Bumper book of Battle

[wilsia]

Can anybody tell me if the Bumper Book of Battle advertised on Amazon refers to the Battle comic or the Battle picture library? In any event it seems to have been postponed.

[Lew Stringer]

It refers to a Battle Picture Weekly collection. (There are already reprint books out covering the Battle libraries.) Like the archive Roy of the Rovers book it's subject to delays so don't hold your breath.

Lew

[wilsia]

Thanks Lew, As you say I will not hold my breath. I wonder is the credit crunch making book publishers have second thoughts on releasing some books.

[Lew Stringer]

Thanks Lew, As you say I will not hold my breath. I wonder is the credit crunch making book publishers have second thoughts on releasing some books.

I think there's only so much that companies can blame on the credit crunch.

I understand the Fifties book is on hold for now but WILL be coming out eventually. The Best of Roy of the Rovers: The 1970s is coming out this year.

These decisions may annoy fans but it makes sense to build up an audience with a few more "recent" books first. Putting out a Fifties book wouldn't attract as many readers, so bookshops would then order less of any subsequent RotR books. Putting out a 1970s one first, which has wider appeal, establishes the "brand" with booksellers and the public. Then when it's time to release the 1950s one retailers are more likely to order copies.

Lew

[moose]

have been talking with david leach, who edits collections at titan, at length for the last few days about battle, RotR and other titles due soon.

RotR is done, and includes strips from the '50s to the '70s, and there's a copy in the post (apparently!).

best of battle has been resolicited, and amazon have given new ship dates for october 2009, but it's not done yet. many moons ago i complained about how much the scans of charley's war had deteriorated into an inky mess, with thoughts of 'must try harder'. seems david agreed with me. the battle book will feature some charley stuff, but it was thought unwise to use the existing scans as they're not up to scratch, so it's all being done again. i know this, because titan currently have some of my 1982 run of battle in their hands, being scanned on an ancient crossfield scanned from the '80s (ironically, when i was a teenager in my first job, i used to do tech support for crossfield, calibrating their scanners).

john freeman from 'down the tubes' has just been appointed freelance editor for the collected johnny red series, coming in hardcovers, much like charley. these are even further behind schedule as the previous editor walked off the project without doing much other than steal a few bits off my falcon squadron site, so i'm told.

john has asked me to scan the first two years of johnny red again in higher resolution (hope they pay me), in order to get the joe colquhoun era on the shelves. after that, it's suck it and see. if the early books do well, then john cooper's stuff will get an airing.

garth ennis e-mailed me his intro for the first johnny red collection, and it's good stuff, but it'll be a while before we see it in the shops. i'm waiting to hear back from john about how things will progress.

[Phoenix]

RotR is done, and includes strips from the '50s to the '70s

You and Lew are not talking about the same books, moose. The one he is referring to is Roy of the Rovers - The Archives (1954-55). Earlier this year, responding to my complaint over the delay, Titan informed me by email that they had abandoned their plans to publish this book for the forseeable future. I reported back to the Forum about this at the time.

[moose]

ah,

the current RotR from Titan is a collection of strips from the annuals published between 1955 and the end of the '70s.

[presterjohn]

have been talking with david leach, who edits collections at titan, at length for the last few days about battle, RotR and other titles due soon.

john freeman from 'down the tubes' has just been appointed freelance editor for the collected johnny red series, coming in hardcovers, much like charley. these are even further behind schedule as the previous editor walked off the project without doing much other than steal a few bits off my falcon squadron site, so i'm told.

john has asked me to scan the first two years of johnny red again in higher resolution (hope they pay me), in order to get the joe colquhoun era on the shelves. after that, it's suck it and see. if the early books do well, then john cooper's stuff will get an airing.

garth ennis e-mailed me his intro for the first johnny red collection, and it's good stuff, but it'll be a while before we see it in the shops. i'm waiting to hear back from john about how things will progress.

I used to love Johnny Red but despair that these reprints have so few pages for the money. I am sure bumper editions would sell in far higher quantities.

[Rogerhat]

john has asked me to scan the first two years of johnny red again in higher resolution

Just out of curiosity, what resolution do you scan them in at?

[Black Max]

Personally, i can wait. Am just happy enough that they're being proposed and folk are prepared to delay while sourcing the best possible reproductions.

[Captain Storm]

So scanners have their uses,eh?

The Cap.

p.s. Wonder if a Bumper Book of Adam Eterno would be proposed? Or will I have to do it myself?

[django]

Just got an email from Amazon telling me the Best of Battle has just been despatched, I was beginning to wonder if it was ever gonna come out, I've had it on order for over a year!.

[django]

Just got an email from Amazon telling me the Best of Battle has just been despatched, I was beginning to wonder if it was ever gonna come out, I've had it on order for over a year!.

Came in the post today, I've not had a chance to read much of it yet but it looks great, it's printed on the same pulpy paper that annuals used to be printed on, my only criticism would be that it features 18 different strips over it's 283 pages, I would have preferred less strips but more episodes of each. Btw, there's an advert in the back promoting not only the forthcoming Johnny Red collection but also collections of Darkie's Mob, Rat Pack and Major Eazy, can't wait for them but something tells me it'll be some time till they actually come out!.

[Lew Stringer]

Picked up a copy on Sunday. Titan have wisely given it a chunky pulp-paper format, rather than the slick hardback format of the Steel Claw / Spider / Albion Origins books. It's nice and cheap and looks great.

Surprised to see so many Battle strips are to be given the solo book treatment. No idea when they're coming out though. Could take years I suppose.

Lew

[steelclaw]

Did you buy it from Amazon or a seller selling on Amazon?

Amazon says it's unavailable.

This selller is selling, I find it hard to believe over 1 million have been sold.

Brand new book delivered in the UK in 2-3 days. Over 1 million sold to Amazon customers!