It's A Friday Sermon...or ramblings of some old git

 

When my younger brother was unwell I used to quick draw him comics. Obviously no scripts ore thumbnails or rough pages just pen straight to paper. Bloody awful art though!  In one story 

I had a villain who had been mutated and one hero after another -one team after another- went up against him. He was unstoppable. Eventually nearly all the heroes were in wards in hospitals and the villain walked on. I came up with a solution on how to defeat him but it made me realise that if you have a villain that cannot be stopped what do you do?

I think that if you are at Marvel or DC you are in a mess. So many reboots and so much characterisation lost and what guides your comics lines? Movies. The movies inspired by the old style comics draw in audiences who could not care a jot about the comics but the long time fans either tolerate the latest reboot or gender swap or even outing of traditionally straight characters as gay or bi just to chase a phantom audience or those fans stop buying.

All characters are now sociopathic, killers or megalomaniacs -I never thought that the Black Panther would become what he has. Awful. Notice I do not mention the equally awful and racist Wakanda Forever movie -as we saw with the TV series Black Lightning, possibly THE most racist, "black" people can be racist but you mustn't say so. Let's not get into the whole TV show/movies debate here.

The movies are movies and NOT the comics universes...or that is how it SHOULD be. What threat really challenges the once great Avengers or Fantastic Four? Apparently only mega threats or ones that seem to lead down a very bland path and, in the case of the FF not helped by some really AWFUL artwork. The comics universes are places where nano tech, orbiting satellites, journeying to far off solar systems blah blah blah are so common you might as well say these are now not super hero books but sci fi comics.

I remember a time when the Black Panther tackled street crime and where the Avengers faced off big corporate businessmen involved in crime. You want to snatch that old ladies purse? Captain America is just behind you.... or the REAL Spider-Man is watching from a wall or roof top.

It has all become somewhat messy and unsatisfying.

Look at, as an example, Black Tower characters. On patrol or walking down the street and feeling peckish -pop into the local chip shop. Barbecues  in the garden. Petty crime tackled on the streets BECAUSE the whole purpose of the heroes is to fight crime and protect every day people. Yes, there are major threats such as in Return of the Gods and The Green Skies but the characters still remain grounded in a "real world" -they are still flawed characters showing weaknesses and fear.

In Black Tower comics there is no scripting or planning out. I go from page 10 to page 11 and a character dies (and stays dead) sudden and brutal as real life. On more than one occasion I have argued with myself that a character should not die as he is a long time favourite and I try to think of ways around to stop the death but, in the end, the character died and that is it. Stan Lee once said that if there was not a REAL danger to the life of the hero then where was the characterisation and reason to keep reading? Death was permanent and if the character failed she/he or someone close to them would die. No convenient 37th reboot of the universe to get out of it...or cloning...or double from another Earth.

Roy Thomas knew how to keep things going from issue to issue and how to keep a group of drunks, drug takers or egomaniac creators in check (or try to between stopping some stealing original art!).. Jim Shooter was not liked because he wanted everything out on time and continuity to be a priority (that was before the 1990s when continuity no longer existed for Marvel) -he made a few mistakes but he saved Marvel by being in control and knowing what he was doing. When he was "let go" what happened? The rising sales under Shooter began to fall without him.

Is any of this making sense to anyone? I may well be rambling but it has been a long time since the last Sunday Sermon...and it's a Friday!

Any thoughts plase comment.

Dave Gibbons, David Lloyd, Steve Yeowell and the usual suspects

 I know. I know. Last time I got criticism for my choice of "Which UK creators would I love to work on projects with" but these are MY choices.  

Also, I need to maker it clear that I never wrote that I would not work with American, European or other comic artists. Some people thought that was what I meant. 

This list was for purely British artists who, if I could ever even afford them (which I can't)  I would have loved to work on Black Tower comic strips/characters. A "fantasy artists" list.

Firstly I think for the supernatural characters David Lloyd -but if my cranky old mind remembers must be in his 70s now so may have retired. Good artists should never retire -they don't in Europe.

Night raven (c)D. Lloyd

Second; Dave Gibbons. Why that suggestion got a negative kick-back I have no idea. His Green Lantern Corps and Watchmen work shows he can deliver which is all one really needs to ask of an artist.

(c)D Gibbons/DC

Here is one that people always look at me with wide open eyes over: Steve Yeowell. Yep, the artist on 2000 ADs Zenith strip and later did a US comic -Sebastian O?  His Zenith style -as people pointed out- was very similar to Ben Dilworths and I was cornered at two Westminster Comic Marts and told to be honest and reveal Yeowell WAS Dilworth😂 Yeowell's style was still distinctive enough and I'll be honest and write here and now that at least three times a year I will get those Zenith books off the shelf (Phase 3 is my favourite) simply to treat myself to the art.

(c) S Yeowell

Who else?  Jon Haward was always a favourite but as far as I am aware he retired after ill health,  Alan Davis....well, d'uh! I think he has been somewhat miserably treated by comic fans in the past and in some part due to the lies of a certain less reputable comic writer.

Modern era? I can't seriously think of many. I was asked about David Gordon who drew Maeve for Eros/Fantagraphic Books). He has moved on so the final part of the Trilogy was never drawn and that would have been almost classical Greek mythology in the story. Story never been offered to anyone else since and never will.

Nope. I cannot think of a one!  My inner voice is saying "You know -that one!" and "Think about that book from last year you reviewed" but all my brain is doing...click whirr...fart...click-click...

Come on then -who have I missed out?!

Before He Was Famous

 Here is a little factoid for you. Before his career kicked off Mark Millar wrote some text stories and  one was published by Ben Dilworth under his Penguinflight imprint.

Hellboy Wave 1 Gruagach Lobster Johnson BBTS and EE Exclusives Boss Fight Studio Figure Overview!

 

Special Globe Guard1!!

 Well, I do like surprising people so no one would be expecting this one!

32pp

A4

Black and White

£10.00 UK -online store will list international prices

https://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper/special-globe-guard-1/paperback/product-957ejq8.html?q=&page=1&pageSize=4

The Special Globe Guard (SGG) a world-wide network of super heroes and adventurers who can be called upon whenever an overwhelming threat -Global or local- rises. The UK section is headed by war veteran Captain Samson Tornado and apart from a few over boisterous members to contend with everything seems to be as quiet as it can be.

Out of the blue Spellcaster appears and warns of a hostile fascist take over of a parallel Earth. Not something the SGG would deal with but in this case it is claimed that the Dark Lord Kaos has resurrected two of Tornado's war time enemies and they are planning a massive attack on the SGGs Earth.

Determined to deal with his old enemies Tornado heads off for the war torn Earth with Spellcaster and a small team... but everything is not what it seems.

This volume contains a preview of Black Tower Super Heroes vol. 2 No. 2: The Ultimate Game!

Penguin Flight/Black Tower -Trump aka "We Are ALL Trump"

 

Ben R Dilworth

21pp

A4

Black and white (printers could not get a bright enough orange so,,,)

£10.00 UK (non UK countries prices are on the store front)

https://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper/trump/paperback/product-gjz86me.html?q=&page=1&pageSize=4

He is the GREATEST President the United States has ever known!

He has made the United States Truly respected around the world!

He has created world peace!

The most beautiful women in the world WANT him!

He makes $2234,992,000per minute!

He lives in a golden palace that was formerly bland and white.

He is President Trump......

...uh, he's currently sleeping face down in a plate of classic American bacon and eggs.

Mr Gorilla

 

Oops...time travel...

 

Mr Dilworth -Thank You

 

above: A smiling Mr Dilworth before reading the fine print in his Black Tower contract!

Can I just make it clear that there would be far, far fewer Black Tower titles if it were not for Benjamin R Dilworth the man who produced some really good work under his Penguinflight banner back in the day before exile in Japan.

I've been more than proud to publish his work and continuation of some of his old characters such as Corporal Religion which began back in Corporal Religion Against the Pinko Commie Menace!  Also the two dystopian cop thrillers The Dark Night Detectives: Everything Is Under Control  and The Dark Night Detectives:The Ministry of Safety.

While other artists deserted to go on to do "bigger things"  and take the fame (oops. They just vanished) Dilworth has been a steady supplier of comic strips to an aging hack publisher!

THANK YOU, Mr Dilworth

All Three Files Done

 All three interior files and covers for Trump, Hurricane Hurry and Ally Sloper completed. Now it's upload, get a to check things (yes, the company charges you to make sure they have had the printing done properly) then post that they are available to buy.

Two people who have had a preview of Trump have already pre-ordered so maybe I'll send a copy to the Whitehouse?

Kotar and Sabuta by B R Dilworth

 

Reverend Merriwether by Paul Ashley Brown

 

 

Le Fez in The Dead Walk! oh, yeah -Guest Starring The Zero Heroes

 

Weekly Rewind! Ep128: Invincible Marvel G.I.Joe Street Fighter Hellboy Batman Spider-Man More News!

 

Just A Note

 Yep I have no actual comic work in over a week. I have instead made it a legal requirement that should I not log into my online store account in a month the store and all its books will be deleted.   I am not getting any younger and if people think my popping my clogs will lead to more sales they are mistaken. 

My family has no interest in my comics or books and there is no stock of them anywhere for later sale: it is print on demand.

So if you have purchased a Black Tower comic or book hang on to them because the number out there of each title are nowhere near 100 each so they'll be rarer than A British Platinum or Diamond Ages comics.

Oh, original art will be dumped or more likely burnt so ...

Part of life and business.

Now read something cheerful.