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This is a text only guide to
the images on the site of Bryan's: I have created it so that there is
more than one way to browse the images and you can choose whichever method
suits you best. Also in the Textgallery series is Textgallery
Six, Textgallery Five, Textgallery
Four, Textgallery Two and Textgallery
One; alternatively, there are the thumbnail galleries, and the best
list of those are on the gallery guide page;
and finally for those that just want to see the images with minimum hassle
then there is a single page with a link to every image on the site in
the image page navigator.
On this page, there are links to the images from Heart of Empire
thumbnail gallery one, thumbnail gallery
two, thumbnail gallery three, and thumbnail
gallery four. Bryan suggested that I add to the site a list of all
of the complete strips that are on it, and the strip
listing is the result.
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Issue
One Cover |
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In a world held in the iron grip of a totalitarian empire,
the dying Pope, guided by a vision from God, sends his top assassin
to the Imperial Palace with a dire mission -- but the countdown to
total destruction has already begun! Meanwhile, the Princess Victoria
embarks on a quest that will turn her world upside down. The long-awaited
stand-alone sequel to The Adventures of Luther Arkwright is finally
here. Bryan Talbot has created an amazingly complex, yet accessible
universe filled with action, adventure, romance, heroism, and betrayal.
An epic tale that builds inexorably to a roller-coaster ride that
will have you hanging on every word and every image! |
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Issue
Two Cover |
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In a city to rival Gotham, the intrigue and tension
begin to build as we enter the Imperial Palace and meet the Empress'
public and private personas; one an Elizabethan fever-dream, the other
a walking nightmare! A labor of love by Eisner award-winning writer-artist
Bryan Talbot, sumptuously colored by Angus McKie (Martha Washington). |
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Issue
Three Cover |
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From the splendors of the Imperial palace and the new
St. Paul's Cathedral to the dangerous streets of Alsatia, the cracks
in Queen Anne's rule are beginning to show. The seeds of rebellion
are taking root, a Papal assassin stalks the royal court, and Princess
Victoria is discovering the extent of her own, possibly uncontrollable,
psychic powers. |
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Issue
Four Cover |
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Luther Arkwright's daughter, Princess Victoria, comes
into her own when she single-handedly thwarts an assassination attempt
on activist Gabriel Shelley. Guns, knives, and hand grenades become
toys in her hands, then she becomes putty in Shelley's. Meanwhile,
papal assassin Father Barberini continues to stalk Victoria's mother,
the Queen. |
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Issue
Five Cover |
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It's the eve of destruction and London goes wild as
Victoria descends into a terrifying nightmare. From sunrise over Alsatia
to the living hell of Bedlam and beyond, from betrayal and plots of
violent revolution to hot sex in the Queen's bedchamber, this is probably
the best single issue of any comic you'll buy this year. Featuring
a three-page strip by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. |
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Issue
Six Cover |
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An issue full of revelations. American reporter
Hiram J. Kowolsky discovers his assistant Angela is much more than
she seems. Old Harry Fairfax finds that he still has some of his old
spark (but keep him away from open flame!). The extent of the plot
against the royal family is revealed. And Princess Victoria receives
the shock of her life. |
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Issue
Seven Cover |
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As the countdown to cataclysm nears its conclusion the
pace is heating up. The assassin Barbarian shears a bloody path to
the Empress's private orgy. The Levellers enter Britannia Square to
face the Militia like lambs to the slaughter. We witness disaster
at ZeroZero, the death of four major characters, and at last face
the true Heart of Darkness. All this plus the Rat Woman, Kenny Baker,
and Fairfax's finest fart yet. |
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Issue
Eight Cover |
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All hell breaks out as we hurtle towards the finale;
the massacre begins in Britannia Square! Panic at ZeroZero as WOTAN
screws up! The Rat's Castle Squad is caught in a withering hail of
bullets! An inexorable countdown to total destruction! And Victoria
finally confronts the ghastly truth, the source of all her ills and
the true Heart of Empire. Let the battle commence! |
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Issue
Nine Cover |
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Teetering on the brink of the psychic equivalent of
the Big Bang, the bloody slaughter of the pro-democracy demonstrators
in Britannia Square continues unabated. Rose Wylde prepares to sacrifice
herself as the Princess Victoria finally faces the true Heart of Empire
-the all-powerful center of evil. In this final chapter we witness
the last of England and beyond. The senses-staggering conclusion to
the critically acclaimed retro-SF adventure series. |
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The
best way to deal with racists! |
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Hiram Kowolsky shows the best way to deal with racists
- twat them in the face! |
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Heart
of Empire: new page! (1) |
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A new page released for publication from the forthcoming
Heart of Empire, the sequel to the adventures of Luther Arkwright.
(Also check out the Information
Bulletin on Heart of Empire, and the image of the frontispiece
for it, which is in Gallery
3) |
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Heart
of Empire: new page! (2) |
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The second page released by Bryan for publication from
the new Heart of Empire: remember - you saw it here first! |
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Heart
of Empire: new page (3) |
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The third page released by Bryan for publication from
the new Heart of Empire. |
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Heart
of Empire: new page (4) |
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The fourth page released by Bryan for publication from
the new Heart of Empire. |
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New
page from Issue Four! |
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This is a new page from issue four that Bryan has just
sent to me for inclusion on the site... it is page 103 of the whole
story. |
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Bryan's
alternative photo |
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This is a "photo" of Bryan from Issue One
of Heart of Empire: it was specially commissioned to accompany the
alternative biography of him. The caption that accompanied it in the
comic was:
Daguerreotype
of Captain Talbot believed taken whilst stationed in Bombay during
the notorious "Punka Wallah Music" riots of 1977 |
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The
website address, as printed in Heart of Empire issue one |
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This is how the website address was published in issue
one: I must admit, that it is pure vanity on my part to put this up,
but hey! - it's my website! |
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Bryan's
alternative portrait |
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This is an alternative portrait of Bryan, to accompany
the alternative biography
in the first issue of Heart of Empire: see also the alternative
photo.
The caption that will accompany it in the published
comic will be:
Portrait
of the author, in oils, by fellow PBB member Jason Ford Madox Hirst
MA, who is available for private commissions for rich patrons via
this publisher and, we should take pains to stress, is no relation
to either Sir Damien or Sir Joshua
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Page
2 of issue 1 |
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Page 2 of issue 1 |
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Page
3 of issue 1 |
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Page 3 of issue 1 |
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Page
4 of issue 1 |
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Page 4 of issue 1 |
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Page
nine - as it should look! |
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Page 9 as it should look..... Bryan asked me to put
this on the site in order to try and remedy the cock-up made by
the printers...
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Panel
1 of page 106 of issue 4 - static |
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Here is the first panel of this page in very first rough
draft form, mid quality black and white form, and final, finished
version in full colour. |
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Animation
of panel 1 of page 106 |
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I tried this as an experiment, loading all of the stages
of the creation of panel 1 of page 106 into a gif animation, and the
result is amazing! (but owes rather more to Bryan's artistic skills
than to my Photoshop ones!) |
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Panel
2 of page 106 of issue 4 - static |
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Here is the second panel from page 106 in all three
stages of creation - with me sitting there in the background, on the
far right.... |
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Animation
of panel 2 of page 106 |
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Here are the three stages of panel 2 of page 106 in
another single animation. This is also the first frame of the comic
that actually has me as a background character in it.... that's
me sitting on the chairs behind Gabriel on the far right of the row. |
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Panel
3 of page 106 |
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Here is panel 3 of page 106 in all of its stages of
production. Because this image is so big, I have created the page
in two different versions: you can either see it all in one place
- which is admittedly a hefty download, - or you can see each stage
separately: the first
rough draft, the midway
through version, and then the final
coloured, printed version. Clicking on the thumbnail will take
you to the all-in-one
page. |
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Animation
of panel 3 of page 106 |
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Here's the animation of all three stages of creation of panel 3:
it's a large file, but I hope you'll agree worth the download time.
And I am a character in this one too... as a thank you Bryan drew
me in as an anti-fascist, anti-Royalist, anti-racist revolutionary......
yes!
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Page
One in full colour |
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This is it: this is where it all starts.... here is
page 1 of the whole thing in it's full colour form.... |
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Page
One in first rough draft |
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This is it: this is where it all starts.... here is
page 1 of the whole thing in it's first rough draft form.... |
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Page
79 of issue 3 in colour |
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Here is another chance to see one of Bryan's pages
from Heart of Empire in full colour version - and also in the first
rough draft version (below)
I feel incredibly proud to be able to show fans of
Bryan's work this kind of thing - his work evolving on the page....
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Page
79 of issue 3 in rough rough draft |
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Page 79 in it's first rough draft version, on the way
to becoming the masterpiece of the finished version above... |
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Page
15 of Issue One in rough version |
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This is Bryan's first rough draft of page 15 of issue
1. |
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Page
15 of Issue One in colour |
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This is page 15 of issue 1 in full glorious colour,
put up here mainly to show the way that the page evolved as is went
from first rough draft to this finished version. |
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Panel
3 of page 114 (Chapter Four) in all three stages of production |
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This is the latest in the series of panels that I
am able to show in all three stages of production: two panels from
page 117 in issue four.
Of course, it is a pure coincidence, beneath notice
that this is also another panel that has got me in it.....
Because this is a relatively large image I have created
a page each for the first
rough version, the midway
through version, and the final
completed version. Clicking on the thumbnail will take you to
the first rough draft, and from there you can navigate between all
three.
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Animation
of panel 3 of page 114 Chapter Four |
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This is an animation of panel 3 of page 117, chapter
4: it's an excellent way to see Bryan's creative process all the way
through from first rough version to final coloured version. It's a
larger file so be prepared for a slight wait - but I think it's definitely
worth it. |
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Luther
flying |
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This is Luther telekinetically propelling himself from the Cathedral
across the street to where the Puritan Cabinet are meeting in order
to assassinate them. All of them.
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