Vendetta to the rescue

Check out this awesome sketch by Kev Walker of a key scene in Blood Fever when Vendetta comes to rescue young James from the fiendish mosquito torture.

We’ll see more of these terrific Kev Walker illustrations (in color) in the upcoming Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier, due for release on October 29, 2009.

'Quantum of Solace' nominated for book design award

The handsome new hardcover edition of Quantum of Solace -- a complete collection of the Ian Fleming James Bond short stories -- has been short-listed for the Best Jacket/Cover Design category of the British Book Design and Production Awards 2009.

The book was designed by Angus Hyland and Fabian Herrmann of Pentagram, and is a cloth-covered hardback featuring a silver foil-blocked image of Bond’s weapon of choice, the Walther PPK. The stunning design has caught the eye of many, and Antonio Carusone of design blog www.aisleone.net describes it:

A subtle diamond pattern is debossed on to the boards, which combined with deep burgundy endpapers evokes the discerning elegance of Bond’s world. An embossed manila bellyband with typewritten cover information on the label evokes the official documents of the period.

The winner of each category will be announced at the British Book Design and Production Awards 2009 gala dinner to be held on Thursday 29 October at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London. Ticket details can be found at www.britishbookawards.org, and the short-list for the 2009 awards will also be available on the website from Monday 10 August 2009.

Source: Ian Fleming Publications

Interview with Raymond Benson

Skype video interview with James Bond continuation author Raymond Benson. Interviewer: Stacey Cochran.

French SilverFin Graphic Novel

The Young Bond Dossier has revealed cover art for the French language edition of SilverFin: The Graphic Novel by Charlie Higson and Kev Walker. This marks the first appearance of the graphic novel outside the UK. Release date is September 23, 2009 (Amazon.fr).

OO7 Magazine #51 out now

After a 3-year sabbatical as on online periodical, 007 Magazine is BACK IN PRINT with issue #51 released today.

Editor & publisher Graham Rye explained, “When we ceased publishing 007 Magazine as a paper publication in December 2005 many of our faithful long-time readers were less than enthusiastic about the changeover to the new media. So after being away for a three-year hiatus I’ve decided to return with a printed magazine format and this time to run two titles side-by-side, hopefully to cater for every possible taste in Bond fandom."

You can purchase 007 #51 NOW via the 007 Magazine website.