HAPPY NEW YEAR -Hope you all have a good 2016!
I Don’t Usually Bother But It Will Be Good To See 2015 Out!
Month: December 2015
A Lot of People From Sweden Visiting CBO….
…Any of you folk know any Swedish publishers who might be interested in new projects?
Can’t hurt to ask. Never usually get an answer anyway! 
check out all the Black Tower Comics and Books at the online store
Buy my books…..buy my books….buy my books…..buy my books….
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/hoopercomicsuk
You can also find some on Amazon and other sources but they do not make me much money so, come on, buy from the online store and remember that at least these books will be collectibles!
To contact me please check out “About” at the top of the page -thanks!
****************************************************************************
Black Tower Comics began in 1984 as a Small Press publisher of A5 (US -Digest size) titles such as Adventure,Presents,Windows and Hanley’s Garage. Then came the news, reviews, previews and interviews publication backed up by the mart and mail order service –Zine Zone (later Zine Zone International).
In 2009, with the innovation in publishing of Print On Demand (POD), Black Tower jumped in head first!
One of the first titles to see print in the new comic album format (A4) was The Bat Triumphant! This saw the complete story, begun in Black Tower Adventure vol. 1. William A. Ward’s long lost 1940s character once again saw print as he fought a host of enemies in an attempt to reclaim his homeland.
And while The Bat may have fought fist and nail to reclaim his homeland, another 1940s Ward creation, Krakos the Egyptian, seemed far from willing to claim a new Egyptian Empire as promised to him by the Gods. Tackling a number of foes and even encountering the Many-Eyed One, Krakos turned his back on the gods and the final panel of Krakos -Sands Of Terror, delivered a true twist!
Of course, the flag-ship title had to return! And so Black Tower Adventure -eventually reaching new heights when the legendary Ben Dilworth jumped on board! Volume 2 consisted of ten issues. Just look at these covers….
And, with something like 40 years worth of files and investigation reports could all that much delving into UFOs, lake and sea creatures and many other mysteries not result in a book or two…or three? Some Things Strange & Sinister, Some More Things Strange & Sinister as well as Pursuing The Strange and Weird: A Naturalist’s Viewpoint set a precedence.
Whereas for decades those involved in “UFOlogy”, “Cryptozoology” and “Forteana” declared many mysteries, that photographs were lost “to history” and so on, these three books swiped away the false claims. Alleged lost photographs -found. ‘Mysteries’ solved by doing actual research work and reading the sources -something others had never done.
And, of course, mention natural history and Black Tower Books broke new ground with that in The Red Paper: Canids.
But not all the prose books covered mysteries and wildlife.
And if there is one thing “Herr Professor” loves it is discovering and presenting long lost UK Golden Age (1939-1951) comic strips and characters from publishers such as Gerald Swan, Foldes, Denis M. Reader, Cartoon Art Productions and others.
Scanned and restored as best as can be considering the poor print quality of the rationing years -especially red, orange, yellow, blue and purple ink printing!
Ace Hart The Atomic Man! The Tornado! TNT Tom! Dene Vernon! Acromaid! Cat-Girl! Bring ‘Em Back Hank! Robert Lovett:Back From The Dead and so many other action heroes and humour strip characters -William A. Ward, Jock McCaill and a host of known and unknown creators contribute -either in single volume ” Black Tower Gold” albums or all six collected into the 400+ pager –The Ultimate British Golden Age Collection!
Another great love is Centaur Comics from the United States. Right at the very start of the American Golden Age of Comics Centaur had creators who were ahead of the others! Before Plastic Man there was Plymo! Before The Human Bomb there was TNT Todd! Before Green Arrow and waaaaaaay before Hawkeye there was the mysterious red hooded archer called The Arrow! And, to just break your comic mind world there was even a Black Panther -decades before Kirby came up with his character of the same name.
The Eye Sees All. The Owl. The Iron Skull. Amazing Man. The King of Darkness. The Invisible Terror. The Blue Lady. The Shark. Mini Midget & Kitty. Mighty Man. Super Anne. The company may have been short-lived but it’s characters -oh boy!
The two volume Centaur Heroes Collection has been compiled into one sweet 140 page comic collection!
Horror. Ghost stories. The twist-in-the tale. Did you think that a publisher who is a big horror comic/film fan would ignore these?
Nope. Each year since 2010, BTCG has published a Tales Of Terror anthology album and 2014s included some fun and spooky lost Swan Comic strips. I mean how can you go wrong -even Ben Dilworth is in these!
The Church Of England has it’s own basher of dark forces in the Reverend Merriwether -“God’s Demon0-Thumper” as the press billed him. From an ancient Egyptian demon to a village of the damned and Varney the Vampyre, werwolves and a final confrontation with Satan himself -Merriwether pulls no punches and offers no compromise. And in those last few seconds between life and death, Merriwether’s mind recalls past cases -thanks to Ben Dilworththe Tall Man of Osaka.
Merriwether: God’s Demon Thumper and Merriwether: The Test Of Satan are available as individual comic albums or in one swanky book The Collected Merriwether: God’s Demon Thumper.
Oh, did I forget to mention Dene Vernon -British comics’ first investigator of the supernatural and strange mysteries? I did? Unbelievable since Gavin Stuart Ross drew the 1948 based Dene Vernon: The Thing Below!
And did you know Ross also drew the two adventures of Victorian mystery man Chung Ling Soo? Chung Ling Soo: The Curse Of The Jade Dragon and Chung Ling Soo: The Case Of The Thames Serpent were two cracking tales of magic, adventure, murder and deception -still available as single comic albums or collected together to form The Adventures Of Chung Ling Soo!
Ben Dilworth is no slouch either! Chung Ling Soo’s police “counter-foil” isnone other than old London “Jack” (police man) Inspector Wilberforce and when Dilworth says “Here’s a Wilberforce one-off: PUBLISH IT!” you do not argue!
And did you know you can be a Gold Master of Japanese Haiku? Well, neither did I -but guess what? Ben Dilworth is such a master and his Osaka Brutal features his Haiku in English!
Old saleman that he is, Dilworth just keeps on going. He produced Aesop’s Fables -a darker version of the childrens tales and then went on to write two well illustrated prose albums looking at spirits and demons –Dilworth’s Japanese Yokai and Dilworth’s Western Yokai. Osaka and the Yokai books were combined with Aesop’s Fables into the one volume The Collected Ben R. Dilworth -though the single volumes are also still available.
Horror comics yes but also some nice illustrated prose from Dilworth in…Dilworth’s Horror & Ghost Stories but for the connoisseur those stories were collected together with the Phantom Detective comic strips into The Complete Phantom Detective!
And could anyone forget the sensational Iron Warrior Versus Big Bong:When Giants Fought? But add to that the various Iron Warrior strips from Adventure and you get The Iron Warrior Collection -When Giants Fought! In the 1940s, William A. Ward’s creation was to be the most graphically violent comic strip seen until the 1970s. That is some legacy. It continues….with a touch of fun!
In case you are wondering, yes, obviously there are super heroes. Mix in ancient pantheons of gods, giant robot, alien invasion, Lovecraftian dark ones and so much more that the book runs to over 320 pages then you have part 1 of Terry Hooper-Scharf’s Invasion Earth Trilogy” or as it is titled Return Of The Gods: Twilight Of The Super Heroes! And epic ending with the words: “Dr Morg has killed us all” -and if you have never read the mind altering counter actuality that is The Dr Morg Trilogy you may be saying “What? Who-?”
And part 2 of the trilogy The Cross Earths Caper ought to get you in the mood for 2015s big 31st Anniversary third part of the trilogy The Green Skies.
If you pass the ESTC (Epileptic Seizure Test Cover) on Dr Morg well, you are fit and healthy enough to read it and to check out all the Black Tower Comics and Books at the online store -see why we are the UKs largest publisher of Independent Comics!
Either Grow A Brain Cell Or Get The Feck Out Of Comics
Here is how it works. I think of a character and story. I’ve just created that character. I want someone to draw it but rather than draw the character myself or design the outfit he/she wears I leave it up to the artist. He then comes up with a look which, if okay, HE/SHE has created.
Now, though I created the character (which makes me the creator) the artist has created the look and draws it so he/she is “co-creator” in that sense but I still created the character -without that creative spark the artist would be “co-creator” of nothing.
If you look at Stan Lee and artists at Marvel Comics in the early 1960s only one saw themselves as not part of the Bullpen. Steve Ditko.
Don’t get me wrong because I have always been a massive Steve Ditko fan since I was a kid (which is long time ago now). I note a few “F*** Marvel” items on the internet -all preceding the line “another huge pay cheque Steve Ditko won’t be getting”.
There are many writers and artists that worked for Marvel AND DC in the work-for-hire days. They contributed just as much work but it seems falsely “hip” or “cool” to champion Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. Why? Okay, Kirby was a phenomenal talent and we seriously are never going to see that kind of creativity in comics again because of how comics have changed. Even Kirby stated that he never blamed Lee for problems with Marvel because, though it seems unfair today, back then work-for-hire meant you drew and got paid -“Goodbye”.
Ditko was doing the whole “Alan Moore” thing back in the 1960s. He wanted things his way with Spider-Man and when it wasn’t written his way he walked. Ditko has that kind of history. There were creators living in bug-infested rooms struggling to eat and often not able to pay bills who would have killed to get the work Ditko was offered.
Anyone care about those creators? No. Why? Because they were not hip or cool to champion. Every time someone says to me “It was unfair what they did to Kirby” or “They really screwed Ditko” I roll off a list of names. Usually blank looks follow and I explain the names are of creators who lived in shit poverty and struggled for work -some never made it into later life. You can then get the response “Well if they did work like Kirby or–” at that point I walk away. Some will say “They couldn’t have been that good, then” and I’ll just say “F*** you” and walkoff.
Who do you think drew the other 97% of comics?
With Ditko we have a man who is very talented, or was, I’ve not seen any work from him in a decade, but flawed -let’s not get into his politics or the whole Arin Rand thing. For Spider-Man movies, Lee got Ditko credit as co-creator which entailed a pay-cheque. Ditko flatly refused. Why. Because Ditko insisted that he was and had to be credited as the CREATOR of Spider-Man. Which he wasn’t. Lee even wrote a letter many years back stating that as far as he was concerned “Steve Ditko is the co-creator of Spider-Man” and that was Lee trying to calm rough waters. No. Ditko outrightly rejected that. Unless it said in writing “Steve Ditko is the creator of Spider-man” he was not interested.
In fact, when you look at a lot of what Ditko has done regarding what he seems to see as his “right” as a sole creator (which he wasn’t) you see a twisted mind playing games. Lee: “Steve Ditko is THE creator of Spider-Man”….Ditko: “Okay. Now write that Steve Ditko created Marvel Comics” -and Ditko refused money from the Spider-Man movies and was offered money. So how desperately hard up is Ditko? Well, he worked at a studio in Manhattan’s Midtown West neighborhood which for a struggling artist is a bit pricey to say the least. Joined Marvel, left Marvel, went back to Marvel then left. Joined DC then left DC then rejoined…you can see how Alan Moore got his plan-for-life.
It seems Ditko was offered money and credit re. the Dr Strange movie but, if the rumours are true, he’s rejected the money. Credit? I’m guessing that as with Spider-Man it’ll be “do what you want”.
So, please, do not give me all this bleeding heart “poor artist” crap. I’m fed up with it. Kirby probably made the greatest and longest lasting contribution of the two and while I still love looking at Ditko’s art -as I was doing last night- as he is fond of putting forward as a life choice: he made his decisions including refusing money and getting movie credit as co-creator that Lee pushed for hard. And he rejected it all.
There is no counter-argument -according to Ditko’s own professed belief system. He made the choice. He lives with that choice.
Which brings me to artists in general. During the 1980s and 1990s I wrote a LOT of scripts. At one point, laying one atop the other it came to two reams thick or over 1000 pages. Those were series scripts.
The deal was always that, whatever the company involved paid me as a writer or paid the artist (which, traditionally,is always more) all royalties would be split 50-50. I ought to point out that the writer-creator tended to get more royalties if a book took off but I always made it clear -I have the contracts!- that royalties must be divided equally between the creative team. Occasionally (and I feel an ass about it now), I made sure the artist got all the money because that person was struggling and had a family. A couple things stopped me doing this kind of generous thing.
Long-winded bit….
The first was when I found that the artist who was giving me the sob story about having kids and not getting enough money in to pay bills, etc, etc. etc., actually had a great deal of work coming in and was making a hefty amount of regular money and even put in a bad word to stop me getting a script writing job. When I confronted him about this the response was “Well, it’s the business -you’ve got to try a scam or two!” What I said to him will remain private.
Then I worked with two artists, one more well known as a writer these days. I wrote six scripts for a six issue sci-fi crime series. We even had a publisher who was interested. So, when a package of art turned up after three weeks I breathed a sigh of relief….until I opened it. I phoned the artist and let him know that he had sent pages from another comic by mistake. “No,I haven’t” he said. I scanned through the pages -none of the characters were recognisable. Bits of plot seemed familiar so I asked what this was?
“Well, I decided to change the characters names and the detective I thought would look better as a blond woman. There were changes I made in the plot and story -just things I’ve always wanted to use“
I pointed out that I had written the script, created the characters to go into the story and that who and what the characters were was very important because if affected the story conclusion. Had he not realised that in reading the scripts? “Oh, I’ve only read the first script” he told me. So I explained that “we” needed to stick to the script and that was important because not only was it totally unprofessional (not to mention hugely insulting to me) to go changing characters and dialogue and story settings that had been written and agreed upon but it was what the publisher was expecting. I got an “Oh. Okay” and a month later a note arrived stating that I was being unreasonable. After that nothing.
The other artist decided that the scripts, aimed at a teen readership, required far more verbal obscenities and he sent the pages direct to the publisher without my approval. The publisher asked me what the hell I thought I was doing? He had presented the pages to his boss without checking them first. I assumed he got a red ear from the boss. The artist simply responded “What, but the guy having a wank in the background was okay?” When the pages were returned…..I kind of exploded. The artist? “Well, when do you need the rest of the pages by?” Expletive deleted.
At least three artists forwarded pages directly to publishers without letting me see them first, based, I believe, on some notion they would get paid quicker -one admitted that he sent pages along with his own script to get work independently.
Then I turned in a series of scripts to Fleetway/Egmont -this story is well known. The hip and cool editor was all in favour of the idea and series theme. One would be The DJ and The Dancer” the other The Gardener and the Nun and so on. One day a copy of the comic Revolver turns up. I read through it. Where is my story? I suddenly realised that the “hot young artist” (who left comics a year or so later) the editor was so keen on using had chopped the story to pieces and “did it his way” and it made no sense at all. No dialogue was used in the series so everything depended on the panels telling the story and the conclusion hitting home.
So I asked the editor what the hell was going on. It was now I was told how “hip” the hot young artist was and “You got paid, right?” Slap down and put in my place. But I knew comics was like that. But then: “Oh, Igor (Goldkind) likes the series theme titles so he wants to use that so can you come up with new titles for your stories you are happy with?” My response was that the titles I was happy with were the ones on the stories themselves and I really did not care for anyone stealing the story titles. At which point the “we’re cool” editor told me that I had not understood: Igor wanted to use the stories so I’d need to write new ones. Which is a leap from title stealing. Long story short I had scripts accepted but someone had the over £5000 I should have been paid. Egmont told me later that I needed to chase up the editor “who no longer works for us” and later still that I had not been paid due to the mess the late Robert Maxwell had left. Maxwell had been dead a few years and this was Fleetway-Egmont so that was simply a “we do not want to pay you” excuse. Oh, and I DO have the “chase up the editor” note -still.
Did the comic ever use my stolen scripts? No idea. They were dead to me.
Marvel UK, on the other hand, did pay me -but only half what I should have gotten and I have no idea whether the stories appeared though the late Art Wetherell told me he had seen one script with my name on (crossed out). Someone there got half the money I was supposedly paid. Nothing new.
An artist’s widow once caused a stink by stating, very nastily, that I had not written a series her husband had drawn. I had the scripts, the company had paid me but, oh no, it was all his own work. I just ended the correspondence. It’s a very long story where the outcome really was a case of “Cutting your nose off to spite your face”!
One company (some of you know which) did not want to publish the trilogy they had signed up to. So, when the artist of the first series was unwilling to draw the second part of the trilogy I got another artist in. Unlike the first he was not earning good money…he didn’t make great money out of this one either! But then the publisher phones to tell me the first artist has said he will not allow the book characters to be used. Now, the credits are simple: “characters created and story written by Terry Hooper”.
So what was the problem? I contacted the artist and he explained that he drew so created the characters. I pointed out that I created and described the characters and story and he drew them -a blond and a brunette. That was it. He was getting a 50% cut as the artist as he drew but had nothing to do with story or characters. The deal is always, without exception, that the artist alone owns the rights to the art and I have no ownership on that. After all, he had sold art pages but I had demanded no money even though those pages featured my story/script and characters. What had suddenly made him think he owned the characters?
“The company told me I owned the characters” What? He had no argument about the characters names (which I made up-created). But the “likeness” he owned. A blond and a brunette. I asked whether he realised that he was saying he owned every blond and brunette in comics? He told me I was being silly. I told him that the new artist was drawing the characters I created, one a blond the other a brunette and they would have the same names. I explained this several times then: “Look, you do realise that he is NOT going to be drawing them in your art style but in his own?” There was a brief silence and “Oh. Okay. No problem then” -!
Basically, it turned out the company had tried to stir things to get out of the trilogy deal. Twenty years later part 3 still has not appeared but that’s comics.
Long winded I know, but this all led me to the “Never work with anyone other than someone you trust again!”
It is now accepted by publishers that your comics, that they publish, are going to be scanned and offered as illegal downloads that steal money you need from you. I once gave a list of illegal download sites to the publisher mentioned above and the response? “Nothing we can do” Yes, there is. You get to asking why the publisher refuses to protect money he should also be making?
I could write a book looking at how everyone from publisher, editors, distributors, shop owners and even other “fellow” creators will screw you over for money. I remember a boss at Fleetway once smiling at me as I handed him my scripts and invoices: “You realise you’ll never get wealthy in this business?” I replied that as long as I could pay bills and buy food I’d be happy. “Remember Don Lawrence” he winked. Don Lawrence famously quit UK comics after discovering he was not being paid for all the overseas sales -this type of thing was going on up until the 1990s and the company rule was simple: “What they (creators) don’t know won’t hurt them -and we keep the money!”
And the number of comics’ “nice guys” who will stab you in the back and do a deal behind your back? We all know who, where, when and what but gods help you if you speak up. Disturbs the “order” of things.
So,unless you are going to name every comic creator who produced 97% of all the comics out there and got screwed by companies do not bleat on about “poor Steve Ditko” because he is the one making his own bed. Great creator but…
Collecting Marvel Masterpieces Avengers
Before I fade into….somewhere…THIS is why buying these books to complete my Avengers run is NOT an option.
These are criminal prices and this is WHY comic fans are dying out. Criminal prices
The first two I purchased for £5.00 and £8.00 earlier in 2015. Maybe I ought to sell because, apparently, there are NO COMIC DEALERS in the UK.
Now I’m going.
-
-
Marvel Masterworks Avengers Volume 11 Factory Sealed Roy Thomas Don Heck
- £22.14
- + £37.11 postage
-
- From United States
-
2 items found from eBay international sellers
-
The Avengers Volume 11 Marvel Masterworks (2011, Hardcover)
- £66.44
- + £22.64 postage
-
- From United States
-
Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Volume 11 (Marvel Masterworks (Unnumbered))
- £62.37
- + £24.37 postage
-
- From Australia
-
More items related to Marvel Masterworks: Avengers, Volume 11
-
Bloop
Okay. Business gone. Things changing here on CBO but at the moment I am exhausted. Be back whenever.
Chinese Investment For UK Comics Needed?
You may all be asking -or not- what I am posting about? I know, I know, you clicked on CBO because there was nothing on TV!
Well, I was asked about China, comics and other related matters yesterday. It all stemmed from something I wrote on the old WordPress CBO a few years back. In that item I stated that there could be a huge revolution in comics publishing and that I thought two countries could lead that revolution in revitalising not just UK comics but the medium as a whole. India and China.
Sadly, India seems to have no interest in going beyond its borders and plodding along as far as comics are concerned. Yet it has the facilities and manpower to be a major player in the fioeld of comic books and graphic novels.
I did post a lot about comics in India but it seemed almost as though the subject was caught in a deep quicksand and going nowhere. I even posted about my little excursion into Indian comics:
http://hoopercomicart.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/black-tower-and-comic-books-for-indiamy.html
The weeks and months I spent talking to Indian publishers but the same old slow wait for a response and when that turned up….I had to respond and wait again…a long time…for a response.
That was a pity.
However, the other country I stated might exceed any Indian potential, was China. As we have seen, businessmen from China have invested in the UK and Europe heavily and China certainly has the manpower and facilities to be the hare in the race.
But the big problem is that Chinese publishers are not responding to emails or letters -whether due to restrictions or because they are quite happy continuing as they are and not interested in expansion beyond the PRC.
I’ve tried -oh, how I have tried!- to get interest in investing in a new UK publishing house but the interest does not seem to be there or I am not contacting the right people! Still not given up, though.
I’ve posted quite a lot on Chinese Manhua. Even about how Chinese business entrepreneurs should think about investing in a UK comic publishing house:
http://hoopercomicart.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/perhaps-we-need-chinese-business.html
And in case you can’t remember the other posts….
Looking at artist Yao Ting http://hoopercomicart.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/yao-ting-chinese-manhua-super-star.html
Explaining the differences between MANGA, MANHUA AND MANWHA!
http://hoopercomicart.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/mangamanhua-and-manwha.html
Artist Ma Wing Shing http://hoopercomicart.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/ma-wing-shing-chinese-hero-tales-of.html
Wong Yuk Long (Tony Wong) http://hoopercomicart.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/wong-yuk-long-tony-wong-interview-and.html
Benjamin Zhang Bin http://hoopercomicart.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/benjamin-zhang-bin-benjamin.html
Looking at a new rise in Chinese comics http://hoopercomicart.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/article-looking-at-new-rise-in-chinese.html
Dr Leung’s Comics http://hoopercomicart.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/the-impossible-to-find-dr-leungs-comics.html
On Chinese businessmen publishing UK comics? http://hoopercomicart.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/chinese-publishing-british-comics-why.html
I’m Hunting Avengers!
To complete my first volume of Marvel Comics The Avengers, by mainly replacing the stolen ones I need:
#124 125 129-141 143-150
Ebay UK sellers want £20+ (that issue above? £22-45) and that’s because they are grimy conmen. I can actually buy these issues from the United States for around £2-£3 each. “So buy them from the US!” You say.
NOT when postage for each is between £9-15 (that’s $21-30+).
What the hell happened to UK comic dealers….or did they all go off to become Ebay crooks??
Happy Birthday Stan Lee
Yes, Stan The Man is 93 years young today and I was going to write a short piece but then asked myself “WHY do I need to explain who Stan Lee is??”
His and Jack Kirby’s work was an inspiration to me when I was a kid and I owe both a great deal.
But, anyway:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STAN!
Dr Strange
Okay, if you don’t wet your knickers when you see this then you are not a fan of Dr Strange….well,you may be a fan of the comic book Dr Strange but not enthusiastic about the movie?
Meh.
Doctor Strange , the movie, is scheduled to hit theaters on 4th November, 2016. The film will also star Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One (yeah, I like Tilda Swinton but as the feckin Ancient One -COME ON??!!!) and Chiwetel Ejiofor as the villainous Baron Mordo. Rachel McAdams and Mads Mikkelsen also have roles, but exactly whom they will play will be revealed when the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly hits stands on Tuesday.
Or you can wait til it all gets posted on the net on….Tuesday!!
Comic Bits 20 