Third Crusade

Ah now, you probably expected this one.

Yes, The Crusader is back in "Spoonful of Jam". Once again, the legendary Bolt-01 is on art duties. Bolt is one of the most influential creators currently working on the British indy scene. He famously runs Futurequake Press alongside his compadre, Richmond Clements. We're delighted with Bolt's work on this strip and know that you will be, too.

I can promise returning characters, guns, knives, romance, and lots of action. Also lettering and colour, but that comes later.

Hats Off

We are edging closer towards publication now, and with that in mind here's a panel from... well you can guess:

Yes, it's an animal in a hat, and that can only mean that Jimmy Baker Animal Hatmaker is back! This time the mighty Owen Watts is on art duties, and it's fair to say he is doing a truly amazing job!

Owen, of course, needs no introduction, but for formality's sake I will say that he is the editor of The Psychedelic Journal of Time Travel (which regenerated from the equally incredible Doctor WTF), runs the 2000AD Forum art competition, is a noted artist, letterer and colourist and is Crazy Like A Fox.

This will be Owen's second foray into the world of Massacre For Boys, and after doing a great job colouring Blackshirts of Exmoor for the Action Special, anyone who isn't excited to see what he does for us in Picture Library has a pretty severe lack of taste.

Bails of Steel

The point of the Massacre For Boys anthologies is to widen our talent pool, and the fruits of our labours can be seen in The Boys From Bashley by MFB newcomers Tim West & Mark Herstal. The story concerns a proficient village cricket team transferred en masse to North Africa at the commencement of World War I - a sticky wicket if ever there was one!

Tim is the driving force behind Back From The Depths a tribute to Scream, the glorious but criminally short-lived '80s British horror comic. He is also the impresario behind Comicsy and a comics writer of growing repute.

Mark is a very talented young artist who is in the process of exploding onto the scene. We were lucky to get him at the start of his no-doubt meteoric rise and no doubt you will be hearing a lot more from him in the years ahead.

The Boys From Bashley will appear in Massacre For Boys Picture Library.

Introducing.... Thirty Kroner Kincaid

Next up on the Picture Library slate is Thirty Kroner Kincaid by Chris Denton & David Frankum. This is a World War 2 story, but totally unlike anything we've done before. I am very excited to see this in print. Here's a work-in-progress image to give you a taster:

David should need no introduction to UK comics fans, not least because he's also contributed the cover to Picture Library as well as the art to Walking Wounded: Eastern Front which appeared in last year's Action Special. Outside of MFB, I first had the pleasure of working with him on our Zenith Invasion strip for Zarjaz, one of several he's contributed to Futurequake Press. Other notable work includes a fantastic online comic published by TopShelf, you really should check it out in the unlikely event you haven't already.

The Emus Are Coming!

I can now confirm that Massacre For Boys Picture Library will feature the debut of Walking Wounded: Emu War by Chris Denton & Bhuna.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Bhuna to the fold. He's been one of the top small press artists for a while now and both Steve and I were over the moon when he agreed to contribute his talents to our publication. You can tell he's the right artist for the job simply from this sketch of the flightless beaked menace:

Emu War is an historically accurate rendition of the deadly fight between the Australian army and a rampaging superherd of emus in 1932 that also details the not quite so historically accurate early years of William "Dog" Tired.

You can see more recent examples of Bhuna's work, including some great Slaine pin-ups and a first look at the young Dog here.

Massacre For Boys Picture Library will be out before Ragnarok, I promise!

Bad Company

Steve had a crack at the latest 2000AD forum art competition. The theme was the classic Milligan, Ewins & McCarthy strip, Bad Company.

Here is Steve's entry, depicting Mac vs The Ungrateful Dead:

Steve warmed-up with this equally impressive Bad Company Zombie:

Psychedelic Time Travel

Steve has contributed the artwork for a 4-page strip to Owen Watts' Psychedelic Journal of Time Travel. Here's page 1:

It's called "Were, Are, Shall Be" and the script was written by Adam Page.

The Psychedelic Journal of Time Travel 2013 is out now!

Elsewhere, Steve's Rogue Trooper collaboration with PJ Holden from some time back continues to bear fruit. The "landscape one" is now available as a postcard.