Spaceship Away...

[Floyd-the-k]

thanks for telling us about this Wake. Must check it out.

Pat Mills wrote Dare? How was it?

[SmallBlueThing]

Arrise, thread, arrise!, I the neCroPOstEr command it!!

Ahem.

Now, I'm not a fan of the old Eagle, or Dan Dare. I'm of that generation, where I look at the original run with something approaching scorn- stilted, middleclass, worthy in the worst way. Just yuck. Except 'Harris Tweed'. Liked that. Give me the 80s relaunch Eagle anyday.

However, as a dedicated comicologist (I didn't make that up, some people have degrees in it, allegedly) I understand why it, and Dan Dare, are so important, and I can understand and enjoy the craft involved.

With that in mind, I have never picked up a copy of 'Spaceship Away...'- that is, until now. It's been at the back of my head for a while that I really should try an issue, if only to register some degree of support for "amateur comics" in the UK, so I recently did a bit of research and lumped for issue 22 (Autumn 2010)- largely because it had lots of pages, 52, and a feature by Professor Patrick of Mills that concerned the revamped Dare as found in 2000AD and the 80s Eagle. Today, it arrived.

Wow.

I have no idea if all issues are like this- but my Green Grud, it's beautiful! The production is astonishingly good; absolutely no different from any number of magazines you'd find on the high street. It's glossy, colour, heavy, thick and packed with loveliness. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but despite my dislike of the actual original Dan Dare strips, I'm really looking forward to giving this a go. It's all new material- multiple Dare stories, which actually look as if torn from the pages of the original Eagle, plus Garth, Jet Morgan, a comedy strip or two, features and loving reminiscences by creators, including Rian Hughes. And a stunning wrap around cover by Mr Ian Kennedy to boot. I couldn't be happier.

Regular readers, of which surely there must be one or two on the board, may be able to tell me if they've ever done any new strips in the style of the Dan Dare I particularly like- the Dan who rampaged through early 2000AD. Have they, by chance, finished off his story left hanging in the pages of the prog all those decades ago? And if not, why not?

I'll give this a good read before deciding whether to buy any more, but on first appearance, I'm impressed.

SBT

[Robin Low]

Wow.

I've been thinking for some time that I ought to succumb and buy this, so it's good to hear that it's probably worth it.

Regards

Robin

[Mangamax]

Got quite a few and, even though it cripples me wallet, are a must-buy

[Leigh S]

I ve got a good run of these from 1 until my wallet expired - there was no 2000ad version Dan in there, though they did (kind of) reprint a humour strip taking the mickey out of Dans resurrection that had previously ran in an early 80s fanzine
(kind of because it was revamped and expanded)

[maryanddavid]

Dan dare outside of 2000ad is probably my favourite comic. The Man from Nowhere is one of the best stories in British comics. All the revamps left me a little cold, esp the one in the New eagle, never liked it. When they re-revamped the strip in ninties, Kieth Watson did some great art, but unfortunatly it lasted only 6 issues or so, and then a revolving door of artists came in all doing a good job like John Ridgeway and David Pugh, but they never managed to capture the original.

That is one reason I have avoided Spaceships, that it would be a pale imatation of the original, plus the price is a bit off putting, although I have seen the production standards and understand the cost. I await SBT review with interest.

David 

[SmallBlueThing]

I dont have the issue to hand, so there will be no named creators in this review.

Now then, ive said how uttely bloody lovely this mag is, havent i? Seriously, the production is gorgeous and is by far the best looking fanzine ive ever seen. If you like dan dare, that should possibly be enough for you to at least try it out.
That said, i know next to nothing about the 50s strip (havent got around to properly reading the 'biography' i got for xmas yet), and so im probably not the ideal person to ask. My biggest problem with it was that i literally had no idea in the end how much was originated for the zine, and how much was taken from other sources. This is a sort of compliment, because of the 'serious' strips there was only one that i knew was fan-produced. And that was only because the artist had dated it by his sig. The others could be reprints from professional publications, and i wouldnt be surprised if they were.
The pat mills and rian hughes things are short (2 & 1 pages apiece) and to be honest, there wasnt a great deal in it that i loved. But, i reiterate, im not a dan dare fan.

I shant be getting any more, and confess to being dissappointed. In principle, i like the idea of continuing dare.. But this is very definately for people fixated on that original period of the strip's history. Imagine if Zarjaz featured only dredd strips, all drawn in the style of mcmahon or early gibson and written as if from 1978. That's kind of what spaceship away is like.
Excellent for fans of those specific strips, but in no way does it take a wider view.
SBT

[Mike Carroll]

I'm a huge fan of the original Dan Dare, and the 2000 AD incarnation, so the idea of Spaceship Away appeals to me... The magazine looks great: shame that the website is so incredibly awkward to use!

For those interested, the website is http://spaceshipaway.org.uk/ (best of luck figuring out how to navigate it!)

-- Mike