Grant Morrison in Starblazer

[tony ingram]

Quick question, since someone asked me and I have no idea: how many issues of Starblazer did Grant Morrison contribute to? Anyone know?

[starscape]

"Algol the Terrible" Starblazer #15 (DC Thomson, '79, a/w: Grant Morrison)
"Last Man on Earth" Starblazer #28 (DC Thomson, '80, a: Keith Robson)
"Operation Overkill" Starblazer #45 (DC Thomson, '81, a: Alcatena)
"The Cosmic Outlaw" Starblazer #86 (DC Thomson, '82, a: Jamie Ortiz)
"The Death Reaper" Starblazer #127 (DC Thomson,'84, a: Alcatena)
"Mind Bender" Starblazer #167 (DC Thomson, '86, a: Alcatena)
"The Midas Mystery" Starblazer #177 (DC Thomson, '86, a: Alcatena)
"The Ring of Gofannon" Starblazer #209 (DC Thomson, '88, a: Garijo)

[tony ingram]

Oh, well done that man! Thanks.

[crow]

I'm quite surprised that DCT haven't released a collection of Grant Morrison's Starblazer work. I would assume it'd be a quite popular one for all the GM completists out there.

[David McDonald]

I though it was only three that he did. Alcatenas art on Starblazer is class, a hidden gem.
I did look into licencing Starblazer before I did the Doomlord collection, and they were favourable to the idea, but IIRC a bit expencive at the time.

No doubt a collection will appear and it will be worth picking up.

David

[felneymike]

I'm susprised there wasn't a big Starblazer book thrown out to compete with Rick Random years ago. They probably have most/all of the original art too, meaning it would both look better and wouldn't need any expensive tinkering!

[philcom55]

Going by his artwork for Starblazer 15 I'd say it's just as well that Morrison decided to concentrate on writing.



As for the suggestion of a collected edition I really don't see it happening anytime soon; DC Thomson would never have stopped publishing Starblazer in the first place if it was selling well (in addition to which I've heard that the Rick Random collection was the least successful of the recent Fleetway reprints!).

- Phil Rushton

[starscape]

I humbly suggest you're mistaken as to the collected Grant Morrison Starblazer. They always sold very quickly when I ran my store. Grant is a big big seller. 100% this collection would sell on the basis of his name.

[philcom55]

I humbly suggest you're mistaken as to the collected Grant Morrison Starblazer. They always sold very quickly when I ran my store. Grant is a big big seller. 100% this collection would sell on the basis of his name.

I guess you could be right with an all-Morrison collection if DCT took the unusual step of marketing it in the US. In this country, however, I don't think it could ever clock up the mass-market sales they'd be looking for.

I'm quite impressed to hear that your store used to sell Starblazer by the way - in my experience it was never stocked by the major chains such as Forbidden Planet (and, of course, few people knew who the creative teams were when it was originally being published).

- Phil R.

[David McDonald]

I think there is a potential for a collection, Morrison isint the only 'Name' to work on Starblazer. McMahon, Smith and McNeil all did work, and as I have said Alcatenas art is great.
As for Starblazers sales, it would have relied on newsstand sales not Forbidden Planets, and had to be reasonally good to not have relied on reprints and have lasted so long.

David

[philcom55]

I think Starblazer was launched to cash in on the public enthusiasm engendered by the first Star Wars film. As the latter faded away sales gradually declined until it ceased to be a going concern. I agree that Alcatena is a fantastic artist, yet for some reason the Americans never seem to have shown much enthusiasm for him. Does anyone remember his amazing work on Marvel's short-lived Fantastic Four title for young readers?

- Phil R.

[starscape]

I guess you could be right with an all-Morrison collection if DCT took the unusual step of marketing it in the US. In this country, however, I don't think it could ever clock up the mass-market sales they'd be looking for.

I'm talking comic shop distro by the way, not newsagents. It would fly off the shelves in the US. No marketing needed other than a press release. Honestly, it would be that hot.

There would be a market, I'm sure, even in the UK for Commando style reprint books with traditional distro. It really was a very popular back-issue that would always sell. It's a very different market now to when it finished, with nostalgia playing a big part. There's also the 2000AD crowd to snap up some of the more well-known creators.

I really think DCT are missing a trick by ignoring their 70s material to such an extent.

[philcom55]

I guess DCT's early Bolland and Gibbons strips would be of interest as well. Maybe they could do a deal with Rebellion or Titan to package and market it for them alongside their 2000AD material?

Having said that I remain slightly dubious about the sales potential. With its Harry Harrison scripts and Ron Turner art I thought the Rick Random book was sure to be a best-seller, yet that seems to have hit the shelves like a lead potato...!

- Phil R.

[crow]

I think DCT should join up with someone like IDW in the States. IDW already re-package older material (Marvel UK Doctor Who strips from the 80s for example.). I did wonder if the art could be reformatted in some way? Or even coloured? Maybe it's not economically viable to do that?

As to Grant Morrison's art: I think it's pretty good for someone who was in their late teens.

[paw broon]

The art is very poor and for a pro publication, the age of the artist is unimportant. That said, many American titles, during the explosion of indie comics, featured very poor, sometimes execrable, art but most of that stuff didn't sell.
When I was involved in the comic shop, we stocked 2000AD but not Starblazer or other classic British comics. I always thought the star of Starblazer was Alcatena - loved his work. As to a Morrison Starblazer compilation, I'm biased as I dislike most everything he has done and if it is published, but it might well harm his rep. certainly if the sample posted by Phil were to be used as publicity. Wonder how all those American fans would take to that low quality.
In the U.K., these compilations just don't sell well. I bought the Rick Random collection even though I had most of the originals and I was aware, despite the blurb, that one story was drawn by Bill Lacey. But, outside of the tight coterie of British fans, I imagine the sales were low. I'd buy collections of Starblazer if it featured some of the classier acts who graced its pages and I'd go for other collections of old Fleetway or Thomson material, as long as it wasn't war. But, again, outside of real fans, I doubt if many in Britain would even know what the collections were and would care less. Sorry to be so negative but this doesn't seem to be a comic orientated country.