From David Lloyd’s FB:

“I’m at Kapow this weekend. I could put a link here for that, but you’ve only got to Google that event – power-wasting though that is – to go there, and I want to use a pic here to point you to what I’m proud to be previewing there – a new EXCLUSIVELY digital comics art magazine which I am in the process of putting together with some of the very finest talents I know here in the UK, in the US, and in Europe. Can’t give you much detail on it here, nor will I be able to clue everyone in on it completely tomorrow, or the day after that, but believe me, all you FB buddies will be the very first to know when we can get the train running on the rails.”

Well, there’s certainly at least one dinosaur in it. More details as and when. But hell, it’s David Lloyd, got to be interesting.

“My feeling is the Anonymous group needed an all-purpose image to hide their identity and also symbolise that they stand for individualism – V for Vendetta is a story about one person against the system.”

(protestors in V garb, pic by AFP, borrowed from the BBC site)

Eleswhere the article talks to comics commentator Rich Johnston, who seemed to consider the use of the masks as sometimes being intimidating: “It’s not a symbol of passive resistance but a symbol of active terrorism – it’s about bringing down a government and a country and that could be quite scary and alienating to some people.” Well, I suppose it could be taken that way, but personally I don’t find the image scary or aggressive as such, more of drawing on a potent symbol to remind supposedly democractic governments that they are the servants of the citizen and that all that power they so cover derives entirely from our consent, which can be withdrawn – it isn’t about violently overthrowing the state but reminding those in charge where their power comes from – the people. And reminding them that we too have power and they should be listening. And even if it is a scary image to some, it is certainly no scarier than a large NYC cop pepper-spraying a young girl in the face for no apparently valid reason during Occupy Wall Street, or London police ‘kettling’ thousands (including school children) while they exercise their democratic right to freedom of speech and assembly.

Following on from yesterday’s scans of the second issue of Dez Skinn’s seminal British comic Warrior I picked up recently, here’s another look back at another then-new work which has become utterly iconic and incredibly influential, Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s V For Vendetta (confession time, I actually personally rate V slightly higher than Watchmen). I’m so used to my nice, deluxe, clean, colour hardback collection of V now, it is odd to go back to 1982 and look at it in the original black and white, serialised format, but this is where it began, from a few pages per issue in that grand old British anthology comics format that has been the apprentice workshop of many creators who went on to bigger and better things. Again, click the pics to see the bigger versions on Flickr.

From Luigi Sinis’ Facebook.

“The panel includes the comic’s original writer, Jamie Delano, who was chosen by Constantine’s creator, Alan Moore, to continue John’s adventures after his initial appearances in Swamp Thing.

Joining Jamie on stage are artist, David Lloyd – best known for drawing V for Vendetta – who contributed to the comic and illustrated the Constantine graphic novel, The Horrorist; and two of the most recent contributors, Andy Diggle and Peter Milligan.

The discussion will be followed by a screening of the film adaptation of the comic, CONSTANTINE, starring Keanu Reeves.”

(cover to early Jamie Delano Hellblazer collection Original Sins, cover art by Jim Lee, (c) DC Comics)

Delano, Milligan, Diggle and Lloyd – that’s a pretty bloody impressive panel of top British comics talent right there, well worth catching (even if you weren’t a big Constantine fan it would be worth going just to see these guys, let’s be honest), especially given how rare it is we get a chance to see Delano and Milligan at such an event. If you’re looking for something cool and comics related to do in London this weekend then it’s just the ticket – the event takes place at the Apollo cinema in Piccadilly Circus at 5pm on Saturday 23rd April, more details here and tickets can be had here.

And while we’re at it, I should remind you that Alex is curating what promises to be a great comics bash the following weekend in London, a special free comics strand of SciFi London which will be taking place on Saturday 30th April and Sunday 1st of May at the BFI Southbank.  Guests over the two days include Ian Edginton, Phillipa Rice, Matthew Sheret, Al Davison, Tom Humberstone, David Hine, China Miéville, Denise Mina, Hannah Berry and more. So there you go, two holiday weekends and two lots of cool comics events for you to enjoy, courtesy of Alex, so please do go along and give him your support so we see more of this kind of gig in the future.

Great art and a great cause. Auctions all end on the 15th December, so you’ve still time to get something lovely and donate to a good cause at the same time.

(David Lloyd, Bruce Timm)

(Mike Collins, Amanda Conner)

(Martin Eden)

The auction site is here on ebay: http://shop.ebay.co.uk/capedcrusaid/m.html. And organiser Wayne Moraghan has a Facebook events page for Caped Crusaid.

(Image found here, no artist credit. Although surely David Lloyd needs a mention somewhere?)

It’s that night where we over in the UK celebrate the failed assassination of a king by Guy Fawkes and his fellow Gunpowder plotters by burning his effigy atop bonfires, setting off fireworks, and increasingly, wearing these…..

Remember, remember…. V For Vendetta:

(comics summary of the UK 2010 general election from and (c) The Times, art by David McLelland)

Meanwhile, several days after the Collected Will of the Great British Public was made clear (very clear; we obviously don’t trust any of them enough!) and we find ourselves still wondering who is actually going to be the next Prime Minister I asked some of our UK comics creators who they, ideally, would like to see running the country. They could chose anyone, contemporary or historical, real or fictional; perhaps unsurprisingly none of them chose an existing politician:

Mike Carey: I think I might choose the Emperor Ming the Merciless.  At least you know you’ll get what it says on the label.  No spin with old Ming.  He’d axe the Sure Start scheme and family tax credits, increase prescription charges to a million pounds and introduce two hundred and sixty seven new capital offences.  The Tories will do that, too, but they’ll fib about it.

Boo Cook: Despite his lack of Britishness (and the fact that he is sadly dead) I would vote for Jack Kirby to be in charge of not just our nation but all nations, and in fact, planets. Honest, practical, fair, gung-ho, bad-ass yet kind and humble… and very cosmic. Resurrect him now and vote with your heads and your hearts people of Earth! Yoda would make a kick ass foreign secretary.

Andi Ewington: I reckon Homer Simpson, I mean it can’t be any worse than what we have now… think about it, they’d be free Doughnuts, Duff beer, and Enforced Sleep Breaks and rules like the mandatory stopping-whatever-you-are-doing-and-watch-sports-on-TV-instead-Law. Also I’d never tire of Homer going ‘D’oh!’ during Prime Minister’s Question Time.

(Homer for Prime Muncher… I mean, Prime Minister? At least when Mum’s Net asked him important questions like what biccy do you like with your cuppa Homer could answer them… Simpsons (c) Fox)

David Lloyd: Katie Price – she’d be fully-supported.  Mr Fantastic – at a stretch he can do anything.  Anyone but Gordon Brown, it now hurts me to say.

Rod McKie: I’m going to pick Mister Potato Head (the real life-sized living one) because he can appeal to everyone just by swapping parts of his very expressive face. Also, he can put his mouth on his forehead, and that is always funny.  No matter how bad the news he is giving, a quick shuffle of that mouth up to his forehead, and you will just laugh all the way through it. The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that MPH is the man for the country.

“As a small, but perfectly-formed, fund-raiser for this new initiative, an auction of V For Vendetta water-colour sketches is starting on eBay today. These were done at the Institute of Contemporary Arts In London on November 5th, in a one-off special drawing-for-the-public performance, celebrating the graphic novel I happily helped bring to the world.  Please help Cartoon Classroom by telling everyone about this work going on sale, and if you want more info on Cartoon Classroom, simply go to the site.  And register on it why don’t you?”

(one of the original watercolours of V For Vendetta by David Lloyd from the Ebay auction)

Remember, remember the fifth of November
The gunpowder treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, twas his intent
To blow up King and Parli’ment.
Three score barrels were laid below
To prove old England’s overthrow.

By God’s mercy he was catched
With a dark lantern and lighted match.
Holler boys, holler boys, let the bells ring
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the King.

Today’s the 5th Of November; Guy Fawkes Night, Bonfire Night in Britain. An annual celebration where we commemorate the failure of Guy Fawkes and his band to blow up the Houses Of Parliament in 1605. And how do we commemorate it?

By having children make stuffed rag doll “Guys”, parade them around the streets begging for money from strangers until eventually, come nightfall, we throw the “Guy” on a huge bonfire and watch it burn, whilst letting off fireworks to represent the explosions that would have occurred if the gunpowder plot would have worked. Bizarre British customs are just great, aren’t they?

Of course, in comics we have our own special way of looking at Guy Fawkes and Bonfire Night – Alan Moore’s V For Vendetta which is now available in softback and a gorgeous absolute edition. And should you wish to celebrate Guy Fawkes night in style there’s always this.