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Phonogram (comics)
Encyclopedia
Phonogram is a comic book
written by the noted games journalist Kieron Gillen
and drawn by Jamie McKelvie
. It is published by Image Comics
.
have been completed.
The first volume, "Rue Britannia," began in August 2006 and stars David Kohl, a mage who uses the medium of Britpop
music to interpret his magic.
The second volume, "The Singles Club" consists of seven one-shots looking at young phonomancers and their experiences over one night at a dance club. Each issue consists of a 16-page main story, rounded-out with features and back-up stories.
Gillen has effectively ruled out a third volume because sales were just too low:
At the end of each issue, and somewhat shortened in the trade paperback, the creators give a glossary of the more obscure phrases and pop-culture references used, as well as musings on the history of Britpop and the influences on the book.
Once more, a glossary is included in both the issues and the trade collection. The trade also includes the tracklist that is playing in the club scenes.
:
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
written by the noted games journalist Kieron Gillen
Kieron Gillen
Kieron Gillen is a British computer games and music journalist, as well as a comic book author. Gillen has worked for many years as a video game journalist and has, more recently, worked on various comics. He is perhaps best known for his creator-owned comic Phonogram, created with artist Jamie...
and drawn by Jamie McKelvie
Jamie McKelvie
-Career:Since 2003, McKelvie has collaborated with journalist Kieron Gillen on a comic strip for the official Playstation Magazine UK, entitled Save Point. He has worked on a number of projects for Image Comics, including the six-issue series Phonogram...
. It is published by Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
.
Publication history
As of January 2010, two mini-seriesLimited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
have been completed.
The first volume, "Rue Britannia," began in August 2006 and stars David Kohl, a mage who uses the medium of Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
music to interpret his magic.
The second volume, "The Singles Club" consists of seven one-shots looking at young phonomancers and their experiences over one night at a dance club. Each issue consists of a 16-page main story, rounded-out with features and back-up stories.
Gillen has effectively ruled out a third volume because sales were just too low:
Volume 1 - Rue Britannia
The first volume was a six-issue run, collected under the title "Rue Britannia". In keeping with the Britpop theme, the six individual issues and the collection had cover art based on album artwork from that era.| Issue Number | Issue Title | Influencing Album & Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Without Your Permission | Elastica Elastica (album) Elastica is the debut album by English alternative rock group Elastica, released in March 1995. At the time the fastest-selling debut album ever in the UK, Elastica was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. It hit #1 on the UK Albums Chart... - Elastica Elastica Elastica were an English alternative rock band that played punk rock-influenced music. They were best known for their 1995 album Elastica, which produced singles that charted in the US and the UK.-History:... |
| 2 | Can’t Imagine the World Without Me | It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah is the first album by British band Black Grape. It was released in 1995. The album was seen as something of a triumphant comeback for both Shaun Ryder and Bez... - Black Grape Black Grape Black Grape were a 1990s rock band from England, featuring former members of Happy Mondays. The group's music was funky and eclectic, using varied instrumentation and samples.-History:... |
| 3 | Faster | Definitely Maybe Definitely Maybe Definitely Maybe is the debut album by English rock band Oasis, released in August 1994. It was an immediate commercial and critical success in the UK, having followed on the heels of singles "Supersonic", "Shakermaker" and "Live Forever".... - Oasis Oasis (band) Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher... |
| 4 | Murder Park | Modern Life Is Rubbish Modern Life Is Rubbish Modern Life Is Rubbish is the second album by English alternative rock band Blur, released in May 1993. Although their debut album Leisure had been commercially successful, Blur faced a severe media backlash soon after its release, and fell out of public favour... - Blur Blur (band) Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing... |
| 5 | Kissing with Dry Lips | Suede Suede (album) Suede is the debut album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in March 1993 on Nude Records. At the time the fastest-selling debut album in British history, Suede debuted at the top of the UK Album Chart, won the 1993 Mercury Music Prize, and is often credited with starting the Britpop... - Suede Suede (band) Suede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted... |
| 6 | Live Forever | The Holy Bible The Holy Bible (album) The Holy Bible is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 29 August 1994 by Epic Records and was the last of the band's albums released before the disappearance of lyricist and guitarist Richey Edwards , on 1 February 1995.Edwards was... - Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s... |
| TPB collecting issues 1-6 | Rue Britannia | This Is Hardcore This Is Hardcore This Is Hardcore is the sixth album by English band Pulp, first released in March 1998. It came three years after their breakthrough album, Different Class, and was eagerly anticipated. As with the previous album it reached number one in the charts, and was well received critically, earning Pulp a... - Pulp Pulp (band) Pulp are an English alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker , Russell Senior , Candida Doyle , Mark Webber , Steve Mackey and Nick Banks .... |
At the end of each issue, and somewhat shortened in the trade paperback, the creators give a glossary of the more obscure phrases and pop-culture references used, as well as musings on the history of Britpop and the influences on the book.
Synopsis
Phonomancer David Kohl has to save his Britpop goddess, Britannia, who is missing. Cursed by a goddess, he follows a series of leads and meets with other 'mancers, and spends time with a "normal" friend, Kid-With-Knife. He eventually locates Britannia.Volume 2 - The Singles Club
| Issue Number | Issue Title | Relevant Song |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pull Shapes | The Pipettes The Pipettes The Pipettes are a British indie pop girl group formed in 2003 in Brighton by "svengali" Robert "Monster Bobby" Barry. The group has released two albums, We Are the Pipettes, and Earth vs... - Pull Shapes Pull Shapes "Pull Shapes" is a single from The Pipettes and was released on 3 July 2006. It is available on CD, double 7" vinyl, and digital download from Memphis Industries... |
| 2 | Wine and Bed and More and Again | CSS - Let's Make Love and Listen to Death from Above Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death from Above" is the first international single by Brazilian indie/electroclash band CSS, taken from their debut album Cansei de Ser Sexy. Since its use in promotions for the TV series Ugly Betty, it is to be re-released in the UK. Another example of the... |
| 3 | We Share Our Mother's Health | The Knife The Knife The Knife are a Swedish electronic music duo from Gothenburg, formed in 1999. The group consists of siblings Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer, who together also run their own record company, Rabid Records. They first received international attention after their song "Heartbeats", covered by... - We Share Our Mothers' Health We Share Our Mothers' Health "We Share Our Mothers' Health" is the fourth single from the album Silent Shout by the Swedish electropop duo The Knife. It was released in four different regions by four different labels in three different formats.-Critical reception:... |
| 4 | Konichiwa Bitches | Robyn Robyn Robin Miriam Carlsson , better known by her stage name Robyn, is a Swedish recording artist, singer, and songwriter. Robyn became known in the late nineties for her worldwide dance-pop hit "Do You Know " from her debut album Robyn Is Here . She co-wrote the song "Du gör mig hel igen" for... - Konichiwa Bitches Konichiwa Bitches "Konichiwa Bitches" is a song by Swedish recording artist Robyn, taken from her self-titled fourth studio album. It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 March 2007 as the first international single from the album. The term "Konichiwa Bitches" originates from a sketch with American comedian Dave... |
| 5 | Lust Etc | The Long Blondes The Long Blondes The Long Blondes were a five-piece English indie rock band formed in Sheffield, United Kingdom in 2003 by Dorian Cox , Reenie Hollis , Emma Chaplin , Kate Jackson and Screech Louder .After several critically... - Lust in the Movies |
| 6 | Ready To Be Heartbroken | Camera Obscura Camera Obscura (band) Camera Obscura are an indie pop band from Glasgow, Scotland. The band formed in 1996 and have released four albums to date.-History:Camera Obscura were formed in 1996 by Tracyanne Campbell, John Henderson, and Gavin Dunbar. Several other members performed with the band before David Skirving joined... - Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken |
| 7 | Wolf Like Me | TV on the Radio TV on the Radio TV on the Radio is an American art rock band formed in 2001 in Brooklyn, New York, whose music spans numerous diverse genres, from post-punk to electro and free jazz to soul music.... - Wolf Like Me Wolf Like Me "Wolf Like Me" is the first single from the TV on the Radio album Return to Cookie Mountain, released in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2006 on 4AD Records. The single's B-side was the song "Things You Can Do", which was also available as a bonus track on the U.S. release of Return to Cookie... |
Once more, a glossary is included in both the issues and the trade collection. The trade also includes the tracklist that is playing in the club scenes.
- Note: The first print of issue 5 was recalledRecalled comicsComic books have been recalled for various reasons including simple printing errors, stories or images that were deemed inappropriate or to avoid potential lawsuits...
due to it having been printed with the bar-code from issue 4. The second print corrected the error.
Synopsis
Several phonomancers center around a club, where phonomancer magic is discouraged. David Kohl briefly appears but is not in the spotlight this time, though his cult leader, Emily Aster, is the focus of one issue.Collected editions
Both series have been collected as trade paperbacksTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Volume 1: Rue Britannia (144 pages, Image ComicsImage ComicsImage Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
, June 2007, ISBN 1-582406-94-4) - Volume 2: The Singles Club (160 pages, Image ComicsImage ComicsImage Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
, December 2009, ISBN 1607061791)
External links
- Review of trade paperback, Comics BulletinComics BulletinComics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...
- Phonogram covers
Interviews
- Magical Music For The Masses: Phonogram, NewsaramaNewsaramaNewsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews and essays about the American comic book industry.-History:Newsarama began in Summer 1995 as a series of Internet forum postings on the Prodigy comic-book message boards by fan Mike Doran. In these short messages. Doran shared...
, July 2006 - Alternate Cover Special : Phonogram Interview, May 20, 2007