''Revolver'' was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

monthly comic

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...

published by

Fleetway Publications Fleetway Publications was a magazine publishing company based in London. History It was founded in 1959 when the Mirror Group acquired the Amalgamated Press, then based at Fleetway House, Farringdon Street, London. It was one of the companies ...

from July 1990 to January 1991. The comic was designed as a monthly companion title to ''

Crisis A crisis (: crises; : critical) is any event or period that will lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. Crises are negative changes in the human or environmental affairs, especially when ...

'' and was intended to appeal to older readers than other Fleetway titles in order to take advantage of a boom in interest in 'adult' comics. ''Revolver'' was not a commercial success, and lasted just seven issues before being cancelled and merged with ''Crisis''.

Creation

After a strong start and an alarming dip sales of

' mature reader anthology ''

'' had levelled out at a reasonable level. The title's editor

Steve MacManus Steve MacManus (sometimes credited as Ian Rogan; born 1953) is a British comic writer and editor, particularly known for his work at '' 2000 AD''. Biography Born in London and educated in Devon, MacManus joined IPC in 1973, aged 20, as a sub- ...

was also made group editor for the newly defined '2000 AD' group, consisting of the fortnightly ''Crisis'' and the long-running

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

weekly '' 2000 AD'', as well as any spin-offs. ''Revolver'' had initially been conceived as a high-quality export title to run alongside ''Crisis'' some two years earlier, but internal upheaval had seen the book delayed repeatedly. However, Fleetway scored a major hit by licensing a ''

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' (''TMNT'') is an American media franchise created by comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Leonardo, Donatello (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), D ...

'' weekly just as the franchise hit critical mass, and MacManus was finally given the greenlight to make monthly companion titles for ''Crisis'' and ''2000 AD'' (the latter becoming ''

Judge Dredd Megazine ''Judge Dredd: The Megazine'' is a monthly British comic magazine, launched in September 1990. It is a sister publication to '' 2000 AD''. Its name is a play on words, formed from "magazine" and Judge Dredd's locale Mega-City One. Content L ...

'') by managing director John Davidge. MacManus picked

Peter Hogan Peter K. Hogan is an English writer and comics writer, best known for ''Resident Alien (comics), Resident Alien'', which he co-created with artist Steve Parkhouse. Hogan began his comics career as editor of cult British comic magazine ''Revol ...

, who had primarily been involved in the music industry working for the likes of Rough Trade and IRS Records as well as music magazines, feeling he would have "his finger on the pulse". For his assistant Hogan recruited

Frank Wynne Frank Wynne (born 1962) is an Irish literary translator and writer. Biography Born in County Sligo in the west of Ireland, Frank Wynne worked as a comics editor at Fleetway and later at comic magazine '' Deadline''. He worked for a time at ...

, an Irishman with a vast knowledge of European comics and was known to Michael Bennent, who was in turn being groomed to take over as editor of ''Crisis''. An unsuccessful applicant for the assistant editor of ''Revolver'' was David Bishop, who nevertheless impressed MacManus and would later become editor of ''Judge Dredd Megazine'' 1991-1992, and ''2000 AD'' itself from 1995-2000. With his design work for ''Crisis'' having received a positive response,

Rian Hughes Rian Hughes is a People of the United Kingdom, British graphic designer, illustrator, type designer, comics artist and novelist. Overviews Hughes has written and drawn comics for ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'', Vertigo CMYK and ''Batman Black ...

was assigned to style ''Revolver''. The name was chosen to emphasise the diverse content of the comic and in reference to the name of the acclaimed

Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

. The format was settled on as 52 pages, in full colour. Unlike the political bent of ''Crisis'', MacManus decided ''Revolver'' would have a more eclectic mix of genres more in line with the

IPC Magazines TI Media Ltd. (formerly International Publishing Company, IPC Magazines Ltd, IPC Media and Time Inc. UK) was a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year. Most of it ...

anthologies he had begun working on, but aimed at an older readership. He began assembling stories for the comic, with the same improved creator benefits as used for ''Crisis''. A

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...

biography by music journalist

Charles Shaar Murray Charles Shaar Murray (born Charles Maximillian Murray; 27 June 1951) is an English Music journalism, music journalist and broadcaster. He has worked on the ''NME, New Musical Express'' (''NME'') and many other magazines and newspapers, and has ...

(based on his book ''Crosstown Traffic'') had been in the offing since the beginning, and was greenlit with Floyd Hughes (who had contributed some work to ''Crisis'') as artist, aided by the so-called

Second Summer of Love The Second Summer of Love was a late-1980s social phenomenon in the United Kingdom which saw the rise of acid house music and unlicensed rave parties. Although primarily referring to the summer of 1988, it lasted into the summer of 1989, when e ...

giving a major spike in interest in

psychedelia Psychedelia usually refers to a Aesthetics, style or aesthetic that is resembled in the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience produced by certain psychoactive substances. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic ...

Grant Morrison Grant Morrison (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, Humanism, humanist philosophy and counterculture, countercultural leanings. Morrison has writt ...

, well known to MacManus from his work on ''2000 AD'' and on good terms with MacManus after he stepped in to publish the controversial " The New Adventures of Hitler" after its original publication ''Cut'' folded, approached Fleetway with a plan for a revisionist take on

Dan Dare Dan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories. Dare appeared in the ''Eagle'' comic series ''Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future'' from 1950 to 1967 (and subsequently in ...

; with the 40th anniversary of the character's debut in ''

Eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

'' approaching, Morrison began working on the story with Hughes as artist. Hogan commissioned another psychedelic-influenced strip in the form of "Rogan Gosh" from

Peter Milligan Peter Milligan (born 24 June 1961) is a British comic book writer who has written extensively for both British and American comic book industries. In the UK, Milligan has contributed to numerous anthology titles including '' 2000 AD'', ''Revol ...

and

Brendan McCarthy Brendan McCarthy is a British artist and designer who has worked for comic books, film and television. He co-wrote the film '' Mad Max: Fury Road''. He is the brother of Jim McCarthy. Life and career Early life and work Brendan McCarthy was ...

and "Happenstance and Kismet" from

Marvel UK Marvel UK was an imprint (trade name), imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint United States of America, US-produced stories for the United Kingdom, British weekly comic market. Marvel UK later produced original material by British cr ...

veterans

Paul Neary Paul Neary (18 December 1949 – 10 February 2024) was a British comic book artist, writer and editor. His first work was for Warren Publishing in the 1970s before working with Dez Skinn at Marvel UK as well as work for '' 2000 AD''. He later ...

and

Steve Parkhouse Steve Parkhouse is a comics creator, writer, artist and letterer who has worked for many British comics, especially ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' and ''Doctor Who Magazine''. Biography Parkhouse has worked in comics since 1967, when he drew the ...

, as well as recruiting

Shaky Kane Michael Coulthard is a British writer and psychedelic artist who best known for his work as a comic and graphic artist under the pseudonym Shaky Kane, as well as Shaky 2000. Biography After working for independent comics and magazines like Ps ...

and Julie Hollings from ''

Deadline Deadline(s) or The Deadline(s) may refer to: * Time limit, a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Deadline (DC Comics), a fictional villain * ''Deadline'' (magazine), a Britis ...

'' to create "Pinhead Nation" and "Dire Streets" respectively. The final strip in each issue would be a rotating one-off, a format used by MacManus with some success in the pages of ''Crisis''. Promoting the comic was difficult for publicist

Igor Goldkind Igor Goldkind (born April 20, 1960, in Lansing, Michigan), raised San Diego, California. He is an author, poet, and lecturer who specializes in digital storytelling and information architecture. Biography The son of San Diego State University a ...

due to ''Revolver'''s diffuse subjects, and at MacManus' suggestion he eventually went with the slogan "Where Dan Dare meets Jimi Hendrix", making the same connection between comics and music as the well-received ''Deadline'' and to take advantage of a boom in sixties nostalgia.

Publishing history

At £1.65 per issue, ''Revolver'' was at the time the most expensive regular British comic ever put on sale. A buoyant MacManus announced "I don't think that there's any doubt in anybody's mind that it's going to be a success; the only question is how big it is going to be". As with the launch of ''Crisis'', the creative staff were sent on a nationwide signing tour. However, despite high hopes ''Revolver'' was cancelled after just seven issues. The cancellation took most of the title's staff by surprise, though the final issue was able to include a farewell message, avoid starting any new stories and advertising that "Dare" and "Happenstance and Kismet" would be continuing in ''Crisis''. A planned update of "Tyranny Rex" by John Smith and John Hicklenton and "Forever England" by Morrison and Paul Grist were both switched over to ''Crisis'', but failed to crystallise before ''Crisis'' itself was cancelled in October 1991, while other commissioned material was placed in a pair of specials. MacManus was later told ''Revolver'' had lost Fleetway £750,000 over its brief run. The cancellation was swift enough that there was little chance to investigate why ''Revolver'' was selling poorly; MacManus would later speculate that it was being displayed with children's comics in some newsagents while in others the comic being marked for 'mature readers' saw it placed with

pornographic magazines Pornographic magazines or erotic magazines, sometimes known as adult magazines or sex magazines, are magazines that contain content of an explicitly sexual nature. Publications of this kind may contain images of attractive naked subjects, as is ...

Stories

Dare

:Published: July 1990 to January 1991 :Writer:

:Artist:

is retired, and a puppet of regime intent on exploiting both humans and Treens alike. * Continued in ''

''.

Dire Streets

:Published: July 1990 to September 1990, November 1990 to January 1991 :Writer/artist: Julie Hollings Disaster-prone Kaz negotiates the pitfalls of house sharing and university life.

Happenstance and Kismet

:Published: July 1990 to January 1991 :Writer:

:Artist:

The misadventures of jazz musician Monty Happenstance and translator Lucius Kismet. * Continued in ''

''.

Pinhead Nation

:Published: July 1990 to January 1991 :Writer/artist:

The rantings of a large man with a tiny head.

Purple Days

:Published: July 1990 to January 1991 :Writer:

:Artist: Floyd Hughes A journey into the life and mind of

. * 'Book One' concluded in the final issue of ''Revolver''.

Rogan Gosh

:Published: July to December 1990 :Writer:

:Artist:

Rogan Gosh is a loutish Indian time traveller and Karmanaut, out to stop Kali's attempts to destroy time and cause chaos all of his own. * Later collected by

Vertigo Comics DC Vertigo, also known as Vertigo Comics or simply Vertigo, is an Imprint (trade name), imprint of the American comic book publisher DC Comics. Vertigo publishes comics with adult comics, adult content, such as nudity, drug use, profanity, and ...

One-off stories

*Nine Inches to the Mile :Published: #1 (July 1990) :Writer:

:Artist:

Phil Winslade Phil Winslade (born 1965) is a British comic book artist. Biography Winslade was born in Surrey in 1965 and spent a lot of time indoors as a child because of a heart murmur. His main source of entertainment were Marvel Comics, Marvel Comics such ...

*God's Little Acre :Published: #2 (August 1990) :Writer:

Ian Edginton Ian Edginton is a British comic book writer, known for his work on such titles as ''X-Force'', '' Scarlet Traces'', '' H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds'' and ''Leviathan''. Career Ian Edginton is known for his steampunk/alternate history work ...

:Artist: D'Israeli *Plug into Jesus :Published: #4 (October 1990) :Writer: Gary Pleece :Artist:

Warren Pleece Warren Pleece is a British comics artist. He is best known for his work at the DC Comics imprint Vertigo and the 2012–16 Irish novel series '' Zom-B''. Biography Warren, with his brother Gary Pleece, wrote and drew three issues of a self-pub ...

*The Crossing :Published: #4 (October 1990) :Writer/artist:

Al Davison Al Davison (born 1960) is an English comic book writer and artist from Newcastle, England. He is most famous for his autobiographical graphic novel ''The Spiral Cage'' (Renegade Press, 1988, longer version Titan Books, 1990, Absolute edition fr ...

*Circular Motion :Published: #5 (November 1990) :Writer/artist: Simon Harrison *Martello Nation :Published: #6 (December 1990) :Writer/artist: Keith Page *The Secret Garden :Published: #7 (January 1991) :Writer: Terry Hooper :Artist: Aiden Potts *51 Stars :Published: #7 (January 1991) :Writer/artist: Ed Hillyer *Zen and the Art of Shopping :Published: #7 (January 1991) :Writer: Tony Allen :Artist: Shanti *Did I? Did I? Did I in My Own Self Shine? :Published: #7 (January 1991) :Writer/artist:

*All Around the World :Published: #7 (January 1991) :Writer:

Si Spencer Si Spencer (1961 – 16 February 2021)Si Spencer, 1961-2021
at ''

:Artist:

Sean Phillips Sean Phillips (born 27 January 1965) is a British comic book artist, best known for his collaborations with Ed Brubaker on comics including '' Sleeper'', ''Incognito'', the ''Criminal'' series of comics, '' Fatale'', '' The Fade Out'', and '' ...

Spin-offs

* ''Revolver - The Horror Special'' (1 edition, 1990) * ''Crisis Presents the Revolver Romance Special'' (1 edition, 1991)

Collected editions

Reception

Writing for ''

Comics Bulletin Comics Bulletin is a daily website covering the comic-book industry. History Silver Bullet Comicbooks In January 2000, New Zealand-based publisher/editor Jason Brice founded then named Silver Bullet Comicbooks. During this period, the site ...

'' in 2011, columnist Regie Rigby praised ''Revolver'' for its varied approach and laid-back demeanour, comparing it positively to ''Crisis''.Rigby, Regie. "Fool Britannia: 'These I Have Loved - Part Three: Six Shooting!'", ''Comics Bulletin'' (2011)
Archived at the Wayback Machine
/ref> Designer

would later opine the title was "too scattergun - Hendrix and Dare in one magazine?", and felt the stories were not all of good quality, though he had positive memories of working with Hogan, MacManus and Davidge.

Accolades

''Revolver'' was given the 1991

UK Comic Art Award The UK Comic Art Award was a series of British awards for achievement in comic books. Winners were selected by an open vote among British comic book professionals (creators, editors, and retailers); the awards were given out on an annual basis fro ...

for 'Best New Publication'.

References

External links

*
''Revolver'' contents listing at Barney database
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