On Sale Wednesday 8 February

Got iOS5 for your shiny new iPhone/iPad/iPod touch? You do! Well, did you know you can download issue 219 of SFX direct from Newsstand (our US chums can use this link) on the day of release for a mere £2.99? Not bad, eh? iDevice users still in the dark ages of iOS4.whatever can also download the SFX app direct from the app store, which acts as a portal for you to download (or subscribe) to your favourite science fiction and fantasy magazine. Android users have no reason to feel left out either as you can still pick up the latest issue from Zinio.

Short But Sweet

The Hobbit might be the best part of a year away, but since when has that stopped us getting excited about something? Never! We’re incredibly excited about Peter Jackson’s return to Middle Earth, and can you blame us? Martin Freeman is the perfect choice for Bilbo, and as for the rest – well, you’ll have to check out our 50 Things You Need To Know About The Hobbit feature for that.

Game On

Game Of Thrones rocks, and rocks hard: dragons, magic, enormous swords, amazing performances and some of the finest writing to hit the small screen ever, we sat down for a chat with George RR Martin about what lies ahead in season two. Be still, our beating heart…

Joss Sticks

We’ve got Whedonitis, and we’ve got it bad – the Buffy creator, Avengers helmer and all round fandom superstar Joss Whedon takes us through his Heroes & Inspirations. Not bad, eh?

Titan Up

Back and brasher than ever, Wrath Of The Titans aims to prove that sometimes anger can be put to good use (like selling lots of cinema tickets, for example). We talk to director Jonathan Liebesman about bringing Sam Worthington’s swords and sandals back to the big screen.

A Mars A Day

Disney are finally bringing John Carter and his Martian adventures to the big screen – hurrah! To celebrate, we settled down for tea and biscuits with director Andrew Stanton and leading lady Lynn Collins. Wonderful!

Don’t Miss!

• Retro action! Michael Ironside gets out the reminisi-box as Scanners get the Time Machine treatment, while we give both sides of The Phantom Menace debate an airing and ask is the Star Wars prequel better than you remember? Obviously we’re not including Jar Jar in that statement…

• One On One! We have a Close Encounter with former Bath resident and pro Ghost Rider, the one and only Nicolas Cage.

• Spoiler Zone! American Horror Story, Chuck, Grimm, Lost Girl, Merlin, Misfits, Once Upon A Time, Sanctuary, The Secret Circle, Supernatural, Terra Nova and The Vampire Diaries are all rated for your pleasure…

Rated

Chronicle, The Devil Inside, A Monster In Paris, The Darkest Hour, Blood Car, Game Of Thrones, Paranormal Activity 3, Fright Night, Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark, Melancholia, Merlin Series Four, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Teen Wolf, Intrusion, Dead Harvest, ADD, Wolverine And The X-Men and Star Wars: The Old Republic and much, much more!

SFX 219 is on sale Wednesday 8 February, in stores as well as through Newsstand and Zinio. You can also subscribe to the print version of SFX to save loads on the shop price – UK readers will receive a sweet Marvel Mug if they do (offer ends 10 February, so be quick!).

Don’t let your brain go to waste – why not use those SF-loaded synapses for the betterment of mankind. Every month the SFXperts mailbag is chock-a-block with queries posed by your fellow readers, and some we open out to you to show how much you know about science fiction and fantasy. Supplying the best answer of the month can be your route to getting your words in SFX. Not only that, but we’ll print your picture and give you a little prize from the SFX grotto of delights.

If you know one (or even all) of the answers to these questions, put together a fact-packed, informative answer of around 150 words, grab a colour photo of yourself (it needs to be at least 350 pixels across) and send it to sfxperts@futurenet.co.uk, marking the subject header I’m an SFXpert!

Also don’t forget, if you’ve got a niggling sci-fi question you want to ask the Xperts email us at sfxperts@futurenet.co.uk, stump us and you’re question could appear on this page in the near future.

The game is afoot! This month’s questions (sent to us by readers) are:

1. I remember reading UK based magazine Starburst and it was previewing Superman Lives/Reborn. It had all the details about Nic Cage being Superman and that it was working form the Kevin Smith script but also in the article it said that Roxette would be doing the title song for the movie (just like Seal’s “Kiss From A Rose” for Batman Forever) and it was going to be called “Wish I Could Fly”.  Just after the article the project went into development hell.

A few years later (1998?) Roxette released a single called “Wish I could Fly” with the chorus:

“I wish I could fly
out in the blue
over this town
followin’ you
I’d fly over rooftops
the great boulevards
to try to find out
who you really are
who you really are”

Here is the song on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBswiNn23RU

I cant find any evidence anywhere to prove what I read was true, I hope you can help this has been bugging me for years!

2. The main stinker I have for you to help me with is a comic book. I remember this from my childhood, as it belonged to my dad (he can’t remember the name of it either and it has been thrown out long ago, along with other “clutter” in the loft to make way for an art studio – the philistine!) It was a huge tome, and hard back book. It starts with a very odd looking spaceship crash landing (I think on earth) the occupants are dead, but the scientists learn of the history of where the ship has come from which is the main story of the book. It’s about a civilization on a planet and I think it goes through the history of it and the great city. I think near the end they have a war with another planet and they build a huge ray gun. But it obviously finishes with the building of the spaceship that crash lands. I think it was in the Dan Dare style of sci-fi comic art work if you know what I mean. Can you help with this one and I will be eternally grateful.

3. Hi, help and info needed!  I watched US show Project Blue Book, mid-70s. Probably made in the 1960s. It featured two Air Force pilots who witness a UFO. In the show the US government denied everything. Any details on what it is is much appreciated!

Also I’m looking for a US show about Gargoyles, seen mid-late ’70s. I think it was based around a police deptment; one gargoyle was possibly half-human but the leader was scarily badass! May have been shot on location in LA or NYC. It had good effects for its time.

4. I hope that this finds you well. I have an inquiry for you with regards to Leonard Nimoy. To be more specific a song about Leonard Nimoy. In the early or mid 90′s I saw a late night TV show in which a band took the stage and played a song in with the two words “Leonard Nimoy” were sung over and over for several minutes. I am one of only three known people who claim to have witnessed this spectacle. Can you shed any light on this as I have been looking for footage to convince people I did not imagine this. Leonard Nimoy’s singing career does not make Google searches easy for it.

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Tricky, eh? Remember send your answers or any questions you have to sfxperts@futurenet.co.uk, marking the subject header I’m an SFXpert! and be sure to include a picture of yourself if you want to make it into the magazine.

It’s a tradition now. More information on the latest SFX special here

If you love all things fangy you’re in for a treat with SFX’s new vampire special! Whether you’re into the latest vampire franchises or retro delights from the past, it’s the magazine for you. It’s on sale from today for two months and packed full of amazing, exclusive, all-new content. Here’s a few of the things you can expect to see inside:

• The 25 Greatest Vampire Films Ever: as voted for by readers of SFX.co.uk. The winner might come as a surprise!

• Brand new interview with Spike himself, James Marsters, plus our unique ideas for the Buffy remake

• A hot debate on whether True Blood is the show it once was, plus new cast interviews and a check on whether it’s as rude as before

• The hottest new vampire flicks coming your way in 2012, including Dracula 3D, Twixt, The Moth Diaries and Livid

• A new exclusive interview with Being Human creator Toby Whithouse, and a fun comparison of the UK and US shows

• Every Vampire Diaries episode reviewed, plus a hilarious Diaries Scriptease

• In-depth looks at retro classics Salem’s Lot, Near Dark, Lifeforce and Captain Kronos

• The world’s biggest Twilight fan, a Myanna Buring interview, and the ultimate battle of the boyfriends

• The greatest vampire films you’ve never seen, including Dracula In The Provinces, Dracula Sucks and The Forsaken

• Vampire Diaries or Bridget Jones – you decide!

Plus LOADS more including Couch Potato, Ultraviolet, Death Valley, Why Transylvania Rocks, DC’s I, Vampire, sexy vampire art

Available in all good newsagents now or buy it here with free delivery.

On sale Wednesday 11 January.

Got iOS5 for your shiny new iPhone/iPad/iPod touch? You do! Well, did you know you can download issue 215 of SFX direct from Newsstand (our US chums can use this link) on the day of release for a mere £2.99? Not bad, eh? iDevice users still in the dark ages of iOS4.whatever can also download the SFX app direct from the app store, which acts as a portal for you to download (or subscribe) to your favourite science fiction and fantasy magazine. Android users have no reason to feel left out either as you can still pick up the latest issue from Zinio.

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Hunting Season

Those Winchesters just can’t catch a break. If it isn’t the apocalypse it’s their own allies turning all evil and threatening to enslave the world, which is exactly the predicament the brothers find themselves in at the start of Supernatural season seven. We chat to showrunner Sera Gamble and stars Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins in search of new season secrets.

Hell On Earth

Let’s face it, the first Ghost Rider was (flaming) pants. But that’s alright because the sequel/reboot Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance all but ignores what came before. Nic Cage is back, of course, but bonkers Crank duo Neveldine and Taylor have been given the keys to the hell cycle, and it’s that delightful duo who tell us what to expect when it hits cinemas in February.

Fresh Meat

It’s all change in Honolulu Heights, with Aidan Turner and Russell Tovey making way for new blood Damien Molony (vampire Hal) and Michael Socha (werewolf Tom). We chat to the pair direct from the set of Being Human series four and Toby Whithouse gives us an exclusive episode-by-episode preview.

Under the Radar

We preview nine hidden gems that might pass you by in the year superheroes take over the big screen including The Raven, Jack The Giant Killer and Snow White And The Huntsman. Don’t miss ‘em.

Art Attack

The Clone Wars is one of the best looking animated TV shows ever. Don’t agree with us? Then you might after our reading our exclusive chat with ILM’s Joel Aron about the look of the show.

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Don’t Miss

Retro-tastic: Time Machine does Terminator 2, Lee Majors tells us what is was like to be the Six Million Dollar Man and we tell you 20 Reasons We Love The Prisoner.

One on One: We have a Close Encounter with True Blood’s saucy undead redhead Deborah Ann Woll, discover Charlaine Harris’ Heroes & Inspirations and speak to Alastair Reynolds about his latest Blue Remembered Earth.

Spoiler Zone: American Horror Story, Chuck, Fringe, Merlin, Once Upon A Time, Supernatural, Terra Nova, The Walking Dead, Lost Girl and Sanctuary are all reviewed.

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Red Alert

• Everything you need to know about terrifying new faux-doc show The River, from the makers of Paranormal Activity.
• Once Upon A Time there was this show about a fairytale world that took America by storm… catch up on the latest before it reaches UK shores.
• A lot can change in 18 years, just ask the makers of Syndicate, which returns next month as a slick, futuristic first person shooter penned by top author Richard Morgan.

Rated: The Woman In Black, Black Mirror, Troll Hunter, Misfits Series Three, Arrietty, Doctor Who: Unit Files, Blue Remembered Earth, Neonomicon, Resident Evil: Revelations.

SFX 218 is on sale Wednesday 11 January, in stores and through Newsstand and Zinio. You can also subscribe to the print version of SFX to save loads on the shop price – UK readers will also receive a sweet Marvel Mug if they do (offer ends 10 February).

If you’re looking for something to buy in the January sales, then remember there’s still time to get the latest SFX special edition Paranormal pack. It’s on the high street now but you can also order it, with free delivery, below.

It comes with three fun free gifts: an exclusive key ring, a sheet of gothic stickers and an amazing cult movie 2012 calendar. (A free calendar is often requested by SFX readers so we hope you like this one.)

Highlights inside the glossy 124-page mag include new short stories by top writers Simon Clark and novelist James Lovegrove. We examine your favourite ghost stories (from MR James and Charles Dickens to Ghostbusters and Paranormal Activity), speak exclusively to Being Human creator Toby Whithouse about the new series of the hit BBC Three show, quiz the director of the current Woman In Black movie adaptation (trailer below), put the so-called “sexiest man in spiritualism” Derek Acorah on the spot and explore the ten best episodes of Supernatural.

Also in your magazine:

If you prefer your scares to be more cerebral than the current fashion for zombies and vampires allows, you enjoy books and comics as much as TV and film, and you think long winter evenings are perfect for sharing spooky stories, then this is the magazine for you.

See some of the things people are saying about it online:

“Congratulations on an excellent magazine. As a horror fan I am finding loads of great stuff in the paranormal special, especially if you like horror fiction. The two short stories are excellent. Can you make it monthly?!” - Blackabyss

“Just got it today and it’s a fantastic read – especially all the short stories” - KevTheLostDoctor

“Looks interesting, with articles on the Carnacki stories (and a new short story by Simon Clark) , The Stone Tape, the supernatural in Doctor Who and tons more” - kissoffboardy

We’ve just noticed it’s already going for £14.99 on eBay (!) but you can still get it from us at the original price, thank goodness: order a copy (with free delivery) here online. And if you got an Apple iPad or new iPhone or iPod Touch for Christmas, why not read it on Apple Newsstand now?

If you need more convincing you and can watch a short flick-through video trailer too:

Pick up SFX Collection 53: The Paranormal today.

More info after the jump…

Including a 48-page, full-colour graphic novel, Thorgal, and 3 Batman postcards

Inside the jam-packed magazine:

Interviews:

• Frank Miller – as he unleashed Holy Terror
• Jeff Lemire – the beast behind the new Animal Man
• Bryan Singer – on bringing superheroes to the big screen
• George Perez – legendary artist on his heroes and inspirations
• Jason Aaron – X-Man: Schisms mastermind on where he taking the mutants next
• Scott Snyder – on resurrecting Swamp Thing
• Mike Allred – on Madman

Features:

• Top 50 Supervillains ever
• Darkness II preview
• Was Neutro the worse comic ever?
• Luke Cage – an appreciation
• The Bluffer’s Guide to Vertigo

Exclusive Extract:

From Strange & Darke: New Blood Part One by John Smith and Colin MacNeil

Free!
48-page graphic novel Thorgal: The Invisible Fortress
Plus: Three free Batman new 52 postcards.

A hero is only as good as his or her opponents, which is why this month Comic Heroes is celebrating those bothersome creeps by dedicating a whopping 15 pages to a count down of the top 50 comic gad guys, as voted for by the readers of Comic Heroes – that’s you lot! Disagree with the decisions? Then you’ve only got yourself to blame.

Elsewhere, we shift focus from villains to anti-heroes, one anti-hero in particular, mob-boss Jackie Estacado who returns in videogame sequel The Darkness II. We’re so excited about the long-anticipated sequel we got on the blower with the creator of the original comic – and a man closely involved with the creation of the game – Marc Silvestri to chat about what to expect and why it could be the best comic book adaptation ever.

That’s not all! Bryan Singer looks back on bringing the X-Men and Superman to the big screen, we celebrate 20 years of Madman with Mike Allred, Frank Miller gives us the lowdown on his work from The Dark Knight Returns to Holy Terror, your bluffers guide to DC and Vertigo and we ask the mighty George Perez about his inspirations.

And as always our extensive reviews section covers the best of the month’s releases, including Paul Dini’s collected Batman: Arkham City graphic novel, the League Of Gentlemen Omnibus HC, Self Made Heroes’ Hellraisers, a round up of the latest Marvel, DC and Dark Horse releases and Alan Moore’s superb Neonomicon.

Hey, here’s a quick low-res teaser flip-through of the entire mag! Enjoy.

Comic Heroes 10 is on sale Friday 23 December. The three amazing free postcards are courtesy of DC and the complete graphic novel is a classic Belgian hero, Thorgal, from Cinebook. You can order the mag online from My Favourite Magazines (where you can also subscribe and have a crisp copy delivered to your personal Batcave every two months.). If all this paper malarkey isn’t your cup of tea remember you can also subscribe to our market-leading mags via Apple Newsstand (or Zinio if you’re not an iOS user).

Get a flavour of each and very page of the new issue of SFX, on sale today. More information here. You can also order it online at our store.

(Music by Kevin MacLeod)

Take a whistestop tour through our latest spooky special, on sale now. More information here. You can also order it online at our store.

(Music by Kevin MacLeod)

On sale Wednesday 14 December

Got iOS5 for your shiny new iPhone/iPad/iPod touch? You do! Well, did you know you can download issue 217 of SFX direct from Newsstand (our US chums can join in as well) on the day of release for a mere £2.99? iDevice users still in the dark ages of iOS4.whatever can also download the SFX app direct from the app store, which acts as a portal for you to download (or subscribe) to your favourite science fiction and fantasy magazine. Android users have no reason to feel left out either as you can still pick up the latest issue from Zinio..

Superhero Smackdown

If you’re a spandex salesman, 2012 is going to be your year: Supes returns in The Man Of Steel, Andrew Garfield dons a brand new web-slinging outfit in The Amazing Spider-Man and the Marvel movie universe comes together in The Avengers. We’re taking a look at them all this issue, from dissecting the new Avengers trailer to looking at 50 thing you need to know about the new Superman movie and an interview with Andrew Garfield. Blimey!

Happy Whomas!

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without widespread overeating of turkey, group family drunkenness and the Doctor on the box. We went poking round the set of this year’s Christmas Special, and found ourselves in a whole other world…

We Are The Law

The creators of Life On Mars are stepping into the arena of supernatural law practices in Eternal Law, and we’ve been on set to find out what’s in store.

Parallel Lives

We speak to the showrunners of the ever-brilliant Fringe tease what to expect when the show returns in the new year.

We Believe In A Thing Called Shocks

The Darkness is back! No, not the guitar-toting nutjobs of yesteryear (although, to be fair, they’re back too), we’re talking about The Darkness II, a new videogame which will drop a fright bomb on your face.

Jason O’Mara

Terra Nova’s premier dino-fighting cop from the future settles down for a chinwag with SFX.

Don’t Miss:

Profiles: We talk to Philip K Dick Award-winning author Rudy Rucker about Alien, William Burroughs and the moral majority.

Spoiler Zone: Misfits, Once Upon A Time, Grimm, Chuck and much, much get the spoiler treatment this issue…

Red Alert

• We waltz with The Woman In Black.
• We get the lowdown on the return of Red Dwarf in 2012
• We corner Robert Sheehan about his return to our screens in The Borrowers.

Rated: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1, Hugo, In Time, Cowboys And Aliens, Super 8, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, The Fades, Conan The Barbarian, The Smurfs, The Skin I Live In, Hell Train, Skyrim, Mazeworld, Assassin’s Creed and much, much more…

Here is a flick through of the entire mag!

SFX 217 is on sale NOW, in stores and through Newsstand and Zinio. You can also subscribe to the print version of SFX to save loads on the shop price, or buy a single issue online too.

We love the Christmas period here at SFX - it’s an excuse to stuff ourselves with turkey and watch a bit of festive Doctor Who – and now you can bring a bit of extra SFX love into your house this Christmas morning thanks to our rather impressive subscription offers, which saves you up to 40% on the usual subs price.

The perfect gift for any science fiction or fantasy nut, or perhaps a cheeky present for yourself (go on, you know you deserve it), for just £37.99 for a full year (or £8.79 every three months if you want to make a saving and spread the cost) SFX will be delivered direct to your door.

You’ll also receive our exclusive cover line free subscribers covers (which are so beautiful they’ll make you weep tears of pure joy), as well as receiving the magazine before it hits high street shelves. What more could the discerning SF fan want at this time of giving?

Comic Heroes, the definitive guide to the world of comics from the makers of SFX, which has been available on Apple’s shiny new Newsstand app since it launched, is now giving you the chance to complete your virtual collection of the magazine at an amazing bargain price of £1.49 an issue.

It’s a limited time offer, so now is the time to pounce and fill your iPad with the galaxy’s greatest comic content, from in-depth interviews with creators to character guides, reviews and much, much more. Don’t miss out!

A whistlestop tour of each and every page in our new Doctor Who: The Fanzine bookazine. More info here.

Brace yourself for some serious scares as the latest SFX Special Edition goes on sale today (23 November)! Click here to buy it now.

Amazing free gifts!

As well as a magazine packed with ghostly goodness, you’ll also get a spooky ghost keyring, a sheet of stickers and an amazing Arrow films cult horror movie calander exclusive to SFX!

Terror Tales

Angry Robot author Guy Haley, Simon Clark and novelist James Lovegrove will get the hairs on the back of your neck standing up with a pair of terrifically frightening stories.

Interview Galore!

We speak to Being Human creator Toby Whithouse about his plans for Annie and the ghosts in the next series, speak to Woman In Black director James Watkins, collar the so-called ‘sexiest man in spiritualism’ Derek Acorah and discuss ghost story love with Her Fearful Symmetry author Audrey Niffenegger.

Top 50 Ghost Stories Ever

As voted for by you, check out our run down of the best chilling tales ever told in books, TV and film…

Ghosties UK

We take a tour round the most haunted pubs in the country, examine the UK’s scariest monsters and take a look back at terrifying TV play The Stone Tape.

Plus Loads More!

Don’t miss out on the ten best Supernatural episodes, exclusive extracts from new Dark Horse comic The Occultist, a look at new Brit flick The Awakening, a round-up of the best ghost fiction out there right now and much more besides…

You can order this online now at our store!

You can of course subscribe to the SFX Collections to ensure you never miss one like this! Also, Whovians! Don’t forget to check out SFX Presents Doctor Who: The Fanzine, also out today! All our SFX special editions are all (eventually) being made available on the Apple Newsstand and on Zinio too so be sure to check out the digital versions of these mags when they’re available.

Available in all good newsagents and supermarkets for three months from the day of Doctor Who’s 48^th birthday (or you can order a copy online), Doctor Who: The Fanzine from the makers of SFX is the ultimate unofficial tribute to the nation’s favourite television programme.

Across 180 packed pages, we look at Who from every possible angle, including a few never seen before! All this content is 100% new – you won’t have seen ANY of it elsewhere! (Well, apart from little excerpts we’ll be putting up on the site next week to entice you to buy it.)

So what’s in it? How about these treats for starters:

Every monster ever illo… (not to scale)

• Battle of the Superfans: we pit the show’s self-proclaimed biggest fanatics against each other to discover who deserves the title of Ultimate Superfan!

• New Matt Smith interview: the actor explains why playing the Doctor can be a solitary existence

• Arthur Darvill Fannish Inquisition: you quiz Rory Williams on dying, gerbils and series seven

• The Ten Greatest Doctor Who Moments You’ll (Probably) Never See: the most tantalising scenes from Who’s missing episodes, as imagined by the fabulous artists behind the Reign Of Terror DVD animation

• Full series six episode guide: 14-episodes examined minute-by-minute!

• A Hitch In Time: looking at Patrick Troughton’s other time travelling role

• Tom Baker & Louise Jameson interviewed: we put your questions to the Fourth Doctor and Leela

• The latest instalment in our rib-tickling cartoon strip Arthur “Dies Daily” Darvill Vs Murderous Moffat

• “Chasing Christopher Eccleston”: our (unsuccessful) attempts to grab a word with the Ninth Doctor!

Plus STACKS More! (No, really, including…)

Missing episodes illustrated

• Interview with Who DVD head Dan Hall
• What happened when we went trolling on forums
• The most amazing memorabilia collection of them all
• Christmas special preview
• Results of our “draw the Doctor’s bedroom” competition
• The secret diary of a Doctor Who addict
• Eleven brilliant Who writers – including Tom Macrae, Toby Whithouse, James Moran and Matthew Graham – choose their favourite Doctor
• Every monster ever in our huge colour illustration
• The history of guns in Doctor Who
• The Doctor in The Sarah Jane Adventures
• In-depth interview with top artist Chris Achilleos – complete with two brand new illustrations

AND STILL MORE!

Terry Nation * Naughty spoofs * Target books * Radio Times covers * The “Inbetween” years * Toby Hadoke on tour * 20 things we learned from series six * Are you spoilerphobic? * Interviewing the audio makers * Geeky confessions * The Doctor Who Experience * Every Who episode EVER rated * The Who How * Back to Paradise Towers * 50th anniversary wishlist * What the general public think of Who * (And nothing at all about the Australian K-9 series!)

You can order a copy here: http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx-presents-dr-who/

On sale Wednesday 16 November.

Got iOS5 for your shiny new iPhone/iPad/iPod touch? You do! Well, did you know you can download issue 216 of SFX direct from Newsstand (our US chums can use this link) on the day of release for a mere £2.99? iDevice users still in the dark ages of iOS4.whatever can also download the SFX app direct from the app store, which acts as a portal for you to download (or subscribe) to your favourite science fiction and fantasy magazine. Android users have no reason to feel left out either as you can still pick up the latest issue from Zinio..

True Blood

When dealing with sex-mad psychopathic vampires, we find it’s best to put them on the cover. They only get angry and make a blood mess otherwise. We’re celebrating the twenty things we love about True Blood as it returns to screens in the UK, and having civilized chats with Stephen Moyer, Joe Manganiello and Kristin Bauer Van Straten.

Twilight: Breaking Dawn

Brace yourself, Twi-hards: R-Patz is nearly back on the big screen in the darkest Twilight movie yet. We get the low down from screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg.

The Walking Dead

Andrew Lincoln has made the part of small town sheriff turned zombie-slayer par excellence Rick Grimes his own. We catch up with the star of The Walking Dead as season two hits its stride.

Brooker’s Back

After wowing us all with his Big Brother zombie show Dead Set, Charlie Brooker returns to the small screen with Black Mirror, three tales of techno-tinged terror. We catch up with the man himself…

Joe Quesada

We sit down for a cup of tea and a crumpet with Marvel’s chief creative office and find out what flicks his switches in heroes and inspirations.

Don’t Miss:

Profiles: We chat to Misfits rude and raw new boy Joe Gilgun and talk children’s literature with Jasper Fforde.

Spoiler Zone: Alphas, American Horror Story, Doctor Who, The Fades, Fringe, A Gifted Man, Haven, Lost Girl, Merlimn, Sanctuary, The Sarah Jane Adventures, The Secret Circle, Supernatural, Terra Nova, The Vampire Diaries, The Walking Dead and Warehouse 13 all get the full spoiler treatment this issue…

Red Alert

• Charlie Brooker talks us through his chilling return to TV.
• There’s a new Sinbad on the seven seas – we find out what the new series from Sky has in store when it finally launches in 2012.
• Legendary Rage Against The Machine axe-smith Tom Morello runs us through his favourite sci-fi and fantasy.

Rated: The Thing, The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn, Immortals, Another Earth, Paranormal Activity 3, Captain America: The First Avenger, Doctor Who Series Six, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part Two, Torchwood: Miracle Day, Stephen King’s 11.22.63, The Batman Files and The Strain and much, much more…

SFX 216 is on sale Wednesday 16 Novemebr, in stores and through Newsstand and Zinio. You can also subscribe to the print version of SFX to save loads on the shop price – UK readers will also receive the second season of Fringe on DVD if they do (offer ends 30 November).

SFX‘s latest special issue, Zombies: The Ultimate Guide, is now on sale. Read all about it here!

The mag comes with three free gifts, one of which is a double-sided A1 poster. On one side of that is some rather brilliant art by artist Matt Talbot, who’s drawn us a piece in the style of a classic wartime propaganda poster. We liked this so much that we’ve decided to add it to SFX‘s range of original t-shirts.Check it out below (click on the image to see a larger version of the design).

You can buy one now by going to the SFX merch site. The shirt costs £15, and as Henry Ford might have said, you can have it in any colour… just so long as it’s black. We’re a bit more flexible when it comes to sizes though, with everything from S to XL available.

Incidentally, if that doesn’t sate your zombie t-shirt urges, why not check out the full range of zombie tees available, which includes Dawn Of The Dead and Walking Dead designs?

Comic Heroes 9 Is On Sale Tuesday 25 October

We all love Spider-Man. He’s funny, he swings around the place like he owns it, and he’s got a surprisingly cool costume considering he’s styled after a many-legged beastie. This issue, we’re paying homage to the web-slinging wonder by taking a stroll through the complete history of Spider-Man, reliving the classic stories, and looking ahead to his cinematic re-birth next year in The Amazing Spider-Man.

It’s not all Spidey-based this month though, oh no. We’ve also taken tea with 2000AD‘s long-serving alien editor Tharg to discuss the future of the UK’s finest anthology comic, spoken to Garth Ennis about The Boys, and compiled a bluffer’s guide to Jack Kirby.

As if that wasn’t enough, we collared comic scribe of renown Paul Cornell to discuss DC’s New 52 (which is also reviewed this issue), appreciated the wonderful art of Mark Buckingham, and cast a pair of fresh eyes over Grant Morrison’s The Filth, alongside the usual crop of reviews, news and opinion. Free gifts this month include a smashing Spidey key-ring and a double-sided poster featuring 2000AD’s Cradlegrave and DC’s New 52.

Don’t forget you can now subscribe to Comic Heroes via Newsstand, read online via Zinio, subscribe or simply walk to your local shops and buy one. It’s amazing, really. Onward!

On sale Wednesday 19 October. US chums, keep your eye out for the Immortals cover you see above.

Pick up a specially marked copy of SFX 215 in Sainsburys, and get two magazines for just £7!

Got iOS5 for your shiny new iPhone/iPad/iPod touch? You do! Well, did you know you can download issue 215 of SFX direct from Newsstand (our US chums can use this link) on the day of release for a mere £2.99? Not bad, eh? iDevice users still in the dark ages of iOS4.whatever can also download the SFX app direct from the app store, which acts as a portal for you to download (or subscribe) to your favourite science fiction and fantasy magazine. Android users have no reason to feel left out either as you can still pick up the latest issue from Zinio.

Want to test the waters? SFX 213 (with Doctor Who on the cover) is currently 100% free to download from Newsstand, for a limited time. All you need to do is download the free app and Bob’s your uncle!

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Misfits Series Three

Misfits returns to screens later this month for a third series of bonkers superpowers, wildly imaginative swearing and the impromptu expulsion of multiple simultaneous bodily functions, so we donned our biohazard suits and took a trip to the set for a day of zombie cheerleaders, and to meet the latest member of the gang – Rudy. Don’t be a monkeyslut, find out everything you need to know about the new series as we chat to writer/creator Howard Overman and see the new line-up in action in our exclusive behind the scenes pics.

The SFX Hot 50

Is it that time of the year already? After hours of shouting at each other across a large table and throwing the occasional Yoda Pez dispenser, the SFX hive mind has finally settled on a list of the top 50 movers and shakers in the world of science fiction. Did your favourite author/actor/film maker make the cut? Read on to find out!

Immortals

Superman’s Henry Cavill and director Tarsem Singh do for the Greek Gods what Zack Snyder and Frank Miller did for the Spartans in Immortals. Warning: contains copious levels of scowling, swords and six packs.

Sir Terry Pratchett

The legendary Discworld creator talks candidly to SFX about how science fiction can help in dealing with life’s ups and downs. Not half as pretentious as it sounds.

The Walking Dead Season Two

We go on set for the second season of FX’s phenomenally successful zombie show to chat with the cast and co-executive producer (and zombie make-up legend) Greg Nicotero.

Couch Potato

The couch crew enter Longpoke (aka Rich’s house) for an evening of prison-related SF.

Invaders From Mars

We take a look back at the exceptionally weird alien invasion classic in the latest Time Machine.

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Don’t Miss:

Profiles: Fringe’s Joshua Jackson talks season four and Chris Wooding tells us about his latest novel The Iron Jackal.

Spoiler Zone: Fringe, The Vampire Diaries and Lost Girl return; The Fades and The Secret Circle begin; while Eureka, Torchwood and True Blood wrap up for the year. Also the latest episodes of Doctor Who, Alphas, Haven and Warehouse 13.

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Red Alert

• Andrew Niccol (Gattaca) teams up with Justin Timberlake (wait, it gets good!) for high concept sci-fi flick, In Time, where everyone in the world stops aging at 25 and time is a commodity.
• We reveal the vampire filling the Mitchell-shaped-hole in the new series of Being Human.
• We get up close and personal with the rather lovely Yvonne Strahovski to talk the fifth and final season of Chuck.
• We’re massively excited about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in the office, and we think you should be too. Read all about dragon slaying and infinite possibilites as we speak to game director Todd Howard.

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Rated: The Three Musketeers, Contagion, X-Men: First Class, Jurassic Park: Ultimate Trilogy, Peter F Hamilton’s Manhattan In Reverse, 18 (!) of DC’s 52 superhero reboots and Batman: Arkham City.

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SFX 215 is on sale Wednesday 19 October, in stores, and through Newsstand and Zinio. You can also subscribe to the print version of SFX to save loads on the shop price – UK readers will also receive the second season of Fringe on DVD if they do (offer ends 30 November).

On sale Wednesday 21 September.

Head here to read online or take advantage of our September subscription offer…

Banged Up

The folks behind Lost talk us through Alcatraz, a show featuring a mysterious island, time-travel and Hurley. Sounds familiar? Don’t be too sure…

The Fall Guys

We take a look at the best new and returning TV heading our way this Autumn, including Fringe, Chuck, Supernatural, The Walking Dead, Once Upon A Time, Grimm and much, much more…

Merlin’s Beard

Our Dave G has a nose around on the set of the new series of Merlin, and discovers face-fuzz, new characters and testosterone aplenty…

Karen Gillan

The Doctor’s companion talks Scream, Inverness and Elvis in Heroes And Inspirations.

Holy X-box, Batfans

Batman is back, breaking bones with wild abandon as Arkham Asylum follow-up Arkham City finally nears arrival. Excited is not the word…

Don’t Miss

Spoiler Zone

Alphas, Eureka, Falling Skies, Haven, Teen Wolf, Torchwood: Miracle Day, True Blood and Warehouse 13 are  all watched and rated…

Red Alert

We get the inside skinny on The Three Musketeers, speak to Fringe’s Anna Torv, find out Dolph Lundgren’s favourite sci-fi and find out what to expect in the season four of The Clone Wars.

Rated

Conan The Barbarian, Real Steel, Midnight In Paris, Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark, Final Destination 5, Thor, Firefly, Fringe, Snuff, The Incal and Dead Island are all put through the SFX wringer, plus many, many more!

Get hold of issue 214 of SFX while it’s still available – these quick links will take you through to our online order page, our US subscriptions page, or our Zinio page where a download of the mag is available now!

On-sale now, Zombies: The Ultimate Guide is our latest special issue. You can read all about the contents of the mag and the free gifts that come with it here (and don’t forget to buy our new zombie t-shirt too!)

We need your help spreading the SFX zombie infection! In return, we’ve got goodies to dish out. If you’re thinking, “Hang on, isn’t this just bribing us to do your marketing?” then congratulations, you’ve grasped it! Here’s how it’ll work:

* Every Monday to Friday for three weeks, we’ll ask you to tweet about the zombie special. Your tweet must include the words Zombies: The Ultimate Guide and this link:
http://bit.ly/SFXZombie (please don’t put @SFXmagazine at the front!) Retweets of our own tweets about the mag will do just fine.
* The next morning, we’ll pick out one person who tweeted the previous day and post ‘em some free books.
* That’s 15 chances to win! But you don’t have to tweet every day, of course. It’s up to you.

A full list of the prize bundles we’ll be giving away follows:

Monday 26 September
Autumn by David Moody
Autumn: The City by David Moody

Tuesday 27 September
The Enemy by Charlie Higson
The Dead by Charlie Higson
The Dark And Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

Wednesday 28 September
Pride And Prejudice And Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Pride And Prejudice And Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After

Thursday 29 September
The Best Of Tomes of The Dead
Stronghold by Paul Finch
Viking Dead by Toby Venables

Friday 30 September
10,000 Zombies by David Hartman and Alexander Cox
The Art Of Zombie Warfare by Scott Kenemore

Monday 3 October
The Zombie Autopsies by Steven C Schlozman, MD
10,000 Zombies by David Hartman and Alexander Cox
Viking Dead by Toby Venables

Tuesday 4 October
The Reapers Are The Angels by Alden Bell
Zombie Britannica by Thomas Emson
Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter by AE Moorat

Wednesday 5 October
The Reapers Are The Angels by Alden Bell
Zombies In New York And Other Bloody Jottings by Sam Stone
Dust And Decay by Jonathan Maberry

Thursday 6 October
Zombies: The Complete Guide To The World Of The Living Dead by Zachary Graves
Zombies: A Hunter’s Guide by Joseph A McCollough

Friday 7 October
Dead Island by Mark Morris
Zombiesque edited by Stephen L Antczak
The Dead Ways by Christopher Edge

Monday 10 October
The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks by Max Brooks
Pride And Prejudice And Zombies – the graphic novel

Tuesday 11 October
Ministry Of Zombies: The Official Zombie Handbook
Zombies: A Record Of The Year Of Infection

Wednesday 12 October
FZAA: Federal Vampire And Zombie Agency (graphic novel)
Day By Day Armageddon by JL Bourne
Plague Of The Dead by ZA Recht

Thursday 13 October
How To Speak Zombie
Robin Hood vs The Plague Undead by James Black
Flip This Zombie by Jesse Petersen

Friday 14 October
Viking Dead by Toby Venables
Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter by AE Moorat
A zombie magnetic poetry kit!

On sale 26 September (price £7.99), the latest one-off SFX special is Zombies: The Ultimate Guide, an 132-page magazine dedicated to all things undead.

You can get it from all good newsagents (if your local shop doesn’t stock it, ask them to order in SFX special number 52). You can also order it by ringing our customer services team on 0844 848 2852, or buying online from this page. And if you’d prefer a digital version of the mag, you can buy one of those too, via the SFX Collections app, for £4.99.

The mag comes packaged with three great free gifts (click on the links to see images):

* A gruesome zombie face key-topper
* A warning sign sticker to slap on your door (perfect for fending off unwelcome salesmen…)
* A double-sided A1 poster. This has Walking Dead art by Drew Struzan on one side, and a specially commissioned “wartime propaganda poster” image on the reverse.

Incidentally, you can also buy an exclusive SFX t-shirt featuring that propaganda poster art – visit the SFX merch site to order one now!

The mag comes sealed inside a cardboard wallet, so we’ve made a short video showing you what’s inside. And here’s a full run-down:

THE TOP 66 ZOMBIE MOVIES OF ALL TIME
This epic feature consists of in-depth reviews of every zombie movie worth watching – from the ‘30s to the modern day, classics to cult items – in order of increasing awesomeness, including interviews with some of the people responsible for making them.

GEORGE ROMERO
The director of classics like Night Of The Living Dead and Dawn Of The Dead answers questions sent in by SFX readers – some intelligent, some downright daft – for one of our regular “Fannish Inquisition” features.

THE WALKING DEAD
We talk to Robert Kirkman (as well as other crew and cast) about the second season of the hit US TV show, returning to UK screens on FX  this October.

ITALIAN ZOMBIE MOVIES
A history of the ultra-gory Italian horror films of the early ‘80s, with lashings of gruesome poster art.

THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD
A look back at Dan O’Bannon’s 1985 cult favourite, featuring new interviews with cast and crew.

I WALKED AS A ZOMBIE
What’s it like to be a zombie? Our reporter finds out as he spends a day as an extra on the set of new British horror film Cockneys vs Zombies.

TOM SAVINI
The make-up maestro who created the zombies for Romero’s Dawn Of The Dead and Day Of The Dead talks about his career.

GREG NICOTERO
An interview with another make-up genius: the guy who’s currently creating the award-winning zombie make-ups for The Walking Dead.

HOW TO SURVIVE A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE
Humorous advice on survival techniques from Dr Dale Seslick, of the popular stage show of the same name.

MERCH OF THE DEAD
Four pages of the best zombie toys and gifts that money can buy, from crocheted undead bunnies to zombie-feet flip-flops!

THE A-Z OF ZOMBIE VIDEOGAMES
This 23-part feature breaks down all the essential lessons we’ve learnt from zombie gaming.

MAX BROOKS
The author of World War Z discusses the forthcoming Brad Pitt movie adaptation and more.

CHARLIE HIGSON
The author of Young Adult series The Enemy explains his love of zombies.

MIRA GRANT
We talk to author Seanan McGuire (Grant is a nom de plume, y’see!), who recently won the John W Campbell Award for her zombie series Newsflesh.

DAVID MOODY
The author of the Autumn series explains why his living dead don’t eat human flesh.

MURIEL
An original short story written exclusively for SFX by David Moody.

ISAAC MARION
We talk to the author of the acclaimed zombie novel Warm Bodies, currently being made into a film starring Nicholas Hoult.

JOHN RUSSO
The co-writer of Night Of The Living Dead explains why he feels he deserves a bit more credit for his role in creating the modern-day zombie.

ROMERO BY THE NUMBERS
Ever wondered exactly how many zombies are killed in George Romero’s Dead series? Or how many times someone says the F word? We’ve done the counting…

COMING ATTRACTIONS
A preview of zombie films, videogames and books coming our way in 2012.

A NOTE ON REPURPOSING: 23 write-ups in the Top 66 Zombie Films feature reuse material previously published in SFX (revised, updated and in many cases significantly expanded). All the other copy is new.

Since 2009 the live SFX Weekender events have been your chance to mingle with actors, artists, writers, fans and more. The next event, 2 to 5 February 2012, will be no exception and we’re pleased this week to add another figure from the world of comics to our line-up.

Mark Buckingham has been the regular artist on Fables for DC Comics for nine years, working with its writer and creator Bill Willingham, for which they have earned numerous comic industry awards. He has also illustrated Willingham’s Down The Mysterly River prose novel released this summer by Tor books. In addition Mark is also the regular cover artist on IDW’s Doctor Who comic and is currently working with Neil Gaiman on a comic strip for the Brilliant Book Of Doctor Who 2012 for BBC Books.

Mark’s first major work was as inker on DC Comics Hellblazer in 1988. From there he went on to work with Neil Gaiman as artist on Miracleman (now Marvelman) as well as other Gaiman written works such as Sandman and Death. Along side this he also developed a successful career as one of DC’s top inkers, especially at Vertigo, and also produced painted artwork for 2000AD on Tyranny Rex. In the mid ’90s Mark moved to Marvel where he inked Generation X and Ghost Rider 2099 before focusing on developing his pencilling career on titles such as Dr Strange and Star Trek Unlimited. In 1997 he returned to DC as a full time penciller, initially working on Batman: Shadow of the Bat, followed by a relaunch of super team The Titans. In 2000 he began a successful two-year reinvigoration of the Spider-Man titles for Marvel on Peter Parker: Spider-Man with Paul Jenkins, as well as guest appearances in other Marvel books such as The Fantastic Four. Since 2002 Mark has been the regular artist on Fables, created by writer Bill Willingham, for Vertigo/DC Comics. Fables has proven to be both a commercial and critical hit, earning numerous comic industry awards. In 2008 he illustrated the World Book Day edition of Neil Gaiman’s children’s book Odd And The Frost Giants.

He’ll be joining other recently announced Weekender guests including Eve Myles and Sylvester McCoy, and comics fans will want to see Dan Boultwood, Tony Lee and Dan Abnett too. The SFX Weekender 3 takes place at the Prestatyn Sands holiday camp in north Wales on the first weekend in February. VIP tickets are almost sold out but there are still many other options available – book now by calling 08700 11 00 34 or head to www.sfxweekender.com/tickets for more information.

Plans for the SFX Weekender are well and truly under way now, and today’s good news is that we can proudly announce that two of Black Library’s finest authors will be joining us in February 2012.

Readers will be familiar with Aaron Dembski-Bowden and Dan Abnett from the pages of SFX this summer, and they’ll be at Prestatyn Sands with us for the third SFX Weekender event. These top authors will be on hand for signings, Q&A sessions and panels throughout the weekend. Alas fellow writer Chris Wraight can no longer attend.

Dan Abnett (above) is a novelist and award-winning comic book writer who’s well known to Warhammer 40,000 fans, having penned many a bestselling novel including the acclaimed Gaunt’s Ghosts series. As if that wasn’t enough, he’s a renowned comics writer, having worked on everything from the Mr Men to the X-Men, and he was the writer behind last year’s Space Marines film Ultramarines. We ran a short story by Mr Abnett on our site back in July. You can visit his website here: www.danabnett.com

Aaron Dembski-Bowden‘s greatest hits include the novels Soul Hunter, Helsreach, The First Heretic and Throne Of Lies. His latest book is Blood Reaver, out now from Black Library, which is a sequel to Soul Hunter – it’s an epic tale from the Warhammer 40,000 universe in which the Night Lords unite with the Red Corsairs to attack the fortress-monastery of the Marines Errant in search of the chapter’s gene-seed. Aaron was interviewed in SFX magazine as recently as issue 213 and you can find out more about him at http://aarondembskibowden.wordpress.com.

These authors are in good company: the Weekender already boasts a line up that includes Torchwood‘s Gwen Cooper, a Time Lord and the Prince of the Hawkmen. It takes place in Prestatyn, north Wales, on Friday 3 February and Saturday 4 February 2012, with our pre-party on Thursday 2 February for the early birds. VIP tickets are already going fast, but there are many other options available. Make sure you get yours by calling 08700 11 00 34, or head to www.sfxweekender.com/tickets for more information.

For a show which has Wales running through every strand of its DNA, there are few things more Welsh about Torchwood than the lovely Eve Myles. Who better then to help us launch the SFX Weekender 3 as we move shop to Prestatyn in North Wales for the first time in 2012?

Born in Powys and earning her acting stripes with nine years on the BBC One Wales drama Belonging, Myles is a veteran of the small screen. As well as appearances in Doctor Who and Merlin, Myles will be instantly recognisable to viewers on both sides of the Atlantic as Torchwood’s Gwen Cooper. With her characteristic Welsh accent and no-nonsense attitude Gwen has been keeping Jack in check for four years and ranks as the only mortal member of the team to have survived all the way to Miracle Day, a testament to the popularity of her character. You voted her best actress at the SFX Awards 2010, but she makes her live Weekender debut at the SFX Weekender 3 where she’ll appear onstage for a Q&A and spend time at the signing table.

There are few roles on TV tougher than Doctor Who. After all, you’re following in the footsteps of the greats. Spare a thought for the Doctors of the past 15 years then, who have all had the unenviable task of following in the wake of Sylvester McCoy’s unforgettable performance as the seventh Doctor. He starred in “Remembrance Of The Daleks”, one of Who’s best stories, survived Bonnie Langford, and he’ll be joining us for the SFX Weekender 3 on Friday 3 February.

The last of the classic Doctors, Sylvester McCoy is technically the longest serving televisual Timelord having occupied the TARDIS between 1987 and 1996. In the years since, he’s kept the seventh Doctor alive by recording dozens of audio books and numerous appearances at conventions all around the world, where he is praised for his way with the fans and passion for the show. Not a Doctor Who fan? Then you might recognise him from appearances in Tiswas, Jackanory and many, many more. Lord Of The Rings fans also have cause to get excited – because Sylvester will be portraying wizard Radagast The Brown in The Hobbit. What better opportunity to hear first hand about Peter Jackson’s return to Middle Earth? Sylvester McCoy will be conducting an on stage Q&A, introducing a classic Doctor Who story in the screening room and will take part in a signing session on Friday 3 February only.

The announcements don’t stop there though, because we’re thrilled to reveal Robert Rankin will be returning for his Weekender hat-trick in 2012, alongside comic book creators Tony Lee and Dan Boultwood; the crew of 2000AD; and authors from Abaddon, Solaris, Black Library, Tor, Orbit, Gollancz and more.

The SFX Weekender takes place at Prestatyn holiday camp in North Wales on Friday 3 February and Saturday 4 February 2012, with our pre-party on Thursday 2 February for the early birds. VIP tickets are already almost sold out but there are still other options available. Make sure you get yours before it’s too late! Book now by calling 08700 11 00 34, or head to www.sfxweekender.com/tickets for more information.

Some familiar faces are set to return to the SFX Weekender in February 2012. By popular demand, back for their second year after one of 2011′s most interesting and vibrant comics talks, we’re thrilled to welcome bestselling comics and audio drama writer Tony Lee (Doctor Who, The Baker Street Irregulars) and artist Dan Boultwood (The Gloom, Agent Mom).

It’s just over five months now until the UK’s greatest festival of sci-fi kicks off in Prestatyn – that’s 2-5 February 2012 to be exact – and our eagle-eyed readers will spot we’re making more announcements about who’ll be there.

Tony Lee (pictured on the right) is one of the UK’s most respected comic creators and a #1 New York Times Bestselling List Writer. He’s won fans on both sides of the Atlantic with his work on X-Men, Spider-Man, the ongoing Doctor Who comic series and various stories for 2000AD. Lee’s also renowned for his graphic novel adaptations of Pride And Prejudice And Zombies and a series of Anthony Horowitz novels, on which he collaborated with popular artist Dan Boultwood (left, above). Together the pair created MTV’s The Gloom and Agent Mom (with Stargate‘s Alaina Huffman), Sherlock Holmes: The Baker Street Irregulars and Danger Academy. Readers of our sister title Comic Heroes will be familiar with Tony Lee’s San Diego Comic-Con report in the latest issue. It was at Comic-Con that Tony Lee announced he was writing a comic based on Lee David Zlotoff’s classic TV show MacGyver. Outside of comics he’s also written Fifth Doctor, Turlough, Tegan, Nyssa and Bernice Summerfield audio adventures for Big Finish.

Tony and Dan will take to the stage (“We already have an idea of a talk that involves making people act out a show that we put together like a comic…” they reveal, mysteriously) and sign autographs at our massive residential sci-fi event in February. They’ll be joining other recently announced Weekender guests including Eve Myles, Sylvester McCoy and Robert Rankin, plus Brian Blessed and Craig Charles. The SFX Weekender 3 takes place at the Prestatyn Sands holiday camp in north Wales on the first weekend in February. VIP tickets are almost sold out but there are still many other options available – book now by calling 08700 11 00 34 or head to www.sfxweekender.com/tickets for more information.

Comic Heroes 8, on sale Friday 26 August!

This month, DC’s paragon of virtue, saviour of the helpless and perennial wearer of underwear as outerwear, the mighty Superman, gets the full Comic Heroes superstar treatment. We’ll be taking a look at the complete history of arguably the world’s best-known superhero and guiding you through his essential stories.

Elsewhere, we’ve spoken to controversial king of chat Jonathan Ross about his graphic novel, the vampire/alien/noir hybrid Turf, and had a cup of tea and a chat with rising Marvel talent Kieron Gillen about music, magic, and of course mutants.

In anticipation of the DC reboot, we’ve spoken to Dan Didio and Keith Giffen to discuss their involvement, and, to prepare us all for the worst should it happen, we’ve examined the worst reboots in comics history.

On top of all this comicy goodness, we also caught up with FF and Red Wing writer Jonathan Hickman, writer-man of some repute JM Straczynski, and found out exactly how they made Beast look so damned good in X-Men First Class.

As well as our usual crop of reviews, news and opinion, free gifts and boundless comic-based enthusiasm, there is literally no finer place for comic fans to indulge their favourite past time than Comic Heroes. You can sign up for a subscription right here. Alternatively, you could get yourself down to your local funny pages proprietor and pick up a copy there, or buy a single issue from our online store. Onward!

Yes, dust down your gladrags and order an industrial vat of Bollinger. The annual SFX Awards walk among us once more, and it’s up to you – yes, you hiding at the back there – to ensure that the coveted Golden Rayguns end up on a truly deserving, frequently dusted mantelpiece

Last year Christopher Nolan’s mind-frazzling Inception strolled off with Best Film while Doctor Who waltzed away with Best TV Show. Steven Moffat turned up in person to accept your applause. Terry Pratchett was given a special award for outstanding achievement.

This year promises to be a titanic scrap between rival superhero franchises – Thor Vs Green Lantern! X-Men: First Class Vs Captain America! – while breakthrough TV smash Game Of Thrones is surely spoiling for a fight on the small screen. Who will win Best Actor? Which book will bag Best Novel? What was the Biggest Disappointment? Only you can decide! It’s democracy in action! Look on and weep, fascist dictatorships!

Terry Pratchett picks up his 2011 award.

For your chance to participate in this gleaming gong-fest, simply head over to our online voting form (www.sfx.co.uk/awards2012) where you’ll see the list of categories. The period of eligibility is 15 December 2010 to 19 October 2011, and we’ve included some handy, memory-jogging suggestions to help you decide – although of course there are spaces for you to type in your own nominations.

Robert Rankin hosts the 2011 awards.

We’ll tot up the results and declare the winners, as well as revealing our own team choice awards, at SFX Weekender 3. Robert Rankin is lined up to present on the night, where music will again be provided by Craig “Red Dwarf” Charles on the decks.

Get voting!
A Few Terms And Conditions…
By taking part in the prize draw, you agree to be bound by the prize draw terms and conditions at http://survey.futurenet.com/prizedrawtandcs2011. To enter the prize draw for tickets you must vote in the SFX Sci-Fi Awards at www.sfx.co.uk/awards2012 between 12.01am on 24 August 2011 and 11:59pm on 19 October 2011. Winners will be selected at random from all the entries received between the relevant dates and will be notified within 28 days of the closing date. The overall winner of the VIP chalet will be required to give names and addresses for all four people attending the Weekender. Day passes for the weekend end at 12 midnight. Physical tickets will not be issued, it is a paperless event. One day pass includes day and evening access for one person to the SFX Weekender at Pontin’s Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park (Wales, UK) on 3 and 4 February 2012 and does not include travel or accommodation of any kind. Full terms and conditions are available on the voting site. Unless otherwise stated, SFX competitions are only open to UK residents of 18 years and over, except employees of: (a) Future Publishing Limited ; (b) any third party appointed by Future Publishing to organise and/or manage the Competition; and (c) the Competition sponsor(s). By entering this competition, you consent to Future Publishing using your personal details to send you information about products and services of Future Publishing which we think may be of interest to you. If you do not want to receive this information, please (un)tick the appropriate boxes on the voting website.

Yes, the rumours are true: Robert Rankin is back by popular demand. The best-selling novelist, and wife Rachel, will be back to present the awards at next year’s SFX Weekender in Prestatyn.

The Rankins with Russell Tovey at the 2011 event.

The Saturday nights awards – for which voting began today – have in previous years amassed over 200,000 votes. They remain a popular part of the event and Robert Rankin has twice proved to be a highlight of the proceedings.

“The lovely wife and I are thrilled to be invited to host the SFX Awards ceremony next year,” Robert told us. “It is an absolute honour to do this and the Weekender is definitely one of the all-time high points of our year. Wonderful people. Wonderful fun. Simply wonderful. Thank you all for asking us back!”

Taking place from 2 to 5 February 2012, the Weekender has moved on from its usual haunt to the new bigger and better location of Prestatyn Sands, North Wales. Boasting a packed line-up of events including The Maskerade Ball, Blastermind Quiz and The Imaginarium, along with Craig Charles once again taking to the decks it’ll be another geekend to remember.

Last year's awards ceremony.

Voting in the SFX Awards couldn’t be simpler and there’s the prize of a VIP chalet up for grabs – see the voting page for details. It may seem a while off yet, but the VIP, Gold Plus and Gold tickets are selling fast, so book tickets now to avoid disappointment.

On sale Wednesday 24 August.

Head here to read online or take advantage of our August subscription offer: the first new 150 UK subscribers who take up this offer will get a copy of Doctor Who Season Six Part One on DVD. It costs £43.99 a year by Direct Debit which is still a whopping 25% off full price.

The Doctor Returns

He’s back on the box at the weekend, but before he makes his grand re-entrance we sat down with the Doctor himself, Matt Smith, and Whovian overlord Steven Moffat, to find out what’s in store for the galloping Gallifreyan.

Not Fade Away

The Fades is coming, and we’ve been on set to find out exactly what BBC Three’s latest dabble in the supernatural is all about.

Terra Incognita

Speilberg, dinosaurs, the future – there is literally nothing not to like about Terra Nova. Don’t believe us? Well, you will after you’ve had a squizz at our behind the scenes look at the dino-tastic new show.

Night Of The Living Dead

Team SFX have a night with the walking dead in the latest flesh-eating instalment of Coach Potato.

The 20 Greatest Villains Of SF & Fantasy Literature

We search out the meanest and the moodiest bad guys out there. Warning: they’ll scare your pants clean off.

Colin Morgan

We get up close and personal with Merlin himself. Shazam!

Don’t Miss:

Spoiler Zone: Torchwood: Miracle Day, Alphas, Haven, Warehouse 13 and tons more televisual goodness is rated and debated.

Red Alert

We go Comic Con mad and bring you all the news from the show floor, including updates on Chuck, Alcatraz, Fright Night, The Vampire Diaries, Grimm and much more…

Rated: Cowboys & Aliens, Captain America: The First Avenger, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, Fright Night, The Smurfs, Attack The Block, Flashback, SVK and Deus Ex: Human Revolution plus loads more…

With shows such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly, Joss Whedon has created some of the most memorable television of the last 15 years. Inspiring a level of devotion among fans that few other TV makers can match, his shows have taken audiences through laughter, tears, edge-of-the seat thrills and back again.

But what makes a Whedon production so special? In Worlds Of Whedon we speak to 17 of the people who’ve helped make the Whedon world go round, including top stars, writers and the man himself. Taken from the pages of last year’s phenomenal SFX special, it’s an unparalleled insight into the minds and unique creative atmosphere that made some of the genre’s most popular TV happen.

The interviews, conducted by some of SFX‘s most experienced and trusted writers, were originally commissioned and edited by Richard Edwards in 2010, and then collected here to form a distinct, stand-alone book that will delight any fan of Joss Whedon’s work.

Click here to buy the Worlds Of Whedon interview ebook now from Amazon!

It’s SFX‘s first venture into the world of eBook publishing – if you’ve got a Kindle, iPhone or iPad, smartphone or Android device or a computer with the Kindle reading software on it, head over to Amazon and get this today! It’s only been live for a short while and already it’s number six on Amazon.com’s list of best selling TV reference books. Wowsers. We might even have to make more of our archive available this way if people like the format…

SFX is made by fans, for fans – and the SFX Collections, our bi-monthly special editions, are no different. We create these specials in order to go deeper into a topic than the packed monthly issue permits.

And we’re running a reader survey this month to get your feedback and to find out whether the topics we’re choosing are right.

What do you think of the current issue? What gifts or themes would encourage you to pick up future editions? We want to know, so head over to page 63 of SFX Special 51: The Top 100 Sci-Fi Icons (the survey is right there opposite Amy Pond’s beautiful face) to find out how to send your thoughts to us. Hurry – there’s a prize on offer but it’s only open until 30 September.

We’re very excited about a gift we’re able to offer new subscribers at the moment. When you subscribe for a year at our Direct Debit price of just £21.99 for six months we’ll send the first 150 of you a copy of the Doctor Who Season Six, Part One box set, containing the seven brilliant episodes from earlier this year.

In case you’ve spent the last few months on the Moon, here are some key phrases to jog your memory: ’60s America, River Song, pirates, Idris, the Flesh, Demon’s Run. Remember all that? Special features on these discs are the behind-the-scenes featurettes “The Silence” and “The Gangers”.

Want it? Sure you do. And you’ll also save over 25% on your subscription to the Earth’s greatest sci-fi and fantasy magazine too! Imagine it: exclusive word-free covers for subscribers, a massive cash saving, free P&P, a 60-day money-back guarantee, and no having to fight your way past rioters and looters to get to the newsagent.

For year’s subscription for just £21.99 per six months click here:
www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/SFXP1Q

The closing date is 24 August 2011 so what are you waiting for? Get clicking!

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: You’ll receive 13 issues per year. Minimum subscription term is 12 months. Offer only available for new UK subscribers paying via Direct Debit. In the event that the gift advertised becomes out of stock due to unexpectedly high demand or is otherwise unavailable for reasons beyond our control, we will provide an alternative gift of equivalent price and quality. Packaging may differ. Your subscription will start with the next available issue. If at any time during the first 60 days you are dissatisfied, notify us in writing and we will refund you for all unmailed issues. Offer is strictly limited to 150 copies and the gift is not included with Zinio subscriptions. Offer ends 24 August 2011.

On sale Wednesday 27 July.

Head here to read online or take advantage of our August subscription offer: the first new 150 UK subscribers who take up this offer will get a copy of Doctor Who Season Six Part One on DVD. It costs £43.99 a year by Direct Debit which is still a whopping 25% off full price.

Plus: Free! Double-sided Conan The Barbarian poster for ever reader.

Wave Of The Future
2011 is so, er, this year, but why settle for Green Lantern, Thor and Captain America when you can have Spider-Man, Batman and all the Avengers? There’s no doubt about it, 2012 is going to be a year to remember at the flicks, which is why we’re previewing 12 of of the year’s* hottest movies (see what we’ve done there?) including…

…The Amazing Spider-Man
50 things you need to know about Spidey’s rebirth on the big screen. Simple.

The Avengers
Screenwriter Zack Penn tells us what to expect from next year’s superhero dream team on the big screen.

Summer Of SF Reading
We kick off our latest three-month summer of reading special with 23 pages on fantasy literature’s 20 greatest heroes, MD Lachlan, Dennis Wheatley, Nick Kyme, and our regular, exhaustive books review section.

Super 8
JJ Abrams’ love-letter to Steven Spielberg is the Goonies/Cloverfield mash-up you never knew you wanted. We chat to executive producer Bryan Burk.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
They did it! Those damn dirty film-makers! They finally made a(nother) prequel to Planet Of The Apes! We monkey around on set.

20 Reasons We Love Supernatural…
…And only one of them is how hot they are, honest!

Jason Momoa
A close encounter with the new Conan.

Don’t Miss:

Spoiler Zone: Season/Series finale/premiere special! Camelot, Game Of Thrones, Primeval, Sanctuary, Falling Skies, Teen Wolf and True Blood! Plus an interview with Camelot’s Clive Standen.

Red Alert

• We say hello to Jason Isaacs, who stars in new US sci-fi series Awake about a man who lives in two parallel realities after a devastating car crash.
• The first news on Supernatural season seven, Fringe season four, The Big Bang Theory season Five and Futurama season whatever.
• Buried treasure: win a role in the animated adaptation of lost William Hartnell Who episode “Reign Of Terror”.
• They are the law: the first news from Life On Mars creator Matthew Graham’s new angels-as-lawyers show Eternal Law.

• x

Rated: Super 8, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part Two, Transformers: Dark Of The Moon, Arrietty, Source Code, Limitless, David S Goyer’s Heaven’s Shadow and F.3.A.R.

*Well, they were all out in 2012 at the time of going to press…

What have we got for you in the latest special SFX Collection? Well, it’s more what you’ve given us – your votes for the greatest characters in sci-fi, fantasy and horror of the 21st century. Yep, a few months ago we asked readers of SFX.co.uk to vote for the fictional characters that really matter to you. Over 10,000 votes were cast, and now we have the results.

The super-glossy, top quality collector’s magazine counts down from 100 to 1, complete with glorious photography and biogs of each one of the icons. There are also lots of exclusive interviews with the creators of these characters, whether they be the actors or the writers, including Stan Lee, Russell T Davies, Steven Moffat, Matthew Graham, Nathan Fillion and many more.

Who’s won? Well, you may get a surprise. Or you may not.

There’s only one way to find out…

SFX Collections: The Top 100 Icons Of The 21st Century is on sale from Tuesday 26 July until Sunday 25 September.

There are three SFX-related magazines on sale right now and you should get them before you miss them. Click one of the links below to buy now. In the meantime, though, we’d like to show you what you’re missing by give you a free sample from the latest SFX Collection, issue 50 devoted to anime.

“I’ve never seen Princess Mononoke” by Rob Power

Like kiwi fruit or interpretive dance, anime is something I have little experience of. I wish I knew why. I’ve been trying – and largely failing, it must be said – to nail down the reasoning behind this bizarre cultural gap. I’ve no aversion to animated features, no crippling fear of girls with big eyes, nothing; there’s just no rhyme or reason to it. As a life-long science fiction and fantasy fan, I’ve got no excuses. I’ve regularly encountered anime fans willing to point me in the right direction. I know what the classics are and where to find them. And yet, every time my hand hovered over Akira or Spirited Away, I ended up gravitating towards something else, usually involving aliens, ninjas, or aliens killing ninjas. The longer I left it, the more distracted I became. Anime had been crowded off of my radar by louder, brasher beasts that grabbed my attention with action sequences and explosions, until eventually any curiosity I had withered away. Thankfully, Princess Mononoke was sent to save me from myself…

To read the rest of this article, download the complete PDF feature here

Remember, all of our three magazines are still available in the shops or are available to purchase any time via our online store:

To get SFX delivered to your door every month and save cash to boot, subscribe here…

The latest issue of SFX magazine hits stores today (it’s got Captain America on the cover and a free pop-frisbee to boot!) but if your passion is books and reading then there’s something extra for you inside:

Yep, it’s time for our second annual bumper book bonanza!

The universe of the printed word is a vital part of SFX‘s remit – and of course each month you’ll find at least one author interview alongside news of significant literary awards and five or six pages of book reviews. Since the redesign this April we’ve also been including a Q&A with a debut author each issue too.

But we’re going to spend the next three months delivering even more coverage than usual! We’ve been saving up some fun fiction-related features for issue 211, including our top 20 greatest heroes of science fiction literature (do you agree with our choices? Let us know…) and a gander at how 21st century technology is changing the publishing business. If you’ve got the remotest interest in writing or publishing yourself, it’s an essential, informative piece by our regular book correspondent Jonathan Wright.

Check out what else you’ll find in the issue on sale this week:

Interview with author George Mann
Competition: Destiny Quest
Interview with author Chris Wraight
Two pages from new book John Dies At The End
Interview with new author Guy Haley
Five pages of book reviews
Book Club: Alfred Bester’s The Demolished Man (analysed by novelist Jon Courtenay Grimwood)

And in the following issue (on sale Wednesday 27 July) you’ll find a look at characters from fantasy literature plus a guide to author legend Dennis Wheatley and an interview with Wolfsangel author MD Lachlan. The whole thing is sponsored by Black Library and you’ll see bonus content (including complete short stories) on SFX.co.uk throughout the summer too.

Enjoy, and keep reading!

On sale Wednesday June 29th (or head here to read online)!

U! S! A! U! S! A!

That’s right friends, we’re all a flutter with American fever. We’ve caught up with the cast and crew of Captain America: The First Avenger to get the low down on Cap’s big screen debut. Excited doesn’t even begin to cover it…

A Wizard’s Staff Has A Knob On It

That’s what we’ve heard, anyway… We’ve got a slightly more in-depth look at the wizarding community and the next series of Merlin in this issue though.

Hungry Like The Wolf

We meet the young lycanthrope everyone is talking about and find out what to expect in Teen Wolf.

The Best From Morrison

Not a premium range from a supermarket, rather an in-depth chat with one of the finest comic creators the UK has ever produced, the mighty Grant Morrison.

Alien Anniversary

We celebrate a quarter of a century of chest-bursting, face-hugging Alien madness. Has it really been that long?

New Supes!

Everything you could possibly want to know about the new Superman movie. Oh yes…

All This, Plus!

Couch potato, Penny Dreadful, and a reviews section that includes the likes of X-Men: First Class, Green Lantern, Super, Adjustment Bureau, Battle: Los Angeles, Drive Angry, Doctor Who Series Six Part One, Psychoville, Shadows Of The Damned and much, much more! How could you possibly resist?

Gordon’s alive! And so’s the SFX Weekender, which returns for its third action-packed geekapalooza in February.

Never ones to shy away from making as loud a noise as possible in the name of sci-fi, we’re pleased to announce that Flash Gordon’s saviour, Jar Jar Binks’s exiler and a man who never, ever needs a microphone, Brian Blessed, will be attending his first festival of sci-fi.

Meanwhile, by popular demand, Craig Charles will be returning with his Funk and Soul Show to keep the SFX massive dancing into the witching hour.

Brian Blessed photographed by Steve Cowell

Blessed needs no introduction – literally, you can hear him three towns over. Starting out with small roles in telly classics The Avengers and Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased), Blessed has gone on to forge a hearty career on stage and screen – his sonorous tones perfect for countless Shakespeare adaptations and the occasional cult space opera.

Craig Charles photographed by Joseph Branston

Craig Charles – best known round these parts as Dave Lister, the last surviving member of the human race – is a Weekender veteran having been on the business end of a mixing deck at this year’s event. Charles’s DJ set was one of the highlights of the last weekend for many.

Those who have attended our previous events will also notice that the Weekender has a new home, Prestatyn in North Wales, which boasts newly renovated buildings and bigger rooms for squeezing in the ever-expanding SFX collective. A new home, but the same mission: offering fans of sci-fi and fantasy the chance to immerse themselves in a galaxy of culture for the weekend.

As in previous years the event will be structured around four huge pillar events: the enchanting Imaginarium cabaret, the sweeping Maskerade party, an expanded Blastermind quiz and the epic SFX Sci-Fi Awards Show 2012, where we’ll be revealing the people, movies and show’s who’ve won this year’s coveted Golden Rayguns. All in the company of like-minded sci-fi fanatics.

Also expect screenings, panel discussions, autograph sessions and more. Remind yourself of what a laugh the last event was with this highlights video.

The SFX Weekender 3 takes place at Prestatyn Holiday Camp in North Wales between Thursday 2 February and Sunday 5 February 2012, including our pre-party for the early birds on the Thursday. Tickets are on sale now – but hurry: VIP tickets are selling fast! Call 08700 110034 for the current deals.

The history of Gotham’s premier animal-themed vigilante is examined in detail in Comic Heroes this month, as we delve deep into 70 years worth of Bat-history. As well as an in-depth look at Batman’s comic history, we find out how Batman Live is looking  and re-live Bruce Wayne’s big-screen outings.

As if that wasn’t enough Bat-based goodness, we’ve got an exclusive interview with Grant Morrison where he discusses his take on the caped crusader, and we’ve even had a chat with the creators of the upcoming Arkham City game.

We’ve also got our usual array of spectacular free gifts, including our regular Sidekick previews comic, a giant double-sided poster (featuring The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Judge Dredd) and a glow in the dark Green Lantern power ring.

Elsewhere we take a look at another famous vigilante, The Punisher, revel in the art of Frank Quitely, speak to classic Transformers writer Simon Furman, have a chat with French fabulist Winshluss about his twisted new take on Pinnochio, re-evaluate Silver Age Marvel, and examine how to letter comics.

All of this comic goodness, as well as our usual crop of reviews, news and comic-based banter, can be found at your local news-sheet emporium from Monday 27th June, or alternatively can be downloaded from Zinio right here. You can also order a print copy of this edition over the internet if you’re struggling to find it in your local store.

Enjoy!

There are some amazing lots in the third annual David Gemmell Legend Award charity auction. The event takes place this Friday but if you don’t yet have tickets to the prestigious ceremony (which rewards popular fantasy novels as well as celebrating the life and work of author David Gemmell) don’t fret – you can bid by email or over Facebook.

Please contact Christine Harrison or visit the DGLA Facebook page if you do not have tickets to Friday’s event but would like to bid. And why wouldn’t you want one of these items? Some of them are priceless and bids start at just £20 in each case:

1/ Would-be writer? The first item is a one-to-one workshop, on your manuscript, with Jo Fletcher, the exceptional editor and publisher! Kindly donated by Jo Fletcher. Bids start at £20. Retail price: priceless

2/ A stunning signed, framed Edward Miller print of The Extraordinary Voyage Of Jules Verne, measuring 31 x 24 inches. Kindly donated by Les Edwards. Bids start at £20. Retail price: £150

3/ An exclusive Orbit bag filled with the complete Dresden Files series of thirteen books by Jim Butcher. Kindly donated by Orbit. Bids start at £20. Retail price: £120

4/ A cameo in Scott Lynch’s forthcoming novel The Thorn Of Emberlain. Escape a horrible death by the narrowest of margins! Kindly donated by Scott Lynch. Bids start at £20. Retail price: priceless!

5/ A bottle of Laurent-Perrier Champagne and two Legend Award champagne glasses. Kindly donated by Gollancz. Bids start at £20. Retail price: priceless!

6/ Two tickets to the Gollancz 50th Anniversary Party – the genre publishing event of the year. Invitees include famous genre authors, agents and editors. Kindly donated by Gollancz. Bids start at £20. Retail price: priceless!

7/ A gold chalet (for six people!) at the SFX Weekender, taking place in Prestatyn from 2-5 February 2012! Kindly donated by the SFX Weekender organising team. Bids start at £20. Retail price: £690

8/ A one-of-a kind print of The Rogue cover, framed and signed by author Trudi Canavan. Kindly donated by Orbit. Bids start at £20. Retail price: priceless!

9/ The DGLA “lawn sign”. Signed by every author, artist and genre big-wig who attends the award ceremony! The perfect memento of a perfect award ceremony. Kindly donated by the DGLA. Bids start at £20. Retail price: priceless!

10/ An exclusive, framed, signed pencil sketch original of Druss The Legend by artist Didier Graffet. Kindly donated by Didier Graffet. Bids start at £20. Retail price: priceless

Click on the picture above or the link here for the full auction PDF.

SFX is made by fans, for fans – that’s why every visitor to our forum can see that we’re always happy to talk about SFX and its contents. Heck, we print seven or more pages of your letters and opinions in the magazine each month.

That’s why we’ve initiated a reader survey to get your feedback.

What do you think of our recent redesign? What TV shows and films do you want us to cover? What’s your favourite part of the magazine? We want to know, so head over to page 102 of SFX issue 210 to find out how to send your thoughts to us. Hurry – it’s only open until 8 July.

On sale Wednesday 1 June.

Rolling Out The Big Guns

We catch up with Russell T Davies, John Barrowman and Eve Myles to talk “Miracle Day”. It’s time to start getting excited…

Once Upon A Time In The Milky Way

Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig dressed as cowboys, kicking alien ass. Bet that was an easy pitch… Find out what to expect from Cowboys And Aliens, the summer’s biggest genre mash-up.

End Of The Robe

We speak to Potter producer David Heyman about the impending final instalment of the wizardly franchise.

Full Metal Jacket

The robots in disguise are back this summer – we’ve tracked down the special effects wizards behind all that spinning metal to find out what to expect in Tranformers: Dark Of The Moon.

Pegg And Frost

North London’s very own dynamic duo (by way of Hollywood) answer your questions.

Blood And Bonking

Season four is nearly upon us, so it was high time to investigate what the delightful inhabitants of Bon Temps can expect in True Blood. Fur balls likely.

Retro Features

Melon-twisting classic Donnie Darko gets the full Time Machine treatment, and we narrow it down to the top twenty reasons we love Battlestar Galactica.

Don’t Miss:

Wishlist

Whether you like it or not, there’s a live action Akira on the way – we find out what the dream cast would look like (hint: it’s kind of awesome).

Spoilerzone

Being Human USA, Camelot, Chuck, Doctor Who, Game Of Thrones, Supernatural and lots, lots more appear in this month’s Spoilerzone.

Rated

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Hanna, Priest, Paul, Never Let Me Go, Fear Itself, Red Faction: Armageddon and much, much more…

Next Issue

SFX 211 on sale Wednesday 29 June. Why not subscribe and receive easy on the eye coverline-free issues?

Anime Awesomeness

That’s right friends, in our latest SFX Special Edition – in the shops this Friday May 27th – we’ve taken on the role of your guide through the wonderful world of anime, from Akira to Princess Mononoke, Manga Shakespeare to anime X-Men and everything in between. Whether you’re a complete newbie or a long-term anime addict, you’ll find something here for you…

Three Free Gifts!

As well as over 130 packed pages, our Ultimate Guide To Anime also comes with three episodes of the The Sacred Blackmith on DVD, a set of natty Naruto Shippuden fridge magnets and an enormous double -sided poster featuring Summer Wars and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Not bad, ey!

In-Depth Features

We take a peek inside Bones Studio, celebrate Naruto Shippuden in style, explore Studio Ghibli‘s musical themes, examine the relationship between anime and 2D fighting games, find out which superheroes have found their spandex animate and much, much more…

Considering The Classics

Alongside a comprehensive re-appraisal of Akira, we also discover what happens when you lock an anime newcomer and a DVD of Princess Mononoke in a room together, and find out what’s to love about The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

Reviews Galore!

We give verdicts on Evangelion 2.22, The Time Traveler, 5 Centimeters Per Second, Summer Wars, Redline, Corpse Princess and much more besides…

This month SFX stands for truth, the Justice League and the Captain American way. Yep, it’s the Summer Of Superheroes, which is a bit like the summer of love, only with fewer kaftans and Jesus sandals and more masks and muscles. Though the 3D might be similar to watching Yellow Submarine after knocking back a few too many magic mushrooms.

And here’s some of the stonking superhero superbness we have in store for you:

Green Lantern

“We had what we called a cheese-meter”

Interviews with director Martin Campbell and stars Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively

X-Men: First Class

“It’s very different to its predecessor. It’s got a different style and tone”

Interviews with star James McAvoy and producer Lauren Shuler-Donner

Captain America

“I’ve had whiplash and a bruised rib, so yes, I’ve been in the wars a bit”

Interview with female lead Hayley Atwell

The Dark Knight Rises

“A league of shadows return looks like a real possibility”

A round-up of everything we know so far

Doctor Strange

“I was attached – so that surely killed it”

Director Alex Cox on the Marvel Movie you didn’t see

The Worst Ever Comic Book Adaptations

“Say what you like about the X-movies, but in the end it’s all about the hair.”

The Couch Potato crew sit through some crummy superhero flicks

But it’s not just about the capes! Also in this issue of SFX:

DOCTOR WHO Karen Gillan and Neil Gaiman interviews

PSYCHOVILLE Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith on the return of the twisted sitcom

TEEN WOLF Producer Jeff Davis on MTV’s wolf diaries

SMALLVILLE Cassidy Freeman on playing Tess Mercer

TROMA Shlock filmmaker extraordinaire reveals his guide to making B-movies

CHINA MIEVILLE the coolest SF author around, interviewed

And loads, loads more, plus all the usual regular features and review

There’s a maelstrom of merry mutant mayhem in the latest issue of Comic Heroes – on sale NOW! – as we celebrate the forthcoming release of X-Men: First Class with a whole bunch of X-citing features. Not only are there interviews with stars James McAvoy (Charles Xavier), Jason Flemyng (Azazel), Lucas Till (Havok) and Nicholas Hoult (Beast), but we take an in-depth look at all the mutants who’ll be appearing in the movie, and our selection of 10 X-Men comic stories you must read.

Just take a gander at the back of the wallet and you’ll get some idea just how packed the rest of the issue is… Not to mention how packed the wallet is with all those freebies!

In case you were wondering, the Scarlet Witch image from the cover is by Alex Maleev, and there’s an interview with him inside as well, graced by many of his glorious images. He’s just one of an obscene number of comics creators interviewed in the issue, including:

• Brian Michael Bendis – on the death of Spider-Man and loads more
• Greg Pak – on resurrecting Alpha Flight
• Pat Mills – on his academic success (no really, he’s a Professor of Comics now)
• Matt Fraction – on Casonova, Thor and more
• Lorenzo Mattoti – the extraordinary Italian artist
• Bill Willingham – on Fables
• Mike Carey and Peter Gross

Meanwhile the How To Ink Comics feature will make you realise just how much of an important role inkers play in the success of a comic.

So what are you waiting for?! It’s in newsagents begging to be bought NOW!

MONDAY 11 APRIL

Horror fans – meet the twisted (and possibly evil) minds behind Saw, director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell, at Forbidden Planet’s Birmingham store from 5:30pm.

Catch up with the crew of the Destiny as season two of SG: U returns to Sky One at 8pm tonight.

Mila Jovovich kicks ass and takes names in Resident Evil: Extinction on Channel Five at 9pm.

The Event continues on Channel 4 at 11:05pm.

TUESDAY 12 APRIL

It’s nearing the end of its run but it’s not too late to find out if No Ordinary Family really is as dull as you’ve heard. Join the debate over on Sky Living at 8pm.

It may have been spoofed to death (geddit?) but that doesn’t stop The Seventh Seal being anything other than a stone cold classic. Catch it on Film4 tonight at 10:50pm.

WEDNESDAY 13 APRIL

Uma Thurman is the ex-girlfriend of nightmares in My Super Ex-Girlfriend on E4 at 9pm.

There’s more Fringe than you can shake an alternate universe at over on Sky One from 10pm.

THURSDAY 14 APRIL

Our Jordan loves him, and so do you – get your weekly Chuck fix on Sky Living from 8.

Earthlings stand their ground against some angry alien invaders as V continues on Syfy from 9pm.

Val Kilmer dons a dodgy codpiece and pouts like only he can in Batman Forever, ITV2 at 10:45pm.

FRIDAY 15 APRIL

Missed the chaps from Saw in Birmingham on Monday? Then you’re in luck, you can catch up with James Wan and Leigh Whannell at Forbidden Planet’s London Megastore today from 5:30.

Wesley Snipes and Kris Kristofferson (quite the combo) put the fear of God into the vampire population in Blade tonight on 5USA at 9pm.

If you missed the sensational The Walking Dead last Sunday, catch episode one again tonight on Channel 5 at 10:55pm.

SATURDAY 16 APRIL

If you’ve somehow missed it over the last couple of weekends, today is the day to round off Marty McFly’s time travelling journey in Back To The Future Part III, 12:30pm on ITV2.

Tom Hanks makes a wish he regrets (but does play an extremely cool massive piano solo) in Big, on Film4 at 1pm.

Global warming speeds up to a frankly ludicrous pace in The Day After Tomorrow on Channel 4 at 8pm.

Head-spinning frights in The Exorcist at 10:35pm on ITV4. Still scary after all these years…

SUNDAY 17 APRIL

Spend your Sunday afternoon with those damn dirty apes in the rather wonderful Planet Of The Apes, Film4 at 1pm.

Johnny 5 is alive in Short Circuit, Channel 5 at 3:55pm.

Not the best but certainly not the worst of Spidey’s big screen outings, the first Spider-Man film can be found on Channel 5 at 7:40pm.

Arnie wields his enormous sword while covered in oil in Conan The Destroyer, ITV4 at 9pm. Better than The Governator…

Still not seen The Walking Dead? Then now is the time to involve yourself – trust us, you won’t forget it… Channel 5 at 10pm.

Can Marvel’s latest cross-over live up to the hype? Beware, True Believers, spoilers within…

After months of sending flirtatious glances towards us from across the Atlantic, teasing us with previews and hinting at what’s to com, Marvel has finally unveiled Fear Itself. The god of fear is on his way to play merry havoc with Marvel’s finest, and we’re promised that things will never be the same once he’s hit. Like any self-respecting True Believer, Comic Heroes made its way to the local comic emporium to grab book one and find out whether this event is going to be worth the mammoth effort it will take to keep up with it.

Attempting the fusion of street-level concerns and straight-up superheroics that made Civil War such a resounding success, Marvel is aiming straight at the zeitgeist with this one. The economic crash is front and centre for the real-world inhabitants of the Marvel universe; jobs are scarce, homes are being repossessed and the streets reek of violence as the populace begin to panic about their prospects.

Using this simmering tension as a backdrop, Fear Itself careers off on a supernatural tangent as the Red Skull’s daughter Sin claims the Norse hammer her daddy summoned in the Prologue. Transformed into Skadi, the wielder of a “legendary weapon of unspeakable violence”, she heads to the bottom of the ocean to free the god of fear from his watery prison.

Meanwhile the Avengers, in an attempt to rejuvenate Broxton, attempt to instigate an Asgard re-building program at the behest of Tony Stark. Unfortunately, Odin’s not playing ball (mainly thanks to an infuriating encounter with The Watcher and an inkling that an old enemy is returning) leading to a showdown with Thor that leaves the God Of Thunder looking like a scolded schoolboy.

Dense with Norse mythology, sinister new villains and the promise of Earth-shattering times ahead, Fear Itself is off to a cracking start. While the real-world concerns of everyday folk could have jarred horribly alongside all the Nazi magic and Asgardian concepts, Matt Fraction does a great job of making it gel together as a coherent whole.

Before the first issue is even over, this event is living up to its pre-press hype. Fraction successfully infuses the entire first issue with an air of uncertainty and a sense of impending dread that is never made overt but is present all the same. Both Thor and Captain America stand on shaky ground, the normally sure-footed pair facing uncertain futures. The Marvel universe is already tilting on its axis, with Odin taking Mjolnir away from his eldest and leading the Asgardians back to the astral plane, and Skadi working to unleash an ancient evil on both Gods and men alike.

On the art side of things, Stuart Immonen’s pencils are confident and striking, and he takes everything from the streets of Broxton to the depths of the Pacific in his stride – the perfect compliment to Fraction’s carefully conceived opening gambit. While this issue is very much the calm before the storm, the pieces are in place and the Watcher is all eyes. Issue two can’t arrive quickly enough.

On sale Thursday 7 April. Regular readers note this is a day later than originally stated due to circumstances beyond our control.

Your new look SFX

After countless hours of hobnob-fuelled meetings and a winter spent as office hermits, the galaxy’s greatest science fiction and fantasy magazine has regenerated! It’s been almost six years since the last full redesign so we thought it about time for SFX to pull up it britches and step into a brave new world. It’s not just the look that’s been given a spring clean though, there’s two new columnist (Star Wars geek extraordinaire Bonnie Burton and horror aficionado Penny Dreadful), a page dedicated to your bonkers sci-fi collections, a monthly Blastermind quiz and brand new regular features. Everything you know and love in a wider format, with new paper your fingers will find irresistible: we hope you enjoy.

World first TARDIS sound effect cover!

If there’s a problem with magazines, it’s the not-insignificant lack of sound effects to accompany your literary journey. The good news? This is a problem of the past (for one issue at least…) thanks to the world first TARDIS soundcard tucked inside issue 208. SFX: a treat for all the senses. Next month: scratch and sniff (maybe).

Look Who’s Back

To celebrate The Doctor’s imminent return to telly boxes across the globe we popped down to the big smoke to snap time-travelling trio Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill for our exclusive cover feature. There’s some words with that Steven Moffat bloke in there somewhere too.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Swashbuckler Jonny Depp returns to the role that made him a megastar, Captain Jack Sparrow, for the fourth in the Pirates franchise based on the novel by Tim Powers. Barbossa’s back and Orlando Bloom’s been thrown in Davey Jones’ Locker. There’s hope yet.

Game Of Thrones

HBO take on epic-fantasy in the small screen adaptation of George RR Martin’s bestselling series A Song Of Fire And Ice. It’s got big swords, sex coming out of its ears and Sean Bean, what more could you need?

New and returning regular features

We have a Close Encounter with the First Avenger Chris Evans; 20 Things We Love About… Thunderbirds; Heroes & Inspirations with Source Code director Duncan Jones; Time Machine talks The Thing with John Carpenter; and the glorious return of Couch Potato!

Don’t miss…

Wishlist: Didn’t think we’d drop Wishlist did you? Godzilla goes city stomping as part of our new look, even bigger Post Apocalypse.

Spoiler Zone: Our monthly, spoiler packed TV section is growing too with new and exclusive cast and crew interviews, reactions from the forum, a regular column and more in-depth reviews than the average human brain can absorb in one sitting.

Red Alert: Two words: news pipe.

• Director Joe Wright eschew classy literary adaptations for teen assassins in the action packed Hanna. Red Alert talks to the director and stars Eric Bana and Saoirse Ronan.
• Terry Pratchett drops by SFX Towers to talk Discworld on TV. Witness the birth of the City Watch police procedural only in SFX.
• Black Hats and Warrior monks as director Scott Stewart talks post-apocalyptic vampire flick Priest.
• Five things you need to know about the third season of Warehouse 13, one-on-one with Camelot’s Tamsin Egerton and The Dossier reveals everything you need to know about Ridley Scott’s is-it-an-Alien-prequel Prometheus.

Rated: Source Code, Your Highness, Tron: Legacy, Monsters, Glen Duncan’s The Last Werewolf, Crysis 2 and many more.

Next issue: SFX 209, on sale Thursday 5 May. Why not subscribe and receive easy on the eye coverline-free issues? Or buy a digital version for your iPhone/iPad.

Matt Smith meets Dave Bradley during photography for SFX issue 208

Yes – that’s a picture of me and Matt Smith. You’ll see it when you open the latest edition of SFX magazine (on sale tomorrow).

When you see the mag on the newsstand, be sure to pick it up – it has an exclusive sound effect cover and the TARDIS noise belts out for a few seconds when you open it. The image on the cover is also from an exclusive photo shoot we conducted with the stars of this spring’s Doctor Who series – it was there that I got to meet the Eleventh Doctor.

But as well as all the cool Who stuff, issue 208 of SFX is special for another reason. It’s where we unveil the brand new look for the magazine. Although the logo remains the same, and your favourite reads are intact, the look, feel and structure of the mag have been tweaked quite a lot.

We first revealed our intention to redesign SFX back in the autumn of 2010. The reasons?

1/ It’s been nearly six years since the last refresh of the magazine. It’s important that SFX stays fresh and contemporary, so the time was ripe to see what needed polishing up.

2/ SFX is at the top of its game. One of the few magazines to post a circulation rise in the last 12 months, it remains a market leader with the highest number of subscribers in its history. This is the perfect time to make changes. We believe that successful magazines should lead not react.

3/ We’ve been popular for 15 years because we adapt with the times and respond to what our readers want. We’re never complacent. It’s wise to stop occasionally and take stock of where the genre is and what our readers expect from a sci-fi mag. A redesign is a perfect time to examine what we do and see if we can do better.

The team and I have been working on the redesign for months, discussing new feature ideas, scouring the forum and Facebook for reader comments about our existing content, researching the market… and experimenting with different layouts and structures to see what works. We’re also investing in SFX, from the Weekender to iPhone apps, from improved paper quality to more content on the website – we know you expect SFX to always be bigger and better.

The process was inspiring and I want to thank our Imperious Leaders at Future Publishing for supporting us during that period and giving us the resources to play with SFX like this. We covered corkboards and meeting room tables with page print outs, different versions of section headers and feature idea sheets. Brainstorming sessions with all the editorial team members gave way to smaller meetings with the company’s creative directors and publishers. They loved what we were doing. A final month of late nights saw most of our original ideas come to pass. A few things didn’t survive the process and the graphic for the start of the Red Alert section went through about a thousand iterations, but we got there in the end.

There’s no mistaking the new look throughout the magazine, especially in sections like Rated and Red Alert: watch out for new graphical quirks, new fonts, new page templates designed to make use of our wider pages. But what will strike you most, I hope, is that all the core things that you love about SFX are still there. David Langford still has a column, the review section is still at the heart of the mag, we still interview authors, Spoiler Zone still analyses TV episodes and we still refuse to get rid of Couch Potato. What can I say? We like eating pizza and calling it work.

But there are shiny new regulars too. A monthly Blastermind quiz tests your knowledge of sci-fi trivia. New fright guru Penny Dreadful brings you news from the horror world. We have a brilliant new columnist in the form of Bonnie Burton. There are more interviews than before, with new Q&A sections in Red Alert and even Spoiler Zone. We’ve introduced a page where we visit readers’ houses and check out their sci-fi collections. There’s more, but I want you to experience it for yourself.

It’s been a fun and fascinating few months and the result is a magazine packed with genuine exclusives – not just the cool Doctor Who stuff, but also a report from the day we had Sir Terry Pratchett visit our offices and our big feature on the upcoming Game Of Thrones TV show. Our reviews section is bigger than ever too. As always, join us on the forum to let us know your thoughts once you’ve read it.

Be seeing you,

UPDATE: Due to circumstances beyond our control, this issue will hit newsstands a day later than predicted. Look out for it tomorrow, Thursday 7 April 2011. Subscribers will get their copies this week as well. Thanks for your patience and sorry to keep you waiting just a little longer!

SFX‘s new look isn’t just cosmetic – it introduces some fresh features too, as we’ve started to reveal on the site this week. And we’re pleased to announce another new regular, in the form of our own fright guru Penny Dreadful. From next issue, our chilling columnist will be contributing a monthly piece outlining the best and worst of her month in horror.

Who is this enigmatic writer? What poison drips from her quill? What perverse delights will she recommend to our unsuspecting readers? It’s a mystery. A mystery with a terrifying 18-rated ending.

Describing herself as “the Virgil to your Dante (only less ancient and Roman)” she promises to introduce you to “everything diabolical from old-fashioned ghost stories, sub-genre gems and foreign oddities to Friday-night gore”. Her first article covers such spiky subjects as: Kim Ji-woon’s I Saw The Devil at FrightFest Glasgow; Scream 4 star Nico Tortorella; the Insidious trailer; and loads more.

Find out what else Penny has to whisper to you from Thursday 7 April, when the redesigned SFX (finally, fingers crossed) hits newsstands and doormats.

This week sees the launch of the redesigned SFX magazine – yep, the world’s number one sci-fi and fantasy magazine has been upgraded. Find out more online here.

If you’re a regular reader you’ll see we did originally print that the issue would be on sale from Wednesday 6 April. However, due to circumstances beyond our control, the issue will now be hitting newsstands and doormats from this Thursday, 7 April.

We know you’re keen to get your hands on the amazing new SFX including all our world exclusive Doctor Who coverage, so thank you for your patience – you’ll get all the lovely goodness, including better quality paper and a swanky new size, a day later.

We are pleased to announce that from next issue, writer Bonnie Burton will be joining the print edition of SFX as a new columnist. She joins David Langford (who’s written an opinion piece for us every month since 1995) as a regular contributor to the world’s number one sci-fi magazine.

At the heart of SFX is a passionate love of the genre, as well as a distinctive attitude and style. San Francisco-based Bonnie is well suited to writing in this tradition, and nobody knows fans better than her: her day job is maintaining the official Star Wars blog, as well as writing for Starwars.com. She also runs women’s pop culture website Grrl.com and if you’re the tweeting kind, go say hello to @bonniegrrl. As the founder of Grrl.com she’s been featured in Entertainment Weekly, CNN Headline News, Fast Company and more, so you’ll probably be familiar with her name.

In addition to her online work, she’s written the books Girls Against Girls: Why We Are Mean To Each Other And How We Can Change, You Can Draw: Star Wars, Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Never Threaten To Eat Your Co-Workers. Her most recent publication is the wonderful Star Wars Craft Book – we particularly love her “Jabba the Hutt body pillow” project

Having followed Bonnie’s work online for some time, we invited her to be part of the SFX family. Bonnie has long been a reader of the magazine and is looking forward to writing columns that celebrate her love of fandom. Her first page can be found in issue 208. It tackles the thorny issue of how people think about revealing cosplay outfits – is a “slave Leia” costume empowering or degrading? Find out what Bonnie thinks on page 30 of the new-look SFX, available from Wednesday 6 April, and give her a warm welcome!

]]> http://www.sfx.co.uk/2011/04/01/sfx-redesign-take-a-peek-inside/feed/ 10 http://www.sfx.co.uk/2011/03/29/panel-bashing-hellraiser-pursuit-of-the-flesh-part-one-review/ http://www.sfx.co.uk/2011/03/29/panel-bashing-hellraiser-pursuit-of-the-flesh-part-one-review/#comments Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:40:36 +0000 Rob Power http://www.sfx.co.uk/?p=48919 Clive Barker’s bloody return to comics sets the tone for his new series

Last week, thanks to our friends over at Boom! Studios, we gave you a chance to get your print-smudged paws on Hellraiser: Prelude, Clive Barker’s return to his Cenobite chums in comic form.

Eight pages of monstrous mutilation, Prelude gave us all a pretty firm indication of what was to come. Namely, ole’ Pinhead at his barbaric best, slinging his hooks around with the wild abandon of a drunken fisherman and generally being a nasty piece of work. Yet for all the flailed flesh and graphic grandstanding, it was the last panel that lingered longest. Considering his reflection in a puddle of gristle and guts left by his latest victim, the Cenobite-in-chief is clearly experiencing some sort of existential funk, and not the Bootsy Collins kind.

All of which leads us to the first instalment proper of the new, on-running Hellraiser series. Since Hellraiser first unleashed Pinhead and his gruesome gang of mutilated mates on unsuspecting cinema-goers in 1987, he’s become an icon. Yet after a slew of films (and with another on the way), where else has one of the most fiendish faces in horror got left to go?

Well, Nebraska seems as good a place to start as any. On an isolated farm in the middle of nowhere, an innocuous looking draining duct beckons us down the rabbit hole and into a sinister underground bunker. A young girl is being held hostage in a room with only the Lament Configuration for company. As the puzzle box opens for her, Pinhead arrives to harvest her soul, but his revulsion at her pleas and his boredom of this now familiar spectacle lead him to return to hell intent on striking a fresh bargain with the powers that be. He wants out, and he’s even lining up his replacement.

The centrepiece of this first issue takes the form of a macabre musical as Pinhead strikes a deal with his master through the power of light organ accompaniment. Speaking to his overlord through the “rotted ivory” of a church organ that has skinless, bloodied corpses for pipes, Pinhead’s disdain for his situation becomes overt, and it’s powerfully played out.

Perhaps the most satisfying aspect of this first issue is the quality of the writing. Barker, aided and abetted by Christopher Monfette, does not disappoint. Pinhead’s contempt and exasperation are beautifully articulated, his frustration at the futility of his position palpable. While some of the detail might be lost on readers who aren’t up to speed with the fine details of Hellraiser mythology, the black poetry and tantalising hints at what is to come certainly warrant further reading.

Leonardo Manco’s artwork, which felt slightly rushed in Prelude, is far more assured here. The grimy first panels overlaid with film cells are an effective opener, and he clearly enjoys finding new and inventive ways to torture the damned.

Clive Barker fans will undoubtedly lap up this new series, and rightly so. This first instalment, with the ever-charismatic Pinhead front and centre, has set the tone for what looks to be a gripping first arc that should be well worth the trip to hell and back.

Britain’s Got Talent

We’’e a patriotic bunch here at SFX, and why wouldn’t we be? Our rain-swept little island has produced some of the most imaginative, inventive and memorable science fiction ever to appear on the small screen. Internationally renowned for our ability to shock and awe, there is a fine British tradition of top-notch science fiction. From Being Human to Blake’s Seven, Misfits to Merlin, you’ll find something that’ll make your heart swell with pride in our Best Of British special, available from all reputable news vendors today!

Who Heaven!

We take a stroll through 48 years of Whovian history, with a decade-by-decade examination of the Doctor’s career so far. There’s also a complete Torchwood episode guide, and Russell T Davis talks Torchwood past and present. Splendid!

Interviews galore!

We had a cup of tea and a natter with some of the biggest and brightest names in Brit SF:

• Being Human creator Toby Whithouse picks his top five moments from the show.
• Howard Overman and the Misfits crew discuss series three, ASBOs and Robert Sheehan’s upper thighs.
• Red Dwarf co-creator Rob Grant reveals his sci-fi past.
• Merlin co-creator Johnny Capps on his plans for the next series of medieval magic.
• Bedlam head honcho Neil Jones talks supernatural suspense.

Brits Behind The Scenes

As befitting a nation of craftsmen and effects wizards, some of our finest work happens off-screen – we lift the lid on British special effects:

• Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Stingray - we take a look at the genius of Gerry Anderson.
• They’ve provided the marvellous monsters for the likes of Primeval, Doctor Who and Torchwood, so we decided to find out exactly what goes on at The Mill.
• Brittania takes to the skies as we cast an eye over the finest British space ships ever produced.

Retro Heaven

We cast our memories back to the halcyon days of home-grown TV.

• Find out SFX’s take on the Best British Sci-Fi Shows Of All Time.
• We analyse quintessential episodes of The Prisoner and The Avengers in an attempt to distil the essence of perfect TV.
• As any film fan knows, we Brits make fine villains –and we’ve rounded up some of the best (or should that be worst?) for your delight and delectation.

Free Gifts!

That’s right, we’re even throwing in some fancy freebies, including a Red Dwarf car sticker, Primeval coasters and a double-sided poster featuring either Matt Smith or everyone’s favourite bunch of Misfits.

Don’t delay! Throw on your Union Jack underpants, don your finest bowler hat and make your way to your local news sheet emporium, where you can indulge yourself in a slice of the very Best Of British. Alternatively, point your internet pipe here and click for victory.

Are you a comic connoisseur? A professor of the panels? Or perhaps you’re a recent convert to the wonderful world of comics? Whether you’re a life-long obsessive or graphic novel novice, Comic Heroes has something for you. But first, a word from our glorious leader…

“Hello readers!

Well, here we are at issue five of the magazine, and I hope you’re enjoying Comic Heroes so far. And if you are enjoying it, and want to save money while you’re enjoying it, then why not subscribe? You’ll save whole Earth pounds off the cover price, which is certainly not to be sniffed at. Hurrah!”

Jes Bickham, Editor

Comic Heroes is a one-stop shop for all your comic coverage, from Moebius to Marvel, anime to Alan Moore, Judge Dredd to Jackie and beyond. Due to the overwhelming response Comic Heroes has had, we’re now bi-monthly with six issues a year – that’s six issues a year dedicated to the comic book universe, covering everything from the comic books themselves, to the films and games they have inspired.

Why Subscribe ?

• Save money on the cover price

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SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Subscribe to Comic Heroes to pay as little as £5.99 an issue!

But don’t just listen to us! Here’s what some of our readers think:

“I couldn’t be happier with the mag. It’s fabulous, and the type of thing I’ve waited a long time for.” Alan John Dempsey

“Awesome issues. Good read on Warren Ellis, and great cover artwork from Kevin O’Neill. Roll on the next issue!” Jamie Richards

“Exactly what I’ve been looking for in a comic magazine.” Mike Guardabascio

With our bi-monthly subscription rates you can pay as little as £5.99 an issue instead of the cover price £7.99, ­ making this the cost effective way to read Comic Heroes!

What You’ll Pay

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Subscribe at

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Terms and Conditions ­ Open to new subscribers only. If in the unlikely event we run out of stock we will substitute for an item of a similar value.

You will receive six issues of Comic Heroes a year. Your subscription will begin with the next available issues. If at any time in the first 60 days you are at all dissatisfied, notify us in writing and we will refund you all unmailed issues. Subscriber copies do not include cardboard wallet, which is purely for newsstand purposes.

MONDAY 21 MARCH

Mayor Adam West is among us as the campest caped crusader in living memory today, as Batman invades ITV4 from 2:55pm.

Back among us tonight, The Event returns to Channel Four at 11:05pm.

Kevin Costner grows gills and blows enough cash to clear the UK deficit in Waterworld, on ITV2 tonight at 11:20pm.

TUESDAY 22 MARCH

No Ordinary Family or OMG! With Peaches Geldof? A collective decision has never been reached so quickly – join the Powells on Sky Living at 8pm.

Christopher Nolan teams up with Batman and Alfred but leaves the Batmobile at home as he makes magic in The Prestige, on Watch tonight at 10pm.

Jean-Claude Van Damme kicks robot ass as Cyborg slams into ITV4 at 10:05pm.

ITV4 gives us all a reason to stay up past bedtime with a late-night screening of Serenity at 11:50pm.

WEDNESDAY 23 MARCH

Matthew Broderick and Michelle Pfeifer get fantastical in Ladyhawke, on Film4 at 6:45pm.

Fringe fanatics, the wait is over – season three continues on Sky One from 10pm.

Revisit the Being Human youth team if you missed their full-length debut at the weekend in Becoming Human, on BBC Three at 11:15pm.

THURSDAY 24 MARCH

There’s more classic Batman on ITV4 from 3pm.

Couldn’t get enough of Wishmaster last week? Then Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies is the film for you – 10:00pm on Fiver.

The Visitors are back, and they’re making Thursdays their own in V on Syfy from 9pm.

FRIDAY 25 MARCH

Mark Hamill and Richard Grieco indulge in a bit of time-slip trouble in When Time Expires on 5USA at 4:05pm.

True Blood continues to titillate in its own inimitable style from 10pm on FX.

SATURDAY 26 MARCH

David Lynch! Kyle MacLachlan! Sting! There’s a huge slice of juicy Dune goodness winging its way to you today, from 2pm on Five.

Hop aboard the Nautilus alongside James Mason and descend 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea at 2:10pm on Film4.

Season three of The Clone Wars concludes at 5:30pm on Sky Movies Premiere.

Do you prefer your Bond gritty or witty? Daniel Craig returns as 007 in Quantum Of Solace on ITV1 at 9pm and flashes his license to kill all over the place.

Ryan Reynolds delivers the funnies while Wesley Snipes continues his one man Vampire-mashing mission in Blade: Trinity, making an appearance on E4 at 9pm.

If neither Bond nor Blade tickle your fancy, maybe Brendan Fraser will in The Mummy Returns, unwrapping itself on Sky1 at 9pm.

SUNDAY 27 MARCH

Battle For The Planet Of The Apes may not be the best the franchise had to offer, but in a snoozy, slippers and tea kind of way it’s perfect Sunday afternoon fodder – Film4 at 4:30pm.

Michael J Fox guns it to 88 in Back To The Future at 5:45pm on ITV2.

Extra-terrestrial killers return to wage war on LA in Predator 2 tonight; Danny Glover fans might want to head over to E4 at 10pm.

Sometimes there just isn’t room in SFX to go into the detail we’d like on a hot topic. So six times a year we produce special editions (the “SFX Collections”) that focus on a single theme – in recent months we’ve covered anime, vampires, Doctor Who, Lost and more. Each issue comes in a pack with branded gifts, and delivers 132 pages of in-depth interviews and features.

And you can subscribe to them – which is a massive saving, especially since we’ll be knocking an extra 10% off the price until the end of this month!

Editor-in-chief Dave Bradley says: ‘The bi-monthly SFX Collections are perfect packs for sci-fi fans who want more detail and exclusive free gifts. And until the end of the month it’s cheaper than ever to subscribe!’

Hoorah! But you’ll want to know what’s coming up before you sign up, right? Fair enough – so here’s the list of what you can expect in the rest of 2011.

SFX COLLECTIONS

Issue 50: The Complete Guide To Anime (available in May)

Issue 51: Top 100 Sci-Fi icons (available in July)

Issue 52: The Ultimate Guide To Zombies (available in September)

Until 31 March you can subscribe to the SFX Collections and save an extra 10% on our usual subscription rates. (Please note that SFX special 49, The Best Of British, is too soon to be included in this offer – it comes out in March.)

OFFER PRICES (includes extra 10% off)

UK – £7.75 by quarterly Direct Debit, or £30.99 a year
(fact: that’s a total saving of 35% on the shop price!)

Europe – £36.99 a year

USA – £41.40 a year

Rest of World – £45.00 a year

Visit the shop here to take advantage of this offer. Remember, you only have until the end of March 2011!
www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/SFSX11

Join us. The specials are brilliant and right now it’s a bargain.

MONDAY 14 MARCH

Nothing can make you wish that you were at home on a Monday afternoon quite as much as the thought of tea, toast and Batman on the telly, from 2:50pm on ITV4.

Time for Will Young to leave right now – Bedlam‘s first series concludes tonight on Sky Living at 10pm.

Missed Being Human‘s final episode? Catch up tonight at 11:05 on BBC Three and you won’t feel left out.

The Event returns after a mid-season break to Channel 4 tonight at 11:05pm.

TUESDAY 14 MARCH

Risible sequel Son Of The Mask is on Film4 at 7:15pm.

No Ordinary Family continues on Watch at 8pm.

The muscles from Brussels returns in Universal Soldier: Regeneration on ITV4 at 10:15pm.

WEDNESDAY 16 MARCH

Wednesday, you are a disgrace. Not a lot on tonight, but you could always reminisce about how good Quantum Leap was, on ITV4 at 6pm.

Alternatively, engage your imagination gland and get yourself a mid-week literary zombie fix with I, Zombie Volume One: Dead To The World, out today.

THURSDAY 17 MARCH

Happy St Paddy’s day readers! Why not settle down with a pint of the black stuff and a good book, like Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear, in book shops today.

A free prologue and two episodes of audio drama The Minister Of Chance, featuring Sylvester McCoy, Paul Darrow and Paul McGann, are available for download today from here.

’80s chills and Persian djinns intent on wrecking LA can be found in Wishmaster, on Fiver at 10pm.

Futuristic England is the setting for one of Clive Owen’s best, Children Of Men, on 10:35pm on ITV4.

FRIDAY 18 MARCH

Will Smith runs riot with Asimov on Channel 4 at 9pm in I, Robot.

Sookie, or the Bon Temps Blood Bank as she’s known to her friends, is on FX at 10pm in True Blood.

SATURDAY 19 MARCH

The Clone Wars are still in full flow on Sky Movies Premiere at 10am and again at 5:30pm.

Joey from Friends gets Lost In Space on Fiver at 6:30pm.

We all love the 1960′s version of The Time Machine; unfortunately, the Samantha Mumba version is on Sky1 tonight at 9pm. Boo…

SUNDAY 20 MARCH

By the time Jurassic Park III rolled around, the initial excitement of seeing a T-Rex strut its  stuff was gone, but it’s reasonable enough family fare – 6:10pm ITV2.

Surely the perfect way to round off a weekend (as long as you don’t have to be up too early on Monday morning), Serenity is on ITV4 at 12:05am.

On sale Wednesday 9 March, also available to buy digitally for £2.46.

Thunder Cat

It can’t be easy playing an Earth-bound thunder god with a serious attitude problem, but Chris Hemsworth looks to be the man to pull it off. We grabbed the strapping Aussie actor for a one-on-one as anticipation builds for Thor’s big screen debut.

Close Encounters

There’s something in the skies, and it doesn’t look friendly… Our alien invasion special takes in Cowboys And Aliens, Spielberg’s forthcoming small-screen outing Falling Skies, an informative How To Kill An Alien guide, a wander around war-torn Hollywood for a look at Battle: Los Angeles and a peek at Joe Cornish’s new hoodies versus ETs film Attack The Block. Phew!

Happy Camping

It feels like only yesterday that we were all living it up by the seaside at Camber Sands; throwing shapes in the church of dance with Craig Charles; meeting a full-on legend in George Takei; whoopin’ and hollerin’ as the Moff made an appearance; great memories I’m sure you’ll agree (unless you weren’t there, in which case, have you heard of a comapny called Rekal?). We’ve picked some of the weekend’s best pics in a celebration of a SFX Weekender well done. Roll on next year!

It’s Only A Model…

Camelot! Where knights of the round table dance whenever they’re able, or, in the case of gritty new US take on the Arthurian legend, sex it up like champs in between vigorous sword fights and adult-themed drama. We take a look behind the scenes at the star-studded new series.

Cartoon Capers

Featuring the sexiest cartoon ever committed to celluloid, Bob Hoskins’ finest performance and a full supporting cast of Disney greats, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is the classic under the microscope this month.

Profiles

Author Alan Campbell, Cloverfield director Matt Reeves and True Blood’s Denis O’Hare get the full profile treatment…

Retro Features

Ridley Scott’s forgotten fantasy Legend, the many incarnations of The Hobbit and the classic ’70s arcade game Space Invaders all evoke pangs of nostalgia this month.

Don’t Miss:

Wishlist

The Wolverine is coming, but what do you want to see from Logan’s Japanese adventure?

Spoilerzone

Bedlam, Being Human (in both its UK and US incarnations), The Cape, Chuck, Fringe, Marchlands, Outcasts and lots, lots more appear in this month’s Spoilerzone.

• We speak to producer Marcus Wilson about the new, darker incarnation of Doctor Who.
• Duncan Jones discusses Source Code, Jake Gyllenhaal and future projects.
• We speak to comics overlord Brian Bendis as Powers is confirmed for a TV series.

Rated

Paul, Drive Angry, Skyline, Let Me In, Summer Wars, The Man Who Fell To Earth, Hull Zero Three, The Neon Court, Stan Lee’s The Traveler, Dragon Age II and much, much more…

Next Issue

SFX 208 on sale Wednesday 6 April. Why not subscribe and receive easy on the eye coverline-free issues?

Ah, the crossover event. Love ’em or hate ’em, they just keep coming. Arriving on tidal wave of “things will never be the same” hype and “everything you know about Pantsman/Incrediboy/Photo Copier Girl is about to change” proclamations, they’ve become a familiar part of the landscape.

Fear Itself, penned by Matt Fraction for Marvel, is a fine example of the form: pertaining to be an “extinction level” threat to the Marvel universe that ropes in Norse mythology, Red Skull’s daughter and much more besides, it ticks all the “big event” boxes. While we don’t yet know the full extent of Fear Itself, Marvel has confirmed a central seven-issue series, a secondary Fear Itself: The Home Front series (also seven issues), and a number of other one-shots, mini-series and the like.

DC’s crossover, Flashpoint with Geoff Johns at the helm, was first teased way back in April last year, and is shaping up to be epic in every way. As you’ve probably cottoned on, this one centres on the Flash as opposed to, say, the Red Tornado (your time will come, Ma Hunkel). Plot details are scant at the moment, but the teasers suggest all sorts of alternate time-line trouble for the fastest man alive, and the titles released are looking pretty juicy (Flashpoint: Abin Sur The Green Lantern anyone? Yes please!).

In reality though, you’re going to need the spare time, cash and dedication of Bruce Wayne himself if you want to get the full Flashpoint picture. 15 mini-series of three issues each accompany the central five-issue run, and there’s talk of various one-shots into the bargain as well. Of course not everyone will want to snap up every single piece of Flashpoint or Fear Itself goodness, with many sticking to the main story and maybe a few tie-ins featuring favourite characters, but what if you did? It’s a hell of a commitment.

And anyway, all of this is based on the presumption that the readership still cares about crossover events. For some, they’ve become an annual annoyance, the comics equivalent of the office Christmas party – something you should in theory enjoy but is, in fact, pretty painful.

Here at Comic Heroes, our opinion is split: on the one hand, both of this year’s events are intriguing enough to warrant at least some investigation. But there’s an unmistakable whiff of over-familiarity, and our excitement levels aren’t exactly through the roof. A break might do the world of good – absence makes the heart grow fonder after all, so maybe a year or two without some kind of Earth-shattering upheaval would make us appreciate the enormity of the next one all the more. So should Marvel and DC give us all a bit of breathing space before launching into the next cataclysm? Or can you not get enough of the big, bold stuff? Or do you simply not care about this stuff at all? There’s more to life than Marvel and DC after all…

Free Stuff!

Once again we’ve gathered together a fine selection of freebies for you all, because, frankly, you’re worth it. Our regular Sidekick magazine – featuring previews of the best upcoming releases including Baby’s In Black, Hellraiser, The Homeland Directive and Witchfinder: Lost And Gone Forever – is joined by the entire first issue of Cinebook’s English translation of the fantastic XIII. Not bad, ey?

Going Green

We’ve got Green Lantern fever as excitement mounts ahead of Hal Jordan’s arrival on the big screen later in the year. Alongside a comprehensive history of DC’s finest intergalactic superhero, there’s a look at the ten essential Green Lantern stories, an interview with legendary Lantern artist Dave Gibbons, and ten reasons why the new Green Lantern movie is going to rock your world.

Dredd Heads

In anticipation of Judge Dredd’s return to the silver screen, we’ve spoken to some of a selection of 2000AD’s finest to find out what they think of the first image to be released from the shoot.

Girls, Girls, Girls

Brit comics legend Pat Mills discusses the past – and the future – of girls’ comics.

Comic Club

Bryan Talbot’s superb Adventures Of Luther Arkwright gets the full Comic Club treatment.

Bluffer’s Guide

Find out everything you need to know about Marvel’s working class hero, the mighty Daredevil.

Forever Young

America’s eternal teenager turns 70 this year – we celebrate Archie in suitable CH style.

Don’t Miss:

• A look at the art of Michael Wm Kaluta!
• XII is staggeringly popular in France – we find out why!
• Part 2 of our exploration of the Marvel universe focussing on the mighty X-Men.
• Kevin O’Neil talking 2000AD and Batman!
• How to colour comics!
• Mark Millar interviewed!
  
• Rated: Nemesis, The Amulet Of Samarkand, All-Star Superman, Darkie’s Mob, Marvel and DC round-ups, Baby’s In Black, Usagi Yojimbo, and much, much more!
  

The next issue of Comic Heroes is on sale 26 April – why not subscribe and have your issue plop satisfyingly through your letterbox!

MONDAY 14 FEBRUARY

Whether you forgot to buy a present for your beloved or want to forget about St Valentine altogether, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are on hand to help: Paul is released today, so get to the pictures pronto!

Catch up with the latest Carpathian capers in Outcasts on BBC One at 9pm.

Spooky goings on over on Sky Living as Bedlam continues at 10pm.

TUESDAY 15 FEBRUARY

Tuesday evenings can be a dull affair – take the edge off with a bit of No Ordinary Family on Watch at 8pm.

They’re young, a bit sexy and they’ll eat your face clean off:  The Vampire Diaries continues on ITV2 at 9pm.

Outcasts episode four lands tonight, brandishing an orange gun and being awfully serious on BBC One at 9pm.

WEDNESDAY 16 FEBRUARY

Ashton Kutcher proves that he once was an actor who was in films and everything – tune in to E4 at 9pm for proof in The Butterfly Effect.

If you missed it at the weekend and fancy a late night, you can catch up with Being Human on BBC Three at 12:40am.

THURSDAY 17 FEBRUARY

There can only be one! Except for all the sequels, obviously, but enjoy the original Highlander tonight on ITV4 at 11:25pm.

FRIDAY 18 FEBRUARY

There is literally no need to leave the house this Friday night thanks to Film4 showing Alien at 9pm.

In some cultures, it’s considered rude to tear someone’s throats out without asking, but not in Bon Temps. True Blood continues on FX at 10pm.

SATURDAY 19 FEBRUARY

The Force is most certainly strong with this one – The Clone Wars continues on Sky Movies Premiere at 10am and again at 5:30pm today.

Hugh Jackman makes his debut as Wolverine in X-Men on Channel Four at 7:10pm.

Spent your Friday night with Sigourney Weaver and want more? Don’t blame you – catch Aliens on Film4 at 9pm.

SUNDAY 20 FEBRUARY

Herrick makes a welcome return to Being Human this week as series three continues on BBC3 at 9pm.

On sale Wednesday 9 February, also available to buy digitally for £2.56.

Sucker Punch

If the thought of the director of Watchmen, 300 and Dawn Of The Dead making a film he himself describes as ‘Alice In Wonderland with machineguns’ doesn’t excite you, then our lead feature this month certainly will. We speak to Zach Snyder about girls, guns, and a little film he’s got in the pipeline featuring a certain Kryptonian…

SFX Awards

The votes are in and it’s time to reveal the winners of the SFX Sci-Fi Awards 2011, including a few that weren’t revealed at the Weekender. Place your bets now…

Drive Angry

Like a furious bat winging its way out of hell in a ’69 Charger, Nic Cage’s latest is a festival of cars and carnage. We caught up with the man himself to talk anger issues and why the time for 3D’s time has arrived.

Dragon Age 2

Our illustrious leader went all the way to Canada to get the low down on Bioware’s latest addition to the award winning swords and sorcery game, and it’s looking pretty damn good.

Who Killed Space?

Well? Was it you? No? Ok, we’ll let you off, but someone out there killed the humble space-set TV show, and we’ve set out to find the culprit.

The Incredible Hulk

As it turns out, we actually loved him when he was angry, enough to make The Incredible Hulk one of the most iconic and successful superhero TV shows ever. We reminisce on what made it so special with the producers and the mighty Lou Ferrigno.

Profiles

Battlestar Galactica and Dollhouse man Jamie Bamber, Canadian fantasy wizard Steven Erikson and the sci-fi survivor and geek hero Wil Wheaton get the profile treatment.

Retro Features

We get all misty eyed looking back on classic Italian sci-fi, keep things local with The League Of Gentlemen and anatomise A Matter Of Life And Death.

Don’t Miss:

Wishlist: The Munsters is heading for a reboot, so we’ve taken a look at what would make the world sit up and pay attention to the other scary American family.

Spoiler Zone: Medium and Caprica bow out (sniff), but there’s a brace of new shows in the form of brooding superhero The Cape and the Beeb’s very own Outcasts. All of that plus Primeval, V, Supernatural, No Ordinary Family and loads more pack out this month’s spoiler zone. 

• We find out how all-new ‘adult fantasy’ show Game Of Thrones is shaping up and speak to author of the books it’s based on, George RR Martin.
• We get a sneak peek of the all-new look that those lovely folks at Doctor Who: Confidential have rustled up for their show.
• We speak to the daddy of modern comics, Mr Stan Lee, and find out what we can expect from Marvel’s forthcoming cross-over event Fear Itself.

Rated: The Green Hornet, Never Let Me Go, Season Of The Witch, Gnomeo And Juliet, Despicable Me, Doctor Who The Ark, K-9 Series One, Tremors, Dead Space 2 and much, much more…

Next issue: SFX 207 on sale Wednesday 9 March. Why not subscribe and receive easy on the eye coverline-free issues?

If you were taken to such places as a nipper (as your Comic Heroes scribe was) there’s something about arriving on a blustery British holiday park that will forever be exciting. The best years may be behind these creaking ghosts of UK-based holidays past, but fill them with excitable science fiction fans and a program packed to the gills with talent and you’re on to a winner.

For the average comic nut, the SFX Weekender was a journey into the surreal, taking in talking animals, steam punk interruptions and some of the biggest names in the UK comics industry. Thursday night’s pre-party set the tone as we lesser mortals mixed with the likes of Bryan Talbot and Paul Cornell and eased ourselves into proceedings.

On Saturday morning, it was straight down to business. A panel featuring Paul Cornell and a freshly arrived Tony Lee and Dan Boultwood discussed how to get started in comics to a packed main arena. Gate-crashed half way through by birthday boy Dez Skinn (who hadn’t been told the panel had been moved, sorry about that Dez!) the panel dished out tips for aspiring writers and artists (don’t be afraid to self-publish, people!) and made everyone in the room begin frantically scheming new strips. Elsewhere in the Main Void, Preacher legend Glenn Fabry and cartoon maestro Paul Cemmick could be found bringing their artwork to the masses.

Saturday afternoon’s undoubted highlight was a liquid lunch with Mssrs. Lee and Boultwood as they delighted the bar with a workshop on comic creation. Even a troupe in full steam punk attire marching through the middle of the audience couldn’t put the intrepid duo off their stride, and their presentation was one of the weekend’s high points.

A 2000AD panel featuring the likes of the mighty Al Ewing and Defoe’s Leigh Gallagher kicked things off on Saturday, while the legendary Pat Mills and artist Clint Langley broke out the biros for a signing session. Meanwhile Luther Arkwright creator Bryan Talbot was busy captivating audiences in the screening room with a talk on Grandville’s anthropomorphic influences. He also gave us an update on the status of the next instalment of Detective Inspector LeBrock’s adventures, telling the assembled masses that scripting is complete and artwork is getting under way in the next couple of months.

The final comics panel of the weekend featured Bryan Talbot, Pat Mills, Tony Lee and Titan’s Den Patrick chatting about comics outside the US. Reading recommendations (including Marjane Satropi’s Persepolis and Kieron Gillen’s Phonogram), the future of UK comic shops and the agendas of publishers across the world were pored over in a discussion that could happily have carried on for several days. But, with the bar beckoning, the Weekender’s comics coverage was wrapped up leaving everyone with the warm fuzzy feeling that arrives with a job well done. Roll on next year…

Here at Comic Heroes, we’re happy in our work. Slowly filling our corner of the SFX empire with new releases, our bellies full of milky tea and hands black with ink, we chip away at the comic coalface like hardy dwarves who’ve swapped pickaxes for keyboards and become obsessed with Bryan Talbot. Sometimes, when energy reserves are low, we snack on tasty treats before throwing ourselves back into our task with a verve and vigour rarely encountered outside of a Skins set on sex scene day. Once, we had Twinkies.

Thankfully, all this hard work and irregular snacking has borne exquisite fruit. Comic Heroes 5 is nearing completion, and lordy there are treats a plenty in store for you. We’ve gone green this issue, as green as it is possible to go without committing unspeakable acts with a slutty shrubbery, and it’s all in honour of the Green Lantern. We’ve lovingly compiled a guide to the essential stories and a guide to the history of Sector 2814’s finest. We’ll be telling you ten reasons why the film will rock your socks off, and we’ve even bagged an interview with long-time Green Lantern artist and all round industry legend Dave Gibbons.

Elsewhere, Brit comic overlord Pat Mills has dived head first into the world of girls comics and emerged with a feature worthy of one of the best writers ever to have grafted between the gutters, and we’ve assembled some of 2000AD’s finest to gauge their reactions to the first pictures to emerge from the set of the new Judge Dredd movie.

We’ve also taken a stroll through the artwork of lady lovin’ Italian artist Milo Manara, put together a bluffers guide to Daredevil and poured over the archives to bring you a history of Marvel’s magnificent mutants, the X-Men. On top of all that loveliness, a mere matter of hours ago, a four page interview with Kick Ass creator and Civil War kingpin Mark Millar landed on the desk of our glorious leader Jes, and we can confirm it’s a doozey. We’ve also reviewed all the essential new releases from across the comic book multiverse and somehow found time to compile a fresh new ‘how to’ guide (covering colouring this month, art hounds).

This month’s clutch of freebies are enough to make a man dizzy, and include our regular previews mag Sidekick and the entire first volume of seminal French title XIII, lovingly translated and released in dear old Blighty by those ever-helpful folks at Cinebook.

So, in summary, we’re feeling pretty pleased with ourselves at the moment as we ready the printing presses to receive our latest issue. As the more observant among you will have noticed, Comic Heroes will be arriving in your eager hands on a bi-monthly basis from now on, thus fulfilling our fiendish scheme to fill your 2011 with more comic-based capers than you can wave an inky stick at.

He’ll be throwing himself into the festivities as SFX invades Pontin’s at Camber Sands later this week, and will be taking part in a live Q&A as well as signing sessions.

Aside from his brilliant depiction of werewolf George in Being Human, Tovey is a familiar face to sci-fi fans having made appearances in the likes of Doctor Who, Ashes To Ashes and His Dark Materials. Outside of the world of SF, he starred in The History Boys on both stage and the big screen, and was also in that other Barry-based BBC Three smash Gavin And Stacey.

The flip side of this brilliant news is that unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, neither Anthony Head nor Sylvia Anderson will be appearing at the Weekender. An updated schedule will be available soon.

Our event guide went to press before we could confirm details of the horror films we’re showing in the screening room, after midnight, on every evening of Weekender 2. But fear not! Here are full details (which will also be listed on posters of the full, up-to-date schedule, which will be on display around the venue).

THURSDAY NIGHT

Early arrivals: fancy a break from boozing with the SFX team in the bar? Then why not check out this double-bill:

From midnight
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON
Certificate: 15 * Duration: 97 mins
Skilfully blending horror and comedy, John Landis’s much-loved 1981 flick follows a young American tourist after he’s attacked by a werewolf on the Yorkshire Moors. Rick Baker’s transformation effects still look fantastic thirty years later. Keep ‘em peeled in the pub scene for Rik Mayall and the bloke who played Nick Cotton in EastEnders!

From 1.40am
THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN
Certificate: PG * Duration: 71 mins
James Whale’s 1935 follow-up to Frankenstein is the high-point of the Universal horror cycle of the ‘30s and ‘40s. This time round, Boris Karloff’s creature can speak, and has a mate, in the form of Elsa Lanchester’s hissing, Marge Simpson-haired Bride. But it’s the vein of camp humour – particularly a delicious performance by Ernest Thesiger as the deranged Dr Pretorius – that make this such a classic.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Fancy a break from the DJing in the Main Hall? Then join us to watch:

From 1.00am:
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
Certificate: 18 * Duration: 91 mins
No, not the remake (tsk, what do you take us for?), but the original 1984 horror, directed by Wes Craven and starring Robert Englund, which spawned an all-conquering ‘80s pop culture phenomenon: blade-gloved, stripey-jumpered dream invader Freddy Krueger. Be sure not to doze off in your seat – you might never wake up again…

SATURDAY NIGHT

Prefer to give the Maskerade ball a miss? Then drop by for another double-bill:

From midnight:
EVIL DEAD 2
Certificate: 18 * Duration: 80 mins
Living legend Bruce Campbell plays everyman Ash, taking on evil spirits that possess the living with a stump-mounted chainsaw. Sam Raimi’s incredibly kinetic, endlessly inventive cult favourite is as funny as it is gory. Not seen the original The Evil Dead? Don’t worry: thanks to a retconning recap, it’s not a problem.

From 1.25am:
THE MASK OF SATAN
Certificate: 15 * Duration: 87 mins
This atmospheric example of shadowy gothic from 1960 (also released under the title Black Sunday) is probably Italian horror maestro Mario Bava’s finest work. A 17^th century witch swears vengeance when she is burnt at the stake; two centuries later, her corpse is reanimated… The ethereally beautiful Barbara Steele plays both the undead witch and her innocent descendant.

MONDAY 31 JANUARY

Head to Film4 at 6:50pm for Star Trek: Nemesis, starring soon-to-be Bane Tom Hardy as naughty Picard-a-like Shinzon,

If you missed it on Sunday or simply want to lap it up all over again, Being Human is repeated on BBC Three at 10:30pm.

Plenty of DVD’s land in the shops today, including horror comedy The Last Lovecraft: Relic Of Cthulhu, Jon Pertwee Who six-parter The Mutants, K9 Series One and The Mole People. Lovely stuff!

TUESDAY 1 FEBRUARY

No Ordinary Family continues on Watch at 8pm, while The Vampire Diaries keeps the children of the night happy over on ITV2 at 9pm.

WEDNESDAY 2 FEBRUARY

Too busy gallivanting on Saturday night to catch Primeval? No worries, it’s on again tonight on ITV2 at 7pm. Meanwhile the Winchesters return to UK screen as Supernatural’s sixth season kicks off on Sky Living.

Relax with a smoke and a pancake with Austin Powers In Goldmember at 9pm on Film4.

THURSDAY 3 FEBRUARY

The SFX Weekender begins with a cheeky pre-party.

John Travolta and Tom Jane star in the 2004 version of Marvel’s The Punisher on Five at 10pm, while time-hopping drama Marchlands begins on ITV1 at 9pm.

In the Big Smoke today? Head to Forbidden Planet and catch Jon Courtenay Grimwood and Kate Griffin as they sign everything in sight.

Bookshop shelves welcome Kevin J Anderson and Brian Herbert’s Hellhole and William Peter Blatty’s The Redemption today.

FRIDAY 4 FEBRUARY

The Weekender gets into its stride with the main events kicking off today. Exciting times ahoy!

A brand new big screen outing from boobs and bites specialist Hammer in the form of Wild Wood hits cinema screens today.

Sookie gets down and dirty with the vampire population of Bon Temps in True Blood on FX at 10pm.

Adrian Tchaikovsky’s The Sea Watch, book six of his Shadows Of The Apt series, is released today.

SATURDAY 5 FEBRUARY

War is hell, especially a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. The Clone Wars continue making widows on Sky Movies Premiere at 10am and again at 5:30pm today.

Michael Keaton brings the scowl to the cowl in Tim Burton’s Batman on ITV2 at 9pm.

Primeval continues on its mission to rid the world of its pesky dinosaur problem on ITV1 at 7pm.

SUNDAY 6 FEBRUARY

Series three of Being Human continues to give us hope in British made science fiction on BBC3 at 9pm.

The Weekender draws to a close, and we all return back to normality. Boo…

What with the Weekender being the ultimate sci-fi fest and all, we’ve teamed up with games publisher THQ to nab two of the year’s most anticipated titles for our Gaming Zone, where you’ll be able to take them for a test drive long before they arrive in the high street.

First up is Homefront, which is set in the America of 2027 and puts you in the shoes of a resistance fighter who is more than a little teed off that the good ol’ US of A has been over run by Greater Korea (a united nation dominated by those naughty North Koreans). It’s your job to use all your cunning to displace the new regime, using guerrilla tactics, drone technology and of course enormous guns.

We’ve also got Red Faction: Armageddon on show, which fans of the series will no doubt be pretty pleased about. Due for release in May, it’s the fourth instalment in the marvellous Red Faction series. It casts you as Darius Mason, defending the Martian colonists from a new alien threat using imaginative weaponry such as the signature magnet gun.

Not bad ey? If you’ve had your head in a wormhole for the last couple of weeks and haven’t yet snapped up tickets for this year’s SFX Weekender 2, there’s still time! Book now by calling 08700 11 00 34, or head to www.sfxweekender.com/tickets for more information.

The SFX Weekender 2 takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex on Friday 4th February and Saturday 5th February 2011, with our Pre Party on Thursday 3rd February for the early birds. For more information, head over to www.sfxweekender.com.

The latest SFX Collections Special Edition (on sale Thursday) is not one magazine, but two – and the theme of both is vampires!

In one magazine you’ll find everything you could ever possibly want on True Blood:
• Interviews with big names from the show – including Stephen Moyer (Bill), showrunner Alan Ball, Nelsan Ellis (Layfaette), Sam Trammel (Sam), Joe Manganiello (Alcide), Linday Pulsipher (Crystal) and many more
• A complete episode guide to all three seasons
• The first half of issue one of the fantastic IDW True Blood comic
• The results of a reader poll to find the best ever episodes
• A look at True Blood merchandise
• A Bon Temps tourist brochure
• The show’s wildest ever moments
• The best cliffhangers
• A guide to swearing on the show!

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The other magazine encompasses the whole world of vampires, in TV shows, movies and more.
• Twilight
• The Vampire Diaries
• Being Human
• Priest
• Stakeland
• Universal’s Son Of Dracula
• ’80s classic Fright Night
• How Buffy The Vampire Slayer owes everything to The Lost Boys
• Grace Jones flick Vamp
• Plus, a look at the saucy vampire films of notorious Spanish film director Jess Franco
• There’s also the return of grumpy teenage cartoon character Jack the Vlad!

If you like vampires, you’re going to LOVE this package!

You can buy it from tomorrow. Start queuing now!

Been wondering what that Primeval-sized gap was on the SFX Weekender 2 schedule? Now we can reveal all.

Ben Mansfield (who plays Becker), Jonathan Byrne (series four’s time-travelling bad guy Ethan) and producers Tim Haines and Tim Bradley have now all been confirmed as attending.

They’ll all be taking part in a live on-stage panel in the Main Void at 12 noon on the Friday, so make sure at the event nice and early so you don’t miss it (because we can’t offer any handy time anomalies to help you out if you do).

That’ll be followed by a chance to see the series finale a day before it airs on ITV, in the screening zone, followed by a Q&A with Haines and Bradley.

There’s nothing better to boost your geek credentials than a genuine exclusive. Something nobody else has got. Something you won’t find on the shelves of Forbidden Planet. Something that’ll have all your mates jealously pondering, “I wonder how much that’d fetch on eBay?” while you wonder of you should really keep it under lock and key to stop ’em nicking it.

Many such objects of desire will be on offer at the SFX Weekender 2. It’s not too late to but tickets, and day passes are now available.

Join SFX’s very own Delboy, ad manager Adrian Hill, on the main stage from 5pm on the Friday of the Weekender to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital. The amazing list of lots on offer includes:

• 2 sets of Primeval postcards signed by the full cast from the new series
• Andrew Lee Potts’s porkpie hat as worn in the last series of Primeval
• 3 fully signed Primeval scripts from the new series
• Star Wars Clone Wars original SFX covers (framed)
• Become a member of the SFX team for a day and get your day featured in mag
• Terry Pratchett signed book proof
• 2 SFX covers made for the Red Dwarf series “Return to Earth”
• Predator signed 10 x 8 photo
• Heroes photo signed by Zachary Quinto
• Doctor Who Toy collection from Character Options
• Rubber vampire stake prop from the film Dead Cert
• Doctor Who Cyberman prop helmet (from the David Tennant era)

MONDAY 24 JANUARY

Star Trek: Insurrection boldly goes on Film4 at 6:45pm as the channel’s Trek love-in continues.

Today’s DVD downpour included Shock Labyrinth 3D, Dead Space: Aftermath, Merlin Series 2 Volume 2 and 2010 Doctor Who special A Christmas Carol, complete with flying sharks.

Missed Being Human’s return on Sunday night? Shame on you – thankfully, you can catch up with Mitchell, George and Annie’s Barry Island-based antics tonight on BBC3 at 10:30pm.

TUESDAY 25 JANUARY

Tuesday can only mean No Ordinary Family returning to Watch at 9pm to spread joy and happiness throughout the land.

WEDNESDAY 26 JANUARY

Fantastic fantasy fun in The Princess Bride (with extra added Andre the giant, as if you needed any more reasons to watch) on Fiver at 8pm.

If it bleeds, we can kill it. Well, Arnie can kill it, the rest of us might not fare so well against the Predator on Film4 at 11:15pm

Still not picked up our Doctor Who Special? Then your soul is in danger – save yourself by getting to your local newsagents and grabbing a copy before it’s too late…

THURSDAY 27 JANUARY

Fang-banger, Twi-hard or more of a Jack the Vlad? Wherever your blood-sucking loyalties lie, you’ll find something to get your teeth into in our brand new SFX Vampires Special, out today!

A twisted, modernised re-telling of Lewis Carroll’s classic Wonderland stories, two part mini-series Alice beings on Syfy today at 8pm.

Two of the UK’s finest authors have brand new titles available for your literary titillation today in the form of Jon Courtenay Grimwood’s The Fallen Blade and Joe Abercrombie’s The Heroes.

If ever there was a film that didn’t need to be remade, it was The Wicker Man. But they did it anyway, damn their eyes. See the startling, Nic Cage-oriented results on Channel 5 at 10pm.

FRIDAY 28 JANUARY

Disney’s update on Rapunzel, Tangled, can be found entertaining ankle-biters across the land as it hits cinemas today.

Meanwhile in sunny Bath, SFX head honcho Dave Bradley will be helping Joe Abercrombie launch The Heroes at Topping & Company. For more information, including details of how to get your questions put to the author, look here.

True Blood continues combining sex and death to devastating effect on FX at 10pm.

SATURDAY 29 JANUARY

If you’re feeling a disturbance in the Force, it’s probably because The Clone Wars will be crashing on to Sky Movies Premiere at 10am and again at 5:30pm today.

Primeval brings its bizarre arsenal to bear on dopey dinos on ITV1 at 7pm.

SUNDAY 30 JANUARY

It’s back, it’s bitey and it’s in Barry. Being Human series three continues on BBC3 at 9pm.

It’s the British Army versus a pack of hungry werewolves in Dog Soldiers – find out who wins on Film4 at 11:20pm.

Fantasy author and all round nice chap Joe Abercrombie will be launching his new book The Heroes at Topping & Company in Bath on January 28^th 2011, with a little help from SFX‘s supreme leader Dave Bradley who will be introducing Joe, interviewing him in-store and chairing questions from the audience.

If there’s anything you’ve been dying to ask one of UK fantasy’s rising stars, e-mail us and we’ll make it happen! On top of that, you can also gain free entry to the event by ringing Topping & Company (head here for contact details) and telling them you’re an SFX reader, whereupon they’ll congratulate you on your impeccable taste and add you to the guest list. Sorted!

The Heroes is the story of a disgraced and bloodthirsty master swordsman bent on redemption, a scheming prince and a weary soldier as they take part in an epic three day battle that will decide the fate of the North. On the night of the launch,  Joe will be reading from his latest effort and taking part in a signing session.

For more information, including directions, take look here.

In our never-ending quest to make the SFX Weekender the event of the decade, nay, century, we’re pleased to announce that the fantastic Adrian Tchaikovsky has been added to the mighty line-up of guests we have assembled for your entertainment at our rapidly approaching seaside sci-fi carnival.

The author of the insect-themed Shadows Of The Apt series, Tchaikovsky studied psychology and zoology at Reading University and during the day he’s a legal executive in Leeds, where he lives with his wife and son. Meanwhile his not-so-secret identity is as a successful fantasy writer, and The Sea Watch is the sixth instalment in his ever-popular series that began with Empire in Black and Gold in 2008. He is also a keen live role player and occasional actor who is trained in the dark art of stage fighting.

It’s nearly upon us, but there is still time to snap up tickets for the SFX Weekender 2, which is taking place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex on Friday 4th February and Saturday 5th February 2011, with our Pre Party on Thursday 3rd February for the early birds. VIP tickets are already sold out, and tickets for the pre-party are going fast, but there are still other options available. Make sure you get yours before it’s too late! Book now by calling 08700 11 00 34, or head to www.sfxweekender.com/tickets for more information.

So close now we can almost taste the sea air, this year’s Weekender is just around the corner, and if you’re not excited yet, you soon will be. Trawling the multiverse for authors and actors, comic creators and screenwriters, we’ve gathered some of today’s finest talents to make your SFX-themed stay truly unforgettable.  So here it is, in all its star-studded glory, the full Weekender guest list. Enjoy!

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• Ben Aaronovitch
• Joe Abercrombie
• Dan Abnett
• Kevin J Anderson
• Sylvia Anderson
• Scott Andrews
• Bob Baker
• Stephen Baxter
• Dan Boultwood
• Paul Cemmick
• Mark Charan Newton
• Craig Charles
• Paul Cornell
• Jon Courtenay Grimwood
• Al Ewing
• Glenn Fabry
• Leigh Gallagher
• Gary Gibson
• Jon Green
• Kate Griffin
• Peter F Hamilton
• Keeley Hawes
• Anthony Head
• Sally Knyvette
• Nick Kyme
• Clint Langley
• Tony Lee
• Rebecca Levine
• James Lovegrove
• China Miéville
• Pat Mills
• David Moody
• James Moran
• Sarah Pinborough
• Terry Pratchett
• Robert Rankin
• Andy Remic
• Wayne Simmons
• Pat Sharp
• Dez Skinn
• George Takei
• Bryan Talbot
• Paul Tams
• Adrian Tchaikovsky
• Toby Whithouse
• David Wingrove
• Chris Wraight

The SFX Weekender 2 takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex on Friday 4th February and Saturday 5th February 2011, with our Pre Party on Thursday 3rd February for the early birds. VIP tickets are already sold out, and tickets for the pre-party are going fast, but there are still other options available. Make sure you get yours before it’s too late! Book now by calling 08700 11 00 34, or head to www.sfxweekender.com/tickets for more information.

We really are spoiling you – as the Weekender draws ever nearer, we’ve bagged yet another trio of guests guaranteed to make the galaxy’s greatest sci-fi funfair even more special, especially for Doctor Who fans with a penchant for a certain metallic mutt…

That’s right folks, K9 will be heading to Camber Sands, accompanied by two men who have been crucial in the development of the chrome canine, Bob Baker and Paul Tams.

Scriptwriter for many years of classic Who, Bob Baker can lay claim to bringing K9 to life alongside his collaborator, the late Dave Martin,  in the 1977 episode The Invisible Enemy. Working for many years on Doctor Who, with episodes including The Three Doctors, The Mutants and The Invisible Enemy, Baker went on to find huge success scripting the Wallace And Gromit films The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave, The Curse of The Were-Rabbit and A Matter of Loaf and Death.

Paul Tams’ career as an illustrator began on Terry Nation’s Dalek annual, and he worked for the BBC, ITV, Rank Films and Sky TV amongst others. Aside from illustrating several Doctor Who books and designing movie posters, he has worked alongside Baker since 1997 to create the revamped K9 television series, which was aired last year.

The SFX Weekender 2 takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex on Friday 4 February and Saturday 5 February 2011, with our Pre-Party on Thursday 3 February. VIP tickets are already sold out, and tickets for the Pre-Party are going fast, but there are still other options available. Make sure you get yours before it’s too late! Book now by calling 08700 11 00 34, or head to www.sfxweekender.com/tickets for more information.

MONDAY 10 JANUARY

The Enterprise’s finest captains have a close encounter as Kirk meets Picard in Star Trek: Generations on Film 4 at 6:40pm in,

Alternatively, you can get a fix of territorial big brained aliens on ITV4 at 7:55pm as Mars Attacks.

Tom Baker as a cactus: the five words that should ensure you jump at the chance to own Doctor Who: Meglos on DVD, which is released today. Fans of Mila Jovovich’s uncanny ability to kick ass also have something to celebrate today, with Resident Evil: Afterlife is out on DVD and Blu-ray today.

TUESDAY 11 JANUARY

Tune in to Watch at 8pm to find out why No Ordinary Family is able to reduce certain exasperated SFX staffers to jibbering rage fuelled wrecks.

If underwhelming superhero sitcoms don’t quite float your boat, head over to ITV1 at 10:35 as chiselled everyman Clive Owen teams up with a stoned Michael Caine to save the world of 2027 in Children Of Men.

WEDNESDAY 12 JANUARY

Huzzah! SFX 205 is on sale today – look out for Pegg and Frost’s alien encounter in Paul on the cover.

Harrison Ford dons the fedora and upsets the locals in Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom on BBC1 at 8:10pm.

If you spent your Saturday night out gallivanting, worry ye not – you can catch up with the latest instalment of Primeval tonight on ITV2 at 8pm.

THURSDAY 13 JANUARY

Author Rod Rees is at large in the capital today to launch Winter, the first part of his four-part The Demi Monde saga, at the Forbidden Planet Megastore. For details visit here…

Got a hankering for a bit of classic Buffy The Vampire Slayer? Feed your addiction on SyFy at 7pm – you know you want to…

For all the sadists out there, M. Night Shyamalan’s epic raspberry The Last Airbender can be seen in all it’s three dimensional pomp on Sky 3D at 11:00pm.

FRIDAY 14 JANUARY

Brace yourself for some serious kung fu fighting with Seth Rogan as The Green Hornet hits cinemas today.

Fancy some fast paced Marvel cartoon action? Of course you do – join The Incredible Hulk as he fights his way to freedom on Planet Hulk on Sky Movies Premiere at 4pm.

Meanwhile Bill, Sookie and the rest of the over sexed inhabitants of Bon Temps return to our screen with series three of True Blood beginning on FX at 10pm.

SATURDAY 15 JANUARY

Get down and dirty with Dooku and co in The Clone Wars on Sky Movies Premiere at 10am.

Fill your Saturday night with dino dodging of the highest calibre courtesy of Primeval on ITV1 at 7pm.

SUNDAY 16 JANUARY

Snap up SFX sister mag Comic Heroes – issue 4 features the League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen and a bluffers guide to Batman – the perfect accompaniment to roast beef and the Antiques Roadshow.

It’s less than a month now till the UK’s greatest festival of sci-fi kicks off in glorious Camber Sands East Sussex, 4-6 February to be exact, but that doesn’t mean we’ve finished announcing guests confirmed for the event. Well, what did you expect? We’re journos, we’re in the business of working right up to the deadline (and more often than not way beyond it).

First up: Mr Tony Lee, one of the UK’s most respected comic writers and New York Times Bestselling List Graphic Novelist. A man who has dazzled readers on both sides of the pond with his work on X-Men, Spider-Man, Doctor Who and for 2000AD. Lee’s also well known for his graphic novel adaptations of Pride And Prejudice And Zombies and a series of Anthony Horowitz novels, which he collaborated on with upcoming artist Dan Boultwood. Together the pair founded The Manor Club Productions, creating The Gloom, serialised on MTV from January, Agent Mom, co-created with Stargate Universe‘s Alaina Huffman and serialised on MTV from February, The Baker Street Irregulars, a set of four books from Franklin Watts in May and Danger Academy, a new series from Kickstart, also out in May.

Tony and Dan will be running a workshop and signing on the Forbidden Planet stand at the Weekender, while Tony will also be participating in a panel discussion. VIP tickets are basically sold out but there are still other options available. Make sure you get yours before it’s too late, there’s not long now! The SFX Weekender 2 takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex on Friday 4th February and Saturday 5th February 2011, with our Pre Party on Thursday 3rd February for the early birds. Book now by calling 08700 11 00 34, or head to www.sfxweekender.com/tickets for more information.

On sale Wednesday 12 January, also available to buy digitally for £2.56.

A Close Encounter With Paul

Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost swap cops and zombies for a little grey man in their latest adventure – extraterrestrial road movie Paul. We chat to the dynamic duo and director Greg Mottola in our exclusive preview feature.

Thor

We head due Norse with Marvel’s latest big-screen superhero adaptation Thor. Director Kenneth Branagh and stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Tom Hiddleston bring the thunder.

Supernatural

After season five brought Supernatural’s apocalyptic arc to a sombre conclusion the question was always going to be: where next? Find out what’s in store for the future of everyone’s favourite demon-slaying siblings in our massive season six preview.

Outcasts

A British sci-fi show that’s actually set in space? 2011’s already coming up trumps. We go on set for the inside skinny on what to expect from the team behind Life On Mars.

Being Human USA

The supernatural houseshare comedy drama takes a trip across the pond for the latest US adaptation of a much-loved British original. Will it go the way of Red Dwarf and Spaced? Find out inside.

The Movies of Nicholas Meyer

The Wrath Of Khan director talks us through his filmography, from The Seven-Per-Cent Solution to The Odyssey.

Profiles

DS9’s Alexander Siddig talks season four of Primeval, ex-Who scribe Ben Aaronovitch on his latest novel and The Event’s everyman action hero Jason Ritter.

Retro Features

We look back at An American Werewolf In London, ace short-lived series Carnivàle, the rather weird Altered States and 50 years of Top Trumps.

Don’t Miss:

Wishlist: That Buffy The Vampire Slayer reboot is at the top of no-one’s Wishlist, but without Joss, you tell us what you’d like to see.

Spoiler Zone: Doctor Who returns in the form of “A Christmas Carol”, Misfits, The Walking Dead, Merlin and SGU (for now) bid a fond farewell, and there’s also reviews of the latest Chuck, Supernatural, Fringe, Futurama, Eureka, Warehouse 13, The Event, Smallville, The Vampire Diaries, No Ordinary Family and Sanctuary. It’s like Christmas all over again.

• America takes on Merlin in the latest adaptation of the Arthurian myth Camelot. Will Starz be a match for the Beeb?
• Spooky goings on in Being Human web-series Becoming Human and ITV’s new prime-time tale Marchlands.
• Richard Morgan tells us about crafting his first videogame story for Crysis 2 and we take a trip to Canada to see the dragons rise again in hotly anticipated sequel Dragon Age 2.

Rated: Tron Legacy, Black Swan, Devil, Misfits Season Two, Jon Courtenay Grimwood’s The Fallen Blade, Joe Abercrombie’s The Heroes, World Of Warcraft Cataclysm and more!

Next issue: SFX 206, on sale Wednesday 9 February. Why not subscribe and receive easy on the eye coverline-free issues?

Quite a number of you have contacted us over the Christmas and New Year period to let us know that your subscriber copies of SFX issue 204 have not arrived – or arrived significantly later than usual. We appreciate how frustrating it must be,  and we sympathise. After putting a huge amount of work into the issue, it’s very frustrating for us too.

Unfortunately, the closure of transport links due to the snowy conditions (coupled with the high volume of Christmas mail, and the large number of bank holidays) had a massive impact on deliveries in December, creating a sizeable backlog at Royal Mail. Missing issues could be anywhere in the distribution chain.

Hopefully the backlog will be cleared soon – we’re sorry that we can’t be more specific than that. If you have still not received your copy of SFX by 15 January, you can request a replacement copy from customer services by:

* Calling 0844 848 2852

* Emailing contact@myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

* Logging onto the My Favourite Magazines website and accessing the “Your Account” area to request a replacement.

Good news for Warhammer fans, SFX is proud to announce that three of the Black Library’s finest authors have been added to the line-up for the SFX Weekender 2.

Dan Abnett, Nick Kyme and Chris Wraight will be joining us at Camber Sands in February, and will be on hand for signings, Q&A sessions and panels throughout the weekend.

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Dan Abnett is a novelist and award-winning comic book writer who is well known to Warhammer fans, having penned over thirty-five novels including the acclaimed Gaunt’s Ghosts series, the Eisenhorn and Ravenor trilogies and, with Mike Lee, the Darkblade cycle. His novel Triumff, for Angry Robot, was published in 2009 and nominated for the British Fantasy Society Award for Best Novel, and as if that wasn’t enough, he’s a renowned comics writer, having worked on everything from the Mr Men to the X Men. He created the cult series Sinister Dexter for 2000 AD, and is part of the team celebrated for reviving Marvel’s cosmic superheroes. Visit Dan’s website here.

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Nick Kyme is a writer and editor who began a career at Games Workshop on White Dwarf magazine, where his many roles included layout designer, staff writer and journalist. Now Black Library’s Senior Range Editor, Nick’s writing credits include the Warhammer 40,000 Tome of Fire trilogy featuring the Salamanders, his Warhammer Fantasy-based dwarf novels and several short stories. Read his blog at www.nickkyme.com.

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Chris Wraight is a writer of fantasy and science fiction whose first novel was published in 2008. Since then, he’s published books set in the Warhammer Fantasy, Warhammer 40K and Stargate: Atlantis universes. He’s based in a leafy bit of south-west England, and when not struggling to meet deadlines enjoys running through scenic parts of it. You can read more about his upcoming projects at www.chriswraight.wordpress.com.

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The SFX Weekender 2 takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex on Friday 4th February and Saturday 5th February 2011, with our Pre Party on Thursday 3rd February for the early birds. VIP tickets are already sold out, and tickets for the pre-party are going fast, but there are still other options available. Make sure you get yours before it’s too late! Book now by calling 08700 11 00 34, or head here for more information.

This year we asked you to help us select the screening programme for the films and TV episodes we’ll be showing at the SFX Weekender. And now we can reveal the results:

Your space opera choice:

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Your fantasy choice:

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Your sci-fi comedy choice:

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Your TV two-Parter choice:

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.Doctor Who: “Human Nature”/“Family Of Blood”

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You SFX Team Recommends choice:

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(This was Jordan’s selection)

Specific times for each film have yet to be worked out, but will be announced soon.

]]> http://www.sfx.co.uk/2010/12/16/screenings-for-sfx-weekender-2/feed/ 9 http://www.sfx.co.uk/2010/12/13/comic-heroes-issue-4/ http://www.sfx.co.uk/2010/12/13/comic-heroes-issue-4/#comments Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:54:27 +0000 Rob Power http://www.sfx.co.uk/?p=42923 We take a trip with the League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen in Century: 1969

On sale Tuesday December 14th.

Freebies galore

There’s an impressive haul of free gifts this month, including the latest instalment of our Sidekick sampler comic (featuring some classic Jack Kirby and the forthcoming The Infinite Vacation from Image comics), the complete first issue of Stan Lee’s The Traveler from Boom! Studios (complete with exclusive cover) and three Jack Kirby art postcards. We really do spoil you…

The League takes a trip

Turning the cover in to a psychedelic masterpiece this month, we catch up with artist Kevin O’Neil as he talks about the much-anticipated League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Century: 1969, and take a sneak peek at some unlettered pages from the book.

French dressing

French fabulist Moebius gets the full profile treatment by comics historian Paul Gravett.

Best of British

Comic artist Lew Stringer takes a stroll down memory lane with Britain’s forgotten superheroes.

21^st century boy

Warren Ellis thinks long and hard about the future of digital comics.

Don’t miss:

-Interviews with Bryan Hitch, Adi Granov, Paul Levitz and Mark Waid.

-Walt Simonson reminiscing about his classic run on Thor (plus the ten essential Thor stories you must read!).

-The art of Adam Hughes.

-The second part of How To Draw For Comics, in which a wealth of industry talent – including Dave Gibbons, Chris Weston and Mike Perkins – tell you how to do it.

Rated: Grandville Mon Amour, At The Mountains of Madness, 100 Days, Absolute All Star Superman, American Vampire and much, much more…

Next issue: Comic Heroes 5 on sale 24 February. Why not subscribe and receive your issues straight to your door?

Due to pesky internet gremlins, the voting system for the SFX Sci-Fi Awards 2011 has taken ill today, and with voting ending tomorrow we’ve swung into action to save the day (and your votes) in true, swashbuckling SFX style.

If you’ve not voted yet, please send your votes direct to SFX at SFX@futurenet.co.uk (or simply click here) with VOTE in the subject line.

And if you think this is a pain, imagine having to count up all those lovely votes by hand like we’ll have to…

There are some new faces on Primeval when it returns in January, and in the new issue of SFX (out next Wednesday, 15 December) we have a chat to the actors who play them. Here’s a preview of what you can expect from our six-page Primeval feature:

New ARC leader Ciarán McMenamin on Matt Anderson:

“I’m not allowed to tell you a lot, but he’s here for very specific reasons that will be revealed later in the series. He has a bigger motive but he’s a good guy with a military background and a real specific love of his work. He also keeps himself to himself, lives a very spartan existence – we never hear anything about friends or family, so there’s a lot of mystery around him as to why he’s there, where he’s from and what makes him tick. You don’t really start finding all that out until later on.”

Newcomer Ruth Kearney on computer whiz Jess:

“She’s got two sides to her. On one hand she’s very girly, loves socialising and hearing gossip and all that kind of thing, but when she’s sitting in front of her hub in the ARC, she’s the most efficient person you could ever have in that job. She’s a bit of a whiz kid and highly apt at computer science – she was head hunted for this job, and she was just immediately at home. She has everyone’s back. She’s got an eye and an ear on everything, so I think she’s definitely someone you want on your team. I think she’s very loyal too because she obviously hears every conversation, and has read everyone’s files but would never use that against them. She’s a very important member of the team.”

On sale Wednesday 15 December, and also available to buy digitally for £2.57.

Free Avatar book exclusively in ASDA!

Doing your big shop at ASDA this week? Swipe this month’s SFX and you’ll be rewarded with a most excellent (and entirely free) copy of Avatar: Activist Survival Guide, which will come in handy should you find yourself up a Pandoran creek.

Jurassic larks: Primeval

When ITV decided not to renew Primeval for a fourth series, it looked like the end of the road for a show that seemed too far too good to be kicked back into the Cretaceous like a dozy dino. Eighteen months later, thanks to a bit of creative thinking and an innovative channel share agreement, Primeval is back from the brink, giving SFX the perfect opportunity to catch up with some familiar faces (as well as a few new ones) and find out what the new series has in store.

Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol

Like overcooked turkey and a small mountain of new socks, Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without a slice of festive Who to tuck into. This year’s special looks to be a cracker (arf), so naturally SFX was on set to get the inside skinny on what’s in store for the Doctor and guest stars Michael Gambon and Katherine Jenkins.

The Green Hornet

After over a decade spent languishing in the pits of development hell, the Green Hornet is finally poised to hit the big screen. We speak to Seth Rogan and director Michael Gondry about bringing the Hornet back to life.

Being Human

Upping sticks and making the move from Bristol to Cardiff for series three, we take a trip to Wales for an update on our favourite supernatural trio.

Heroes And Inspirations – Edgar Wright

The Scott Pilgrim and Shaun Of The Dead director guides us through his eclectic influences.

Fannish Inquisition – Guillermo del Toro

The Hellboy and Pan’s Labyrinth director answers your questions.

Couch Potato

It’s ladies night this month as Jayne Nelson and chums take in some of sci-fi’s greatest bromances.

Profiles

Steven Mangan talks Dirk Gently, Jon Courtenay Grimwood on why there’s life in vampires yet and Fringe’s Anna Torv guides us through alternate worlds.

Retro Features

The Incredible Shrinking Man goes under the microscope, we look at what happened when Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere met the small screen, and 2001: A Space Odyssey is lovingly dissected.

Don’t Miss:

Wishlist: It’s clobberin’ time for the Fantastic Four reboot this month, with extra Jim Broadbent for good measure.

Spoiler Zone: We bid a fond farewell to The Sarah Jane Adventures and Merlin, Misfits returns for series two, there’s a mid-season premiere from Caprica and we catch up with The Walking Dead, The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, The Event, Lost Girl, Fringe, Medium, Sanctuary, The Gates, Chuck, Smallville, No Ordinary Family and Stargate Universe. Phew…

• Will the BBC’s update on MR James’s “Whistle and I’ll Come To You, My Lad” be providing the chills this Christmas? We speak to Luther creator Neil Cross about his take on the classic.
• Executive producer Mark Hentemann talks about completing the Family Guy Star Wars trilogy with It’s A Trap.
• Pub Landlord Al Murray puts down his pint to discuss his sci-fi faves.

Rated: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part One, Megamind, Skyline, Family Guy: It’s A Trap, Shift by Tim Kring and Dale Peck, Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale, Grandville Mon Amour and more!

Next issue: SFX 205, on sale Wednesday 12 January. Why not subscribe and receive easy-on-the-eye coverline-free issues?

In the new issue of SFX (in the shops next Wednesday, 15 December) there’s a full interview with Stephen Mangan (Green Wing, Free Agents), the comic actor who’s bringing Douglas Adams’s Dirk Gently to BBC Four later this month. Here’s a snippet to whet your appetite:

“I do feel pressure that there’s a big fanbase, absolutely. I played Adrian Mole years ago and I felt a similar pressure because it’s almost as if you’re playing a real person, but a real person who everyone thinks looks different, in a slightly different way or who they’ve got a different idea of.”

But he’s taking a pragmatic approach:

“Firstly they hired me so they’re obviously after some of the qualities that I possess. You take a bit of pressure off yourself there and go, ‘Well they’re not expecting me to perform it as Brian Blessed or Michael Caine would.’ I brought a bit of who I am, what I find funny, what I find interesting to it. So it’s the classic cry of people when they see books filmed – ‘Oh it’s not how I imagined it’. Well no. At some point you have to make a decision about certain things and we have.

““It’s got to be funny. If it’s not funny it will have failed because there are a lot of detective stories out there and they’re already well covered for serious, flawed detectives. So what this brings is the quirkiness, the oddness, the intelligence, the wit, the strangeness. The central dynamic of the whole show is me and Darren [Boyd], they’re like a double act. We get on very well but he’s six foot four which is quite annoying because I’m going to look very short.”

For Your Consideration:

Chuck’s Yvonne Strahovski

For: Best Actress

Yeah, yeah, okay, you’re probably thinking I’m one of those people who can’t separate “Best Actress” from “Sexiest Actress” but one of the reasons I’m championing Chuck’s leading lady is because, as Simon put it in a recent episode of Misfits, “I feel sorry for beautiful girls. Sometimes people can’t see past their looks.”

Strahovski may be hot, but she’s also a very hot actress.

You scoff? Let me put it this way.

There is no way on Earth that a character like superspy Sarah would ever fall for a geek like Chuck. It’s a completely artificially constructed TV fairy story. But the Chuck/Sarah relationship is crucial to the show – it’s the beating heart and poetic soul of the show – and you totally buy into it. Why? Because Strahovski sells it.

Don’t get me wrong. Zachary Levi is great as Chuck, but he has a much easier role to perform as regards their relationship. It’s much easier to believe the geek would fall for the beauty than the other way round. It‘s Strahovski who has to make you believe her love for Chuck is real, and she does it effortlessly, without ever falling into the trap of flipping backwards and forwards between tough bitch and simpering sweetheart. No, Strahovski gives an amazingly consistent performance, and her romantic side only comes out in subtle glances, moments of anguished conflict and the occasional heartfelt lovers tiff. Chuck would not have been the success it is without her. While a lot of the other characters in the show are (loveable) caricatures (be honest, as much as you love Casey, he’s little more than grunting and gun gags), Sarah is a far more fully-rounded, nuanced character, and a lot of that has been thanks to Strahovski.

But, okay, it also helps that she’s very sexy and also looks absolutely fantastic in the fight scenes. Really great. Athletic, energetic, stylish and convincing. I reckon she’s the best small screen kick-ass heroine since Emma Peel.

So… VOTE STRAHOVSKI! (You can vote for her in the Sexiest category too as well, if you like…)

The SFX Awards 2011 are open until 15 December. Cast your votes by clicking here.

The SFX Awards 2011 will be announced at the SFX Weekender 2 at a star studded ceremony. Buy your tickets to the SFX Weekender by calling our ticket hotline on 08700 110034 or visit www.sfxweekender.com for more details.

It may have turned awfully nippy all of a sudden, but fear not because SFX is on hand to warm the cockles with news of not one, but seven new and returning guests confirmed to attend the SFX Weekender 2 in Camber Sands.

First up: Mr Paul Cornell: the recently crowned Action Comics scribe who might be better known to readers of SFX for his work on Doctor Who (in particular ace spin-off novel/two part season three episode “Human Nature”/“The Family Of Blood”). Comics fans have every reason to be just as excited though, because in recent months Paul’s made a big splash at DC with his impressive Lex Luthor-centric run on Action Comics. Paul is also working with Stan Lee and Javier Pina at BOOM! studios on new IP Soldier Zero and if his appearance at last year’s event is anything to go by any panel with Paul’s name on the list will be one not to miss.

Fellow-Who brethren Ben Aaronvitch has also thrown his name into the hat – the author responsible for classic Seventh Doctor tale “Remembrance Of The Daleks”, several spin-off adventure books and novels. Joe Abercrombie might not have a background in Doctor Who, but the thoroughly nice fantasy author has been making a big name for himself in recent years by breathing new life into the genre with his The First Law trilogy. Joe was a big hit at the first Weekender so we’re delighted to announce he’ll be returning to participate in Q&As, a book signing, panels and just generally hanging round and being cool. Fans of Joe Abercrombie also mark off the 28th January in your diaries because SFX will be co-hosting the launch of his latest novel, The Heroes, at Toppings bookshop in Bath.

Moving on, we’re delighted to announce that Hater creator (snarf) David Moody, will be joining us for the weekend long sci-fi spectacular, where the Dog Blood and Autumn series author will no doubt find a warm reception. The same goes for British horror writer Sarah Pinborough, winner of the British Fantasy Award for best novella in 2010 and author (most recently) of the exceptional A Matter Of Blood.

Fans of no-nonsense science fiction and fantasy also take note as Kell’s Legend and Quake author Andy Remic has confirmed he’ll be joining in the fun while finally (for now) we’re thrilled to confirm that Chung Kuo and Myst trilogy author David Wingrove will be participating in a panel and book signing session.

Phew! Excited much? The SFX Weekender 2 takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex on Friday 4th February and Saturday 5th February 2011, with our Pre Party on Thursday 3rd February for the early birds. VIP tickets are already sold out, and tickets for the pre-party are going fast, but there are still other options available. Make sure you get yours before it’s too late! Book now by calling 08700 11 00 34, or head to www.sfxweekender.com/tickets for more information.

This year’s voting for the SFX Awards has broken all records, with – currently – more than double the votes we had last year (and yes, you doubting Thomases out there, we have eliminated votes from hackers who managed to vote multiple times – these figures are completely kosher!). So far we’ve had over 200,000 individual votes from over 11,000 voters. I think we can genuinely say – crikey!

But it’s not too late if you haven’t cast your votes yet.

It’s your chance to influence the biggest night of the SFX calendar: the annual, coveted SFX Sci-Fi Awards! And you could win tickets to the SFX Weekender where you’ll see the SFX Awards live, hosted by author Robert Rankin. All you have to do is vote then leave us your details. Plus you’ll meet top stars including Keely Hawes (Ashes To Ashes), Anthony Head (Buffy and Merlin), Terry Pratchett, George Takei (Star Trek and Heroes) and Craig Charles (Red Dwarf).

Just click here and you’ll be taken to the voting site. It’s dead easy, and you don’t just have to vote for the things we’ve suggested. Feel free to give us your own nominations.

If you aren’t lucky enough to win tickets you can buy yours by calling our ticket hotline on 08700 110034 or visit www.sfxweekender.com.

One of the most popular strands at the inaugural SFX Weekender was the author section, with its talks, panels and opportunities to hear readings by your favourite writers. So you’ll be pleased to hear that SFX Weekender 2 features more of the same, with contributions from top authors like Terry Pratchett, Stephen Baxter, Robert Rankin, Kevin J Anderson, China Miéville and loads more.

So, a quick public service announcement for all those attending (or thinking about attending – go on, you know you want to…) the SFX Weekender 2 to see their favourite SF and fantasy authors… you will not require a signing pass for an author’s signature.

You will need a signing pass (included with VIP tickets or available for £30) to join the autograph cue for many of our actor guests! But autographs from authors and comic book creators will be included free, and there will be a schedule of author autograph sessions in the book area. Most of the authors will be located in the Stage 2 area, a room adjacent to the main central space. Books will be available should you forget your own well-thumbed copy.

There is one exception to the rule, however – Terry Pratchett will not be signing autographs at all at the Weekender, but he will be appearing live on stage to talk about The Long Earth with his partner in crime Stephen Baxter as well as take questions from his fans.

The SFX Weekender 2 takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex on Friday 4 February and Saturday 5 February 2011, with our pre-party on Thursday 3 February for the early birds. Don’t worry about the recent Pontin’s announcements, we are continuing as planned! VIP tickets are already sold out but there are still other options available. Make sure you get yours before it’s too late; book now by calling 08700 11 00 34 or head to www.sfxweekender.com/tickets for more information. See you there!

Never fear – despite the news about Pontins going into admistration the SFX Weekender 2 is still taking place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex on Friday 4 February and Saturday 5 February 2011, with our Pre Party on Thursday 3 February for the early birds. VIP tickets are already sold out, and tickets for the pre-party are going fast, but there are still other options available. Make sure you get yours before it’s too late! Book now by calling 08700 11 00 34, or head to www.sfxweekender.com/tickets for more information.

Guests currently announced include:

George Takei – Star Trek, Heroes
Anthony Head – Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Merlin
Sylvia Anderson – Thunderbirds
Terry Pratchett – Author
Robert Rankin – Author
Sally Knyvette – Blake’s Seven
Stephen Baxter – Author
China Mieville – Author
Gary Gisbon – Author
Jon Courtney Grimwood – Author
Craig Charles – Red Dwarf
Mark Charon Newton – Author
Mike Carey – Author
Pat Mills – Comic writer
Kevin J Anderson – Author
Bryan Talbot – Comic writer/artist

It’s been two and a half years since we last produced a special devoted to Doctor Who – good grief, has it really been that long? – so we figured it was high time that we did another. Doctor Who: A Celebration is the end result. 100% unofficial and independent, it’s an 132-page magazine which comes with three free gifts: a genuine bow tie (not a naff plastic novelty – a proper fabric one!), and two slogan badges (and they’re big ‘uns too – each five centimetres in diameter), all tucked inside a card wallet.

Inside the 132-page magazine inside, you’ll find all of the following:

EXCLUSIVE CAST INTERVIEWS
We speak to Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill about series five, the Christmas special, and how their characters have developed.

100 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT WHO
A bumper-sized feature which runs down just a few of the gazillion reasons why we adore this series with a passion bordering on insanity. And if you’re thinking this’ll be some dreary roll call of the bleedin’ obvious, think again…

MY LIFE AS A DALEK
Voice of the Daleks Nick Briggs and Dalek operator Barnaby Edwards spill the beans on what it’s like bringing the series’ greatest monsters to life.

RTD VS MOFFAT
Who’s the best producer – Russell T Davies or Steven Moffat? That’s the big question when it comes to the modern-day series. There’s only way to decide, of course… fiiiiiiiiight! Oh alright, a reasoned debate on the matter…

COSTUME DESIGNS
Series five costume designer Ray Holman talks us through some of his work, with drawings for the likes of the Eleventh Doctor and a Silurian warrior, and a smattering of behind-the-scenes photos.

The three free gifts: a bow tie and two badges! (Not to scale)

AUTHORS ON WHO
A trio of opinion pieces penned by a triumvirate of SF & fantasy titans. Discworld overlord Sir Terry Pratchett, Elric creator Michael Moorcock and hard SF boffin Stephen Baxter share their memories of Who, and try to put their finger on the series’ ineffable magic.

KATY MANNING
As Jo Grant, who travelled alongside the Third Doctor, she was one of the series’ best-loved companions; now she’s earned a legion of new fans thanks to her appearance on The Sarah Jane Adventures. Katy Manning talks to us about Jon Pertwee, Matt Smith and those naughty photos of her and a Dalek…

THE FIENDISHLY DIFFICULT DOCTOR WHO PICTURE PUZZLE
A double-page brainteaser within which are hidden – in cryptic pictorial form – the titles of a whopping 65 Doctor Who stories – both from the old series and the noughties revival. So, that dragon breathing fire (see left) is “Dragonfire”, to give you just one example! Guaranteed to delight/infuriate you for hours!

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Visual effects experts Mat Irvine and Mike Tucker are in a unique position to discuss Who‘s effects, having worked on both the classic series and the new show. Their candid discussion of the challenges they faced is accompanied by lashings of behind-the-scenes images (including some fascinating sketches for the original Davros).

THE LEADWORTH CHRONICLE
All the news that’s fit to print (and some that isn’t…) from Amy and Rory’s local rag!

THE MISSING EPISODES
Sadly, 108 instalments of the classic series are missing, presumed lost forever, thanks to BBC’s junking policy of the ’60s and ’70s. Richard Molesworth, author of new book Wiped! Doctor Who’s Missing Episodes, tells the full story of how so many episodes came to be destroyed – and how many were later recovered.

THE MINUTES OF THE PANDORICA ALLIANCE
Even evil alien alliances have to have the occasional planning meeting. This transcript of one such session, found crumpled up in a bin in an office in Didcot, provides a fascinating insight into how their over-complicated scheme came about…

WHO’S 25 SILLIEST MOMENTS
From the “robot double” that looks nothing like William Hartnell to that burping Auton wheelie bin, via Ingrid Pitt kung-fu kicking a reptilian pantomime horse… a complete rundown of the series’ daftest bits.

WHO CRAFTING
Showcasing the creativity of some of the people who make their own Doctor Who dolls, toys and costumes.

ARTHUR “DIES DAILY” DARVILL VS MURDEROUS MOFFAT
In this old-school cartoon (which somehow dropped back in time to a ’70s comic), the showrunner thinks up ever-more diabolical ways in which to bump off the actor who plays Rory.

MARATHON FAN
Writer and comedian Toby Hadoke (creator of the brilliant Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf) recently rewatched (or listened to) every episode of the series, in a year-long marathon. He shares what he learnt from the experience.

THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR COMIC
American comic publishers IDW kick off a new Eleventh Doctor range in January. We talk to writer Tony Lee about his plans, and exclusively reveal character designs for the series.

WHO SNOGLINES
Who’s kissed who in the Whoniverse? Back in the day, you could answer that with one word. Nowadays, the answer is rather more complicated…

IN-DEPTH REVIEWS
Back by popular demand: our mindboggingly geeky 26-page episode guide sees us analyse every episode of series five in forensic detail – minute by minute, second by second. It’s the next best thing to having an SFX commentary track on the DVDs!

20 USEFUL THINGS WE LEARNED…
What life lessons can be gleaned from the Eleventh Doctor’s first run of adventures? Quite a few, it turns out…

SERIES SIX PICS
A selection of snazzy paparazzi shots from the filming of the latest series.

SFX Collection: Doctor Who – A Celebration is on sale now, priced £7.99 – ask your newsagent to order in SFX special number 47. A very limited number of copies are available to purchase online. Alternatively, you can download an iPad version of the mag for £4.99 (or $7.99, if you’re in the States).

Please note: all of the material in this special is brand new, except for seven pages of material. Our in-depth reviews of “The Beast Below” and “Victory Of The Daleks” were previously published online at www.sfx.co.uk (although they have been substantially reworked and updated), as was the opinion piece by Terry Pratchett.

Sylvia Anderson has enjoyed a long, successful, unique and influential career in film and television entertainment. From pioneering SUPERMARIONATION shows Four Feather Falls, Supercar, Fireball Xl5 and Stingray, to the high-flying heroics of Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet.

Twenty-first Century heroes Steve Zodiac, Troy Tempest, Captain Scarlet, and Joe 90 all bear Sylvia’s hallmark for creating appealing and extraordinary characters. Most famously of all, she fashioned the popular Tracy family for the award-winning series Thunderbirds together with her most iconic character, the elegant, charming and deadly dangerous super-agent Lady Penelope – for whom she also supplied that unforgettably aristocratic voice. New worlds of live action adventure followed, with the launch of futuristic alien invasion UFO and the mind-stretching voyages of Moonbase Alpha in Space 1999, both now recognised as outstanding achievements in science fiction television production. In the 1980’s Sylvia began a new role at the forefront of transatlantic film and television production as the UK’s representative for America’s leading cable TV channel Home Box Office (HBO) with responsibility for developing new production ideas and talent. It was during this time that her programmes enjoyed a spectacular return to popularity with repeat transmissions, best-selling toys and DVD releases, culminating in the Hollywood big screen live-action revival of Thunderbirds and even a highly prized accolade of an appearance on the cult comedy Absolutely Fabulous – an appropriate description for Sylvia Anderson’s remarkable contribution to popular entertainment. “Get out the Rolls Royce Parker, we’re going to Camber Sands…F.A.B My Lady!” FAB!

The SFX Weekender 2 takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex on Friday 4th February and Saturday 5th February 2011, with our Pre Party on Thursday 3rd February for the early birds. VIP tickets are already sold out, and tickets for the pre-party are going fast, but there are still other options available. Make sure you get yours before it’s too late! Book now by calling 08700 11 00 34, or head to www.sfxweekender.com/tickets for more information.

On sale Wednesday 17 November. Note: the wallet on the left is what you’ll see on shop shelves, so you know what you’re looking for .

Free Avatar book exclusively in Tesco!

Pop a copy of SFX in the trolley during the `weekly shop around your local Tesco and you might just find an unexpected treat on returning home because for this month only every copy of SFX will come bound with a 100% free Avatar: Activist Survival Guide, ya know, should you ever get stranded on Pandora. Better to be safe than sorry right?

Free Tron Legacy Collector’s Disc!

Featuring video and interactive content from the film and the upcoming prequel game including a sneak peek at the film introduced by the stars, mini-games, desktop wallpapers and the making of Tron Evolution.

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Derezzed in-depth: Tron Legacy

The original Tron was a landmark in movie-making – the first time a digital world had been brought to life on the big screen, and an influence on a whole generation of film-makers. The creators of this winter’s belated sequel Tron Legacy have big shoes to fill then if they hope to do justice to the name, but after reading this exclusive behind the scenes feature with the cast and crew, we’ve no doubt you’ll be… game for more (geddit?)

Monsters

British director Gareth Roberts’ low budget sci-fi road movie has been generated the kind of buzz on the festival circuit you would expect if real aliens landed on Earth, and for good reason. Find out what all the fuss is about as we chat to the director.

Fringe Season Three

Ever since Fringe left our jaws on the floor and our minds splattered on the wall behind the sofa with its world shattering season one climax, it’s become must-watch telly. Even more-so now in its audacious third season, which you can learn all about in our exclusive chat with the show-runners.

Online Gaming

Ever wanted to live in, not just visit, Lego Land, or the DC Universe, or a Galaxy Far, Far Away? Well now you can in the next generation of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. We investigate.

Heroes And Inspirations – Matt Smith

The Eleventh Doctor tells us what makes a Time Lord tick.

Couch Potato

Russell, Nick, Jordan and Jon brave some bite-sized bits of scary movies for the latest round of Couch.

Profiles

Foul-mouthed Misfit Robert Sheehan, new Who scribe Michael Moorcock, Smallville’s Green Arrow Justin Hartley and Let The Right One In author John Ajvide Lindqvist in the latest brace of one-on-ones.

Retro Features

A look at ten movies that defined the ’80s for science fiction, the birth of 2000 AD’s first superhero Zenith and The Truman Show anatomised.

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Don’t Miss:

Wishlist: At The Mountains Of Madness. Warning: reading this spread may make you go insane.

Spoiler Zone: A bumper new season crop this month as Chuck, The Event, Fringe, Merlin, The Gates and The Sarah Jane Adventures, Smallville, Supernatural, Stargate Universe and The Vampire Diaries return; The Walking Dead, Lost Girl and No Ordinary Family debut; while we wave goodbye to Haven.

Big Shot: Nicolas Cage is Crusing Mad, nope – Pedalling Irritated, nope – he’s Driving Angry of course in the latest Big Shot. Tsk, should have read his Highway Code first.

• Douglas Adams Holistic Detective Dirk Gently debuts on the BBC this Christmas we go on set and have an exclusive first look.
• Apollo himself Jamie Bamber returns to sci-fi for the latest series from the makers of Life On Mars, colonists drama Outcasts.
• Director Michael Apted takes to the high seas for the third instalment in the Narnia franchise: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader. Gratuitous 7 Up! mention courtesy of Russell.
• It worked for The Office but will Being Human USA be the next Spaced? We speak to the show-runners to find out more.

Rated: Monsters, Rare Exports, Doctor Who Series Five, Toy Story 3, Graham Joyce’s The Silent Land, the new-look Wonder Woman, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and more!

Next issue: SFX 204, on sale Wednesday 15 December. Why not subscribe and receive tasty coverline-free issues?

Every year the readers of SFX, the world’s biggest and best sci-fi magazine, vote in a massive poll to determine the best recent sci-fi and fantasy. Voted for entirely by fans, the 20 categories cover TV, film, games, books, comics – plus actors, directors and more. The period of eligibility this year is 6 December 2009 to 14 December 2010 and this year’s winners will be announced on the glittering Saturday night ceremony at the live SFX Weekender event on 5 February 2011. You already knew that but today we’re pleased to announce that London MCM Expo will be sponsoring the Best Videogame category this year! Voting is open right now so head over to www.sfx.co.uk/awards2011 and make sure your voice is heard.

The SFX Weekender 2011 counts the likes of Terry Pratchett, Anthony Head, Craig Charles and George Takei among its ranks, as well as book readings and workshops. If you’d like to join in the fun at the 48-hour sci-fi spectacular from Friday 4th February to Saturday 5th February 2011 (with a pre-party on Thursday 3rd February for the early birds) then head to www.sfxweekender.com for tickets and more information.

London MCM Expo is the UK’s fastest growing entertainment event and is taking place next weekend in the six vast halls of ExCel London. Visitors will have the chance to play, watch and preview the latest sci-fi shows, videogames, anime and comics. As well as closing out this year’s London Games Festival, the MCM Expo will feature great special guest panels, including stars from fantastic Syfy series such as Warehouse 13, Haven and A Town Called Eureka; the creators of ITV fantasy drama Primeval and exclusive footage of upcoming Simon Pegg and Nick Frost comedy Paul.

Best of all though SFX will be there, manning our stand, wandering the halls and holding the latest round of Blastermind – complete with a very special prize for the winner. Pop along to see us and you’ll receive a manly handshake completely free of charge!