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Murky Depths: Issue Three / Review
“The Quarterly Anthology Of Graphically Dark Speculative Fiction”

Contents: Title / Author / Artist

• What’s Yours Is Mine / Pike Stephenson / Dylan Williams
• Evention / Mike Webster / Lucas Hinchley
• The Suicide Bar / Montilee Stormer /Jag Lall & Denis Pacher
• Nine-tenths Of The Law / Edward Morris / Wayne Blackhurst
• In This the Era of the Great Wilting / Jeffrey Archer-Burton / Jason Beam
• Death and the Maiden 3 / Richard Calder / Richard Calder
• Shit New World / Martin Hayes / James Cameron
• Maimed / Hazel Marcus Ong / Glen James
• SPOIL / Stan Nicholls / Johnny Lee
• The Dark Gospel 2 / Luke Cooper / Luke Cooper
• Speak Ill Of The Dead / Ian Faulkner / Mark Bell
• Zombie Diva / Glynn Barrass / Lucas Hinchley
• The Love Ship Guide to Seduction in Zero Gravity / Steve Pirie / Denis Pacher

Non Fiction:

• Sprawl and Brawl: Five Reasons Why Cyberpunk Sustains (Article) / Matt Wallace
• An Interview with Stan Nicholls

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Murky Depths: Issue One / Review
“The Quarterly Anthology Of Graphically Dark Speculative Fiction”

Contents:

• Death and the Maiden / Richard Calder
• Looking In, Looking Out / Gareth D. Jones
• Come To My Arms My Beamish Boy / Douglas Warrick
• Paston, Kentucky / Jonathan C. Gillespie
• The Other Woman / Chris Lynch
• 67442 / Paul Abbamondi
• Supply Ship / Kate Kelly
• State Your Name / Jon Courtenay Grimwood
• Empathy / Luke Cooper
• Snowblind / Marcie Lynn
• Cyberevenge Inc. / Eugie Foster
• Today Is Not / Michael Sellars
• I Bleed Light / Edward R. Norden
• The Quality of Mercy / Ron Shiflet
• Naught But Ash / Anne Stringer
• The Pattern Makers of Zanzibar / Lavie Tidhar

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Trivia for Ghost Rider Film (2007)

Jon Voight was attached to the project at one point but dropped out.

Nicolas Cage had to have his Ghost Rider tattoo covered with make-up in order to play Johnny Blaze (Ghost Rider).

A large group of on-lookers converged on a bridge in Melbourne to watch scenes being filmed in a nearby location. Over the four days of filming at this location, the crowds grew so large that traffic was often disrupted and public transport operators reported an unusual jump in passenger traffic to the area.

Some scenes were filmed near Flinders St Station, the busiest railway station in Melbourne. Parts of the station were closed for filming, as well as minor alterations to train services being made.

Nicolas Cage’s hairpiece required three hours to apply every day.

To create the Ghost Rider’s voice, sound designer Don Davis recorded all of Nicolas Cage’s lines as the Ghost Rider, and then filtered them through three different kinds of animal growls (played backwards, covering three separate frequencies) and then played them through a mechanical volumizer, before finally giving them a fiery crackle. Director Mark Steven Johnson compared it to “a deep, demonic, mechanical lion’s roar” and says that “one thing is for sure, his voice will shake the theatre!”
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The Adventures Of Prince Ziph

Ever imagined how Mars was millions of years ago when it had oceans flowing on its surface? And what about Martians? They were not green, they were … ehmm…different… And had such busy lives that life on Earth was later mostly their fault.

But that’s another story.

What about the meaning of life? Does God have a beard? Does it matter? And what does all this have to do with Area 51?

Who built the Face on Mars? Is Heaven a private club? Is life after death real? How boring is it?

Who runs the universe anyway and does this entity have weekends?

This and plenty of other stupid questions will be answered in this fantasy/scifi saga spread over a few volumes so the author can get some extra bucks, after two years making up all this stuff with watercolors, inks, acrylics and buckets of sweat.

Ziph Comics is certainly a bright, colourful and dazzling place. The comic (and site) is available in Portugese and English, with a French version coming soon. You can see the digital version of Prince Ziph, Part One online, and the printed version is available too, along with concept art and the backstory.

So, it’s a good a reason as any to spend surfing during your lunchbreak.

I’ll do a full review once I’ve bought a pair of shades…

Murky Depths Promo Issue

Graphically Dark Speculative Fiction

As previously mentioned, Murky Depths is a brand new printed ‘zine which posits itself as something which brings together different storytelling techniques in a single magazine that will entertain its reader with its enjoyable, dark and thought-provoking fiction.

This demo issue has a mixture of graphically dark art strips, written fiction, poetry based on the artwork accompanying it - which was inspired by Richard Matheson’s ‘I Am Legend’, and one story which is a mixture of written fiction and graphical fiction.

First impressions: even though this is only sixteen pages long, it crams a whole lot in. And you have to remember that this is the promo issue, and that issue one will be around eighty pages. The pages are ‘american comic book’ size, which to me is neither here nor there, it works very well, and reminds me of Marvel and DC comics. On page sizing, as long as something printed is not too small it can’t be read, or too big it looks like you’re reading The Times, I don’t mind.

The quality of the paper is professional and it is non-glossy, which again, is perfect - it stops light reflecting off it and making it unreadable, or only readable at an angle. Binding is a couple of staples which is suitable for this small promo issue. The colour on the front and back cover is vivid and certainly stands out. I should mention the unusual front cover artwork ( By Les Edwards) which you can see in this review - it looks way better on the cover. And it is dark. And weird. And.. well, maybe not one for the kiddies.

Inside it is black and white, but don’t let this put you off. The eye catching black and white artwork (including the comic strips) throughout does well to complement the black text on white background, which again, means it’s easy on the eyes, and readable (non of this red text on a nice colour picture which looks totally unreadable).
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Speculative Fiction Gets An Addition

Terry Martin and his team are busy working on issue zero, the promo issue, of a new speculative fiction magazine entitled Murky Depths.

Their website has this introduction: Murky Depths is a new magazine with a difference, featuring top quality speculative fiction with sprinklings of horror and fantasy that push the boundaries of science fiction. Each story will be complimented with its own unique artwork. Alongside the straight prose will also be cutting edge graphic stories. Articles across the genres and mixed disciplines will add authority, humour and maybe a little controversy.

Terry also mentioned that it’s UK based, although half the team are over the other side of the pond, in the States. At the moment it’s print only (is this a bad thing!) and you can get more information from the Murky Depths site.

And of course, we’ll review it once it’s out.

Shockingly Shockingly Weird

2000AD do an occasional story line which are just weird, very much like the Twilight Zone called Future Shocks or Time Twisters. It’s a place for new artists and scripters to showcase their imagination. Alan Moore has put together a compilation which will - just - weird - you - out.

One memorable one which I recollect is where a guy notices a strip of clear white paint on the roof of his house. He’s bewildered, and wonders what it’s about. No conclusion comes until maybe 15 years later. He’s finally painted his house and low and behold a strip of paint has disappeared. He vaguely remembers something which happened before…

To me these are probably the most thought out story lines, or at least the most weird and thought provoking story lines which have appeared in 2000AD.

If you like weird and thought provoking stories, then simply go get it.

Rebellion and Eidos bring us a first class, thinking persons shooter.

Rogue Trooper is drawn from the character of the British Comic 2000AD. Apparently, outside of the UK this is an almost unknown comic, so therefore the game had to come across as an entity on its own. The backstory, luckily, does include some of the ‘history’ of the character; how he and his kind were ambushed at The Quartz Zone Massacre, betrayed by one of their own Generals.

Rogue is a genetically engineered fighting machine (from test tubes), specially designed for the toxic atmosphere of Nu Earth, one of the galaxy’s most deadly war-zones. He is the only survivor of the massacre, goes A.W.O.L and sets out to hunt down the traitor general and bring him to justice. During the massacre, three of his G.I. buddies are killed, and Rogue removes their bio chips and places them in his gear. Bagman is put in his backbag, Gunnar is placed in his Gun and Helm is put in his Helmet. Their consciousness carries on, and as well as cracking bad jokes, they all play a part in helping Rogue on his vendetta.

The game follows the above ‘backstory’ and then progresses to various locations on Nu Earth. A common enemy on the planet’s surface are the Norts, humans who cannot survive on the planet’s surface without oxygen tanks.

Rogue Trooper, when presented in 2000AD was a visual comic book story. This translates very well to the digital screen and as with all aspects of the game, prior knowledge of either 2000AD or Rogue Trooper is not essential to enjoy the game.

The game is a clever third person shooter, and with your three friends still around, they become an integral part of your survival. They do crack jokes and chit chat amongst themselves, which adds to the game, but they also have skills of their own. Gunnar can be placed so as to cover an area which is remote from where you are, Bagman can be given scrap, which is picked up around the gaming area, and convert it into useful ammo or upgrades. Helm can hack terminals, to name just one skill for each friend. There are many more to discover as you make your way through Nu Earth.

One of my favourite parts of the game is with Gunnar: he aids in targetting and allows you to precision shoot the oxygen tanks of the Norts, where by smoke billows out, they run around hearing the hiss, arms in the air, before the tank ruptures and explodes.

The controls are like second nature, easily accessible; the commentary of the bio chips aids in your initial setup and ‘training’ of the various actions within the game. The game could be seen as quite easy to finish, but I found it a pleasure non the less. With the addition of online gaming, the longevity of this game is increased.

I’ve just got this press release through for the up and coming game, Rogue Trooper. I’ve always been a fan of 2000AD and Rogue was one of my favourite characters. It’ll be interesting to see how it/he transfers to an interactive gaming environment. I’m hopeful in one respect, as Gordon Rennie is the script supervisor working with the development team.

Eidos Interactive, one of the world’s leading developers and publishers of entertainment software, today confirms that ROGUE TROOPER™, a futuristic tactical action game based on the 2000 AD comic strip, will be released on April 21st on PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC in all European territories.

A Genetic Infantryman (G.I.), Rogue is one of an elite regiment of biologically-engineered clone troops, created to overcome Nu Earth’s hostile atmosphere and fight, unhindered, against the brutal Nort War machine. After witnessing the betrayal and annihilation of his entire regiment at the Quartz Zone Massacre, Rogue has gone AWOL, determined to hunt down the traitor general who sent his brothers-in-arms to their deaths.

ROGUE TROOPER™ blends intense third person action and next generation stealth, as
Rogue wreaks revenge armed with the very latest experimental weaponry. Rogue’s arsenal offers him a unique advantage over his opponents; encoded bio-chips containing the digitised personalities of his fallen comrades are implanted in his gun (Gunnar), helmet (Helm) and backpack (Bagman), each offering their full military experience at the player’s fingertips.

Rogue Trooper features intense online gameplay modes, where gamers can experience up to four-player co-operative gameplay in all new maps or two player split screen action.

For more information visit www.roguetrooper.com

About Rebellion

UK-based computer games super-developer Rebellion was established in 1991 by brothers Jason and Chris Kingsley. The most recent launch was Sniper EliteTM in September 2005 on PlayStation®2, Xbox® and PC DVD. Lauded as ‘The Gran Turismo of War games’ by the gaming press, it has built upon the collection of Rebellion owned IP’s which includes World War ZeroTM on PlayStation®2.

In June 2000 Rebellion purchased the UK sci-fi comic 2000 AD and its entire character portfolio. Rebellion’s first 2000 AD title, Judge Dredd: Dredd Vs. Death was launched in 2003 and in 2006, Rogue Trooper™ will be launched on PlayStation®2, Xbox® and PC.

2000 AD and Judge Dredd are registered trademarks. Rogue Trooper, Sniper Elite and World War Zero are ™ & © 2005 Rebellion. All Rights Reserved.
Website: www.rebellion.co.uk

About Eidos Interactive Ltd

Eidos Interactive Ltd is part of SCi Entertainment Group Plc (SEG) one of the world’s leading publishers and
developers of entertainment software. Following the acquisition of Eidos plc in May 2005, the Group has a valuable combined portfolio of intellectual property including: Tomb Raider: Legend, Hitman: Blood Money, Commandos Strike Force, Just Cause, Championship Manager, Battlestations: Midway, Urban Chaos: Riot Response and Reservoir Dogs.

For further information please contact:
Chris Glover | Head of Communications | Eidos
T: + 44 (0) 208 6363 3000 E: chrisg@eidos.co.uk

Online Radio Station Geared Around Science Fiction Fans.

A new online streaming radio station for scifi fans has been set up. Entitled area 51 radio station (AF1RS) it will include all manner of content such as live outside broadcasts from large events. The next big events are the California SciFi Convention and The London Expo (broadcasting to 30,000 people). There will be SciFi roundups and music from the 70s through until the present day.

There will also be guest appearences, including John Billingsley who plays Dr. Phlox in Star Trek Enterprise. John will officially open the station at 12:00 Midday on Saturday October 22 2005 - and it will run for 24/7.

At the time or writing, the radio station is being tested from October 15th, with the golive October 22nd. Therefore, until it is actually live, there may not be a stream available. Keep coming back to check.

Click on the logo to tune into world’s first SciFi Radio Station now! It will start up a popular media streaming program such as iTunes, WinAmp or RealMedia (depending on which you have installed). You can download winamp from here.

If you have any difficulties, please let us know on the contact form.

You can see the current agenda, programmes, news and extra info on the official radio site here.

The Megazine Hits 15!

So.. The Megazine is 15 years old. Time flies when you’re having fun, eh?

And to celebrate the publisher have issued this particularly nice looking issue. The cover artwork is viewable through a window in the black outer cover. I like the way there is a nod to Ray Bradbury and his novel Farenheit 451. And how it’s Judge Dredd himself who is holding issues of the Megazine to throw in the incinerator. Very tongue in cheek.

Something for collectors to note: there was an error in the original print run (Judge Dredd pages 13 and 14 duplicated; The Simping Detective missing pages 7 and 8 ). This was apparently only caught after the subscribers had been mailed with their copy.

Therefore there are some unique issues floating around, which, in the future might be hard to come across. It will be the famous 15th Year Anniversary special botched copy. Oh, and a corrected version will be sent to shops and as replacements for subscribers.

Onto the issue itself..

Contents

The Simping Detective
Fifteen /

Delvin Waugh
All Hell /

Judge Dredd
Flood’s Thirteen Episode 1 /

Non-Fiction
15 Years Creep! / Text article on the history of the Judge Dredd Megazine. First part double length.