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Underground > Comic Books >

Phonogram: Rue Brittania

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Regrettable Juvenilia

15:08 / 19.05.06

Phonogram is the title of a new 6-issue miniseries coming out on Image. It's written by Kieron Gillen, music and videogames journalist, and drawn by Jamie McKelvie, who seems to know his way round a curve.

Here's some of what Gillen has to say about it (more here):

Music is Magic.

You know this already. You've known this from the first time a record sent a divine shiver down your spine or when a band changed the way you dressed forever. How does something that's just noises arranged in sequence do that? No-one knows. It's just... magic.

Everyone knows that. It's just that some realise that it's more than metaphor.

The people in question are the Phonomancers, these urban-pop-obssessive magicians who channel and exploit this magic to achieve their desires. The DJ parasitizing from his retro-club's crowd to achieve immortality. The girl rewriting her personality with a mix-tape. The boy selling out what a Goddess trapped in plastic told him to get an easy lay. And so on, through memory kingdoms, Faustian pop-pacts and a general avalanche of concepts.

This six issue series is subtitled "Rue Britannia". While it stands alone, I'd like to return to the world and cast if it's vaguely successful. The plot centres around one David Kohl trying to keep hold of his memories and identity as reality is rewritten by an opposing phonomancer cabal. Cue misadventures as he rushes from contact to contact, trying find a solution before being drawn to a final, desperate encounter beneath Primrose Hill.

There's what they've dubbed a "b-side" one-page trailer here, and the first issue is out in August.

I really, really want this to be good, and in many ways it appears to have been custom-made for me and a few other people I can think of (the middle of the "comics/pop music/occultism/treating music writers as celebrities themselves" interest Venn diagram is a pretty small space, innit?). But I've been hurt before (Brian Wood's Pounded, I'm looking at you with disgust). There are all kinds of ways this could go horribly wrong. The main character could be too much of a Mary Sue. It could be too pleased with itself. It could remind me of something written by Douglas Rushkoff. My intense jealousy at not having got there first might overwhelm me.

But I'll have to buy the first issue to find out.

15:33 / 19.05.06

phonomancers? dude, that sounds like something you'd make up when being mean to a dirty lither.

hmm. with this, casanova and fell image are getting a fair bit right (or nearly right) atm.

15:35 / 19.05.06

Not entirely unrelated story: I approached Gillen at The UK Web And Mini Comics Thing this year under the impression I knew him, and he also thought he knew me. We chatted pleasantly for about 5 minutes before I realised I recognised him because he'd done some writing for a copy of Gamesmaster magazine I read while I was in hospital.
Whether the book contains a dramatisation of this wonderful incident I can't say.

Regrettable Juvenilia

15:45 / 19.05.06

dude, that sounds like something you'd make up when being mean to a dirty lither.

Yeah, it's a whole problem though isn't it - I like cities, I like pop, I'm still sort of interested in magic although as a reader/observer of people who are more into it - but if you put "urban", "pop" and "magician" together, you start to sound like the kind of a walking target (no, literally - one of those Mod t-shirts)... But how else can you describe it? It's a conundrum.

16:04 / 19.05.06

I hope they get some of the fashion right in this. I get fed of seeing pop culture representations of cool Brittania that don't seem to be located in anything we would call trendy or cool in the here and now.

I am actually being serious. It's a bugbear of mine.

14:23 / 21.05.06

At the mention of grinding 'n' snorting Sebadoh vinyl, at that point, I was pretty much sold.

15:16 / 21.05.06

For me it was the line, "David Kohl reviewed my band so hard the drummer's legs fell off." Come on, now that's comedy.

17:02 / 23.05.06

Preview at Newsarama. Like a slow build tune, I wasn't too sure over the first few pages, but ultimately the beat kicked in. Yes.

17:38 / 23.05.06

and the cover for #2:

BritPop lives.

19:39 / 23.05.06

I like the art. A lot. I'll pick up the first issue and see if it charms me as much as the art in these previews is charming me.

Shiny: Well Over Thirty

19:45 / 23.05.06

Oh my god! A comic book cover which references Echobelly! I must have the entire run! Now!

The Natural Way

10:55 / 24.05.06

I just hope the whole thing isn't just some fucking loveletter to the mid-nineties. there's lots of good music being made now, don't you know, Mr McKelvie.

The Natural Way

11:01 / 24.05.06

Also Superman 'S' T-shirts:

Not.

Good.

I'm with my brother; if this doesn't live up to its promise of super-hipness, then it can piss off. There's nothing worse than a try hard, especially if he's wearing a punchable cocky grin.

The Natural Way

11:02 / 24.05.06

Is it set in the mid-nineties, do we know?

Regrettable Juvenilia

11:12 / 24.05.06

McKelvie's the artist, Gillen's the writer.

The Britpop/90s thing in itself doesn't worry me - from what I gather it's not set in that era, but it is in part about the fall-out/hangover from it.

My concern would be that making the protagonist a sort of despicable, arrogant wanker - but one who's maybe slightly cool after all - who then gets a comeuppance of sorts - well, it's a very tricky tightrope to walk. See Pounded again, if you can face it. But I'll reserve judgment until I've read the whole first issue.

22:00 / 28.05.06

I'm looking forward to this. I like Killen's gaming writing - and appreciate that whilst he may come over as arrogant, he really is rather talented and can get away with it. Still, it's a fine line between "knowing" and "arsehole", but I look forward to it. The covers so far, are fun. Roll on, August.

01:16 / 20.06.06

Rich Johnston had this to say about this book in this week's Lying in the Gutters:

>> Phonogram" is a to-be-published comic that's been getting a bit of attention (from this column, to boot!) But will all the attention be welcome?

One reader writes, "I was in an occult bookshop in London near the British Museum the other day when I overheard a strange conversation. I didn't catch all of it, but what I did hear went something along the lines of:

"Dammit, this looks genuine... Actual Theban script, how could they know about that?... they shouldn't be publishing stuff like this.."

"and to finish it off:
"THEY'RE MESSING WITH POWERS THEY COULDN'T POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND!"

"Naturally, I was extremely curious and wanted to find out what he was going on about, but with that outburst the guy that was ranting (who by the way looked strangely like Kylie Minogue, even though he was bald and stockily built) legged it out of the door, looking around if as expecting something to be chasing after him.

"I glanced over to the shopkeeper's desk to see what he'd been talking about.

"It was the preview postcard for Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie's PHONOGRAM.

"I swear that's a true story."

A quick recap with Kieron later and he confirms the Thetanicity on the cover. And that "the actual logo has Theban in it, too. The letters between each of the main ones are Theban... Commonly used by witches. Appeared in about 1500 or so. Apparently invented by Honorious of Thebe"

Kieron went on to say, "The week after Kitten actually did the cover, he had incredible bad luck from physical injury to his computer blowing up." As to the comments [he said], "Heh. Bloody witches getting all uppity at us stealing their magic. We're all about meddling in things man was not meant to meddle with. We own Menswear Albums."
---------------------------------------------------

Innnteresting....although The Invisibles put forth a lot of spiritual/magic(k)al knowledge and I don't think there was some sort of perceived 'naughty, naughty, Grant, don't be telling the kiddies about this stuff' from the universe (for those of you who believe in/are interested in such things).

Magick or no, I'm still getting the first issue of this and giving it a go, as the preview has piqued my interest.

Regrettable Juvenilia

08:32 / 20.06.06

It's a puff piece, Wolfie. A bit of harmless, friendly hype.

ONLY NICE THINGS

08:54 / 20.06.06

Indeed. There's nothing particularly spooky or forbidden about the so-called Theban alphabet. It was made up in the 16th Century, first appears in Cornelius Agrippa's Libri Tres de Occulta Philosophia. It's a simple substitution language - this character is a, this character is b, and so on - and as such perfect for graphic designers.

ONLY NICE THINGS

08:58 / 20.06.06

I don't think there was some sort of perceived 'naughty, naughty, Grant, don't be telling the kiddies about this stuff' from the universe

Incidentally, if you're going to buy into this, didn't Grant Morrison get a flesh-eating virus and assorted lungnasty? I'm just saying...

Meanwhile, back at the product - well, could be fun. It does look unfortunately like Pounded: Life During Wartime at the moment, which would be frankly demoralising, but I hold hope in my heart. Paleface, any links to his gaming writing?

ONLY NICE THINGS

09:02 / 20.06.06

Finally, and most importantly, if he means that they own multiple copies of Nuisance, that's one thing, but a copy of Hay Tiempo!.

That's just wrong.

Only available in Japan.

Just wrong.

12:16 / 20.06.06

Kieron usually links his game reviews at his workblog.

current: http://www.kierongillen.com/

previous: http://gillen.blogspot.com/

in fact he's required access to Barbelith so he can chat with us. any mod saw that?

ONLY NICE THINGS

13:08 / 20.06.06

Well, I didn't. Has he applied? I'm sure if he has the brave checkers will get around to him as soon as possible.

Regrettable Juvenilia

14:10 / 23.06.06

I have to say, I really like this: cover for issue 3. A nice sense of the horrible ruin that was once something vaguely appealing.

15:01 / 23.06.06

Yeah, 's good that; agree up to the '..vaguely appealing' bit.

18:41 / 24.06.06

ONLY NICE THINGS

22:40 / 24.06.06

I think that was what Flyboy and Falconer were talking about, Hector - that Definitely Maybe seemed good at the time, but is with hindsight less so. Falconer was disagreeing that it ever had seeemed good, if I understand correctly.

06:13 / 25.06.06

yeah, Haus, I got it... the second I saw my post. =)
but let it there for anyone that might think oherwise.

and Kieron has indeed applied to post, as far as I know.

12:25 / 01.07.06

Well looky looky yonder...

Say hello, big man. We won't bite. Much.

12:27 / 01.07.06

I'm just in, Barbelithians. I've only just got out of bed. It's only...

Shit! 2:30. I'm already late for a party.

"I just hope the whole thing isn't just some fucking loveletter to the mid-nineties": This is an old comment, and I think with the covers that have come out since hopefully that's already been answered, but, no, it isn't. It's called RUE BRITANNIA for a reasona.

Re: Theban. Seemed a bit strange to me too. Exactly how "secret-knowledge" is Theban when it's in Wikipedia? But on the other hand, there's some twitchy people in occult circles, so you never know.

And if anyone else wants to know anything, do ask.

KG

12:37 / 01.07.06

And that, boys and girls, is how to make an entrance.

12:39 / 01.07.06

Couple of quick answers. Tried to moderate them into my post...

"I just hope the whole thing isn't just some fucking loveletter to the mid-nineties": This is an old comment, and I think with the covers that have come out since hopefully that's already been answered, but, no, it isn't. It's called RUE BRITANNIA for a reasona.

Re: Theban. Seemed a bit strange to me too. Exactly how "secret-knowledge" is Theban when it's in Wikipedia? But on the other hand, there's some twitchy people in occult circles, so you never know.

And if anyone else wants to know anything, do ask.

KG

Bard: One-Man Humaton Hoedown

06:54 / 02.07.06

...

...ok, so here I was, ready to come in and make my piece about how everything I've seen so far for it rocks, and how it looks like a real fun piece.

Then the frickin writer beats me to it. Hey, Kieron. Welcome to Barbelith. Pictures of the badge are still forthcoming.

08:54 / 03.07.06

as i've said elsewhere on board, i'm winky-at-five-to-twelve for this new format from image, so i'll give this one a look for sure. the republica haircut on the cover for issue two is making me worry though, gotta say.

{cue chorus of 'Why?! They were PPOPP!!')

11:27 / 03.07.06

Worth noting that we're not in Fell format. We're a 32 single size sort of thing. 22 pages of comic with 8 pages or so of extra stuff at the back.

I hated republica too, btw.

KG

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