ROK Comics seeks hot talent and offers $10K Prize

Lancaster, England – JUNE 22nd 2007: ROK Comics, the UK-based online and mobile phone creative aggregator and publisher of comics and cartoons have announced a competition with a prize of $10,000 (£5,000) for the best original comic strip or cartoon published it receives between now and the end of August.

In addition, ROK are offering the winner of the prize the opportunity to feature front-and-centre online under a new section of the ROK Comics website to be called ‘HOT TALENT.’

ROK Comics is a new opportunity for publishers and creators to reach a worldwide audience who will be able to download the comics via Pay Per Download or subscription via Multi Media Messaging (MMS).

“The mobile phone is the perfect delivery vehicle for comics. The back lighting provides incredible vibrancy and the MMS presentation format we have chosen works across almost all phones and network operators” commented ROK Comics Managing Editor, John Freeman.

In addition, ROK Comics offers "FreeFall Comics" – an advanced Flash-based web service enabling anyone to create strips using their own photos along with ready-made characters and backgrounds that can be delivered to mobile and email.

With access to millions of handsets through existing Mobile Network Operator Agreements, ROK Comics can deliver digital comics straight to mobile handsets and collect revenue for doing so.

Creators publishing professionally via ROK Comics will receive 50% of the available revenue on every sale, with full access to sales statistics, viewings and more.

Publishers can also create Free Samples of strips that can be viewed online and on mobile to promote their print editions, and let fans know about them by e-mail, and provide an "Embed" of a strip, which can be posted on web sites, blog or company site.

John Freeman, a veteran of the comics and magazine world is spearheading ROK Comics, part of ROK Media. John was previously an editor for Marvel UK, Titan Magazines and a number of independent publishers. At Marvel, he edited Doctor Who Magazine and several of the company's US titles such as the best-selling Death's Head II. He was also editor of Star Trek Magazine and oversaw the launch of titles such as Star Wars Magazine, and the UK editions of Simpsons Comics.

“John and I have been looking at the potential for comics on mobile phones for some time and now, with advances in handset technology and ROK’s huge distribution network, we have finally made this a reality. We believe that this is a great mass market opportunity for creators and publishers alike. By enabling mobile delivery, syndication of their creations is now instantly possible, generating real revenue and we’re delighted to be offering this fantastic cash prize for the best original content we receive.” Said Graham Baines, CEO, ROK Media Ltd.

The £5,000 winner will be announced on the in early September.

ROK Comics is available via mobile and the web at www.rokcomics.com. ROK Media is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ROK Entertainment Group who announced in May this year they had agreed to be acquired by US publicly-listed company, CyberFund (OTC: CYFD) in a Share Exchange Agreement.

Eoin Colfer’s Half Moon Investigations on ROK Comics

ROK Comics has created a special mobile-formatted adaptation of a new comic strip from Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer’s new book, Half Moon Investigations: can you solve the crime of the missing organiser?

The comic, drawn by John Royle, has been published to coincide with the release of Half Moon Investigations in paperback on July 5th. The comic is a preview of the first chapter of the book and the ROK Comic mobile version will be published in four parts once a week, starting Monday 18 June 2007.

Fletcher Moon is a half-pint schoolboy and fully qualified private investigator. Since graduating online, he has solved all sorts of minor mysteries at school and at home. His partial friend (or informer, as Fletcher prefers to call him), always wants to see his badge and always wants to try to get it. When Fletcher starts asking questions about a spate of odd crimes in the town of Lock, it quickly becomes clear that nothing is quite as it seems. And the hunter is about to become the hunted.

Here's the first episode. Episode 2 should be published on Monday 25th June.



• To buy the book click this link to Amazon UK

ROK offers Look and Learn Wallpapers for Mobile

Alongside the ongoing ROK Comics work, readers might be interested to know that some of various images from British magazines such as Bible Story and Look and Learn and other associated titles are now available as wallpapers for mobile phones, produced under license from Look and Learn Magazine Ltd by ROK Media.

The wallpapers so far include Bible Story images like this fantastic one of Noah's Ark by James E. McConnell, images conjuring up the Wild West and some travel images, with many, many more to come.

Flantoons on ROK Comics

One for the over 18s -- Mike Flanagan's "SEZ" strips evoke that cheery feel of a British holiday postcard, but on your phone, with bare knuckle jokes at the expense of both sexes.

Mike's been sending me fab one panel gags for simply ages and I'm delighted he's signed up for ROK Comics. He's posted several free to view samples, of which this is one...

Pure Holiday from Chris Reynolds

Critically acclaimed comics artist Chris Reynolds has just added "Pure Holiday", a free-to-view taster of his highly regarded work, to ROK Comics. Here's the first of eight episodes...



In addition to this new strip, check out Chris' fantastic superhero strip, Moon Queen.

BVC's Hunted on ROK Comics

If, like us, you've been waiting to sink your fangs into Broken Voice Comics vampire-themed comic Hunted ever since it was originally scheduled for launch back in February, then rejoice - the wait is finally over!

Yes, the first pages from this original take on the vampire genre have been posted at Broken Voice Comics today, so what can you expect? Well, as faras this week is concerned, you can expect to meet Elena (Leni to her friends!) but stick with it and, before long, you'll be seeing vampires in a whole new light!

Alternatively, this comic is also the first BVC title to have a simultaneous launch both as a webcomic and, thanks to ROK Comics, as a download direct to your mobile phone.

In fact, the mobile version will probably be running slightly ahead of the full text version so, if you want to know what happens after today's launch pages, take a look at this free trailer before downloading the first instalment!