My reply - beware porno pop-up ads, though not a huge flood of them, in the link... Hi Steve, Those do look interesting sites - I suppose I ought to read some stories before getting in touch, but thanks for the links! I did a recent search on google for "barbarienne", and noticed that one of the stories, at least, is on one of the subscription-only adult sites - http://www.comixerotic.com/contentsandwhatsnew.shtml was the link. Maybe I can get them to link to the site they "borrowed" it from? I dislike the subscription sites that advertise having the comics online, as they're stealing copyrighted material, but re-use of the text versions is fine by me... Hopefully, Barbarienne #5 should be out by now - when I get my complimentary copies I'll know which cover Eros used, and be able to add some more pages to the site. The bad news was that Eros are finding things a bit tight lately (no pun intended), and are only committing to three new issues, rather than open-ended or five or six issues... so the art for #s 8 to 10 is sitting here, waiting for me to proofread it at my leisure, rather than me having mailed it off weeks ago. A shorter Charol story (drawn by Paul), from before she met Memree, is likely to appear in VALKYRIES #1, a low print run magazine-size b&w publication from Chimera Arts (see Barby links page), er, later this summer/early this autumn. Some talk of me editing future issues of that, so I need to do some more scripting there. I did think about letting Griffin star in some tales set before (the Harrier) Barbarienne #5, probably with Cleve to assist her. That start-of-a-Sabina-script page (with the usual 25353 password) has a link to a site with some quite nice bondage tales, with a "chastity belt" twist; I did have a go at adding a chastity belt to Memree's problems in the text version of the origin tale, but I don't think anything has come of that. Anyway, thanks for the encouragement, and the links. The Barbarienne website will expand soon, Paul even sent a few new pin-ups with that artwork I need to proofread - though whether or not I'll have time to do text versions of other early Barby comics, I wouldn't like to say at this stage! - Martin |
You may remember me from a few months ago. I sent an e-mail stating how happy I was in seeing Barbarienne comic series return and your website. Due to my job I got posted up to the north of England for some time on a project. Where I'm living there are no Internet cafes for miles, which meant I've not had any Internet access for three months. I do intent to purchase your fine new series when I've finished this project and return back home. I have checked your fine web site any chance I've had to get on to Internet. First question: will there be any more updates on it? I really do hope so. I'd also like to suggest an idea to you. I don't know if you're aware of other websites with stories similar in content to your own stories. Have you considered sending them your stories for publishing with them? I think it would be a great way to get people to visit your website more, and in turn increase book sales of the new series. I know a couple of sites that would publish your stories, and they're always on the look out for new writers, I'm sure if you asked them to put a link to your website they would be willing to do that in exchange for your stories. The sites are: The reason I'm writing this e-mail is there are no other sword and sorcery type stories like yours. There are a few fans' stories of Xena on the net, but they are very poor man's stories in comparison to yours. I would like to see a wider audience to see these very fine stories. Please let me know what you think of idea. Keep on writing more of these stories. Steve Ferguson |
"One of the more fascinating aspects of this black-and-white sword-and-sorcery series is the sense of timelessness. There is no reference to specific place or period, and the lack of color enhances the eeriness of the setting. All the reader is given is that the setting is a city that includes a large castle, and the fortress includes parts that would make one think Buck Rogers as well as Camelot. |
"The same goes for the garb worn by the lead characters: Charol is a mercenary, a young woman who dons a single-piece skin-tight body suit with black leather boots, while her partner, Memree (whom Charol rescues from the castle's dark dungeon) is a scantly clad babe who could easily be seen in the arms of a barbarian from a time-lost land. For that matter, this whole story might even be taking place on another planet. Who knows?" |
That's actually the write-up for our very first issue in the new Second Edition of The Standard Catalog of Comic Books - page 164! All very perceptive stuff. We call the place "Fortune's World" - and my theory, when anything that looks a bit high-tech is seen, including clothing, is that magic has been involved, either in its manufacture or in "importing" it from an entirely different place or time... |
Loose Ends |
Hello Martin, I don't know if you'll remember, but I wrote to you back in the 90's. I discussed Xena and getting a collection of your other work and getting my Harrier Barbarienne collection filled out. It's great to see the girls back in action. Issue 5's kidnapping scene shows there's still some room for adventure, like the pirate fight of Eros issues 1&2. The preview of issue 6 looks promising. Charol chasing a coach in the nude and leaping aboard, actually, I would've liked to have seen that in the Harrier days. Just curious, when were these drawn? Have they been sitting on a shelf for a few years, ready to go, or did Paul just adapt the scripts? Oh, on that, one little art/continuity gripe: having all the girls pubes grow back is pretty poor atttention to detail. I hope they go back to "bald" I kinda liked that. I was wondering, can I send you fan art at this address. I have a pic I'd like you to see. Oh, and on that subject: what color are the slave girl outfits, the usual uniforms? I didn't find any clue in the comic from dialogue. It really is great to see Barbarienne back. Who should I tell at Eros I'd like to see more? Will Thanks for writing, Will - fan art, preferably in jpg format, is welcome; generally the slavegirl outfits are white, or fairly light in colour. While Paul has drawn comfortably ahead, the art on #s 5 on is comparatively recent, and a nice improvement on his older work. The scripts so far are from before, I'd got well ahead on those when Eros decided to bring things to a temporary halt! |
To Martin I'm amazed. I really like what you done with the update, thanks for the new art by Paul Narring, his work is excellent. It more than worth the wait. Thank you and thanks for the honourable mention in the Clubhouse page. I look forward to purchasing the series A.S.A.P. About short stories for Griffin and Charol. I was just looking at Barbarienne 5 (Harrier series) - remember how Griffin was introduced, will these other short stories be about Griffin's slave trader past? I suspect you may have thought of re-worked Eros-style stories for Barbarienne 2 & 3 of the Harrier series. Will there be any chance of this happening in the near future? As a sort off flash back story for Charol and Mem...? I always thought those two issues were great; I like Natella and Fran as characters, I always saw Natella as Charol's evil sister-like character, both seemed similar in attitude and their willingness not to submit. Though in the end Natella submitted to Charol, nice touch. Will keep visiting as often as possible. Steve Ferguson |
You may remember me from a few months ago. I sent an e-mail stating how happy I was in seeing Barbarienne comic series return and your website. Due to my job I got posted up to the north of England for some time on a project. Where I'm living there are no Internet cafes for miles, which meant I've not had any Internet access for three months. I do intent to purchase your fine new series when I've finished this project and return back home. I have checked your fine web site any chance I've had to get on to Internet. First question: will there be any more updates on it? I really do hope so. I'd also like to suggest an idea to you. I don't know if you're aware of other websites with stories similar in content to your own stories. Have you considered sending them your stories for publishing with them? I think it would be a great way to get people to visit your website more, and in turn increase book sales of the new series. I know a couple of sites that would publish your stories, and they're always on the look out for new writers, I'm sure if you asked them to put a link to your website they would be willing to do that in exchange for your stories. The sites are: The reason I'm writing this e-mail is there are no other sword and sorcery type stories like yours. There are a few fans' stories of Xena on the net, but they are very poor man's stories in comparison to yours. I would like to see a wider audience to see these very fine stories. Please let me know what you think of idea. Keep on writing more of these stories. Steve Ferguson |
My reply - beware porno pop-up ads, though not a huge flood of them, in the link... Hi Steve, Those do look interesting sites - I suppose I ought to read some stories before getting in touch, but thanks for the links! I did a recent search on google for "barbarienne", and noticed that one of the stories, at least, is on one of the subscription-only adult sites - http://www.comixerotic.com/contentsandwhatsnew.shtml was the link. Maybe I can get them to link to the site they "borrowed" it from? I dislike the subscription sites that advertise having the comics online, as they're stealing copyrighted material, but re-use of the text versions is fine by me... Hopefully, Barbarienne #5 should be out by now - when I get my complimentary copies I'll know which cover Eros used, and be able to add some more pages to the site. The bad news was that Eros are finding things a bit tight lately (no pun intended), and are only committing to three new issues, rather than open-ended or five or six issues... so the art for #s 8 to 10 is sitting here, waiting for me to proofread it at my leisure, rather than me having mailed it off weeks ago. A shorter Charol story (drawn by Paul), from before she met Memree, is likely to appear in VALKYRIES #1, a low print run magazine-size b&w publication from Chimera Arts (see Barby links page), er, later this summer/early this autumn. Some talk of me editing future issues of that, so I need to do some more scripting there. I did think about letting Griffin star in some tales set before (the Harrier) Barbarienne #5, probably with Cleve to assist her. That start-of-a-Sabina-script page (with the usual 25353 password) has a link to a site with some quite nice bondage tales, with a "chastity belt" twist; I did have a go at adding a chastity belt to Memree's problems in the text version of the origin tale, but I don't think anything has come of that. Anyway, thanks for the encouragement, and the links. The Barbarienne website will expand soon, Paul even sent a few new pin-ups with that artwork I need to proofread - though whether or not I'll have time to do text versions of other early Barby comics, I wouldn't like to say at this stage! - Martin |
Sadly, I do get lazy sometimes, or busy/hooked on other things, so not everything planned has actually gone forward. Still, we have the second new batch of three issues safely in our publisher's hands now, so we can look forward to those, #s 8-10, coming out this summer... Anyway, good points there. I'd better not go into any detail on my future story plans, as these things do change, but it was a major surprise for me to discover after all these years what Memree had been doing before the first Harrier issue that led to her loss of memory - and who else had been involved! Well, that's a start for a letters column - if it tempts you to want to have your say, well, get in touch! - Martin |
