Tottering-By-Gently: Vol. III (The O'Shea Gallery; 2003) ISBN-13: 978-0953277223
First Appearances:
Luke Kirby (Summer Magic) in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Publications) Prog 571 (1988).
Births:
Des Taylor (1971)
Deaths:
Frank Reynolds (1953); Edward Barker (1997)
Notable Events:
Nelson and Tik and Tok newspaper strips ended in 1925.
The Jinks Family newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1927.
The Daily Express published the final Jeff Hawke strip in 1974.
Forbidden Planet (New York) opened at 821 Broadway (at 12th), New York, in 1981.
The Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival took place on this day in 2008.
Alan Moore: Storyteller by Gary Spencer Millidge was released in 2011.
The inaugural Birmingham Comics Festival began at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in 2015.
Showing posts with label Alan Moore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alan Moore. Show all posts
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Sunday, March 31, 2019
On This Day: 31 Mar
Tiger and Jag (Fleetway) #[] (1969).
On Comedy; The Beano and Ideology by Leo Baxendale (Reaper Books; 1989)
Wallace and Gromit: The Complete Newspaper Comic Strips Collection (Titan Comics) vol.3 (2015) ISBN-10: 1782762043
First Appearances:
Luke Jarvis (The Mindstealers) in The Crunch (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #12 (07 Apr 1979).
Births:
Bill McCail (1902); Bill Humphries (1911); Frank Humphris (1911); Jack Kirkbride (1923); Pablo Marcos (1937); Ian Gray (1938); Simon Henwood (1965)
Deaths:
Leonard Raven–Hill (1942); Dennis M. Reader (1995); Barry Took (2002); Massimo Belardinelli (2007)
Notable Events:
Roscoe Moscow in "Who Killed Rock 'N' Roll?" by Alan Moore, using the pen–name Curt Vile, began in Sounds magazine in 1979.
Douglas Bader was the subject of BBC television's This is Your Life in 1982.
Millie newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1990.
The Glasgow Comic Art Convention began in City Chambers, George Square in 1990.
Songs from the stage show Andy Capp: The Musical released on CD in 2014.
On Comedy; The Beano and Ideology by Leo Baxendale (Reaper Books; 1989)
Wallace and Gromit: The Complete Newspaper Comic Strips Collection (Titan Comics) vol.3 (2015) ISBN-10: 1782762043
First Appearances:
Luke Jarvis (The Mindstealers) in The Crunch (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #12 (07 Apr 1979).
Births:
Bill McCail (1902); Bill Humphries (1911); Frank Humphris (1911); Jack Kirkbride (1923); Pablo Marcos (1937); Ian Gray (1938); Simon Henwood (1965)
Deaths:
Leonard Raven–Hill (1942); Dennis M. Reader (1995); Barry Took (2002); Massimo Belardinelli (2007)
Notable Events:
Roscoe Moscow in "Who Killed Rock 'N' Roll?" by Alan Moore, using the pen–name Curt Vile, began in Sounds magazine in 1979.
Douglas Bader was the subject of BBC television's This is Your Life in 1982.
Millie newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1990.
The Glasgow Comic Art Convention began in City Chambers, George Square in 1990.
Songs from the stage show Andy Capp: The Musical released on CD in 2014.
Saturday, March 30, 2019
On This Day: 30 Mar
Disney Elena of Avalor (Panini) #01 (2017)
First Appearances:
Marlon Shakespeare (Chopper) in 2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 206 (04 Apr 1981).
Births:
Lawrence Hector Siggs (1900); Kurt Caesar (1906); Jack Trevor Story (1917); Richard Evans (1945)
Deaths:
Rudolph Ackermann (1834); Franco Cosimo Panini (2007)
Notable Events:
The Exeter Express & Echo slandered John Gullidge's magnificent Samhain magazine one more, with further sensationalist, exploitational nonsense.
Hawkwind: Do Not Panic television documentary broadcast on BBC 4 in 2007.
The Mindscape of Alan Moore 2–disc DVD released in the UK in 2007.
First Appearances:
Marlon Shakespeare (Chopper) in 2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 206 (04 Apr 1981).
Births:
Lawrence Hector Siggs (1900); Kurt Caesar (1906); Jack Trevor Story (1917); Richard Evans (1945)
Deaths:
Rudolph Ackermann (1834); Franco Cosimo Panini (2007)
Notable Events:
The Exeter Express & Echo slandered John Gullidge's magnificent Samhain magazine one more, with further sensationalist, exploitational nonsense.
Hawkwind: Do Not Panic television documentary broadcast on BBC 4 in 2007.
The Mindscape of Alan Moore 2–disc DVD released in the UK in 2007.
Thursday, March 21, 2019
On This Day: 21 Mar
World of Wonder (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (1970).
Toxic! (Apocalypse) #01 (1991)
Tank Girl: Armadillo and a Bushel of Other Stories by Alan C. Martin. (2008)
Hurricane and Champion: The Companion Papers to Valiant by Steve Holland (Bear Alley Books; 2011) ISBN-13: 9781907081538
V for Vendetta: Music from the Motion Picture by Dario Marianelli (2006)
First Appearances:
Robina Hood in June (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #[576] (25 Mar 1972).
Births:
Alfred Sindall (1900); Evelyn Flinders (1910); Bill Holroyd (1919); Gallieno Ferri (1929)
Deaths:
Eric Parker (1974); Ron Clark (2009)
Notable Events:
The Perishers animated series began on BBC 1 in 1979.
Nemesis, Torquemada and Purity Brown appeared at the Forbidden Planet store in Denmark Street, London in 1987, where Pat Mills and Bryan Talbot were signing copies of Nemesis Book 5.
Alan Moore appeared on the television series Inside Out in 2008.
Bear Alley Books published their first book in 2011.
Toxic! (Apocalypse) #01 (1991)
Tank Girl: Armadillo and a Bushel of Other Stories by Alan C. Martin. (2008)
Hurricane and Champion: The Companion Papers to Valiant by Steve Holland (Bear Alley Books; 2011) ISBN-13: 9781907081538
V for Vendetta: Music from the Motion Picture by Dario Marianelli (2006)
First Appearances:
Robina Hood in June (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #[576] (25 Mar 1972).
Births:
Alfred Sindall (1900); Evelyn Flinders (1910); Bill Holroyd (1919); Gallieno Ferri (1929)
Deaths:
Eric Parker (1974); Ron Clark (2009)
Notable Events:
The Perishers animated series began on BBC 1 in 1979.
Nemesis, Torquemada and Purity Brown appeared at the Forbidden Planet store in Denmark Street, London in 1987, where Pat Mills and Bryan Talbot were signing copies of Nemesis Book 5.
Alan Moore appeared on the television series Inside Out in 2008.
Bear Alley Books published their first book in 2011.
Friday, February 8, 2019
On This Day: 08 Feb
Nutty (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Batman Monthly Presents (London Editions Magazines) #02 The Riddler (1991).
Primo Club Magazine (Primo) #01 (1965)
Smash Hits (EMAP National Publications Ltd.) #05 () *first fortnightly issue*
2000 A.D. Space Quiz Book by Roy Preston (Mirror Books; 1980)
First Appearances:
Lt. Kurt Stahlmann (Iron Annie) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #177 (11 Feb 1978).
Sgt. Jim Steadman (The Tankies) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #177 (11 Feb 1978).
Eric Wimp (Bananaman) in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
The Bar-O Boys in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Big 'n' Bud in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Dick Turban in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Doodlebug in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Ethel Red in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Mitey Joe in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Pearl Potter in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Peter Pest in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Pig Tales in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Samuel Creeps in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
The School Belles in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Scoopy in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Steevie Star in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Wacky the Crackpot Inventor in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
The Wild Rovers in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
CPO Sam Steele (Steele's Squad) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #490 (11 Feb 1984).
Paul (Finn) in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Editions Ltd.) Prog 770 (15 Feb 1992).
Births:
Cyril Price (1905); Frank S. Pepper (1910)
Deaths:
Fortunino Matania (1963); Franco Caprioli (1974); John Miles (1998)
Notable Events:
Feature film From Hell, based on the comic by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, released in the UK in 2002.
Revisiting the House of Hammer video uploaded to YouTube by Dez Skinn in 2013.
Batman Monthly Presents (London Editions Magazines) #02 The Riddler (1991).
Primo Club Magazine (Primo) #01 (1965)
Smash Hits (EMAP National Publications Ltd.) #05 () *first fortnightly issue*
2000 A.D. Space Quiz Book by Roy Preston (Mirror Books; 1980)
First Appearances:
Lt. Kurt Stahlmann (Iron Annie) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #177 (11 Feb 1978).
Sgt. Jim Steadman (The Tankies) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #177 (11 Feb 1978).
Eric Wimp (Bananaman) in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
The Bar-O Boys in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Big 'n' Bud in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Dick Turban in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Doodlebug in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Ethel Red in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Mitey Joe in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Pearl Potter in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Peter Pest in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Pig Tales in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Samuel Creeps in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
The School Belles in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Scoopy in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Steevie Star in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Wacky the Crackpot Inventor in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
The Wild Rovers in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
CPO Sam Steele (Steele's Squad) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #490 (11 Feb 1984).
Paul (Finn) in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Editions Ltd.) Prog 770 (15 Feb 1992).
Births:
Cyril Price (1905); Frank S. Pepper (1910)
Deaths:
Fortunino Matania (1963); Franco Caprioli (1974); John Miles (1998)
Notable Events:
Feature film From Hell, based on the comic by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, released in the UK in 2002.
Revisiting the House of Hammer video uploaded to YouTube by Dez Skinn in 2013.
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Warrior #2
Apr 1982. Cover price 50p.
52 pages. B&W contents.
Quality Communications Ltd.
Edited by Dez Skinn.
Cover by Garry Leach.
Contents:
Under a cover which doesn't quite work as an iconic representation of Marvelman, there's another quality outing for Quality's groundbreaking title. As an entry to the issue, moving straight into the Marvelman saga is a strong statement - there's no need for an editorial, or introduction, or commentary, for so assured and confident is this work that any extraneous fluff would merely be wasted. Of course, it could merely be due to a lack of space...
News reports speculate on events at the Larksmere nuclear power station, with rumination about the nature of one man's second degree burns, and the identification of "a man-like object rising into the sky at a tremendous speed." Mike, still in his Marvelman form, arrives home to Liz, who doesn't recognise him. Talking over coffee, Mike explains his past to Liz about working as a copy boy for the Daily Bugle, and seeing a vision which conferred upon him miraculous powers. Liz laughs at the ridiculous nature of his story, claiming his account sounds stupid.
Building up a serious background to the strip, with a similarly-powered individual, angered at Marvelman's return, hinting at future stories. There's a superb humour in the strip, which isn't something usually noted about Alan Moore's writing, but he has a fantastic sense of who these characters are, allowing levity to arise from interaction.
Axel Pressbutton's adventures had been running in Sounds for a good while when he began appearing in Warrior, so a history of the character, with the strip's inception covered, as well as a checklist of appearances, is a very welcome addition. While there aren't enough reprinted strips included to get a feel of the ongoing narrative, there are enough to satisfy curiosity - as well as, incidentally, encouraging people to hunt down elusive copies of Sounds.
V for Vendetta continues with investigations into V's activities, though nothing can be discovered about his identity or location despite immense manpower being invested. A cover story for the explosion is concocted, going so far as to come up with a plausible reason for the fireworks. V introduces Evie to his Shadow Gallery, his home, where he has collected literature, paintings, and music which the government has banned.
Was I the only one who thought of Droopy when seeing that final panel?
It is appropriate that high and low culture should mesh throughout the strip so well, being equally susceptible to challenges from self-appointed moral guardians - the very people Moore sets out to target here. With some very accomplished artwork, and beautiful lettering, the intimidating scenario in which V and Evie find themselves in is perfectly captured. As omnipresent eyes and ears paying attention to the populace is made literal, one can't help but feeling the rise of surveillance culture was acutely predicted.
A Father Shandor reprint is, perhaps, too close to original publication to be really appreciated. Following such a strip with Madman, which begins this issue, is extremely disorienting - one minute we're following a rather stylish story set in the past, and the next... Well.
Martin Schiller, an epileptic, finds himself in care, and is eventually rendered catatonic where he receives visions. A strange man gives him a substance which sends Martin back to stasis, stating:
It is an incredibly odd strip, with comic-book conventions, such as multiple realities, vying with the more realistic fate of Martin's physical body. To say that it is difficult to get a handle on the scenario and main character is an understatement. It doesn't quite work for me, with far too much incident and not enough set-up.
Small details add to the texture of the world, and there's enough questions hanging in the air to make the series truly compelling.
Picking up events on Ormuz, Laser Eraser and Pressbutton finds the pair preparing to reach Thaxdon Industries through security forces. Axel displays a dislike of plants, and - encountering an android - Mysta concludes that they have been set up by the Dendrellian Order of Assassins, and as they rush to escape from an explosion she realises that Arterius Donthax is likely behind events. Donthax, seeing how the duo have managed to survive his plots, tells Zirk that he has decided to inform Ormuzian security where Mysta is.
Having to fight their way through wave after wave of officers determined to apprehend them, Axel and Mysta manage to reach a space-cruiser Mysta had hidden, and when they are safely in space Axel asks her to explain why Donthax wants her dead, and how she got mixed up with Dendrellian assassins.
The mix of strips is wider than in any comparable title, and though the issue is light on text features, what is present is of great interest. The paper isn't the best, and the lack of colour interiors is a slight drawback for Marvelman, though on the whole this is a very impressive issue. There's a lack of laugh-out-loud comedy, but there's a solid mix of SF, fantasy, social commentary, and... whatever Madman is.
52 pages. B&W contents.
Quality Communications Ltd.
Edited by Dez Skinn.
Cover by Garry Leach.
Contents:
2 Twilight World Illustration by Jim Baikie.
3 Warrior title credits. / Contents / Indicia
4 Marvelman Untitled part two, w: Alan Moore; a: Garry Leach.
10 Comic Showcase advertisement for The Old Comic Shop, London; a: Marshall Rogers.
11 The Life, Death & Earlier Days of Axel Pressbutton, Esquire text feature by Dez Skinn; illustrated by Steve Dillon & Curt Vile [Alan Moore].
15 Quality Mail Sales (two thirds page) in-house advertisement for mail-order service.
16 V for Vendetta Chapter Two: The Voice w: Alan Moore; a: David Lloyd, lettering by Zelda Estrella.
23 Father Shandor, Demon Stalker River of Corpses... Tower of Death w: Steve Moore, from a plot by Dez Skinn & John Bolton; a: John Bolton.
r: House of Hammer (Top Sellers, Ltd.) #16 (Jan 1978).
30 Madman Visions of Stasis w:/a: Paul Neary.
35 The Spiral Path Untitled w:/a: Steve Parkhouse.
40 Laser Eraser and Pressbutton Untitled w: Pedro Henry (Steve Moore); a: Steve Dillon.
49 Dispatches text feature.
50 Roar - the Movie (half page) advertisement; w: Dez Skinn; a: Steve Dillon.
51 HOH Collector's Item Back Issues in-house advertisement.
52 People Like Us Shop at... Forbidden Planet advertisement; a: Brian Bolland.
Under a cover which doesn't quite work as an iconic representation of Marvelman, there's another quality outing for Quality's groundbreaking title. As an entry to the issue, moving straight into the Marvelman saga is a strong statement - there's no need for an editorial, or introduction, or commentary, for so assured and confident is this work that any extraneous fluff would merely be wasted. Of course, it could merely be due to a lack of space...
News reports speculate on events at the Larksmere nuclear power station, with rumination about the nature of one man's second degree burns, and the identification of "a man-like object rising into the sky at a tremendous speed." Mike, still in his Marvelman form, arrives home to Liz, who doesn't recognise him. Talking over coffee, Mike explains his past to Liz about working as a copy boy for the Daily Bugle, and seeing a vision which conferred upon him miraculous powers. Liz laughs at the ridiculous nature of his story, claiming his account sounds stupid.
"I suppose you're right. Actually saying it out loud like that, it does sound... Well... Pretty unlikely. I never really thought about it before. But I had to believe it. Don't you see? I was Marvelman! I was a being of almost unlimited power!!This was the first time that the nature of a superhero's origin story was acknowledged in-universe as being patently idiotic, although the dialogue is handled so well that it doesn't really feel as if the text is being deliberately transgressive. With Liz's laughter stopping once the sincerity of Mike's words become apparent, he relates his final adventure with the Marvelman Family - his friends murdered in an a-bomb explosion aboard a sky fortress hanging over the North Sea.
And I wasn't the only one. Within a year I was joined by another young man with 'atomic powers' like mine. His name was Dicky Dauntless...
You're laughing again.
Building up a serious background to the strip, with a similarly-powered individual, angered at Marvelman's return, hinting at future stories. There's a superb humour in the strip, which isn't something usually noted about Alan Moore's writing, but he has a fantastic sense of who these characters are, allowing levity to arise from interaction.
Axel Pressbutton's adventures had been running in Sounds for a good while when he began appearing in Warrior, so a history of the character, with the strip's inception covered, as well as a checklist of appearances, is a very welcome addition. While there aren't enough reprinted strips included to get a feel of the ongoing narrative, there are enough to satisfy curiosity - as well as, incidentally, encouraging people to hunt down elusive copies of Sounds.
V for Vendetta continues with investigations into V's activities, though nothing can be discovered about his identity or location despite immense manpower being invested. A cover story for the explosion is concocted, going so far as to come up with a plausible reason for the fireworks. V introduces Evie to his Shadow Gallery, his home, where he has collected literature, paintings, and music which the government has banned.
Was I the only one who thought of Droopy when seeing that final panel?
It is appropriate that high and low culture should mesh throughout the strip so well, being equally susceptible to challenges from self-appointed moral guardians - the very people Moore sets out to target here. With some very accomplished artwork, and beautiful lettering, the intimidating scenario in which V and Evie find themselves in is perfectly captured. As omnipresent eyes and ears paying attention to the populace is made literal, one can't help but feeling the rise of surveillance culture was acutely predicted.
A Father Shandor reprint is, perhaps, too close to original publication to be really appreciated. Following such a strip with Madman, which begins this issue, is extremely disorienting - one minute we're following a rather stylish story set in the past, and the next... Well.
Martin Schiller, an epileptic, finds himself in care, and is eventually rendered catatonic where he receives visions. A strange man gives him a substance which sends Martin back to stasis, stating:
"There are six hundred and thirty three different elements of existence... and each possesses an earth which differs slightly from all the others! The people of most of these earths have recourse to stasis through some means or another... Our Earth lies in the 18th element and we are involved in a vast struggle against all the other existences, Martin... and we need your help!"Told only to trust those from the 18th existence or the Observers - who are neutral, and above reproach - on his journey.
It is an incredibly odd strip, with comic-book conventions, such as multiple realities, vying with the more realistic fate of Martin's physical body. To say that it is difficult to get a handle on the scenario and main character is an understatement. It doesn't quite work for me, with far too much incident and not enough set-up.
Across the plains of Tairngir they marched - the Legion of Lost Souls - doomed to eternal battle for their relic-king Artûk.The Spiral Path is proving to be the hidden delight in Warrior, with Nuada racing through enemy lines - despite being injured in his attempt, he faces the captain of the enemy forces, who may be more than any warrior could expect to defeat.
And all who stood in their path must perish... Or else fly for their very lives!
Artûk! Lord of death, prince of the air, stealer of dreamers' souls. A triumph of demented will over dead flesh!
Small details add to the texture of the world, and there's enough questions hanging in the air to make the series truly compelling.
Picking up events on Ormuz, Laser Eraser and Pressbutton finds the pair preparing to reach Thaxdon Industries through security forces. Axel displays a dislike of plants, and - encountering an android - Mysta concludes that they have been set up by the Dendrellian Order of Assassins, and as they rush to escape from an explosion she realises that Arterius Donthax is likely behind events. Donthax, seeing how the duo have managed to survive his plots, tells Zirk that he has decided to inform Ormuzian security where Mysta is.
Having to fight their way through wave after wave of officers determined to apprehend them, Axel and Mysta manage to reach a space-cruiser Mysta had hidden, and when they are safely in space Axel asks her to explain why Donthax wants her dead, and how she got mixed up with Dendrellian assassins.
The mix of strips is wider than in any comparable title, and though the issue is light on text features, what is present is of great interest. The paper isn't the best, and the lack of colour interiors is a slight drawback for Marvelman, though on the whole this is a very impressive issue. There's a lack of laugh-out-loud comedy, but there's a solid mix of SF, fantasy, social commentary, and... whatever Madman is.
Sunday, November 25, 2018
On This Day: 25 Nov
Spider-Man and the Titans (Marvel) #199 (1976).
Births:
Henry Mayhew (1812); Chris Claremont (1950); Michael Bennent (Michael Wiessmuller; 1965)
Deaths:
Sydney J. Bounds (2006); Hugh Burnett (2011)
Notable Events:
Tich newspaper strip ended in 1933.
The short film Jimmy's End, written by Alan Moore, released in 2012.
The Reading Comic Con began, at Rivermead Leisure Complex, in 2018.
Births:
Henry Mayhew (1812); Chris Claremont (1950); Michael Bennent (Michael Wiessmuller; 1965)
Deaths:
Sydney J. Bounds (2006); Hugh Burnett (2011)
Notable Events:
Tich newspaper strip ended in 1933.
The short film Jimmy's End, written by Alan Moore, released in 2012.
The Reading Comic Con began, at Rivermead Leisure Complex, in 2018.
Friday, November 23, 2018
On This Day: 23 Nov
First Appearances:
Dagger Man in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #166 (26 Nov 1977).
Births:
Neville Main (1913); Charles Grigg (1916); Harley Lawrence Schwadron (1942); Sandra Marrs (1973)
Deaths:
Graham Laidler (Pont; 1940); Dorothy Craigie (1971); Dennis Mallet (1988); Lilli Ursula Barbara Victoria Davidson (Victoria; 1999)
Notable Events:
Eve newspaper strip began in The Daily Sketch in 1953.
Juvenile Publications were moved from 161–166 Fleet Street to the old Daily Herald building at 96 Longacre in 1963.
Alan McKenzie, Mark Millar, Grant Morrison, Sean Philips, John Smith and Steve Yeowell attended a joint 2000 A.D. / Judge Dredd The Megazine signing at Mike Conroy's The Edge of Forever, 82B Broadway, Bexley Heath, Kent, in 1991. Judge Dredd was also in attendance.
Alan Moore's Outbreaks of Violets, a set of 24 cards with art by a variety of European artists, was given away at the 1995 MTV Europe Music Awards.
Thought Bubble Comic Con, the Leeds Sequential Art Festival, began at Clarence Dock, Leeds, in 2013.
Peter Firmin received a special lifetime honour at the BAFTA Children's Awards in 2014.
Dan Dare: A Brief History video uploaded to YouTube in 2016 to celebrate the launch of the B7 Media / Big Finish audio adventures.
Dagger Man in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #166 (26 Nov 1977).
Births:
Neville Main (1913); Charles Grigg (1916); Harley Lawrence Schwadron (1942); Sandra Marrs (1973)
Deaths:
Graham Laidler (Pont; 1940); Dorothy Craigie (1971); Dennis Mallet (1988); Lilli Ursula Barbara Victoria Davidson (Victoria; 1999)
Notable Events:
Eve newspaper strip began in The Daily Sketch in 1953.
Juvenile Publications were moved from 161–166 Fleet Street to the old Daily Herald building at 96 Longacre in 1963.
Alan McKenzie, Mark Millar, Grant Morrison, Sean Philips, John Smith and Steve Yeowell attended a joint 2000 A.D. / Judge Dredd The Megazine signing at Mike Conroy's The Edge of Forever, 82B Broadway, Bexley Heath, Kent, in 1991. Judge Dredd was also in attendance.
Alan Moore's Outbreaks of Violets, a set of 24 cards with art by a variety of European artists, was given away at the 1995 MTV Europe Music Awards.
Thought Bubble Comic Con, the Leeds Sequential Art Festival, began at Clarence Dock, Leeds, in 2013.
Peter Firmin received a special lifetime honour at the BAFTA Children's Awards in 2014.
Dan Dare: A Brief History video uploaded to YouTube in 2016 to celebrate the launch of the B7 Media / Big Finish audio adventures.
Thursday, November 22, 2018
On This Day: 22 Nov
Births:
Eric Eden (1924); Tim Beaumont (1928); Derek Pierson (1938)
Deaths:
Hugh McNeill (1979)
Notable Events:
The second day of the Hoffnung Interplanetary Music Festival took place at the Royal Festival Hall in 1958.
Alan Moore and Ian Gibson signed copies of collected editions of Halo Jones Book 3 and D.R. & Quinch's Guide to Life at the Forbidden Planet store in Denmark Street, London in 1986.
Eric Eden (1924); Tim Beaumont (1928); Derek Pierson (1938)
Deaths:
Hugh McNeill (1979)
Notable Events:
The second day of the Hoffnung Interplanetary Music Festival took place at the Royal Festival Hall in 1958.
Alan Moore and Ian Gibson signed copies of collected editions of Halo Jones Book 3 and D.R. & Quinch's Guide to Life at the Forbidden Planet store in Denmark Street, London in 1986.
Sunday, November 18, 2018
On This Day: 18 Nov
2000 A.D. Winter Special [#2] (Fleetway Publications; 1989].
Judge Dredd - I ❤ Judge Dredd by Jonathan Clements. (Big Finish Productions; 2002)
Births:
Derek Ivor Breashur McCulloch (Uncle Mac; 1897); Nadir Quinto (1918); Alan Moore (1953)
Deaths:
Reg Parlett (1991); David Langdon (2011); Richard Willson (2011)
Notable Events:
Dot and Carrie newspaper strip began in The Star in 1922.
Millie and her Brother Richard newspaper strip ended in 1995.
Girl Chat newspaper strip ended in 1995.
Alan Moore performed a reading at a Victorian magistrate's court in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1995. The show was released as The Birth Caul: A Shamantism of Childhood with music by David J. and Tim Perkins.
Bob Monkhouse's hand-written joke books were recovered by his agent, Peter Pritchard, in 1996.
The Mindscape of Alan Moore DVD released in the UK in 2006.
The first episode of Cranford aired on BBC One in 2007. Posy Simmonds drew the opening titles for the series.
John Hardress Wilfred Lloyd was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 2012.
Judge Dredd - I ❤ Judge Dredd by Jonathan Clements. (Big Finish Productions; 2002)
Births:
Derek Ivor Breashur McCulloch (Uncle Mac; 1897); Nadir Quinto (1918); Alan Moore (1953)
Deaths:
Reg Parlett (1991); David Langdon (2011); Richard Willson (2011)
Notable Events:
Dot and Carrie newspaper strip began in The Star in 1922.
Millie and her Brother Richard newspaper strip ended in 1995.
Girl Chat newspaper strip ended in 1995.
Alan Moore performed a reading at a Victorian magistrate's court in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1995. The show was released as The Birth Caul: A Shamantism of Childhood with music by David J. and Tim Perkins.
Bob Monkhouse's hand-written joke books were recovered by his agent, Peter Pritchard, in 1996.
The Mindscape of Alan Moore DVD released in the UK in 2006.
The first episode of Cranford aired on BBC One in 2007. Posy Simmonds drew the opening titles for the series.
John Hardress Wilfred Lloyd was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 2012.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
On This Day: 14 Nov
The Best of Britain’s Political Cartoons 2013 edited by Tim Benson. (Scribe UK; 2013) ISBN-13: 978-1922247049.
Births:
Alberto Giolitti (1923); Carlos Pacheco (1962)
Deaths:
Malcolm Muggeridge (1990)
Notable Events:
Alan Moore appeared on the music television show The Tube in 1986.
Signing event at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington for Dinosaurs: A Celebration in 1992. Dan Abnett, John Bolton, Doug Braithwaite, Phil Gascoine, John Higgins, Kev Hopgood, Andy Lanning, Dermot Power, Liam Sharp and Nick Vince were present to sign copies of the book.
Stan Lee continued his signing tour at Forbidden Planet, 59 Grainger Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1991.
Simon Coleby, Gary Frank and Paul Neary signed copies of Marvel UK comics in a Forbidden Planet promotion at The Conservatory, St. Giles High Street, in 1992. Primarily an event to celebrate the launch of Death's Head II, the signing also served to highlight the success of Overkill.
The first episode of Bernard's Watch broadcast in 1997. Though not based on a comic, it shares many similarities to the Stan Still's Stopwatch strip originally published in Buster.
Beanotown Racing PC game released in 2003.
Thought Bubble Comic Convention began, in Leeds at Saviles & Royal Armouries Hall, in 2011.
An Evening with Jonathan Cape Graphic Novels took place at Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol, in 2012.
Leeds Comic Con, part of Thought Bubble, the Leeds Comic Art Festival, began in 2015.
Births:
Alberto Giolitti (1923); Carlos Pacheco (1962)
Deaths:
Malcolm Muggeridge (1990)
Notable Events:
Alan Moore appeared on the music television show The Tube in 1986.
Signing event at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington for Dinosaurs: A Celebration in 1992. Dan Abnett, John Bolton, Doug Braithwaite, Phil Gascoine, John Higgins, Kev Hopgood, Andy Lanning, Dermot Power, Liam Sharp and Nick Vince were present to sign copies of the book.
Stan Lee continued his signing tour at Forbidden Planet, 59 Grainger Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1991.
Simon Coleby, Gary Frank and Paul Neary signed copies of Marvel UK comics in a Forbidden Planet promotion at The Conservatory, St. Giles High Street, in 1992. Primarily an event to celebrate the launch of Death's Head II, the signing also served to highlight the success of Overkill.
The first episode of Bernard's Watch broadcast in 1997. Though not based on a comic, it shares many similarities to the Stan Still's Stopwatch strip originally published in Buster.
Beanotown Racing PC game released in 2003.
Thought Bubble Comic Convention began, in Leeds at Saviles & Royal Armouries Hall, in 2011.
An Evening with Jonathan Cape Graphic Novels took place at Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol, in 2012.
Leeds Comic Con, part of Thought Bubble, the Leeds Comic Art Festival, began in 2015.
Monday, November 5, 2018
On This Day: 05 Nov
Remember, remember, the fifth of November,Wallace & Gromit: Anoraknophobia by Tristan Davies & Nick Newman (Hodder &Stoughton; 1998).
Gunpowder Treason and Plot.
I know of no reason why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!
Captain Britain vol.IV: The Siege of Camelot (Panini Books; 2009).
The Beatles Story (ROK Mobile Comics) #01 (2012).
Britain's Best Political Cartoons 2015 edited by Tim Benson. (Random House Books; 2015) ISBN-13: 978-1847947635
First Appearances:
Robo Machines in Eagle and Scream! (IPC Magazines Ltd.) vol.20? #138 (10 Nov 1984).
Births:
Edmund Xavier Kapp (1890); Bud Neill (1911)
Deaths:
Percy Fearon (Poy; 1948); Mabel Lucie Attwell (1964); René Goscinny (1977); Robert Maxwell (1991); Ron Bennett (2006)
Notable Events:
Robert Maxwell decided to go for a swim in the Atlantic in 1991.
Pedigree Books incorporated in 1996.
Spider-Man made a personal appearance at Nightingales in Chorley in 1984.
Ian Botham was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 1989.
Dan Dare: Pilot Of The Future CGI television series began in 2002.
Procon 1 took place at the Ramada Hotel, Bristol, in 2004.
Alan Moore's single The Decline of English Murder released in 2012.
Leeds Comic Con, part of Thought Bubble, the Leeds Comic Art Festival, began in 2016.
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Scream! #1
24 Mar 1984; Cover price 22p.
32 pages. Colour & B&W.
IPC Magazines Ltd.
Edited by Ian Rimmer.
Cover by UNKNOWN.
Free Dracula fangs.
Contents:
I vividly remember running around with Dracula fangs in my mouth when I first read Scream!, and the strange taste which they left in my mouth for a while after. Memories of this title appearing on the shelves of newsagents is still fresh in my mind all these years later, and coming to it after so long is... Well, it is weird. Separating the quality of contents from the memory of stories is an interesting experience, though mostly it holds up under scrutiny.
Although bringing the Count into a modern era had been done several times before (most memorably in Dracula A.D. 1972), The Dracula File manages to retain visual aesthetics of more traditional interpretations while staying conscious of the political landscape of mainland Europe since WWII. The strip's weak spot is a thoroughly uninspiring logo, which doesn't capture the cold war spirit to any degree.
Taking a uniform from an East German military base near the border, a defector disguises himself in order to make a run for the barbed wire on the western side. Guards fire at him as he flees, and, as mines explode around him, he stumbles to safe harbour. Taken to a British military hospital in Western Germany, the officers in charge determine that he is Rumanian, and ponder whether he might be a valuable defector. It is an opening which could have been inserted into a contemporary James Bond film without changing much.
The jacket he wore during his escape is checked, and the British see a row of bullet holes - he man should have died from his injuries. Computer analysis of medical reports show his body is of indefinable age, but before information can be passed along a fire breaks out. Thinking that they are in a Len Deighton novel, the British consider the possibility that K.G.B. agents might have attempted to kill the defector, not realising that danger is closer than they think.
There are a few places where the story attempts to make leaps it can't quite reach, and the final panel is a touch too on-the-nose, but there's more to like than dislike in the manner Gerry Finley Day brings Dracula back to Britain. There was one aspect of the story which seemed far-fetched at the time of publication, but which have been proven correct in intervening years - bats can cross the Channel. It was something that bothered me, but since it ha been verified I'll refrain from pointing out how unlikely they are to show up on radar.
With an audacious sense of black humour, Alan Moore opens Monster with twelve-year-old Kenneth Corman burying his father's corpse in his back garden is nothing compared to how he closes out this installment - the boy walking slowly up the stairs to a locked door. There's so little event, yet so much detail. While we don't get introduced to the inhabitant of the room, we get enough background to know that there is a secret here which been maintained for a very long time. There is real emotions at play, and a solidity of setting which is a step above expectation.
Three years before Robert Maxwell bought IPC, there was Maxwell Tower...
Max, the digital protagonist of The Thirteenth Floor, is Scream!'s star attraction. It is difficult to justify an in-universe reason for a screen representing the software, but the visual adds so much to Max's character - a crackling screen of static and electricity with a mind of its own. Jerry, his controller, isn't as well defined, but there is obviously a close rapport in the scenes they share.
Jerry permits Max to take care of new tenants moving in, Mrs. Henderson and her son. As they settle in to their new home, Mr. Kemp (an unpleasant debt collector) arrives to harangue the recently-widowed woman about money she owes him. Max, naturally, is less than pleased at this state of affairs, and decides to teach him a lesson. Despite being built without a thirteenth floor, the traditional image of death (a skeletal figure in robes carrying a scythe) greets Kemp there.
Now that Rebellion own the character, there exists the (remote) possibility that we might get a personal assistant based on Max. So much more interesting than Siri, who would never dare suggest that someone annoying be disposed of in a gruesome-yet-appropriate manner.
Horror anthologies need good hosts. Dry wits capable of lightening the tone between tales, stepping in and out of the narrative to address the reader with offhand commentary on the events. Unfortunately, despite the best of intentions, The Leper isn't a good host. Yes, he looks appropriately hideous, but his schtick is decidedly one-note. How many ways can a leprous grave-digger be worked into a story? That Scream! already had Ghastly McNasty able to perform a similar role, The Leper is doubly redundant.
The grave in preparation is for Joshuah Sleeth, the undertaker, was a thoroughly unpleasant individual, not above assisting people to the other side in his quest for money. There is a great sense of atmosphere in the telling, and even the slightly cartoony touch which Watson brings to the strip works well. That the story feels very familiar might be down to having read the issue on publication, but I'm certain that there is more to it than that.
A Ghastly Tale! brings to mind Future Shocks in 2000 A.D., bring a sequence which blazes through a slight premise in a single page, never explaining more than it has to. So brief is the strip's presence that we don't find out the names of either of the main characters, nor why, precisely, they are reduced to appearing in a sideshow. An interesting experiment in storytelling, though one which is likely to become frustrating in the long term.
Good reprints - and specifically ones which are well-chosen for appropriateness in a title - are always welcome, and Fiends and Neighbours is a classic.
At Death's Door feels like a cop-out thanks to the "it was all just a dream" ending, but the visual of the ghost with a stick is fabulous. Yes, the story is derivative and hokey, but horror stories don't necessarily need to operate on logical foundations, and the telling is entertaining. It would have been better with more background to the family situation (and why the parents seem so stiff), but it is a continuing story.
What is the deal with cats? Cats. Are. Not. Scary.
Was someone at IPC bitten by a cat as a child? I'm not sure why both Misty and Scream! were launched with stories about cats, but as figures of dread they are lacking. Rats can be terrifying (ask James Herbert), dogs can - when handled well - hold a few scares, but domestic cats are far too unimposing to present a credible threat.
Terror of the Cats is based on the conceit that cats have turned on people, attacking randomly. There's not much more going on, and at no point in the story is there a sense that the story is being taken seriously. To end on such a low point is unfortunate.
32 pages. Colour & B&W.
IPC Magazines Ltd.
Edited by Ian Rimmer.
Cover by UNKNOWN.
Free Dracula fangs.
Contents:
.2 From the Depths... text introduction (uncredited).
.3 The Dracula File UNTITLED, part one, w: Gerry Finley Day; a: Eric Bradbury, lettering by John Aldrich.
.8 Monster What was the Terrifying Secret of the Locked Room?, part one, w: Alan Moore; a: Heinzl, lettering by Paul Bensberg.
12 The Thirteenth Floor The Thirteenth Floor Didn't Exist... Yet it was There..., part one, w: Ian Holland (Alan Grant & John Wagner); a: Jose Ortiz, lettering by Mike Peters.
16 Tales from the Grave "The Undertaker", part one, w: Tom Tully; a: Jim Watson, lettering by Tim Skomski.
19 A Ghastly Tale! w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.
20 Fiends and Neighbours UNTITLED w: UNKNOWN; a: Graham Allen (uncredited).
r: Cor!! (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #[182] (24 Nov 1973).
22 Library of Death At Death's Door... w: Barrie Tomlinson; a: Cam Kennedy, lettering by Mike Peters.
27 The Terror of the Cats "No Harm...", part one, w: John Agee; a: Gonzalez, lettering by Peter Knight.
31 Dare You Read Scream! Next Week? (one third page) next issue information. / Advertisements (two thirds page)
32 Presented With Scream! illustration by UNKNOWN.
I vividly remember running around with Dracula fangs in my mouth when I first read Scream!, and the strange taste which they left in my mouth for a while after. Memories of this title appearing on the shelves of newsagents is still fresh in my mind all these years later, and coming to it after so long is... Well, it is weird. Separating the quality of contents from the memory of stories is an interesting experience, though mostly it holds up under scrutiny.
Although bringing the Count into a modern era had been done several times before (most memorably in Dracula A.D. 1972), The Dracula File manages to retain visual aesthetics of more traditional interpretations while staying conscious of the political landscape of mainland Europe since WWII. The strip's weak spot is a thoroughly uninspiring logo, which doesn't capture the cold war spirit to any degree.
Taking a uniform from an East German military base near the border, a defector disguises himself in order to make a run for the barbed wire on the western side. Guards fire at him as he flees, and, as mines explode around him, he stumbles to safe harbour. Taken to a British military hospital in Western Germany, the officers in charge determine that he is Rumanian, and ponder whether he might be a valuable defector. It is an opening which could have been inserted into a contemporary James Bond film without changing much.
The jacket he wore during his escape is checked, and the British see a row of bullet holes - he man should have died from his injuries. Computer analysis of medical reports show his body is of indefinable age, but before information can be passed along a fire breaks out. Thinking that they are in a Len Deighton novel, the British consider the possibility that K.G.B. agents might have attempted to kill the defector, not realising that danger is closer than they think.
There are a few places where the story attempts to make leaps it can't quite reach, and the final panel is a touch too on-the-nose, but there's more to like than dislike in the manner Gerry Finley Day brings Dracula back to Britain. There was one aspect of the story which seemed far-fetched at the time of publication, but which have been proven correct in intervening years - bats can cross the Channel. It was something that bothered me, but since it ha been verified I'll refrain from pointing out how unlikely they are to show up on radar.
With an audacious sense of black humour, Alan Moore opens Monster with twelve-year-old Kenneth Corman burying his father's corpse in his back garden is nothing compared to how he closes out this installment - the boy walking slowly up the stairs to a locked door. There's so little event, yet so much detail. While we don't get introduced to the inhabitant of the room, we get enough background to know that there is a secret here which been maintained for a very long time. There is real emotions at play, and a solidity of setting which is a step above expectation.
Three years before Robert Maxwell bought IPC, there was Maxwell Tower...
Max, the digital protagonist of The Thirteenth Floor, is Scream!'s star attraction. It is difficult to justify an in-universe reason for a screen representing the software, but the visual adds so much to Max's character - a crackling screen of static and electricity with a mind of its own. Jerry, his controller, isn't as well defined, but there is obviously a close rapport in the scenes they share.
Jerry permits Max to take care of new tenants moving in, Mrs. Henderson and her son. As they settle in to their new home, Mr. Kemp (an unpleasant debt collector) arrives to harangue the recently-widowed woman about money she owes him. Max, naturally, is less than pleased at this state of affairs, and decides to teach him a lesson. Despite being built without a thirteenth floor, the traditional image of death (a skeletal figure in robes carrying a scythe) greets Kemp there.
Now that Rebellion own the character, there exists the (remote) possibility that we might get a personal assistant based on Max. So much more interesting than Siri, who would never dare suggest that someone annoying be disposed of in a gruesome-yet-appropriate manner.
Horror anthologies need good hosts. Dry wits capable of lightening the tone between tales, stepping in and out of the narrative to address the reader with offhand commentary on the events. Unfortunately, despite the best of intentions, The Leper isn't a good host. Yes, he looks appropriately hideous, but his schtick is decidedly one-note. How many ways can a leprous grave-digger be worked into a story? That Scream! already had Ghastly McNasty able to perform a similar role, The Leper is doubly redundant.
The grave in preparation is for Joshuah Sleeth, the undertaker, was a thoroughly unpleasant individual, not above assisting people to the other side in his quest for money. There is a great sense of atmosphere in the telling, and even the slightly cartoony touch which Watson brings to the strip works well. That the story feels very familiar might be down to having read the issue on publication, but I'm certain that there is more to it than that.
A Ghastly Tale! brings to mind Future Shocks in 2000 A.D., bring a sequence which blazes through a slight premise in a single page, never explaining more than it has to. So brief is the strip's presence that we don't find out the names of either of the main characters, nor why, precisely, they are reduced to appearing in a sideshow. An interesting experiment in storytelling, though one which is likely to become frustrating in the long term.
Good reprints - and specifically ones which are well-chosen for appropriateness in a title - are always welcome, and Fiends and Neighbours is a classic.
At Death's Door feels like a cop-out thanks to the "it was all just a dream" ending, but the visual of the ghost with a stick is fabulous. Yes, the story is derivative and hokey, but horror stories don't necessarily need to operate on logical foundations, and the telling is entertaining. It would have been better with more background to the family situation (and why the parents seem so stiff), but it is a continuing story.
What is the deal with cats? Cats. Are. Not. Scary.
Was someone at IPC bitten by a cat as a child? I'm not sure why both Misty and Scream! were launched with stories about cats, but as figures of dread they are lacking. Rats can be terrifying (ask James Herbert), dogs can - when handled well - hold a few scares, but domestic cats are far too unimposing to present a credible threat.
Terror of the Cats is based on the conceit that cats have turned on people, attacking randomly. There's not much more going on, and at no point in the story is there a sense that the story is being taken seriously. To end on such a low point is unfortunate.
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
The Daredevils #1
Jan 1983. Cover price 50p.
56 pages. Colour & B&W.
Marvel Comics Ltd.
Edited by Bernie Jaye.
Cover by Paul Neary.
Free cover-mounted badge.
Contents:
The Daredevils is a small move in the direction of the Marvel magazines (Starburst and Doctor Who Monthly) while retaining the focus on comics. It isn't entirely successful in marrying strips with text pieces, but there is a lot to love within. Paul Neary's cover is rather good, though the heavy blue background tends to make the cover text (including the price) somewhat difficult to discern at a glance.
Also, the circle with "1st Great Issue" is a positioned with all the skill and care of a drunken bull in a china shop. I've never understood why the area beneath the free badges were allowed to go out without something under the gift. It would have been the perfect place to position the text, meaning that the cover didn't look so bare once the badge had been removed - as most younger readers would do this as soon as possible. A cover deprived of any embellishments should be as appealing as one with them intact.
Alan Moore's Captain Britain strip opens with the titular hero dead, which would be a problem if it were not for the fact that, in comics, characters have a remarkable tendency to come back from such inconveniences with regularity. As two figures - a father and daughter - work amid vast machinery to reconstitute Brian Braddock's skeleton from a fragment of thigh-bone, we get to see glimpses of his lonely past; Muscles form on the bare bones, circulatory systems grow, and finally skin appears. His personality forms anew from these snatches of personal history, just as his body grows.
A familiar costume reappears on the still-quiet body, and Brian's spirit is plucked from the Pool of Being to be rejoined with his body. Reappearing in Darkmoor, on the eighth of September, 1982, Captain Britain - unaware of the ministrations made over his lifeless body by the mysterious pair - rejoices at being home, on the right Earth at last. His saviour, revealed to be Merlin, displays an array of appearances - partially channelling Nicol Williamson (with a dash of Ming the Merciless) in one panel - before the tale concludes.
Despite this being the beginning of a new chapter in Captain Britain's life, there are enough ties to the past with which to root future stories firmly within established continuity. It is especially reassuring that everything that has gone before is accepted without revision - this is still (more or less) the guy we've been hanging out with all this time, and the fact that Brian's been brought back to life shouldn't render any victory through his sacrifice meaningless. He still died. What's more, there's worse to come.
Within a very small page-count the story manages to fill in a lot of information, and it really does serve as the perfect jumping-on point. Alan Davis works his magic on visuals, ensuring that things look as good as they read - you can't ask for more. Well... actually, I can. It's far, far too short to feel remotely like we have been properly reacquainted with him after his journey to the other side. Leaving him at the standing stones, celebrating life, feels too easy. It would have been nice to have another page or two, with him working out how to move forward from this point without looking too Tichborne about it.
Come to think of it, would a reconstituted body maintain precise physical blemishes and marks which could identify an individual? An errant birthmark or mole, and the gig would be up. How would one go about explaining how a scar had miraculously disappeared, or that they are now in possession of an outie when they had an innie? How much of his DNA was originally altered by Merlin, and has that been reproduced exactly, or are there further changes made to his physiology which would be shown by intensive medical investigation? So. Many. Questions.
We get proof of Frank Miller's skill at handling composition with a reprint of a Daredevil strip, wherein a bounty is placed upon the Man Without Fear's head. A number of film clips are shown of Daredevil in action, and Mr. Pondexter offers those gathered $2000,000 up front, with the remainder of the half million dollars paid upon receipt of Daredevil's corpse or other conclusive proof of his demise. This raises a dilemma for me - how would this other proof be authenticated? Really, all one would need to do is get a Daredevil costume, dress someone in it, then kill them. Nobody (at this point) is aware of his secret identity, after all.
Matt fields questions from reporters about his kidnapping, and Ben Urich contemplates that "there's more to Matt Murdock than meets the eye." Which is probably not intended as a shout-out, but I'm going to go ahead and imagine Ben kicking back and watching Transformers cartoons in his free time. As Matt goes about his business, a number of people observe his activities, reporting back to on events. Eventually any pretense at covert observation is dropped, and Matt and Foggy are accosted by the agents of Eric Slaughter, who demand Daredevil turn up for a meeting on the docks.
What is it with Marvel Comics characters hanging out at the docks?
Daredevil, of course, turns up at the appointed time, and discovers a number of armed men in hiding - waiting for the opportunity to kill the hero. Which ought to be a nerve-wracking moment of high tension, but we know that there is no way Daredevil is going to get killed off. He makes his move, demanding answers, but the men respond by opening fire. Picking off the gunmen one by one, Daredevil manages to get one to talk, but before he can learn who has put out the hit on him his source of information is killed. The man behind the attempt on the hero's life is... Bullseye.
Garry Leach's poster art is superb, and deserves to be published in a high-quality print. Despite having an eye out for this in better quality, I've never seen it reproduced. Subtle and minimalist, the towering buildings looming high behind Daredevil as he leaps into action. It feels as modern an image as it did back in the early eighties. It is accompanied by a page of his younger artwork, which is a revelation - his style improved greatly between the ages of 11 and 16, and makes me want to see the intermediate steps. These "behind the scenes" features are well worth the time to put together, and show the evolution of an artist's ability.
Alan Moore reviews Lew Stringer's Fantasy Express #04, the Martin Lock-era Fantasy Advertiser (#75), and Triple Echo Vol.1 #04 by Steve Roberts in the appropriately named Fanzine Reviews. At a single page, albeit one without cover repros of the zines in question, there isn't much room for elaboration or in-depth examination. It is always appreciated when these titles are highlighted, but such features need to be have enough room to breathe.
High quality content can only take a title so far, thus we must suffer a Spider-Man reprint. The Kingpin places J. Jonah Jameson and Spidey in an inescapable death trap, from which (naturally) they escape. The long-running Spider-Man title (under whatever name it was using that week) was the obvious place to corral his adventures safely away, so placing him in The Daredevils is extremely annoying - they've been reprinted so often that anyone with a fondness for the character would have already been familiar with the story.
News Feature brings all the latest up-to-the-minute news from Stateside about exciting developments such as an ongoing Alpha Flight series, the introduction of the Hobgoblin, Doug Moench leaving Master of Kung-Fu and Moon Knight, and the cancellation of The Brave and the Bold. At two pages (with most of that space taken up with cover repros) this still feels overdone. I'm not sure I like comics publishers promoting comics in general in this way - it would be too easy to promote Marvel titles over those of other publishers, which is why having a distance between publishers and news is always preferable.
A very accomplished issue, despite the inclusion of Spider-Man. An excellent poster is the icing on the cake.
56 pages. Colour & B&W.
Marvel Comics Ltd.
Edited by Bernie Jaye.
Cover by Paul Neary.
Free cover-mounted badge.
Contents:
.2 This Is It, Frantic Ones! advertisement for Hungarian Rings toy.
.3 The Secrets of Daredevil's Billy Club! w: Roger McKenzie; p: Frank Miller, i: Klaus Janson. / Contents / Indicia
r: Daredevil (Marvel Comics) #159 (Jul 1979).
.4 Captain Britain A Rag, A Bone, A Hank of Hair... w: Alan Moore; a: Alan Davis, lettering by Jenny O'Connor.
12 'Inside Comics' "The Importance of Being Frank" text feature by Alan Moore.
18 The Perfect Mailing Company subscription advertisement.
19 Daredevil Marked for Murder w: Roger McKenzie; p: Frank Miller, i: Klaus Janson, lettering by Jim Novak.
r: Daredevil (Marvel Comics) #159 (Jul 1979).
27 Collector's Corner advertisement for The Perfect Mailing Company.
28 Daredevil poster by Garry Leach.
29 Fantasy Fever (half page) in-house advertisement for Starburst. / The Magazine of Motion Pictures (half page) in-house advertisement for Cinema.
30 Garry Leach - Early Artwork illustrations by Garry Leach.
34 Fanzine Reviews by Alan Moore.
42 Bullpen Bulletins (half page) text promo (uncredited). / Earth 33⅓ UNTITLED ["There are days when I hate being a Skrull"] w: Tim Quinn; a: Dicky Howett. / Competition (quarter page) prize of Paul Neary original artwork.
43 Spider-Man "To Die a Hero!" w: Stan Lee; p: John Romita, i: Mike Esposito, lettering by Sam Rosen.
r: partial The Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel Comics) #52 (Sep 1967).
46 News Feature by Frank Plowright.
52 Two More Winter Specials from Marvel (half page) in-house advertisement for The Savage Sword of Conan and Avengers Marvel Treasury. / Have You Heard the News? (half page) in-house advertisement for the Marvel Superheroes and Rampage merger.
53 Comic Mart classifieds.
54 Marvel Classifieds
55 Marvel's Winter Special Explosion! in-house advertisement for Winter Specials.
56 Marvel Sweatshirt Offer! advertisement.
The Daredevils is a small move in the direction of the Marvel magazines (Starburst and Doctor Who Monthly) while retaining the focus on comics. It isn't entirely successful in marrying strips with text pieces, but there is a lot to love within. Paul Neary's cover is rather good, though the heavy blue background tends to make the cover text (including the price) somewhat difficult to discern at a glance.
Also, the circle with "1st Great Issue" is a positioned with all the skill and care of a drunken bull in a china shop. I've never understood why the area beneath the free badges were allowed to go out without something under the gift. It would have been the perfect place to position the text, meaning that the cover didn't look so bare once the badge had been removed - as most younger readers would do this as soon as possible. A cover deprived of any embellishments should be as appealing as one with them intact.
Alan Moore's Captain Britain strip opens with the titular hero dead, which would be a problem if it were not for the fact that, in comics, characters have a remarkable tendency to come back from such inconveniences with regularity. As two figures - a father and daughter - work amid vast machinery to reconstitute Brian Braddock's skeleton from a fragment of thigh-bone, we get to see glimpses of his lonely past; Muscles form on the bare bones, circulatory systems grow, and finally skin appears. His personality forms anew from these snatches of personal history, just as his body grows.
A familiar costume reappears on the still-quiet body, and Brian's spirit is plucked from the Pool of Being to be rejoined with his body. Reappearing in Darkmoor, on the eighth of September, 1982, Captain Britain - unaware of the ministrations made over his lifeless body by the mysterious pair - rejoices at being home, on the right Earth at last. His saviour, revealed to be Merlin, displays an array of appearances - partially channelling Nicol Williamson (with a dash of Ming the Merciless) in one panel - before the tale concludes.
Despite this being the beginning of a new chapter in Captain Britain's life, there are enough ties to the past with which to root future stories firmly within established continuity. It is especially reassuring that everything that has gone before is accepted without revision - this is still (more or less) the guy we've been hanging out with all this time, and the fact that Brian's been brought back to life shouldn't render any victory through his sacrifice meaningless. He still died. What's more, there's worse to come.
Within a very small page-count the story manages to fill in a lot of information, and it really does serve as the perfect jumping-on point. Alan Davis works his magic on visuals, ensuring that things look as good as they read - you can't ask for more. Well... actually, I can. It's far, far too short to feel remotely like we have been properly reacquainted with him after his journey to the other side. Leaving him at the standing stones, celebrating life, feels too easy. It would have been nice to have another page or two, with him working out how to move forward from this point without looking too Tichborne about it.
Come to think of it, would a reconstituted body maintain precise physical blemishes and marks which could identify an individual? An errant birthmark or mole, and the gig would be up. How would one go about explaining how a scar had miraculously disappeared, or that they are now in possession of an outie when they had an innie? How much of his DNA was originally altered by Merlin, and has that been reproduced exactly, or are there further changes made to his physiology which would be shown by intensive medical investigation? So. Many. Questions.
Listen, don't you kids try and talk to me about comics! I've been reading the damn things for the past twenty two years and I'm bitter, jaded and cynical in terminal proportions.Alan Moore is tremendous value for money. I could read him espouse the relative merits of the pancakes versus waffles debate, and here he is elegant and eloquent in appraising the work of Frank Miller - before he started to use a weird, grotesque, mis-proportioned style. While I'm not convinced that the subject is entirely appropriate to spend so long on, Moore makes it worth reading - a better use of the space taken up here would be with Moore's opinion of the state of British comics in 1983.
We get proof of Frank Miller's skill at handling composition with a reprint of a Daredevil strip, wherein a bounty is placed upon the Man Without Fear's head. A number of film clips are shown of Daredevil in action, and Mr. Pondexter offers those gathered $2000,000 up front, with the remainder of the half million dollars paid upon receipt of Daredevil's corpse or other conclusive proof of his demise. This raises a dilemma for me - how would this other proof be authenticated? Really, all one would need to do is get a Daredevil costume, dress someone in it, then kill them. Nobody (at this point) is aware of his secret identity, after all.
Matt fields questions from reporters about his kidnapping, and Ben Urich contemplates that "there's more to Matt Murdock than meets the eye." Which is probably not intended as a shout-out, but I'm going to go ahead and imagine Ben kicking back and watching Transformers cartoons in his free time. As Matt goes about his business, a number of people observe his activities, reporting back to on events. Eventually any pretense at covert observation is dropped, and Matt and Foggy are accosted by the agents of Eric Slaughter, who demand Daredevil turn up for a meeting on the docks.
What is it with Marvel Comics characters hanging out at the docks?
Daredevil, of course, turns up at the appointed time, and discovers a number of armed men in hiding - waiting for the opportunity to kill the hero. Which ought to be a nerve-wracking moment of high tension, but we know that there is no way Daredevil is going to get killed off. He makes his move, demanding answers, but the men respond by opening fire. Picking off the gunmen one by one, Daredevil manages to get one to talk, but before he can learn who has put out the hit on him his source of information is killed. The man behind the attempt on the hero's life is... Bullseye.
Garry Leach's poster art is superb, and deserves to be published in a high-quality print. Despite having an eye out for this in better quality, I've never seen it reproduced. Subtle and minimalist, the towering buildings looming high behind Daredevil as he leaps into action. It feels as modern an image as it did back in the early eighties. It is accompanied by a page of his younger artwork, which is a revelation - his style improved greatly between the ages of 11 and 16, and makes me want to see the intermediate steps. These "behind the scenes" features are well worth the time to put together, and show the evolution of an artist's ability.
Alan Moore reviews Lew Stringer's Fantasy Express #04, the Martin Lock-era Fantasy Advertiser (#75), and Triple Echo Vol.1 #04 by Steve Roberts in the appropriately named Fanzine Reviews. At a single page, albeit one without cover repros of the zines in question, there isn't much room for elaboration or in-depth examination. It is always appreciated when these titles are highlighted, but such features need to be have enough room to breathe.
High quality content can only take a title so far, thus we must suffer a Spider-Man reprint. The Kingpin places J. Jonah Jameson and Spidey in an inescapable death trap, from which (naturally) they escape. The long-running Spider-Man title (under whatever name it was using that week) was the obvious place to corral his adventures safely away, so placing him in The Daredevils is extremely annoying - they've been reprinted so often that anyone with a fondness for the character would have already been familiar with the story.
News Feature brings all the latest up-to-the-minute news from Stateside about exciting developments such as an ongoing Alpha Flight series, the introduction of the Hobgoblin, Doug Moench leaving Master of Kung-Fu and Moon Knight, and the cancellation of The Brave and the Bold. At two pages (with most of that space taken up with cover repros) this still feels overdone. I'm not sure I like comics publishers promoting comics in general in this way - it would be too easy to promote Marvel titles over those of other publishers, which is why having a distance between publishers and news is always preferable.
A very accomplished issue, despite the inclusion of Spider-Man. An excellent poster is the icing on the cake.
Monday, October 22, 2018
Swiftsure Vol.1 #1
May 1985; Cover price 70p.
32 pages. B&W.
Harrier Publishing.
Edited by Martin Lock.
Cover by Bryan Talbot.
Contents:
A very detailed (though non-indicative) cover by Bryan Talbot graces the first issue of Swiftsure, an alternative title with mainstream aspirations. Alan Moore provides commentary on the state of comics c.1985, and is in fine form. Martin's editorial is very cheerful and optimistic, which is so refreshing that I'm willing to forgive the punny title.
Arrival begins with a large image of H.M.S. Repulse and rather a lot of text. It is a nice enough opening, but the name of the lead character bothers me: Fl'ff. Go on and say it out loud. Yeah. It really helps a strip if the protagonist doesn't have a name which immediately inspires a dozen jokes. Anyway, the uniform designs are functional and thought through (without tacky fanservice), the setting is intelligent (it is refreshing to see direction indicators on elevators), and the background detail is quite busy.
This should be a top-notch strip. And yet... nothing much happens. Fl'ff and Kale board the Repulse for their new assignments, settle in, and are sent on an away mision (on the last page) to investigate why the H.M.S Bromsgrove hasn't been in radio contact. The general feeling is that of the pre-credits sequence for the pilot of an SF series which is still testing the ground to see how solid the foundations are - more aggressive storytelling, with some incident of note, on the first page would have kept it from seeming so slow and tentative.
Definitely a story which needs to be read in one sitting rather than in bite-size installments.
There is a humerous opening narration, accompanying some beautiful illustrations, to begin Dandy in the Underworld. Set on the planet Orpho, where humanity lives in domed cities atop stilts to protect them from the natives. James Daniel Delaney has been found guilty on all counts, and sentenced to unarmed combat with an underworlder. If he emerges victorious his full rights will be restored, but if he loses he will be exiled to the underworld. It is a foregone conclusion that he will not be victorious.
Approached by Biddle (of Biddle, Biddle, Biddle and Grout), Delaney is tasked with conducting an investigation into the underworld. If successful he will be given his freedom, and one of Orpho's top agents has been tasked with assisting him in order to make sure he succeeds. Her name is A, and she is not the most sociable companion for such an exuberant individual.
A very impressive introduction to the characters and setting, with a great sense of humour running through the script. The visual assuredness is impressive, as is the world-building. This is a place I want to know more about, and Delaney and A are extremely well-defined considering how brief the strip is.
Set in 2584, on a colony-world of Safe Haven, far from Earth, Ram: Assassin is the story of Ramel Kerina. Having a female assassin come as a surprise to the characters is somewhat odd. The scratchy art suits the story, but there is a persistent sense that this is set in a nebulous time in the past rather than the far future. O'Roake's art reminds me especially of Dungeons and Dragons illustrations from the period.
Rock Solid is funny strip about an inept space hero, though the artwork is not as detailed as in the similar Dash Decent. There's a certain roughness here, which shows how long ago this appeared, but it is a fine start to the story.
Who doesn't love a story which begins with a scientific experiment gone awry? Codename: Andromeda opens with the Orgill Drive being tested aboard the spacecraft Newton, when a meteor punches through the delicate heart of the device under observation. Project Manager Gribbins and researcher Canning die immediately, along with twelve others, Kris Prescott also died, and her remains - seared by heat, then shrivelled and frozen by the vacuum of space - floats onward, many light-years from Earth.
Her corpse is recovered by Captain Brown, an alien responding to the energy flash, and placed in a robo-doc where she is restored to life. Transported to Earth by the alien technology, Kris is somehow restored, her new body formed from Stonehenge's stones and soil by force of will. It is a remarkably dark beginning, with aliens which never quite manage the ability to communicate, some gruesome implications inherent in their technology, and a central character who is remarkably composed given all that has befallen her.
Solid strips, with intelligent writing and great art. There are rough edges, but nothing serious enough to raise concerns.
If only all first issues were this good.
32 pages. B&W.
Harrier Publishing.
Edited by Martin Lock.
Cover by Bryan Talbot.
Contents:
.2 Swift but Sure Introduction by Martin Lock. / Contents / Indicia / The Twenty Year Party text feature by Alan Moore.
.3 Lieutenant Fl'ff Arrival w: Martin Lock; p: Dave Harwood, i: Mark Farmer.
.9 Dandy in the Underworld 1: A Fall from Grace w:/a: Stephen Bakersville.
16 Ram, Assassin The Assassin w: Martin Lock; p: R.F. O'Roake, lettering by Richard Starkings. Logo by Nina Y. Sutcliffe.
22 Rock Solid, Space Hero Brazen Invasion, part one, w:/a: Lew Stringer.
25 Codename: Andromeda, part one, w: Bill W. Ryan; a: Dave Harwood.
32 People are Talking! advertisement.
A very detailed (though non-indicative) cover by Bryan Talbot graces the first issue of Swiftsure, an alternative title with mainstream aspirations. Alan Moore provides commentary on the state of comics c.1985, and is in fine form. Martin's editorial is very cheerful and optimistic, which is so refreshing that I'm willing to forgive the punny title.
Arrival begins with a large image of H.M.S. Repulse and rather a lot of text. It is a nice enough opening, but the name of the lead character bothers me: Fl'ff. Go on and say it out loud. Yeah. It really helps a strip if the protagonist doesn't have a name which immediately inspires a dozen jokes. Anyway, the uniform designs are functional and thought through (without tacky fanservice), the setting is intelligent (it is refreshing to see direction indicators on elevators), and the background detail is quite busy.
This should be a top-notch strip. And yet... nothing much happens. Fl'ff and Kale board the Repulse for their new assignments, settle in, and are sent on an away mision (on the last page) to investigate why the H.M.S Bromsgrove hasn't been in radio contact. The general feeling is that of the pre-credits sequence for the pilot of an SF series which is still testing the ground to see how solid the foundations are - more aggressive storytelling, with some incident of note, on the first page would have kept it from seeming so slow and tentative.
Definitely a story which needs to be read in one sitting rather than in bite-size installments.
There is a humerous opening narration, accompanying some beautiful illustrations, to begin Dandy in the Underworld. Set on the planet Orpho, where humanity lives in domed cities atop stilts to protect them from the natives. James Daniel Delaney has been found guilty on all counts, and sentenced to unarmed combat with an underworlder. If he emerges victorious his full rights will be restored, but if he loses he will be exiled to the underworld. It is a foregone conclusion that he will not be victorious.
Approached by Biddle (of Biddle, Biddle, Biddle and Grout), Delaney is tasked with conducting an investigation into the underworld. If successful he will be given his freedom, and one of Orpho's top agents has been tasked with assisting him in order to make sure he succeeds. Her name is A, and she is not the most sociable companion for such an exuberant individual.
A very impressive introduction to the characters and setting, with a great sense of humour running through the script. The visual assuredness is impressive, as is the world-building. This is a place I want to know more about, and Delaney and A are extremely well-defined considering how brief the strip is.
Set in 2584, on a colony-world of Safe Haven, far from Earth, Ram: Assassin is the story of Ramel Kerina. Having a female assassin come as a surprise to the characters is somewhat odd. The scratchy art suits the story, but there is a persistent sense that this is set in a nebulous time in the past rather than the far future. O'Roake's art reminds me especially of Dungeons and Dragons illustrations from the period.
Rock Solid is funny strip about an inept space hero, though the artwork is not as detailed as in the similar Dash Decent. There's a certain roughness here, which shows how long ago this appeared, but it is a fine start to the story.
Who doesn't love a story which begins with a scientific experiment gone awry? Codename: Andromeda opens with the Orgill Drive being tested aboard the spacecraft Newton, when a meteor punches through the delicate heart of the device under observation. Project Manager Gribbins and researcher Canning die immediately, along with twelve others, Kris Prescott also died, and her remains - seared by heat, then shrivelled and frozen by the vacuum of space - floats onward, many light-years from Earth.
Her corpse is recovered by Captain Brown, an alien responding to the energy flash, and placed in a robo-doc where she is restored to life. Transported to Earth by the alien technology, Kris is somehow restored, her new body formed from Stonehenge's stones and soil by force of will. It is a remarkably dark beginning, with aliens which never quite manage the ability to communicate, some gruesome implications inherent in their technology, and a central character who is remarkably composed given all that has befallen her.
Solid strips, with intelligent writing and great art. There are rough edges, but nothing serious enough to raise concerns.
If only all first issues were this good.
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Warrior #1
Mar 1982. Cover price 50p.
52 pages. B&W contents.
Quality Communications, Ltd.
Edited by Dez Skinn.
Cover by Steve Dillon, c: Garry Leach.
Contents:
.2 Laser Eraser & Pressbutton Untitled illustration by Garry Leach.
.3 Contents / Indicia
.4 Freedom's Road Editorial by Dez Skinn.
.5 Marvelman ...A Dream of Flying w: Alan Moore; a: Garry Leach.
13 Marvelman The Mightiest Man in the Universe text feature by Dez Skinn.
17 The Spiral Path First Prologue w:/a: Steve Parkhouse.
22 A True Story? w: Steve Moore; a: Dave Gibbons.
24 The Legend Of Prester John w: Steve Moore; a: John Bolton.
50 Warriors All text feature on creators
There's no sense of historic importance within the pages of the first issue of Warrior, but the watershed moment is there nevertheless. Steve Dillon's cover isn't the best the title would have, and Axel's leg looks strange - or, I should clarify, stranger than usual. That the cover doesn't feature either Marvelman or V for Vendetta (which, all these years later, could be considered the big-ticket stars) is somehow appropriate. Warrior has a sense of calm assurance in its' contents, best summed up by Dez Skinn's editorial:
Marvelman's return to the printed page stands out not because it is a British superhero, but because it is a superhero story without ridiculous strained faces, bulging muscles, and hysterical, hyperbolic dialogue so familiar to the genre. Right up until the appearance of Marvelman, in a blaze of lightning, the story could have been for a Doomwatch or The Professionals strip. It is set in the world around us, rather than one in which people take to the skies with abandon.
While the accompanying feature is a brief three-and-a-half pages, it fills in the history admirably. A regular series of articles, with greater focus on key moments of the character's past in each, could have been more helpful for readers without any knowledge of Marvelman and the (often very strange) friends, foes and adventures associated with the title. And some of us really, really like the war stories. Unfortunately, the reprinted panels show just how important good lettering is on the printed page - one aspect I would gladly see tinkered with for reprint purposes.
The Spiral Path has a fast-moving introduction which breathlessly informs us of the important details, though doesn't skimp on style in doing so. The land of Tairngir, invaded by hostile forces, is the setting, and King Galbrain - now deposed - approaches the furthermost border with a handful of his warriors, riding through torrential rain. A druid assists them as enemies approach, leading the men to a place in the mountains where they can shelter. It has the feel of a world where life is cheap, and fans of Game of Thrones should take to it effortlessly.
Comic strips about comic strips often walk a thin line - too cartoony and you are in fourth wall-breaking territory, while too serious a strip can be hard to take enjoyment from. A True Story? straddles the line with finesse, believably set in a solid world before dropping into the ninth dimension with exquisite ease. Dave Gibbons draws aliens as if they are real. They are beautiful in their own way, and the story they exist in is amusing enough to justify its inclusion.
Taken from a 12th century tale, The Legend of Prester John is set during the sixth crusade, and features the most unlikely of protagonists - Sir Randolph, too old to defend himself, and suffering from an ailment of the lungs. He is saved from certain death at the hands of heathens, and in his shocked state is convinced that he glimpsed the form of Prester John. Sir Randolph tells the story of Prester John to Ganelon, the son of his saviour. It is an understated story, beautifully written and drawn, and accomplishes more in seven pages than many can manage in twice that space.
Alan Moore and David Lloyd's V for Vendetta should need no introduction. Chiaroscuro visuals, ridiculously detailed in places, are complimented by masterful lettering which bleeds into the images. There are flourishes which elevate the story in subtle ways - chapter titles, reminiscent of silent movies, set the pace. V's mask, three-dimensional in design, recalls the free cardboard masks given free in Buster and the like, and signal the character as a mythic hero. We are deep in Scarlet Pimpernel territory, albeit one without the safety net of an assured happy ending.
Laser Eraser & Pressbutton takes what could have been an entirely predictable outing and turns expectations around in an amazingly short page count, proving that the range of material approached by the title would not be constrained by expectations. On the planet Ormuz, seemingly influenced by the cityscape in Blade Runner, Oris Pelagon is assassinated by a sniper (prompting the funniest line in the issue), and the pair of miscreants responsible... Well, those are our heroes.
Mysta "Laser Eraser" Mistralis and Pressbutton are soon made aware that their target, Venivi Divici, a dream-racketeer, wasn't the subject of the hit, but Oris instead. Worse, he was the Minister of Weather, not to mention a duly-elected Priest of Skatl. Threatened with arrest, Pressbutton does his thing, which isn't a thing we get the privilege of witnessing, but is assuredly a thing which leaves three people dead.
The feature at the back, in which Warrior creators are given brief biographies, is better than it sounds and not as out of place as it seems. Unfortunately, it doesn't go far enough in certain regards - we don't, for instance, get birthdates for all the contributors, chronological lists of works at the time, nor a cohesive layout. A minor quibble, perhaps, but the staggered layout really is distracting for me.
Capping off an exceptional debut, the Forbidden Planet advertisement at the back is classic Bolland.
52 pages. B&W contents.
Quality Communications, Ltd.
Edited by Dez Skinn.
Cover by Steve Dillon, c: Garry Leach.
Contents:
.2 Laser Eraser & Pressbutton Untitled illustration by Garry Leach.
.3 Contents / Indicia
.4 Freedom's Road Editorial by Dez Skinn.
.5 Marvelman ...A Dream of Flying w: Alan Moore; a: Garry Leach.
13 Marvelman The Mightiest Man in the Universe text feature by Dez Skinn.
17 The Spiral Path First Prologue w:/a: Steve Parkhouse.
22 A True Story? w: Steve Moore; a: Dave Gibbons.
24 The Legend Of Prester John w: Steve Moore; a: John Bolton.
32 V for Vendetta Chapter One: The Villain w: Alan Moore; a: David Lloyd, lettering by Zelda Estrella.
38 Father Shandor, Demon Stalker Spawn from Hells Pit! w: Steve Moore & Dez Skinn; a: John Bolton.
r: House of Hammer (General Book Distribution) #08 (Mar-Apr 1977).
44 Laser Eraser & Pressbutton w: Pedro Henry (Steve Moore); a: Steve Dillon.50 Warriors All text feature on creators
There's no sense of historic importance within the pages of the first issue of Warrior, but the watershed moment is there nevertheless. Steve Dillon's cover isn't the best the title would have, and Axel's leg looks strange - or, I should clarify, stranger than usual. That the cover doesn't feature either Marvelman or V for Vendetta (which, all these years later, could be considered the big-ticket stars) is somehow appropriate. Warrior has a sense of calm assurance in its' contents, best summed up by Dez Skinn's editorial:
Personally, I've always felt embarrassed when looking back on first issues I've been involved in. We've usually managed to get things right after a few issues, but not this time. We wanted to get it right first time round.You can read that as arrogance if you like, but he's not wrong. It a mission statement which would soon show just how far from standard the title was to be. The title feels weighty, it looks good, and the contents...
Marvelman's return to the printed page stands out not because it is a British superhero, but because it is a superhero story without ridiculous strained faces, bulging muscles, and hysterical, hyperbolic dialogue so familiar to the genre. Right up until the appearance of Marvelman, in a blaze of lightning, the story could have been for a Doomwatch or The Professionals strip. It is set in the world around us, rather than one in which people take to the skies with abandon.
While the accompanying feature is a brief three-and-a-half pages, it fills in the history admirably. A regular series of articles, with greater focus on key moments of the character's past in each, could have been more helpful for readers without any knowledge of Marvelman and the (often very strange) friends, foes and adventures associated with the title. And some of us really, really like the war stories. Unfortunately, the reprinted panels show just how important good lettering is on the printed page - one aspect I would gladly see tinkered with for reprint purposes.
The Spiral Path has a fast-moving introduction which breathlessly informs us of the important details, though doesn't skimp on style in doing so. The land of Tairngir, invaded by hostile forces, is the setting, and King Galbrain - now deposed - approaches the furthermost border with a handful of his warriors, riding through torrential rain. A druid assists them as enemies approach, leading the men to a place in the mountains where they can shelter. It has the feel of a world where life is cheap, and fans of Game of Thrones should take to it effortlessly.
Comic strips about comic strips often walk a thin line - too cartoony and you are in fourth wall-breaking territory, while too serious a strip can be hard to take enjoyment from. A True Story? straddles the line with finesse, believably set in a solid world before dropping into the ninth dimension with exquisite ease. Dave Gibbons draws aliens as if they are real. They are beautiful in their own way, and the story they exist in is amusing enough to justify its inclusion.
Taken from a 12th century tale, The Legend of Prester John is set during the sixth crusade, and features the most unlikely of protagonists - Sir Randolph, too old to defend himself, and suffering from an ailment of the lungs. He is saved from certain death at the hands of heathens, and in his shocked state is convinced that he glimpsed the form of Prester John. Sir Randolph tells the story of Prester John to Ganelon, the son of his saviour. It is an understated story, beautifully written and drawn, and accomplishes more in seven pages than many can manage in twice that space.
Alan Moore and David Lloyd's V for Vendetta should need no introduction. Chiaroscuro visuals, ridiculously detailed in places, are complimented by masterful lettering which bleeds into the images. There are flourishes which elevate the story in subtle ways - chapter titles, reminiscent of silent movies, set the pace. V's mask, three-dimensional in design, recalls the free cardboard masks given free in Buster and the like, and signal the character as a mythic hero. We are deep in Scarlet Pimpernel territory, albeit one without the safety net of an assured happy ending.
Laser Eraser & Pressbutton takes what could have been an entirely predictable outing and turns expectations around in an amazingly short page count, proving that the range of material approached by the title would not be constrained by expectations. On the planet Ormuz, seemingly influenced by the cityscape in Blade Runner, Oris Pelagon is assassinated by a sniper (prompting the funniest line in the issue), and the pair of miscreants responsible... Well, those are our heroes.
Mysta "Laser Eraser" Mistralis and Pressbutton are soon made aware that their target, Venivi Divici, a dream-racketeer, wasn't the subject of the hit, but Oris instead. Worse, he was the Minister of Weather, not to mention a duly-elected Priest of Skatl. Threatened with arrest, Pressbutton does his thing, which isn't a thing we get the privilege of witnessing, but is assuredly a thing which leaves three people dead.
The feature at the back, in which Warrior creators are given brief biographies, is better than it sounds and not as out of place as it seems. Unfortunately, it doesn't go far enough in certain regards - we don't, for instance, get birthdates for all the contributors, chronological lists of works at the time, nor a cohesive layout. A minor quibble, perhaps, but the staggered layout really is distracting for me.
Capping off an exceptional debut, the Forbidden Planet advertisement at the back is classic Bolland.
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Missing Dates
Although I mentioned the missing references yesterday, I didn't elaborate. For those interested:
In adding notable events to the On This Day feature (which is only somewhere around 70,000 words, despite so much available history) there were things which seemed to elude all attempts at research. You shouldn't view this small sample as a gauntlet being thrown down, though if you happen to know any of the details it would help. Consider this a peek behind the curtain, and don't get too frustrated that any answers aren't forthcoming.
Three of a kind:
There is no date for the Odhams purchase of Hulton Press in 1959.
There is no date for the Mirror Group purchase of AP in 1959.
There is no date for the Mirror Group purchase of Odhams in 1961.
Despite being certain that I had read the information somewhere before, the dates are proving remarkably difficult to pin down.
There are stories that in the spring or summer of 1980 (annoyingly vague) 1300 people were sacked by IPC. The details are so sketchy that the report barely made it into my notes, yet I find not knowing to be a source of frustration.
There is no date for the Rebellion purchase of Solaris (Games Workshop book imprint). Come to mention it, the purchase of 2000AD doesn't have a specific date assigned either.
The Gugnunc Song, with ukulele accompaniment, by Rupert Graham & Douglas Graham needs a publication date, as well as that of a first performance.
The St. Trinians School Song, similarly, requires a publication date.
Oojah-Land (composed by Montague Ewing); Uncle Oojah's Frolic (by Cecil Rayners) and Uncle Oojah's Party (by Leslie Sarony) need publication dates. I'm not entirely certain that full-length musicals based on strips were published (completely) in sheet-music form, so the other songs in performances (including the aforementioned) might not have been properly affixed in print.
A double helping of Modesty Blaise:
Last Day in Limbo was adapted as a BBC World Service 6-part radio series in 1978, with Barbara Kellerman in the role Modesty. Not only haven't broadcast dates been easy to find, the date of initial commercial release on audio-cassette is unknown.
Similarly, I Had a Date with Lady Janet - an audio tape reading on the Pickwick Talking Books label, featuring John Thaw - was released at some point in the early 1980s. In this case I don't even have a year with which to kick off a search.
Of similar vintage, Th' Lone Groover's Abasement Tapes E.P. was released by Charly Records in Feb 1980. No day is mentioned in any of the references I have immediate access to.
Shoot Yer Load / Golden Showers, by Meng & Ecker was released in 1989, but I don't have a specific date.
Tangentially related to comics history (veeeeery tangentially), but the release date for Pete Shelley's XL1 is currently unknown. Chris Sievey's computer game The Flying Train was released on 20 May 1983 - the B-side of his Camouflage cassette single on Random Records. It counts as the first budget release, but discussion of who holds the honour of first multimedia release remains in doubt until Shelley's release date is known.
Still missing from the database:
A complete list of dates for Alan Moore's awards and accolades. I know Max und Moritz (the German comics awards) include a Lebenswerk (life achievement honour) for Moore, but my German is truly horrendous. What little knowledge of the language I possess is no tool in tackling the reports of German awards.
A complete list of dates for Neil Gaiman's awards and accolades. There are a few instances which come tantalisingly close to providing a date, such as being presented in March 1997 with a GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Award for 'positive portrayals of Gay and Lesbian characters' in Sandman. The problem? There are three dates awards were presented, and no indication which awards were presented on which dates.
Talking of Neil Gaiman... Back in the day he used to write short stories for Knave. If you happen to have those back issues (for the articles, obviously), then knowing which issues the stories appeared in, and when they were published, would be immensely helpful.
The date of Bob Monkhouse's first television appearance is giving me a headache. Three different dates have been suggested, although none have enough accompanying information to begin a search.
Archangel Thunderbird, which seemed (at the time) to get disproportionate coverage, doesn't appear to have its' initial broadcast listed anywhere. I haven't gone through each and every Visual Imagination magazine, but it isn't in Cult Times, Starburst, or TV Zone issues I have gone through. Admittedly, after a short while of looking through issues, they seem to blend into one another (the repetition of information across any dozen issues becomes painful to read) so it might have slipped through the cracks.
The NUT "Spotlight on Comics" film is missing a general release date, as well as preview screenings (mentioned by several people over the years).
The horror film The Hand, in which Michael Caine (as a British comic strip artist) faces off against a dismembered hand, was released at some point in 1981, but I can't find a UK release date. There are a few issues of Photoplay I can't track down yet - it may be noted in one of those.
It wasn't released theatrically, but the Flash! video comic (from Mountain Video, circa 1984) has so little written about it that there were serious problems in determining it actually existed. I still haven't seen it, but am hopeful that YouTube will someday provide the goods. Still, no dates on anything surrounding the video are available...
The Dominator feature is missing a UK release date, if it ever had one. It is also missing dates for any home release formats.
I have no idea where to look for either playbooks or sheet music for Ally Sloper and Bruce Barnsfather (and, for that matter, other) theatrical shows. The booklets which accompanied performances are also difficult to track down without spending a serious amount of time and money.
The opening date of Dark They Were & Golden Eyed is unknown. The closure (naturally) was much-discussed in fanzines around the time, but nobody thought to take note of the date on which it ceased trading.
Ditto for the opening of House on the Borderland.
Another World opened in October 1987, but no mention of the date seems to have been made.
Forbidden Planet, rather helpfully, announced a few opening dates as they happened. Others... Not so much. Also, the date at which FP company split in two has been given differently in references consulted. Given how extensively the shop is featured in various pages of the database, and how important they are to UK comics history, a proper outline of all important dates is needed.
Games Day '82 was when the Judge Dredd board game was previewed, but I can't find any flyers or adverts which date the event. I found the 1983 adverts, but there is nothing to indicate if it was held at the same time every year.
Clarecraft Giles Family figures, which I've seen being sold here and there, don't have launch dates which are easy to find. I'll admit that dates aren't a high priority to have, but lack of information on such a (relatively) recent product is somewhat irritating. Were press releases created? Are there catalogues sitting in someones attic with those dates?
While tackling the spin-off products, the numerous pre-war items are incredibly difficult to learn anything about. The plethora of Ally Sloper merchandise is but one example. Small ads buried in walls of tiny text aren't the most helpful in determining dates. I don't think I've ever seen the pipes which were released, but the fireplace figures are truly hideous. Also, while I'm on the subject, were the tie-pins a real thing or merely a joke? I've never seen an example, so have my doubts.
Bruce Bairnsfather's cartoons also had many items which appeared without a real launch date. The handkerchiefs are particularly odd (yet brilliant) items which deserve their place in the chronology.
The first two Dan Dare games are missing release dates.
The first Judge Dredd game is missing a release date.
UK release dates for the computer games WeaponLord and Gods are, predictably, absent. I've managed to pick out a few hundred release dates of old computer games (though most have no comics connection), yet ones which I am actively hunting for prove difficult to track down.
Dan Dare telephone cards (remember those?) were released in 1995. Again, a specific date is lacking.
That is probably more than enough for now.
Comparatively little of the history surrounding the publishers, creators, characters and titles has been recorded, and sticking it all together has been a more time-consuming than any other aspect of the database. Even with the use of a small mountain of reference material there is only a fraction of the history comprising the day-to-day goings-on of the British comic world available. Frustratingly scant on the details I was hoping to acquire, and contradictory in reference materials.
Lives are documented in broad strokes, while comics are reviewed, scoured for meaning, dissected for contributors and content. Beyond these easily-available facts we enter murky waters.
When I got back online I began to check resources for things which I had managed to create a partial index, and found that too much time had passed since pertinent events to get answers. One example: a number of exhibitions at the Cartoon Museum are no longer on the website (the curses of modern life), and hunting for the beginning and end dates of exhibitions is proving incredibly frustrating. I would like independent verification, but it seems I might have to add more information from primary sources.
In adding notable events to the On This Day feature (which is only somewhere around 70,000 words, despite so much available history) there were things which seemed to elude all attempts at research. You shouldn't view this small sample as a gauntlet being thrown down, though if you happen to know any of the details it would help. Consider this a peek behind the curtain, and don't get too frustrated that any answers aren't forthcoming.
PUBLISHERS
Three of a kind:
There is no date for the Odhams purchase of Hulton Press in 1959.
There is no date for the Mirror Group purchase of AP in 1959.
There is no date for the Mirror Group purchase of Odhams in 1961.
Despite being certain that I had read the information somewhere before, the dates are proving remarkably difficult to pin down.
There are stories that in the spring or summer of 1980 (annoyingly vague) 1300 people were sacked by IPC. The details are so sketchy that the report barely made it into my notes, yet I find not knowing to be a source of frustration.
There is no date for the Rebellion purchase of Solaris (Games Workshop book imprint). Come to mention it, the purchase of 2000AD doesn't have a specific date assigned either.
AUDIO
The Gugnunc Song, with ukulele accompaniment, by Rupert Graham & Douglas Graham needs a publication date, as well as that of a first performance.
The St. Trinians School Song, similarly, requires a publication date.
Oojah-Land (composed by Montague Ewing); Uncle Oojah's Frolic (by Cecil Rayners) and Uncle Oojah's Party (by Leslie Sarony) need publication dates. I'm not entirely certain that full-length musicals based on strips were published (completely) in sheet-music form, so the other songs in performances (including the aforementioned) might not have been properly affixed in print.
A double helping of Modesty Blaise:
Last Day in Limbo was adapted as a BBC World Service 6-part radio series in 1978, with Barbara Kellerman in the role Modesty. Not only haven't broadcast dates been easy to find, the date of initial commercial release on audio-cassette is unknown.
Similarly, I Had a Date with Lady Janet - an audio tape reading on the Pickwick Talking Books label, featuring John Thaw - was released at some point in the early 1980s. In this case I don't even have a year with which to kick off a search.
Of similar vintage, Th' Lone Groover's Abasement Tapes E.P. was released by Charly Records in Feb 1980. No day is mentioned in any of the references I have immediate access to.
Shoot Yer Load / Golden Showers, by Meng & Ecker was released in 1989, but I don't have a specific date.
Tangentially related to comics history (veeeeery tangentially), but the release date for Pete Shelley's XL1 is currently unknown. Chris Sievey's computer game The Flying Train was released on 20 May 1983 - the B-side of his Camouflage cassette single on Random Records. It counts as the first budget release, but discussion of who holds the honour of first multimedia release remains in doubt until Shelley's release date is known.
AWARDS
Still missing from the database:
A complete list of dates for Alan Moore's awards and accolades. I know Max und Moritz (the German comics awards) include a Lebenswerk (life achievement honour) for Moore, but my German is truly horrendous. What little knowledge of the language I possess is no tool in tackling the reports of German awards.
A complete list of dates for Neil Gaiman's awards and accolades. There are a few instances which come tantalisingly close to providing a date, such as being presented in March 1997 with a GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Award for 'positive portrayals of Gay and Lesbian characters' in Sandman. The problem? There are three dates awards were presented, and no indication which awards were presented on which dates.
Talking of Neil Gaiman... Back in the day he used to write short stories for Knave. If you happen to have those back issues (for the articles, obviously), then knowing which issues the stories appeared in, and when they were published, would be immensely helpful.
TELEVISION
The date of Bob Monkhouse's first television appearance is giving me a headache. Three different dates have been suggested, although none have enough accompanying information to begin a search.
Archangel Thunderbird, which seemed (at the time) to get disproportionate coverage, doesn't appear to have its' initial broadcast listed anywhere. I haven't gone through each and every Visual Imagination magazine, but it isn't in Cult Times, Starburst, or TV Zone issues I have gone through. Admittedly, after a short while of looking through issues, they seem to blend into one another (the repetition of information across any dozen issues becomes painful to read) so it might have slipped through the cracks.
FILM
The NUT "Spotlight on Comics" film is missing a general release date, as well as preview screenings (mentioned by several people over the years).
The horror film The Hand, in which Michael Caine (as a British comic strip artist) faces off against a dismembered hand, was released at some point in 1981, but I can't find a UK release date. There are a few issues of Photoplay I can't track down yet - it may be noted in one of those.
It wasn't released theatrically, but the Flash! video comic (from Mountain Video, circa 1984) has so little written about it that there were serious problems in determining it actually existed. I still haven't seen it, but am hopeful that YouTube will someday provide the goods. Still, no dates on anything surrounding the video are available...
The Dominator feature is missing a UK release date, if it ever had one. It is also missing dates for any home release formats.
THEATRE
SHOPS
Ditto for the opening of House on the Borderland.
Another World opened in October 1987, but no mention of the date seems to have been made.
Forbidden Planet, rather helpfully, announced a few opening dates as they happened. Others... Not so much. Also, the date at which FP company split in two has been given differently in references consulted. Given how extensively the shop is featured in various pages of the database, and how important they are to UK comics history, a proper outline of all important dates is needed.
OTHER
Games Day '82 was when the Judge Dredd board game was previewed, but I can't find any flyers or adverts which date the event. I found the 1983 adverts, but there is nothing to indicate if it was held at the same time every year.
Clarecraft Giles Family figures, which I've seen being sold here and there, don't have launch dates which are easy to find. I'll admit that dates aren't a high priority to have, but lack of information on such a (relatively) recent product is somewhat irritating. Were press releases created? Are there catalogues sitting in someones attic with those dates?
While tackling the spin-off products, the numerous pre-war items are incredibly difficult to learn anything about. The plethora of Ally Sloper merchandise is but one example. Small ads buried in walls of tiny text aren't the most helpful in determining dates. I don't think I've ever seen the pipes which were released, but the fireplace figures are truly hideous. Also, while I'm on the subject, were the tie-pins a real thing or merely a joke? I've never seen an example, so have my doubts.
Bruce Bairnsfather's cartoons also had many items which appeared without a real launch date. The handkerchiefs are particularly odd (yet brilliant) items which deserve their place in the chronology.
The first two Dan Dare games are missing release dates.
The first Judge Dredd game is missing a release date.
UK release dates for the computer games WeaponLord and Gods are, predictably, absent. I've managed to pick out a few hundred release dates of old computer games (though most have no comics connection), yet ones which I am actively hunting for prove difficult to track down.
Dan Dare telephone cards (remember those?) were released in 1995. Again, a specific date is lacking.
That is probably more than enough for now.
Comparatively little of the history surrounding the publishers, creators, characters and titles has been recorded, and sticking it all together has been a more time-consuming than any other aspect of the database. Even with the use of a small mountain of reference material there is only a fraction of the history comprising the day-to-day goings-on of the British comic world available. Frustratingly scant on the details I was hoping to acquire, and contradictory in reference materials.
Lives are documented in broad strokes, while comics are reviewed, scoured for meaning, dissected for contributors and content. Beyond these easily-available facts we enter murky waters.
When I got back online I began to check resources for things which I had managed to create a partial index, and found that too much time had passed since pertinent events to get answers. One example: a number of exhibitions at the Cartoon Museum are no longer on the website (the curses of modern life), and hunting for the beginning and end dates of exhibitions is proving incredibly frustrating. I would like independent verification, but it seems I might have to add more information from primary sources.
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