SALFORD ARTIST LAUNCHES DEBUT COMIC BOOK

Salford-based writer & artist BRIAN GORMAN is preparing to launch an online version of a brand new comic book in the new year. ‘BORDERLINERS – Ceremony Of Innocence’ is a one-off ‘pilot’ to introduce a fast-moving 21st century espionage tale with more than a nod to TV’s ‘Spooks’ and the Jason Bourne movie franchise, not to mention the mind-bending sci-fi stories of Philip K Dick (‘Blade Runner’, ‘Total Recall’, ‘Minority Report’, etc). The intention is to showcase the work on a variety of websites in order to gather positive comments before launching into print. The grittily realistic tale of double-crossed government agents fighting to recover their sanity, and hit back against a corrupt department of M.I.5 was started more than a decade ago. Gorman remembers:

“Back in Wigan, my hometown, I was visiting my writer friend Chris Harvey when we started chatting about some of our favourite TV shows. We’d always loved ‘The Champions’, ‘The New Avengers’ and ‘The Professionals’, and we were trying to think of a new twist we could bring to them. We then had the idea of exploring the agents’ home lives. Just what DID they do between missions? How did they cope with the stresses of putting their lives on the line all the time? Then it hit us – what if they DID have a normal, everyday life BUT it was all fabricated in order to keep them sane and in line?”

Gorman and Harvey then wrote a 90 minute screenplay, and even attempted to turn it into a comic book back in 1999. However, various other projects took precedence (including several short film projects featuring various well-known faces such as Desmond Llewelyn – ‘Q’ in the James Bond movies).

Gorman completed his B.A. (Hons) degree in Art & English literature in 1994, then spent over a decade at The Chester Gateway Theatre working in the box office, marketing, poster design, and even appearing on stage in a sell-out production of ‘Bouncers’. His first book, a study of the notorious ‘Internet Baby Couple’ Alan & Judith Kilshaw, enabled him to obtain a London literary agent and a deal for a television film. Moving to Salford a year ago suddenly spurred Gorman on towards making ‘Borderliners’ a reality:

“Coming to Salford was the best move of my life. There’s a real sense of community here, and so much artistic activity. I tried a stand-up comedy act as my alter-ego ‘Frank Burton (Entertainer)’, and loved the whole experience (whether the audience felt the same way, I’ll probably never know!). I discovered a couple of specialist comics shops which stocked a range of independent titles, and I thought ‘let’s give it a go’”.

Gorman adapted the original screenplay, and the result is ‘Ceremony Of Innocence’ (a nod to one of his favourite poets, W.B. Yeats). Adding a dash of surreal British humour, and a generous helping of all-out action, he’s hoping to attract the attention of the major comics’ publishers.

To add a dose of realism, Gorman uses a technique pioneered by the legendary creator of Dan Dare – Frank Hampson:

“Frank, a one-time Manchester resident, used his family and friends to pose for photographs as the characters in his comics. Then he drew from the photos. I love this technique, as it adds a strong sense of realism, and roots the action in a recognisable world. I have several friends who have helped me out for many years, and I even asked Sir Ian McKellen if he could ‘play’ one of the main characters. He sent me a letter agreeing, and wishing me well with the project”.

Salford and Manchester people should look out for one or two local landmarks (not to mention a few places off the beaten track), as Gorman loves using real people in real locations.

For more information contact BRIAN GORMAN on 07510 591444 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Three sample pages here:
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