Bryan Talbot writes about Cancertown

CatFang · Bryan Talbot writes about Cancertown

Bryan Talbot, my personal comics god, has read Cancertown.

Sending it off was one of the scariest things we have had to do.

He liked it though.

And he has written the foreword:

He said:

"For a first graphic novel from a new creative team, Cancertown is remarkable. Cy Dethan’s concept alone is brilliant. Is the protagonist, Vincent Morley, a cynical knight in tarnished armour battling unspeakable monsters in a gonzoid Chapel Perilous or a dying sad bastard besieged by visions generated by his terminal brain tumour? Vince’s chosen role, that of maintaining the equilibrium between the “real” London and its parasitic, demonic mirror image and his ability to pass between the two, by grace of his illness, sharply differentiates his story from others in the wide-boy urban sorcerer genre, notably represented by Alan Moore’s John Constantine and Mike Carey’s Felix Castor prose novels. And, though your worst nightmares are his everyday reality, Morley kicks serious arse while maintaining a self-deprecating cascade of gallows humour.

Moreover (do people still say that?) Cancertown actively embraces horror, the genre of horror fiction. It’s not trigger-shy. It doesn’t fuck around. It sets out to horrify, and it succeeds. Although Cancertown owes more to Clive Barker than Ramsey Campbell, it still, like Campbell, has its roots in H.P. Lovecraft and its evocation of genuine creepiness is undeniable. This is in no small part due to the visceral, hallucinogenic art of Stephen Downey working in tandem with the hard-bitten script, the atmospheric colours of Melanie Cook and inventive lettering of Nic Wilkinson. We’re seeing here the first outing of creators who will make their mark on the future comic industry.

Cancertown will disorientate you, suck you in, chew you up and spit you out and you might well be in need of a change of underwear by the end.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Bryan Talbot
Sunderland March 2009"

OMFG!!!!

Just speechless with joy...

Order it from Manny today Smile

Andy Bloor

Very well done, I'm looking forward to getting a copy!

Batmanuel

Awesome, i wish i was you, well maybe not you exactly like you, i mean i don't want to have to, like change who i am or anything, bit more like i wish i was in your position, such a positive response from such an high authority. it doesn't get much better than this, really really really well fucking done, nice one Cy Very Happy

CyNic

Thanks a lot, Manny.

Yeah, I was pretty knocked out by the foreword. We all were. Luther Arkwright was one of the books that really opened my eyes to the possibilities of comics as a kid, so to have Bryan Talbot endorsing Cancertown like this... well, it's basically mindblowing.

I'll stop there before I degenerate into ecstatic incoherence. Smile

Longshot

That was an amazing Foreword, really really making me want to read this now, got it on my Amazon wishlist now [can't get it from Manny, not been in Canters for nearly a year now]. Could you suggest somewhere in London that I could pick it up from myself, always prefer to shop in person than over the net for this kind of thing.

CatFang

Lonshot - I sent you a PM.

But I'm sure if you order from Manny he will post it Very Happy

Batmanuel

Catfang:

CatFang

Now the website says:

Cancertown will be released in May, and is currently available to pre-order from Amazon, or even better, ask your local comic shop to order you a copy in. If you don't have a local comic shop try getting in touch with Whatever Comics from Canterbury in the UK. I have been buying my comics there for nearly 20 years and they are outstanding. Tell them Nic sent you.

* ISBN-10: 1905808135
* ISBN-13: 978-1905808137

And the Whatever Comics is a link to you Very Happy

But this is a site for international customers, and you can see how it would be impossible to list every place you can buy it from.

There is not a Diamond order code.

I know you're in touch with Al, our sales and distribution manager, but you can let me know how many copies you want for the shop - and as there is no nasty Diamond involved there are no nasty "middleman" fees either so everyone gets a better deal.

Tell you what though - if you want an ad for the shop in every Waterstones / Borders etc + things bought from Amazon you should tell me very quickly - in fact ring me at home as the book is going to print in a couple of days.

CatFang

Now Cancertown has a sponsor

"Who could it be?", you ask.

Well if you look at this week's blog (scroll down past the call for subs for the next anthology) you will see.

Or you can see who it is in the inside back cover of the Cancertown ebook - along with some preview art of later chapters.

Place those orders with Manny now!

We may even be able to come down and sign some Very Happy