Mega City Book Club

Paul Deadeye joins the book club to discuss Cassandra Anderson's adventures in Shamballa. And we talk about Paul's friendship with the late Alan Grant, and Alan's great legacy as a writer, editor, and mentor to so many in the comics industry.Grab a copy from the 2000AD store and listen to the audiobook from Penguin Random House audio.Check out Paul's model work in the 1977-2000AD Facebook group and contact him there if you are interested in collaborating on his new comic.You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

David Robertson from That Comic Smell podcast takes me through a recent release from Hibernia Comics and the life and works of artist Brian Lewis.Check out David's own Fred Egg comics at his BigCartel store.You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

Luke Williams is back to guide me through the post-apocalyptic landscape of The Last American by Wagner, Grant and McMahon. Get your copy from the 2000AD store.And please check out Luke's own writing on the Comic Scene, Down the Tubes, and the ECBT2000AD sites.You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

Giles Wright is back with another eclectic selection of Dredd stories. And these tell us a lot about the different aspects of Joe's character as reflected in his extended family members.Get your copy from the 2000AD store.You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

Graham Cannon joins me in the Peterborough Close Encounters comic shop to discuss that time when pesky Xenomorphs arrived in Mega-City One. And we get to discuss what makes a great crossover in comics.You can read this story in Case Files 36, or in the digital version of the Predator vs Aliens collection. And you can find Graham's Alien story if you can track down a copy of Zarjaz 39.You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

Matthew Ellis joins me in a somewhat noisy London box room to discuss an obscure comic from the first 12 issues of Battle Picture Weekly. We get to talk about early plot reveals, the differences between boys' and girls' comics from the 1970s, handling problematic racial stereotypes, and other difficulties with collecting comics from this period. Note: I did what I could with the background noise on this episode but there are a lot of sirens in London!You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

Space Spinner 2000 takes us to Mars as Conrad Leiden returns with the further adventures of Judge Anderson from Psi Division. Spoiler alert early on for a big character reveal in this story.This episode was recorded before the sad passing of Alan Grant, stay tuned for a book club tribute to Alan later in the year. Tune in to Space Spinner 2000 and the Big Meg One wherever you get your podcasts. You can find the Childhood's End story in Psi Files volume 2You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

The book club celebrates 200 episodes and invites Brett Summers back to answer a question we posed in episode 13, is Case Files volume 5 the best Judge Dredd book to hand to a new reader? Check out Brett's blogging and podcast at CultFaction.com and Apple podcasts.Buy your copy of Case Files 5 from your local comic or book shop, or from the 2000AD webstore.You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

Tony Esmond from the Never Iron Anything podcast joins me to discuss a new small press anthology comic that grew out of the Awesome Comics Podcast community, and is raising money for cancer research UK.Get your copy from https://duicomic.bigcartel.com/ and if you are interested in submitting a pitch for next year's issue 3 then email duicomic3@gmail.comAnd get Tony's comics, including the highly recommended Hidden Figures, from Tribute Press.You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

Sheridan Kelly joins me at London's Cartoon museum to discuss Bryan Talbot's Adventures of Luther Arkwright, and a wide variety of releases since the 1970s. The Talbot exhibition continues at the museum until October 2022. Thank you to Emma Stirling-Middleton and Steve Marchant at the Cartoon museum for their help with this episode.You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

I met up with Damian Lubanski in an echoey London dungeon to discuss Thistlebone book 2, the art of Simon Davis, and the subject of folk horror in film, television, and comics.Note: this book and episode refer to the subject of child abuse. Listener discretion advised.Get your copy of Thistlebone 2 from Bookshop.orgYou can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

Andrew Stringer joins the book club to introduce me to the DC Thomson comic Bullet and the exploits of its lead character, Fireball. Seek out the Warlord and Battle Fans groups on Facebook, and follow the Fireball page for more great 1970s comics discussion.You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

The demon letterer himself, Jim Campbell, returns to the book club with a Hibernia comics collection of the House of Daemon by John Wagner, Alan Grant and Jose Ortiz. We discuss how Ortiz achieves such superlative art, how Jim identified the letterers on the series, and the fact that Wagner & Grant were writing just all the British comics back then. This episode was recorded before the sad news of the death of 2000AD legend Alan Grant.You can see Jim's tutorials on his blog, and find him on instagram, and get the Nate Piekos guide to comic book lettering from Blambot.You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

Conrad from Space Spinner 2000 is back for another Mega City film club. And we have to talk about two Judge Dredd movies that, actually, we both quite like a lot. And stay tuned to the end for our Thor: Love and Thunder review.You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

Chris Hallam is a freelance writer on comics and films. He joins me to discuss the great Ace Trucking Co. by Wagner, Grant and Belardinelli. Track down your own hard copy from Hachette.Check out Chris's blog, you can buy the History of Comics magazines from Get My Comics, and you can find his own Judge Dredd story in Zarjaz 39.You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

I'm back in the Betsey Trotwood pub with Alex Frith and this time the book club is entirely devoted to a guest project. Alex has created a graphic novel about neuroscience with his parents Uta and Chris Frith, and the artist Daniel Locke. It's a fantastic look at how our brains work, both by themselves, and in cooperation with others. We talk about the process of writing the book, and the collaborative process that reflects his parents’ scientific endeavours. Order your copy from Bookshop.org or your local book shop. Check out Alex's Heroes of 2000AD blog, his ranking of Judge Dredd epics, and his comparison of the end of year progs.You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose sav

Paul Trimble joins me for some bonus Battle Action. We discuss the new hardback collection without any spoilers, and then move on to talk about what might come next from Rebellion and the Treasury of British Comics.Follow the Enniskillen Comic Fest on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Check out volume 3 of Battling Britons, and get a copy of Blazing Battle Action while stocks last.You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

Andy Janes is a character designer and story board artist for Aardman animations, and a published Beano artist. He joined me at the Lawless convention to discuss a huge hardback collection of Cam Kennedy's Judge Dredd stories, and to reflect on Kennedy's wonderful artwork and storytelling. Google tells me there was a second volume of Kennedy stories from IDW but that is also out of print and very hard to find.You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

Giles Richards is a sports journalist, and the Formula One correspondent for the Guardian newspaper. He joins me over a slightly crackly Zoom link to discuss a new collection of classic Judge Death stories which features some peak Brian Bolland artwork.Buy your copy of the Essentials trade paperback from your local book shop, or from 2000AD.You can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.

It's a speedy return for the Don of British comics, Richard Sheaf, as we take a brief time-out from the Lawless convention to discuss John Sanders' memoir of his 25 years as a publisher in the British comics industry.Check out Richard's daily blog, and get your copy of the book from 2000ADYou can find a list of episodes so far and all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Twitter, and on instagram, or email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.comMusic used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Or Download hereRight click and choose save link as to download to your computer.