Most magazines aren't considered important enough to have their launches chronicled in the same manner as comics, and certainly not to the extent of presenting them en mass as here - while this is incomplete, and shouldn't be taken as representative of the numerous titles of interest to collectors of comic strips, there is enough to be getting started with.
Many of the comic strips and pocket cartoons which adorn these titles have never been reproduced, and the only means of indexing them is to use the titles themselves. As the contents are represented in the database (albeit to a limited degree), then the titles themselves are notable. While some are included for rather obvious reasons (various Newsfield and IPC titles, and magazines related directly to comics) the remainder earn notability through featuring creators of note, comic strips, pocket cartoons, illustrations, or other material.
There are, alas, gaps in the information. The listings were not originally intended to anything more than notes I was making as I went along, though the more I considered their place in publishing history, the more I realised that they ought to be given as much respect as books, or other tangential texts. While there is no pressing intention of augmenting this list, additions to the following, with sources, are welcomed.
Beeb (Polystyle) #01 (29 Jan 1985 - 04 Feb 1985) [29 Jan 1985]
Beyond (UNKNOWN PUBLISHER) #01 (1995) [15 Mar 1995]
Big K (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (Apr 1984). [15 Mar 1984]
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Titan Magazines) #01 (1999) [20 Sep 1999]
Crash (Newsfield Limited) #01 (Feb 1984) [13 Jan 1984]
ComicScene UK (UNKNOWN PUBLISHER) #00 (2018) [01 May 2018]
The Dark Side (Black Cat) Vol.# #1 (1990) [27 Sep 1990]
The Face (UNKNOWN PUBLISHER) #01 (1980) [01 May 1980]
Fear (Newsfield Limited) #01 (Jul - Aug 1988) [16 Jun 1988]
Freestyle BMX (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (1984) [23 Mar 1984]
Game Zone (Dennis Publishing) Vol.1 #1 (Nov 1991) [18 Oct 1991]
Game Zone (Dennis Publishing) Vol.2 #1 (Nov 1992) [23 Oct 1992]
Games Gazette (Games Gazette) #01 (1983) [18 Mar 1983]
Greatest Hits (UNKNOWN PUBLISHER) #01 (Feb - Mar 1981) [15 Jan 1981]
Hammer Horror Collector's Special (Marvel Comics UK Ltd.) #01 (1994) [24 Nov 1994]
LM (Newsfield Limited) #01 (1987) [15 Jan 1987]
Megaton (Skyjack Publishing) #01 (2010) [25 Feb 2010]
Movie - The Video Magazine (Newsfield Ltd.) #01 (1988) [22 Sep 1988]
Multiverse (UNKNOWN PUBLISHER) #01 (### ####) [20 Oct ####]
Music Star (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (1973) [20 Jan 1973]
No.1! (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (### 1983) [05 May 1983]
Now! (Fleetway) #01 (### 1994) [16 Mar 1994]
Primo Club Magazine (Primo) #01 (1965) [08 Feb 1965]
Rage (UNKNOWN PUBLISHER) #1 (24 Oct 1990 - 06 Nov 1990) [24 Oct 1990]
SFX (Future Publishing) #01 (Jun 1995). [25 May 1995]
Stampede (UNKNOWN PUBLISHER) #1 (May 1990) [26 Apr 1990]
Top Soccer (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (Sep 1979). [10 Sep 1979]
Your Comic Heroes! (Future Publishing Ltd.) #01 (Aug 2016). [30 Jun 2016]
Zzap! 64 (Newsfield Limited) #01 (### 1985) [13 Mar 1985]
Zero (Dennis Publishing Ltd. / Felden Productions) #1 (Nov 1989) [12 Oct 1989]
Showing posts with label first issue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label first issue. Show all posts
Thursday, 6 December 2018
Tuesday, 20 November 2018
Heroes Magazine #1
Dec 2007 - Jan 2008. Cover price £4.99.
100 pages. Full colour.
Titan Magazines
Edited by Martin Eden.
Cover photo (uncredited).
Contents:
It made sense to focus a magazine on Heroes, given the obvious crossover appeal of the series, though this title's approach is a decidedly conservative one. Much like Titan's approach with Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate and... Lost1, the photo-heavy articles are as uncritical and breezy as possible, with no attempt to offer up original insights into a television tradition the series is part of. Every glaringly obvious opportunity for the title to step out from the shadow of established franchises is squandered.
A photo cover - utilizing the series logo - mostly works fine, though this is a lazy layout with little care for detail. The strap across the top is pointed in the wrong direction, for instance, indicating the spine rather than the direction of the pages. That a similar image on the third page is used correctly makes its initial use all the more annoying. It is incredibly difficult to get worked up about the series when the magazine feels so half-hearted about it - this is meant to be a grandstanding celebration, screaming the joys of the show as loud as it can. But it doesn't.
This is a whisper of celebration. A croak, perhaps, delivered behind an embarrassed hand.
Martin Eden's introduction wisely uses panels from the web-comic alongside photos, which are to dominate the rest of the issue, reminding readers of Heroes central premise better than any number of carefully-staged promotional shots. Following this with comments from the main cast is a little odd, but not as strange as filling the centre of a two-page spread with an image of the cover. Are we really that stupid, we need to be reminded what the magazine we've just bought looks like?
In contrast, Heroes Headlines is actually informative, highlighting a Got Milk campaign, the initial DVD release of Season One (well... half of it, anyway), the graphic novel, an Ubisoft tie-in game, and trading cards. It isn't a great haul to track down - unlike features on Star Wars merchandise - but it makes for an interesting change of pace before a torrent of NBC-pleasing butt-kissing overwhelms the title, with Supergroup being the most blatant example of this.
It is one thing to play nice when dealing with a big franchise, it is another to be completely uncritical. Interviewing the actors, there are no suggestions that the any problems have been noticed. No talk, therefore, of out-of-character moments, unconvincing special effects, wooden acting, flat direction, or clunky lines of dialogue. No siree, the show is perfect. Had there been acknowledgment of the early failings, then the promo-friendly lines wouldn't have felt like so many rehearsed and company-approved soundbites.
Tim Kring's interview explains a lot about the way Heroes came together, admitting that he is isn't an X-Men fan (join the club) and that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind informed some of his decisions while writing. More of this would have been appreciated, as it is interesting to now which shows he worked on before tackling Heroes, then attempt to see traces of those shows in the fabric of his plotting and characterizations.
An episode guide, for the entirety of the first season, is rather too much to take in one go. With so little provided for each episode (less than half a page dedicated to an episode) there is little to recommend paying more than the briefest attention to what Rob Francis provides. I'm sure he has a real interest in the series, but with such brevity there is no possibility of anything approaching comprehensive analysis, nor discussion of themes or influences.
Worse, wasting six pages on a quiz - Which Hero Are You - is a sign that this publication isn't being taken seriously by the creative personnel, making it difficult, as a reader, to take the title seriously.
Far better than expected, the focus on the webcomic, in the aptly titled Comic Book Heroes, is good introduction to the artists and stories, though the lack of reprinted material limits how interesting the feature is to any readers without prior exposure to the strips.
When looking back at the title's launch, the one thing that works beautifully is a chronological analysis of Hiro's appearances. For a 100-page title to have but five pages of solid, entertaining, and informative material which is without fault presents a shocking lack of foresight on the part of Titan Magazines.
This tie-in is, in part, a reason I stopped watching the TV series.
Between this issue and the first episode of the second season, the lack of quality surrounding the franchise, combined with a sense that the series was milking fans rather than rewarding them, dissuaded me from looking back in on what was happening with the characters in particular, or the franchise in general. There shouldn't be this many obstacles in the way of potential audience members enjoying spin-off material.
1. One of these things is not like the others.
100 pages. Full colour.
Titan Magazines
Edited by Martin Eden.
Cover photo (uncredited).
Contents:
2 The Perfect Break advertisement for World Snooker Championship on Nintendo DS.
3 Editorial by Martin Eden; illustrations from UNKNOWN, promotional photos (uncredited).
4 Heroes Welcome messages from Milo Ventimiglia, Ali Larter, James Kyson Lee, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Jack Coleman, Tim Kring, Hayden Panettiere, Greg Grunberg, Zachary uinto, Adrian Pasdar, Dania Ramirez, and Masi Oka; photographs from Heroes World Tour.
6 Contents (one and two thirds pages).
7 Creators credits. / Indicia
8 Heroes Headlines news feature compiled by Rob Francis.
13 Kevin Smith Tells it Like it Is! advertisement for My Boring-Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith.
14 Afraid of the Dark? in-house advertisement for Lost: The Official Magazine.
16 Supergroup - An Interview with the Entire Cast of Heroes! by Abbie Bernstein.
25 Resistance is Futile! in-house advertisement for Star Trek Magazine.
26 Secret Origins Tim Kring interview by Abbie Bernstein.
33 Celebrating 30 Years of Star Wars in-house advertisement for Star Wars Insider.
34 Heroes - Season One Episode Guide & Cast Interviews guide by Rob Francis, interviews by Abbie Bernstein; photographs (uncredited).
38 Cast Interviews Milo Ventimiglia
40 Cast Interviews Adrian Pasdar
44 Cast Interviews Ali Larter
46 Cast Interviews Leonard Roberts
50 Cast Interviews Sendhil Ramamurthy
52 Cast Interviews Santiago Cabrera
56 Cast Interviews Hayden Panettiere
58 Cast Interviews Greg Grunberg
62 Cast Interviews Masi Oka
66 Whodunnit? Can You Solve the Case of the Six Million Dollar Man? Find Out in the First Issue of The Official CSI Magazine in-house advertisement.
68 Which Hero Are You? personality quiz by Kate Anderson; photos (uncredited).
74 Comic Book Heroes feature and interviews by Bryan Cairns.
77 Comic Book Heroes Micah Gunnell
78 Comic Book Heroes Michael Turner
79 Comic Book Heroes Chuck Kim
80 Comic Book Heroes Heroes Web-Comic Guide
82 The Heroes World Tour! photo feature.
88 Win Heroes Part One DVD! competition.
89 Gate Adventures! in-house advertisement for Stargate SG-1 & Atlantis - the Official Magazine.
90 Forbidden Planet advertisement.
91 Time After Time feature by K. Stoddard Hayes; photos (uncredited).
96 My Heroes Jack Coleman feature compiled by Abbie Bernstein.
97 Launch Issue Subscription Offer! Subscribe Now & Save Up to 30%!
98 To Be Continued... in Heroes Magazine #2
99 We Could Be... Heroes in-house advertisement for graphic novel.
100 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Hard Evidence advertisement for DVD.
It made sense to focus a magazine on Heroes, given the obvious crossover appeal of the series, though this title's approach is a decidedly conservative one. Much like Titan's approach with Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate and... Lost1, the photo-heavy articles are as uncritical and breezy as possible, with no attempt to offer up original insights into a television tradition the series is part of. Every glaringly obvious opportunity for the title to step out from the shadow of established franchises is squandered.
A photo cover - utilizing the series logo - mostly works fine, though this is a lazy layout with little care for detail. The strap across the top is pointed in the wrong direction, for instance, indicating the spine rather than the direction of the pages. That a similar image on the third page is used correctly makes its initial use all the more annoying. It is incredibly difficult to get worked up about the series when the magazine feels so half-hearted about it - this is meant to be a grandstanding celebration, screaming the joys of the show as loud as it can. But it doesn't.
This is a whisper of celebration. A croak, perhaps, delivered behind an embarrassed hand.
Martin Eden's introduction wisely uses panels from the web-comic alongside photos, which are to dominate the rest of the issue, reminding readers of Heroes central premise better than any number of carefully-staged promotional shots. Following this with comments from the main cast is a little odd, but not as strange as filling the centre of a two-page spread with an image of the cover. Are we really that stupid, we need to be reminded what the magazine we've just bought looks like?
In contrast, Heroes Headlines is actually informative, highlighting a Got Milk campaign, the initial DVD release of Season One (well... half of it, anyway), the graphic novel, an Ubisoft tie-in game, and trading cards. It isn't a great haul to track down - unlike features on Star Wars merchandise - but it makes for an interesting change of pace before a torrent of NBC-pleasing butt-kissing overwhelms the title, with Supergroup being the most blatant example of this.
It is one thing to play nice when dealing with a big franchise, it is another to be completely uncritical. Interviewing the actors, there are no suggestions that the any problems have been noticed. No talk, therefore, of out-of-character moments, unconvincing special effects, wooden acting, flat direction, or clunky lines of dialogue. No siree, the show is perfect. Had there been acknowledgment of the early failings, then the promo-friendly lines wouldn't have felt like so many rehearsed and company-approved soundbites.
Tim Kring's interview explains a lot about the way Heroes came together, admitting that he is isn't an X-Men fan (join the club) and that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind informed some of his decisions while writing. More of this would have been appreciated, as it is interesting to now which shows he worked on before tackling Heroes, then attempt to see traces of those shows in the fabric of his plotting and characterizations.
An episode guide, for the entirety of the first season, is rather too much to take in one go. With so little provided for each episode (less than half a page dedicated to an episode) there is little to recommend paying more than the briefest attention to what Rob Francis provides. I'm sure he has a real interest in the series, but with such brevity there is no possibility of anything approaching comprehensive analysis, nor discussion of themes or influences.
Worse, wasting six pages on a quiz - Which Hero Are You - is a sign that this publication isn't being taken seriously by the creative personnel, making it difficult, as a reader, to take the title seriously.
Far better than expected, the focus on the webcomic, in the aptly titled Comic Book Heroes, is good introduction to the artists and stories, though the lack of reprinted material limits how interesting the feature is to any readers without prior exposure to the strips.
When looking back at the title's launch, the one thing that works beautifully is a chronological analysis of Hiro's appearances. For a 100-page title to have but five pages of solid, entertaining, and informative material which is without fault presents a shocking lack of foresight on the part of Titan Magazines.
This tie-in is, in part, a reason I stopped watching the TV series.
Between this issue and the first episode of the second season, the lack of quality surrounding the franchise, combined with a sense that the series was milking fans rather than rewarding them, dissuaded me from looking back in on what was happening with the characters in particular, or the franchise in general. There shouldn't be this many obstacles in the way of potential audience members enjoying spin-off material.
1. One of these things is not like the others.
Thursday, 1 November 2018
Hammer Horror Collectors' Special #1
26 Feb 1966; Cover price 2.99.
68 pages. Colour Contents.
Marvel Comics UK Ltd.
Edited by Marcus Hearn.
Peter Cushing photo cover (uncredited).
Contents:
A (very) quick search should immediately bring up thirty or so books dedicated to the subject of Hammer films in general, but there are many more focusing on specific aspects of the studio - special effects, posters, sex appeal of key actresses, the manner in which stories were adapted... This was a well which was running dry even in the nineties, and the relentless drive to uncover every minor detail since then has made entirely new areas to delve into extremely rare.
Though there are areas which have yet to have proper exposure. There must have been countless sketches and diagrams produced in the making of the films, and those haven't been published endlessly, and it has been a long time since I saw images of the original scripts. Internal memos, discussing budgets, costumes, sets, or even casting - if they could be found - would have been a better use of the special. A "now and then" (comparing how locations have changed over the years) could have made use of the colour pages to really hit home the years which have passed.
There are many ways in which this could have done something new, but a recap wasn't what was needed. While a fond glance at the company is always welcome, doing so must be presented in a manner which isn't so formulaic and tired. This might have been a great addition to the Marvel line-up had more been done with the format, but it isn't in the same league as the sporadic Doctor Who Magazine which appeared.
68 pages. Colour Contents.
Marvel Comics UK Ltd.
Edited by Marcus Hearn.
Peter Cushing photo cover (uncredited).
Contents:
2 Hammer Classics Special Offer advertisement for Lumiere Video.
3 Hammer Horror Collectors' Special title page. / UNTITLED introduction by Marcus Hearn? (uncredited). / Indicia
4 Contents
5 The House of Horror text feature by Marcus Hearn.
6 Peter Cushing text feature by Bill Harry.
8 Christopher Lee text feature by Bill Harry.
10 A Heritage of Horror text feature by Alan Barnes and David Miller.
12 A Heritage of Horror The Quatermass Xperiment credits, synopsis and overview.
13 A Heritage of Horror X - The Unknown credits, synopsis and overview.
14 A Heritage of Horror The Curse of Frankenstein credits, synopsis and overview.
16 A Heritage of Horror Quatermass 2 credits, synopsis and overview.
17 A Heritage of Horror The Abominable Snowman credits, synopsis and overview.
18 A Heritage of Horror Dracula credits, synopsis and overview.
21 A Heritage of Horror The Hound of the Baskervilles credits, synopsis and overview.
22 A Heritage of Horror The Mummy credits, synopsis and overview.
24 A Heritage of Horror The Brides of Dracula credits, synopsis and overview.
25 A Heritage of Horror The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll credits, synopsis and overview.
26 A Heritage of Horror The Curse of the Werewolf credits, synopsis and overview.
28 A Heritage of Horror The Phantom of the Opera credits, synopsis and overview.
29 A Heritage of Horror Captain Klegg credits, synopsis and overview.
30 A Heritage of Horror The Old Dark House (half page) credits, synopsis and overview. / The Damned (half page) credits, synopsis and overview.
31 A Heritage of Horror The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb credits, synopsis and overview.
32 A Heritage of Horror The Evil of Frankenstein credits, synopsis and overview.
33 A Heritage of Horror The Gorgon credits, synopsis and overview.
34 A Heritage of Horror She credits, synopsis and overview.
36 A Heritage of Horror Dracula - Prince of Darkness credits, synopsis and overview.
38 A Heritage of Horror Rasputin the Mad Monk (half page) credits, synopsis and overview. / The Plague of the Zombies (half page) credits, synopsis and overview.
39 A Heritage of Horror The Reptile credits, synopsis and overview.
40 A Heritage of Horror Slave Girls (half page) credits, synopsis and overview. / The Witches (half page) credits, synopsis and overview.
41 A Heritage of Horror One Million Years B.C. credits, synopsis and overview.
42 A Heritage of Horror Frankenstein Created Woman (half page) credits, synopsis and overview. / The Mummy's Shroud (half page) credits, synopsis and overview.
43 A Heritage of Horror Quatermass and the Pit credits, synopsis and overview.
44 A Heritage of Horror The Vengeance of She credits, synopsis and overview.
45 A Heritage of Horror The Devil Rides Out credits, synopsis and overview.
46 A Heritage of Horror The Lost Continent (half page) credits, synopsis and overview. / Dracula has Risen from the Grave (half page) credits, synopsis and overview.
47 A Heritage of Horror Frankenstein Must be Destroyed credits, synopsis and overview.
48 A Heritage of Horror Taste the Blood of Dracula credits, synopsis and overview.
49 A Heritage of Horror The Horror of Frankenstein credits, synopsis and overview.
50 A Heritage of Horror The Vampire Lovers credits, synopsis and overview.
51 A Heritage of Horror When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (half page) credits, synopsis and overview. / Scars of Dracula (half page) credits, synopsis and overview.
52 A Heritage of Horror Lust for a Vampire credits, synopsis and overview.
53 A Heritage of Horror Countess Dracula credits, synopsis and overview.
54 A Heritage of Horror Creatures the World Forgot (half page) credits, synopsis and overview. / Hands of the Ripper (half page) credits, synopsis and overview.
55 A Heritage of Horror Twins of Evil credits, synopsis and overview.
56 A Heritage of Horror Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde credits, synopsis and overview.
57 A Heritage of Horror Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (half page) credits, synopsis and overview. / Vampire Circus (half page) credits, synopsis and overview.
58 A Heritage of Horror Demons of the Mind credits, synopsis and overview.
59 A Heritage of Horror Dracula AD 1972 credits, synopsis and overview.
60 A Heritage of Horror Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter credits, synopsis and overview.
62 A Heritage of Horror The Satanic Rites of Dracula credits, synopsis and overview.
63 A Heritage of Horror Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell credits, synopsis and overview.
64 A Heritage of Horror The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires credits, synopsis and overview.
65 A Heritage of Horror To the Devil a Daughter credits, synopsis and overview.
66 The Future of Hammer text feature by Roy Skeggs, Chairman of Hammer Film Productions.
67 Welcome to the House of Horror in-house advertisement for Hammer Horror.
68 Special Offer advertisement for Hammer Horror video-cassettes (Angloace Ltd.)
For nearly forty years the name Hammer has been synonymous with the very finest in British horror films. The studio's unforgettable legacy has ensured their reputation as the most important producer of gothic horror films in the history of cinema.Marvel has displayed some incredibly brave choices down the years, but Hammer Horror Collectors' Special is not among their finer hours. Relying far too much on Hammer's past glories, there is a suggestion that - with nothing new in the pipeline - this issue is merely content with picking whatever flesh remains on sun-bleached bones of the once-formidable Hammer catalogue. The heart of this special is an extended look at Hammer's films, but this is so piecemeal it makes the end result a choppy, unsatisfying slew of plot points and observations.
As we stand on the verge of a major revitalisation in Hammer's activities, we're visiting a place that haunts the memories of film-goers throughout the world. This is a place where evil scientists conduct sickeningly cruel experiments. This is a place where savage creatures rule the night. This is a place where virgins are defiled, and the undead feast on human blood...
Welcome to the house of horror.
A (very) quick search should immediately bring up thirty or so books dedicated to the subject of Hammer films in general, but there are many more focusing on specific aspects of the studio - special effects, posters, sex appeal of key actresses, the manner in which stories were adapted... This was a well which was running dry even in the nineties, and the relentless drive to uncover every minor detail since then has made entirely new areas to delve into extremely rare.
Though there are areas which have yet to have proper exposure. There must have been countless sketches and diagrams produced in the making of the films, and those haven't been published endlessly, and it has been a long time since I saw images of the original scripts. Internal memos, discussing budgets, costumes, sets, or even casting - if they could be found - would have been a better use of the special. A "now and then" (comparing how locations have changed over the years) could have made use of the colour pages to really hit home the years which have passed.
There are many ways in which this could have done something new, but a recap wasn't what was needed. While a fond glance at the company is always welcome, doing so must be presented in a manner which isn't so formulaic and tired. This might have been a great addition to the Marvel line-up had more been done with the format, but it isn't in the same league as the sporadic Doctor Who Magazine which appeared.
Wednesday, 31 October 2018
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:
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.
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.
Tuesday, 30 October 2018
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:
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.
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.
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.
Saturday, 13 October 2018
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:
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.
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.
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."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.
David McGillivray.
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.
Saturday, 6 October 2018
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:
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:
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...
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...
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Comics Advertiser (CAOF) #1
Aug 2003-Sep 2003. 8¼"x11¾". Free.
12 pages. B&W and color contents.
CAOF Comics
Edited by Shane Chebsey.
Cover by (uncredited).
Contents:
.2 Listen Up!" text feature by Rik Hoskin.
.4 Agents Of Psyence (half page) advertisement
.5 Advertisements (half page)
.5 Editorial (half page) text by Shane Chebsey.
11 In The Next Issue Of Comics Advertiser
12 Graphic Eye Magazine advertisement
12 pages. B&W and color contents.
CAOF Comics
Edited by Shane Chebsey.
Cover by (uncredited).
Contents:
.2 Listen Up!" text feature by Rik Hoskin.
.4 Agents Of Psyence (half page) advertisement
.5 Advertisements (half page)
.5 Editorial (half page) text by Shane Chebsey.
.6 The Agents Of Psyence / Rose Black / The First But Not The Last advertisements
.7 The Immortals / Engine Comics / The Virginia Gallery / The Quest Of Kazana advertisements
.8 Ominous Comics' Pest Control advertisement.9 Triple Six / Engine Comics / CAOF Presents / Imagineers advertisements
10 The Comics Advertiser Classified Ads Section11 In The Next Issue Of Comics Advertiser
12 Graphic Eye Magazine advertisement
Friday, 7 December 2012
Frontline - The SP Catalogue #1
Your Alternative Comics Distributor
Summer 2006. 6¼"x9⅝". £1.50.
28 pages. Card cover; B&W contents.
Smallzone Distribution
Cover includes reproductions of the covers of 10th Muse/Ezra (Arcana Press) #1 (2006), Dead By Dawn Quarterly (Scar Comics) #2 (Mar 2006), Starship Troopers: Blaze Of Glory (Markosia), Shadowmancer (Markosia) vol.1 (May 2006), Kolchak: The Night Stalker Chronicles (Moonstone) (2006) and Sherlock Holmes Mysteries (Moonstone) vol.2 (2006).
Contents:
.2 Frontline Users Guide
.3 Extra Reader Order Form - Summer 2006
.5 Comics Listings
26 Doris Danger advertisement
27 Special Offer For Retailers
28 The New Age Of UK Comics Is Here in-house advertisement
Official Website
One day these ephemeral catalogs will be considered important enough to document, though for the moment it seems they are thought tertiary to comic collectors, dumped in four-for-a-pound boxes, or worse... There is a great deal more American-style comics than more traditional photocopied small press titles, though the variety is wide enough that the few superhero titles included don't draw undue attention to themselves. The most fascinating aspect of this selection of comics is the number of licensed titles and characters from the public domain - all the while keeping the completely original material visible enough.
The only question in my mind after perusing the list of comics and graphic novels was why so many American-published titles were included. The differences between this and Previews is distinct, with less emphasis on allegedly "hot" comics, and a concrete focus on the merits of the titles - the Spotlight features which pepper the listings may have superficial similarities, though I would much rather see more done to support and promote the highly idiosyncratic individual creators who are printing their own material and distributing the work themselves, which this goes some way to doing.
Summer 2006. 6¼"x9⅝". £1.50.
28 pages. Card cover; B&W contents.
Smallzone Distribution
Cover includes reproductions of the covers of 10th Muse/Ezra (Arcana Press) #1 (2006), Dead By Dawn Quarterly (Scar Comics) #2 (Mar 2006), Starship Troopers: Blaze Of Glory (Markosia), Shadowmancer (Markosia) vol.1 (May 2006), Kolchak: The Night Stalker Chronicles (Moonstone) (2006) and Sherlock Holmes Mysteries (Moonstone) vol.2 (2006).
Contents:
.2 Frontline Users Guide
.3 Extra Reader Order Form - Summer 2006
.5 Comics Listings
26 Doris Danger advertisement
27 Special Offer For Retailers
28 The New Age Of UK Comics Is Here in-house advertisement
Official Website
One day these ephemeral catalogs will be considered important enough to document, though for the moment it seems they are thought tertiary to comic collectors, dumped in four-for-a-pound boxes, or worse... There is a great deal more American-style comics than more traditional photocopied small press titles, though the variety is wide enough that the few superhero titles included don't draw undue attention to themselves. The most fascinating aspect of this selection of comics is the number of licensed titles and characters from the public domain - all the while keeping the completely original material visible enough.
The only question in my mind after perusing the list of comics and graphic novels was why so many American-published titles were included. The differences between this and Previews is distinct, with less emphasis on allegedly "hot" comics, and a concrete focus on the merits of the titles - the Spotlight features which pepper the listings may have superficial similarities, though I would much rather see more done to support and promote the highly idiosyncratic individual creators who are printing their own material and distributing the work themselves, which this goes some way to doing.
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