JOHN MCSHANE

With his business partners Pete Root and Bob Napier, John created AKA Books & Comics, the shop Mark Millar (Wanted, Kick Ass) says got him completely addicted to the medium.

The shop grew out of the acclaimed and much quoted magazine AKA, regular comic marts, and a comic convention among whose guests were Marv Wolfman (creator of Blade) and Will Eisner (creator of The Spirit).

John and George Jackson (of the group Ossian) created Fat Man Press to publish the ever-popular The Bogie Man by John Wagner, Alan Grant, and Robin Smith. This was made into a TV Movie starring Robbie Coltrane (Harry Potter series), Midge Ure (Ultravox, Live Aid), Fiona Fullerton (James Bond: A View to a Kill), and Craig Ferguson (The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson).

John was later appointed publisher of Trident Comics and helped found the original Toxic comic.

He is also the creator of the comic strip Jimmy the Zombie and has written a number of essays, reviews, and short stories, as well as several short films including The Real Thing and Echoes.

His books include: Robert Burns in Edinburgh, How To Create Graphic Novels by Rodolphe Töpffer, The Spirit, and Fingal, Celtic Warrior.

He is a regular contributor to Comic Scene History of Comics and a frequent presenter at comics and literature festivals.