A couple of years ago, I entered Shades in the Favourite Web-Based Comic category of the UK's prestigious Eagle Awards. Not surprisingly, we didn't win. (The award, if I remember rightly, went to some decades-old gag-strip)! Anyway, this year, I thought it was about time we tried again!



To help us, please click on that image there to reach the Nomination Form. You don't have to complete the whole form. Just complete your name and email address at the top and you'll find the Best Web-Based Comic category right at the bottom. Nominate Shades and, if we make it into the final five, we'll do something special to celebrate!

Thanks for your help, guys. It's a long-shot, I know. But it's about time the world realised the web has story comics too, isn't it? ;-)

So - Saturday, 2 May 2009, is Free Comic Book Day ... Does this happen in the UK? I don't know. It seems to be a big thing in the US, though, so at Broken Voice Comics we felt we ought to participate somehow. Unfortunately, we don't have any of our titles in print, and so - as Ryan so neatly puts it below - we decided to make Volume 1 of our graphic novel Shades available as a free PDF instead!



So, if you're one of those techy types who likes that sort of thing, for the next few days only, you'll be able to download all of Shades Volume 1 (that's the Prologue, plus Chapters 1 - 8 ) for free. Just click on that link there or the picture above!

Oh, one more thing - you'd better be quick! We're using the YouSendIt service which, apparently, only allows 100 downloads so make sure you're at the front of the queue!

Wow - have I really not posted anything here since August? Yup - it seems so! Oh, well ... here's a snippet just to keep you all updated on where we are!

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Chapters 9 and 10 of my graphic novel Shades are the latest to become available to read online at the Broken Voice Comics website. The new chapters are the first to be illustrated by the new art team of E.C. Nickel and Muamal Khairi.

Illustrated in full colour, Shades is both an examination of the characteristics and traits that have come to define the British national character and, for those who just want to be entertained, a fun-filled action/adventure comic featuring demonic monsters, giant machines and a group of particularly British super heroes!



The first half of Shades (Chapters 1 – 8) has been illustrated by Harsho Mohan Chattoraj and is available to read in its entirety online. It tells the story of retired tailor Stanley Miller as he attempts to reunite a group of faded British heroes – a group which includes a prehistoric shaman, a World War 2 fighter pilot and the First Century warrior queen Boudicca!

The new art team for the remainder of the novel, starting with Chapters 9 and 10, will be Brazilian artist E.C. Nickel (pencils and inks) and Indonesian colourist Muamal Khairi. Anyone familiar with their work will know they each have a distinctive style of their own but that they both share Harsho’s love of detail and character.

The new chapters take Shades into new territory, giving readers a greater insight into the minds of the villains of the piece and ramping up the action levels as the story begins to move towards its conclusion!

It's Christmas time - a time for peace and goodwill to all men. And, of course, for all women to go shopping for a new party dress!

Well, it's no different at Broken Voice Comics and their characters. In fact, even its pagan characters have got caught up in the festive spirit and, if you pop over to the Workshop area, you can catch a glimpse of Boo trying on her new outfit for the BVC Christmas party. You see - it really is the season to be jolly!

Then, if you want to see where a pagan like Boo might be celebrating at this time of year, you'd best look in on the graphic novel Shades. There's no party going on just yet but the venue's booked, so you can see it in the latest instalment!

Poor old Stan. You'd think he'd been through enough in BVC's online graphic novel Shades, what with his abduction, the chase through London, the attack by paramilitaries and the severe beating by a gang of thugs. But no - there's even worse in store!

In today's instalment at Broken Voice Comics, he has to face his scariest challenge yet. Yes, he finally has to explain to his daughter what's been going on! He's going to need some help on this one, so go and give him some moral support!

Regular readers of the online graphic novel Shades will know that the main characters are all way too old to go out trick-or-treating. They do occasionally get dressed up in silly costumes, though, so - if you didn't see it at the weekend - you might want to check out the warrior queen Boudicca in her Wonder Woman outfit!

Those of you who just want to get on with the story, however, can ignore all this dress-up nonsense and go straight to the latest instalment at Broken Voice Comics. Boo, of course, is in costume there too but ... well, just not as Wonder Woman!

Anyone who's ever had (or been anywhere near!) a two year old, will know how prone they are to throw a tantrum when they don't get what they want. Well, fortunately, there aren't any two year olds in the online graphic novel Shades. (Phew!)

There is, however, a nineteen year old and, in today's instalment at Broken Voice Comics, he proves that the urge to throw an occasional hissy-fit isn't just limited to the kindergarten brigade!

As a general rule, I try to say something vaguely relevant to the page in question when I post these update notices for Shades (and, indeed, for the other comics at BVC). Occasionally they've even been funny. Occasionally.

But not today. Sorry. The old grey matter just isn't as sharp as usual this morning but don't worry. The latest instalment is up and looking cool. And we all know that's what you're really interested in!

Phew! A lot of new characters have been introduced since the online graphic novel Shades first started its run at BVC - a retired tailor, a WW2 fighter pilot, the warrior queen Boudicca and a prehistoric Shaman. Not to mention the three teenagers who've just arrived on the scene. Of course if they all appeared at the same time, you'd never be able to keep track of them, right?

Oh, you think you could? Well, as it happens, that's just as well because in today's instalment the whole motley crew is finally brought together. Don't worry - they've promised not to all speak at once!

Aah, London in the 1880s ... a time of Empire, horse-drawn carriages and naked men who could conjure up spirits and call down lightning. Well, according to the online graphic novel Shades it was, anyway!

Okay, okay - so, that's not the way they taught it at school. But this version is much more fun. See for yourself in today's instalment at Broken Voice Comics!

Those Victorians knew how to have fun, eh? Dress the women in low-cut dresses and the men in ... well, not very much apart from tattoos and a butcher's apron, really. Or maybe those kind of parties only happen in the online comic Shades!

Either way, you can look in on one such party over in today's instalment at Broken Voice Comics. Do make sure you're properly dressed, though. The dress code is strictly enforced!

As a five thousand year-old spirit-walker, the Shaman in BVC's online graphic novel Shades might be forgiven for thinking he's part of the world's oldest profession.

But then, most people would generally agree there's at least one profession that's older than that. And, in today's instalment, it seems one such hard-working professional is about to meet some rather unsavoury customers. Well, it's an occupational hazard, I guess!

It's a big day for Broken Voice Comics today. Yes, today sees the launch of a brand new chapter of its online graphic novel Shades. (Chapter 7, as it happens, but you probably guessed that from the heading!) So, just what has the new chapter got in store for you?

Come on - you know better than to expect plot-spoilers but, just to whet your appetite, let's just say that you'll get a glimpse of the kind of thing our naked 5,000 year old mystic has been up to these last five thousand years. Want to know more? Hey, go read the latest instalment now!

Well, not the "end" end ... but Shades has reached the end of another chapter! Yes, you've been told Boo's backstory, seen our heroes brought together and even taken another tentative step along the path of the central plot thread. What better place to take a break?

But never fear - it's only a short break. Next week will see the unveiling of Chapter 7 and ... well, without giving anything away, that may just contain the best sequence in the whole book so, read the latest instalment now and make sure you meet us back at Broken Voice Comics, this time next week!

If you've been following the online graphic novel Shades for any length of time, you'll have met a wide assortment of characters by now - Doug the WW2 fighter pilot, Boo the First Century Warrior Queen and, of course, the prehistoric Shaman.

Well, in today's instalment at Broken Voice Comics, you can finally see all three together. Good Heavens - is that the sound of converging plot threads I can hear?

Especially in comics, right? I mean, would you want your daughter making big eyes at every androgynous male that happened to pass her high school with a demon-slaying sword slung across his back? Of course not.

Fortunately in Shades there's a spear-wielding First Century warrior-queen for girls to emulate instead and that's far more healthy, I'm sure. At any rate, as you can see in today's instalment at Broken Voice Comics, resident teen Becky certainly seems to be impressed!

You know how it is. You go to get a haircut and the hairdresser just wants to talk about your holiday. Still, they're better than tailors. They just want to talk about rape and mayhem. What? You've not had that?

Oh well, perhaps it only happens in Shades then. Of course, if you're interested in that sort of thing, you can go listen to our tailor Stan in today's instalment at Broken Voice Comics. (Ask him very nicely and he might even make you a suit while you're there!)

We've met a fairly diverse assortment characters in BVC's online graphic novel Shades so far. A prehistoric Shaman, a WW2 fighter pilot and a First Century warrior queen, to name but three. But I know what you're thinking ... where are all the bad guys?

Well, you've met one, of course (way back in the Prologue), but the good news is, in the latest instalment you can finally meet another. (And very snazzily dressed he is, too!)

We've kind of assumed that, if you've been following our online graphic novel Shades so far, you've picked up on all the clues and you already know exactly who Boo is. Oh, come on ... a hot-tempered red-head with a spear, shield and her own chariot?

Just in case there's anyone still in any doubt, however, get on over to today's instalment at Broken Voice Comics because we're finally going to tell you. Well, Stan is. (Because he's nice like that!)