1981: LEW STRINGER'S METAMORPH ISSUE 2

From Summer/ Autumn 1981... the second issue of Lew (MARVEL UK and a lot else besides) Stringer's fanzine METAMORPH (not to be confused with the later DOCTOR WHO fanzine the same - or similar - name).

This was an early appearance of 'Brick Person', Lew's caped crusader who swiftly became known as BRICKMAN. And eventually graduated to his own Harrier Comics one-stop and - more recently - a really nice digest collection.

The mag itself is a really nice mix of material... the sort of thing that would tickle a Star Age geek's fancy if they found it poking through their letterbox.

1986: LEW STRINGER'S BRICKMAN House Ad (Harrier Comics)

From November 1986: A House Ad for Lew Stringer's excellent BRICKMAN one-shot (uniseries!) published by British indie Harrier Comics (riding the black & white boom for all its worth). 

Harrier started with CONQUEROR (see: here) in 1984 and expanded with the anthology SWIFTSURE (which, in the great British tradition, absorbed Conqueror after only nine regular issues) and then launched a myriad of other titles.  Some of which were interesting... some less-than-stellar.  Martin Lock's venture seemed to hit paydirt with RED FOX (see: here) but, presumably, floundered when demand for indie comics dropped off a cliff when retailers and readers suddenly twigged that most of them were pretty poor and few had the potential to be the next Ninja Turtles.  

BRICKMAN, however, is an excellent read.  I've always loved Lew's work (principally at MARVEL UK although his talents have graced a myriad of titles since his first professional work appeared in THE DAREDEVILS issue 7) and he's on top form here.  And just look at the talent he assembled to help him out.  

This very occasionally surfaces in the 50p boxes and should be purchased immediately.  A 2005 paperback, BRICKMAN BEGINS! by Active Images, reprinted this and various other Brickman strips from fanzines. 

1997: COMBAT COLIN SUMMER SPECIAL (Lew Stringer)

Colin will need no introduction to long-time Marvel UK readers.  Lew Stringer's "urban survivalist" first made his debut as the resident gag strip in ACTION FORCE.  When the weekly succumbed to low sales after only a year, Colin (along with the G.I. Joe reprints) transferred into the pages of THE TRANSFORMERS.  He remained a mainstay until shrinking editorial budgets sealed his fate.  He also found time to appear in THE MARVEL BUMPER COMIC.

Marvel, in an unusual moment of generosity, transferred ownership back to Lew allowing him to publish this one-shot A5 fanzine for the summer of 1997.  The line-up, behind the colour cover, was a new Colin strip supplemented by some reprints, Pete's Pimple (Lew's OINK strip) and Suburban Satanists, a gag strip for a European audience.

A second CC special followed.

Until the beginning of this year, Lew was blogging regularly at BLIMEY! It's Another Blog About Comics.  Although he's not updating the blog at present (making the internet seem a more empty place), his previous posts are an invaluable resource for anyone interested in British comics.