LYING IN THE GUTTERS VOLUME 2 COLUMN 143

Welcome to the most popular and longest running comics column on the internet. In its various forms, Lying In The Gutters has covered rumours and gossip in the comics industry for fourteen long glorious and quite scary years.

All stories are sourced from well-connected individuals. But I urge you to use your judgment and remember, context is everything.

The traffic light system is simple. Green means there's a pretty god chance it's true. Amber means the source may be lacking, or have a clear bias. And Red means that I reckon it's bollocks. Still, you never know.

Lying In The Gutters is for your entertainment. Neither Fair Nor Balanced. Please don't shoot the messenger.

UNEARTHING UNEARTHING

I can confirm that Top Shelf is the publisher of Alan Moore and Mitch Jenkins' photo-illustrated-graphic novel "The Unearthing."

I read the original prose work for the first time last week and it reminded me of Moore's CDs, certainly the closest he's come in prose to his spoken word work. It looks at the life and times of Steve Moore, the area of London in which he lives and the tendrils that extend across time and space. These include the earliest days of British comics fandom, the evolution of "Fortean Times," the very palpable summoning of a goddess and a very metatextual ending indeed.

I can see where a number of Mitch's initial illustrations fit in and am so looking forward to seeing more.

Hey Mitch, what does a gossip columnist have to do to get in one of them?

Alan Moore was signing at Gosh Comics this week, but it seems he turned up a few weeks early to do a recon. MJ Hibbert, author of "Hey Hey 16K" had his own, very musical take.

FRANK POLITICS

So, was "300" a fascist comic book/movie? Well, Alleanza Nazionale. an Italian political party formed from the collapse of the neo fascist party MSI (with just a dash of right wing elements of the Christian Democracy party) seem to enjoy it. Here's a poster for candidate Andrea De Priamo.

WRONG KONG

Chuck Satterlee is an independent comics creator with credits on books such as "Smoke & Mirrors," "Of Bitter Souls" and the recent "Kong" series from AAM/Markosia. He was also AAM/Markosia's Director Of Operations, working on advertising for the British publisher's titles.

Last year, I understand that a media buyer handling advertising for "Kong" and related titles paid cheques directly to Chuck rather than AAM/Markosia. Chuck cashed the cheques into his own bank account, in all diverting ten thousand dollars.

When the payment was missed, eventually Chuck confessed, citing personal financial problems, promising to pay the money back. Removed from his position at AAM/Markosia, he kept the "Kong" writing gig.

However, AAM/Markosia are not the only people he owes money to

SilverBulletComicBooks, now ComicsBulletin have been trying to track Chuck down for a relatively minor $600 after a cheque bounced years ago. And I hear unconfirmed murmurs about other involved parties.

AAM/Markosia representatives declined to comment, citing legal issues. Chuck declined to comment, stating only that he respected AAM/Markosia

publisher Harry Markos, and that "Markosia and I have not commented because it is a private affair and there are always two sides to any story."

Credits suggest that Chuck is no longer writing "Kong" and that Andy Briggs has taken over the title.

Usually LITG covers such stories with a publisher doing over a creator or employee. It's rare that this happens the other way around.

PERSEPOLIS MISSING?

It appears that Diamond US have pulled the "Complete Persepolis" book from their listings, just as the movie hits. Thankfully bookstore publisher Baker & Taylor have hundreds of copies still available, and the publisher Random House also have plenty of copies, at very generous terms.

UPDATE: Diamond inform me that the publisher did inform them the book

was temporarily out of print but a large quantity of the book is

winging its way to their distribution centres as I type.

TRI-WEEKLY

We already know that the upcoming trinity weekly book, with approximately 16 pages by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley, will feature back ups written by Fabian Nicieza, but I also hear other creators will include Gail Simone, Peter Tomasi and Bill Willingham.

CHO BITS

Frank Cho was very kind to pop by the Lying In the Gutters forum this week, to share not only the finished version of last week's "Ultimates 3" cover...

...but also to let us know that while Marvel editorial approved the finished cover, wanting a "sexy" Frank Cho special, the higher ups nixed it.

BALLS TO THEM

The front cover to Joe Casey and Andy Suriano's "Charlatan Ball" for Image Comics.

SPECULATION CORNER

So, did you put your "Captain America" #34 up on eBay? Me too.

Well, at least it beats the stock market.

As for what's happening in "Buffy"#12 in a month that might get added interest, considering it's a werewolf story, smart money is on the return of Oz, Seth Green's character, to official continuity.

DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS

Josh Blaylock, publisher of Devil's Due, is becoming a fashion designer by the

FINAL FRONT EARS

Larry Young. Aged 16. Promoting the first Star Trek movie.

BITS AND PIECES

Graham Nash sings for his original comic art… and how animals were killed for a comic cover.

The 2007 Nexus Awards.

And Matt Morrison says goodbye.

Are Marvel starting their own games company?

LITG enjoyed the timing of this announcement after last week's column.

Metronome, found in translation.

Steven Moffat is apparently the new showrunner for Doctor Who, after the "gap year" from 2010 onwards. Oh, and The BBC has commissioned 24 episodes of "The Sarah Jane Adventures" over two years. Yes sir!

EDIT: Or not.. from Popbitch "Steven Moffat is not taking over Dr Who.

RTD is staying for two more series. Moffat is committed to making

three Tintin movies for Spielberg."

You write it, Karl Alstaetter draws it!

SMALL PRINT

Discuss this column at the Lying In The Gutters Forum and add your request to what you want from future columns.

My social networking is pretty much all Facebook these days, but I'm around at Bebo, MySpace, ComicSpace and Twitter, too.

You can see my Guido Fawkes cartoon most Mondays at . Here's the latest.

And my Wii number is 0512 2690 8446 2879

Contact me on richjohnston@gmail.com or on AOL Instant Messenger as TwistRich.

You can also write to me at 8 Robin Hood Lane, Kingston Vale, London SW15 3PU ENGLAND

Or call me/text me on 0780 1350982 from the UK or 01144780 1350982 from the US.