FutureQuake is a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
small pressBritish small press comics, once known as stripzines, are comic books self-published by amateur cartoonists and comic book creators, usually in short print runs, in the UK. A "small press comic" is essentially a zine composed predominantly of comic strips. The term emerged in the early 1980s to...
comic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
founded by
Arthur WyattArthur Wyatt is a writer for British comic 2000 AD, creating stories mostly in the Future Shock format. Wyatt was also selected as one of 2005's five best new comic book writers, contributing to the 2000AD Winter Special....
, and edited from issue 5 onwards by Richmond Clements, David Evans, Mark Woodland and Edward Berridge. Issue 4 was edited by Clements, Evans and James Mackay. Dedicated to showcasing work by new writers and artists, they publish mostly self-contained comic stories, preferably of 5 pages or less and usually of a sci-fi/fantasy/horror bent.
Under their FutureQuake Press imprint (
FQP) they also publish the
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese
MangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
-influenced anthology
MangaQuake and the horror comic
Something Wicked. FQP also publishes other comics and has recently taken over
DogbreathDogbreath is a fanzine dedicated to the 2000 AD series Strontium Dog.-Publication history:Dogbreath was started by Dr Bob , who had been writing Strontium Dog fan fiction since 1981...
, the
Strontium DogStrontium Dog is a long-running comics series featuring in the British science fiction weekly 2000 AD, starring Johnny Alpha, a mutant bounty hunter with an array of imaginative gadgets and weapons....
fanzine and
ZarjazZarjaz is a comics anthology fanzine for the long-running British science fiction comic 2000 AD.-Publication history:Zarjaz was started in 2001 by Andrew J Lewis and ran for four issues. The fanzine contained comic strips based on various 2000 AD characters and also ran an in-depth interview with...
, the general
2000 AD2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
fanzine.
Contributors
FutureQuake plays host to a wide range of contributors, including first time writers and artists, up-and-coming
small pressSmall press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts...
personalities and established creators. Past issues have featured the likes of Alan Grant,
Arthur RansonArthur James Ranson is an English illustrator, whose fine line penwork and attention to visual detail has led to the misapplied epithet 'photo-realistic'...
,
Al EwingAl Ewing is a British comics writer who has mainly worked in the small press and for 2000 AD.-Biography:Al Ewing began his career writing stories in the five-page Future Shocks format for 2000AD...
,
Stewart McKennyStewart McKenny is an Australian comic book artist, who has been described as "one of Australia's most prolifically published comic book artists".-Career:...
, PJ Holden,
Arthur WyattArthur Wyatt is a writer for British comic 2000 AD, creating stories mostly in the Future Shock format. Wyatt was also selected as one of 2005's five best new comic book writers, contributing to the 2000AD Winter Special....
, Inaki Miranda & Eva de la Cruz,
Adrian BamforthAdrian Bamforth is a British comic book artist who has worked for 2000 AD as well as producing work for British small press comics like FutureQuake.-Bibliography:Comics work includes:*Judge Dredd:...
,
Matt TimsonMatt Timson is a British comic book artist who resides in Leicester.-Biography:Timson has done a lot of work for British small press comics including Solar Wind, The End Is Nigh and FutureQuake, as well as working as a freelance illustrator.In recent years he has begun to get professional comics...
,
Michael MolcherMichael Molcher is a British journalist and magazine editor, who is originally from Leeds. He also produces the small press magazine The End Is Nigh....
,
Paul ScottPaul Scott, sometimes known as Paul von Scott, is a British comics writer who is very active in the British small press comics scene.-Biography:Paul attended the University of Birmingham, where he studied geology....
and
Charlie AdlardCharles "Charlie" Adlard is a British comic book artist and penciller.He is best known for providing art on The Walking Dead and Savage.-Biography:...
.
Staff
The current staff are:
- Dave Evans: Art/Commissioning editor
- Richmond Clements: Script/Mangaquake Editor
- Mark Woodland: Script/Communications Editor
- Barny Shergold: Webmaster
Previous members:
- Arthur Wyatt
Arthur Wyatt is a writer for British comic 2000 AD, creating stories mostly in the Future Shock format. Wyatt was also selected as one of 2005's five best new comic book writers, contributing to the 2000AD Winter Special....
(founder and sole editor for issues 1-3)
- James Mackay
- Edward Berridge (script editor)
FutureQuake
Though
FutureQuake is ostensibly open to any form of submission from anyone who chooses to do so, there are certain forms and themes to which the comic adheres. As an
anthologyAn anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
, the stories often feature a moralistic 'twist' at the end, much in the same style as
EC ComicsEntertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books specializing in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series...
's science fiction and horror comics like
Weird ScienceWeird Science was a science fiction anthology comic book that was part of the EC Comics line in the early 1950s. Over a four-year span, the comic ran for 22 issues, ending with the November–December, 1953 issue...
and
The Vault of HorrorThe Vault of Horror was a bi-monthly horror comic anthology series published by EC Comics in the early 1950s. Along with Tales from the Crypt and The Haunt of Fear, it formed a trifecta of popular EC horror anthologies...
, as well as
2000 AD2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
's
Future ShocksFuture Shocks is the name given to a long running series of short strips in the weekly comic 2000 AD in 1977. The name originates in a book titled Future Shock, written by Alvin Toffler, published in 1970.-Publishing history:...
. However, the stories are not necessarily bound by this.
Issues
- 1. Features work by Arthur Wyatt
Arthur Wyatt is a writer for British comic 2000 AD, creating stories mostly in the Future Shock format. Wyatt was also selected as one of 2005's five best new comic book writers, contributing to the 2000AD Winter Special....
, Matt TimsonMatt Timson is a British comic book artist who resides in Leicester.-Biography:Timson has done a lot of work for British small press comics including Solar Wind, The End Is Nigh and FutureQuake, as well as working as a freelance illustrator.In recent years he has begun to get professional comics...
, Michael MolcherMichael Molcher is a British journalist and magazine editor, who is originally from Leeds. He also produces the small press magazine The End Is Nigh....
and Adrian BamforthAdrian Bamforth is a British comic book artist who has worked for 2000 AD as well as producing work for British small press comics like FutureQuake.-Bibliography:Comics work includes:*Judge Dredd:...
among others. With a cover by PJ Holden (free to download).
- 2. Features work by Arthur Wyatt
Arthur Wyatt is a writer for British comic 2000 AD, creating stories mostly in the Future Shock format. Wyatt was also selected as one of 2005's five best new comic book writers, contributing to the 2000AD Winter Special....
, Michael MolcherMichael Molcher is a British journalist and magazine editor, who is originally from Leeds. He also produces the small press magazine The End Is Nigh....
and Matt TimsonMatt Timson is a British comic book artist who resides in Leicester.-Biography:Timson has done a lot of work for British small press comics including Solar Wind, The End Is Nigh and FutureQuake, as well as working as a freelance illustrator.In recent years he has begun to get professional comics...
among others. With a cover by PJ Holden (free to download).
- 3. Features work by Arthur Wyatt
Arthur Wyatt is a writer for British comic 2000 AD, creating stories mostly in the Future Shock format. Wyatt was also selected as one of 2005's five best new comic book writers, contributing to the 2000AD Winter Special....
, David Evans and Adrian BamforthAdrian Bamforth is a British comic book artist who has worked for 2000 AD as well as producing work for British small press comics like FutureQuake.-Bibliography:Comics work includes:*Judge Dredd:...
among others. With a cover by PJ Holden (free to download).
- 4. Features work by Arthur Ranson
Arthur James Ranson is an English illustrator, whose fine line penwork and attention to visual detail has led to the misapplied epithet 'photo-realistic'...
, Inaki Miranda & Eva de la Cruz, Mark Woodland, Stewart McKennyStewart McKenny is an Australian comic book artist, who has been described as "one of Australia's most prolifically published comic book artists".-Career:...
and Richmond Clements among others. With a foreword by Alan Grant and a cover by Matt TimsonMatt Timson is a British comic book artist who resides in Leicester.-Biography:Timson has done a lot of work for British small press comics including Solar Wind, The End Is Nigh and FutureQuake, as well as working as a freelance illustrator.In recent years he has begun to get professional comics...
(free to download).
- 5. Features work by Al Ewing
Al Ewing is a British comics writer who has mainly worked in the small press and for 2000 AD.-Biography:Al Ewing began his career writing stories in the five-page Future Shocks format for 2000AD...
, Michael MolcherMichael Molcher is a British journalist and magazine editor, who is originally from Leeds. He also produces the small press magazine The End Is Nigh....
, Arthur WyattArthur Wyatt is a writer for British comic 2000 AD, creating stories mostly in the Future Shock format. Wyatt was also selected as one of 2005's five best new comic book writers, contributing to the 2000AD Winter Special....
, Julia Bax and Edward Berridge among others. With a foreword by Harry HarrisonHarry Harrison is an American science fiction author best known for his character the Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! , the basis for the film Soylent Green...
and a cover by Charlie AdlardCharles "Charlie" Adlard is a British comic book artist and penciller.He is best known for providing art on The Walking Dead and Savage.-Biography:...
.
- 6. Features work by Stewart McKenny
Stewart McKenny is an Australian comic book artist, who has been described as "one of Australia's most prolifically published comic book artists".-Career:...
(cover), Boo CookBoo Cook is a British comic artist, whose work mainly features in the comic 2000 AD.-Career:Cook's art has appeared in the ABC Warriors and Judge Dredd, as Asylum and Dead Men Walking .In 2005, Cook graduated to regular work on the flagship story on 2000 AD, Judge Dredd, mostly to scripts by...
, Arthur WyattArthur Wyatt is a writer for British comic 2000 AD, creating stories mostly in the Future Shock format. Wyatt was also selected as one of 2005's five best new comic book writers, contributing to the 2000AD Winter Special....
.
- 7. Features work by Al Ewing
Al Ewing is a British comics writer who has mainly worked in the small press and for 2000 AD.-Biography:Al Ewing began his career writing stories in the five-page Future Shocks format for 2000AD...
, Paul ScottPaul Scott, sometimes known as Paul von Scott, is a British comics writer who is very active in the British small press comics scene.-Biography:Paul attended the University of Birmingham, where he studied geology....
and Matt TimsonMatt Timson is a British comic book artist who resides in Leicester.-Biography:Timson has done a lot of work for British small press comics including Solar Wind, The End Is Nigh and FutureQuake, as well as working as a freelance illustrator.In recent years he has begun to get professional comics...
(cover)
Reviews
- With 48 pages, this issue boasts nine multi-page and five one-page strips and art contributions from industry professionals Arthur Ranson, Stewart McKenny, Inaki Miranda and Eva de la Cruz, as well as published authors and other overseas contributors. There are some striking strips concerning the fate of alien abductees, how unfunded superheroes support themselves, the burden of bureaucracy on crime fighters, and a breakthrough in temporal research. - Comics International, about FQ #4
- ZINE OF THE MONTH. Don't be fooled by its relatively simplistic cover – Futurequake is an excellent 'zine with a great selection of standalone strips, ranging from the darkly dramatic ("Domestic Bliss") to traditional sci-fi themes with a comedy twist ("Fortunate Son"). There's real talent [in] both the writing and the art – check out the single-pager "Wrecks" for an example of a short but superbly-told story – and brilliant SF ideas abound. - SFX
SFX is a British magazine covering the topics of science fiction and fantasy.-Description:SFX magazine is published every four weeks by Future Publishing and was founded in 1995. The magazine covers topics in the genres of popular science fiction, fantasy and horror, within the media of films,...
, March 2006, about FQ #5
- It will run for quite a while and go from strength to strength - Comics International
Comics International was a British news and reviews magazine about comic books. Founded in 1990, it was published monthly by Quality Communications until 2006...
192
- Futurequake #6 (£A4, £3.50), inspired no doubt in part by Tharg’s Future Shocks
Future Shocks is the name given to a long running series of short strips in the weekly comic 2000 AD in 1977. The name originates in a book titled Future Shock, written by Alvin Toffler, published in 1970.-Publishing history:...
but owing more, I think to SF short fiction and US pulp comics, is a delight. Well deserving its status of SFX Fanzine of the Month, - Down the Tubes
- The cover and opening strip, Triumph of the Will, by Ed Berridge, Richmond Clements and fine artistic talent Andy Finlayson, make this a must for WWII superhero completists. Gray Wilkinson and Bolt-01 collaborate on a destiny-charged tale with an ironic twist; Arthur Wyatt and Peter Anckom do a nice line in military subterfuge; while several other strips deliver twists so oblique it that their meaning isn't immediately apparent - Comics International, about FQ #6
MangaQuake
MangaQuake
moves away from the FutureQuake format, opting instead for longer stories less reliant on the narrative structure of the 'twist', clearly influenced by the
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese
mangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
comics form.
Issues
- 1. Features work by Michiru Morikawa, Joanna Zhou, Mongoose McCloud and Edward Berridge among others. With a foreword by Jonathan Clements
Jonathan Clements is a British author and scriptwriter. His non-fiction works include biographies of Confucius, Koxinga and Qin Shihuangdi , as well as monthly opinion columns for Neo magazine...
and a cover by Michiru Morikawa. (free to download)
- 2. Features work by PJ Holden, Ed Berridge, Sonia Leong and Bryan Coyle. Issue #2 was withdrawn and reissued with a different cover due to copyright problems with the initial cover.
- 3. Features work by PJ Holden, Bryan Coyle and Mongoose McCloud.
Reviews
- A stylistic departure for small press sci-fi comics - Comics International
Comics International was a British news and reviews magazine about comic books. Founded in 1990, it was published monthly by Quality Communications until 2006...
192
- This very pretty stripzine boasts a broad selection of different art styles, although despite the name, only a few strips make use of the Japanese aesthetic. The highpoints are "Cyborg Butterlfy" - reminiscent of Yukito Kishiro
is a Japanese manga artist, born March 20, 1967 in Tokyo, Japan.-Works:*Hito **Kikai **Kaiousei **Hito **Dai-Majin **Mirai Tokyo Headman **Uchukaizokushonendai...
's Battle Angel AlitaBattle Angel Alita, known in Japan as , is a manga series created by Yukito Kishiro in 1990 and originally published in Shueisha's Business Jump magazine. Two of the nine-volume comics were adapted into two anime original video animation episodes titled Battle Angel for North American release by...
- and the somewhat more Westernised "Wildcards", which parodies Power RangersPower Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
and Godzillais a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
and the super robot genre and is very funny with it, too! - SFX, about MangaQuake #2
- A generous page count allows the two longest strips room to breath. Cyborg Butterly by Sonia Leong, features beautiful art, but substitutes sentiment for characterisation. Mongoose McCloud's Wildcard Taskforce Robo-Guardians, on the other hand, goes all out for fun, with cheeky Jack of Clubs slipping in some filthy remarks about his team-mates. The five shorter strips are all charming in their own way, with The Stunt, and Squandered Eden telling complete stories with admirable economy - Comics International, about MangaQuake #2
Something Wicked
Something Wicked
was the third title launched. The horror comic directly parallels and references the horror titles published by EC ComicsEntertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books specializing in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series...
and those published by Atlas during the 1950s.
Issues
There has been one issue, with a second due summer 2007.
- 1. Features contains 16 strips from creators including Adrian Bamforth
Adrian Bamforth is a British comic book artist who has worked for 2000 AD as well as producing work for British small press comics like FutureQuake.-Bibliography:Comics work includes:*Judge Dredd:...
. Ed Berridge and Keith Burns' tale
By The Pricking of My Thumbs
also appeared as the first strip in the small press slot of the Judge Dredd MegazineJudge Dredd: The Megazine is a monthly British comic magazine, launched in October 1990. It is a sister publication to 2000 AD. Its name is a play on words, formed from "magazine" and Dredd's locale Mega-City One.-Content:...
.
Reviews
All the strips are beautifully drawn, but not all have an inevitability or necessary logic to them. Hence the most satisfactory story is
Adrian BamforthAdrian Bamforth is a British comic book artist who has worked for 2000 AD as well as producing work for British small press comics like FutureQuake.-Bibliography:Comics work includes:*Judge Dredd:...
's
The Other Side, which delivers an unexpected twist that doesn't make the reader wonder why it happened
- Comics InternationalComics International was a British news and reviews magazine about comic books. Founded in 1990, it was published monthly by Quality Communications until 2006...
the execution is superb and, with each strip taking just the right amount of time to deliver its impact, and they're all nicely tied together too
- SFX Magazine
Others
They have published or agreed to take over publishing a number of titles all of which are not part of the core FQP titles (above). As well as their personal projects, these include:
DogbreathDogbreath is a fanzine dedicated to the 2000 AD series Strontium Dog.-Publication history:Dogbreath was started by Dr Bob , who had been writing Strontium Dog fan fiction since 1981...
is a Strontium DogStrontium Dog is a long-running comics series featuring in the British science fiction weekly 2000 AD, starring Johnny Alpha, a mutant bounty hunter with an array of imaginative gadgets and weapons....
fanzineA fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
that, after 14 issues, needed a new home.
Stak!
is a one-off Rogue TrooperRogue Trooper is a science fiction strip in the British comic 2000 AD, created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons. It follows the adventures of Rogue, a G.I. and his three comrades' search for the Traitor General...
fanzine published in Autumn 2007 to coincide with 2000 ADs 30th anniversary.
ZarjazZarjaz is a comics anthology fanzine for the long-running British science fiction comic 2000 AD.-Publication history:Zarjaz was started in 2001 by Andrew J Lewis and ran for four issues. The fanzine contained comic strips based on various 2000 AD characters and also ran an in-depth interview with...
also needed a new home, four issues after the relaunch.
Other press coverage
Magazine articles:
- Judge Dredd Megazine
Judge Dredd: The Megazine is a monthly British comic magazine, launched in October 1990. It is a sister publication to 2000 AD. Its name is a play on words, formed from "magazine" and Dredd's locale Mega-City One.-Content:...
#240 (February 2006) contains a five-page article by Matthew Badham on the British small press comics scene, including interviews with many creators (such as Al EwingAl Ewing is a British comics writer who has mainly worked in the small press and for 2000 AD.-Biography:Al Ewing began his career writing stories in the five-page Future Shocks format for 2000AD...
& Arthur WyattArthur Wyatt is a writer for British comic 2000 AD, creating stories mostly in the Future Shock format. Wyatt was also selected as one of 2005's five best new comic book writers, contributing to the 2000AD Winter Special....
), and reviews of titles including FutureQuake. Stewart McKennyStewart McKenny is an Australian comic book artist, who has been described as "one of Australia's most prolifically published comic book artists".-Career:...
's cover for FutureQuake #6 forms the article's frontispiece.
- Judge Dredd Megazine #251 contained a full page feature on FQP, Shocking Futures and Twisted Tales, by Matthew Badham. It concluded "With a committed editorial team, FutureQuake looks to be a major player in the small press scene for some time to come."
Awards
- 2007
-January:*January 10: Superman & Batman vs. Aliens & Predator released.*January 24: The Boys is canceled with issue #6.-February:*February 2: Newsarama reports that The Boys has been picked up by Dynamite Entertainment....
: Nominated for the "Favourite Black & White Comicbook" Eagle Award
- 2008
-January:*January 9: Teen Titans: The Lost Annual, delayed since 2003, is published.*January 23: Hellblazer #240, marking the 20th anniversary of the series, is released.-February:...
: Nominated for the "Favourite Black and White Comicbook" Eagle Award
- 2010
-Events:*February 18: Jim Lee and Dan DiDio were announced as the new Co-Publishers of DC Comics, both replacing Paul Levitz.-January:*January 3: Tibet dies at age 78...
: Nominated for the "Favourite Black and White Comicbook" Eagle Award
- 2011
-January:*January 4 Axel Alonso is named editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, replacing Joe Quesada.-September:*During the whole month of September DC Comics released 52 brand new titles as part of their The New 52 publishing scheme after canceling all titles in August.-Conventions:*July 2–3 -...
: Nominated for the "Favourite British Comicbook: Black and White" Eagle Award (as were FutureQuake Publishing's 2000 AD fanzines ZarjazZarjaz is a comics anthology fanzine for the long-running British science fiction comic 2000 AD.-Publication history:Zarjaz was started in 2001 by Andrew J Lewis and ran for four issues. The fanzine contained comic strips based on various 2000 AD characters and also ran an in-depth interview with...
and DogbreathDogbreath is a fanzine dedicated to the 2000 AD series Strontium Dog.-Publication history:Dogbreath was started by Dr Bob , who had been writing Strontium Dog fan fiction since 1981...
)
External links