a whole new True Stories feature and a rare Elmes interview from 1990. Like good art,good story and a bit of violence -here you go!
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Black Tower Presents 2:DESCENT

Paperback, 104 pages
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Tom Elmes,one of the UKs most under-rated comic artists has produced a must buy for fans of horror,zombies or the two combined with science fiction! Only one prisoner aboard a space craft awakes from stasis alive. All the others are dead..well,the living dead! Can the lone surviving prisoner and the guards survive the zombie onslaught? Who knows -but we can tell you this is the most zombie fun you’ll get outside of the Resident Evil movies!!
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The Ultimate Centaur Collection

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Previously available as two seperate volumes and now collected into one 146 pages volume! Vol 1 Centaur -the short-lived publishing house of some of the first and most unique Golden Age heroes that still live on in legend today! The Eye Sees! Truly weird and bizarre! The Clock! Airman! The Sparkler! The Blue Lady! Plymo! The Arrow! And others. Volume 1 is a treat for all Golden Age comic fans and a must have! Volume 2 The Skull,The Shark,The Blue Lady and Amazing Man! These were part of the First Wave of US Golden Age comics that also includes Mini Midget and Mighty Man. This book also reprints the one and only appearance of the very first comic book Owl from 1940! A must for comic fans and Golden Age buffs!
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The Iron Warrior Vs Big Bong

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In the 1940s, deep in the South American jungles, Rodney Dearth,inventor and adventurer, is searching for the lost explorer Percy H. Fawcett and City Z. Then he hears the stories that terrify his native bearers. There is a city -guarded by Big Bong! But Dearth is not afraid -he has his own creation to protect him -THE IRON WARRIOR! Ben Dilworth continues the adventures of the Iron Warrior, created by William A. Ward,presenting an action romp featuring one of the UKs most violent characters -tongue firmly in cheek. We think!
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GoBo

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GoBo -He’s Pink! He’s Pan-dimensional. As he’d/it would say: Go toho jo ko li lo yo to-po! The Small Press best seller of 2009 is resized and reprinted along with a whole new Go Bo as he explains Einstein’s Universe in Sub-Dogonian! Be part of the Go Bo craze!
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THE BAT TRIUMPHANT!

Paperback, 60 pages
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In 1941,The Bat sets about modernising the backward Duchy of Stahl,over which his dynasty has ruled since 1410 A.D.. The Bat is soon involved in experiments with the infamous Count Cogliostro. One of these experiments involves suspended animation;The Bat deciding he will be the test subject. When he wakes,The Bat finds that not days have gone by but 51 years! Worse,his kingdom is in ruins and an enclave of Kamora. The Bat tries politics to win back his homeland and when that fails he decides to fight for it! However,he is unaware that some old,and new,enemies are lying in wait to stop him and all of them want one thing:The Bat dead! Originally a back up strip in Black Tower Adventure in 1994,The Bat proved very popular as an anti-hero. The story was never completed. It is now. New edition -added art pages
 
 

Krakos -Sands Of Terror!

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Created by William A. Ward for Swan Comics in the 1940s,Krakos was one of Ward’s supernatural anti-hero types. Used,with Swan’s permission,in Black Tower Adventure strips in the 1980s/1990s,this is the character’s first solo outing. But will Krakos fulfill the Goddess Isis’ dream and become the new pharoah of a New Egyptian Kingdom that will encompass all of the Middle East? Did anyone actually ask Krakos? The book contains information on Ward and his work plus sample pages rescued after 60 years of neglect!
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Black Tower British Gold Collection 1

Paperback, 94 pages
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Price: £7.00
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For the first time in 60 years some of the lost gems of the British Golden Age of Comics are reprinted! Scanned and cleaned to the best standard possible -see The Phantom Raider,Ace Hart,Secrets Of The Super Sargasso Sea,Phantom Maid,Electrogirl,Skybolt Kid,Wonder Boy,Dene Vernon,Professor Atom and many,many others! Its fun and action all the way -The British Golden Age shines through!

Black Tower British Gold Collection 2

Paperback, 68 pages
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Price: £7.00
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The second collection of British 1940s comic strips featuring Maxwell The Mighty,Slicksure,Iron Boy,Alfie,Ace Hart and more. Featuring the work of Alf Farningham and Harry Banger. Specifically designed to feature more humour than the previous volume this should be a treat for all comic collectors. Reprinting the full content of The Meteor and The Rocket Comics from 1948.
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Black Tower British Gold Collection 3

Paperback, 68 pages
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This is the third volume in Black Tower Comics’ collection of Golden Age British comic strips that have not seen print for 50-60 years! Included in this volume is a bumper crop of Ace Hart:The Atom Man strips and an article on the character. A complete 1949 comic in Smugglers Creek;Denis Gifford’s Search For The Secret City and science fiction legend Bryan Berry’s rendition of Kid Carter -Teenage Tec! A must for all comic collectors and historians.
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UK GOLD COLLECTION 4

Paperback, 86 pages
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The fourth volume of this series features some great finds of the lost era of British comics: Ace Hart The Atom Man Captain Comet -Space Ranger TNT Tom Clive Lynn -Space Reporter Superstooge “The White Gorilla” Atomic Tuffy Cast Iron Chris Sigord and many others!
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Black Tower Gold 5:Back From The Dead

Paperback, 68 pages
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William McCail’s 1940 classic is reprinted for the first time in 60 years. If you are into British Golden Age comics or early comics in general this is for you. Robert Lovett rises from the dead and finds he has some startling powers:deaths follow,as does a determined Scotland Yard detective determined to track down the mysterious killer!
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Black Tower Gold 6

Paperback, 35 pages
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Yes! Now at issue 6 and bringing you more lost strips of the British Golden Age of Comics. There’s a collection of strips featuring non other than TNT Tom and one of the weirdest UKGA characters -the Iron Boy. Ever heard of Ingy Roob? Or his pet “Stretchy”? You will have if you read this issue. How about Dennis M. Readers Cat Girl? Two other UK comics are reprinted in full, both from 1946 and the only issues ever published:Lucky Dice and The Fudge. Black Tower -keeping UK comics history alive!
 
 
 

Tower Tales Of Terror

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The main feature,”The Curse Of The McQuilligans”, starring Xendragon,leads off this collection of horror,ghostly and twist-in-the-tail stories. The classic Torch Of Vengeance is a tale of a wife’s rather Gothic vengeance while Graveyard is a cautionary tale for those curious to look into graves! Demons,time travel and much more.
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Tales Of Terror 2

Paperback, 42 pages
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Meet Finlands own mystical hero -Kapteeni Kuolio or,if you prefer English:Captain Gangren! Learn about the terror of The Machine! “What is the meaning of This?” Find out. The Thinker..thinks! David Gordon brings us the first appearance of Callex -and she’s on a quest. And what happens if you Marry A Monster From Outer Space? Terror and fun the Black Tower way!
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The Adventures Of Mark Tyme Collection

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Only two issues were published of The Adventures of Mark Tyme. As with the companion title,The Purple Hood,the artist was Michael Jay who has since faded into obscurity. Join Mark Tyme on his time travelling adventures to Roman Britain,the Stone Age,a pirate island,9th century Britain,outer space and other destinations.
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Illustrated Prose


Dilworths Aesop’s Fables

Paperback, 10 pages
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Once a very tall man in Japan decided to do a version of Aesop’s Fables that he could read to his young daughter. He wrote it, illustrated it and decided that it was too “dark” for a little girl. In England, a bearded gnome got a copy and published it. True story.
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DILWORTH WESTERN YOKAI

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Price: £5.00
Ben Dilworth is back! And in this one-off he recounts his favourite stories of ghosts,demons and other Western Yokai -all accompanied by Dilworth’s stylish illustrations! This is fun and quirky at the same time.
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Dilworth’s Japanese Yokai

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Dilworth's Japanese Yokai
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The follow-up to the hugely successful Dilworth’s Western Yokai is here! Text accompanied by some superb illustrations by Ben Dilworth of supernatural beings interwoven in Japanese culture such as “Kappa” the Water Monster; “Azuki Arai”;”Kuchi Saki Onna” (the Big Mouth Woman) and others. Into ghost stories or ghost comics then this will suit you to a terror!
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Dilworth’s Horror & Ghost Stories

Paperback, 18 pages
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Ben Dilworth returns with twelve illustrated text stories of horror and the ghostly introduced by none other than The Phantom Detective and guest starring Exndragon!
 
 
 

The Amazing World Of Alan Class

Paperback, 24 pages
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Marvel, Timely, Atlas, Charlton, ACG, MLJ/Archie Dennis the Menace (US) -one man published them all. Alan Class. Who? Class is legendary for bringing black and white reprints of US comics to a country starved of the medium thanks to a certain war! From 1959-1989 Suspence, Sinister, Astounding and Uncanny gave us a comic fix for a few pennies. Learn more about the man and how Class Comics came about in the long awaited print version of Terry Hooper’s exclusive interview!
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Osaka Brutal

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Osaka Brutal. Illustrated Japanese Haiku by a very tall Englishman living in Osaka, Japan
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Cruisers In The Clouds

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Price: £6.00
If you have any interest in history or the development by the pioneers of hot-air ballooning,including the first use of parachutes in the 1800s,then this collection of articles by John Lea from 1905 and illustrated by H. J. Hodges,is for you.
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The Hooper Interviews

Paperback, 365 pages
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Price: £10.00
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From a huge selection of interviews covering the Small Press,Independent Comics from the UK,Europe and US,here are a few of the best from over 25 years.
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Some Things Strange & Sinister

Paperback, 358 pages
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Some Things Strange & Sinister
Price: £10.00
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After more than 30 years as an investigator and more than forty as a naturalist,the author has opened some of the many files he has accumulated dealing with such things as..
The Terrifying EventsAt The Lamb Inn,The Ghosts Of All Saints Church,Dead Aquatic Creatures of Canvey Island,captured bigfoot like creatures in India -all exclusively presented for the first time and with new added research previously unseen.
PLUS a vastly expanded section on Spring-heeled Jack! Photographs,maps,line drawings and up-dated to make 358 pages looking at Things truly Strange and Sinister. Cryptozoologist,Ghost Hunter,Ufologist or Fortean:this book has something for everyone -including the just plain inquisitive!
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Some More Things Strange & Sinister

Paperback, 326 pages
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Some More Things Strange & Sinister
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Follow-up to the hugely successful Some Things Strange & Sinister. For those interested in Ufology,cryptozoology,hominology,unusual natural history,ghosts and mysteries in general. The secret history of gorillas -before they were ‘discovered’. Wild men of Europe, the UK and US. Hominology. Giant snakes. Amazons. The Giant serpent of Carthage. Girt Dog of Ennerdale. The Beast of Gevaudan. Crocodiles in the UK. Silent City of Alaska. And much more. Updated with extra pages and photographs.
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