Goldtiger: How You Can Help To See It Happen

Posted by Big Dog on Feb 20, 2013 in Authors, Books, General | Comments Off on Goldtiger: How You Can Help To See It Happen

SciFiFx received a press release from Guy Adams, in the hopes of getting help with a new project that he and Jimmy Broxton are starting. This is the sort of project that I’m always willing to support, because it’s got a great deal of nostalgia to it, for being something new.

I have to be honest, I didn’t know Mr. Adams by name, but once I had gone over his resume I realized I had heard of this man before. He and Mr. Broxton are very talented individuals, but I’ll let Mr. Adam’s words speak for that. I’m planning on putting my money in on this one. I believe in putting my money where my mouth is, and these things aren’t cheap.

Here is their press release:

Writer, Guy Adams and artist Jimmy Broxton have launched a new project on Kickstarter, unveiling the most controversial sixties newspaper strip that never was: Goldtiger.

 

“I’ve wanted to do something that hearkened back to the great British newspaper strips for years,” says Broxton, “and admitted as much to Guy who was as enthusiastic about the idea as I was.”

 

“There’s something really magical about the form,” agrees Adams, “three panels of rich, mad storytelling, slapped into the eyes of people who probably didn’t usually read comics outside their daily newspapers. They were mad, engaging and subversive.”

 

Adams and Broxton have been working together for the last year on THE ENGINE, a digital book released by the innovative new company, Madefire.

 

“Obviously,” says Adams, “Jimmy was already a solid name in comics after his work on books like KNIGHT & SQUIRE and SAUCER COUNTRY but Madefire gave me a chance to finally break into a medium I’ve loved for years. Working with Jimmy on THE ENGINE has been such fun that it was always going to be just a matter of time before we came up with something else we wanted to do together.

 

Adams is mainly known as a novelist, his books THE WORLD HOUSE and its sequel RESTORATION having been followed by brand new Sherlock Holmes novels for Titan Books, adaptations of classic movies for Hammer Books, weird westerns THE HEAVENS GATE CHRONICLES for Solaris and THE CLOWN SERVICE, a horror/espionage series forthcoming from Del Rey UK.

 

“It’s such a relief to only be doing half the work now I’m collaborating with Jimmy,” he jokes. “He suggested we come up with a ‘lost’ strip, something that had been devised as competition for MODESTY BLAISE but cancelled due to its content. Originally we were going to present it completely anonymously, the story of the strip’s creators, Antonio Barreti and Louis Schaeffer being as much a part of the overall effect as the newspaper strip itself. Having decided to go the Kickstarter route we’ve had to be a bit more open about it though…”

 

“God knows what the repercussions would have been otherwise,” agrees Broxton, “when people realised there never was a Goldtiger strip.”

 

“It’s a shame in a way,” says Adams, “it would have been fun to maintain the illusion. But the background to the strip’s creation, and the way it sent its artist mad is a major part of the overall story. We hope to do a series of these books and readers will realise that the fiction and ‘non-fiction’ elements will soon begin to blur, it’s all part of the one big story.”

 

Of course, if the Kickstarter project isn’t successful, life may imitate art. Could Goldtiger become ‘lost’ once more?

 

“We’re really hopeful,” says Broxton, “people have been amazing in their enthusiasm for the idea. But yeah, it’s all a bit nerve-wracking until the funding’s in place.”

 

To find out more about the project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/152141928/goldtiger-by-guy-adams-and-jimmy-broxton

They included some strips so you can get a feel for what they’re trying to accomplish.

From what I can see, the art is clean and detailed without feeling crowded. To tell such things in this sort of medium isn’t easy, but I’ve always enjoyed this style of comic storytelling very much. It’s nostalgic, and that sort of thing appeals a lot to me.  It might make me look up further British comic strips from the time period they are aiming for just to get a further feeling for it.  I haven’t had too many pleasures on those lines, and I’m always looking to expand my library.

Please help to support these guys!  It’s an amazing feeling when your money goes to make things happen.  This is a tangible way to see it happen!

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