Wolf Country#6

Award-nominated Wolf Country#6 is out now, written by Jim Alexander and drawn by Will Pickering; with Jim Campbell on lettering and Luke Cooper on cover duties.

 

You can grab a copy at the Planet Jimbot shop on Etsy (you won't be sorry).  You'll find the TPB and issue 5 there as well:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/490317579/wolf-country6

Zarjaz#27

Got a Dredd in the new Zarjaz#27. 

‘The Last Constable’ introduces Special Constables to Mega-City One; put in place to investigate low level crime, so freeing up the Judges to investigate the important stuff. Good idea or bad idea? You decide, but you might want to read the comic book first.

The strip reunites the Food Chain team of Jim Alexander and Pete Woods. Book also features the talents of Daniel Dwyer, Norrie Millar, Mike Lynch, Chris Askham and James A...lexander (different guy – absolutely no relation) with a terrific wraparound cover by Neil Roberts. 

£3 plus shipping. You can buy your copy here:

http://www.futurequake.co.uk/zarjaz/zarjaz-27/

Calhab Justice collected by Hachette Partworks

On sale now is Calhab Justice/Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection#47 by Hachette Partworks.  Ah, dear old Calhab, the love, the hate, the comics equivalent to Marmite, it’s been there for most of my adult life. (I’m the writer, btw.) Most peoples’ opinions have been formed from reading an issue or two back when the story was first published and/or the bits and pieces reprinted over the last couple of years. This book, though, reprints the whole story arc, not ...available for the best part of 20 years, spanning the art of John Ridgway, Lol, Colin MacNeil (artist on a particularly scatologically-based one-shot) and Kevin Cullen. Keeping with the Marmite theme, one of the detractors is current Tharg Matt Smith who just happens to contribute as ungracious an introduction to the book as common decency would allow. Never mind Matt, at least it served as a temporary distraction from yet another e-mail from some Earthlet asking if you still eat plastic cups. Better is the interview between yours truly and Michael Molcher especially commissioned for the collection to be found at the end of the book.

Looking back, I was given the opportunity warts and all to tell the whole story beginning to end; the exploration of the Scottish stereotype as a source of humour before changing, as the story arc took hold, into something more sinister; the development of MacBrayne’s character into something more than a Scottish version of Judge Dredd; the relationship between the main three characters; some reflections at the time on the country of my birth, if not experiencing a full-blown identity crisis, not fully at ease with herself either. Also, there is ‘Family Snapshot’, which remains if I do say so myself one of the best things I have ever written. But it’s probably at its best when Judge Ed MacBrayne is running around waving his claymore in the air and calling everybody a mad bam! I mean, I doubt there is anything there that will change your opinion of Calhab Justice, you’ll still either love or hate it, but at least having read the collection you’ll be better informed.

And if none of that tickles your fancy the book also has a couple of strips featuring fellow Celt Judge Joyce of the Emerald Isles courtesy of Garth Ennis, Greg Staples and it pains me to write the late great Steve Dillon.

Full list of contents: 1.Calhab Justice; 2.Hogmanay; 3.Dounreay; 4.Casualty; 5.Unfinished Business; 6.Flashback: McTash; 7.Family Snapshot; 8.False Dawn; 9.When Irish Pies are Smiling; 10.Innocents Abroad

Available to buy here:

https://www.hachettepartworks.com/judge-dredd-the-mega-collection/calhab-justice

Wolf Country Trade



Wolf Country 96-page TPB is out now, collecting the out of print introductory story and issues #1-4 of the award nominated comic.  Written by Jim Alexander with wunderkids Luke Cooper and Will Pickering on art.

 

Starburst Magazine has just this minute reviewed the book.  It says, 'The story first begins as a simple vampires vs werewolves tale within a Western setting, but soon develops into something far greater as its myriad intricacies become revealed.'

 

You can read the full review here:

http://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/book-reviews-latest-literary-releases/15355-wolf-country-review

 

The book is available to buy on the Planet Jimbot Etsy online shop:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/279160974/wolf-country-tpb-volume-1



Wolf Country#1-5 on sale at the Planet Jimbot shop

All five issues of Wolf Country available at the Planet Jimbot shop online (and an excuse to post Luke Cooper's rather nifty montage of his covers for the series):

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/233999339/wolf-country1-5

Savant scheduled in Dark Horse Presents

I thought I'd give a potted history of the comic strip 'Savant'. There is a point to it, which all going to plan, I should get to at the end, so fingers crossed.

Savant had been around for a while in various guises, but the definitive team of me (Jim Alexander) as writer, artist Will Pickering and colourist Fin Cramb came about officially when we met up in May 2012 at Kapow (London comics con organised by Mark Millar).

A year and a bit later, we launched a 24-page comic published by Planet Jimbot on Oct 2013 at the much missed Plan B in Glasgow.

Other publishers seemed to be showing an interest, but it was Dark Horse who finally came through. On May 2014 we received contracts to deliver the first Savant story, 48 pages in total.

We finished the story in Nov 2014, and since then, well, it had gone a bit quiet. But, our Dark Horse editor has been in touch. Savant will debut in the pages of Dark Horse Presents, on sale March 2017, running through DHP issues 32 to 37.

If there's a moral to all this it's that you'll get there eventually if you're talented enough and you work hard enough and you're willing to wait long enough - though not necessarily in that order!

The Samurai

Who is he?


He is the Samurai.


He seeks revenge.

Award winning (GoodCopBadCop) and award nominated (Wolf Country) writer and artist team, Jim Alexander and Luke Cooper, join forces once again to create the one-shot ‘The Samurai’.  Available to pre-order on the Planet Jimbot online shop.


https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/273712752/the-samurai

Deathwatch hardcover

Black Library is reprinting Deathwatch as a rather nifty hardback. A classic graphic novel tale (that’s what it says on the website) written by me with Graham Stoddart (2000AD) and Lee Townsend (Marvel comics) on art duties. The sumptuous Karl Richardson cover is probably worth the price of the book alone. Also up on the website is a brief outline of the story; and Lordy will you breath in that Space Marine-styled testosterone.

THE STORY
The first line of defence against t...he foul xenos creatures besieging mankind is the Deathwatch – an elite cadre of alien hunters drawn from the ranks of the Space Marines. Now, a team of the Deathwatch under the command of Jerron, an Ultramarine veteran, has been sent to quell an alien insurrection on the Imperial planet of Pavia. But when the aliens have infiltrated Imperial society and appear to be human, the team must mark their targets carefully!

http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/40k-feat/deathwatch-graphic-novel.html

Wolf Country#5

Award nominated and critically acclaimed Wolf Country returns for a fifth explosive issue.  There has been TV interest in the title.  We’re at the ‘treatment/presentation plan’ stage.  Exciting times.  Watch this space.

Wolf Country is vampires against werewolves in a Wild West setting.  The vampire Settlement in Wolf Country has repelled the latest wolf attack, but the nightmare refuses to end.  Vampire soldiers interrogate and torture the Settler named Carmichael.  The Settlers are starving, waiting for an airdrop of supplies that may never come.

Written by Jim Alexander (Metal Hurlant Chronicles, Star Trek Manga, Spider-Man/Captain Britain) and drawn by Will Pickering (Burke and Hare, Something Fast).  Cover by Luke Cooper (Hollow Girl, GoodCopBadCop). 

You can order a copy now from the Planet Jimbot online shop.  First 4 issues are also available:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/266647799/wolf-country5

Here’s what the critics have been saying about Wolf Country:

“With its western-style settings, politically charged story and candid art, Wolf Country is a silver bullet to the bloated heart of quirky bloodsuckers and dreary werewolves” – Dominic Cuthbert, Starburst Magazine

“Werewolves. Vampires. Wild West style…. that’s the pitch. It’s a good one, but there’s proving to be a lot more to Wolf Country than that” – Richard Bruton, Forbidden Planet International

“Brooding, intriguing and utterly compelling from the get-go.” – Win Wiacek, Now Read This

"Wolf Country takes Werewolves vs. Vampires and not only adds its own spin, but owns the genre in doing so" – Dustin Cabeal, Comic Bastards

GoodCopBadCop#3.01

Award winning and critically acclaimed GoodCopBadCop returns for the all-new Casebook#3: ‘Only Pigs and Horses’ Part 1.

GoodCopBadCop is a modern crime take on Jekyll and Hyde where the good cop and the bad cop are the same person. This is not a story about a good man turned bad, or indeed a bad man turned good.

Both good and bad arrived at the very same time.

Written by Jim Alexander (Batman 80-Page Giant, Marvel Milestones, Metal Hurlant) with stunning interior art by new kid on the block Aaron Murphy (The Yorkshire Cowboy). Cover by rising indie star Luke Cooper (Hollow Girl, Wolf Country).

In the latest instalment, Detective Inspector Brian Fisher and his ‘bad cop’ alter-ego are driven further down into the hell that is the Glasgow underworld. Mature Content.

Available to pre-order on the Planet Jimbot online shop:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/261656580/goodcopbadcop301

Metal Hurlant Resurgence/Whisky in the Jar

Happy New Year to ye. Let's hope it's a good 'un. Out with the old and in with the new. Well, not entirely. The Metal Hurlant Resurgence DVD/Blu-ray (essentially the 2nd season of Metal Hurlant Chronicles) has been out for a couple of months now. The first episode 'Whisky in Jar' based on a comic strip by me and Gerald Parel (which I also helped to adapt) and starring Michael Biehn and James Marsters has been showered - showered I say - with praise from the world of sci-...fi (well a small corner anyway).

"For me, the first episode is the best of the series" - cultofwhatever

"Metal Hurlant Resurgence does start off strong, with the first episode Whiskey in the Jar. Starring Michael Biehn and James Marsters this tale of the Wild West an interesting start, especially with Biehn working as the narrator, an old sheriff talking about a strange occurrence in the town he protects. With the confident ability to play the badass, Biehn creates a character who is a good storyteller and puts us at ease for the episodes to come" - pissedoffgeek

"Of the six episodes in this second season collection it’s the first that really stands out, even now – some 24 hours after watching the show I can remember each and every part of Whiskey in the Jar" - nerdly

"It’s a strong start, and one we got on with" - scifinow

"It’s a nicely strange and bizarre tale with an appropriately weird twist" - starburstmagazine

"This is actually one of the most well-rounded stories in this collection, with a decent twist to the end of the tale. Both Beihn and Marsters do a good job in their roles" - flash-bang

"This episode stars James Marsters (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) in a fantastic role. He adds a depth to his character who has been blessed with a powerful gift and how it effects upon the people of this quiet town" - blueprintreview