...showing how much they really 'care' about comics.
In the past I posted about how John A. Short's fantastic Jungle Princess series/book had been rejected out of hand by Diamond Distributors. It was full colour, US format and a great read.
But it was NOT Marvel, DC, Image nor Dark Horse.
Seriously, store owners do what Diamond tell them and stock what they are told because Diamond calls the shots. In the UK a monopoly is supposedly illegal but no one challenges this comic distribution monopoly because they are too cowardly and are scared their orders might be, uh, "delayed". The stale crap in UK comic stores is down to Diamond. 'Thank You' Diamond.
Today I received this from John:
" I thought you might be interested to hear that Diamond Comic Distributors UK have declined to list 'Octobriana: The Underground History' in Previews UK and offer it for sale to UK comic shops.
"Obviously this means that UK comic readers won't be seeing the book on the shelves at a shop near where they live and will only have the opportunity to buy it if they seek it out from Kult Creations on the internet. I had hoped that the slickness of production of the book, the presence of some known creators on illustrations and the professionalism of the book would sway them to make available for distribution, but this was not to be. If you wanted to mention this in a news story on Comic Bits On-Line, please go ahead."
So I am. This book is an incredible piece of work and charts a character and much more that has not been touched on to this degree before. Diamond has just proven that it is only maintaining itself as a Marvel, DC and Image outlet (Dark Horse trying to by-pass the whole Previews/Diamond deal) supplier.
My advice to John: look at US comic distributors just as Cinebooki did when Diamond did the dirty on them -perhaps European distributor. Diamond/Previews is dead if it keeps rejecting these books.
And you'll note I have NOT mentioned my experiences with them.
In case you missed the review:
"Octobriana: The Underground History" launches!
After yesterday's major downer I decided to read a book that had arrived and that I had been looking forward to. ....
John A. Short
Kult Creations http://kultcreations.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/october-fest-octobriana-underground.html
16 x 24 cms
Perfect bound
116 pages,
b&w and colour illustrations plus photographs
UK £9.99 Eur £11.99 Outside Europe £13.99
John A. Short
Kult Creations http://kultcreations.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/october-fest-octobriana-underground.html
16 x 24 cms
Perfect bound
116 pages,
b&w and colour illustrations plus photographs
UK £9.99 Eur £11.99 Outside Europe £13.99
'Octobriana: The Underground History' by John A. Short, published by
Kult Creations is a numbered, signed, book - limited to just 300
copies... 120 PAGES LONG. LAVISHLY ILLUSTRATED.
It contains the full
story behind the original book that introduced the cult communist
superheroine to the world. It also features a full breakdown of all her
uses and appearances since - in comics, movies and audio drama... From
'The Adventures of Luther Arkwright' to the David Bowie and Billy Idol
connections.
NEW COMIC STRIP ACTION - written by J.A. Short &
illustrated in full colour by GABRIELLE NOBLE (and containing the Devil
Woman's full origin story.) And with bonus new Octobriana illustrations by NEIL
EDWARDS, HUNT EMERSON and VINCE DANKS . Fully painted
covers by SIMON BREEZE. It's going to be REVOLUTIONARY!
Is the book what I thought it might be?
Well, to that I have to give a resounding "NO!" As I read through it
and looked at the art and images I realised that it was far better than I expected.
Having looked at the photo of Petr
Sadecky I realised that I had met him in the early 1980s at a UK Comic
Art Convention. Bearded and full of what the comic scene in then
Czechoslovakia held for us and I even got a couple of Czech comics. I
got an address in Germany and....that was it. Reading Short's book I
think that sums up Sadecky.
What Short has managed to do is dig out
old articles and gather information that lets him cut through the whole
Sadecky-Octobriana story which has a lot of twists and turns. And
information on the real Octobriana (or "Amazona") artists and their part
in this story. There is even a stripography of Octobriana appearances
in comic strip and film format and more.
Octobriana is a character shrouded in a lot of confusion and more than a few bad rumours. Short has written a book that has
to be seen as the ultimate source-book on the subject and proves people
can still write interesting and original books about comics.
And then there is the full colour origin
story which really could not be much better and is pure Octobriana from
start to finish!
10 out of 10 and highly recommended!
Kult Creations Savage Jungle Princess #4 A “Dead” Winner”?
If you are interested in the Savage Jungle Princess series here are the review links -use the Kult Creations link on the blog roll!
Savage Jungle Princess no.4
(W) John Short (A) Gabby Noble
Kult Creations
Full colour
US format
28pp
UK £3.75
US $5.50
The first Savage Jungle Princess storyline comes to an end! Evil Nazis
-alive or zombified but all women in various degrees of, uh, what can I
write -unclothedness (that is so Middle English I’m not even sure it’s a
real word but this is MY blog!
Ultimate Nazi death weapons. Savage natives (all women in states of
disrobement) and some of the most rib crunchingly painful dounble
entendres ever. My favourite line: “Princess! Don’t worry I can do
breast stroke!”
It’s pure fun. The comic should have been distributed properly but,
sadly, Diamond UK have their heads up their asses. So this MIGHT have
worked for them -bondage, whipping and a lot of very touchy feely hands.
Best read while alone at home with the curtains pulled, or at bath time.
I prefer reading this by torchlight under the bed covers (but NOT after
a baked bean supper).
Want to know what it’s all about? Well….
Issue #1 reviewed:
Issue #2 reviewed:
Issue #3 reviewed:
And look out for John Short and Kult Creations table at the Bristol
Comic Expo! Apparently this year he will be in cosplay as Savage Jungle
Princess…..I may have made that up, though….
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