One of the biggest names in comics, writer Garth Ennis, will be appearing at this year’s Enniskillen ComicFest on Saturday, June 18. Garth will be there to launch his new hardcover anthology, Battle-Action, along with four of the artists who worked on it.
He is travelling over to the UK for just two personal appearances to launch Battle-Action, one in London and the other in Enniskillen, showing the esteem in which the event is held within the comics industry and spreading the town’s name far and wide.
Comic writer Garth Ennis.
The Battle-Action Special includes seven brand new stories written by Garth, originally from Belfast – the mind behind The Boys and Preacher as well as Batman and the Punisher, as well as war comics such as The Stringbags and The Lion and the Eagle, both drawn by Belfast artist PJ Holden.
Battle Picture Weekly was where the revolution in British comics began. Created in 1975 by writers and editors Pat Mills and John Wagner, it introduced new grittiness into comics with its cast of anti-heroes and misfits which was then built on by the editorial team of Dave Hunt and Steve MacManus into the best war comic on the market with Major Eazy, HMS Nightshade, Johnny Red and the iconic Charley’s War, rated by many as the greatest British comic series ever. Battle’s bombast and energy sparked a sea-change in what comics could do, leading to Mills creation of the controversial Action and the globally influential 2000 AD.
The Battle Action Special celebrates the merging of this landmark title with its controversial stablemate, Action in November 1977, a combination that took the two comics to even greater heights. Now, forty years after the original, some of the cream of British comics talent are bringing these classic characters back to life.
Artist Kevin O’Neill revisits Kids Rule O.K., the highly controversial strip by writer Tom Tully and artist Mike White that saw Action withdrawn from newsagents and pulped in late 1976, then heavily censored for its all too brief return. Fresh from the end of his acclaimed League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series with Alan Moore, O’Neill brings his visceral and intense style to this tale of kids gone wild in a post-apocalyptic landscape, while wryly commenting on the political storm that erupted during its original run.
Meanwhile, take to the skies with award winning aviation artist Keith Burns, and witness the air duel of the century as ace fighter pilot Johnny Red faces off against Nazi airman Skreamer of the Stukas. Infamous German tank commander Hellman of Hammer Force bears down on American Major Jeb Rider of Glory Rider in Tunisia, drawn by the legendary Mike Dorey (Ro-Busters).
Blunt instrument of British Intelligence Dredger returns and doles out justice – of a kind – on the mean streets of 1980s London, courtesy of John Higgins.
Take on the 100mph madness of Crazy Keller in the aftermath of D-Day by Chris Burnham (Batman) before meeting the first action heroine in a boys comic, Captain Nina Petrova, whose all-woman Russian bomber squadron wreak havoc on the Eastern Front, with art by Patrick Goddard. And roll out into Italy in the heat of 1944 with The Sarge as Ennis reunites with The Stringbags artist PJ Holden.
Garth Ennis' new book which will be launched at Enniskillen ComicFest.
The new Battle-Action Special will be available at the Enniskillen ComicFest in both the standard cover and a special ‘Ennis-killen’ variant cover so you will have the opportunity to have it autographed by Garth along with Mike Dorey, PJ Holden, Keith Burns and Patrick Goddard.
Also appearing at ComicFest will be Marvel artist Declan Shalvey who, among his body of work, illustrated the Moon Knight series which is adapted in the recent tv show and David Hunt, who oversaw the glory days of Battle and went on to edit Eagle in the 1980’s. 2000 AD writers Michael Carroll, Maura McHugh and Rob Williams will be there as well as Batman and Judge Dredd artist William Simpson, also from Belfast, who was storyboard artist and designer on Game Of Thrones. Also present will a number of local Northern Ireland comic creators and some fantastic new self-published, and Kickstarter backed, comics.
Speaking to The Impartial Reporter, Chair of Enniskillen ComicFest committee, Paul Trimble said: “We’ve some really exciting guests coming along to ComicFest. I’m really looking forward to meeting them, and seeing their work.”
Enniskillen ComicFest is taking place at St. Macartin’s Cathedral Hall, Enniskillen on June 18, with doors opening at 10.30am. Entry to the event is free and further details can be found on the Enniskillen ComicFest Facebook page as well as Instagram and Twitter.
Paul went on to advise that unlike previous ComicFests, this year’s one-day event will be more suitable for an adult audience.
“We won’t have the kid’s area, we won’t have Beano creators. We won’t have anything aimed, unfortunately, at younger comics fans.
“It’s disappointing because it’s something I have tried to encourage over the years because children are the next generation of comics readers and creators but just with Covid still lingering and just the length of time that we’ve had to plan the event, we’re just playing it careful.”
“However, by all means if kids want to come along and take a look, we’re not going to turn anybody away but there may not be as much for them to hold their attention and to spend their time with than what we’ve had previously,” he added.
Enniskillen ComicFest is sponsored by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council funded by the Department for Communities, and by Experience Enniskillen.
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