_ l Scots comic souped up
CI.
_49
j memm, was
$161.,
‘Electric Soup is certainly the only other cartoon-based comedy magazine that has made me laugh,‘ he explains. ‘With Viz, there‘s two levels to the
humour and it’s the second level that makes it always more than a cheap joke - and that is very much true oi
Electric Soup as well. A lot 01 the other magazines never get to that second level.‘
The deal means that this brand oi particularly rude Scottish humour will
now appear on newsagents‘ shelves
south of the border, and to help those
” i poorSouthernreaders,the current
g. ; edition has its own Soup Dickshinarry.
'An integral part of why it‘s special,
g. i whyit‘stunnyandtherelore,Irommy
Furtuxake! Thon Electric Soup’s gonnae print maircopies! Or, as the translation tor the unenlightened reads: ‘Would you believe it! That cult Scottish adult humour comic Electric Soup has entered into a deal with John Brown Publishing to increase its print run from an initial 150 to 30,00010r Issue 8.’
Born in September 1989, the ollspring ot the tertile minds and talented pens of tour Scottish cartoonists, the comic brought the likes : otBiIly Pope, the MacBams and the ' iII-tated Wildebeests to a connoisseur audience in Scottish pubs, clubs and comic shops belore coming to the attention ot Viz publisher John Brown.
. r poiniolview.whilil'SW‘m"9"“iShing
is because it‘s very Scottish,’ insists Brown. ‘It gives it character.' Foundercartoonist Tommy Sommerville agrees: ‘Hopetullythe Scottish humour will be new to an
' 3 English reader. I don’t see why we
, should try to give them something
they‘ve already heard and seen. But to tellthetruth, itwe startedthinking
about the audience we’re selling it to,
we‘d probably end up doing something
totally ditlerent and then nobody would
5 be interested.’
This latest step towards the big time has not gone to the heads at anyone working on the comic. While the
L country is chuckling its way through the
strange perversions and gratuitious violence at Issue 8, in the Electric Soup
- ollice it’s back to the drawing board, as I it were, and the regular collaborative
creative meetings. Looks like Oor Wullie and his bucket are ready tor retirement. (Alan Morrison)
.' Electric Soup, Issue 8, is on sale now, priced £1.
V CLIPPINGS
I MCDONALOS BAN: Multinational last tood outlet McDonalds has forced the theatre company behind
' ‘Mac8urger’s - Real Neat Scotch Fare’
to sign an undertaking that the play will not be pertormed again. Although the toad chain is not mentioned specillcally in the play, which satirises
. working conditions in the fast Iood
industry and the commercial image of
g Scottish heritage, its lawyers were * ready to raise a court action on the , grounds that it was detamatory.
The writers now plan to use their
3 experiences to publicise and set up a
lund tor others in the artistic community who sutter censorship at the hands of powertul multinationals.
; Otters ol support and contributions
' towards a tund should be sent to Steve
Brown at 64 White Street, Glasgow, G11 5E8. The issue will be lully examined in the next edition 01 The List.
I NEW TRAIN SERVICE: After initial worries over satety, the InterCity 225 has begun Its 140mph journey between Edinburgh and London. Concern has been voiced lollowing the Polmont crash In 1984, as the train uses the push-pull method with the locomotive at the rear on the outward journey linked to controls in a cab at the tront. I The company’s management has
stated, however, that new methods 01 design and coupling make the train one at the safest and most modern In Europe. A similar service has been running between Leeds and London since late 1989.
l ARTS AWARDS: The only Scottish organisation short-listed tor the 1991 Prudential Awards tor the Arts is the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in the music category. Winners lrom each at the tive categories— the others being dance, opera, theatre, and visual arts- will receive £25,000 when the results are announced on 16 July.
I FESTIVAL CANCELLATION: The Ship Company’s production at ‘Peter Pan’, scheduled Iorthe Assembly Hall during the Edinburgh Festival, has been cancelled due to the tailure ot a
post-Festival Glasgow booking. Anyone who has already bought a ticket will be contacted directly by the Festival box office.
I EURO FILM NETWORK: The European Film Commission Network, lormed at the 1991 Munich Film Festival, will include a Scottish contingent comprising oi Scottish
Screen Locations and Edinburgh and
Lothian Screen Industries Ottice. The new body will help communities and individuals in creating Iilm commissions.
From 10 August to 1 September, you can hit some high notes in Edinburgh.
This year one of the highest notes of the lidinburgh Festival is the Mussorgskv season. A festival within a festival includes the great operas KHOVANSHCHINA (10, 12 Aug) and THE MARRIAGE (14 Aug) together with concert versions of the rarer performed SOROCHINSKY FAIR, (13 Aug) and ’ I ..
SALAMMBO, (15 Aug) plus a full
conceit version of BORIS GODUNOV
(16 Aug). Also soloists from the Kirov per‘fonn a concert
of new and old Russian composers in “IF SCHUBERT READ PRAVDA' ( 12 Aug).
THE PHILHARMONIA with Psa-Pekka Salonen, recently invited to be resident orchestra at the (Ihatelet, Paris, perform a season (22-24 Aug) including Stravinskv’s three major ballet scores with world class soloists Heinrich Schiff, Yuri Bashmet and Barry Douglas.
Other high notes to look out for at the l'iestival are The Roval Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Yehudi Menuhin Iggy; our Honorary I’rcsitlcnt ff’, ’
P <-
conducting theopening w...” (a. gala conceit. I‘iclicitv r ‘f- "s I.ott, lessve Norman, ".1" 'r . ‘ I.cs Perctlssions fifth" H
dc Strasbourg. Peter A ‘3’.
I)onolioe, Igor /
()istralx'lt. 'I-he '4’ We?
I.eningrad Philharmonic . Orchestra. and 'I'lie (j/ecli Philharmonic Orchestra.
(Let a fuller picture from our free brochure ~ call
031-226 4001. 'liookings (131-225 5756 1'.
EDINBURGH
Intemafzbzza/
F AL
IOAUGUST 1 SEPTEMBER |99l
Everyone comes and anything goes.
the List 11-35.qu IWI 5