My review of The PHOENIX Comic (Part 1, in which I may not even mention The Phoenix)

My review of The PHOENIX Comic (Part 1, in which I may not even mention The Phoenix)

That may sound a bit mad, but please bear with me, as my discovery of the Phoenix was a long and convoluted adventure with many a twist and turn. Actually, it was a number of interactions on Twitter, but that sounds far less adventurous.

It all started in the summer of 2012, when a very good friend of mine Gary Boller announced how excited he was too have been commissioned to create a strip for one of the oldest running British comics -The Dandy. That strip was Starskeys Hutch. Shortly thereafter an announcement was made that the Dandy would cease production of the paper version on it's 75^th birthday, and concentrate all efforts on it's online, digital version. Although I hadn't been buying the Dandy beforehand, I was a little disappointed in that. Partly because I intended to continue buying the Dandy for Gary's strip, and partly because my sons love taking comics to bed with them to read, and an online version just isn't quite as practical as paper ones.

This news caused something of a stir in the cartooning community, with concerns over what the future might hold, especially in the current economic climate. The concerns ranged from what effect it would have on childrens reading habits, right through to what individual artists and writers would move on to. It was quite an exciting period, and during that time I 'listened in' and contributed to conversations with some fantastic artists such as Jamie Smart who was drawing Desperate Dan for the Dandy, Fanton Esq, also of the Dandy producing Bad Grandad and Wilbur Dawbarn, creator of Mr Meecher the uncool teacher. One of the suggestions that kept arising was the possibility of creating 'An Awesome New Comic' to fill the gap.

I thought that this would be the ideal time to launch an idea I have been considering for a couple of years, that being a magazine aimed at the 8-12 year old age group in my local area, to bring them the local news and sport specifically focusing on their age group with a high percentage of comic strip and art. The idea was to encourage reading, writing and creativity in all fields and to make reading a fun activity rather than a chore. I would lean on my past experience with producing ROCKET magazine, and combine it with these new contacts, and my connections with the Scouting movement to bring out an advertising funded magazine which would either be free, or have a very low cover price to raise money for the organisations selling it. Things moved very slowly, even though I had been offered an incredibly generous startup investment. I made investigations into selling local advertising, and discovered that even though I could have produced the first one, subsequent publications would have been virtually impossible. The idea was returned to the back burner, on a very low heat.

At about the same time news of another newly formed comic appeared on Twitter. OFF-LIFE were trying to create a free comic, and were raising money via crowd funding. As my own was looking less likely I decided to make a small donation to help launch that one, and within a short time it was available – but only in Bristol and London. I eventually managed to get hold of a copy of the first one. It took a little effort but was well worth it. Through that comic I made contact with even more brilliant cartoonists. Neil Cameron, Liz Lunney, Silent Paige and Rob Davis who had work featured , and a host of others like Rob Mackay, Phillip Blackman, Laura Ellen Anderson, Harry Rickard, Stu Munro, Steve Becket, Jamie Roberts, Gary Northfield, Jay Townsend and Sean Baldwin. The list goes on, (and all can be found on Twitter). Anyway, enough with the name dropping, if they were marbles I'd be in danger of stepping on some and doing a proper Laurel & Hardy pratfall. Great as it is, OFF-LIFE wasn't quite the comic I had in mind, it is geared up for an adult readership and not aimed at children at all.

During various conversations, the name of another comic kept coming up – The PHOENIX- , I had never heard of it before, and never seen it in the shops, although there was an advert for it on the inside cover of OFF -LIFE. So I clicked across to have a look at their website, it looked really good, but at the time I was really struggling to keep afloat, and still holding out hope that I could launch my own magazine somehow, so couldn't afford to take out a subscription. It looked as though it was quite expensive, and as both my sons already have comic subscriptions running, one for the Beano and the other for NGK, I passed it by. Oh how I wish I had taken the plunge then. I had no idea it was still early days for the comic, and it was still in it's first year. I kick myself for that now, because having started a subscription from January this year, I can see just how good it is, and what I must have missed out on. Still there's no point in holding onto regrets like that, starting with issue 53 for the beginning of a new year is fine, because all the stories are either brand new, or at least starting at a fresh point that doesn't need knowledge of an extensive back story.

Well, that is my discovery of The PHOENIX. Next time, I will write a proper review of the magazine itself. But, do not delay as I did. If you have children aged between 8-13, I would seriously recommend that you treat them, and yourselves to a subscription to this great publication. I can assure you, you will not regret it. Have a look at their website here - http://www.thephoenixcomic.co.uk/ or check out any of the named artists above for their views on it.

(I would like to illustrate this article with photos of comic panels by a couple of the artists mentioned, but will only do so once they, and the publications they appeared in have authorised me to do so.)

Open Letter to UK Prime Minister - David Cameron.

Open Letter to UK Prime Minister - David Cameron.

Dear Mr Cameron

I’m writing with some concern over your proposals to offer financial aid to Liberia. I do not have any objections to financial aid being sent to that country, I would however like to know how the money will be raised. I would like to know what personal sacrifices you, your family and other members of the British government will be making to fund this aid. Will you for example sell off any excess property you may own and not currently reside in so that you can live in more modest accommodation once you are out of office? Will you start living on budget priced food, and only buy enough to actually live on instead of an excess of  luxury goods? Will you send your children to state schools and use the money saved to help Liberians? Will you forgo any family holidays?  If so, then you have my support.  The points may seem ludicrous and pedantic, but it is the kind of cutbacks many people in this country have already had to implement, just to survive through the austerity measures. So if you want to fund this aid personally, that’s fine. If however, you intend to use the money raised by our taxes, then I’m afraid I’m less in favour. The money we are charged in the form of taxes should be used to get our country back on it’s feet, to fund an ailing health service, to ensure our children, whatever their financial backgrounds have access to a good education. It should help to pay off the national dept, and ensure that our infrastructure remains in good working order. It is those services which should be government funded and not have to rely on charitable donations or lottery funding.

I do not want to appear as a racist, or a supporter of the BNP, because I am not. But I am sure that anybody that voices objections in any form to this foreign aid will be branded as such, thereby making themselves the villain.

Whilst I sympathise with the plight of the children of Liberia, I also sympathise with the children of many other African countries who are in similar financial predicaments, but we cannot be expected as a country to finance all of their welfare. Especially when our own country is trying to pay off a massive national dept and we seem to be oblivious to hardship in our own country.

 Would it not make more sense to look toward the Wealthy leaders of the African countries to aid their fellow countrymen. The heads of state in those countries appear to live in opulence, far in excess of their subjects, surely it is their responsibility to represent  their people and do the best for them that they can. We sympathise with the families of children in America who have lost their lives due to their laws on gun ownership, but should not interfere with their constitution. Similarly we should not interfere with the finances of African states if their leadership sees fit to use it in a way, which we as British subjects may not agree with.
You were elected by the majority of people in the UK to represent us, and to look after our interests. We have accepted that the current financial situation is in a poor state, and whether this was created by your own government, or inherited from previous governments is irrelevant. It is the responsibility of you and your government to try to resolve it in the best way possible, for the people you represent, for the people who voted for you to represent them.

If the opportunity ever arises for you to govern Liberia, then by all means do everything in your power to give them justice, a fair life and the ability to look forward to a future of good heathcare for the young and old. A  welfare system which tries to ensure that even the poorest people are offered a safety net to avoid extreme poverty and hardship.  In the meantime, please do that for the country you represent, because we are the ones who elected you, not the Liberians.

When you look at the disparity between the lives of the ruling classes of Africa, such as Robert Mugabi, and the lower end of his population, you notice an incredible, and growing gulf between the rich and the poor.  That gap is far less noticeable in the UK and other European countries at the moment, but it is widening, and unless you want the people of the UK to be appealing for similar assistance from overseas in the future, then that is what our government should be concentrating on.

I do agree with you, that African Countries do appear to have a major problem with regards to corruption and finances being mis-directed internally, so that the people that really need the aid never see it.  I fully support any moves being made by the UN to rectify this situation, but ultimately it is a matter for the African leaders themselves to resolve, because until that time, any money sent is unlikely to make sufficient difference to those that need it most.

Kindest regards.


Jerry Lunn