Iron Moon - On Sale in January 2011

Copies of Print Media Productions first hardcover graphic album, The Iron Moon should be available in January 2011.

The book will soon be solicited in Diamond Previews.

"The delay getting the book to the UK is very frustrating for us," said Print Media Productions John Freeman. "We know there's a lot of interest in this book and all our projects but getting the UK company off the ground has taken a lot longer than we anticipated.

"We'd like to apologize to fans of Keith and Stephen's work for the delays bringing them this book."

• 10/3/11 Update: Iron Moon by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page is available now from First Age Comics, The Assembly Rooms, Lancaster


• Order it online from the First Age eBay Store

Lawless goes into action!

Ace artist Kev Hopgood just sent us this terrific promotional image for action adventure series Lawless, which will feature in STRIP Magazine later in 2011. Ferg Handley is busy with the script for the eight-part first story, set in the Napoleonic Wars.

Lawless tells the incredible story of Jack Lawless and the Irish Legion, a band of renegades and outcasts who fought against against the British in the tumultuous era of the Napoleonic wars.

• Related News Story: Lawless joins Strip Magazine ranks
 
• For more about Kev Hopgood visit: www.kevhopgood.demon.co.uk

Iron Moon shipping delay

We're sorry to announce that a shipping delay means Print Media Productions first hardcover graphic album, The Iron Moon, will now not be available at the British International Comic Show as we had planned.

We do hope to have viewing copies on hand and promotional material for STRIP Magazine, which launches next year.

Creators Stephen Walsh and Keith Page will still be at the event as their "London Calling" book for Time Bomb Comics will be on sale. 

Copies of the book should arrive in the UK in the next 7-10 days and we will happily take pre-orders.

STRIP Magazine editor John Freeman will also be on hand to talk about the company's book plans and the new Magazine.

• Meanwhile, check out the trailer of this new steampunk tale from Stephen Walsh and Keith Page now, now available via myEBook!


• 10/3/11 Update: Iron Moon by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page is available now from First Age Comics, The Assembly Rooms, Lancaster


• Order it online from the First Age eBay Store

The Iron Moon - eBook Trailer unveiled

Print Media Productions first hardcover graphic album, The Iron Moon, will be on sale at the British International Comic Show on 16th - 17th October.

Check out the trailer of this new steampunk tale from Stephen Walsh and Keith Page now, now available via myEBook!

THE IRON MOON

A Charlotte Corday adventure

RULE BRITANNIA! BRITANNIA RULES THE STARS!

The twentieth century is just around the corner and Queen Victoria is hale and hearty as she heads into the second century of her reign. The British Empire stretches from the white cliffs of Dover to the red skies of Mars.

Go-getting men and women of the imperial dominions flock to the colours, eager to make reputations and fortunes in the wilds of high space.

Take Lieutenant Charlotte Corday, for instance. Born in what used to be known as France, she has risen to prominence through the ranks of the Royal Space Navy and now finds herself up to her neck in her greatest escapade yet. Watch as she travels to the mysterious Iron Moon! Marvel as she grapples with a conspiracy that may see the galaxy plunged into war! Goggle as she meets new and strange races, both mechanical and biological! Ponder how she manages to put away so many cups of tea!

And prepare to have your brain scrambled as she scoops us up and carries us to the very limits of this universe... and into the next!

• 10/3/11 Update: Iron Moon by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page is available now from First Age Comics, The Assembly Rooms, Lancaster


• Order it online from the First Age eBay Store

Lawless joins Strip Magazine ranks

Print Media Productions is pleased to announce the acquisition of Kev Hopgood & Ferg Handley's dramatic historical adventure Lawless, which will be published in Strip Magazine in 2011 and as a graphic album.

Lawless tells the incredible story of Jack Lawless and the Irish Legion, a band of renegades and outcasts who fought against against the British in the tumultuous era of the Napoleonic wars.

Written by Ferg Handley (Commando, GI Joe, Spider-Man) and drawn by Kev Hopgood (co-creator of Marvel's War Machine, artist on Games Workshop's Darkblade), Lawless is a creator-owned tale bringing historical action adventure back to British mainstream comics with a vengeance.

Lawless creator Kev Hopgood says of the tale: "I’ve been a huge enthusiast for the Napoleonic period since I can remember, but have never had the chance to tell a story with that setting before. Now is the time!"

"When Kev approached me with the concept, I bit his hand off," added Ferg. "I’ve always been fascinated by the Napoleonic era, and the Irish Legion angle made me think 'hmm, The Pogues in uniform…'"

Ferg Handley's first professional comic was Commando 3102 published in December 1997. Since then, he has written over 250 Commando titles and carved a name for himself largely as a popular comics writer for UK comics such as Spectacular Spider-Man, Marvel Heroes and GI Joe.

Kev Hopgood has a long a varied career in comic books and children’s illustration. Starting out with such strips as Zoids, Action Force and Night Zero for UK publishers he went on to went onto a three year run on Iron Man for Marvel Comics. During this time he co-created the character War Machine. Following a stint in the computer games industry he went to work on the Darkblade strip for Games Workshop.

Nowadays he splits his time between comic strip work for publishers Panini UK and Eaglemoss and children’s illustration for companies such as Oxford University Press, Barrington Stoke and Franklin Watts.

• For more information about Print Media Productions and STRIP Magazine visit www.stripmagazine.co.uk

• For more about Kev Hopgood visit: www.kevhopgood.demon.co.uk

Strip Magazine puts on 'Warpaint'

Warpaint by Phil Hester and John McCrea.
Colour by Andrew Elder.
© 2010 Phil Hester and John McCrea

Print Media Productions is delighted to announce that Strip Magazine, launching in early 2011, will include a brand new creator-owned strip, Warpaint by Phil Hester and John McCrea.

In Warpaint, a homeless teen finds herself drawn into a cataclysmic struggle between mankind and elemental monsters bent on the destruction of our world. Clad in a hulking, indestructible second skin, and with the aid of a mischievous trickster god, Mia Tsatoke must not only defeat the rampaging behemoths, but navigate the perilous path between her own fragile humanity and the vast, unearthly power now at her fingertips. Only by confronting her own painful past can she solve the puzzle that will bring an end to the seemingly eternal cycle of violence. Only by donning her Warpaint can she bring peace.

Written by Eisner Award-nominated artist Phil Hester (Green Arrow, The Black Terror) with art by Eisner Award-winner John McCrea (Judge Dredd, Hitman), Warpaint is a fast paced, but thoughtful adventure bridging the worlds of fantasy, American Indian mythology, bleak realism, dystopian science fiction, and super heroic action. it is a tale that will engage readers from the full spectrum of comics fandom and hopefully beyond.

"Ever since my sixteen-year-old self saw a moldering stack of UK weeklies in the corner of my first comic shop, I have longed to be part of the UK and European comics scene," says Phil Hester. I'm so happy to be a part of Strip Magazine's effort to storm the newsstand with smart, fun, breakneck action stories. The chance to work again with the brilliant John McCrea makes this one a dream come true. Warpaint is a strip we think is unlike anything else in comics and we can't wait to show it to you."

"I try to work with Phil as much as possible," adds John McCrea. "His writing is smart and cool, with characters you believe in and care about- and so it is with Warpaint. Add to the mix that I get to work with the extremely talented Andrew Elder, whose colouring would make even a mediocre artist look good and I am, to quote Proust, an extremely happy bunny."

Strip Magazine, a new monthly magazine for the UK news stand, will launch in 2011, along with a series of graphic albums that include numerous creator-owned projects from creators such as PJ Holden, James Hudnall, John Ridgway, Kev Hopgood, Ferg Handley, Gordon Rennie, SMS and others. The Iron Moon, a steampunk adventure by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page, launches the range in October.

Based in Lancaster, Print Media Productions is the UK arm of Bosnia-based Print Media, publishers of Strip Magazin, Plavi and Metal Hurlant. Strip Magazine is their first UK title.

• John McCrea will be on the Strip Magazine stand at the British International Comic Show to talk about Warpaint at some point during the weekend


• Follow Phil Hester on Twitter: http://twitter.com/philhester


• For more about John McCrea visit: http://john-mccrea.blogspot.com or www.johnmccrea.com


• For more information about Print Media Productions and STRIP Magazine visit www.stripmagazine.co.uk

Hookjaw to return in Strip Magazine

PJ Holden's cover for Strip Magazine #1

Hookjaw, a Jaws-inspired strip that first appeared in the controversial 1970s British weekly comic Action, will feature in the new Strip Magazine, which will launch in early 2011.

Lancaster-based Print Media Productions has agreed a deal with UK publisher Egmont to feature Hookjaw in the Magazine, re-publishing the strip in colour – and also has an option to publish Dredger, the hard-nosed secret agent who also featured in Action.

Probably the best-remembered and certainly most popular strip in the comic, HookJaw, inspired by the classic blockbuster movie Jaws, was created by Pat Mills, scripted by Ken Armstrong and drawn initially by Ramon Sola, followed by Felix Carrion and Eric Bradbury. Consistently topping reader polls, it was Mills who decided to make the shark the star of the strip which tackled environmental issues and corporate greed with equal relish.

The strip also caused controversy on publication, one of the stories that rapidly saw Action become a target of campaigners outraged by its violent content -- and its social commentary. The controversy Action created saw the comic 'banned' after just 37 issues, returning to the news stands only after its characters had been toned down and effectively emasculated by management demands on the editorial team.

The entire controversy was documented in Martin Barker's book, Action - The Story of a Violent Comic, published in 1990 by Titan Books.

In all, three Hookjaw stories featured in Action before the ban.

"Pat Mills gave the strip an environmental edge," notes Strip Magazine editor John Freeman. "This was a shark that never balked at eating corrupt humans or criminals out to make money from our oceans - along with anyone else unlucky enough to get near him.

"Hookjaw was just one of the strips that provoked the public campaign against Action, but its success also paved the way for comics like 2000AD and it's interesting to read the strip in that context today.

The first page of  Hookjaw as it will appear in Strip Magazine, coloured by Gary Caldwell and re-lettered by Jim Campbell

"We're sure there are plenty of the shark's original fans out there eager to catch up with the beast – and younger readers will be interested to see what all the fuss was about."

The strips have been coloured by Gary Caldwell and re-lettered by Jim Campbell.

One challenge remains for the new publisher: tracking down good quality of some issues of the original comic, which can fetch high prices.

"The printing on the comic, as with many classic British weeklies, was variable," notes Freeman. "Some pages of the comic we've sourced so far are fine while others are muddy, with print errors and heavy blacks. We're hoping collectors might be able to help in our quest to ensure the very best reproduction of these classic strips."

Hookjaw joins a line up of strips that includes work by PJ Holden, Michael Pennick, John Ridgway, James Hudnall, John McCrea, Phillip Hester and others.

Alongside STRIP Magazine, Print Media Productions is releasing a range of graphic albums that include creator-owned projects by Ferg Handley, Kev Hopgood, Gordon Rennie, SMS and more.

The first of these, the steampunk adventure The Iron Moon by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page, will be on sale from next month (October 2010), launching at the British International Comic Show in Birmingham.

• For the latest news about Strip Magazine visit: www.stripmagazine.co.uk

Hookjaw © Egmont UK

Iron Moon launches at British International Comic Show

Print Media Productions, publishers of the upcoming monthly STRIP Magazine, have confirmed they will be exhibiting at the British International Comic Show.

Publisher Ivo Milicevic, whose Bosnian comic titles include Strip, Metal Hurlant and science fiction title Plavi, will be at the event, as will STRIP Magazine editor John Freeman.

PJ Holden, one of the creators working STRIP Magazine, will be on the PMP stand at the weekend, as will screen writer Stephen Walsh and Commando artist Keith Page, signing copies of their new steampunk-inspired graphic album - The Iron Moon, the first PMP graphic album.

John Freeman will be appearing on a panel organised by the Comic Book Alliance on Saturday, talking about the British comics industry.

PMP has a range of graphic albums planned through 2011 and a special preview of these and STRIP Magazine will be available at the event.

New originated stories planned for the range include The Quest, drawn by 2000AD and Interzone artist SMS; Age of Heroes by James Hudnall and John Ridgway; and a selection of European albums published in English for the first time, including L' Heritage du Diable (The Devil's Heritage) by Gastine & Felix.

Creators whose work features in PMP titles include PJ Holden, John Ridgway, Keith Page, Jim Campbell, Michael Penick, Jon Rusby, Dean Deckard, Nick Spender, Mauricet and Gary Caldwell. More creators will be announced soon.

Charlotte Corday is briefed by Queen Victoria and the Duke of Wellington
about the mysterious Iron Moon. Art © 2010 Keith Page

THE IRON MOON

A Charlotte Corday adventure...

RULE BRITANNIA! BRITANNIA RULES THE STARS!

The twentieth century is just around the corner and Queen Victoria is hale and hearty as she heads into the second century of her reign. The British Empire stretches from the white cliffs of Dover to the red skies of Mars. Go-getting men and women of the imperial dominions flock to the colours, eager to make reputations and fortunes in the wilds of high space.

Take lieutenant Charlotte Corday, for instance. Born in what used to be known as France, she has risen to prominence through the ranks of the Royal Space Navy and now finds herself up to her neck in her greatest escapade yet. Watch as she travels to the mysterious Iron Moon! Marvel as she grapples with a conspiracy that may see the galaxy plunged into war! Goggle as she meets new and strange races, both mechanical and biological! Ponder how she manages to put away so many cups of tea! And prepare to have your brain scrambled as she scoops us up and carries us to the very limits of this universe... and into the next!

Iron Moon writer Stephen Walsh has written multiple volumes of DC Thomson's Commando Picture Library, as well as the graphic novel The Acid Bath Case (illustrated by Kellie Strom). He co-wrote the feature films How Harry Became A Tree, released in 2001, directed by Goran Paskaljevic and the upcoming Where The Sea Used To Be, directed by Paul Farren. He's currently working on a documentary about John Ford with the director Sé Merry Doyle, as well as preparing further adventures of Charlotte Corday with Keith Page.

Inspired by the great British comics artists of the past such as Frank Hampson, Don Lawrence and Joe Colquhoun, Keith Page has worked full-time in comics and illustration for some 17 years.  Subjects have ranged from television-related material such as Thunderbirds, science fiction, and his current war stories of all periods for Commando. A variety of Keith's work can be seen on www.keithpageukcomicsartist.blogspot.com.

• If you would like to know when The Iron Moon is available, drop us a line at johnfreeman6-ironmoon@yahoo.co.uk

So, who is Strip Magazine aimed at?

Following up on feedback about Strip Magazine, we're letting potential readers - and creators - know a little more about the magazine's format.

We want to emphasize that Strip Magazine will be aimed at  a general audience and won't be "preaching to the converted" (i.e. existing comic fans). The strips should be enjoyable for a younger readership - older than The DFC's readership range (although some of its strips were, I'd argue, more sophisticated than others - Mezolith and Mirabalis being just two examples from that terrific title).

Strip Magazine is not being pitched as old as 2000AD's target age group as it is today, or Judge Dredd: The Megazine, but I still think readers of those comics will enjoy it - I hope so, anyway!

That doesn't mean we're shying away from violence, for example, but it certainly be as graphic as some strips, and we won't be looking for strips packed with swear words. Action is the by word of this title - fast-moving, character driven stories - and we'll have some humour content, too.

Our writer and submission guidelines will be available soon but older comics fans who enjoyed the format of classic British comics like Battle Picture Weekly, Valiant and Action should find Strip Magazine enjoyable, without us being stuck in the past.

We  believe that an action adventure title, with a couple of humour strips is a winning formula - it worked for decades, so why not now?

From Bosnia, with love: Strip Magazine heads for the UK

Bosnian-based comics publisher PrintMedia has announced plans to move into the UK market with a new comic magazine.

The title, which is still in development, will include new strips by creators such as PJ Holden (2000AD, Battlefields, Judge Dredd: The Megazine), Michael Penick, John Ridgway, James Hudnall, Jon Rushby and former Marvel UK and Titan Magazine editor John Freeman, who will also be the title's UK editor.

The magazine will feature a mix of action, science fiction and humour.

The line-up of the title is still being finalized, but PrintMedia, which publishes three comics-related magazines including Strip Magazine and a localized edition of Metal Hurlant, plans to preview the magazine at the British International Comic Show in October.

"I am really excited about this project" says publisher Ivo Milicevic. "There is no certain formula for success, but the Magazine will have some good stories and really great art, I can promise that.

"I am hoping that we could fill the gap between 2000AD and superhero stuff," he added. "I grew up with the Steel Claw and The Spider, but as kid I also like Black Archer and Jet Ace Logan. Later, I was blown away with the work of Frank Hampson, Don Lawrence and Jim Holdaway. I never liked superhero stuff, but really appreciate old US newspaper strips and authors."

Ivo has been working in publishing for 20 years. After college, he worked as journalist, and later as a publisher. Printmedia's business centres on print for the comic industry.

Complementing the new magazine will be a series of UK comics albums. One title is already in development, a creator-owned steampunk adventure, Iron Moon, by Commando artist Keith Page, and PrintMedia has secured rights to James Hudnall and John Ridgway's fantasy tale Age of Heroes, which will be published in colour for the first time.

• The magazine is not accepting submissions or story pitches at this time as the initial line-up is now almost completed.

• An English web site for the new title is in development. Visit PrintMedia's Bosnian website at: www.stripmagazin.com.

• Follow Strip Magazine UK on Twitter at twitter.com/StripMagazineUK

All images © PrintMedia except art by John Ridgway.