Joe Alien
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Joe Alien | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Character information | |
| First appearance | Wildcat Preview (15 October 1988) |
| Created by | Barrie Tomlinson |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Unknown |
| Species | Xgangbe |
| Place of origin | Xgangbe-4 |
| Team affiliations | Wildcat Two |
| Abilities | Telescopic limbs High intelligence |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Fleetway Publications |
| Schedule | Weekly |
| Title(s) | Wildcat Preview 15 October 1988 Wildcat 22 October 1988 to 25 March 1989 Wildcat Holiday Special 1989 Wildcat Winter Special 1989 Eagle 6 to 27 May 1989 |
| Formats | Original material for the series has been published as a strip in the comics anthology(s) Wildcat Eagle. |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | 15 October 1988 – 27 May 1989 |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Barrie Tomlinson David Robinson |
| Artist(s) | Massimo Belardinelli Ron Smith |
| Editor(s) | Barrie Tomlinson |
Joe Alien is a British comic character, appearing in strips published by Fleetway Publications. The character debuted in the preview issue of the science fiction anthology Wildcat, included in titles dated 15 October 1988. The character's eponymous strip was one of the four linked ongoing serials in Wildcat, and was later briefly featured in Eagle after Wildcat was cancelled. Joe Alien is an identity taken on by the last survivor of the friendly planet Xgangbe-4, and joins the Wildcat mission to help humanity find a new home. He is placed in command of the Wildcat 2 exploration shuttle.
Shortly after IPC Magazines sold their comics interests to Robert Maxwell's Mirror Group Newspapers under the Fleetway Publications, group editor Barrie Tomlinson was charged with creating a new science fiction anthology as a junior version of 2000 AD. Tomlinson devised a format whereby all five features in the fortnightly comic would link together to form an overall narrative, as different events centred on the spaceship Wildcat.[1][2]
As such, he created four lead characters - Turbo Jones, Loner, Kitten Magee and Joe Alien - to act as heads of exploration teams, with the fifth slot to be a one-off tales taking place on the mothership. Tomlinson penned the initial episodes of the stories before some were passed to other writers, beginning his work with a preview comic introducing the premise that was given away with Fleetway titles 2000 AD, Eagle, Roy of the Rovers, Buster, Oink!, Whizzer and Chips and M.A.S.K. dated 15 October or 22 October 1988.[1] Massimo Belardinelli, an experienced 2000 AD artist on strips that included "Ace Trucking Co." and had a knack for creating alien worlds, was assigned to draw the opening episodes of "Joe Alien"; Tomlinson felt his art brought the "story to life".[2]
Publishing history
The regular Wildcat began with an issue dated 22 October 1988. The 32-page comic featured high production values for the period, and to enhance Belardinelli's artwork "Joe Alien" was selected as the comic's colour strip. From the third issue veteran illustrator Ron Smith took over as artist on the story. However, the British comic industry was in decline and Wildcat failed to find an audience, being cancelled after 12 issues and merged with Eagle in March 1989. All of the strips from Wildcat were continued to some degree in Eagle, though pressures of space meant they were rotated. "Joe Alien" was one of the less lasting, occupying the slot for four weeks in May 1989 to complete the in-progress story arc. The character would however feature in three episodes of the self-contained "The Wildcat Complete" anthology, the last coming on 23 September 1989.[3]
"Joe Alien" and the other contents of Wildcat were among the properties purchased from Fleetway owners Egmont Publishing in 2016.[4][5] In 2018, Rebellion announced plans to reprint the contents of Wildcat in collected editions under their Treasury of British Comics imprint.[6] As of 2025[update] only "Turbo Jones" and "Loner" have been released however, with "Joe Alien" still uncollected.