Jimbo's Top 9 of 2008 #1: The Ripper Legacy

Collecting the original mini-series originally published by Caliber with a major overhaul by artist Mark Bloodworth. I also took the opportunity to right some writing wrongs and there you have it an 80+ page tome. Repost if ever there was one to the dude who asks what I’ve done besides 6 page stories (not that anyone has asked me that kind of thing for a while). And it's good. I think it's really good. Oh and I got to pen the introduction.

Welcome to a journey not only into the heart of darkness, but one where you rip out the heart and put it on display also. Welcome to the pages of The Ripper Legacy, and please begin. Jim Alexander. March, 2008.

You can find out more at: http://www.transfuzion.biz/TITLES/ripperlegacy.htm

Jimbo's Top 9 of 2008 #2: Samurai Mack

It has been my great privilege to work with many great artists - and oh man in my humble opinion come up with some pretty damn good work. Occasionally - only very occasionally - I read a strip that ends up as near perfect as I imagined in my head. It's one of those very rare things, where the artist takes my panel descriptions and produces an end product story and art (but especially story) with which I can find no fault. 'Samurai Mack', which appeared in Cartoon Network Action Pack 29, did just that. And that's why it's number 2 on this little list of mine. Winter woolly hat off to artist Mr Philip Moy. He's one to watch guys and gals.

Jimbo's Top 9 of 2008 #3: Lego Batman The Videogame

Batman Lego game on the X-Box? Free comic inside? Wondering why you recognise the name of the writer? That's because it is I! It's a neat little no-dialogue piece showing the same story from the very different perspectives of the Batman and the Joker.

It was a whirlwind commission and not without incident. Michael Wright at DC Licensing contacted me to ask if I was interested. I of course said yes and having pitched successfully was faced with the prospect of completing the script over a weekend. The days in question just happened to coincide with a stag weekend held in Madrid. Not only that but on the Saturday I turned on my ankle (non-alcohol related honest), which grew to the size of a large cabbage. And it had grown even larger by the time I returned to Glasgow on Sunday. I could hardly put any weight on the bugger and the next day needed my pal Drew to drive me to my son’s school in order to pick him up. But I still got my Batman Lego script done on time. Hey I know you're thinking it so I may as well say it - "what a guy!"

Jimbo's Top 9 of 2008 #4: Aku's Fairy Tales

Aku's Fairy Tales is an occasional series appearing in Cartoon Network Action Pack where big bad Aku tells children (named after my son and niece) stories that cast Samurai Jack in a very bad light. I took the inspiration for the series from the Samurai Jack cartoon episode of the same name. I thought these pithy irreverent text heavy 4 page strips would break things up a little. The first as way of introducing the strip portrayed Aku as the good guy, but it was the evil dastardly Jack who took all the credit for Aku's heroics. The other two appearing this year riffed on Sleeping Beauty and Jack and the Beanstalk. And all drawn by the fair hand of Ethen Beavers. Oh and in case you're wondering they take me an eternity to write, but hey I'm not complaining (well not all of the time)!

Hell I even got a good review out of it. Comicbookbin writes, "Jim Alexander's Samurai Jack mini-story is a really novel comic fantasy that captures a sly, funny side of the menacing Aku." Couldn't have put it better myself.

Jimbo's Top 9 of 2008 #5: 4 Days

Appearing in Big Jim Stewart's underground magnum opus Ganjaman Presents #1, 4 Days is a one-pager by me and one-time winner and the other time nominated Eagle mainstay Declan Shalvey. There are words, but really Dec's pictures say it all. Ganjaman Presents is a wonderfully erratic, eclectic, gloriously disrespectful ensemble piece featuring luminaries such as Doug Moench, Gilbert Shelton, Bryan Talbot, and Alan Grant. And Big Jim published it all off his own back. I mean wow. Was delighted and honoured to contribute in my own small tiny way. Happy New Year to ye all!