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Now it behoves me to tell you that I have "some" books for sales and that they are jolly good fun.
Well, apart from the dark futuristic stories....the horror...start again.
I have books written and drawn by more than one person. I write a lot but then I am the self-styled "King of British Comics" and all around genius -I even repaired faulty window catches yesterday.
There are prose books covering natural history, pioneering ballooists, the paranormal, cryptozoology, UFOs -enough to educate anyone thinking of walking the path of Counter-actuality.
We also have Osaka Brutal -Illustrated Japanese Haiku by a very tall Englishman living in Osaka, Japan who happens to be a Haiku Golden Belt (I had no idea there was such a thing until a few years back).
There is sci fi/horror with Tom Elmes' Descent. Crime busting and archaeological adventure with John Erasmus' Denizen Ark:Unemployed crime fighter and Dervish Ropey.
There are 9 online pages with 10 titles per page -including collected editions.
Lots of titles to tempt anyone who is genuinely interested in Independent comics and books.
A re-post from 2004, 2010, 2013 and 2015 -much cribbed from by others on the net -you KNOW who!
Back in 2004, the final print version of Comic Bits was published. It was a rather sad issue as it contained tributes to three comic creators I held a great esteem for -Joe Ahern, Art Wetherell and Bob Monkhouse.
It says something that, despite there being a printed tribute to Monkhouse in CB and a repost to CBO, I actually had a lot of negative responses -some very negative. Such as "in this Hooper claims, if we believe him, that the TV entertainer Bob Monkhouse once drew comics!" also "...he (Hooper) seems to mix up comic books with comedians and claims that Bob Monkhouse once drew comics"
This was even repeated on comic forums in the UK.
What sort of ass do you have to be to attack someone over an actual documented fact?
But that's what passes for 'comic fandom'.
It's also interesting that so many people ripped off the Comic Bits and CBO posting!"
But this is a posting about Bob Monkhouse and some of his comic work (I say "some" because it is strongly rumoured -Monkhouse did not deny it when asked- that he drew "one or two" humour strips in the 1960s "to keep his hand in").
Of course, the one thing people keep referring to, they seem rather limited in knowledge, is that Monkhouse once drew "giant penises".
Robert Alan "Bob" Monkhouse was born on the 1st June, 1928 in Beckenham, Kent. He was educated at Goring Hall School, in Worthing and later Dulwich College where he was to be expelled for allegedly throwing toilet rolls from a clock tower.
But it was while at Dulwich that he met another comic and movie/radio fan who Mionkhouse began a writing and art partnership with -Denis Gifford. Gifford and Monkhouse remained life-long friends and while Gifford's collection crammed every space in his Synenham, London, home, Monkhouse had special rooms built.
At Dulwich, and later, Monkhouse began to write scripts for publications such as...deep breath...
Mickey Mouse Weekly (1940), All Fun Comic (1946-1948) All Star Comic (1946), Amazing Comics (1949) Bimbo Goes To The Moon (1946)Sam The Salesman (Comic Adventures 1946), Ivor Dimwit (Crash Comics, 1948), Luke The Lumberjack (Funny Tuppenny 1947), Beanbrain (Jolly Arrow, 1948), Fun And Games (Jolly Chuckles 1948), Western Roundup (Jolly Cowboy, 1948), Pat Peril(Modern Comics, 1949), Tornadoand Stuporman(Oh Boy! Comics, 1948), Dippy The Duke and also Stanley The Student (Okay Comics,1947), Scampy (Super Jolly Roger, 1949), The Beano, The Dandy, Hotspur, Wizard, Adventure and various strips for The Ripping Comic (1948), Smasher Comics (1947), Super Star (1949)and The Winner Comic (1947-1948).
Above: Monkhouse wrote and contributed to The Smasher
I feel far less depressed about my writing for Eros Comix when I think that Monkhouse wrote, amongst many other things, well over 100 Harlem Hotspots erotic novelettes!
Possibly the two best known Monkhouse comics are Pat Peril and The Tornado. Having written that I realise that Pat Peril is rarely mentioned whereas The Tornado is because of that one specific issue by Monkhouse -who did not draw all the books.
Damn colour paper comics! Because of paper and ink rationing until the 1960s, publishers took what they got and if you get a sharply printed copy you are lucky in the extreme!
Monkhouse, as most people who ever saw or heard him knows, loved to use word-play. Apparently there are more than a few double entendre in his strip-work.
Which brings us to...The Growth!
When I wrote and drew a story in Black Tower Adventure in which Golden Age (UK) heroes faced The Growth I sent a pre-publication copy along to Denis Gifford as well as a copy to be passed on to Monkhouse. Apparently he really liked it. According to Denis "Bob looks back at things like this and wonders how on earth they were accepted let alone what he was thinking!"
So, this is the issue. The Growth is a giant fungus. Nothing else. Cue cover....
Another thing that many miss is that Monkhouse used the pseudonym "Ramon" for some comic work. And the give-away, really, is that Pat Peril is credited to "Bob Monkhouse, creator of The Tornado!"
But Monkhouse probably realised that comic books was not going to earn him a living and in 1948, after he completed his National Service in the Royal Air Force, he actually got a contract with the BBC in a very cheeky and totally Monkhouse way. His unwitting RAF group captain signed a letter ( Monkhouse had written) that told the BBC he was a war hero and that the corporation should give him an audition!
It paid off.
But before establishing himself as a successful writer and comedian, Monkhouse had appeared on stage in London, first as Aladdin in a stage show of the same name written by S. J. Perelman and Cole Porter. The radio career blossomed and Monkhouse went on to have a major career on television and then dipped into movies such as The Secret People (1952), Carry On Sergeant (1958), Dentist in the Chair (1960) followed by Dentist on the Job (1961), A Weekend with Lulu (1962), She'll Have to Go (1962), Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) -I'm not kidding!- , The Bliss of Mrs Blossom (1968) and, of course, Simon, Simon (1970).
Stand-up comedy continued but he was also known as a singer and appeared in the first London production of the musical The Boys from Syracuse (Antipholus of Syracuse) in 1963 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, which was alongside that other famous British comedian Ronnie Corbett.
There were the shows that made Monkhouse a household name from his own chat show to his legendary quiz and panel shows -The Golden Shot (1967-74), Bob's Full House , Celebrity Squares, Family Fortunes and others.
Initially, I had persuaded (as if he needed persuading!) Denis Gifford to contribute to Comic Bits and there was even the idea of a new Gifford Streamline short story but, sadly, he passed away in 2000. It was hoped a contribution between Monkhouse and Gifford could follow on from their 1999 collaboration a two-part radio show A Hundred Laughs for a Ha'penny, a history of comic papers.
Monkhouse was also very open about his prostate cancer which he knew was killing him. But he always remained openly humorous and never lost that cheeky glint in the eye. This was evident in the fact that he filmed sequences for an advertising campaign for the Male Cancer Awareness Week.
On the12th June, 2007, Monkhouse posthumously appeared on British TV in an advertisement promoting awareness of prostate cancer. By using computer animation techniques, Bob Monkhouse was seen in a graveyard next to his own grave (he was actually cremated) and talking seriously about the disease but this was interspersed with humorous asides to another camera such as "What killed me kills one man per hour in Britain. That's even more than my wife's cooking." Monkhouse ended by saying that: "As a comedian, I've died many deaths. Prostate cancer, I don't recommend. I'd have paid good money to stay out of here. What's it worth to you?" He then turned and began walking away from his grave and disappearing.
Oddly, there were a lot of complaints that this was all in "bad taste"!! I think that Monkhouse would have a belly-laugh over that. Dead and still causing controversy -by trying to help!
Bob Monkhouse passed away from prostate cancer on the 29th December, 2003. His wife, Jackie, passed away on the 29th March, 2008.
I take a very deep bow over this article to Denis Gifford and Alan Clark -founding fathers of UK Comic Book History!
Denis had created three of the earliest British Golden Age superheroes -Mr Muscle for Dynamic Comics (1945), Streamline, whose tag-line proclaimed him "The speediest fighter in the world"and co-created with Monkhouse for Streamline Comics(1947) as well as Tiger-Man, debuting in Ray Regan #1)
Summer is here and trying hard to melt everyone at Cinebook, but have no fear: our duty is to bring you fantastic new titles to enjoy, and by golly, so we shall!
Starting with a new Billy & Buddy, where the little boy and his too-smart-for-everyone’s-own-good cocker spaniel, too, have to deal with hot summer days – and blessedly cool mountain holidays …
The weather on Altair seems to be mostly good, but both the wildlife and the local human population have plenty of potential to make Paul’s life difficult. And if that wasn’t enough, strange phenomena are beginning to pop up … Travel to Distant Worlds and investigate!
Then there’s Buck Danny, who has a lot on his plate: a global conspiracy, a major war brewing, and a nasty typhoon bearing down on his carrier strike group – definitely enough to justify going to Defcon One!
Finally, we’d like to thank you for the warm welcome you’ve givenRoute 66 List – last month’s new series – which is off to a roaring start! Strap in, though – it’s a wild ride!
July with Cinebook: hot, hot, hot!
Our latest catalogue is now available from the website – 17 new titles, 3 new series, the return of many old friends …
Life with Buddy is always full of adventures and the unexpected. Daily life and special occasions, summer or winter, at home or on holidays … The little devil always finds a way to spice up his humans’ lives – starting with Billy’s ... Read more
Despite the assistance of Japanese Counter Intelligence Agent Suki Nishiwa, Buck and his friends were unable to gather solid proof of tycoon Yamasaki and Lady X’s plans to trigger a war between China and the United States...Read more
Abandoned amidst a hostile wilderness, Paul has been rescued by a biologist, Mr Amid. The scientist is studying the pearls that are Altair’s true wealth – and more particularly the plants that produce them and that appear to be dying off. Amid offers to take on Paul as his assistant... Read more
Mermaid Project 3 Episode 3
The Regiment 1 The True Story of the SAS
Return to Aldebaran 1 pisode 1
North-American readers, to locate a comic book shop near you that stocks or can order these titles and many more, us this handy Read more
Or, if you're a retailer yourself, please go to: Read more
It is interesting that Russia and the Ukraine provide a large number of views to CBO and particularly views of Black Tower Comics posts (there is a Black Tower Face Book page you know) and what is annoying is that as far as I can find out the Print On Demand company I use (being American) has no printers covering those areas.
In the past I have tried to find legitimate publishers who can translate and publish Black Tower titles under license but...nothing came of the efforts.
Originally posted on the Black Tower Face Book page
I have no idea why I post updates but here you go.
I just finished the final pages of The Green Skies. The end is done.
I now need to draw a few bridging pages and that will be it. A comic book story that started off in 1987 and has weaved its way through The Return of the Gods:Twilight of the Super Heroes to the Cross Earths Caper and tiny threads here and there.
Billed as The Invasion Earth Trilogy, parts 1 and 2 cover well over 400 pages.
This Green Skies conclusion, last time I counted the pages, was over 450 pages. This is my swan song so I do what I want -I am the publisher after all!
The photos that follow will show you the stack of completed art pages -over 5 inches high (13 cms).
Once the bridging pages are completed and the art is complete I'll go through the pages (AGAIN) and do touch up work then scan everything. After that is the big problem.
I do not hand letter -not since I got a computer. Physical degeneration of my fingers/hands means lettering is impossible. However, since my old PC died on me I cannot computer letter. My microsoft office publisher program was on it and so were all of my fonts, etc. The current laptop has none of those programs and to buy them would be far too expensive -rather like a pdf converter program- and since I am completely broke financially.....
Until I can afford (look into the very distant future) a new PC or the programs I need the project is in limbo.
I had hoped that books might sale but everyone seems to want to not support publishers such as myself so...no money coming in.
Age: 8 years and up Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm Number of pages: 48 colour pages Publication: May 2019 £6.99 inc. VAT ISBN: 9781849184380
When a suspended animation pod with a child inside washes ashore on an isolated island of Vinea, Khany is dispatched to investigate – and takes Yoko along with her. The trail leads to a strange tower that emerges from the water at regular intervals, and on which Khany lands. But by the time Yoko follows suit, Khany has disappeared, the tower begins to sink again, and a mysterious, angel-faced Vinean is about to be shot by other men who appeared from beneath the waves. Yoko steps in … Weirdly, this series is one I liked from the outset. There was the blend of adventure, sci fi and much more that our female protagonist got involved in even though I have never seen volume 2!
This current story line produces some great twists and the final pages of this volume revealed some unexpected ones. This is wonderfully rendered and told sci fi without being heavy handed and I just love the architecture, machinery and hardware seen here. This is definitely one of those books that CAN be read from 8 years of age and upwards and, again, I highly recommend it. Here's a little secret: I've read it twice and keep going back to look at the artwork. I never try to analyse why I like something these days as that spoils the fun!
Some of you may recall I wrote a piece about delays between Cinebook the 9th Art volumes?
Hands up apologies to them. I was just writing a piece on Valerian and Laureline and realised I never received vols 20 and 21 -it may be some packages went missing and so the delays with some titles may not have existed.
I think I've taken umbridge at something David Barnett wrote before -about the lack of British super heroes? If it wasn't him then I've not taken umbridge with him at all!
Anyway, about ten years or so back I pointed out that comic shops would be closing and that the "comics industry" wou;ld be losing sales etc etc etc. Since 2017 it seems people have been noticing that comic shops would be closing and that the "comics industry" wou;ld be losing sales etc etc etc...of course, no one will admit that I got it right.
San Diego Comic Con 2019 told us that X Men will be swamping the shelves. Surprise.
But here is Barnett's article from 26th April this year
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/apr/26/why-are-comics-shops-closing-superheroes-avengers-endgame
With Avengers: Endgame set to break box-office records – it is predicted to make $1bn in its first week – it seems that the superhero business really is the one to be in. In Hollywood, at least.
Superheroes have never been more in the public eye, but people don’t emerge from the latest Marvel movie and head to the comic shop
But what of the medium in which the superhero originated – the comic book – and the purveyors of the hundreds of comics that are released every month? The high street is not as bulletproof as multiplexes, and comic shops are having a tough time of it.
Dozens of closures have been reported across the UK and US over the last few months – including, in January, the end of St Mark’s Comics, once one of New York’s most venerable institutions. (It even appeared in Sex and the City.) Last year, comics website Bleeding Cool documented how 50 comic shops had closed in the previous year, in both the US and UK. And since June 2018, at least 21 shops in the US and 11 in the UK – including shops in Nottingham, Ramsgate and Tooting – have closed, with others likely going unreported.
While superheroes have never had a higher profile, the gap between cinema and comics has never been wider. The days when you could pick the latest issue of Spider-Man or Batman from the newsagent’s shelves are long gone. Last week, comic writer Ron Marz tweeted that, during a presentation to a school class, one girl raised her hand and asked him where she could actually buy comics.
So why are so many going out of business? Like other retailers on the high street, comic shops must factor in rents, business rates, staff wages, insurance – but the profit margins on comics are so narrow as to make this a very delicate balancing act.
“There isn’t a huge profit in comics and graphic novels,” says Jared Myland of OK Comics in Leeds. “Nobody gets into comic retail to be a millionaire. We do it because we love comics. Unfortunately, closures are a more and more common topic on both sides of the pond. Most comic shops make enough to get by if they make cuts, but some retailers depend on the generosity of family and friends to help support the shop.”
One of the unique challenges in comics is the monthly gamble on what will sell. Comics released every few weeks, as opposed to the collected editions available in bookshops or on Amazon, aren’t returnable; with 600 to 1,000 such items published every month, stores must make educated guesses or be stuck with their mistakes. At OK Comics, 90% of what Myland gets in are pre-orders, with the rest put on shelves for casual customers. “Smart retailers would rather under- than over-order,” he says.
Despite the launch of comic-book apps such as the Amazon-owned Comixology or Marvel’s Unlimited, comics have weathered digital challenges better than other print media, according to Rich Johnston of Bleeding Cool, with digital purchases only accounting for around 15% of overall sales. Despite regularly reporting shop closures, he’s upbeat about their future: “Since the 90s there has been a decline, but I think we run as many stories about shops opening as we do closing.”
The old image of comic shops as cliquish, unfriendly places where the uninitiated aren’t made welcome – or, as Johnston puts it, “the sort of den in a basement staffed by a bloke in his 50s with a waistline the same size” – is also fading. Survivors have recognised that they must diversify, by adding board games and food to the mix, while many of the closed businesses end up online. Mike Holman, sales and marketing manager at giant comic distributor Diamond, says that though the industry has changed a lot, “sales are as strong as they have been for 20 years” due to the internet, with 6m comics leaving their hub in Runcorn, Cheshire, every week.
But even those on the inside are worried about the future. Lisa Wood, an artist for the likes of Marvel and DC under the name Tula Lotay, is also a director of the Travelling Man comic shops, after first working in its Leeds branch in the 90s. She says being unable to return comics leads to less risk-taking on unknown names: “Marvel and DC stuff will always do well but for a retailer, when money is tight, taking a risk on new work by unknown creators can end up being very costly.”
Wood adds: “Superheroes have never been more in the public eye, but people don’t come out of the cinema after watching the latest Marvel movie and head to the comic shop. They’ll go online and buy graphic novels at prices the shops can’t compete with. I think that in the future, the industry will move away completely from monthly comics, and just produce graphic novels. But given that the monthly comic market is so important to the survival of physical retailers, it’s worrying.”
Here are some facts:
Combined sales of comics and graphic novels in comics shops in 2018 declined about 1% from 2017, according to ICv2. ...
Traditional comics shops reported little or negative sales growth in January when compared to January 2018 and were also wary about projecting better sales in the coming year.15 Feb 2019
In fact it is far worse. You Tube comic vloggers are noting their comic shops closing to become gaming shops.
Here are some comic vlogger opinions...
I'm Not Sure What Jim Lee's Job At DC Comics Is...And I Don't Think That He Knows Either
IDW PUBLISHING FOR SALE?! Comic Book Industry Continues to Collapse!
Disney WILL Quit Publishing Marvel Comics (But WHEN?)
Disney Isn't Going To "Shut Down" Marvel Comics...But It Will TRANSFORM It In A Way SJWs Won't Like
Marvel VP Sana Amanat Doesn't Care About Sales...And Sales Don't Care About Her
Avengers: Endgame is now the most popular film of all time!
The Marvel movie is estimated to have made a massive $2.7902bn since its release in April this year, just beating Avatar's record of $2.7897bn.
Avengers: Endgame was re-released last month after the film's initial release earned it the No.2 spot for box-office sales worldwide.
It's latest success is by no means the first record broken by Avengers: Endgame.
Not only did it make a record-breaking $1.2bn (£929m) in world ticket sales in its first week, it also enjoyed the biggest opening ever for a film in the UK and Ireland, taking £43.7 million. Endgame is the 22nd film in the Marvel Avengers series, starring heroes Captain Marvel, Thor and Black Widow as they try to defeat Thanos. The first Avengers movie, Iron Man, came out in 2008.
A must-have for anyone interested in comic history?
From a huge selection of interviews covering the Small Press, Independent and mainstream Comics from the UK, Europe and US. Here are a few of the best interviews from 30 years.
Someone referred to it as “Comics 101” –background info on creators, how they got started, what tools and even paper/board they use. Damn near damaged my wrist because it is a BIG book. And Who exactly is interviewed in this book?
Karen Rubins -The Dark, The Witch and other books
Alan Class -the man behind the Class Comics series
Kate Glasheen -the incredibly talented artist on Hybrid Bastards, Bandages and other works
Tom Pinchuck -writer of Hybrid Bastards
Dave Ryan -the artist/writer behind War of The Independents
Jon Haward -UK artist who worked of Tales of the Buddha, Dan Dare and more
Ron Fortier -the man behind Mr Jig-Saw and Airstrip 27 books
Michael Cho -creator of Max Finder Mysteries and some really cool art
Then there are a bunch of interviews related to The Black Coat that was published by Ape Entertainment -Francavilla may be a name familiar to DC and Marvel comic fans these days:
Jeremy Colwell
Ben Lichius
Adam Cadogan
Franco Frankavilla
The comic character Gumby also returned to comics and that created another series of interviews titled: The Gumby Interviews (Gumby, himself, was never interviewed)
Mel Smith
Paul H. Birch
Rick Geary
Joe Martino -from Ripperman to Shadow Flame
Yishan Li -Seriously, do I have to explain who Yishan Li is? DCs Blue Beetle, the Buffy comic and much more!
Pekka Manninen -As far as I am concerned, Finland's top comic creator and I'm not saying that because I am the UKs top Kapteeni Kuolio (Captain Gangrene) fan!
Lauren Watton -Pink Apple Jam and Sweatdrop Studios
Willie Hewes -Amaranth and Itch! Publishing
Emma Vieceli -come on. Star of stage and musicals not to mention one of the UKs top Manga artists -Manga Shakespeare, Dragon Heir and more.
Sonia Leong -another noted UK Manga artist whose credits include Romeo and Juliet for Manga Shakespeare.
Nick Defina -the man behind Septagon Studios and Scorn
Donna Barr -The Desert Peach and so much more that you can check up on at her Midnight Library blog. She's a comic book Goddess.
Roberta Gregory -The other comic book Goddess and pioneering female creator.
Roberta created Bitchy Bitch and many other characters.
Jeff Brooks -the man behind the UK editions of Classics Illustrated
Matt (D'Israeli) Brooker -from zines to "proper comics" including Deadline in the 1980s
Tania Del Rio -Sabrina the teenage Witch and more for Archie Comics
Holly Golightly -Broadsword Comics, Archie, Schoolbites and much more
Vanessa Wells -superb creator of a comic I loved titled Shrouded and much more these days -http://www.vanessa.withbits.com
Marv Wolfman -Yes. The Marv Wolfman.
Morag Lewis -another UK Manga artist who worked with Sweatdrop Studios
The Etherington Brothers -if you've ever been to a good UK event you will have seen the duo behind Malcolm Magic, The 8th Moon Sketchbook, Moon and more.
Nicole Damon -CBOs favourite fantasy art model. Nicole has worked with Ben Uriegas, Loprenzo Sperlonga, Greg Hildebrandt and others.
Olivier Cadic -the man who brought Franco-Belgian comics to the English language readers via Cinebook The 9th Art! Everything you need to know.
Mike Western -"The Guv'nor" of British comics with strips such as The Wild Wonders, The Leopard From Lime Street and so many more to his name they would need a book to list.
John Cooper -Again, a creator who worked on many UK comic strips from Judge Dredd, One-Eyed Jack, Johnny Red and many others.
