My Erlangen crash course ( finished ! )

Okay, last time we got a bit sidetracked ( and as always when I get off on a tangent I never know how long it will be or where we will end up ) but this time we´ll talk about my further adventures at the Erlanger Comicsalon 2012 - for real.


We already covered my trip to Erlangen and ..... what ..... the first two hours ? Oh boy.

So I already had spent my first 100 EUROS in comics ( additionally to 20 on gas and the money for the ticket ) and I had only been at one table so far. My next stop was - after the usual bouts with disorientation caused by the long absence from Erlangen and the urgency to get things done in less than two days this time - the table ( better tables ) of SCHWARZER TURM where I always stop to look for the new books and talk comics. Usually just to meet Robi and talk a bit about stuff but this time around he had his kids with him and was kind of busy. Not that we didn´t have time for the usual banter but I always enjoy our comic talks as he has a similar taste when it comes to DC and Marvel comics from the 70s / 80s.

Robi´s a super nice guy and he insisted that I get the new Complete edition of ALRAUNE - well, part 1 of it. Not that I wouldn´t have bought it anyway. At this point I shouldn´t have to tell you about Alraune. If you live in Germany, are male and don´t live under a rock you probably have all the issues or at least have heard about it. And if you live outside of Germany, the series has also been published - in full colour to boot - by Eros Comix. Which is one of the main reason for the new collection. Not only to have it in the collected form but also to present it to the german comic reading audience in colour for the first time.

Since I first saw the coloured pages on the interwebs I have been telling my guys at Schwarzer Turm that they have to do a coloured collection because no matter if you already have the issues you´re going to buy it again. And it seems at long last they ran out of excuses not to do it. Of course the hardcover has a nice new cover by Toni Greis but this time around I didn´t manage to get a sketch from him.


Now I could tell you how wonderful the art looks in stunning colour but the truth is because I already read all of the issues I haven´t gotten around to open it. It´s in my big pile of comics to read or better re - read next to the two big piles of comics I have read and another pile of new comics on my desk. But I´m sure ALRAUNE will be excellent - once I get around to read it. Volume 1 is 108 pages strong and contains the first 4 issues, the second volume will collect issues 5 to 8 and there are rumours about a third volume full with bonus stuff like sketches, interviews and more goodies. I can think of worse ways to spend 24 EUROS.

The second comic I bought at the Schwarzer Turm table was also done by Toni Greis and it´s one I have actually read in the meantime : LUNA issue 4. Since I missed the last Comicbörse in Stuttgart I´m not sure how new it is but since I didn´t have it either way I just had to get it. And not just because I was the inspiration for one of the characters in the comic.


Now right on the other side from the tables of the guys from Schwarzer Turm are the usual suspects of Weissblech Comics where I made my next purchase, with a few changes of course. The thing is - and if you have read my posts from hte last Comicsalon in Erlangen you already know that - that they always offer the NEW PUBLICATIONS PACK with all the new comics of the last month but as an avid reader of Weissblech Comics I already have one or two of the issues in the pack. So we do a little swap and change since there are always some comics I´m still missing.

The regular NEW PUBLICATIONS PACK included HAMMERHARTE HORROR - SCHOCKER issues 27, 28 and 29, WELTEN DES SCHRECKENS issue 5, WEISSBLECHS WELTBESTE COMICS issue 20 : SCHAURIGER SCHUND and issue 21 : BELLA STAR and XXX - COMICS 12 all for 30 EUROS. Since I already had issues 27 and 28 of HAMMERHARTE HORROR - SCHOCKER I swapped it for SCHOCKROCK : TALES OF THE OTHER and got a bit of an additional discount. I totally forgot that I also already owned issue 20 of WEISSBLECHS WELTBESTE COMICS : SCHAURIGER SCHUND but I was too lazy to look for another substitute. So it´s gonna land in the next pile of comics when I do another Christmas contest or something similar. I´m sure I can find somebody who will be delighted to get it.

HAMMERHARTE HORROR - SCHOCKER 29 ( 36 pages / 3.90 EURO ) presents the usual assortment of horror short stories this time with a spectacular lead off story with art by Carsten Dörr although I have to say my favorite part was SCREAM OF THE BANSHEE by Geier ( you can find his blog Geierheim on the blogroll ). And speaking of favorites, The Lep is quickly becoming one of my favorite Weissblech artists. All things considered it´s the usual high quality level of entertainment one has grown to expect from the best horror anthology title in Germany.


A newer anthology of short stories from Weissblech is WELTEN DES SCHRECKENS ( Worlds of Terrors ) with only 5 issues under it´s belt. I´d describe it as a melting pot of stories that are either too short for a special or don´t fit with the theme comics. Weissblech mastermind Levin Kurio is like a creative fountain of ideas and not always those comics can be integrated in the usual outlets or finished on time. So the usual group of ragtag neverdowells end up here.

Issue 5 ( 68 pages / 7.80 EURO ) contains four stories, of which DIE CHRONIKEN VON SOL ( The Chronicles of Sol ) has already been printed in the GRATIS COMIC TAG 2012 issue from Weissblech. As I have already gotten quite a few comics from this year´s GRATIS COMIC TAG maybe that should be my next post.

Back to Worlds of Terror, it also includes another story by The Lep about a comicfan who literally ends up inside the pages of a comicbook and Kala, one of Weissblech´s few recurring characters. Think Cavewoman but blonde and topless.

The longest part of the issue ( 20 pages ! ) is IN DER GEWALT DES ERLKÖNIGS ( Under the power of the Erlking ) which features another recurring character : Argstein the huntsman. Although this character has his origins elsewhere. Eckhardt Breitschuh and Josef Rother started their adventures about the 15th century answer to Hellboy in the pages of Ehapa Comic Collection before he found a new home at Weissblech.

As the title implies the story is an adaption of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe´s ballad which every kid has to learn in german school although this version has much more action and a plot you can understand.


WEISSBLECHS WELTBESTE COMICS ( Weissblech World´s Best Comics ) is Weissblech´s series for specials, something german readers are familiar with since the days of BATMAN SONDERHEFT and the likes. And while some issues have several stories about a certain topic issue 21 ( 36 pages / 4.90 EUROS ) revolves about BELLA STAR, Germany´s comic amalgam between Barbarella and Emanuelle.


While some of Bella Star´s adventures may be for readers above 16 ( like you can see above ) the story that´s included in XXX - COMICS 12, as one could guess by the title of the publication, is for adults only.

The story takes place before the events in Weissblech World´s Best Comics 21 a fact I should have known before reading it but which I only learned when I discovered the reading order of the Bella Star stories ( which are scattered a bit through various series ). Aside from this XXX - COMICS 12 ( 36 pages / 6.80 EUROS ) also presents two erotic shorts but as is the custom with this kind of entertainment the artists work under a pen name.


And last but not least the comic I picked and which was not in the original pack ( I already wrote about WEISSBLECHS WELTBESTE COMICS issue 20 : SCHAURIGER SCHUND in one of my earlier posts so I´m not going to repeat that ) was SCHOCKROCK : TALES OF THE OTHER and I don´t think I have to translate that.

The comic ( 36 pages / 6.66 EUROS ) contains various horror short stories and in the end the protagonists of those stories form the german horror punk band known as THE OTHER. Don´t worry, if you don´t know them - I´m from Germany and had to take a short crash course via internet to dig up the most important facts.


And speaking about crash courses - my computer selfdestucted just when I was about to finish this post so it´s going to be a while before there will be new content here. As usual here are a few links with more info about Todays topics :

Der Erlkönig - german wikipedia / english wiki / weissblech homepage

The Other - german wikipedia / english wiki / the other on myspace

As I like to end the posts with a video Today´s one is - of course - by THE OTHER. I think I have already covered all the bases with the current animated series so we´ll end this on a musical note. Oh, one last thing : watching the new GREEN LANTERN ANIMATED series is a must. It just gets better and better with each episode.



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