Issue#7 received today in Edinburgh. Had my usual flick-through preview and couldn't help but read 'A Brief History of Dogfighting'. Superb artwork and one of the best strips in MD so far, in my opinion. Cover also brilliant - love the wraparound effect. Looking forward to getting lost in it over the next few days.

Issue #7 is looking stunning - just gets better and better. I like the text change on the back, it's looking far slicker just with that subtlety. Only read the Chris Moore interview so far which is good and the short story, Scratch which I really enjoyed.

Thanks for the praise on ABHOD, Ilan - hugely appreciated!

Issue just arrived after some problems with the post. Thanks to all at Murky depths for sending another copy- it was going above and beyond the call of duty, and it was much appreciated.

This issue is fantastic! Cover is cool, and "Scratch" is a great little story, no filler it's lean and mean. History of dogfighting is a brilliant strip, and i liked how we were given a view as to how comics were made in the preceding interview, as previously i had no idea how they were put together. Also, the way each story was introduced on the back page was innovative and made me smile. Oh and the article on f'ing vampires was f'ing great too.

Read it cover to cover now. There is no doubt that it improves with every issue. The artwork in this issue is outstanding - Nancy Farmer's illustrations for 'The longest road in the universe' were possibly my favourites for story artwork. And I would have to say that C.S.McCath's story was the standout piece, with 'Scratch' coming a close second.

Thanks much, Ilan. And Nancy Farmer's artwork *is* drop-dead gorgeous. I can't believe how perfectly evocative it is, exactly as I would have imagined it if I had her talent.

I just picked up the issue from the post office here in Michigan, so I'll be diving in sometime this week.  

--Last edited by csmaccath on 2009-02-03 19:22:12 --

Just finished reading issue 7. My favourite story is CS McCath's The Longest Road in the Universe - beautifully written and poignant. Nancy Farmer's art was brilliant. I agree that it really matched the feel of the story.

Not sure if I can use a comic strip for my favourite artwork but its got to be Leonardo Giron's work on A Brief History of Dogfighting for me. Brilliant! And congrats to James Johnson for creating a gripping and entertaining story entirely without words.

I enjoyed the insight into creating a comic strip too. In fact, I'm going to have a go!

Just received issue 7 today in the post. The cover looks fantastic. The general quality of the magazine (the art, the writing, etc) just gets better and better!

Let's get the obvious out of the way first; Chris Moore's cover is amazing. But with the inspiration he received from the dynamic partnership of Johnson and Giron that's no surprise. History of Dogfighting is yet another expertly written and beautifully drawn strip from the duo.

The quality of Murky Depths seems to take a confident stride forward with every issue and the inclusion the R@t articles works surprisingly well. Sometimes these sort of pieces can seem smug and self-congratulatory but in this case, with such a wealth of talent from wildly contrasting backgrounds, it is a welcome source of information.

I wanted to thank Gareth D. Jones and Sam Tomaino for their complimentary reviews. I personally felt Flashback to be one of my weaker stories so I was pleasantly surprised by its positve reception. I think my artwork is getting neater if not better and I am very happy with my relationship with Murky Depths magazine. No other publisher has been so encouraging and trusting in the abilities of their authors.

Congratulations everyone on another superb issue. Let's hope that one day we will be able to pick up a copy as easily as one of those annoying trashy glossy magazines.

Luke Cooper

Cheers for the positive review, Luke on ABHODF. I couldn't agree more on your overall comments on Murky Depths. I'm very proud of being involved in this unique publication and hope that we all continue to deliver the quality stories it deserves.

Love the gun totting action of your work - your artwork is becoming more and more confident, I agree. It's all a learning curve!

Rich (James Johnson)

I've been looking this issue over again and can't believe I haven't commented on it before. Between Scratch, the Longest Road in the Universe, and Psong, I was absolutely floored by the quality of the fiction in this issue. I really think this may be the strongest issue of Murky Depths yet.

Well, after issue #4