Superheroes or otherwise?

electranaut · Forum Member Joined: Jan 03, 2004 Posts: 99

Well, by missing the comics I latched onto, you certainly didn't miss much. Sounds as if you backed all the winners.

I used to like Underground comics, so you can probably tell what sort of stage I was going through.

palmers · Forum Member Joined: Jun 07, 2002 Posts: 397

Not, as you say, my area of expertise. Perhaps when I run out of superheroes...

IMP.
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GhostofMacbeth · Forum Member Joined: Sep 21, 2001 Posts: 620

I think you would really need new models to match the Power's art. There jsut isn't anything available right now that has that style. Teyon has been doing some cool stuff that would work (Incredibles meets Batman Animated) but they aren't available.

palmers · Forum Member Joined: Jun 07, 2002 Posts: 397

I did a Tom Strong ages ago using P4 man and wiping out a lot of the surface detail, morphing the upper body into blocky shapes... It could be done to an extent, I just haven't explored far enough yet to see what the extent is.

IMP.
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GhostofMacbeth · Forum Member Joined: Sep 21, 2001 Posts: 620

Yeah, I have sort of gotten a couple things to half work but not really. Apollo Maximus might be a good starting point for a more toon look but I am not sure.

palmers · Forum Member Joined: Jun 07, 2002 Posts: 397

Yes, I saw an Incredibles image in the gallery today which used Apollo and it had a really smooth look, just right for that subject.

IMP.
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Beet · Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 8:22 pm Post subject:

Hi Ian
You asked how the Australian comic scene is going. I don’t know a single Australian comic artist except for myself but the movies are taking off! The new Superman movie is one of the most expensive films ever made, $143,000,000, and was made right here in Australia. Film producers even imported New York City taxi cabs and built a New York Metropolis right here.
They found a small town in the outback that would have resembled Superman’s early life in Smallsville.
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palmers · Forum Member Joined: Jun 07, 2002 Posts: 397

It's a pity if there's not a native industry. I've got an idea there were original Australian comics in the '40s; wonder what went wrong.

I mean we haven't got much, but we have got 2000AD, D.C. Thompson (Commando, etc.)... and I was going to mention the girls' comics, but I'm not sure they still exist. Electranaut?

IMP.
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RIVER: skin on the outside. First chapter FREE from www.ianmpalmer.com

electranaut · Forum Member Joined: Jan 03, 2004 Posts: 99

The cheek of it.

The only girls comic I knew much about was Misty and that was cancelled way back. Some enterprising fan has set up a website devoted to it and had some grand plans to try and relaunch it but the last I heard the copyright owners, Egremont, has put the block on that. I think they were scouting for talent to put something together along the same lines but how serious they are I don't know since I offered my services a good while back and I heard nowt. I get the suspicion the fan responsible is a bit of a well-intentioned but wishful thinker.

The last half decent attempt I remember at launching a new, widely available British comic was Space Junkk in the early or mid '90's. It folded within a few issues, possibly even as little as five or six.

GhostofMacbeth · Forum Member Joined: Sep 21, 2001 Posts: 620

I know there are a number of Australian comic book people but I am not sure. There even used to be an australian comics forum I went to that was fun but it went away a while ago.

lectatege · Forum Member Joined: Mar 14, 2006 Posts: 210

Although horribly tied into merchandising and a TV series there is a very popular (little) girls comic called Witch that my friend's daughter drew my attention to.
Some very nice pieces of drawing, slightly mangaesque, and imaginative use of colour. The protaganists are six pubescent girls with magic powers - you know the drill - battling monsters from a parallel universe etc and sorting out inter-team friction and jealousy at the same time. Very autonomous and resourceful and apart from a definite girly girl look (fairy wings etc) they are excellent role models. The only guys are a sidekick who is seems to be there mainly as a bit of romantic interest for the leader and the chief baddie who looks a bit like Bowie in Labyrinth. Totally arsome as they say.

Also (don't laugh) but I picked up a 1971 Daily Mirror Annual for Girls the other day. The story lines of the cartoon strips were just a string of every cliche going but the art work was absolutely classic.
I sometimes really regret the almost total eclipse of hand drawing as an illustrative medium.
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electranaut · Forum Member Joined: Jan 03, 2004 Posts: 99

I suppose there's always Viz of course. It's not exactly a pure comic in the strictest sense, definitely not for the kiddies but in some ways it's one the biggest successes in British comics in recent years. I hadn't read it for about a decade then someone bought me an annual for xmas and I was surprised at how sophisticated the humour has become. I mean, yes, it's still largely lavatorial and absolutely filthy but some of its satire is pretty biting and the wit worthy of Oscar Wilde. Still, it's not to everyone's tastes and never will be.

As you say, Palmers, 2000AD still struggles on. It's not like it used to be, though and I suspect that's a result of a large decline in sales. At one time it was entirely feasible for amateur writers and artists to start to get into the big leagues through its Future Shocks stories but I don't think they've run them for years now.

Lec, I know of Witch and a few similar titles and I do worry that maybe the only way that newsstand comics will sell nowadays is if they have a tie-in to a TV programme or some toy merchandise.

I sincerely hope it's not true, though there must be some reason why traditional comics have fallen by the wayside. Still, that's another debate I suppose.