Shivers #1

Jun 1992; Cover price £1.50.
32 pages. Colour & B&W.
Visual Imagination Limited.

The Global Magazine of Horror

Edited by Alan Jones.

Cover photograph.

Contents:

.2 Musicmail International advertisement.

.3 Editorial by Alan Jones.

.4 Shake & Quake News feature by Alan Jones.

.6 Brain Dead - The Rot Has Set In Peter Jackson feature by Alan Jones.

.8 David Cronenberg Invites You to Lunch interview by Mark Kermode.

11 Zombies on Stage text feature by David McGillivray.

12 Excite Me: The Shock Horror Cinema of Sergio Martino, part one, Satanists, Scorpions and Seething Signoras text feature by Mark Ashworth.

16 Pinhead Unbound Doug Bradley interview by Alan Jones.

19 Tetsuo II - The Body Hammer review by Nigel Floyd.

21 Subscriptions

22 Inquisition Readers' questions answered by David McGillivray.

23 Competition (half page).

24 The Devil and Mr. Stanley text feature by Alan Jones.

28 Videodrome reviews by Bob McCabe.

30 Top Ten David Blyth's Top Ten Horror Movies

31 Hell Screen text feature by David Prothero.

32 Shivers in-house advertisement.

Much of the iconic Hellraiser photograph's power has passed with familiarity, meaning the cover to this issue isn't half as impressive as it was in 1992 - using yellow and white text upon a pale background wasn't a great idea in retrospect, and the chosen font reads rather clumsily, not to mention being slightly too large. A lack of finesse is something all Visual Imagination publications suffered from, yet excitement at seeing a new mainstream horror title on shelves at the time make any concerns largely irrelevant.

Alan Jones' editorial makes use of a Dario Argento quote to open his editorial, setting Shivers up as an international horror publication. This is immediately compromised by the Shake & Quake News feature focusing on British and American films - and it is in this which reminders of 90s film is strongest. Forever Young was still called The Rest of Daniel, and Gibson is suggested to be playing James T. West in The Wild, Wild West remake.

Fortunately, Lamberto Bava and Dario Argento get highlighted, though mockery of Lucio Fulci, at being fed up of interviews, is rather harsh. This was during a period where he was perpetually being hounded for commentary. Implications from the intriguing mention of Isobar, a proposed Sylvester Stallone film, and promise of Beetlejuice 2 (slated for 1993) are probably best left unexplored.

Mark Kermode's interview with David Cronenberg is interesting, and (accompanied by a brief filmography) manages to dig a little deeper than most examinations of the man's work, though the focus is on his film output. As with Crispin Glover, or Clive Barker, this ignores a great deal of fascinating work which doesn't often get attention from genre publications. A little more space would have allowed Kermode to explore some of this.

Zombie Attack! is covered in David McGillivray's Zombies on Stage feature, yet the (extremely) brief article doesn't do much more than shout "this is a thing! It exists!" before running away. Which is annoying, because the stage show sounds like fun. Mark Ashworth admirably tackles Sergio Martino's horror films with gusto, and is (thankfully) given a series in which to do so.

Doug Bradley's association with Pinhead is a natural focus of his interview, and we are informed that the day of the interview (25th of October, 1991) numbered the thirty-seventh time Bradley had worn Pinhead's make-up in five years. It is small details like this which I love. In retrospect, there's a massive gap at the heart of the interview which no amount of background information can cover up, and that makes this interview feel lacking in a way it didn't at the time.

We aren't given nearly enough of Bradley's background, his writing isn't explored, and largely ignores his other roles. While it makes sense to concentrate on, and promote. one of the great success stories of modern horror, this lack of detail - placing things in a clear chronology - makes the franchise seem to have flowered from the first film's release. Clive Barker's use of well-known elements in fashioning Hellraiser isn't noted, nor is the expansive world of characters outside the films.

Both Tetsuo films are masterpieces. There's no question that they had massive influence on filmmakers and audiences alike, though Nigel Floyd's review of the sequel doesn't seem appropriately impressed at how different it was to everything else receiving a cinematic release. It is okay to gush a little when confronted by something which goes its own way so magnificently.

While Inquisition - a feature in which readers' questions are answered - is commendable, the concentration on US films is limiting. It is interesting to see the cause of The Punisher being cut by 70s by the B.B.F.C. however. The mention of Micahel Armstrong's stage musical My Jewish Vampire isn't accompanied by any photographs or dates. Here's a hint for editors: when something this intriguing is dropped into conversation you should make the most of it.

Guyver, retitled Mutronics for video release, gets a poor review courtesy of Bob McCabe (and he isn't wrong); focus of the reviews is on western film, further undermining attempts at coverage of horror from around the world. Top Ten seems to have slipped into the issue by dint of its' brevity, although it could have worked better had (for instance) Clive Barker been asked.

Now, what's lacking... There's no commentary on horror comics, television is given short shrift, novels are largely irrelevant to the first issue, paintings are ignored completely, and there is a distinct lack of pocket cartoons, humerous comic strips, or illustrations to break up the reliance on photographs and text. Samhain was steps ahead of Shivers in its initial outing in this regard, and even Fear had a head-start.

A hesitant outing for a title which would improve gradually over the course of the next few issues, but which is disappointingly reserved in this case.

Fear Vol.1 #1

Jul-Aug 1988; Cover price £2.50.
76 pages. Colour & B&W.
Newsfield Publications Ltd. / Leisure Monthly Ltd. & John Gilbert.

The World of Fantasy and Horror

Edited by John Gilbert.

Cover painting by Oliver Frey.

Contents:

.2 One person has emerged as the number one force in science fantasy. advertisement for King of the Murgos by David Eddings.

.3 Fear contents. / Indicia

.4 Dark Playground Editorial by John Gilbert; photograph by Cameron Pound. / Taste Perpetual Fear (three quaters page) subscription offer.

.6 Union Hack news feature.

.8 American Nightmares news feature.

11 Advertisement for Jade Games' The Knights of Avalon, New Order, and Shattered World.

12 Pro-Files They Live! John Carpenter interview by Kim Newman.

16 Fear Fiction The Prize text story by Shaun Hutson; illustrated by Oliver Frey.

21 How to Make a Movie, part one, Tales of the Busy Auteur text feature by John Gilbert.

23 What do the following authors & artists have in common? advertisement for Andromeda Bookshop.

24 Pro-Files The Scream: A Tale of Two Splatterpunks text feature by Philip Nutman; photograph courtesy of Craig Spector.

28 Pro-Files Censorship or Classification? Ken Penry interview by David Keep.

31 Movie Mainline reviews by Philip Nutman & John Gilbert.

36 Video Vibes reviews by John Gilbert, Steven McCormack, John Gullidge & Mark Salisbury.

39 Taste Extra Fear! book sale advertisement.

41 Off the Shelf text feature on horror books by Di Wathen. / book reviews by John Gilbert, Roger Kean, Mark Westerby & Philip Nutman.

47 Fear Invites You to... The World Fantasy Convention (one and a quarter pages).

48 Location Shots Toward Ancient Images Ramsey Campbell interview by John Gilbert.

50 Fear Fiction Eye of Child Hood text story by Ramsey Campbell.

55 Pro-Files Neil Jordan in High Spirits interview by Stan Nicholls.

58 Pro-Files When Lightning Strikes Peter Straub interview by Stanley Wiater; illustrated by Oliver Frey.

61 Fear Fiction The Dandelion Woman text story by Nicholas Royle; illustrated by Oliver Frey.

66 It's a Crime advertisement for PBM game.

67 Fear Competition Up for Grabs!

68 Location Shots Whim of Iron Stephen Gallagher interview by John Gilbert.

71 Fan-File fanzine feature (uncredited).

72 Fear Personal Classified Section (three quarters page).

73 The Fear Factor The Unblinking Eye text feature by Mike Wathen.

74 Next Issue (one quarter page).

75 Tactical Evaluation promotional feature on Games Workshop.

Fear has a solid line-up, and not just for a first issue. Oli continues to impress with another high quality illustration, and begs the question: where did he find the time? Alongside Crash, Zzap and other titles, his work was appearing everywhere in the eighties and nineties. Did he take any time off? Numerous parts of the magazine are grouped together with unifying headers, and listed as such in the contents - which isn't an accurate way to find the material thanks to changes before publication. Fear is so much more polished than a first issue ought to be.

Kim Newman's interview with John Carpenter is warm, intelligent, and informative, and makes several ever-pertinent points about the treatment of horror media. There's (also pertinent) political talk, which is hilariously accurate even today: "Truly, it will be the fellow who's craziest who runs the country." Carpenter may be the known for directing, but he's an astute political commentator. The tone of the interview is one of lamentation for the past, and the disappointments which his career has seen - Christine may have been a difficult movie to shoot, but his skill shines through in every frame.

Newman has a skill in teasing out information from his subjects, and there's a lot of ground to cover with Carpenter's career. There are omissions, and subjects tantalizingly untouched, which would have made this an essential read, but a merely great read is okay as well.

John Gilbert's opening segment of How to Make a Movie is a fascinating read, and contains a few really amusing details.

If a film's on a £1-£3 million low-budget you can forget Lawrence Olivier (well, it may be necromantic movie) for the starring role.

With the release of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, the response would be "If Kerry can do it, why can't I?" Please don't answer that.

There are points Gilbert doesn't raise, which should be obvious but need reaffirming for would-be Hitchcock's reading this, such as never trusting anyone in a shiny suit. And don't show your script to your dentist's brother's best friend, who knows someone who is friends with a guy... For many people the information will be horrendously dated, as digital film-making has come on in leaps and bounds in the intervening years, making much of Hollywood's power to dictate the cultural landscape much less monolithic. For me, there's still enough juice to make the reading enjoyable.

Reading about Skipp and Spector always made solid entertainment, and Philip Nutman allows their story to unfold in a way which doesn't involve too much glossing. I really like that they aren't polished and media-friendly, and their lack of pretense really shines through - these are guys you want to hang out with.

David Keep's interview with then-Deputy Director of the BBFC Ken Penry (at a time when the organisation was going through a name change) is, for obvious reasons, an engrossing look into a world which often seems to exist behind clouded glass. Fans of horror films rarely got to know the reasoning behind some of the more dubious decisions, so a from-the-horse's-mouth account was a coup for the first issue. That so much of the focus is on the aspect of quality is rather disappointing.

There are times when a person simply wants to watch dumb characters being killed off by OTT means, such as Cannon's Psycho Girls. The "Cronenberg Concession" mentioned was always going to be an unfair advantage, and inelegantly applied - Paul Verhoeven coming off worst in several instances. It is odd how seeing a censorship petition can take one back to the early 90s so easily, and nostalgia for the days when arguing that films should be released uncut was a time-consuming activity. Kids these days have it on a platter...

Of the page-and-a-half of books offered for sale, I think I've read all but a dozen. Advertisements like these are often an indication that I should get out more, and I actually paused on realizing how many were familiar. And, of course, I've noted those which I haven't read in order to track them down. Fear even has a section of fanzines, which makes me love the issue just a teeny, tiny bit more than my already-enormous affection for the issue. There are few aspects of horror not covered, and it is here where a problem poses itself.

Do I whine that neither radio nor audio-cassette horror is covered, or do I accept that there are limitations? On the basis of enough stellar material to keep any horror fan as happy as a pig in Hannibal, I'm going to let the matter slide.

There are some problems in the first issue, of course, but they are negligible when appraising the good. A spectacular start.

Samhain #1

Nov/Dec 1986; Cover price 85p.
28 pages. B&W.
John Gullidge.

Edited by John Gullidge.

Cover (uncredited).

Contents:

.2 Heeere's Johnny! Editorial by John Gullidge.

.3 Samhain Contents. / Sam Hain UNTITLED [Misprints] w:/a: Pam Richards. / Indicia

.4 Sam's Snippets news; illustration by Pam Richards.

.5 Images of Argento text feature by John Martin; illustration by Gordon Finlayson.

.8 A Unique Vision: David Cronenberg text feature by Michael Wesley.

.9 Down the Crapper text feature by John Gullidge.

10 The Evil Dead w:/a: Richard Floyd-Walker, based on the screenplay by Sam Raimi.

12 Police 55 Anthropophagus Beast aka The Grim Reaper (1980) / Absurd aka Anthropophagus 2 (1981) reviews.

13 Mary's Monster Smash illustration by Gordon Finlayson.

15 TV Special text feature by John Gullidge.

16 Menzies' Marauders text feature by John Martin.

18 Carri on at Crystal Lake text feature by John Gullidge; illustration by Pam Richards.

19 Thank God its Friday text feature by John Martin; illustration by Gordon Finlayson.

21 It's Competition Time! (half page)

22 The Evil Dead (cont.)

24 Freddy and the Freelings Flop... text feature by Philip Godfrey. / Sam Hain UNTITLED [Grandma?] w:/a: Pam Richards.

26 What Sam Saw film reviews.

27 The Video Eye of Sam Hain reviews.

28 A Nightmare on Elm Street part 2 advertisement. / Next Issue illustrated by Pam Richards.

The Sam Hain comic strips make me smile every time I see them. For much of the nineties Samhain was the preeminent horror fanzine, able to go toe-to-toe with mainstream publications such as Fear and Shivers in content if not visibility. Having been a subscriber during the glossy era, the early issues are something of a surprise in both print quality and finesse - the paper used doesn't do the issue any favours, and some of the illustrations don't pop as much as they should, but for a fanzine this is an incredible beginning.

The Dario Argento feature is remarkably detailed, and points out that usual arguments about film are largely irrelevant when the cinematic vision is so stylized. There's a lot to cover when dealing with the films, and - likely due to space - the article feels as if it skips over too many moments which directly connect his early work to the films he was making in the 80s. It is interesting to see so much attention being given to Italian cinema regardless.

Attacking The Sun newspaper for its exploitative, shallow, biased journalism is like complaining that the night-time is dark. While sketchy and much-rushed, the adaptation of The Evil Dead is lively and has its' heart in the right place.

Remaining pertinent all these years later, the review of all the films featured in Scotland Yard's "Video Nasties" list is a reminder that police forces are the last people you want judging the merit of feature films. Both of the films covered in the initial installment are great drinking movies, and highly entertaining when watched with friends of a like mind, and unfairly persecuted by out-of-touch officers more concerned with their own appearance. The reviews don't shy away from noting the dubious acting, nor other issues with the films.

Having read through publications from every era, the constant refrain of "Hollywood is making too many sequels" continues to provide the most amusement. People keep saying this is so, yet throw their money at the films when they are released. Philip Godfrey highlights the problems with then-current releases clearly, making valid points about the limitation of both Poltergeist 2 and Freddy's Revenge.

Although missing audio reviews, book reviews, and commentary on the state of horror comics in the mid-80s, the reviews are intelligent and clever, aware of what has gone before - the launch of Samhain was a major point in the history of British horror fandom, bringing together people from all over the UK in celebration of one of the most unjustly maligned genres.

Dark Terrors #1

Jan 1992; Cover price 2.00.
20 pages. B&W.
Mike Murphy / Avalon.

Edited by Mike Murphy.

"Dedicated to Hammer Films"

Cover (uncredited).

Contents:

.2 Hammer News

.3 Editorial by Mike Murphy. / Contents

.4 Screen Screams news feature by Mike Murphy?

.5 Dennis Wheatley & Hammers Film Adaptations by Mike Murphy?

11 Peter Cushing Interview with Peter Cushing, by Alan Titchmarsh (transcript).

12 Bray Film Studios text feature by Mike Murphy?

13 Hammer House of Horror Episode Guide by Mike Murphy?

16 James Bernard mini-biography and filmography.

19 Jacqueline Pearce mini-biography.

20 Curse of Frankenstein / Horror of Dracula poster repro.

The early nineties were exciting times for Hammer fans, and the lack of official official Hammer Horror publications was the prompt for a number of fanzines to step in to fill the gap. Dark Terrors may be slim, but there is a lot of information covered in its' pages. Promotional text for The World of Hammer television series, which appeared a couple of years after the publication of this issue, fills the inside front cover. Given the choice of colour paper, maybe shunting it further in might have been a better choice. Very light printing means that the text is rather difficult to read in places.

Dennis Wheatley adaptations have been covered a few times, with varying degrees of success, and while there are no great shocks in store for those familiar with the company's output, there is a genuine sense of affection - a minor criticism would be the format used in presenting the film credits, which take up far more room than they ought to. Photographs used as illustration reproduce well, although the posters haven't fared quite as well in being reduced so much.

Peter Cushing's interview with Alan Titchmarsh, from Pebble Mill (31 Oct 1991), is interesting to read, though doesn't offer any new insights into his work with Hammer. Anecdotes about his time with Star Wars are overly familiar now, and this is perhaps something that has to be seen rather than read. The snippet of news about Bray Studios being saved from massive alteration feels like it should be elaborated on, as there are lingering questions about how Sir Adam Thomson came to Bray from British Caledonian Airways.

Hammer House of Horror was never a favourite of mine. There were too many shortcuts in the series, and certain scenes felt rushed through. but the central ideas which each episode were founded on were solid. The beginning of a series of reviews in this issue dodges critical assessment of the merits and deficiencies present, preferring to devote space to information which, these days, can easily be found on imdb.com.

While Dark Terrors may be light on opinion, it is a fascinating insight into the lingering hold the company has on its' fans. Had Murphy been a little more ambitious this would have been much more entertaining - the dates and names are important, but something a little more unique, more personal, would have made this a much better title.

Comic Heroes Vol.1 #1

Spring 2010. Cover price £7.99.
132 pages. Full Colour.
Future Publishing Ltd.

Edited by Jes Bickham.

Cover photograph (Iron Man) - uncredited promo.

Free 2000 A.D. magnets, poster and Marvel comic.

Contents:

..2 Karakuri Dôji Ultimo advertisement.

..3 Indicia / Borag Thungg, Earthlets! introduction by Tharg. / Look! Up In the Sky! editorial by Jes Bickham. / Meet the Team profiles.

..4 Contents

..6 Heat Vision news feature by Joseph McCabe, Michael Molcher, Dez Skinn, David West, and Rob Williams.

.11 The Graves advertisement for play.com DVD.

.14 Coming Soon forthcoming films.

.20 Comic Heroes Events Diary

.21 Give 'Em Hell Malone advertisement for play.com DVD.

.22 Reinforced Armor Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau interview by Joseph McCabe.

.28 Iron Man - The Ten Essential Stories text feature by James Hunt.

.30 You Are the Hero Matt Fraction interview by Jes Bickham.

.32 The World's Number One Sci-Fi and Fantasy Magazine advertisement for SFX.

.33 Special Comic Preview! introduction.

.34 Superman: Secret Origin, five-page sample, w: Geoff Johns; p: Gary Frank, i: Jon Sibal, lettering by Steve Wands, colouring by Brad Anderson.

r: Superman: Secret Origin (DC Comics) #01 (Nov 2009).

.39 Iron Man: The Ultimate Collection (half page) advertisement for play.com DVD. / Original Spider-Man (half page) advertisement for play.com DVD.

.40 Feeling Super Jane Goldman interview by Joel Meadows.

.48 Kick Art John Romita Jr. interview by Nick Setchfield.

.52 Your Guide to the DC Universe text feature by Chris Brosnahan.

.62 A Beginner's Guide to Bande Dessinee text feature by Guy Haley.

.70 You Can Call Me Al Al Ewing interview by Michael Molcher.

.72 Superhero Supergames text feature by Matthew Pellet.

.75 Now Available to Order At play.com (half page) advertisement for Doctor Who clothing. / Visit www.cardboardcutout.net (half page) advertisement.

.76 The Art of... Guy Davis interview by Michael Molcher.

.82 The Makng of... Superman text feature by Daniel Etherington.

.87 Futile Resistance advertisement for LastExitToNowhere.com.

.88 How to... Write for Comics text feature by Rob Williams.

102 Comic Icons The Devil You Know John Constantine text feature by Jes Bickham.

108 If Lost Makes You Feel Like This... in-house advertisement for SFX Collectors Edition Lost Special

109 Retrospective Judge Dredd: The Apocalypse War text feature by Michael Molcher.

115 Movie T-Shirts advertisement for www.nerdoh.com.

116 Hell Will Not Stop Him advertisement for 2000 A.D. (Rebellion) Prog 1678.

117 Reviews by Jes Bickham, Guy Haley, Thom Hutchinson, and Joel Meadows.

123 High Voltage Festival advertisement.

124 Comic Club The Dark Knight Returns retrospective by Jes Bickham.

126 Adverts

128 2010: The Year We Make Contact... With You! in-house advertisement for www.sfx.co.uk

129 Next Month

130 My Inspiration Mike Perkins text feature.

131 Game of the Year Edition advertisement for Batman: Arkham Asylum.

132 Brand New Action from the Makers of Nightwatch and Daywatch advertisement for The Interception at HMV.

Responding to an upsurge in interest for comic properties, Comic Heroes - a hefty, thick, and feature-packed magazine which is quite impressive in its gaudy cardboard sleeve, while out of its sleeve the actual cover is much more refined. The issue is a time capsule of where comics were at in 2010, and in seemingly minor details is where the magazine is at its most interesting - that Marvel has a Bullseye poster in their toilets telling people to aim, for example. I'm hoping they also make posters with The Fixer for veterinary practices to display when kids bring in their pets.

The emphasis on a then-imminent release of Iron Man 2 prompts an extended interview with Robert Downey Jr. in which much promotional work is done. A handy "Ten Essential Stories" section recaps the best of his appearances, with a feature on the inevitable computer game rounding out the section. It is missing much geekiness which ought to have been included - we don't get to know what Ivan Vanko's tattoos mean, there's nothing about the race car he drove during the film, and there's a massive lack of fun in the reporting.

Such information is probably available should I wish to hunt for it, but when a major film release is being promoted in a magazine like this I expect at least a hint of the obsessive detail checking. And who, pray tell, got the villain's name wrong on the photo caption? We notice this stuff.

A comic preview is always welcome, but if there's a character who needs no promoting it is Superman. The world is already saturated with the iconic S-shield, so throwing pages at a series which has guaranteed sales is largely pointless. This is one area in which the revived Starburst has impressed me, by highlighting strips I haven't necessarily heard of. To be fair, it is a very pretty Superman story, and I'm sure it has its charm, but really...

Kick-Ass bagging a spot in the first issue is very amusing, and Jane Goldman's thoughts on adapting works is a treat to read. John Romita Jr. provides a great interview, which highlights how much he's thought about the character. The focus on comic adaptations is frustratingly superhero-centric, ignoring the three best comic adaptations ever made, but I can forgive this in a title which is looking hungrily at the market for such movies. I am, of course, expecting improvement.

A nine-page guide to the DC comics universe valiantly attempts to condense decades of twists and turns into a handy introduction - which was never going to work to everyones satisfaction, and which displays far too many simplifications. Take the history of DC Comics itself (the company, that is), which gets simplified into a single entity in its earliest days, or much streamlining of 1970s continuity snarls. The first serious examination is Crisis on Infinite Earths, which is where Chris Brosnahan's introduction cuts off. Just as the story gets interesting.

A full book-length history of DC would only barely scratch the surface of continuity problems, and a small article doesn't even get to use specifics to highlight the issues at hand. Take, as an easy well-known example, Batman's origin story: Did Bruce's uncle, Philip Wayne, take him into his care? Was Alfred there from Bruce's childhood, or did he turn up after Dick became Robin? Where does Aunt Harriet fit in? The chronology was a mess long before Crisis shook the DCU by its ankles to see what would fall out of its pockets.

And that's before we even think of the Huntress' history.

The Who's Who sidebar (cleverly named after a long-running feature) lacks depth, but at least it tries. No love for Carrie Kelley though? For shame. The recaps of the various major series are, for the most part, fine, though I have to disagree with praise for Identity Crisis, which has several moments which strain uncomfortably against both continuity and logic. The story would have worked just as well without rewriting years of history for the sake of a couple of attention-grabbing panels.

What is omitted is as important as what is covered: Legends, Millennium, Invasion, Eclipso: The Darkness Within, Bloodlines, Underworld Unleashed, The Final Night, and Day of Judgement get ignored completely, even though each played a part in the complex jigsaw of continuity - which is not only why this article shouldn't have been included, but why it really needs to be analyzed properly.

Do I really need a free poster? Not really. And I can live without the comic, and magnets, nice as they are. I still have my Ghost in the Shell ones. You want to know what I would rather have? This essay, but done with gusto. A free book with the first issue, charting DC's complex history in detail, working out how many versions of certain events we have seen, thus establishing how many versions of characters exist in the DC multiverse.

It is refreshing to get an article on Bande Dessinee which doesn't focus its main force of effort on Asterix, but to overlook Tardi's Adèle Blanc-Sec (which was adapted into film in 2010), or Valerian, reprinted in the UK back in the 80s, makes the article seem too light and breezy. Which is a problem running through the entire magazine - this is a fancy sports car with an old banger's engine. Its pretty, but it doesn't go like it should.

The Al Ewing interview is hilarious, intelligent, and frustratingly short. Comic Heroes is imbalanced towards film and video games at the expense of the very thing it claims to be covering. Its saving grace, which comes after more film and game features, is the piece on writing for comics. There's enough in the piece to warrant the purchase of this issue alone, with insightful and offhand comments sharing space - utterly fascinating.

John Constantine has always been a fascinating character, and the article focusing on his history is as good as can be expected within the limited space. A selection of collections are recommended, and the uncollected issues are highlighted. There's a six-page look at Judge Dredd, with the Apocalypse War epic, which manages to cover just enough to make it entertaining...

There's one question above all which governs how one should view Comic Heroes - is it really worth eight quid?

Without How to... Write for Comics, the answer would be ridiculously simple, but there's a lot of value in that one piece. It doesn't make up for the lack of small press coverage, or noting that there were radio series' people should have been listening to. I still pull out my copies of Ally Sloper every so often simply to enjoy the reading of it, as with old issues of Comics International and Comic World. It is doubtful that I'm ever going to feel nostalgic for Comic Heroes however.

Scapegoat Vol.1 #1

Jan-Feb 1995. Cover price £2.50.
68 pages. Colour & B&W.
Stray Cat Publishing Ltd.

Edited by David McGillivray.

Cover photo by Nigel Wingrove.

Contents:

.2 Special Offer subscription offer.

.3 Contents

.4 Indicia (one third page). / Editorial by David McGillvray.

.5 So They Said quotes. / UNTITLED [Torture Anneka!] cartoon by Jurgen Wolff.

.6 Scapegoat International Arts Censorship Survey, part one, text feature by David McGillivray.

16 Celebrity at Any Price David Irving interview by Tony Allen, photographs by Philip Wolmuth.

18 Hitler's No 1 Fan (one third page) text feature by David Marx.

19 Alan Jones text feature by Alan Jones.

20 International Short Cuts text feature by Angela Haydon. / UNTITLED [Australian Censorship Board] cartoon by Jurgen Wolff.

21 David Prothero's Edit Suite text feature by David Prothero, illustration by Jurgen Wolff.

22 Desperately Seeking Alton text feature by David Flint.

24 Expose - Censorship Secrets Revealed text feature by Bill Goat.

25 UNTITLED [If you object to TV violence] cartoon by Jurgen Wolff.

26 All a Matter of Taste text feature by Phil Wickham.

27 Sex From the Stars (two and a half pages) Sarah Marshall (Adult Channel PR) interview by David Flint.

29 Free!! (one third page) advertisement for Samhain.

30 Scapegoat International Arts Censorship Survey, part two, tet feature by David McGillivray.

39 The Case for Uncensored Television text feature by Mark Kermode.

43 Poll Watch text feature by Angela Haydon.

44 Whitehouse - the Time-Wasting Years text feature by David Prothero.

47 What's it all About, Chucky? text feature by Julian Petley.

50 Signs of Discontent (~one third page) text feature by Paul Marx. / PC User (five sixths page). / PE Class (five sixths page) / UNTITLED [Insufficiency of Tolerance] cartoon by Jurgen Wolff.

52 Censorship and Me Julian Clary (two thirds page) interview. / Spectre of the Blue Pencil text feature by Peter Morris.

55 Playing with Fire text feature by Marshall Julius.

56 Highway to Damnation text feature by Jules May.

59 Crisis in the Combat Zone text feature by Jack Stevenson.

60 Assault on the Censors text feature by Marc Morris.

62 A Nightmare on Exeter Road text feature on Samhain by Stefan Jaworzyn.

65 Brief Lives contributors.

66 The Circuit (quarter page) addresses. / Coming Shortly (quarter page) next issue preview. / Shredder UNTITLED [Switching off in Disgust] w: Waite & Allen; a: Rowdon. / Forbidden City UNTITLED [Violent Filth] w:/a: Jurgen Wolff.

67 The Late Show in-house advertisement.

68 The Redemption '95 Calendar advertisement.

With an avalanche of censorship concerns occurring since, it might be difficult to remember mid-90s newspapers were so filled with calls to ban films, television series, and (yes) even comics. Scapegoat appeared during a period of almost-constant calls for action - both from press and television - against the usual subjects, but surprising properties were also caught up in the rush to condemn anything even slightly outside mainstream interests. This was an era in which gutter press such as The Sun, Daily Mirror and The Daily Mail had set their sights on banning Child's Play 3, without good cause.

That this title had need to exist ought to terrify every creator.

Looking around at the multi-media landscape all these years later, a discerning eye can still make out lingering aftereffects of this moment in history. While great strides have been made in reforming the repressive and stultifying laws governing releases, there are still matters which have to be addressed before we can consider titles like this to belong in the past.

An effective cover photograph gets the message of Scapegoat across well, sharing the visual style of horror titles (and presaging the cover used on Hammer Horror #07 from later in the year), and has a rather wonderful (albeit uncredited) logo, with an image of a goat to one side. This may be a serious title, with an extremely important purpose, but it isn't without a sense of humour.

"I predict that generations to come will regard Britain in the Nineties with the same derision and contempt with which we now regard the McCarthy era in the United States."

David McGillivray.

An insightful and clever editorial starts in stellar form, followed by a page of quotes which sums up the situation perfectly - I had almost forgotten that Macaulay Culkin-starring The Good Son had briefly been banned. Desmond Morris perfectly sums up the problem with censoring films and television shows, while Kate O'Mara proves that even respected names can fall into the trap of believing what was being peddled by the press at the time. It is surprising that a few notably idiotic comments made (which still rankle) are passed over, but it is a page representative of what was being said.

The most important and longest section of the issue is an immensely informative overview of what is banned, and where - Scapegoat International Arts Censorship Survey covers a large range of subjects with concise and heavily-researched text. Although the intended purpose of the article, to prove that British censorship was the most extreme in the world at the time of publication, was considered a failure in the eyes of the title, it throes up enough insight about the process of "protecting the public" that it is worth a read despite now being so dated.

David Irving gets interviewed, and he's as annoying as ever. The point of including him is made right at the start of the issue (with Voltaire's "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."), and it is easy enough to ignore Irving's comments. Fortunately the other interviews are more informative - and with people who deserve the space to air their opinions - with Sarah Marshall's being the most frustrating. The lack of citations for broadcasting's legal requirements leaves the piece with unanswered questions.

Far too little time is spent explaining the specifics of the law throughout, although the absence of citations is understandable.

John Trevelyan has long been a fascinating character. His comments on cinema (referenced in multiple Film Yearbook's) have long intrigued me, and it is even more surprising to read his opinion on censorship here - having pushed for fully unedited films to be released nationally during the seventies (already legal in private club screenings) is a footnote in most histories, but deserves to be explored further. Had this revolutionary spirit been appreciated during the release of controversial late-seventies released, much of the hysteria could have been placed into correct contexts.

It's rather depressing to contrast and compare what could have been with what we ended up with.

There's a (ubiquitous) piece on Mary Whitehouse, which should be of interest to Oink fans, the witch-hunt against Child's Play 3 is covered in some detail, and the state of video game ratings is approached. The article doesn't quite sum up the absolutely inane (and wildly fictitious) newspaper articles which appeared regarding contents of many games, but gives a decent attempt at an incredibly complex subject. It is unfortunate that there is no retrospective analysis of the mid-80s challenges, although the inclusion of dates makes hunting down further details easier.

Most worrying is the three-page article on the abhorrent behaviour of the alleged "journalists" from Western Morning News and Express and Echo, who hounded Samhain editor John Gullidge for publishing his incredibly helpful, intelligent and entertaining magazine. While I regard it as the most important horror title of the nineties, others saw it less fondly. Much less fondly, for the calls for him to resign from his day job were fueled by the papers. I know what I would prefer to read...

The first issue isn't perfect, however. The persecution of Savoy isn't covered, nor is the banning of horror comics in the UK in years previous (which still, to an extent, is seen as an unacceptable area of publication), and there's nothing about the problems faced with the importing of titles such as Omaha the Cat Dancer, which was nigh impossible to obtain for several years. That there had been improvements in importing titles, it is still an omission which makes the problem seem insignificant in comparison to higher profile issues.

If there was ever a title deserving of being given another run, it is Scapegoat. With the vastly different landscape - including the intrusion of digital downloads into everyday life barely considered during the publication of this issue - there needs to be a new examination of the problems facing creators, publishers, and broadcasters. A massively important landmark in British publishing, this is one of the few titles which remains as relevant as ever in the battle to retain freedoms hard fought for.

Starburst Vol.1 #1

Jan 1978; Cover price 50p.
52 pages. Colour & B&W.
Starburst Magazines Ltd.

Edited by Dez Skinn.

Cover by Brian Lewis.

Contents:

.2 Artoo-Detoo and See-Threepio photograph.

.3 Editorial by Dez Skinn. / Contents / Indicia

.4 The Writers of Star Trek text feature by Christopher Wicking & Tise Vahimagi.

10 Litterbug! w:/a: Dave Gibbons.

12 Star Wars - Buccaneers of Space text feature by Sam Deli.

20 Jeff Hawke Here be Tygers w:/a: Sydney Jordan.

r: Daily Express newspaper strip.

25 Star Wars - Now See the Film at Home advertisement.

26 Things to Come news text feature by Tony Crawley.

29 Andromeda Bookshop advertisement.

30 Pass the Book text story by Harry Harrison; illustrated by UNKNOWN.

35 Jeff Hawke Here be Tygers (cont.)

36 The Making of Star Wars text feature by John Brosnan.

41 Fantastic Filmbooks (one third page) advertisement

42 The Writers of Star Trek (cont.)

46 Advertisements (two thirds page)

47 The Writers of Star Trek Episode Guide

48 Maya Merchandising (two thirds page) advertisement for Maya Merchandising.

51 Spaceburst w:/a: Brian Lewis.

A rendition of (more or less) Star Wars' main cast by Brian Lewis hints at the aspirations of Starburst, while a hastily-added photograph of Mr. Spock hints at what was to become of the title for much of the run - a compromise between innovation and commercial necessity. The first issue is a powerful package of intelligent articles and well-chosen strips, which doesn't pander to the tendency for infantile jokes so predominant in contemporaneous genre magazines from the US. A breath of fresh air.

The opening comments about television in The Writers of Star Trek are interesting to read forty years on:

While the galloping hoofbeats, blazing sixshooters, screeching brakes and barking machine-guns to which the small screen quickly resounded indicate that TV's debt to cinema was the importation of genre (westerns, detective/gangster shows, etc. etc.). Indeed it can be argued that, unique among the media/arts, TV--worldwide--has still to define its true, unique personality.

We have since seen television's true, unique personality in the form of exploitative "reality" television, cruel gameshows, merciless "talent" shows and late-night sex chat programming. Television is the unpleasant guest at the dinner table when not properly kept in check, and only long-form storytelling has redeemed the medium from the gutter to which it gravitates so readily and eagerly.

It is slightly disconcerting that the focus of the article is American television specifically, ignoring the early live broadcasts of Shakespeare's works (unquestionably fantasy), and the groundbreaking performances of R.U.R., Quatermass and 1984 in favour of the juvenile SF across the Atlantic. It is a minor mis-step in overstating the importance of our transatlantic cousins in providing genre material for the medium, and frames the rest of the article in respect to the quality of material being broadcast.

A run-down of the major players in Star Trek's small-screen incarnation follows, and Wicking and Vahimagi do an excellent job of condensing the information down into a manageable number of pages. The piece on Harlan Ellison is incredibly polite given that the man could be so unpleasant, and several writers are grouped together at the end of the article despite having impressive credentials outside of Star Trek. It is the kind of article which would be attempted in several places over the years, but which is best explored in book-form where attention can be drawn to the links between the authors and their other works.

Dave Gibbons' Litterbug! is a clever, and perpetually timely, warning, with beautiful artwork. It shares a lot in common with the Future-Shock one-off strips in 2000 A.D., but is so good that it doesn't really matter.

Star Wars - Buccaneers of Space retells the plot of Star Wars in excitable prose, as if Deli has had four or five mugs of coffee before being sat in front of the film for the first time. With the small paperback collection of comic strips, the already-released **** novel and the weekly comic (published a couple of months later) doing much the same thing, it feels redundant.

It is always a pleasure to read Jeff Hawke, and the reproduction of the strip here fits remarkably well.

Harry Harrison's story Pass the Book is a welcome break from the non-fiction material, accompanied by an interesting illustration. It is unusual to see such variety sharing the pages of a single title, and the sense of love for the material comes through clearly - perhaps a little too much focus on Star Wars, though understandably so. The closing one-page strip by Brian Lewis is genuinely funny, gently mocking the seriousness endemic to SF circles, and is the perfect way to close the first issue out.

What was I saying about a breath of fresh air...