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Thursday, 4 June 2020

I am still waiting for 3rd, 4th and even 5th issues to Indie comic series I purchased in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s into the 2000s!

The problem that we have at this moment, as Independent publishers, is the total and utter lack of interest from the "comics buying public". I use Twitter, Pinterest and other social media as well as the blogs and Face Book pages to promote books.

Even my Twitter account has seen a sudden upsurge of views again but no one is buying.

When it was announced that Marvel and DC comics had stopped publishing bevcause of Covid19 and the mess Diamond was in, people started shouting out that NOW was the time the Independent comics would come into their own. I urged Small Press/Indie publishers to share links to one anothers sites and told as many as possible that if we all combined (it would take a few minutes at the keyboards) we could really get the attention of comic buyers.

I got two "Likes" and no comments. No reactions. No "Okay what do we do?" Simple silence and since then we have seen publishers quit. For years I heard these people bleat on about the fact that no blogs would fairly review their books or even mention them and yto each one of those bleaters I said "Comic Bits Online".  "Oh I'll post something to you" resulted in 90% of those never sending review books. Even now they and their successors are bleating the same old tune.

You need to promote. You NEED to get people to understand you are out there publishing and what you are publishing. Marvel Comics would never have been the success it was had it not been for the fact that Stan Lee understood this -DC could never catch up with Marvel because it never had a Lee just suits who tried to avoid fans.

The problem is that no one wants to do the work. You don't publicise you are at an event then who knows you will be there? Events tend to have lots of tables with comics and you know a few of them will have promoted their appearance!  Standing back, silently looking on as someone approaches your table...no good. You need to engage. Talk. Get them while their attention is caught.

I am not in the least surprised at the state of British comics because almost every 'professional' is back-stabbing or causing arguments and trouble.  It is why you find them on almost all the forums or trying to spy on what others are doing.  This is why they come up with very little comic work. My day starts in the morning checking emails and responding to messages and then I go straight into editing, scanning and publishing and promoting books -often until 02:00 hours or beyond. That is leaving out the writing and drawing etc....or the research I constantly carry out for books or on comics (UK and German) history.

When I get asked by someone what publishing involves I tell them: "A lot of work. Sorting pout technical problems, sorting out problems with printers -just a lot of work for very little reward" I then add: "Unless you have the mentality for that: do not get into publishing" I also invariably point out that unless they have a paying full time job or wealthy parents to support them then they need to get used to eating poorly and struggling with bills!  Hey -if they still want to be in comics after that...bless 'em!

But never, ever ever depend on others because if you do you are for a lot of sorrow or/and trouble. You need to make surethat you can do what you intend to and NEVER publish a series unless you have all the parts in front of you, I am still waiting for 3rd, 4th and even 5th issues to Indie comic series I purchased in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s into the 2000s!

Now....buy my books -advice costs money you know!
😂😂😂

Tales Of Wonder No. 16



A4
B&W
20pp
£5.00
https://www.lulu.com/en/en/shop/terry-hooper/tales-of-wonder-no-16/paperback/product-zrg8ek.html

This is what all the sci fi readers have waited for -issue no. 16 of a one issue run...that may sound odd but we promise you it is all explained in the book. 

No time warps or fancy alien interference just some creator having fun! 

D. H. Wilberton contributes "Dawn Light" and "War" while Ben R. Dilworth gets his pen hand in there (that is a turn of phrase..come on -it does NOT mean he has a hand that is a pen for goodness sakes!) with "Conquest" while Stransky & Labbat contribute "They Bite" and "The Menace" 

With some illustrations this is a must for anyone wanting quick sci fi reads and look at that cover!

Wednesday, 3 June 2020

NEW COMIC BOOKS RELEASING JUNE 10th 2020 MARVEL & DC COMICS PREVIEW COMI...

Unbelievably it's...The Thinker!


A4
B&W
28pp
£5.50
https://www.lulu.com/en/en/shop/terry-hooper/the-thinker-no-1/paperback/product-vmd62d.html

From within the Plain of Absoluteness where Actuality crosses with Counter Actuality and interstitial space is the highway comes The Thinker. Surveying the world -our own?- and looking for a glimmer of light in the eternal darkness of existence.

 Sit back and prepare for some mind warping!

The Independents


A4
B&W
94pp
£8.00
https://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper/the-independents/paperback/product-22522001.html

Collected together a selection of the best Independent comics from Black Tower 

- Jemma Webster's AUTOPSIA 

Small Press Guru Uhuru Paul Ashley Brown's now out of print big seller THE TALL TREES 

A selection from the legend that is Ben R. Dilworth 

Oh, and Terry Hooper-Scharfs "Go Bo Explains Einstein."

Colloquium cum diabolo



A4
B&W
12pp
£3.00

As a vital point in the battle raging on Neo Olympus (Return of the Gods:Twilight of The Super Hewroes) two entities who could shift the balance both ways meet...

One of them is the Devil. 

While their truce is active the duo pass the time recounting two stories.

features a superb cover by Richard Anthony Pester

THIS IS N O T ESSENTIAL READING FOR RETURN OF THE GODS BUT A STAND ALONE ILLUSTRATED TEXT BOOK.

The Collected Merriwether: God's Demon-Thumper


A4
B&W
85pp
£8.00
https://www.lulu.com/en/en/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/merriwether-gods-demon-thumper/paperback/product-1rejer94.html

The complete Merriwether series, originally published in Black Tower Adventure and A Little Midnight Horror–but with three strips never before published… 

including the Reverend’s battle with the ultimate Evil! 

From The Horror Of Hob Street to The Village Of Demons and Varney the Vampyre to The Fallen Angel himself, see how one Church of England vicar deals hard-fisted [and various spiked objects] justice to the ungodly ...and pays the ultimate price!!! 

If you were into Charlton Horror Comics or any horror comic then this one is for you! 

At the end of Merriwether:Gods Demon-Thumper, the Reverend had been confronted by Satan and as a consequence lay fatally injured. Star of 1980s comics, Benjamin R. Dilworth, takes us through the fleeting seconds before death as Merriwether has flash backs showing just why he took on the career he did. Be prepared for horror and a little tongue-in-cheek humour. 

COMIC HORROR FANS WILL LOVE THIS!

Tuesday, 2 June 2020

Krakos Sands of Terror


64pp
black and white
comic album (A4)
£8.00
https://www.lulu.com/en/en/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/krakos-sands-of-terror/paperback/product-1rg8ngqv.html

Created by William A. Ward for Swan Comics in the 1940s,Krakos was one of Ward’s supernatural anti-hero types.

Used,with Swan’s permission,in Black Tower Adventure strips in the 1980s/1990s,this is the character’s first solo outing.

But will Krakos fulfill the Goddess Isis’ dream and become the new pharoah of a New Egyptian Kingdom that will encompass all of the Middle East? Did anyone actually ask Krakos?

The book contains information on Ward and his work plus sample pages rescued after 60 years of neglect!

Journey Of The ID:The Dr Morg Trilogy

Artist/Writer T Hooper-Scharf
Covers Paul Ashley Brown
A4
B&W
52pp
£7.50
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!

The Iron Warrior Vs Big Bong: When Giants Fought!


A4
16pp
£6.00
https://www.lulu.com/en/en/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/the-iron-warrior-vs-big-bong/paperback/product-12vr5r7n.html

In the 1940s, deep in the South American jungles, Rodney Dearth,inventor and adventurer, is searching for the lost explorer Percy H. Fawcett and City Z. 

Then he hears the stories that terrify his native bearers. There is a city -guarded by Big Bong! But Dearth is not afraid -he has his own creation to protect him -THE IRON WARRIOR! 

Ben Dilworth continues the adventures of the Iron Warrior, created by William A. Ward,presenting an action romp featuring one of the UKs most violent characters -tongue firmly in cheek. We think!


The Amazing World of Alan Class


A4
B&W
24pp
£5.00
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 Suspence, 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!

Liz & Jen


A4
B&W
21pp
£5.00
https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/liz-jen/paperback/product-1m4g7pe4.html

Originally drawn back in the 1980s, this story of the coming out of two life long friends has never been properly published. 

Up-dated for 2011 with story and pencils by Terry Hooper and inks by Ben R. Dilworth

Cruisers In The Clouds


A4
B&W
40pp
£6.00
https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/cruisers-in-the-clouds/paperback/product-1k8w97q5.html

If you have any interest in history or the development by the pioneers of hot-air ballooning,including the first use of parachutes in the 1800s,then this collection of articles by John Lea from 1905 and illustrated by H. J. Hodges,is for you.

Monday, 1 June 2020

Et dedi eum (that's yer actual Latin)

Social media has certainly taken a beating since the lockdown.  I thought it was just me but looking at Twitter etc I see others noting the same thing.

My views on Twitter over a 28 day period varied from 17.5 to 18.7k and today 2,707 which is the lowest it has ever been.

Face Book and Instagram are seeing the same thing. Apparently we have yto wait til people get back to work and start surfing the net again! 😌😏😥

And the surge of Independent comic buying that was predicted? Bo one in Indie comics seems to have noticed it yet. I worked for weeks on the BTC&B Comic Shop News blog....weeks of promoting books and I've not sold one book in months.

I thank those who have donated to keep CBO going but three small donations have been returned because, although I am VERY greatful, everyone else visiting the blog daily have completely ignored the appeal.  When the blog stops posting new material ai wonder how long it will take anyone to notice -the Mega posts are actually just being deleted along with larger posts.

I really dont worry about it because if thousands of people visiting the site dont why should I?

My comics and books will get published and be on the store front - some new ones coming up- and the comic shop news blog will get updated as will the Black Tower blog.

In the meantime I urge anyone REALLY intertested in Indie comics to check out publishers -quite a few are online.


Mr Dilworth

Package arrived today ;-)