ROK Comics releases digital edition of STRIP Magazine #2

The iPad-only digital edition of STRIP Magazine #2 is now on sale from iTunes - again in advance of the print edition.

Produced by ROK Comics for Print Media Productions, the second issue of the Magazine - available in print from UK comic shops from 14th December - features a

cover by top Tank Girl artist Rufus Dayglo and includes:

• Black Ops Xtreme Part 2, written by John Freeman and drawn by PJ Holden: the team are sent to South America to kill a dangerous terrorist!

• Warpaint Part 2 by Phil Hester and John McCrea: Mia learns more about an ancient war!

• Age of Heroes Part 2 by James Hudnall and John Ridgway: the magician Wex battles for his life against deadly monsters!

• Recovery Inc. by Michael Penick and Dean Deckard: the company is hired to retrieve a top secret stolen prototype!

• Hook Jaw, re-mastered by Jim Campbell and Gary Caldwell: Joy over an oil strike turns sour as the great white shark Hook Jaw attacks!

• 'Cold Hard Facts' - a man from the 20th Century finds the future is not the paradise he expected

• The second winner of our 'Strip Challenge' - "The Citadel Codex", set in ancient Mexico

• An exclusive interview with comic artist John McCrea, British comics news, a competition to win copies of Paul Gravett's new book 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die and the new collection of Alan Grant and Arthur Ranson's Mazeworld; and a sneak preview of Crucible, one of the new strips coming up next year STRIP Magazine.

• Buy STRIP Magazine #2 from iTunes

Steve English wins Bucket Prize with Mobile Phone-inspired comic

Steve English with his
'Tartan Bucket'

Steve English, creator of the ROK Comics-published strip Madd Science, has just been awarded the first Tartan Bucket Prize (named in honour of famous Scottish comics character Oor Wullie) organised by Dundee University in conjunction with D C Thomson.

The aim of the competition was to design a cartoon character and story that would be suitable for the likes of weekly print comics Beano and Dandy.

Steve's winning entry, Belle's Magic Mobile, will feature in the Beano in January 2012.

"It's about a girl with a magic mobile phone that she gets from her grandad who looks suspiciously like Alexander Graham Bell," Steve tells us. "I'm hoping there's lots of scope for follow up stories. I'm madly inking some new stories to show the Beano, but time will only tell if they see it that way too.

"They're going to publish it in January," he reveals. "Chris Murray, the guy who organised the Dundee Comic Day, has said he would probably put an exhibition together for that time too."

Madd Science is one of three creator-owned iPhone apps available from ROK Comics, the others being Ligeia the Vampire by Rodrigo Diaz Ricci and The Mobile Gospel by Rich Diesslin.

ROK Comics fans will recall Steve also won our very own comics competition, back in 2007.

In addition to his competition success, his football humour strip Football Earth now features in two more publications, She Kicks published by Baltic Publications and Farnborough OBG matchday programme.

ROK Comics partners with STRIP Comic Magazine for first iPad title

ROK Comics is pleased to announce the launch of a digital edition of the new UK adventure anthology comic STRIP Magazine, published by Print Media Productions.

Initially only available in print in dedicated UK comic shops, the digital edition of the first issue is now available worldwide for iPad from the Apple iTunes store.

Published by new graphic novel and magazine company Print Media Productions, STRIP Magazine is an adventure anthology comic featuring some great art and stories from some brilliant creators including PJ Holden (Judge Dredd), John McCrea (Hitman, The Boys), Michael Penick (Insurrection), John Ridgway and many more.

Offering a range of strip stories, comics news, interviews and features, plus a fully re-mastered version of the classic British comic strip Hookjaw, this is a first issue you will not want to miss!

ROK Comics partnership with Print Media Productions is one of several new agreements with comics publishers and comic creators. These include the release of an iPad edition of The Iron Moon, a steampunk graphic novel created by acclaimed film writer Stephen Walsh and veteran British artist Keith Page. A special 'prequel' strip for The Iron Moon appears in STRIP Magazine #1.

The opening page of Black Ops Xtreme,
drawn by PJ Holden.
© Print Media Productions

ROK Comics recently launched its first fully originated comic, TEAM M.O.B.I.L.E. which is initially being published as a weekly web comic (at www.theteammobile.com), followed by roll out on iPad and other devices.

An ongoing adventure comic, TEAM M.O.B.I.L.E. centres on the story of teenagers recruited into a secret organisation to battle crime, terrorism and other dangers – some stranger than others – created by ROK founder Jonathan Kendrick.

ROK Comics has previously published creator-owned and licensed strips for mobile, with three iPhone apps – Ligeia the Vampire by Rodrigo Diaz Ricci, The Mobile Gospel by Rich Diesslin and Madd Science by Steve English.

Further iPhone and iPad apps, working with a number of different publishers, are in development.

ROK Comics, part of ROK Global PLC, continues to provide mobile comics content for WAP subscription services across the globe and is currently working with partners in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Listed on the Open Market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, ROK Global PLC was co-founded by US Billionaire John Paul DeJoria and UK-based serial technology-specialist entrepreneur, Jonathan Kendrick.

In addition to being co-founder of ROK, John Paul DeJoria is Chairman and CEO of John Paul Mitchell Systems, the producer and manufacturer of Paul Mitchell hair care products and is also co-founder of Patron Tequila, the world’s leading premium tequila brand.

ROK has pioneered many new technologies in the rapidly-evolving mobile and web space, including high quality mass-market Mobile TV

Print Media is a new British company formed by Ivo Milicevic, who has been publishing comics and graphic albums in Bosnia and Croatia for 20 years, working with publishers such as Bamboo, Casterman Dupuis, Les Humanoides Associes and King Features Syndicate. PMP UK plans to publish comics and graphic albums in the UK market, developing their own characters but also working directly with creators and other publishers to create new graphic albums and comic strips. More info at www.printmediaproductions.com

• Visit ROK Comics at: www.rokcomics.com

• STRIP Magazine #1 can be downloaded at: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/strip-magazine-1/id474222695?mt=8

• The Iron Moon can be downloaded at: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/the-iron-moon/id472627046?mt=8

• Read Team M.O.B.I.L.E. at www.theteammobile.com

ROK Comics releases first iPad Graphic Novel, "The Iron Moon"

Lancaster, England, 28th October 2011: ROK Comics, Britain's dedicated mobile comics publisher, is pleased to announce the launch of a digital edition of the steampunk graphic novel The Iron Moon, a creator-owned comic story by acclaimed Commando comics artist Keith Page and film writer Stephen Walsh.

Described as 'Rorke's Drift in Space', The Iron Moon is a fast-paced steampunk-inspired adventure starring no-nonsense adventuress Charlotte Corday and is now available worldwide for iPad from the Apple iTunes store.

In the story, the twentieth century is just around the corner and Queen Victoria is hale and hearty as she heads into the second century of her reign. The British Empire stretches from the white cliffs of Dover to the red skies of Mars. Go-getting men and women of the imperial dominions flock to the colours, eager to make reputations and fortunes in the wilds of high space.

Take lieutenant Charlotte Corday, for instance. Born in what used to be known as France, she has risen to prominence through the ranks of the Royal Space Navy and now finds herself up to her neck in her greatest escapade yet. Watch as she travels to the mysterious Iron Moon! Marvel as she grapples with a conspiracy that may see the galaxy plunged into war! Goggle as she meets new and strange races, both mechanical and biological! Ponder how she manages to put away so many cups of tea! And prepare to have your brain scrambled as she scoops us up and carries us to the very limits of this universe... and into the next!

ROK Comics partnership with Stephen and Keith is one of several new agreements with comics publishers and comic creators. These include the release of an iPad edition of the first issue of the adventure anthology comic STRIP Magazine, published by Print Media Productions, which includes a special 'prequel' strip for The Iron Moon.

ROK Comics recently launched its first fully originated comic, TEAM M.O.B.I.L.E. which is initially being published as a weekly web comic (at www.theteammobile.com), followed by roll out on iPad and other devices.

ROK Comics has previously published creator-owned and licensed strips for mobile, with three iPhone apps – Ligeia the Vampire by Rodrigo Diaz Ricci, The Mobile Gospel by Rich Diesslin and Madd Science by Steve English.

Further iPhone and iPad apps, working with a number of different publishers, are in development.

ROK Comics, part of ROK Global PLC, continues to provide mobile comics content for WAP subscription services across the globe and is currently working with partners in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

• The Iron Moon can be downloaded for £4.99 at: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/the-iron-moon/id472627046?mt=8


• Visit ROK Comics at: www.rokcomics.com


• A print edition of The Iron Moon is available from Print Media Productions – www.printmediaproductions.com

Praise for The Iron Moon

"Keith Page's artwork here is a joy and a revelation... In recent years his own style has really developed and The Iron Moon is proof of the dedication and hard work he's devoted to his craft. Keith has put an amazing amount of detail into the drawings and the book is a rewarding experience... A refreshing change from all the computer coloured pages usually found in comics these days."
Lew Stringer, Blimey, It's another Blog About Comics

"... Keith Page’s imaginative artwork complements and enhances Walsh’s writing. It brings the fantastic and bizarre world to life, no mean feat considering some of the things that the script has asked him to do. That he has done everything asked of him... and done it with such style is an achievement that deserves all the plaudits it will get."
Gordon Robertson, Comic Buzz

About the Authors

Iron Moon writer Stephen Walsh has written multiple volumes of DC Thomson's Commando Picture Library, as well as the graphic novel The Acid Bath Case (illustrated by Kellie Strom). He co-wrote the feature films How Harry Became A Tree, released in 2001, directed by Goran Paskaljevic and the upcoming Where The Sea Used To Be, directed by Paul Farren. He's currently working on a documentary about John Ford with the director Sé Merry Doyle, as well as preparing further adventures of Charlotte Corday with Keith Page.

Inspired by the great British comics artists of the past such as Frank Hampson, Don Lawrence and Joe Colquhoun, Keith Page has worked full-time in comics and illustration for some 17 years. Subjects have ranged from television-related material such as Thunderbirds, science fiction, and his current war stories of all periods for Commando. A variety of Keith's work can be seen on www.keithpageukcomicsartist.blogspot.com.

About ROK Global

Listed on the Open Market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, ROK Global PLC was co-founded by US Billionaire John Paul DeJoria and UK-based serial technology-specialist entrepreneur, Jonathan Kendrick.

In addition to being co-founder of ROK, John Paul DeJoria is Chairman and CEO of John Paul Mitchell Systems, the producer and manufacturer of Paul Mitchell hair care products and is also co-founder of Patron Tequila, the world’s leading premium tequila brand.

ROK has pioneered many new technologies in the rapidly-evolving mobile and web space, including high quality mass-market Mobile TV (which can be streamed, live and on-demand, over mass-market 2.5G as well as 3G and Wi-Fi) as well as mobile security technologies and multi-language text-to-speech technologies.

Cartoonist Callout for The 9th Annual 'The Cartoon Days of Christmas'

ROK Comics creator Rich Diesslin has just announced the 9th Annual On-line The Cartoon Days of Christmas, which aims to offer cartoonists interested in some free promotional fun.

This year's Cartoon Days of Christmas will begin on 1st December and run until 5th January 5th at www.the-cartoonist.com. Cartoons need to be submitted by 28th November in order to be posted on the web site.

Each cartoonist will have a page featuring two or more cartoons on the theme of humor in the Christmas season.

"It will be G-rated fun for the whole family and help to keep the hustle and bustle of the holidays in perspective," says Rich.

How it's looked in past years can be found at www.the-cartoonist.com/tcdc_july.html

Rich, whose 'Mobile Gospel' is available as a ROK Comics-produced iPhone app, is known for his freelance cartoons and cartoon books on a variety of topics including his recent e-book KNOTS Scouting, Out-to-Lunch general and Gospel cartoons.

"This foray into Christmas humour is one of the ways the cartoonists can draw attention to their cartoons, blogs and web sites," Rich enthuses."It's free publicity for those participating, and this year they will again be able to have two cartoons added to the gift shop to generate a little bit of revenue next year."

What you need to participate:

• RSVP e-mail to Rich so you can be kept up-to-date on any developments

Basic stuff needed for your web page:

• Two or more cartoons on Christmas (G or PG-rated)
• A brief biography (one or two paragraphs)
• A banner and/or contact information
• E-mail them to Rich by 28th November 2011 via RLDesATaol.com
• Promote the event to your contacts
• Enjoy the show!

Content will be screened for suitability on a family-oriented web site! Further information is available upon request, including interviews and graphics as needed.

ROK Comics launches Misfits from M.O.B.I.L.E.

ROK Comics, Britain's dedicated mobile comics publisher, has just launched its first originated comic title – MISFITS FROM M.O.B.I.L.E.

MISFITS FROM M.O.B.I.L.E., drawn by Andrew Chiu, is the first fully originated ROK Comics title and will initially be published as a weekly web comic (at www.misfitsfrommobile.com), followed by roll out on iPad and other devices.

An ongoing adventure comic, MISFITS FROM M.O.B.I.L.E. centres on the story of teenagers recruited into a secret organisation to battle crime, terrorism and other dangers – some stranger than others.

And if you’re wondering why a secret organisation would risk such young lives, there’s a very good reason, and all will be revealed in the coming weeks…

MISFITS FROM M.O.B.I.L.E. is the creation of ROK founder Jonathan Kendrick, a concept he has been developing for several years. Inspired by a love of James Bond and comics, he came up with the back story for the comic, including its top secret 'MindMerge' technology and gadgets.

The strip is written by John Freeman from storylines by Jonathan Kendrick, with art by Andrew Chiu. Kris Carter is colouring the title, with Jim Campbell providing lettering and logos.

John Freeman's credits include work for Marvel, Judge Dredd Megazine and other comics but he's perhaps better known as an editor, for ROK Comics and titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, STRIP Magazine and many others. Andrew Chiu's credits include 2000 AD, the mainstay of the British comics industry, DC Comics, Vertigo Comics and ILEX Press.

Kris Carter is a digital colourist, illustrator and web designer whose credits include Transformers and Doctor Who and Jim Campbell is a professional comic-book letterer and occasional artist whose credits are far too numerous to details but suffice to say, he's worked for pretty much every major British comic publisher and some American companies, too.

ROK Comics has previously published creator-owned and licensed strips for mobile, with three iPhone apps – Ligeia the Vampire by Rodrigo Diaz Ricci, The Mobile Gospel by Rich Diesslin and Madd Science by Steve English.

Further iPhone apps, working with a number of different publishers, are in development.

ROK Comics, part of ROK Global PLC, continues to provide mobile comics content for WAP subscription services across the globe and is currently working with partners in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Listed on the Open Market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, ROK Global PLC was co-founded by US Billionaire John Paul DeJoria and UK-based serial technology-specialist entrepreneur, Jonathan Kendrick.

In addition to being co-founder of ROK, John Paul DeJoria is Chairman and CEO of John Paul Mitchell Systems, the producer and manufacturer of Paul Mitchell hair care products which achieves in-salon retail sales of approximately US $900m annually through more than 100,000 salons worldwide. John Paul is also co-founder of Patron Tequila, the world’s leading premium tequila brand.

• Follow MISFITS from M.O.B.I.L.E. at www.misfitsfrommobile.com


• Visit ROK Comics at: www.rokcomics.com

ROK Comics launches new iPhone Comics Apps: Vampires, Mad Scientists and Scripture!

ROK Comics is pleased to announce the launch of three dedicated comic apps for iPhone, working in partnership with three dedicated comic creators whose work reflects three very different story genres.

The apps are the first 'white label' comics apps created by ROK Comics in partnership with creators or publishers on a revenue share deal - ROK provides the delivery app, the creator or publisher the content.

• Ligeia the Vampire comprises 40 episodes of vampire, zombie and wartime menace, inspired by the story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe. Drawn in a style echoing the work of Alex Toth, Frank Miller and Alberto Breccia, the strip pays homage to HP Lovecraft and movies like La Maschera del Demonio.

The creation of artist Rodrigo Diaz Ricci and inspired by the work of Edgar Allan Poe, many of Ligeia the Vampire's adventures are set in wartime Europe, a time when the lines between good and evil are never clear cut. A graphic designer and comics artist, Rodrigo has worked for US and European comics publishers, including covers for the Greek newspaper Eleftherotypia and also for Mondo Ignoto’s Horror and Forbidden Archaeology magazines.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for a new audience to get to know my characters," feels Rodrigo. "Mobile comics go beyond the comics fans out to the general public who would not, perhaps, buy comics.

"The iPhone is an amazing platform, he added. "It's the natural evolution for the newspaper comic strips."

• Mobile Gospel is a quirky but fun re-telling of the gospel of Luke, the creation of Rich Diesslin, based on the book of Luke from his Cartoon Gospel Series (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).

Rich is is also the creator of the KNOTS or Not Scouting cartoons and a general single-panel cartoon called Out to Lunch. He is also the author and cartoonist of The Cartoon Ten Commandments and the cartoonist of A Journey Through Christian Theology, an anthology of theologians now in its second edition published by Fortress Press.

"It's exciting to be able to deliver a 2100-year-old message using visual parables with cutting edge technology!" says Rich. "In other words, the Gospel of Luke in cartoons as a ROK iPhone app! It's great to be a part of ROK's iPhone apps launch.

"This is a great time to be a comics creator in terms of all the options available to get our work out there - print, computers and now mobile devices," he adds. "ROK continues to be a leader and innovator in bringing comic content to the mobile market and this is clearly a logical next step for them. I am pleased to be part of the ROK Comics iPhone apps launch and hope this proves to be a viable niche amidst the thousands of apps that are on the market."

• Madd Science is a humour strip - the clue to its content is in the title! - by Steve English won the Rok comics competition a couple of years back, judged by the editor of the Beano, so it seemed a no brainer to include it in this first tranche of iPhone releases.

Steve's work has appeared in UK weekly comic The Beano and other publications. He's the author of a number of books including The Potted Guide to Theology with Tony Gray (recently translated into German) as well as Peter's Cat and Two by Two.

Originally launched as a WAP subscription service, ROK Comics has most recently been focusing on delivering subscription services in countries such as India.

All the comics created using the ROK Comics comic creator service (via www.rokcomics.com) have been specially formatted to work on the mobile handset using WAP pages, WAP download or MMS download.

With every new deployment in a territory, existing content is handpicked for suitability. Traditional localised content is also sourced. ROK comics are managed directly from the UK by John Freeman, who has over 25 years experience and knowledge of this industry; having previously been a Group Editor for Marvel Comics UK and editor of magazines such as Doctor Who Magazine, Star Trek Magazine and the UK edition of Simpsons Comics.

"I'm delighted we're launching these comic apps," says John. "The strips will appeal to different markets and we're keen to roll out further projects, working with both publishers and other key creators."

All three comic strip iPhone apps are available from the iTunes store via the links below.

• Ligeia the Vampire: The Treasure of the Vampire on iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/ligeia/id409858722?mt=8

• The Mobile Gospel by Rich Dieslin is on iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/mobile-gospel/id409877719?mt=8#

• Madd Science by Steve English is on iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/madd-science/id409860018?mt=8#

ROK Comic Creator Interview: Rodrigo Diaz Ricci

Ligeia the Vampire by Rodrigo Diaz Ricci.
An iPhone app is available

Ligiea the Vampire creator Rodrigo Diaz Ricci was born in Valparaiso, Chile. A graphic designer who worked in cartoons in Chile, he moved to Europe and saw his work published by several Publishing House in Italy and Greece. He now works freelance for digital publishing houses in the United States and Europe.

His first Ligeia the Vampire story is now available as a ROK Comics app.

ROK Comics: Where and when did you get your first comics break?

Rodrigo Diaz Ricci: Well, my first really comic break was Ligeia for ROK Comics when I first published it for mobile, three years ago now. This character has opened several doors in my life.

ROK Comics: Where else has your work appeared?

Rodrigo: Different places: I did some cover illustrations for the supplement Nine on the Elefterothypia newspaper in Greece, and a collaboration for Mondo Ignoto, a publishing house owned by Dario Argento in Rome. Reborn is a science fiction graphic novel that's been published on iPhone by Arrow Publications in the United States and other different Digital Publishing Houses.

ROK Comics: What's your greatest achievement in the comics field?

Rodrigo: Ligeia the Vampire, absolutely.

ROK Comics: How did you discover Rok Comics?

Rodrigo: Three years ago, I started publishing Reborn as a webcomics via Drunk Duck. I have a very good reception and a writer, David A J Berner [publisher of Broken Voice Comics] wrote a positive comment about it. I visited his web site and found the ROK Comics link and searched in my files for an idea that might work on mobile. I found my old comic strip Ligeia,  buried in the hard disk in the section "Possible Projects" --  and the rest is story.

ROK Comics: How do you feel about Digital comics over Print based comics?

Rodrigo: Digital Comics is a new experience for me, which has helped me bring my characters to a different public. It's a great opportunity for a new author, who can't easily break into the traditional media.

I would like to see Ligeia on paper at some point, I like the comics in paper -- but I think that digital and print can live together and complement each other.

ROK Comics: Do you think digital comics are reaching a new audience or expanding the existing one for print?

Rodrigo: I think the formula is to publish digitally and afterwards, if the idea is good, put out a print edition. I think there are a lot of people who are happy to read a comic on a screen, but, equally, they'd like a print copy of it too. I think this model of business is a great oportunity for the industry.

ROK Comics: Apart from your digital comics, what other projects you working on at the moment?

Rodrigo: It's a sign of the times but the only I comics I am working on are digital projects - I'm working on a European erotic comic and my own Ligeia stories.

I have a project for paper, a story featuring the Danube Bears, a mercenary group who feature in Ligeia: Treasure of the Vampire. It's a straight action adventure story [in the style of Brtish comics like Battle or Commando], set on the Eastern Front during World War Two, which I hope to publish in the future.

ROK Comics: What's your favourite comics related website?

Rodrigo: I have somany reference websites.In English I read Down the Tubes and sometimes Newsarama, but I read websites from Italy, Spain,Argentina and Chile. At the moment, I'm enjoying a lot of comic podcasts, too.

A sample page of Judge Dredd
by Rodrigo, to experiment with
new techniques

ROK Comics: What comics are you reading at the moment (both web and print based)?

Rodrigo: Well, now that I work in comics, I don't have time to read them! But I do study different comics fron the web and my old paper collection.The last that I read was The Scorpion. I'm a huge fan of French bande dessines, and different European comics like Dylan Dog, Corto Maltese and others.

From the web, think  The Abominable Charles Christopher is very interesting. I have to say that I miss Zuda Comics and ROK's original site, which featured a number of new artists.

At the moment I read so many books (more than comics), such as The Road by Cormac McCarthy and The Last Legion by Valerio Massimo Manfredi.

ROK Comics: Whose work do you most admire in the comics field and why?

Ligeia the Vampire by Rodrigo Diaz Ricci.
An iPhone app is available

Rodrigo: That's a very difficult question. I admire so many from different periods. Warren publications like Eerie and Creepy, for example. Artists like Will Eisner, Milo Manara, Jodorowsky, Hugo Pratt, Alberto Breccia, Frank Miller, Pat Miles, Dave McKean and many more...

I think I admire all this people because all them were - or are - looking to find new sttyles for comic art. At the moment I think that the new way is the digital, which is offering plenty of opportunities to push the form in terms of storytelling, and surprise the reader.

ROK Comics: What advice would you offer to new cartoonists?

Rodrigo: That's a very difficult question because I still need to learn so many things about this wonderful art yet myself.  But the best advice I think is: to be a cartoonist you need to think like a Samurai and concentrate 100 per cent on achieving this. If you can't work very hard, 14 hours a day, seven days a week, you're not made for this job, because this is more than a Job: It's your Life. And like a cartoonist, a life full of sacrifices!

• Buy Ligeia: Treasure of the Vampires from iTunes


• Check out more of Rodrigo's work at: www.ligeia-the-vampire.com

Add caption

ROK Comics Creator Interview: Steve English

Steve English

Madd Science creator Steve English was inspired to draw cartoons by copying Walt Disney characters at the age of 5 or 6. Reading comics for himself at an older age inspired him to produce his own simply for fun, and that remained a hobby for many years.

"Although I eventually went on to do A level art I decided to study history and archaeology at university in the late 1980's and early 90's where I produced cartoons for the history society there," he says.

"After graduating I worked for a Christian student organisation, and after that as a church youth worker. However, a friend from university remembered my cartoons and asked me to illustrate a guide to theology. It was my experiences from that that made me want to become a full time cartoonist and I have been freelance for just over ten years."

Madd Science by Steve English

ROK Comics: Where/when did you get your first comics break?

Steve English: I suppose The Potted Guide to Theology and the following book, Peter's Cat (which was completely cartoon strips) could be considered to be the break that inspired me to become a freelance cartoonist. But it's hard work just trying to find the next cartooning job and I'm always looking out for the next break.

ROK Comics: Where else has your work appeared?

Steve: A few years back I did quite a lot of work for The Horrible Science Collection and Scooby-Doo World of Mystery, and I did a couple of spreads for The Horrible Histories Collection. Currently I have a football cartoon that appears in the Non-League Paper and I also do work for the Salvation Army in their children's magazine Kids Alive!.

ROK Comics: What's your greatest achievement in the comics field?

Steve: I am very proud of my current cartoon, Football Earth, which appears in four different publications across two continents. Also winning the 2007 ROK Comics humour competition with Madd Science was a definite highlight. It was great to be recognised like that.

ROK Comics: How did you discover Rok Comics?

Steve: I really can't remember now - it was possibly through a link found on Down the Tubes. Either way I just stumbled on it one day while surfing the net, and I thought it would be an ideal way of promoting Madd Science.

ROK Comics: How do you feel about Digital comics over Print based comics?

Steve: There is something very tangible about holding a printed comic and for me that is hard to beat. But because of the cost, print media and the distribution of it is mostly in the hands of a select few. Digital technology has put comic production into the hands of potentially anyone, at very little cost, and with the rise of portable computers reading a digital comic is going to feel more and more like having a printed comic. This will certainly lead to a lot more expression and creativity. The question is whether or not cartoonists will be able to make a living from it. I guess only time will tell.

ROK Comics: Do you think digital comics are reaching a new audience or expanding the existing one for print?

Steve: I'm sure they must be reaching new audiences, but the great thing about traditional comics is their collectability. So hopefully the market for printed comics will also be expanded by the demand for collecting what is seen on screen.

Samples of Football Earth by Madd Science creator Steve English

ROK Comics: Apart from your digital comics, what other projects you working on at the moment?

Steve: As I mentioned before, I currently draw a cartoon panel called Football Earth, about how animals play football, which features weekly in The Non-League Paper. It also had a short run in the BeanoMAX last year, and appears in a couple of soccer magazines in America. I am constantly trying to get more publishers interested in it and have recently submitted it to the Sports Journalists' Association to be judged for sports cartoon of the year.

In 2009 I produced my own comic, The Dead Sea Comic, which sadly only had a brief run. However I have another publisher interested and I am hoping to resurrect the project later this year.

ROK Comics: What's your favourite comics related website?

Steve: I would have to say Down the Tubes for the simple reason of keeping up to date with news about British comics and potential future work. There has been the odd occasion when I have missed something important so I have now made it my home page.

ROK Comics: What comics are you reading at the moment (both web and print based)?

Steve: I subscribe to the new Dandy for my daughter, but of course I enjoy it too! I regularly plague the editorial team with submissions but so far they have turned me down. I see myself as mostly as a strip cartoonist (the newspaper type) so for inspiration I subscribe to Comics.com. They send me a whole load of newspaper strips by email every day for free.

ROK Comics: Whose work do you most admire in the comics field and why?

Steve: I really admire newspaper cartoonists who can produce something funny and interesting every day of the year. Not surprisingly the really good ones burn out. So it is sad when you have to talk about the likes of Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes) and Gary Larson (The Far Side) in the past tense. Those guys have probably influenced me more than any other cartoonist. They were consistently funny and full of surprises.

ROK Comics: What advice would you offer to new cartoonists?

Steve: Get a good computer and know how to use the internet. Get used to receiving lots of rejection letters and just be determined to succeed.

• Buy Madd Science for iPhone



• Check out Steve's Dead Sea Comics


• Check out Steve's Football Earth


• Follow Steve on Twitter

ROK Comics Creator Interview: Rich Diesslin

Rich Diesslin is the creator of The Mobile Gospel, one of ROK Comics first 'Creator Comic Apps'), published in partnership with an individual comic creator.

The project is based on the book of Luke from his Cartoon Gospel Series (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). He is also the creator of the KNOTS or Not scouting cartoons and a general single-panel cartoon called Out to Lunch. He is also the author and cartoonist of The Cartoon Ten Commandments and the cartoonist of A Journey Through Christian Theology, an anthology of theologians now in its second edition published by Fortress Press.

ROK Comics: Where/when did you get your first comics break?

Rich Diesslin: In 1990 my first book, The Cartoon Gospel, was published by a small
press. I put a partial manuscript together in 1986 and sent it out to all the Christian publishers I could find. A few expressed some interest and one came back with an offer to
publish it.

ROK Comics: Where else has your work appeared?

Rich Diesslin: Books, local newspapers, magazines, merchandise and greeting cards and my web site: www.the-cartoonist.com.

ROK Comics: What's your greatest achievement in the comics field?

Rich Diesslin: I've had several books published and I'm just now starting to get more active networking with other creators.

Quite a lot of my cartoons are available on merchandise now (t-shirts, mugs, etc.), which is helping to provide some steady income.

ROK Comics: How did you discover ROK Comics? 

Rich Diesslin: I believe my first contact was a message sent to me on MySpace from John Freeman. That took me to the company web site and I thought that it sounded like a really good idea.

I started uploading general, scout and gospel cartoons and was very pleased to be a finalist in their big competition back in 2008. I do single-panel cartoons but with guidance from John I was able to turn many into a serialized comics, including what he later dubbed" The Mobile Gospel".

ROK Comics: How do you feel about Digital comics over Print based comics?

Rich Diesslin: As a creator, I view all avenues of publication and good. They all have strengths and weaknesses, but overall it is just a way to deliver a visual laugh. I like digital comics, even though I still prefer to read things on paper, I believe I'm heading more and more digital as time goes on.

I create in Photoshop, so the digital part doesn't bother me at all and I can quickly convert my cartoons to just about any medium. ROK seems like an opportunity to see what the mobile device media will bring, and I was pleased to that the Mobile Gospel was selected as one of the lead-off iphone apps for ROK.

ROK continues to be on what I call "the bleeding edge" of digital comics delivery. Their original concept was good, and with the popularity of mobile, they should be able to smoothly transition over and stay a leader in the field.

ROK Comics: Do you think digital comics are reaching a new audience or expanding the existing one for print?

Rich Diesslin: Studies have shown an increase in the percentage of ebook sales vs. printed books, suggesting that it is increasingly replacing print media. I have no doubt that ebooks and apps are also reaching new audiences as well.

Recently I was pleased to find out that a 4-year-old girl (and her mom) were enjoying the Mobile Gospel. While my cartoons are mostly intended for youth and adults, the daughter really liked any book with cartoons and her mom finds it a good way to cover to bible lessons.

I think there will continue to be a role for print media, but a lot will change in the market place as we find out just what that role will be (also known as at what point the market share will level out). Right now, the trend is toward digital and the risks and costs associated with digital are much more conducive to publishing than tradition forms.

ROK Comics: Apart from your digital comics, what other projects you working on at the moment?

Rich Diesslin:  I should be releasing a new work this winter cartooning the Old Testament.

I haven't decided the best form for it, but I'm thinking my web site and an ebook might be the way to go.

Otherwise,  I continue to work on Out to Lunch and KNOTS or Not scouting cartoons.

ROK Comics: What's your favourite comics related website?

Rich Diesslin: Other than my own (www.the-cartoonist.com), I find The Daily Cartoonist blog is very good for keeping up with cartooning in the United States. Also, several papers in the US allow you to view comics online, and the Houston Chronicle even allows you to build your own link by selecting from several comics.

ROK Comics: What comics are you reading at the moment (both web and print based)?

Rich Diesslin:  Not too surprisingly I like Pearls Before Swine, Zits, Baby Blues, Brewster Rockit, SpeedBump, Dilbert, Agnes, Drabble, among others.

ROK Comics:  Whose work do you most admire in the comics field and why?

Rich Diesslin:  Bill Watterson (creator of Calvin and Hobbes), Dave Coverly (SpeedBump), Scott Adams (Dilbert), Stephan Pastis (Pearls Before Swine), Tony Cochran (Agnes), Kevin Fagan (Drabble) and more ... mostly because they are (were) just consistently funny.

ROK Comics:  What advice would you offer to new cartoonists?

Rich Diesslin:  Love what you do, do what you love, but don't give up your day job (unless you can)!

• Buy The Mobile Gospel on iTunes

• Check out more of Rich's work at www.the-cartoonist.com

ROK Comics Revamped

The ROK Comics web site (www.rokcomics.com) has just been revamped to promote our new iPhone comic apps - check it out now!

The first of our iPhone apps are Ligieia by Rodrigo Diaz Ricci, Madd Science by Steve English and The Mobile Gospel by Rich Diesslin.

Creators can still log in and create comics on the ROK Comics platform using this link: but because we are currently focusing on both paid app creation and delivering comics to WAP subscription services we have, reluctantly, had to 'close off' access to site content meaning they cannot be viewed on site.

The Indian WAP services, which feature a number of the more popular comics on the ROK Comics service along with material purely for the Indian market such as comics published by Raj Comics and ACK, are proving successful.

For Indian customers, Airtel Live now offers a wide range of comics via a dedicated Mobile Comics platform, including recent issues of Raj Comics superhero Nagraj, Doga and the first story in a trilogy of tales of Super Commando Dhruva. There is a daily charge of Rs. 5/- and you can read any comics from a huge selection.

Airtel in India customers may access the Comics Portal service by texting ‘COMICS’ or "COMIC" to 54321 or by directly visiting the Airtel Live portal. This service is compatible with all GPRS-enabled handsets in India.

• Airtel customers should note that Airtel may charge you additional money for the data download and the price for that may vary depending on what plan you have.