Comic-Con, SFX & Mad Skills

It’s that time of year again when the lucky 100,000 make their way to San Diego for Comic-Con…a nerdvana of comics, films, toys, cosplay and so much more.  Like Simon Pegg & Nick Frost, Comic-Con is for me a ‘must-do before I die’ affair.  Yet, sadly, another year passes and I can’t afford to go.

But wait! For while I cannot get there, the lads and lasses (mainly lads!) of SFX Magazine ARE going…en masse…and for four days they will be flying the UK flag proudly while attempting to get the US all excited about SFX magazine.  To do this they are taking 90,000 copies of a SFX Special Edition, A5 sized and chock fulla goodies.  Ade and Dave and co will, with the help of the obligatory booth ladies (I am sure they are babes but let’s not get in to that argument) be handing out these special editions to all-comers.  And what will SFX’s new US fans discover on the inside back cover (a prime piece of real estate)? Well, only this here kick-ass advert:

Looks fantastic, doesn’t it?  While Spokenworld Audio is still in its early launch stages, this was a prime opportunity, at a great price, to put our name and brand and ethos in front of 90,000 people in the US capital of genre.  Will we make money back?  Well, adverts rarely get you many direct sales, but I do believe we will have established our brand in the minds of the exact people we will be targeting over the next few years.  Plus it is another great chance to partner with the SFX gang, which is always fun and fruity.

But hang on…let me talk to you ABOUT the advert, because I am sure you have noticed that it is, to be plain and simple, KICK ASS!  It is a beautifully drawn, wonderfully composed piece of artwork and I am intensely jealous that I can’t draw like that.  It was, in fact, drawn by the unfeasibly talented MATT DILLON (aka geekplanetmatt on Twitter), who is an artist and designer of prodigious abilities, as well as the co-founder of the web’s finest genre portal…Geekplanetonline.com

Matt has supplied us with cover art in the past, and has that rare ability to be able to knock up original and stunning artwork at short notice.  He is able to work from the briefest of briefs (sometimes while wearing no briefs at all, so the rumour goes!) and the shortest of timelines, but always brings a wealth of ideas as well as excitement and enthusiasm to the project.  If I had more money to spend on art I would be commissioning him every week of the year.

So, let me say to you, one business blokey to another…seriously, if you need some art doing, some design work required, a project needs spicing up…contact MATT DILLON and you won’t be disappointed.

DETAILS

Spokenworld Audio – click here

GeekPlanetOnline – click here

Matt Dillon Email – click here

EXAMPLES OF MORE OF MATT’S WORK FOR SPOKENWORLD AUDIO

  

All Aliens Like Burgers – Audiobook Release

IT’S HERE! “All Aliens Like Burgers” is the first in the much anticipated TRUXXE TRILOGY by Ruth Wheeler. Published by HIRST BOOKS (click here to buy the book), this exclusive unabridged audiobook edition is read by star of Dr Who, We Are Klang, Tittybangbang and Calendar Girls, Debbie Chazen. Featuring new music from award-winning radio, film & TV composer Jon Nicholls, and produced by multiple-award winning radio & audio director Neil Gardner.

CLICK HERE to visit the Spokenworld Audio site and buy the download

CLICK PLAY to hear a sample

An exciting, funny adventure in space, for late teenage – adult readers.

Young, polite and intelligent Tom Bowler has barely ever ventured out of the small English town where he grew up. So when he applies for a job in a fast food restaurant at a “local” service station during his gap year he is rather surprised to discover that the vacancy is in fact based on Truxxe, a planetoid stationed between local galaxies Triangulum and Andromeda. Hes surprised further still to find himself becoming friends with a purple alien and that he has strange feelings for his android supervisor, Miss Lola. Tom soon discovers that Truxxe has many hidden secrets – just what makes it so special? And why is its terrain so rich and varied that it can be used for fuelling such a diverse variety of intergalactic spacecraft? What are the Glorbian space pirate brothers Schlomm and Hannond plotting? And just what is it that they put in those burgers?

 

 

Reviews of the book (courtesy of Hirst Books)

5 stars – gemma walton – 21 June 2010
really enjoyed the book – it was very descriptive, whilst still being a compelling read. ruth has an amazing imagination and makes the unbelievable sound perfectly plausible and believable. i loved the humour especially with the crystal growing and retrieval – and also the spottooning (which im hoping it wont become a new sport on earth!!)the door is opened really nicely for a sequel with more of toms adventures…. burger ingredients …. alien relations….a home visit with the new found tablets or new found friends…… looking forward to the sequel!!

– david – 21 June 2010
all aliens like burgers is the dabut novel from author ruth wheeler and its a cracker. the basic plot concerns tom bowler who applies for a job at a “local” service stations fast food restaurant – which turns out not to be what or even where it seems. i wont go into any more details and ruin your enjoyment. ruth wheeler has created and enjoyable story with interesting and well fleshed out characters. the narrative moves at a good pace and makes an ideal read for anyone, like me, who enjoys a good science fiction novel with a twist.i was lucky enough to meet the author at a local book signing and found her to be charming and very down to earth. ruth also told me she is working on a sequal to this book. i for one, will be waiting with eager anticipation for more adventures of tom bowler.

Five Star Read – Ed – 07 September 2010
A most enjoyable debut novel from ruth wheeler in which she chronicles the mis-adventures of young tom bowler who is a fish out of water in his new job at a galactic burger bar ! Fast moving,funny and imaginative,this is highly recommended to all fans of douglas adams and comedic sci-fi.

All Alians like burgers – A robinson – 17 January 2011
Really enjoyed this book I bought it for my youngest son but landed up reading it myself and could’nt put it down – very funny well worth the read

burgers in space! – mike cook – 17 June 2010
this is a light-hearted story of a teenager taking up a job in a less than usual location. the story takes us on a journey of discovery for a young man leaving home, with some excellent imagery. includes one of my favourite one-line observations of recent years. one to sink your teeth into for a little light entertainment.

– victoria kahl – 21 June 2010
a real fish-out of water story, its interesting to think how i would cope with a situation like this. most of the time the main character accepts what he sees and gets on with things, i think this is because he is still a teenager and things roll off him!amongst the pure sci-fi there are plenty of comedy moments and even a sprinkling of romance. i look forward to the rest of the series and to finding out where toms adventures will take him.

 

All Aliens Like Burgers

As many of you know, I am in the process of launching a new audiobook/radio programme download business called Spokenworld Audio.  Excitingly, we’ve just started producing our first ‘new’ novel as audio, a brilliant comedy SF novel called “All Aliens Like Burgers” by Ruth Wheeler.  Here’s a couple of HD vids from the first recording sesh to give you a taste of what’s to come: