Welcome to ACES WEEKLY Volume 26, Week Three!

An artist friend of mine recently bemoaned the fact that only a very restricted style of art was deemed to be acceptable for storytelling in mainstream comics, and this led to lots of great artists whose styles didn't fit into that box, being unemployable in most of the better-paid positions in comic drawing. It's a fact. Who's responsible? No one particular villain. Primitive print reproduction way back, is one ; the time-saving system of splitting strip work into penciller/inker/colour is another ; the genesis of the ' dynamic style ' in the superhero genre of strips, is another. These, plus more, have combined, by accident or design, to make certain comic style-forms more ubiquitous, and thus, more appealing to popular taste ; thus, better for business ; and, thus, ideal to endlessly repeat for continuing success. It's no good arguing with popular taste that's become settled and content with the things it's been given to love. But why argue at all, when you can try to persuade instead? We didn't start Aces Weekly with the intention to be different, but we ended up that way because - being outside the mainstream - we could. By dint of that freedom, we've been in the position of showing some very different styles to the usual, and very different forms of storytelling, with nothing linking them but their quality. We can't be sure you'll be persuaded by any of them, but we love being able to try... : )

Remember, we always want to hear from you. Ask questions, talk to us all, post to our blog, and see us over at facebook.com/acesweekly. Or send mail to [email protected] to see it right here, whatever you want to say!