Saturday, 21 December 2024
Chinese Manhua in 2025
.webp)
So keep your eyes open in early January.
Friday, 20 December 2024
Thursday, 19 December 2024
Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Tuesday, 17 December 2024
Monday, 16 December 2024
Black Tower Corporal Religion! (It's Baaaack!)
A4
B&W
20pp
£7.00
https://www.lulu.com/en/en/shop/terry-hooper/corporal-religion-no-1/paperback/product-nj4yw7.html
Over thirty years since Corporal Religion Against the Pinko Commie Menace and the world thought that it was safe.
It was wrong!
His religion is Hard Capitalism
His dream is total anarchy
And his motto is:"American Might Is Always Right"
No, this is not the Trumpster.
This is....well, it's...complicated.
I know what people will say but this has NOTHING to do with a Mr Donald Trump. Honest.
Black Tower Streamline and Moon Man #1
Dennis Holmes Wilberton & Friends
80pp
A4
black and white
£8.00
Streamline the Golden Age British speedster created by Denis Gifford and Moon Man get the Black Tower treatment in this one off comic with a difference.
These are new stories and art and not Golden/Silver Ages reprints but remaining true to the original action, adventure and FUN ethic!
Black Tower Tales of Terror 5
Once again the library of the Black Tower is opened and its files delved into. Robert Lovett -back from the dead for vengeance?
A mysterious case of two men falling into a strange dimension -the Black Abyss! The Living dead!Sunday, 15 December 2024
Saturday, 14 December 2024
Friday, 13 December 2024
Black Tower Classic Come On, Steve!
A4
B&W
32pp
£6.00
https://www.lulu.com/en/en/shop/terry-hooper/classic-fun-comics-1come-on-steve/paperback/product-1gq92mwe.html
Steve The Horse the creation of Roland Davies was a hugely popular newspaper comic stripin the UK and the Steve movies of the 1930s had an international audience.
Learn how Davies got started in animation and comic strips as well as more about his career as a fine artist.
And, of course, see some of the Steve strips reprinted and Ben R. Dilworth's modern take on the innocent character!
Black Tower Classic Dene Vernon -Ghost and Mystery Detective
A4
B&W
24pp
£7.00
https://www.lulu.com/en/en/shop/terry-hooper/dene-vernon-mystery-detective/paperback/product-124edpvm.html
After more than 70 years John McCail's ghost and mystery detective, Dene Vernon is back.
Black Tower Classic Hurricane Hurry -The Stranger On A Horse
http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper/hurricane-hurry-stranger-on-a-horse/paperback/product-24490237.html
Hurricane Hurry is seemingly always at the right place and right time to come across bush-whacking skunks, low down varmints and plain old killers.
Under cover U.S. Marshall or Pinkerton Man? Or just a stranger on a horse "moving along"?
William A. Wards Western hero slaps-irons and uses his fists to deals out some Wild West justice.
Reprinting strips not seen in 60-70 years.
Saturday, 7 December 2024
Thursday, 5 December 2024
Press Release: Lucky Luke 83!
This month, Cinebook will publish our 83rd (!) Lucky Luke adventure, Trouble Brewing, available in the UK from the 12th of December - barely three weeks after it came out in France.
On sale from Thursday 12th December
A Lucky Luke adventure in the style of Morris
TROUBLE BREWING
Script: Jul
Artwork: Achdé
Colours: Mel Acryl’ink
Depressed cowboys and gloomy saloons ...
NOTHING IS RIGHT IN THE OLD WEST ANY MORE!
A large-scale ’beer strike‘ paralyses the country’s breweries, leaving all the saloons dry and bringing them to a standstill!
The inhabitants of New München beg Lucky Luke to help them end the movement that threatens the way of life of the entire Wild West. The lonesome cowboy gives in and agrees to go to Milwaukee, but his arrival in the ’beer capital of America”, a largely industrial city with Germanic influences, is a shock. A meeting with his old Native-American friend Two-headed Eagle, who has become a factory worker and married a German woman, will help him navigate the ruthless world of breweries. Having to deal on the one hand with the all-powerful businessman and ’Beer Baron‘ Frederick Martz, and on the other with trade unionists following Karl Marx’s philosophies, our bewildered righter of wrongs will need double his usual efforts and skill to bring the Old West back to its former glory ... and that’s not even taking into account the Daltons’ interference!
Shootouts in factories, chases through the slums of the city, the fate of breweries decided at poker – will the man who shoots faster than his shadow, thrown into ’modern times‘, succeed in reconciling workers and bosses, and save the culture of the Wild West.
It’s a revolution in the Lucky Luke series: for the first time, this title confronts Lucky Luke with the modern industrial era of America! Unions, bosses, factory workers … What if the big city was wilder than the Wild West? Rooted in historical facts in true Lucky Luke fashion, this adventure features some of the most iconic symbols of America – hamburgers, hot dogs, ketchup and the Christmas tree – and their inventors, as well as the language of their community, which came this close to becoming the official language of the United States: German! Although often forgotten, German immigrants made up the majority of the northern population of the Old West. This thriving Germanic community, which counted among its members Donald Trump’s grandfather as well as the first communists on the continent, is an inexhaustible source of gags in this Lucky Luke title. So, put on your cowboy hat and your lederhosen, and you too can face the ‘Trouble Brewing’ , a fast-paced adventure that’s as hilarious as it is informative.
JUL
This former press cartoonist released his first graphic novel in 2005. His cult series Silex and the City was adapted for television by Arte, then made into a feature film. With Charles Pépin, he co-writes The Planet of the Wise and Fifty Shades of Greeks. Awarded the Goscinny Prize in 2007, Jul has been writing Lucky Luke’s scripts for ten years.
Dropping Lucky Luke in a factory is almost revolutionary, isn’t it?
I found it amusing to send him to a factory, as he embodies wide open spaces, freedom and individualism. For him, it is a real shock, but there is nothing anachronistic about this situation. The story takes place at the historical turning point when the United States tipped into modernity, represented by the industrial revolution. Lucky Luke seems to embody a resistance to this world.
Have cowboys ceased to exist in the United States?
Not at all. They’re still part of the American Midwest’s landscape, even if there are no longer large-scale cattle drives. They still compete in rodeos, go to saloons, and have a passion for weapons – just like in the adventures of Lucky Luke.
We discover that the German-speaking population played an important role in building the country...
As in previous albums, I wanted to champion the voice of a community that contributed to the formation of the United States, in the same way as the African-American and Jewish communities. Immigrants of Germanic origin settled in several waves starting in the 18th century, and German almost became the official language of the country! In States like Dakota, Wyoming and Wisconsin, the majority of the population is of German descent.
What mark did they leave?
They introduced the most iconic symbols of the American way of life such as the hamburger, ketchup and the hot dog. We also owe them the idea of Kindergartens and the Christmas tree.
Despite being a hero, like many people Lucky Luke has back problems...
That’s hardly surprising, as he carries all the justice in the world on his shoulders! I made him gain weight in The Promised Land, he got seasick in A Cowboy in Paris, the Daltons needed toilets in A Cowboy in High Cotton… Giving emotions to the hero and reminding us that he has a body is a way of humanising him while respecting the blueprint of the series. Something ‘Spaghetti Westerns’ did well, but Western comics had not dared attempt much so far.
ACHDE´
He bought his first Lucky Luke when he was nine years old … and a calling was born! After studying radiology and radiotherapy, he signed on with publishing house Dargaud, and worked on several well-known series (C.R.S = Distress / C.R.S = Détresse, The Wretched of the Road / Les Damnés de la route...), and of course The Adventures of Rin Tin Can. Since 2001, he has been illustrating the adventures of the Lonesome Cowboy, as well as the Kid Lucky books, which he also writes.
In this title, Lucky Luke faces a major culture shock…
He discovers an industrial world with which he is not familiar, as well as a different side of his country, the United States. As for me, I don’t like the city, and drawing an urban environment was no walk in the park! But this sort of artistic challenge forces me to leave my comfort zone and push myself, which is not a bad thing.
Your description of the United States does not match the traditional portrayal of the country…
Because of Hollywood movies, we have long believed that the population of the United States was homogeneous and everyone spoke perfect English. In reality, at the end of the 19th century, some towns were French, others were German, Danish or Russian. Nowadays, populations of foreign origin have melted in the proverbial pot. Thankfully, recent waves of Hispanic immigration continue to speak Spanish, and we are witnessing a resurgence of French thanks to African and Haitian immigrants. Bilingualism is always an asset.
Jul sent you a ‘panel by panel’ script, sometimes adding sketches to the dialogue. What was your margin of freedom?
The artist must not simply follow the instructions given to them to the letter. They’re there to magnify the scriptwriter’s work.
Therefore, I operate on the principle that it’s my job to take care of the staging, but not to the detriment of the original idea. Consequently, I haven’t always followed his layout exactly, and I’ve re-arranged it when I deemed it necessary. In cinema, the screenwriter does not tell the director how he should hold his camera ... By mutual agreement, our tasks are well defined. I always plan my scenes in advance, create the sets, choose my actors, and position my camera according to the action proposed by the script. Well, when I say ’camera‘, it’s really my pencil and my brushes! Attractive and readable art – that’s the key.
Has your job as the artist evolved since the previous Lucky Luke titles?
On this story, I have at times moved away from the traditional grid layout and instead drawn certain panels in a more modern way, often for the sake of efficiency, like the panel that shows Joe Dalton falling into a beer vat. Today’s readers are used to alternate layouts, and you have to keep the series evolving. Working away from the writer can also be an advantage, because it forces me to fend for myself when I am faced with a difficulty. But, I am never satisfied with the result: I re-drew the scene that takes place at the opera fifteen times! I finally found the solution by looking at an illustration from the beginning of the 20th century …
ACHDE´
He bought his first Lucky Luke when he was nine years old … and a calling was born! After studying radiology and radiotherapy, he signed on with publishing house Dargaud, and worked on several well-known series (C.R.S = Distress / C.R.S = Détresse, The Wretched of the Road / Les Damnés de la route...), and of course The Adventures of Rin Tin Can. Since 2001, he has been illustrating the adventures of the Lonesome Cowboy, as well as the Kid Lucky books, which he also writes.
© Charlie Ambrose
Wednesday, 4 December 2024
Tuesday, 3 December 2024
The Amazing Adventures of CAPTAIN V!
A Re-post from 2014 and September 2023
The comic was CAPTAIN V!
CAPTAIN V
CAPTAIN V was the "scientific experiment" of DR EVIL and at the time he was working for the Singapore Police Force. The good Captain was super fast [but not Flash standard fast?],very strong and bullet proof thanks to his costume.
As is always the case,Dr Evil had an hidden agenda and went into hiding with his "experimental formulas" [so we assume CAPTAIN V was the human result of scientific enhancement]. Obviously,this could not be allowed and so Captain V was assigned the task of stopping his mentor.
Oooh. 23K (again)
Views for the last 30 days stands at 23,000 and some new countries have started to appear in the "Where they from?" data.
To the newcomers -welcome!
To the regulars....carry on! 😁
Monday, 2 December 2024
The Amazing World of Alan Class
Before everyone who thought they could push up the price on these black and white reprint comics from Alan Class I set up the first Alan Class and Class Comics web page and blog (check blog roll) and I interviewed him. https://alanclasscomics.blogspot.com/
This publication was the result
A4
B&W
24pp
£7.00
https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/the-amazing-world-of-alan-class/paperback/product-1rgkeq5p.html
Marvel, Timely, Atlas, Charlton, ACG, MLJ/Archie Dennis the Menace (US) -one man published them all. Alan Class. Who? Class is legendary for bringing black and white reprints of US comics to a country starved of the medium thanks to a certain war!
From 1959-1989 Suspense, Sinister, Astounding and Uncanny gave us a comic fix for a few pennies. Learn more about the man and how Class Comics came about in the long awaited print version of Terry Hooper's exclusive interview!
Sunday, 1 December 2024
Black Tower Haiku -Osaka Brutal
Comic Bits No. 2
Ed T Hooper-Scharf
A4
B&W
80 pp
£8.00
https://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper/comic-bits-no-2/paperback/product-2ed6pe.html?q=&page=1&pageSize=4
The second issue of the magazine celebrating creators, titles and characters of the British Platinum, Golden and Silver Ages of comics.
In this issue William A. Ward finally gets some long deserved recognition for his contribution to comics John McCail gets "bigged up" something rotten!
We look at comedian and actor Bob Monkhouse's comic creation career
Steve Dowling -Father of the Garth newspaper strip speaks to Denis Gifford (the ONLY interview he ever gave)
There is a look at Dennis M. Reader and his comics work that spawned some of the UKs first super heroes.
also a look at William Fletcher Thomas, Ernest Wilkinson, Jos Walker, Mary Byfield and William H A Chasemore... oh, and LOTS of lovely art and stripwork!
Comic Bits: THE British Golden Age of Comics magazine!
A4
B&W
80pp
Text, comic strips and some rare photographs!
£8.00
The return of THE British Golden Age of Comics magazine!
Interviews with Mike Western, John Cooper and Jon Haward plus a look at Ally Sloper on film, Defining the Ages of British Comics, William McCail plus a lot of art and stripwork.
Only Marvel Comics Created British Super Heroes??
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My interest was piqued when I saw a couple of You Tube videos looking at "British Super Heroes".
Except that they turned out to be only loosely British. Chris Claremont (London born) and Herb Trimpe (who told me that he was at that time living in Cornwall) created the character Captain Britain for Marvel UK. Yes, you read that right because some little internetters credit Alan Moore as having created the character. From that we then had Betty Braddock aka Psylocke. After that all the characters were Marvel US creations.
It seems these people could find no DC British heroes.😒 But what more can you expect from American comic fans....except these were all British. When I heard "Marvel gave us the first British super heroes" I uttered some very rude words out loud.
They did "search the internet" but obviously missed my Obscure British Super Hero post
https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-obscure-british-super-heroes-mega.html
And also my comprehensive look at British super heroes The Improbability Of The British Super Hero https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-improbability-of-british-super-hero.html
I guess the problem is that Marvel comics are in colour and the current generation get panic attacks when they see black and white art.... or they are not really that interested in anything beyond Marvel and DC and American created characters?
Saturday, 30 November 2024
Black Tower Comics Tales of Terror
Once again the library of the Black Tower is opened and its files delved into. Robert Lovett -back from the dead for vengeance?
A mysterious case of two men falling into a strange dimension -the Black Abyss! The Living dead!
Black Tower's two sorcerers Kotar and Sabuta try to intervene in The Deadly Dilemma of Sigismund Benfrigisson!
Oh and there is more and you will sharpen your vampiric fangs, file your lycanthropic claws to razor sharpness to get this one!
Black Tower Comics -The Hellfire Cab??
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Ben R Dilworth
A4
B&W
14pp
£6.00
https://www.lulu.com/en/en/shop/terry-hooper/phantom-detective-the-hellfire-cab/paperback/product-166jne8e.html
There are times you REALLY want to see the sight of a cab coming along the road.
Then there are times that you REALLY do not want to see a cab...especially the Hellfire Cab and its passenger.
For the Phantom Detective it could all just be another supernatural scuffle before tea and scones. Or it could be DEATH
Black Tower Comics: Johnny Neg
Characters created by Terry Hooper-Scharf
A4
B&W
40pp
£7.00
https://www.lulu.com/en/en/shop/terry-hooper/johnny-neg-no-1-july-2020/paperback/product-vmv2ev.html
Ben Dilworth gives his own spin on the character Johnny Neg: a hard-boiled detective in a unique universe.
What does a detective sound like in a place where everything can -and has- happened? A decadent place where the end of the world is assured to occur?
1984 meets the Apocalypse on steroids!
Text stories include: "Let's Talk It Over", "BrainDrainer", "Stamp" and "StokeHeadDead"
Strips include: "Mutoids", "Home", "Mob Rools", "Love Robot", "Suicide Balls" and "The Ghost Bar"
And for added delectation --there is a GoBo insert (you DO know who GoBo is, right?
Friday, 29 November 2024
Black Tower Comics: The Complete Phantom Detective
Murdering Ghouls. Satanic Masses. Demonic Possession. Werewolves. Poltergeists. Vampires. To many of the uninitiated these are just “things that go bump in the night” -TV or film fantasy.
In the Victorian era, The Phantom Detective used his decades of occult study to help those in danger from these “things” and he paid the ultimate price…. ….
Yet he continues to help and to observe as best he can for now he is a true...
PHANTOM DETECTIVE!
From one of the UK's most under -rated comic creators, Ben R. Dilworth, comes new life breathed into and a new slant given to the adventures of the former mortal who has become one of the Watchers -forbidden to act even to save a life from supernatural forces. Except "rules are there to be broken or at the very least stretched until you can see through them!"
The much anticipated collection from the co-creator of Peter Wisdom and artist of Mark Millar's The Shadowmen!
Black Tower Comics: Journey of the ID: The Dr Morg Trilogy
A4
B&W
52pp
£6.00
https://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/journey-of-the-idthe-dr-morg-trilogy/paperback/product-22705545.html
Metapsychophysics meets comics. Its the next natural evolutionary step in comic books! For the first time all three parts of the highly acclaimed Dr. Morg Trilogy are combined into one volume:
WORDS WITHIN WORLDS,
AFTER ORWELL and the final explosive
THE DEATH OF DR. MORG!
Black Tower Comics and Books Ordering -NO International Shipping
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To make it clear:
1. if you order a book from the online store it does not involve international shipping. Books are printed in your region -that's how print on demand works.
2. The price of the book should be shown in your own currency.
3. Obviously your local postal rates apply and there are options for tracked, special delivery and untracked (the least expensive) postage from within your region.
Ordered in your region, printed in your region and delivered by the postal system in your region. It could not be more simple.
One important thing to note is that third party sellers will state "post free" and that is a lie. You often pay 30-75% more on a book ordered through a third party seller than from the online store. The reason is because the third party seller HAS to buy from the online store and the selling price usually covers two postal payments -0from store to them and then to you.
People have purchased from third party sellers and not gotten their books or have had to wait over a month for them to arrive. At that point they contact me and it is all very simple: they tried to rob me of a sale and bought a book at a far more expensive price because they read "post free". That is important because if you buy from a third party seller you are removing the small profit I make on a book. Also, ordering from the online store is not just cheaper but, even though it has never happened since I started selling in 2009, I can actually look into why you have not had your book delivered. Third party seller -your tough luck.
Support the creator and publisher not third party scammers.
I have asked to clarify which countries books can be ordered from as I know someone in Hong Kong and China were interested and it looks like you can order from there. According to the print company:
We do NOT ship to the following countries/territories:
- Belarus
- Region of Crimea
- Cuba
- Iran
- Johnston Island
- North Korea
- Russia
- Saint Pierre Et Miquelon
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Republic Of Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- Wake Islands
- Yemen Arab Republic
- Venezuela