ON AND ON AND ON RUSSELL WILLIS • EDITOR
GATEWAY DRUGS
The* new* year* saw* Panel* Nine* produce* and* David* Fickling* Comics* publish* the* iPad* version* of* The$ Phoenix* –* a* kids’* weekly* comic* available* in* the* UK* through* comic* shops,* book* stores* and* supermarkets.* This*seemed* a*bit*strange* for*me,* as*my* interest*in* comics* has* nearly* always* been* related* to* the* soMcalled* ‘literary* graphic* novel’.* But* the* fact* is* that* The$ Phoenix* is* just* a* brilliant* comic* per* se* (see* for* yourself* with* the* free* sample* in* this* issue)* and* in* Britain,* at* least,* it* is* vitally* needed* to* get* kids* reading* comics.* Without*gateway*drugs*like*The$ Phoenix,*fewer*people*will* be*reading*work*by*Mary*and*Bryan*Talbot...
COSTA CULTURE
Speaking* of* whom,* January* saw* some* fabulous* news* for* BriEsh* comics*with,* the* Talbots*winning*a*major*literary*prize*in*the* form* of*the*Costa*Biography*Award*for*Dotter$of$Her$Father’s$Eyes.*Also* nominated*was*Days$of$the$Bagnold$Summer,*my*favourite*graphic* novel* of* 2012,* by* Joff* Winterheart.* (Both* published* by* Jonathan* Cape*in*the*UK). * And*just*as*we*were*about*to*release*this*issue,* Glyn* Dillon’s* The$Nao$ of$Brown* won* the* Special* Prize* at* Angoulême,* and* Jon* McNaught* won* the* Newcomer* prize* with* Dockwood...* Britain* is* ‘punching* above* its* weight’,* as* the* diplomats* like* to* say,* when* it* comes*to*comics*for*the*cognoscenE!
LITERARY GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR THE MASSES, NOW!
It*all*augurs*well*for*our*main*project*of*2013,* which*is*to*set*up*a* new* company* to* release* a* special* storefront* for* deluxe* digital* versions*of*‘literary*graphic*novels’.*We’ve*been*working*with*some* fabulous* publishers* on* agreements* to* have* their* books* available* through*Panel*Nine.*The*storefront*will*be*marketed*to*the*type*of* people* who* would* read* and* love* the* work* of* Posy* Simmonds,* Marjane* Satrapi,*Art*Spiegelman,* Alison*Bechdel,*Raymond*Briggs,* Bryan* Talbot* et* al.* This* target* audience* would* never* think* of* themselves*as*comics*readers,*let*alone*visit*a*comic*shop,*digital*or* otherwise.*Watch*this*space! ∞ ENDS ∞
Cover ILYA Editor Russell*Willis contact@ienglish.com Contributors ILYA Garen*Ewing Sean*T*Collins John*Innes PJ*Holden PM*Buchan Chloë*MarEn Hayden*Hughes John*GraGan Nick*Dawkins Publisher Panel*Nine
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Published*biMmonthly.* This*app*©*iEnglish.com*Ltd. Contents*©*individual*copyright*holders. Volume323•3Issue3#33•3February32013.* This*is*issue*#3*of*the*new*INFINITY,*a* magazine*about*digital*comics*and*more.* Please*email*inquiries*about*contributions* to*the*address*above.
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