Thunder Brother: Soap Division

The Two Ronnies 2

2012-03-11T00:30:00.000Z

The Two Ronnies 1

2012-03-04T00:30:00.000Z

Thunder Brother: Soap Division Review

2012-03-03T00:30:00.000Z

Richard Bruton reviews the first two Thunder Brother: Soap Division stories, The Apprentice and Going Straight, for the Forbidden Planet blog. "Rainey perfectly plays off the bizarre and incredible with the mundane and down to earth stuff, and it’s a lovely concept, all executed with flair and style." With the strip returning here this Sunday, I couldn't have timed this better myself.

Thunder Brother: Soap Division Returns!

2012-03-02T08:00:00.003Z

Not a dream, not a hoax, not a shameless boast that I hope if enough people believe will come true; Thunder Brother: Soap Division returns in a new story called The Two Ronnies this Sunday March 4th. And that's not all; TBSD will not break between stories as it has been but appear every Sunday, without fail, until the whole saga has run its course in who knows how many weeks, months, years time! Make sure that you subscribe.

Also, if you're new to then you still have a chance to catch up on the story so far for free for a limited period. Read The Apprentice here and Going Straight here. Remember, the first page appears at the bottom and you need to read upwards for it to make sense.

Whatever Happened to Thunder Brother: Soap Division

2012-01-30T10:22:00.001Z

Some people have been asking me when will Thunder Brother: Soap Division return and I answer them, "soon, soon." I've been rethinking my strategy for the strip. Previously, I would release a page twice a week until the story is finished whereupon I would take a break for a couple of weeks or so before serialising the next tale in the same manner. I have decided instead to release a page every Sunday without any breaks between episodes at all. I hope for the strip to return before the end of February and you won't see it on a break before the entire saga has run it's course. Unless I go on holiday. Or somebody offers me a deal to publish it. Or I die.

While I've been thinking about things, I've neglected making posts to the blog about big soap opera events. For example, I missed Pat Butcher's death on EastEnders and Coronation Street winning Best Serialied Drama at the National Television Awards. All of this will change once TB:SD returns as a Sunday strip. Watch this space for details.

Going Straight 12

2011-12-16T09:04:00.000Z

Thunder Brother: Soap Division returns in a new story early next year.

Going Straight 11

2011-12-12T09:02:00.002Z

Going Straight 10

2011-12-09T08:51:00.002Z

Coronation Street The Musical

2011-12-08T10:21:00.000Z

News: Coronation Street is to be turned into a stage musical starring Paul O’Grady and members of the cast from the past and present.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16074552

Comment: I wonder if the show will feature a song sung shrilly by Hilda Ogden as she dusts the Rover’s Return bar or Bill Tarmey who has a strong voice but whose character, Jack Duckworth, sounds like an emotionally damaged X Factor contestant from the opening week. Get Kirk in and it should be a good show… if you like musicals.

Going Straight 9

2011-12-05T08:39:00.002Z

Going Straight 8

2011-12-02T08:49:00.002Z

Going Straight 7

2011-11-28T08:26:00.000Z

Going Straight 6

2011-11-25T08:47:00.002Z

Going Straight 5

2011-11-21T08:39:00.002Z

Going Straight 4

2011-11-18T08:32:00.000Z

Olympic Torch to Visit EastEnders

2011-11-15T09:52:00.001Z

News: The Olympic Flame is to visit EastEnders’ Albert Square as part of its relay route around the UK. It will appear as live footage played during the main show to be broadcast on July 23rd. According to the BBC, the torch will be carried by Billy Mitchell.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15724623

Comment: Whenever I read of a soap planning something this character specific so far in advance and, in this case, live too, my first thought is always wouldn’t it be awful if the real life actor, in this case Perry Fenwick, died in an accident just before his scheduled live appearance. Please note, this is just an involuntary thought. Please don’t think, if this actually happens, that I had something to do with it. It would be just a coincidence.

Going Straight 3

2011-11-14T08:56:00.002Z

Going Straight 2

2011-11-11T08:42:00.002Z

I'm A Celebrity...

2011-11-09T22:42:00.001Z

News: ITV have announced this year’s contestants on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! The list includes soap stars Lorraine Chase (Emmerdale) and Antony Cotton (Coronation Street).

http://www.itv.com/imacelebrity/

Comment: I haven’t watched I’m A Celebrity… since Paul Burrell stuck his hand into a rats nest but I am intrigued by Antony Cotton appearing on the show. Not enough to watch it, mind, but intrigued just the same. He obviously has a craving to do occasional high profile appearances in addition to his Coronation Street role; remember his daily chat show a few years ago? There’s a part of me that wishes the producers of the Street would be more selective regarding the cast’s extracurricular appearances. Craig Charles' Funk and Soul Show on 6 Music? Good. Antony Cotton eating kangaroo’s testicles on live TV? Dubious.

Going Straight 1

2011-11-07T08:51:00.000Z

Thunder Brother Returns Monday!

2011-11-04T09:19:00.000Z

Don't forget that Thunder Brother: Soap Division returns on Monday in it's second story, "Going Straight". Sally's first day working for Soap Division doesn't go as smoothly as everyone expects. Like "The Apprentice", "Going Straight" will appear every Monday and Friday for the next few weeks on the Thunder Brother: Soap Division blog.

The first story, "The Apprentice" is still available for you to read there. To re-read, select this link and read the pages from the bottom upwards.

Robert Vaughn to Join Coronation Street

2011-11-03T14:26:00.000Z

News: Hollywood actor Robert Vaughn is to appear in Coronation Street. According to the BBC news website, Vaughn will play a wealthy American who meets Roy Cropper’s mother, Sylvia, on a cruise.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15570516

Comment: Coronation Street has often done a surprising casting since it began fifty-one years ago. I’m sure that casting Betty Driver as Betty Turpin, who already had a well established career in show business at that point, must have boggled a few minds all those decades ago. What would be perfect now from my point of view is if David McCallum, his co-star from The Man From Uncle, is also cast as Audrey Robert’s new boyfriend or something.

Berserker Magazine

2011-11-03T09:31:00.003Z

Launching next year is Berserker Magazine. "Berserker is the new print magazine for comics, comics journalism and music journalism, printing and discussing works that represent the massive variety of fascinating, excellent, attention-worthy comics and new music being produced in the world right now." I'm delighted to be able to tell you that appearing in issue one will be the opening episode of Thunder Brother: Soap Division, "The Apprentice". For details as they become available please visit the Berserker Magazine website.

EastEnders Script Writer Interview

2011-10-24T10:03:00.000+01:00

News: The Guardian newspaper has published an interview with the highly regarded writer of EastEnders, Tony Jordon.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/oct/23/tony-jordan-interview-bbc-eldorado

Comment: It’s worth a read just for the anecdote about how he originally got the job by pretending to be a real East Ender for four years when, actually, he is originally from Southport. There’s also a good story explaining why the Mitchell Brothers don’t have tattoos, which, actually, I have never thought about before but now that you mention it…

Betty Driver

2011-10-22T14:52:00.002+01:00

News: Hundreds of fans, friends, relatives and colleagues have gathered in Manchester today for the funeral of Betty Driver who played Betty Williams/Turpin in Coronation Street for forty-two years.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-15414222

Comment: When boy-band member Keith Duffy first joined the cast of Coronation Street a few years ago it was initially a sign to me of the soap’s sinking into misguided populism. It wasn't long until I decided that I had grown to quite like his character and I realised that this was partly due to the occasional scenes that he had with Betty Driver in the Rovers Return. They were often affectionate and playful and nearly always a little flirtatious. The fact that her presence as an actress can have me accepting Keith Duffy on a programme I have high expectations of is an indication of just how good she was.

This doesn’t even seem to scratch the surface of my thoughts her performances as Betty Williams/Turpin but other people have expressed their thoughts about her far more eloquently than I could over the last week.

Rosie Webster to leave Coronation Street

2011-10-17T13:31:00.003+01:00

News: The BBC News website is reporting that actress Helen Flanagan, who plays Rosie Webster on Coronation Street, is to leave the soap. Her last scenes are to be broadcast during February 2012. The BBC saysthat this is following reports that she has been suffering from panic attacks on set.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15333767

Comment: This is a shame. I like what Rosie’s character has become in recent years and I’ll be sad to see her leave, especially after the recent internet show she appeared in, Just Rosie, that was surprisingly good (which is really saying something after the excellent Ken and Deirdre web shows before). Incidentally, ITV2 are broadcasting Just Rosie tonight at 10 PM, if you’re interested.

I used to experience panic attacks in my last job which I did between 1992 and 2008 so Helen Flanagan has my every sympathy. Although I never earned enough to leave the job because of them. I had to just sit there in my own sweat and neurosis. Ah, golden days.

Thunder Brother: Soap Division will return

2011-10-17T10:48:00.001+01:00

The first Thunder Brother: Soap Division, "The Apprentice" concluded on Friday but, you may be wondering, where is today's update. The answer is that the strip is on a break and is scheduled to return on Monday November 7th in a story called "Going Straight". In the meantime, you might like to continue to visit here as I intend to post the occasional soap-news story along with clips from upcoming stories.

The Apprentice 12

2011-10-14T08:12:00.001+01:00

Thunder Brother:Soap Division returns on Monday November 7th in "Going Straight".

The Apprentice 11

2011-10-10T06:43:00.002+01:00

The Apprentice 10

2011-10-07T06:11:00.002+01:00

The Apprentice 9

2011-10-03T07:56:00.000+01:00

The Apprentice 8

2011-09-30T07:12:00.002+01:00

The Apprentice 7

2011-09-26T08:35:00.000+01:00

The Apprentice 6

2011-09-23T08:27:00.000+01:00

The Apprentice 5

2011-09-19T00:29:00.000+01:00

The Apprentice 4

2011-09-16T07:06:00.002+01:00

The Apprentice 3

2011-09-12T07:44:00.002+01:00

The Apprentice 2

2011-09-09T07:37:00.002+01:00

The Apprentice 1

2011-09-05T01:23:00.000+01:00

Thunder Brother: Soap Division Teaser 4

2011-08-29T10:08:00.001+01:00

This is the logo to my new strip, Thunder Brother: Soap Division. I've never felt that logo design is one of my strengths, so my friend Robert Wells did this for me. Robert is a great cartoonist also and you really should check out his work.

Anyway, it's one more week until I begin serialising Thunder Brother: Soap Division here. I really want to to see you here from the very beginning so please subscribe to the blog and tell all of your friends.

Teaser 3

2011-08-22T09:57:00.003+01:00

This is what it looks like when you're standing inside the Self Dividing Proto-Sphere. "What's a Self Dividing Proto-Sphere when it's at home?", I imagine I can hear you ask. Well, the answer can be found in my brand new comic strip project Thunder Brother: Soap Division. The first episode begins serialisation on Monday September 5th here. Remember, it's free, so please add us to your feed of choice.

Teaser 2

2011-08-15T10:16:00.000+01:00

This is Thunder Brother of Soap Division. Or rather, this is Thunder Brother of Soap Division in silhouette as he doesn't appear in the twice weekly strip when it begins on Monday September 5th. I want the character to remain a mystery until he makes his first official appearance. To ensure that you're there when it happens subscribe to the feed here.

Teaser 1

2011-08-09T09:46:00.002+01:00

INTRODUCING Sally Timmins, one of the main characters in my new strip, Thunder Brother: Soap Division. Sally is thirteen years old and she looooooves soap operas. Meet Sally properly when the strip starts being serialised here on Monday September 5th.

Coming Soon

2011-08-01T09:51:00.001+01:00

I'm happy to announce today that the my next big project after There's No Time Like The Present begins September 5th and is called Thunder Brother: Soap Division. It's an all ages strip, in full colour and will be available to you to read for FREE. I will be posting the pages to this blog I have set up every Monday and Friday, so please subscribe here for updates as they become available. Throughout August, I plan to post teasers to the new strip so don't just do it whenever you feel like it; do it NOW!