2021: A Look Back…

…And 2022: A Look Forward

2021 was a very significant year for Tripwire and next year will be even more important. Here’s its editor-in-chief Joel Meadows looking back and looking forward…

2021 was a big year for Tripwire:

•In January the Winter 2020/2021 print special came out. This was the first print issue we had published since 2011 and we funded it via kickstarter, indiegogo and offering it to the direct market via Diamond, GetMyComics and direct to shops like Gosh Comics, Forbidden Planet, Forbidden Planet International, OK Comics and A Place in Space. This magazine ran my comics writing debut, Sherlock Holmes and The Empire Builders: The House That Crime Built, in our stripwire section.

•The website went from strength to strength with our 30 crime and police dramas list really engaging with visitors and our 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time also offering lots for visitors to discuss and think about. We continued to offer a mix of curated content and original interviews and features in 2021. Cinema returned so we were able to cover that again.

•We also launched a digital publication which didn’t quite engage with readers but we are still very proud of these editions.

•In November of this year, we put out the Winter 2021 print special, which is currently funding on kickstarter and part funded on indiegogo in November. This edition has also been a success with retailers, advertisers and readers too. It features the second Sherlock Holmes and The Empire Builders strip plus lots of great comics and film features too. People can still support us until 31 December by going here too

So we think that this previous year, despite the continued ups and downs thanks to Covid-19, was a very good year for Tripwire. 2022 we hope will be even better as we have even more plans for the next 12 months :

•Tripwire presents Bristol Comic Con is a brand new comic show taking place at the Doubletree at Hilton in Redcliffe in Bristol on 3 and 4 Sept.

It will be a show that will feature top UK, US and European guests including legend Howard Chaykin (American Flagg!, Hey Kids, Comics) , Brian Stelfreeze (Black Panther), Jorge Fornes (Rorschach), Elena Casagrande (Black Widow, Blade Runner), Sean Phillips (Criminal, Reckless), Jock (Batman, movie poster artist), Martin Simmonds (Department Of Truth) and many others to be announced. It will also include workshops with the best in international talent over the weekend. 2022 is Tripwire’s 30th anniversary and we shall be launching our special Tripwire book at the show plus we shall be including exhibitions of Tripwire editor-in-chief Joel Meadows’ comics and genre portrait photos and select artwork from many of the guests attending the show. Our website for the show is live now and we are already taking table bookings https://tripwirecomiccons.com

•Connected to the show, as part of our 30th anniversary, we shall be publishing a special book that will launch at the show in Sept that will include classic material, new content and a look back at the last 30 years in the fields of comics, film and TV. As well as a paperback, it will also be a limited edition hardcover.

•Finally around November of this coming year, Tripwire Presents will be launching as a comics publishing entity. The first title will be Sherlock Holmes And The Empire Builders, a two part graphic novel which will include the two shorts published so far plus a brand new epic graphic novel story all in colour. The two books will Alsop include unique variant covers from some of the best artists in the business

So a lot of plans for the forthcoming year and thanks to everyone who has supported us in all of our endeavours

Joel Meadows