Borderline Comics Magazine
Encyclopedia
Borderline Comics Magazine was a comics magazine created by former Comics International
news and features editor Phil Hall
, which was published from 2001–2003. Borderline was the first PDF
comics magazine available to read on a computer or as a print-out.
Borderline was a cross between The Comics Journal
and the NME
with a heavy mix of mainstream American/British and international comic books. Comic books and creators from countries such as Brazil
, Poland
, and the Philippines
were featured alongside American
and British
comic book icons.
and DC
comics. The magazine's remit was to highlight areas of the comics industry that were neglected by the other magazines about comics.
By issue #3, the magazine had gained an audience of over 150,000 readers, much of this due to features on Brazilian and South American comics. Hall attributes the publicity gained in South America from the magazine's good relationship with Mauricio de Sousa
Productions, Brazil's leading comics publisher.
Due to Borderlines large readership and independent bias, the magazine had exclusive interviews with people who wouldn't normally give interviews, such as Chris Ware
, the late Steve Gerber
, and Charles Burns
.
Despite the success, after twenty monthly issues and one special, the magazine folded in March 2003, shortly after it started to charge $1. According to the magazine's publisher, Martin Shipp, only an average of 100 people paid to buy issues 17 thru 20 of the magazine, with the majority of those sales from either South America
, Europe
or comics creators who had been featured in the magazine's pages. Sales in countries where the magazine was intended to target, UK or USA, were nominal.
The following summer, the Borderline Summer Special was released, still a PDF but in standard magazine format; the slimmed down editorial team made promises of new issues, but have yet to materialise. However, former Borderline features editor Jay Eales has recently resurrected much of the content; aiming it at a new audience, via his website FactOrFictionPress.co.uk.
In October 2003, Phil Hall and Martin Shipp attended the Łódź comic convention. Invited as one of the major guests for the event (along with Pat Mills
and Clint Langley
), Shipp said in an interview that it was "one of the most humbling experiences of my life. A place where the people behind the scenes are treated just as importantly as the people who produce the actual comics." Hall said on his blog in 2008, "It was a fitting swan song to the project, but it left us feeling like we owed Europe and South America far more than any of the people we thought we were doing it for. It was a valiant experiment, which by today's standards, still stands up extremely well."
; all the press and publicity was handled by Danny Black.
Others involved in the magazine's creation and continuation included: Mike Conroy, Pete Ashton, Andrew Luke, Paul Gravett
, Ian Richardson
, Frazer Irving
, Sarah Littlehales, Kevin Schomburg, Selina Lock, Adrian Kermode & Terry Wiley, Christopher Spicer, and Paul Rainey.
in the United Kingdom
, Borderline won the Best Specialist Magazine or Website award. The following year, despite having folded, the magazine finished second in the same category.
Comics International
Comics International was a British news and reviews magazine about comic books. Founded in 1990, it was published monthly by Quality Communications until 2006...
news and features editor Phil Hall
Phil Hall (UK writer)
Phill Hall is the former copy, news, and features editor for the British comics magazine Comics International, as well as the creator and editor of the comics magazine Borderline, which won the Best Comicbook Magazine award at the 2002 British Comicbook Awards...
, which was published from 2001–2003. Borderline was the first PDF
Portable Document Format
Portable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
comics magazine available to read on a computer or as a print-out.
Borderline was a cross between The Comics Journal
The Comics Journal
The Comics Journal, often abbreviated TCJ, is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels...
and the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
with a heavy mix of mainstream American/British and international comic books. Comic books and creators from countries such as Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
were featured alongside American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comic book icons.
History
Borderline was launched as a free download in August 2001. The idea of creator Hall was to produce something that appealed to the growing number of comic book fans, but didn't want just a website. Hall said in a 2007 interview with The Comics Village that the decision to create Borderline came from the growing amount of grassroots comics fans who wanted more than just to read magazines about MarvelMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
and DC
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
comics. The magazine's remit was to highlight areas of the comics industry that were neglected by the other magazines about comics.
By issue #3, the magazine had gained an audience of over 150,000 readers, much of this due to features on Brazilian and South American comics. Hall attributes the publicity gained in South America from the magazine's good relationship with Mauricio de Sousa
Mauricio de Sousa
Mauricio de Sousa is a Brazilian cartoonist who has created over 200 characters for his popular series of children's comic books....
Productions, Brazil's leading comics publisher.
Due to Borderlines large readership and independent bias, the magazine had exclusive interviews with people who wouldn't normally give interviews, such as Chris Ware
Chris Ware
Franklin Christenson Ware , is an American comic book artist and cartoonist, widely known for his Acme Novelty Library series and the graphic novel Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he resides in the Chicago area, Illinois...
, the late Steve Gerber
Steve Gerber
Stephen Ross "Steve" Gerber was an American comic book writer best known as co-creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck....
, and Charles Burns
Charles Burns (cartoonist)
Charles Burns is an American cartoonist, illustrator and film director.-Life:Burns is renowned for his meticulous, high-contrast and creepy artwork and stories. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, painter Susan Moore, and their two daughters Ava and Rae-Rae.His father was an oceanographer for...
.
Despite the success, after twenty monthly issues and one special, the magazine folded in March 2003, shortly after it started to charge $1. According to the magazine's publisher, Martin Shipp, only an average of 100 people paid to buy issues 17 thru 20 of the magazine, with the majority of those sales from either South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
or comics creators who had been featured in the magazine's pages. Sales in countries where the magazine was intended to target, UK or USA, were nominal.
The following summer, the Borderline Summer Special was released, still a PDF but in standard magazine format; the slimmed down editorial team made promises of new issues, but have yet to materialise. However, former Borderline features editor Jay Eales has recently resurrected much of the content; aiming it at a new audience, via his website FactOrFictionPress.co.uk.
In October 2003, Phil Hall and Martin Shipp attended the Łódź comic convention. Invited as one of the major guests for the event (along with Pat Mills
Pat Mills
Pat Mills, nicknamed 'the godfather of British comics', is a comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since....
and Clint Langley
Clint Langley
Clint Langley is a British comic book artist best known for his work on series with Pat Mills at 2000 AD and as the cover artist for Marvel Comics' Guardians of the Galaxy....
), Shipp said in an interview that it was "one of the most humbling experiences of my life. A place where the people behind the scenes are treated just as importantly as the people who produce the actual comics." Hall said on his blog in 2008, "It was a fitting swan song to the project, but it left us feeling like we owed Europe and South America far more than any of the people we thought we were doing it for. It was a valiant experiment, which by today's standards, still stands up extremely well."
Content
Regular features in Borderline included columns by Kevin Hill (manga), Mike Kidson (history of comics), Selina Locke (women in comics), Jay Eales (independent comics), as well as opinion columns from Martin Shipp, Andrew Cheverton, and others.Notable contributors
The principal contributors to Borderline were: Phil Hall, Martin Shipp, Mike Kidson, Andrew Cheverton, Arnold T. Blumberg, Carol Close, Jay Eales, Andrew WinterAndrew Winter
Andrew Winter was an American artist best known for his landscape paintings on the coast of Maine, particularly his depictions of winter weather....
; all the press and publicity was handled by Danny Black.
Others involved in the magazine's creation and continuation included: Mike Conroy, Pete Ashton, Andrew Luke, Paul Gravett
Paul Gravett
Paul Gravett is a London-based journalist, curator, writer and broadcaster who has worked in comics publishing and promotion for over 20 years....
, Ian Richardson
Ian Richardson
Ian William Richardson CBE was a Scottish actor best known for his portrayal of the Machiavellian Tory politician Francis Urquhart in the BBC's House of Cards trilogy. He was also a leading Shakespearean stage actor....
, Frazer Irving
Frazer Irving
Frazer Irving is a British comic book artist known for the 2000 AD series Necronauts. Irving studied art at the University of Portsmouth, England, after which he took various temporary jobs in London...
, Sarah Littlehales, Kevin Schomburg, Selina Lock, Adrian Kermode & Terry Wiley, Christopher Spicer, and Paul Rainey.
Awards
At the 2002 National Comics AwardsNational Comics Awards
National Comics Awards are given out on an annual basis for comic book and related material published in the United Kingdom the previous year.-History:...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Borderline won the Best Specialist Magazine or Website award. The following year, despite having folded, the magazine finished second in the same category.
External links
- Fact or Fiction website; currently reprinting articles from early Borderline issues