Saturday 28 May 2011

Mirabilis: Year of Wonders advance copies on sale now

We're delighted to announce that advance copies of Print Media Productions hardcover edition of Mirabilis: Year of Wonders - Winter Book 1 are now on sale exclusively from First Age Comics, Lancaster.

A huge graphic novel project by Dave Morris and Leo Hartas, Mirabilis is a fantasy adventure story for young adults which opens New Year’s Day 1901, when a green comet appears in the sky. As it gets bigger, the line between reality and fantasy blurs. Soon there are mermaids in the Thames, elves in Parliament and a dragon roosting on Big Ben. But then the comet rounds the sun and starts to fade. Will the world be able to go back to a life without magic?

The full-colour graphic novel was originally serialized in The DFC, the weekly print comic published by Random House UK, who financed the production and has been released as a digital edition for iPad.

"We couldn't be more pleased with the production design on these books," says Dave Morris. "Typography, colours and layouts all add to the reading experience, and Print Media have carried all that through with professionalism and a real eye for detail.

"The end result is not simply our comic between hard covers, but a beautiful work that we think readers will treasure."

Mirabilis: Year of Wonders Volume 1 was solicited by Diamond (Order Code FEB111949), joining Keith Page and Stephen Walsh's Iron Moon title as the first graphic album projects from the new British company. Both albums will be re-solicited in July Previews.

• Advance copies are available now only from First Age Comics, The Assembly Rooms, Lancaster; order it online from the First Age eBay Store

More about Mirabilis: Year of Wonders on the STRIP Magazine blog

Mirabilis on iTunes

• Learn more at www.mirabilis-yearofwonders.com

Sunday 15 May 2011

Read Strip Magazine Issue Zero

Here's an online version of STRIP Magazine Issue Zero. We hope you enjoy it!

Saturday 14 May 2011

Will You be in the Strip Spotlight?

PJ Holden's cover for Strip Magazine #1
STRIP Magazine has lined up some great creators for its launch in October 2011 – but will YOU be one of them?

We're looking for six page self-contained action adventure strips to feature in STRIP Magazine. The selected strips will feature in our special Strip Spotlight section – and the creators of published strips will win a cash prize of £250 for publication and, perhaps, the opportunity to turn their story into an ongoing series for our first comic title.

The strip and characters featured will remain your copyright (so if you want to feature your own characters you think would be great part of STRIP Magazine, go right ahead).

STRIP SPOTLIGHT: WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Six page, self-contained black and white or colour adventure stories which can have twist or shock endings, or a 'snapshot' of an ongoing tale from creator-owned strips. The strips should be action-oriented, reflecting the tone of STRIP Magazine; they can have an adventure, war, fantasy or science fiction setting but should not veer to the adult, horrific or horror.

You should use the stories as the means to promote a character or a setting you want the reader to know more about. Those strips that get the best response will be considered for ongoing strip slots.

Strips must, of course, be original and not feature characters belonging to other comics companies, and it must be finished work – drawn, inked, coloured (if applicable) and lettered.

WHAT WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR

Ongoing tales; stories full of talking heads; cryptic tales full of unfulfilled mystery and no explanations for what the characters are up to; stories without a beginning, middle and end. Think of this slot as a platform for your best work - in terms of both script and art.

HOW DO I SUBMIT MY STRIP SPOTLIGHT?

  • Send art (JPGs or PDF only, please at this stage) or links to your strip online to edATstripmagazine.co.uk. Please include 'Strip Challenge Entry' in your subject line.
  • Or mail your entries to STRIP Magazine, Print Media Productions Limited, PO Box 721, Lancaster LA1 1XE
  • Entries must be received by 12 noon BST 21st July 2011. Judging will be carried out by the editor and publisher of STRIP Magazine, John Freeman and Ivo Milicevic.
  • After an initial round of judging, narrowing submitted entries to a final 15, the final editorial decision will be made (in partnership with one external judge) to help decide the final winning FIVE entries. The competition will then be re-launched in Issue 5 of STRIP Magazine.
  • All 15 final selections will receive an appraisal of their work from the editor and publisher of STRIP Magazine
Good luck!

Full Terms and Conditions



Entries for our first Strip Spotlight Challenge, which closes 12 noon BST 21st July 2011, must abide by the following guidelines

• Any entries must be sent to Print Media Productions Limited, PO Box 721, Lancaster LA1 1XE. Strip Challenge Entry Submissions Email address: edATstripmagazine.co.uk (Please include the words " Strip Challenge Entry " in your subject line)

• Strip dimensions should ideally be no smaller than 25.5 x 18.5 centimetres

• Only six page, self-contained black and white or colour adventure stories will be accepted; these must be complete art, including lettering

• The strips should be action-oriented, reflecting the tone of Strip Magazine; they can have an adventure, war, fantasy or science fiction setting but should not veer to the adult, horrific or horror.

• You may use the stories as the means to promote a character or a setting you want the reader to know more about. Those strips that get the best response will be considered for ongoing strip slots.

• Strips must be original and not feature characters belonging to other creators, comics or other media companies

• Strips must not include any lewd, adult, sexual material or material including extreme violence (if such action happens, suggest, don't show – let the readers imagination imagine the worst)

• Prose submissions will not be considered

• Do not send original art or other materials – make sure you send copies only

• Make sure that each page includes your name, address, and phone number – written on the back of each art page or contained within the "File Information" if submitting electronically

• If submitting by email, send only material as LOW RESOLUTION .jpgs or PDFs only in the first instance. The strip dimensions should ideally be no smaller than 25.5 x 18.5 centimetres. (Final art for publication will need to be in any standard format such as JPG, TIFF, etc. All files MUST be CMYK. Final files must be 300 dpi (colour), 600 dpi (black and white) and the strip dimensions must be no smaller than 25.5 x 18.5 centimetres)

• We do not accept unsolicited submissions as Word documents or any other image format

• Files sent on CD or DVD should be in any standard format such as JPG, TIFF, etc. All files MUST be CMYK. Files must be 300 dpi (colour), 600 dpi (black and white) and the strip dimensions must be no smaller than 25.5 x 18.5 centimetres)

• All submissions by post should be sent to

Strip Challenge
Print Media Productions Limited
PO Box 721
Lancaster
LA1 1XE

Friday 13 May 2011

Strip Issue Zero hit by French strike

We're very sorry to announce that our print version of STRIP Magazine Issue Zero - which was to have been be given away free to Bristol International Comic Expo visitors this weekend - has been caught up in an industrial dispute at Charles de Gaulle airport, France.

The promotional magazine,now available to read online here or download as a PDF is a victim of a walkout by staff at the airport's FedEx depot.

Business news site Bloomberg reports FedEx have cancelled several flights and delayed deliveries of thousands of packages because employees in Paris have been walking off the job in a labour dispute - and there is no indication of when the walkout might end.

"FedEx have been very apologetic and tried to find a solution," said STRIP Magazine editor John Freeman, "The company is tweaking flight and delivery plans to blunt the effect of the walkouts, but we've been told it's unlikely we'll receive copies this weekend."

"Naturally, we're sorry to let people down, especially after the positive feedback we've been getting via Twitter and Facebook, but the situation is not of our making.

"We're looking at ways to get print copies of Issue Zero to fans," John added. "We already have copies scheduled to go to Diamond UK, and we've already had offers of other help, which is really heartening.

"There will still be a STRIP Magazine panel at the Expo on Sunday afternoon and I'll be around to talk about our plans at other times."

Wrapped in a cover by Smuzz, Issue Zero features background on key strips in the new comic magazine such as Black Ops Extreme by John Freeman and PJ Holden, Warpaint by Phil Hester and John McCrea, Age of Heroes by James Hudnall and John Ridgway, Savant by Jim Alexander and Ferrer and Carlos Vila - plus some highlights of the upcoming Print Media Productions graphic album range.

There's also a special competition in the Sampler which will offer comic creators the chance to have their work in the title when it launches later in 2011.

Read STRIP Magazine Issue Zero Online

• Let us know what you think via Twitter or Facebook
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