I've noticed something...with a lot of the comics I've looked at, many of them suffer from limited availability. Yes, there are several of the comics that are difficult to get hold of. Virtually no-one stocks them and I think this is a major problem.
I assumed at first that it is because a lot of the writers actually DON'T WANT their comics to have any kind of market presence, just in case they lose their "small press" credibility.
But having spoken to several of them I realise that this is simply not true, a lot of them know (and rightly so) that they deserve to be read, so why are so few avenues open to the independent comic reader to acquire some interesting stuff?
What I think there needs to be is some kind of online small press retailer, that not only sells independent comics but actively takes a part in promoting and helping them. It has to be good quality, well arranged and easy for people to find the sort of thing they want. It needs to be of professional quality, easy to reach and make it as painless a shopping experience as possible.
At the moment, there is NOTHING (and before you say what about www.smallzone.co.uk, take a LOOK at it and tell me that it's doing an effective job) that does this and that means there’s a big hole in the market that’s been left unfilled.
I would gladly help anyone doing something like this in any way I can...
Title: Springheeled Jack
Writer/Artist: David Hitchcock
Publisher: Black Boar Press (Self-Published)
About The Work:
Theme: A comic exploring the London myth of "Springheeled Jack" - a leaping assailant so named because of his amazing escapes from the long arm of the law - which apparently was not quite long enough. The storyline also ropes in characters from English history and works of 19th Century English literature (including H.G. Wells) creating a very interesting victorian setting for this black comic. It is a very verbose comic, so it is lucky that the scripting and dialogue is very, very well written and captivating.
Overall an interesting comic, with an interesting concept, set in an interesting period.
Artwork: Atmospheric black, gray and white artwork, which are presumably produced by using a mixture of pencil and ink. The architectural and background artwork is second to none and captures the look and feel of Victorian London exceedingly well. The character artwork has a certain odd quality to it - sometimes it seems close to caricature as opposed to direct representational artwork but that adds interest and a sense of uniqueness to the title. What it very interesting about the artwork is that it "seems" victorian - sort of like a feeling that if the victorians had produced graphic stories of this kind then this is kind of artwork they would use to illustrate it.
Appeal: I'd say the appeal was quite wide. If you like the 19th century stylings of the "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" and "From Hell" then this comic should have some appeal for you. It’s certainly an comic that demands to be read by an adult reader - I don't feel that anyone under the age of 20 will appreciate the comic at all.
Avaliability: It can be purchased directly from David Hitchcock at £2.80 (including postage) per copy. Cheques made out to DAVID HITCHCOCK, Gunhills Farm, Gunhills Lane, Windley, Derbyshire DE56 2LR. For international orders, write to David with your email address and location, and enquire.
Format: 24 pages including cover in standard comic size. 20 pages of comic which is black and white artwork on decent quality paper with a glossy colour cover.
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