Archive for July, 2010

We saved 6Music!

July 5th, 2010

Today, the announcement we’ve all be waiting for: 6Music isn’t getting canned. Naturally I take full responsibility for the post I wrote a few months ago, which received about 70 billion hits and got re-tweeted by people in locations as diverse as London, South London and probably even Brighton, as well as by some of the 6Music and Asian Network DJs.

Regrettably, while 6Music was saved, BBC Online and Asian Network still got cut. I won’t pretend that I have as much personal connection to either service as much as 6Music (even online, I only use the core news site/iPlayer, neither of which I can see being affected) but the campaign was always to save both 6Music and Asian Network, and in that goal, we have not been successful. For what it’s worth, I’m of the opinion that pretty much any cuts to the BBC represent a step in the wrong direction, and should be opposed vigourously. I’m unsure if there is any further recourse that can be taken to oppose the cuts that were announced, but I will be looking into it. After all, it’s our money they’re spending.

Comic Heroes #2 on shelves

July 3rd, 2010

The second issue of Future Publishing’s SFX spin-off, Comic Heroes, is now on shelves, and I am a featured contributor, which means yet another picture of my grinning head is now sitting in WH Smiths shelves up and down the country twice, every day for the next three months at least.

In this issue, I have contributed two articles:

10 Essential Captain America Stories, in which I pick apart Marvel’s entire back catalogue for the ten stories that will help you get the most out of the Star-Spangled Avenger, and a New X-Men Retrospective, in which I look back on Grant Morrison’s now-classic X-Men run, picking out the hidden meanings, meta-narratives and all the other hidden stuff that you might have missed.

Also in the issue, Seb Patrick, my friend and writing partner on various comedy projects, has a feature about Licensed Comics. And Alan Moore gives his “Last Ever Comics Interview” which is worth the cover price alone. He doesn’t so much burn his bridges as he does nuke them from orbit. Yikes.

Comic Heroes #2 is on shelves until mid-September, priced at £8.99, but if that seems expensive, remember that you do get an excellent magazine, comic, poster and a limited edition Hellboy/BPRD sew-on patch for that price. More information can be found on the SFX Site or the official Comic Heroes Facebook page.