The Christmas 2000AD (2018)

The bumper 100 page Christmas issue of 2000AD arrives in newsagents on Wednesday 12th December, and remains on sale until the New Year. It's a fantastic issue, and the highlight for me is the 20 page first episode of Fiends of the Western Front. Action, intrigue, and surprises! You'll love it!

Here's the info on the issue plus a few preview pages...

• UK and DIGITAL: 12th December 2018 £4.99
• NORTH AMERICA: 12th January 2018 $9.99
• DIAMOND: OCT181871
• COVER: JOHN HIGGINS

In this issue:


Judge Dredd: Jingle All the Way by TC Eglington (w) Boo Cook (a) Annie Parlhouse (l)


Caballistics, Inc.: Visiting Hour by Gordon Rennie (w) Dom Reardon (a) Simon Bowland (l)


Fall of Deadworld: Running Scared by Kek-W (w) Dave Kendall (a) Ellie De Ville (l)


Skip Tracer: Louder Than Bombs by James Peaty (w) Paul Marshall (a) Dylan Teague (c) Ellie De Ville (l)


Sláine: The Bogatyr by Pat Mills (w) Chris Weston (a) Ellie De Ville (l)


Brink: High Society by Dan Abnett (w) INJ Culbard (a) Simon Bowland (l)


Fiends of the Western Front by Ian Edginton (w) Tiernen Trevallion (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)


Durham Red: Three Gifts by Alec Worley (w) Ben Willsher (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)


Available in print from: newsagents and comic book stores via Diamond Available in digital from: 2000 AD webshop and apps for iPad, Android, Windows 10

The Christmas STRIKER (2018)

The bumper Christmas edition of Striker is in WH Smith now, and should be with all subscribers. It's a special 48 page issue that not only features the latest festive-themed story but also reprints some Christmas pages from the strip's past. (It would have been nice to have a new cover though. The mistletoe scene is a reprint from the cover of the 2003 edition.)

Sadly, there's a possibility that this could be the final issue. It all depends on whether the Kickstarter scheme can acquire pledges totalling £45,000 by Wednesday! At present, it's at £32,311. If it makes it, the comic will continue. If not, it's not viable. 

You can pledge at this link, - and remember, no monies are taken unless it reaches its target:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1672374693/striker-weekly-comic-issues-13-to-24

A trio of Ally Sloper covers

I'd promised myself I wouldn't buy any more old comics as I already have far too many unread, but how could I resist these issues of Ally Sloper's Half Holiday? Over 100 years old and in superb condition! (Paper preserves well if looked after.) Items like this don't turn up on eBay very often so I snapped them up. 

Ally Sloper was the first ongoing British comics character, and his 'Half Holiday' comic paper was pretty much the Private Eye magazine of its day; making wry digs at politicians and the establishment with a mixture of satirical cartoons, commentaries, and mini strips. He was created by Charles H. Ross and his wife Emile de Tessier in 1867 for Judy magazine, graduating to his Ally Sloper's Half Holiday paper in 1884. William Baxter illustrated Sloper for the Half Holiday, succeeded in 1888 by W. Fletcher Thomas after Baxter's death. It's W.F. Thomas' excellent covers we're looking at today. 

The first cover of this selection (above) is issue No.476, dated June 10th, 1893. Always topical, it sees Sloper reference the then-upcoming marriage of The Duke of York and Princess May (married a month after this was published) by trying to convince the public to shell out for presents for his son's wedding. (Did Alexandry actually marry Evelina? Possibly not, as she was his cousin and no doubt part of the scam.)

Our next cover is issue 498, dated 11th November 1893. Spoofing the Lord Mayor of London's parade, Sloper decides to have his own procession. Excellent penmanship by Thomas on this. 

Finally, this one displays the dark humour that Ally Sloper was often known for, as he attempts to con the public into believing he's a wounded soldier by begging on Southsea prom. Issue No.903, dated 17th August 1901. 

Even today, over a century later, the satire still works, and the quality of artwork is incredible. I would suggest that the artist currently coming close to this detailed technique today is Phil Winslade, with his Lawless strip in Judge Dredd Megazine. (See here.) 

In humour comics, artistic techniques have gradually become more simplified and basic, - even abstract in some cases, - over the past 100 years. Either way works, when done well. 

I hope you've enjoyed this look back into the distant past! Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

The Christmas BEANO (2018)

This year's festive issue of the Beano gives a new meaning to the phrase "Christmas box", as it is actually in a box! (Somewhat squashed in my local WH Smith, but still a box, albeit a slim one.)

Headlined the Ultimate Christmas Box, Beano No.3964 comes packaged with a set of pranks, a joke book, a double-sided poster, 9 stickers, - and 5 badges... but unfortunately the badges were missing from my box! (A pity, as they look like the most collectable item in there, with each badge being a letter of the word BEANO, and featuring a tiny Bash Street Kid.) 

The comic itself is the usual 36 pages of fun, with all-new Christmas strips featuring the regular characters. I don't work for the comic these days unfortunately but you'll find top comic contributors such as Nigel Parkinson, Wayne Thompson, and Hunt Emerson in there.

Beano No.3964 is on sale now in all good newsagents and supermarkets, and will be available until 27th December, priced £4.99. The next issue of Beano won't be out until 21st December. 

The Christmas MARVEL LEGENDS (2018)

Truth be told, it's likely that the only festive thing about this issue will be the snow on the logo and Cap wearing a Santa hat, but editor Brady Webb always likes to add those traditional seasonal elements to the comics he edits so that merits an inclusion in Blimey's Christmas comics listings. 

Marvel Legends Vol. 4 006. On sale 6th December 2018. £4.50.
76 awesome action-packed pages starring Marvel’s Big 3!

Will one Thor be enough to stop Mangog! By Jason Aaron, James Harren!
Also: Captain America battles the new Swordsman! By Mark Waid & Chris Samnee!

Plus: The Search for Tony Stark continues! Iron Man is BACK! ‘Nuff said, True Belivers! By Brian Michael Bendis, Sara Pichelli and Alex Maleev!

Reprinting material from Mighty Thor #701, Captain America #696 and Invincible Iron Man #599.