Nightjar - page 4

Nightjar - the "lost" Bryan Talbot and Alan Moore strip finally sees print!

Did you ever hear of Nightjar - the "lost WARRIOR story?" This was a strip written by Alan Moore before he became a comics megastar. It would have been his first horror strip - way before his SWAMP THING. It was to have been drawn by Bryan, who partially pencilled and inked a few pages before Alan and Dez Skinn, editor/publisher of WARRIOR fell out big time and Alan stopped contributing to the book, leaving NIGHTJAR shelved. Now, 23 years later, AVATAR PRESS has commissioned Bryan to finish the artwork for the first chapter, the only one that Alan wrote.

The piece will be accompanied by the full Alan Moore script text, an article written by Bryan explaining the background and the text of a 10-page letter written to Bryan, in which Alan sets out his thoughts and feelings about the strip he is about to write. This in itself is an important historical
document in comic book terms. Here is a fascinating glimpse into the the creative process of the emerging talent that many now regard as the greatest comic writer of all time as he reinvents the comic book horror genre.

Here is a sample of an unlettered page - pencilled 23 years ago and inked and finished on the computer by Bryan two weeks ago! All the NIGHTJAR material will appear in YUGGOTH CULTURES AND OTHER GROWTHS #1 (of 3) scheduled for a Sept 2003 release from AVATAR. 40 pp book, $3.95 cover price. [also see the more detailed article about Bryan and Alan Moore's collaboration on Yuggoth Cultures and Bryan's article on returning to writing Nightjar after 20 years.]

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