WESTERN Preview Part 4: "There are two types of people in this world..."

Accent UK's 2009 graphic novel WESTERN is available now, and features a strip by myself and Bryan Coyle called A Fistful Of Steam Valves, a 6 page Steam Punk Spaghetti Western.

When it came to scripting the story, I took my favourite Spaghetti Western - and possibly my favourite Western - as the inspiration: For A Few Dollars More. This allowed me to make one of the most blatant movie references in the entire script with the character of The Colonel, but it was Billy Armstrong who breathed some unique life into him...

The Colonel (click for a larger view)

For the 'hero' of the piece, it was tempting to just directly copy The Man With No Name, but I decided to leave it with Billy and see what he came up with - and what he came up with blew me away!

Rhinehart... (click for a larger view)

With the two bounty killers in place, it came down to slotting in the last major player in our little drama, The Professor. All I knew about this guy was that he wore a flying cap for some reason. Once again, though, Billy stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park with his design...

The Professor... (click for larger view)

So, there you have it. The three main players in A Fistful Of Steam Valves have been introduced, but what part do they play in the unfolding drama? To find out, you're going to have to pick up a copy of WESTERN...

The graphic novel is available via Accent UK's own website. It's 192 pages long and costs £7.99 ($11.99), and it features a plethora of new and established talent, including Kieron Gillen, John Reppion & Leah Moore, Andy Bloor, Dwight MacPherson, Kirk Manley and Steve Bissette. You can find a the complete list of contributors at the Accent UK website. Go and buy a copy or two, and help the UK independent scene!

And remember, Accent UK's previous anthology, ROBOTS, is also still available (Previews order code: MAR083379), which features a piece called Loose Ends from me and Bryan Coyle!