The Amazing Spider-Man by Dirk Maggs (BBC Audiobooks Ltd.; 1995) CD
First Appearances:
Jack Duggan (The Wild Colonial Boy) in The Victor (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #114 (27 Apr 1963).
Births:
Phil May (1864); Ernest Aris (1882); Brian Bagnall (1921); Edward McLachlan (1940); Ian Churchill (1969); Bryan Hitch (1970)
Deaths:
Denis McLoughlin (2002)
Notable Events:
World première of The Better 'Ole film adaptation, at the Alhambra, Leicester Square, in 1918.
Nostalgia & Comics incorporated in 1980.
Blackhammer Limited incorporated in 1992.
Comics 2000 convention began at Watershed Media Centre, Bristol, in 2000.
Showing posts with label adaptation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adaptation. Show all posts
Monday, April 22, 2019
Sunday, April 21, 2019
On This Day: 21 Apr
Buster (Fleetway Publications) # (21 Apr 1990). [relaunch]
First Appearances:
Mike Morgan (A Case of Death) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #83 (24 Apr 1976).
Judge Hershey in 2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 162 (26 Apr 1980).
Births:
Len Fullerton (1909); Jim Bambra (1956)
Deaths:
Thomas Rowlandson (1827); Thomas Tegg (1845); Sir Francis Cowley Burnand (1917); Bernard Venables (2001)
Notable Events:
Lee Sullivan and John Tomlinson attended an Absolom Daak-Dalek Killer signing at Forbidden Planet, 168 Buchannan Street, Glasgow, in 1990.
Bristow radio series, based on the newspaper strip, began on BBC Radio 4 in 1999.
Rebellion's Rogue Trooper computer game for PS2, Xbox and Windows released in 2006.
Rick Brookes' cartoon of Prof. Stephen Hawking in The Metro received complaints in 2009.
The Spring Comica Comiket comic fair began at Bishopgate Institute in London in 2012.
First Appearances:
Mike Morgan (A Case of Death) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #83 (24 Apr 1976).
Judge Hershey in 2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 162 (26 Apr 1980).
Births:
Len Fullerton (1909); Jim Bambra (1956)
Deaths:
Thomas Rowlandson (1827); Thomas Tegg (1845); Sir Francis Cowley Burnand (1917); Bernard Venables (2001)
Notable Events:
Lee Sullivan and John Tomlinson attended an Absolom Daak-Dalek Killer signing at Forbidden Planet, 168 Buchannan Street, Glasgow, in 1990.
Bristow radio series, based on the newspaper strip, began on BBC Radio 4 in 1999.
Rebellion's Rogue Trooper computer game for PS2, Xbox and Windows released in 2006.
Rick Brookes' cartoon of Prof. Stephen Hawking in The Metro received complaints in 2009.
The Spring Comica Comiket comic fair began at Bishopgate Institute in London in 2012.
Sunday, April 14, 2019
On This Day: 14 Apr
Eagle Family Day
First Appearances:
Captain Brett Cantrell (Plague 2000) in The Crunch (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #14 (21 Apr 1979).
Births:
Gerry Anderson (1929); Dave Gibbons (1949)
Deaths:
Ernest Aris (1963); John Kent (2003)
Notable Events:
Eight thousand members of the Wilfredian League of Gugnuncs celebrated Pip, Squeak and Wilfred in the Albert Hall in 1928.
Just Jake newspaper strip ended in 1952.
Andy Capp newspaper strip began national distribution in The Daily Mirror in 1958.
Cicero newspaper strip began in The Sunday Times in 1968. It was the paper's first regular strip.
Dan Dare III: The Escape computer game released by Virgin Mastertronic in 1990. The game was available for Amiga, Amstrad, Atari ST, CBM 64, IBM PC and Spectrum users.
Vere Harold Esmond Harmsworth, 3rd Viscount Rothermere, was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 1996.
The Dan Dare 50th Anniversary Exhibition began at Atkinson Art Gallery, Merseyside, in 2000.
Yesterday's Tomorrow, celebrating the 65th anniversary of The Eagle, began at the British Interplanetary Society, 27/29 South Lambeth Rd, Vauxhall, London, in 2015.
Star Trek: The Classic UK Comics (IDW Publishing; 2016) reprinted the long-overlooked British adaptations of the US SF property.
International Comic Expo began in Margate in 2018.
April 14th is Eagle Family Day, when you should try to do something to make mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, happy.
Marcus Morris.from Eagle (Hulton Press Ltd.) Vol.3 #01 (10 Apr 1952).
First Appearances:
Captain Brett Cantrell (Plague 2000) in The Crunch (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #14 (21 Apr 1979).
Births:
Gerry Anderson (1929); Dave Gibbons (1949)
Deaths:
Ernest Aris (1963); John Kent (2003)
Notable Events:
Eight thousand members of the Wilfredian League of Gugnuncs celebrated Pip, Squeak and Wilfred in the Albert Hall in 1928.
Just Jake newspaper strip ended in 1952.
Andy Capp newspaper strip began national distribution in The Daily Mirror in 1958.
Cicero newspaper strip began in The Sunday Times in 1968. It was the paper's first regular strip.
Dan Dare III: The Escape computer game released by Virgin Mastertronic in 1990. The game was available for Amiga, Amstrad, Atari ST, CBM 64, IBM PC and Spectrum users.
Vere Harold Esmond Harmsworth, 3rd Viscount Rothermere, was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 1996.
The Dan Dare 50th Anniversary Exhibition began at Atkinson Art Gallery, Merseyside, in 2000.
Yesterday's Tomorrow, celebrating the 65th anniversary of The Eagle, began at the British Interplanetary Society, 27/29 South Lambeth Rd, Vauxhall, London, in 2015.
Star Trek: The Classic UK Comics (IDW Publishing; 2016) reprinted the long-overlooked British adaptations of the US SF property.
International Comic Expo began in Margate in 2018.
Friday, December 21, 2018
Star Wars Comic Vol.1 #7
05 Sep 1999. Cover price £1.25.
28 pages. Full colour.
Titan Magazines.
Edited by John Freeman.
Painted cover by Hugh Fleming.
r: cover from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Dark Horse) #04 (May 1999).
Contents:
I'm not saying that Freeman was recalling the good old days of Doctor Who, but this issue begins a sequence of random cover dates which zip back and forth with no consistency.
Having dragged on for six issues already, Star Wars Comic gets the rest of the saga out of the way in one chunk. The strangely muted battle, in which Darth Maul takes on Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, lacks a certain something, and the coup de grâce is strangely absent - one might imagine, if the film was not referred to, that Qui-Gon merely fell over.
The destruction of the droid control ship is given a similarly too-brief moment, with two large explosions marring the surface, though there is no indication of the extent of the damage. A handful of panels charting the destruction over the following moments would have clarified that we are seeing its destruction rather than merely being severely damaged. It is a theme which has recurred throughout the series - stunningly beautiful artwork, marred by poor storytelling choices.
The final full-page image does the adaptation no favours, and as a conclusion there is a distinct lack of satisfaction to be had. Disappointingly, there is still no comedic flourish to offset the serious nature of the strips chosen. Levity, especially when dealing with such po-faced space opera, is required to keep from feeling drained at the relentless pomposity of it all. Star Wars is meant to be fun, and this exercise in repetition is hardly enjoyable.
28 pages. Full colour.
Titan Magazines.
Edited by John Freeman.
Painted cover by Hugh Fleming.
r: cover from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Dark Horse) #04 (May 1999).
Contents:
2 The Final Battle! text introduction (uncredited). / Contents / Indicia
3 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, part seven, w: Henry Gilroy, based on the story by George Lucas; p: Rodolfo Damaggio, i: Al Williamson, lettering by Steve Dutro, colouring by Dave Nestelle.
r: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Dark Horse) #04 (May 1999).
11 Forbidden Planet advertisement.
16 Use the Force advertisement for Lego Star Wars sets.
22 All-Out Star Wars Action! in-house advertisement for Star Wars Comic, Star Wars Magazine, and graphic novels.
24 Have Darth Maul on Yer Back competition.
25 Communications readers' mail; illustrations by Nicholas Jones and Richard Fallon.
26 Coming Next Issue
27 Subscribe & Save
28 Galaxion '99 convention advertisement.
I'm not saying that Freeman was recalling the good old days of Doctor Who, but this issue begins a sequence of random cover dates which zip back and forth with no consistency.
Having dragged on for six issues already, Star Wars Comic gets the rest of the saga out of the way in one chunk. The strangely muted battle, in which Darth Maul takes on Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, lacks a certain something, and the coup de grâce is strangely absent - one might imagine, if the film was not referred to, that Qui-Gon merely fell over.
The destruction of the droid control ship is given a similarly too-brief moment, with two large explosions marring the surface, though there is no indication of the extent of the damage. A handful of panels charting the destruction over the following moments would have clarified that we are seeing its destruction rather than merely being severely damaged. It is a theme which has recurred throughout the series - stunningly beautiful artwork, marred by poor storytelling choices.
The final full-page image does the adaptation no favours, and as a conclusion there is a distinct lack of satisfaction to be had. Disappointingly, there is still no comedic flourish to offset the serious nature of the strips chosen. Levity, especially when dealing with such po-faced space opera, is required to keep from feeling drained at the relentless pomposity of it all. Star Wars is meant to be fun, and this exercise in repetition is hardly enjoyable.
#05
Star Wars Comic
#08
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Dracula #5
May 1993. £1.25.
40 pages. Full colour & B&W.
Dark Horse Comics International
Edited by Dick Hansom.
Cover by Mike Mignola.
r: cover from Bram Stoker's Dracula (Topps) #04 (Jan 1993).
Contents:
Mignola's depiction of the beastial Dracula is grotesque and eye-catching, capturing the film's design ethos perfectly, and making the cover really stand out. The cover lines, when placed upon such a strong image, are rather inconsequential - not to mention being extremely difficult to read.
Vampirella arrives at a scene of worship, with the cult members in full chant. Attacked by the monster she had seen before, Vampirella defends herself - and makes her presence known, drawing the cult members down on her in force. Chained to an altar, it seems that she will be given as a sacrifice to Nuberus, though Tyler steps in to prevent her death. He admits that his real name is Ethan Shroud, warlock of Old Salem, and first leader of the Companions of Chaos, and professes his love for Vapirella, for which she rebuffs him. The real Tyler returns to life to drag Ethan into the limbo from which he has ventured, and the Crimson Chronicles, which the cult used in their ceremonies, burns...
Dragging out the Van Helsing subplot with a single page of plot development is a touch luxuriant, especially when the strips are being dragged out here, but with such accomplished artwork there is little to gripe about. I have a soft spot for the character, having read through stacks of the Warren originals (back when they could be picked up for 50p each), and it is a joy to see them get another chance to shine here.
The 1977 Louis Jourdan-starring Dracula gets coverage in Transmission Vamp, with some amusing observations from Adrian Rigelsford:
Positive Blood Type (the puns, they keep coming) tackles Anne Billson's Suckers, Poppy Z. Brite's Lost Souls, and The Ultimate Dracula anthology from Dell, with remarkable restraint. Laying off the awful vampire puns altogether would have endeared me more, as it reeks of trashy US horror magazines of the seventies, not one of which retains anything remotely close to charm. Of the books listed, The Ultimate Dracula, with a P.J. Farmer story, sounds the most interesting.
40 pages. Full colour & B&W.
Dark Horse Comics International
Edited by Dick Hansom.
Cover by Mike Mignola.
r: cover from Bram Stoker's Dracula (Topps) #04 (Jan 1993).
Contents:
2 Dracula Introduction text (uncredited) / Contents / Indicia
3 Bram Stoker's Dracula, part five, w: Roy Thomas; p: Mike Mignola, i: John Nyberg, lettering by John Costanza, colouring by Mark Chiarello.
r: Bram Stoker's Dracula (Topps) #4 (Jan 1993).
20 Bloodlines text feature compiled by Dave Hughes.
22 Vampirella - What Has Gone Before text introduction; illustrated by Mike Kaluta.
23 Vampirella Who Serves the Cause of Chaos?, part two, w: Archie Goodwin; a: Tom Sutton.
r: Vampirella (Warren) #08 (Nov 1970).
30 Transmission Vamp text feature by Adrian Rigelsford.
32 Werewolf! w: Larry Ivie; a: Frank Frazetta, lettering by Ben Oda.
r: Creepy (Warren) #01 (1964).
38 Positive Blood Type reviews of vampire books by Seamus Ryan.
39 Subscribe - Comics for the '90s (half page) in-house advertisement. / Exclusive Fangtastic Offer (half page) advertisement for Studio Three Jewellery Design.
40 Timeless Terror From Dark Horse in-house advertisement
Note: There is more information about the Werewolf strip at DocDave's Frazetta blog.Mignola's depiction of the beastial Dracula is grotesque and eye-catching, capturing the film's design ethos perfectly, and making the cover really stand out. The cover lines, when placed upon such a strong image, are rather inconsequential - not to mention being extremely difficult to read.
From Jonathan Harker's journal: 2 OctoberEnding with a rather downbeat, and very dark, installment, the strip follows every other adaptation in condensing the journey to Dracula's castle into as brief a space as possible. It is annoying that the colouring is so suddenly dark as the small band rushes to stop Dracula, as it appears to already be night - "We've got to kill him before the sun sets!" seems, therefore, to be a misplaced line. Its closing pages hammer home the differences here than in other adaptations of the novel, with a tearful Mina delivering the killing blow to the vampire.
We left London by train and crossed the English channel that night in stormy seas, no doubt from the passage of the Count's ship. He commands the winds, but we still have the advantage. By train, we can reach the Romanian port at Varna in three days. By ship, it will take him at least a week. From Paris, we traveled through the Alps to Buda-Pest. The Count must sail around the Rock of Gibraltar, where we have posted a look-out, and then on to the Black Sea port at Varna where we will meet his ship and burn it into the sea.
"We want no proofs. We ask none to believe us. God be thanked that all has not been in vain - the curse has passed away."Bloodlines further elaborates on the cinematic success of the film, and offers up ten copies of Redemption's videocassette release of >The Vampire Bat in a competition. A less impressive product given coverage is Scarlett, an attempt by DC Comics to attract the horror crowd - Tom Joyner and Keith S. Wilson's opening issue might have had interesting moments, but quickly faltered, though the piece is strangely quiet on the comic's contents.
Vampirella arrives at a scene of worship, with the cult members in full chant. Attacked by the monster she had seen before, Vampirella defends herself - and makes her presence known, drawing the cult members down on her in force. Chained to an altar, it seems that she will be given as a sacrifice to Nuberus, though Tyler steps in to prevent her death. He admits that his real name is Ethan Shroud, warlock of Old Salem, and first leader of the Companions of Chaos, and professes his love for Vapirella, for which she rebuffs him. The real Tyler returns to life to drag Ethan into the limbo from which he has ventured, and the Crimson Chronicles, which the cult used in their ceremonies, burns...
Dragging out the Van Helsing subplot with a single page of plot development is a touch luxuriant, especially when the strips are being dragged out here, but with such accomplished artwork there is little to gripe about. I have a soft spot for the character, having read through stacks of the Warren originals (back when they could be picked up for 50p each), and it is a joy to see them get another chance to shine here.
The 1977 Louis Jourdan-starring Dracula gets coverage in Transmission Vamp, with some amusing observations from Adrian Rigelsford:
With the current tidal wave of interest in all things Dracula-related, it would seem an ideal time to dig up this Count, but, alas, this does not look like it will ever happen. Apart from the odd clip turning up now and again (and a recent screening at the National Film Theatre), the long-requested release of the production on the retail video market seems [as] unlikely as it has for the past ten years or so, with clearance and rights ownership causing endless problems.It would turn up on the fifth of April, 1993 on BBC Two, while this issue was still on the shelves. As amusing as it would be to imagine the BBC broadcasting the show deliberately, it is an odd coincidence.
Positive Blood Type (the puns, they keep coming) tackles Anne Billson's Suckers, Poppy Z. Brite's Lost Souls, and The Ultimate Dracula anthology from Dell, with remarkable restraint. Laying off the awful vampire puns altogether would have endeared me more, as it reeks of trashy US horror magazines of the seventies, not one of which retains anything remotely close to charm. Of the books listed, The Ultimate Dracula, with a P.J. Farmer story, sounds the most interesting.
#04
Dracula
#06
Dracula #4
23 Mar 1993 - 14 Apr 1993. £1.25.
36 pages. Full colour & B&W contents.
Dark Horse Comics International.
Edited by Dick Hansom.
Cover by Mike Mignola.
r: Bram Stoker's Dracula (Topps) #?
Contents:
The hunt for Dracula begins, and, while Mina sees Renfield, the boxes of Dracula's home soil are purified so that they cannot be used by him. After venting his anger on Renfield for betraying him, Dracula visits Mina - who he convinces to drink of his blood. Knowing that the link between Mina and Dracula can be used to his advantage, Helsing hypnotises Mina.
Some of the colouring decisions make the art too dark in places, with reproduction struggling to cope with the almost-hidden figures on the first page, for example, though for the most part this is an artistic choice which sells the stylized mood. The page which doesn't quite work is when Mina is hypnotised, as the various blues blend into one another. For an adaptation which has, overall, been so strong, this isn't really a problem.
Bloodlines sets its sights on Academy Award nominations for the film, announcing that Bram Stoker's Dracula snagged a nomination in every category of the second Chainsaw Awards, run by Fangoria. The feature's brief, yet tantalising, coverage of Anne Rice's UK promotional tour doesn't state whether the interviews which weren't cancelled were for print or television - small details.
Vampirella may not be the most original series ever written, but the effect of so many influences upon this plot assists in creating a larger canvas upon which to paint her adventures. A cult which worships ancient gods, the isolated "hospital" where events play out, a staking in a modern cemetery, a strange monster kept caged in the basement - all of the elements are familiar, yet when woven together in this manner build into something greater than the pieces themselves.
It isn't perfect, however. There are panels which don't work, especially those in which close-ups of major characters don't look like those characters, and the ending trails off, when it should end on a more dramatic note.
No matter the film, reading of the rush to get a completed product in the can in time for its release date, and as Inside Coppola's Dracula makes clear, Bram Stoker's Dracula. had quite a few challenges to overcome. Most interesting of the comments, is mention of the deleted scenes:
As a lifelong Stephen King fan, Salem's Lot always felt like a poor adaptation, whether in its film edit or as a mini-series. Seamus Ryan provides a brief recap of its development, first as a film, then as the eventual mini-series it became, and its sequel. There isn't enough to convince me to give it another chance, and I'm not sure why it is included. Had there been more a involved history of the book and its adaptation it might have been a really useful primer, though without a wealth of detail it merely points to the video's existence.
Stealth marketing at work.
36 pages. Full colour & B&W contents.
Dark Horse Comics International.
Edited by Dick Hansom.
Cover by Mike Mignola.
r: Bram Stoker's Dracula (Topps) #?
Contents:
2 Dracula Introduction text by Dick Hansom (? uncredited) / Contents / Indicia
3 Bram Stoker's Dracula, part four, w: Roy Thomas; p: Mike Mignola, i: John Nyberg, lettering by John Costanza, colouring by Mark Chiarello.
r: Bram Stoker's Dracula (Topps) #04 (Jan 1993).
17 Bloodlines text feature compiled by Dave Hughes; photographs by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
19 Vampirella Who Serves the Cause of Chaos? w: Archie Goodwin; a: Tom Sutton.
r: Vampirella (Warren) #08 (Nov 1970).
33 Inside Coppola's Dracula Untitled, part four, text feature by Gary Gerani & Dave Hughes; photographs by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
34 Salem's Slot review of Salem's Lot (1978) by Seamus Ryan; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
35 Subscribe - Comics for the '90s
36 The Galaxy's Greatest Heroes Return in... Classic Star Wars in-house advertisement
The hunt for Dracula begins, and, while Mina sees Renfield, the boxes of Dracula's home soil are purified so that they cannot be used by him. After venting his anger on Renfield for betraying him, Dracula visits Mina - who he convinces to drink of his blood. Knowing that the link between Mina and Dracula can be used to his advantage, Helsing hypnotises Mina.
Some of the colouring decisions make the art too dark in places, with reproduction struggling to cope with the almost-hidden figures on the first page, for example, though for the most part this is an artistic choice which sells the stylized mood. The page which doesn't quite work is when Mina is hypnotised, as the various blues blend into one another. For an adaptation which has, overall, been so strong, this isn't really a problem.
Bloodlines sets its sights on Academy Award nominations for the film, announcing that Bram Stoker's Dracula snagged a nomination in every category of the second Chainsaw Awards, run by Fangoria. The feature's brief, yet tantalising, coverage of Anne Rice's UK promotional tour doesn't state whether the interviews which weren't cancelled were for print or television - small details.
Night blankets a remote area of the rocky mountains, and, softly, silently snow has begun to fall. A cutting wind sends the flakes of white dancing and driving across the rugged landscape to pelt and sting a figure strangely out of place in these surroundings, a girl of unearthly beauty wandering through a winter night. A girl lost in a world not her own...Vampirella suits the black and white presentation, though it has to be asked - was the finances stretched so tight that some colour could not have been added? After finding herself stranded on a mountain after a plane crash, Vampirella is rescued by Tyler Westron, who takes her to the safety of his retreat for the nervous rich. Vampirella discovers that Tyler is well aware of her alien origins, as she has talked while under sedation, and worse - he has had to amputate her wings. Telling her that he only wishes to aid her, Tyler convinces Vampirella to be patient.
And far from the isolated winter lodge, other events are forming that will in time touch the girl of Drakulon, for as the half-light of dusk settles gloomily over a graveyard in rural Michigan...Conrad Van Helsing exhumes Kurt's corpse, and, seeing that it is drained of blood, puts a stake through the heart of his dead brother.
Vampirella may not be the most original series ever written, but the effect of so many influences upon this plot assists in creating a larger canvas upon which to paint her adventures. A cult which worships ancient gods, the isolated "hospital" where events play out, a staking in a modern cemetery, a strange monster kept caged in the basement - all of the elements are familiar, yet when woven together in this manner build into something greater than the pieces themselves.
It isn't perfect, however. There are panels which don't work, especially those in which close-ups of major characters don't look like those characters, and the ending trails off, when it should end on a more dramatic note.
No matter the film, reading of the rush to get a completed product in the can in time for its release date, and as Inside Coppola's Dracula makes clear, Bram Stoker's Dracula. had quite a few challenges to overcome. Most interesting of the comments, is mention of the deleted scenes:
Certain elements were lessened or dropped, others amplified. Early test screenings suggested that a little blood goes a long way. Some very sexy scenes were deleted altogether.So... More deleted scenes than there was on the two-disc DVD release?
As a lifelong Stephen King fan, Salem's Lot always felt like a poor adaptation, whether in its film edit or as a mini-series. Seamus Ryan provides a brief recap of its development, first as a film, then as the eventual mini-series it became, and its sequel. There isn't enough to convince me to give it another chance, and I'm not sure why it is included. Had there been more a involved history of the book and its adaptation it might have been a really useful primer, though without a wealth of detail it merely points to the video's existence.
Stealth marketing at work.
Dracula
Star Wars Comic Vol.1 #6
12 Sep 1999. Cover price £1.25.
28 pages. Full colour.
Titan Magazines.
Edited by John Freeman.
Painted cover by Hugh Fleming.
r: cover from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Dark Horse) #04 (May 1999).
Contents:
Another great cover, and one of the finest images of the often cartoonishly evil Darth Maul.
This installment of The Phantom Menace begins with so much abysmal dialogue that it seems to deliberately highlight Lucas' deficiencies as a writer. None of Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan's speech feels in the slightest realistic, and it is a problem which can't be overlooked when reading - there is no repartee here, being a series of apparently random sentences shoved into the Jedi mouths:
Qui-Gon's own story is a tad more refined, with beautiful artwork and superb characterisation throughout. I'm never going to get used to the naked C-3PO though.
28 pages. Full colour.
Titan Magazines.
Edited by John Freeman.
Painted cover by Hugh Fleming.
r: cover from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Dark Horse) #04 (May 1999).
Contents:
2 A Desperate Alliance text introduction (uncredited). / Contents / Indicia
3 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, part six, w: Henry Gilroy, based on the story by George Lucas; p: Rodolfo Damaggio, i: Al Williamson, lettering by Steve Dutro, colouring by Dave Nestelle.
r: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Dark Horse) #?? (1999).
13 Forbidden Planet advertisement.
18 20 Phantom Menace Graphic Novels Must be Won competition.
19 Subscribe & Save
20 Star Wars: Episode I - Qui-Gon Jinn, part two, w: Ryder Windham; p: Robert Teranishi, i: Chris Chuckry, lettering by Vickie Williams, colouring by Chris Chuckry.
r: Star Wars: Episode I - Qui-Gon Jinn (Dark Horse) nn (May 1999).
26 Coming Next Issue
27 See and Read the Film advertisement for graphic novel.
28 Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Let the Slaying Begin... in-house advertisement.
Another great cover, and one of the finest images of the often cartoonishly evil Darth Maul.
This installment of The Phantom Menace begins with so much abysmal dialogue that it seems to deliberately highlight Lucas' deficiencies as a writer. None of Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan's speech feels in the slightest realistic, and it is a problem which can't be overlooked when reading - there is no repartee here, being a series of apparently random sentences shoved into the Jedi mouths:
"I feel the presence of the Sith."This isn't, despite appearances, a handful of choice quotes, but rather a conversation. Who talks like this? That the artwork is so good makes the lapse in scripting especially noticeable. A brilliant image of the army walking through Naboo's mists is as good as Goseki Kojima or Hugo Pratt, although in other places there appears to be difficulties with perspective, rendering Darth Maul as somewhat short in stature.
"I'm sorry I've been so rebellious."
"You will become a great Jedi."
"Do you think the Queen will be successful?"
Qui-Gon's own story is a tad more refined, with beautiful artwork and superb characterisation throughout. I'm never going to get used to the naked C-3PO though.
#05
Star Wars Comic
#07
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Land of the Giants Annual [1970]
[1969] Annual. Original price 12/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.
Based on the US television series starring Gary Conway.
Cover photos (uncredited).
r: partial cover from Land of the Giants (Gold Key) #01 (Nov 1968).
Contents:
With the Spindrift at the bottom of an ornamental pool, Steve is concerned about the cabin pressure and air purifiers, taking the ship up and out of the water and up into the night. The hopes of some that this might get them back on course is quickly refuted:
Giants of Earth covers terrestrial monsters such as the Seward Glacier in Alaska, the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, Yellowstone Park, the Sahara, and Ayers Rock in Australia. While the geography lesson is handled intelligently, the sense of scale isn't as clear as it could have been - we are told that these are large, yet the immensity isn't articulated in a manner which is easy to grasp. Large numbers are thrown around - the Amazon is 3,900 miles long - but without a human-scale to compare such vast distances it loses some of the potential impact.
Accompanying this is Other Days: Other Giants, which concerns itself with dinosaurs. In specific, the Brachiosaurus, Allosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Titanotherium, Plesiosaurs, Ichthyosaurs, and the Mammoth. One can only wonder what the author would have made of the Alamosaurus or Argentinosaurus. Sizes are given in feet, rather than being described as X number of London buses long, which is (as any child knows) the proper way such measurements are meant to be given. When dates are presented ("one hundred million years ago") the sheer scale of the timeline is ignored.
Having some indication of humanity's existence in comparison makes timescales more impressive. Instead of presenting yet more impressive facts (going bigger, as it were), the next feature, The Bigger They Are, falls back on "David and Goliath" battles. Ho, and indeed, hum.
The Toy Trap uses toys as comparison to the stranded humans, in a plot which must have taken all of ten minutes to think up, and which doesn't fulfill anything near its potential. While using toys as a means of making the size difference concrete in readers minds, the lack of originality, combined with a sense of the story being provided merely to fill pages, makes it a difficult story to like.
Star Facts, albeit a single page, finally gets to real immensity. Although the handful of facts presented are interesting, the piecemeal manner in which the page is presented detracts from what ought to have been the real treat. There is, despite all this, a small concession to the younger readers.
The comic strip, reprinted from the US series, is a strangely muted affair, with artwork which doesn't capture enough drama within its images. Too bright, and with stiff poses, it is a real disappointment.
Barry goes investigating in Barry and the Bank Robbers, discovering a hatch which leads to the interior of a building. Far too relaxed in its telling, there isn't any sense that imminent death awaits the curious child, and without this tension hanging in the air there isn't much that the author can do to engage interest beyond describing the scale of the environment.
We get it. Everything is twelve times the size.
I'm impressed with the All About Giants quiz, which treats readers more intelligently than the prose thus far:
I know this is based on an Irwin Allen show, but there really should have been someone involved in the annual with a smidgen of knowledge about history.
Man Made Monsters, as with the other features, picks out a handful of large constructions, though the choice of items is, to say the least, eccentric.
Perhaps sensing that comparisons to Gulliver's Travels might be raised by readers regardless, Points of View tackles the novel head-on. Unfortunately the text is more interested with Land of the Giants, and most of the piece isn't actually about the novel at all. It begs the question of how this annual can simultaneously be so intelligent and so idiotic at the same time - had a little more care been taken in picking out important facts about the book, World might have pushed readers into hunting down a copy.
And there is no mention, while on the subject of literature, of Mary Norton's The Borrowers series.
Terror in the Woods is one of the poorest board games in any World annual, with wonky lettering, lurid colouring, and an unnecessarily complex layout. Some of the imagery is, as expected, rather good, though the presentation falls down when examined closely. It is a shame that something as simple as a game feature can't be delivered properly.
Closing with a feature on the blue whale, this annual presents a lingering feeling that there really wasn't a great deal of heart put into this. There are good aspects here, but so buried under the presentation that one has to work somewhat to find enjoyable material. Missing entirely are features on the cast of the series, despite cover photographs displaying the actors. While the annual is sloppy, it is also very, very close to being a great tie-in, with most of the elements in place for a top notch read. How they were fitted in remains the problem.
Disappointing.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.
Based on the US television series starring Gary Conway.
Cover photos (uncredited).
r: partial cover from Land of the Giants (Gold Key) #01 (Nov 1968).
Contents:
2 UNTITLED illustration by UNKNOWN (uncredited). / Indicia
3 Land of the Giants Annual title page. / Contents
4 Crash into the Unknown text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
10 The Name's the Same quiz; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
11 The Happy Return text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
17 Giants of Earth text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
19 Other Days: Other Giants text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
23 The Bigger They Are text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
25 The Toy Trap text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
32 Star Facts text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
33 The Mini-Criminals, part one, The Power Seekers w: Dick Wood (uncredited); p: Ted Galindo (uncredited), i: Tom Gill (uncredited).
r: Land of the Giants (Gold Key) #01 (Nov 1968).
47 Barry and the Bank Robbers text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
53 The Mini-Criminals, part two, The Torch is Lit w: Dick Wood (uncredited); p: Ted Galindo (uncredited), i: Tom Gill (uncredited).
r: Land of the Giants (Gold Key) #01 (Nov 1968).
65 All About Giants quiz; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
66 The Lost One text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
72 Man Made Monsters text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
73 The Bargain text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
80 Points of View text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
81 Nightmare in Giantland text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
86 Terror in the Woods! board game; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
88 The Mini-Spies text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
94 The Giant One text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
Young Barry Lockridge was the first to come to his senses after that tearing shock on the edge of space, when the sun seemed to increase its size twelve times, then fade into blackness, which slid into the greyness of oblivion. Chipper, his dog, was by his side when he recovered, and the dog was whining frantically. Barry stared round the large cabin.Retelling the series' pilot episode in speedy fashion, Crash into the Unknown gets across the central premise without attempting to rationalise events, and it is all the better for its haste - with the television series explaining events remarkably well, there is little reason for the recap other than giving readers a reminder of what has gone before. The set-up really could have been handled with a page-long summary, but this feels as if some energy has gone into fleshing out the moments after crash.
Sub-orbital spaceliner Flight 703, from Los Angeles to London, would have brought tears to the eyes of her designers. In a word, she was a mess! Many of the fabulous instruments were smashed; the walnut trim of the room was ripped apart in places, and the unconscious figures of crew and passengers were sprawled in every direction. Barry scrambled to his feet in sudden panic.
With the Spindrift at the bottom of an ornamental pool, Steve is concerned about the cabin pressure and air purifiers, taking the ship up and out of the water and up into the night. The hopes of some that this might get them back on course is quickly refuted:
"I'm afraid we are a long, long way from London, Mark," said Steve, in a level voice. "We are not even in the same dimension! This world of the giants is in an entirely different universe from ours. We have about one chance in ten thousand million of getting back home!"Landing the craft on a flat roof so that the crew and passengers can get outside without having to dodge over-sized wildlife, to boost morale, and while considering their options Steve decides to return to the broken window in the laboratory to get back to Earth. When the ship returns, however, the way into the room is blocked...
Giants of Earth covers terrestrial monsters such as the Seward Glacier in Alaska, the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, Yellowstone Park, the Sahara, and Ayers Rock in Australia. While the geography lesson is handled intelligently, the sense of scale isn't as clear as it could have been - we are told that these are large, yet the immensity isn't articulated in a manner which is easy to grasp. Large numbers are thrown around - the Amazon is 3,900 miles long - but without a human-scale to compare such vast distances it loses some of the potential impact.
Accompanying this is Other Days: Other Giants, which concerns itself with dinosaurs. In specific, the Brachiosaurus, Allosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Titanotherium, Plesiosaurs, Ichthyosaurs, and the Mammoth. One can only wonder what the author would have made of the Alamosaurus or Argentinosaurus. Sizes are given in feet, rather than being described as X number of London buses long, which is (as any child knows) the proper way such measurements are meant to be given. When dates are presented ("one hundred million years ago") the sheer scale of the timeline is ignored.
Having some indication of humanity's existence in comparison makes timescales more impressive. Instead of presenting yet more impressive facts (going bigger, as it were), the next feature, The Bigger They Are, falls back on "David and Goliath" battles. Ho, and indeed, hum.
The Toy Trap uses toys as comparison to the stranded humans, in a plot which must have taken all of ten minutes to think up, and which doesn't fulfill anything near its potential. While using toys as a means of making the size difference concrete in readers minds, the lack of originality, combined with a sense of the story being provided merely to fill pages, makes it a difficult story to like.
Star Facts, albeit a single page, finally gets to real immensity. Although the handful of facts presented are interesting, the piecemeal manner in which the page is presented detracts from what ought to have been the real treat. There is, despite all this, a small concession to the younger readers.
Imagine an Earth forty feet in diameter. The moon would be ten feet across and a quarter of a mile away. The farthest planet, Pluto, would be only twenty feet across but would be 3,600 miles from Earth.Oh, for the days when Pluto was still a planet...
The comic strip, reprinted from the US series, is a strangely muted affair, with artwork which doesn't capture enough drama within its images. Too bright, and with stiff poses, it is a real disappointment.
Barry goes investigating in Barry and the Bank Robbers, discovering a hatch which leads to the interior of a building. Far too relaxed in its telling, there isn't any sense that imminent death awaits the curious child, and without this tension hanging in the air there isn't much that the author can do to engage interest beyond describing the scale of the environment.
We get it. Everything is twelve times the size.
I'm impressed with the All About Giants quiz, which treats readers more intelligently than the prose thus far:
Escaping from a cat, Valerie and Betty encounter Tuftian Spicer, an Earthman who is the only survivor of a team of space explorers who set out from Earth in 1954. He has been living in a rabbit hole all this time, and might know where there exists a power source capable of getting them off-planet and back to Earth, though he is hesitant to reveal the location as he might be left behind.1. Who was the owner of Doubting Castle in John Bunyan's book Pilgrim's Progress?9. Can you name the demon giant of Hindu mythology reputed to have ten faces?
I know this is based on an Irwin Allen show, but there really should have been someone involved in the annual with a smidgen of knowledge about history.
Man Made Monsters, as with the other features, picks out a handful of large constructions, though the choice of items is, to say the least, eccentric.
Perhaps sensing that comparisons to Gulliver's Travels might be raised by readers regardless, Points of View tackles the novel head-on. Unfortunately the text is more interested with Land of the Giants, and most of the piece isn't actually about the novel at all. It begs the question of how this annual can simultaneously be so intelligent and so idiotic at the same time - had a little more care been taken in picking out important facts about the book, World might have pushed readers into hunting down a copy.
And there is no mention, while on the subject of literature, of Mary Norton's The Borrowers series.
Terror in the Woods is one of the poorest board games in any World annual, with wonky lettering, lurid colouring, and an unnecessarily complex layout. Some of the imagery is, as expected, rather good, though the presentation falls down when examined closely. It is a shame that something as simple as a game feature can't be delivered properly.
Closing with a feature on the blue whale, this annual presents a lingering feeling that there really wasn't a great deal of heart put into this. There are good aspects here, but so buried under the presentation that one has to work somewhat to find enjoyable material. Missing entirely are features on the cast of the series, despite cover photographs displaying the actors. While the annual is sloppy, it is also very, very close to being a great tie-in, with most of the elements in place for a top notch read. How they were fitted in remains the problem.
Disappointing.
Land of the
Giants Annual
[1971]
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Tenderfoot Annual [1961]
[1960] Annual. Original price 7/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.
Based on the US television series starring Will Hutchins.
Painted cover by Walt Howarth (uncredited).
Contents:
There's a great look to the first Tenderfoot Annual edition, capturing the likeness of Will Hutchins wonderfully. The background is, in a nice touch, extremely detailed, proving that World Distributors could deliver with truly outstanding presentation when in possession of a property which really captured the imaginations of their artists.
Jake Perkins follows Tom out of Sand Ridge to ask him for help, giving the Tenderfoot his lucky silver dollar in exchange for getting his mine back from the men who stole it - telling Tom that he never learned to read, Jake has no idea what the men got him to sign. Agreeing to see the men, so he can understand the facts in the case, Tom returns to the Boulder Canyon mine with Jake.
Although sympathetic to Jake's plight, it seems that the men's claim to the mine is legally sound, albeit a morally dubious claim. After a scuffle with the mine's new owners, Tom and Jake leave. When they are discussing matters Tom is suddenly re-energised, and he drags Jake with him to the Carson Assay Office, in the next county, much to the surprise (and confusion) of the old miner.
A wonderfully clever story, hinging on points of law to bring its conclusion to a satisfactory resolution, A Dollar's Worth of Law is a fantastic piece of scripting, with a clear problem for Tom to solve. The art is stylish enough to compensate for the rather spartan pages - there are numerous panels devoid of background detail, differentiated by a selection of random colours. It isn't so much of a problem to detract from the sheer joy, or the audacity, of the story.
During the night Lon, who has become friends with Tom, steals the horse away from Emmett, and sells the horse to a dealer in town for two hundred dollars. Lon hands over one hundred and fifty to Tom, and tells him where to find Mr. Tate, the horse's new owner. Agreeing to work off the horse's cost, Tom begins work at Tate's ranch. The July 4th Jamboree provides the perfect opportunity to see how Diablo runs, in the Gala Horse Race. Tate asks Tom to ride for him, against Emmett Clark's horse Texas Boy.
Concluding in a bittersweet manner, which is both appropriate and rather sweet, The Stallion Trail is wonderfully detailed throughout, maintaining its sense of location in small ways. Although there are still some shortcuts taken, such as blank backgrounds, there are enough elaborately constructed scenes to make up for any of lightly fashioned pieces.
Eye Witness sees a rider named Tate Mason accompany Tom as he rides into Bonanza. Mason explains that he saw Notch Coberley kill Chips McKay, the man whose job he is assuming, and that the trial is taking place on the next day. As they continue their journey several shots ring out, and it seems Coberley's men have set to killing Mason. Tom and Tate come up with a plan to get away from the criminals, though Tate isn't as lucky as Tom...
The aspiring lawyer gets a lesson in the law, in a tale which doesn't quite manage to convince on its legal footing. If a single witness wasn't present, it seems unlikely that the entire case would be summarily dismissed, and there isn't a credible reason why Coberley's men didn't simply kill Tate rather than waylay him. More explanation of the muddied plot points could have eased any concerns about the leaps in logic which have to be vaulted.
A case of mistaken identity which doesn't hinge on lookalikes is always to be applauded, and the intelligent manner in which the case is laid forth makes for a refreshing read. It isn't perfect, with Tom's account being believed a little too readily, but for such a brief strip this manages to impress.
Annoyingly, Brannigan's Boots, the strip adaptation of the pilot episode, is the final strip to be collected here. It doesn't really make sense for such sloppy placement to go unnoticed, and one must conclude that the decision was deliberate.
The stagecoach carrying the town's mail - along with Tom's latest exam for his correspondence course - is robbed, leaving Tom with little option but to take the job. The first bit of business Tom tackles is the murder of Katie's father, the previous Sheriff, and he soon narrows the list of suspects to two men.
Exquisitely drawn, and with enough internal logic to make for a satisfying read, this is the annual's finest moment, which makes its placement at the back of the book a complete mystery. Indeed, there isn't a faltering step taken anywhere. The inclusion of Billy the Kid, as incentive for people to comply with Turlock's will, seems a tad less imaginative than other incidents, but it works to the advantage of displaying Tom's use of his brains over his fists. Or, indeed, his guns.
A brilliant collection of strips from a fantastic television series.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.
Based on the US television series starring Will Hutchins.
Painted cover by Walt Howarth (uncredited).
Contents:
2 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).
4 Indicia
5 Tenderfoot Annual title page; illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited), based on promotional photograph.
6 Contents illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).
7 A Dollar's Worth of Law w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Nat Edson (uncredited).
r: Four Color (Dell) #1059 [Sugarfoot] (Nov 1959 - Jan 1960).
19 The Stallion Trail w: Eric Freiwald & Robert Schaefer (uncredited); a: Alex Toth (uncredited).
r: Four Color (Dell) #992 [Sugarfoot] (May 1959 - Jul 1959).
41 Eye Witness w: Eric Freiwald & Robert Schaefer (uncredited); a: Alex Toth (uncredited).
r: Four Color (Dell) #907 [Sugarfoot] (May 1958).
53 Delayed Justice w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Nat Edson (uncredited).
r: Four Color (Dell) #1059 [Sugarfoot] (Nov 1959 - Jan 1960).
73 Brannigan's Boots w: Eric Freiwald & Robert Schaefer (uncredited), based on the teleplay by Devery Freeman, based on the teleplay by Fran Davis & Winston Miller, based on the magazine story by Michael Fessier; a: Alex Toth (uncredited).
r: Four Color (Dell) #907 [Sugarfoot] (May 1958).
93 Avalanche Trap text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
r: Cheyenne (Dell) #11 (May 1959 - Jul 1959).
94 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).
There's a great look to the first Tenderfoot Annual edition, capturing the likeness of Will Hutchins wonderfully. The background is, in a nice touch, extremely detailed, proving that World Distributors could deliver with truly outstanding presentation when in possession of a property which really captured the imaginations of their artists.
Jake Perkins follows Tom out of Sand Ridge to ask him for help, giving the Tenderfoot his lucky silver dollar in exchange for getting his mine back from the men who stole it - telling Tom that he never learned to read, Jake has no idea what the men got him to sign. Agreeing to see the men, so he can understand the facts in the case, Tom returns to the Boulder Canyon mine with Jake.
Although sympathetic to Jake's plight, it seems that the men's claim to the mine is legally sound, albeit a morally dubious claim. After a scuffle with the mine's new owners, Tom and Jake leave. When they are discussing matters Tom is suddenly re-energised, and he drags Jake with him to the Carson Assay Office, in the next county, much to the surprise (and confusion) of the old miner.
A wonderfully clever story, hinging on points of law to bring its conclusion to a satisfactory resolution, A Dollar's Worth of Law is a fantastic piece of scripting, with a clear problem for Tom to solve. The art is stylish enough to compensate for the rather spartan pages - there are numerous panels devoid of background detail, differentiated by a selection of random colours. It isn't so much of a problem to detract from the sheer joy, or the audacity, of the story.
Early one morning in the foothills of New Mexico, a group of horse hunters wait, as their leader watches a figure in the valley.Tom rides through the valley, entirely unaware of eyes on him. The men descend to greet him, and tell the Tenderfoot that the Sangre de Cristo Mountains are private property. Tom explains that he is trailing wild horses, and they invite him to work with them in tracking the herd down. Promising Tom the black stallion he has his eye on, they finally locate the herd. When Emmett Clark breaks his word about the stallion, Tom rides off.
During the night Lon, who has become friends with Tom, steals the horse away from Emmett, and sells the horse to a dealer in town for two hundred dollars. Lon hands over one hundred and fifty to Tom, and tells him where to find Mr. Tate, the horse's new owner. Agreeing to work off the horse's cost, Tom begins work at Tate's ranch. The July 4th Jamboree provides the perfect opportunity to see how Diablo runs, in the Gala Horse Race. Tate asks Tom to ride for him, against Emmett Clark's horse Texas Boy.
Concluding in a bittersweet manner, which is both appropriate and rather sweet, The Stallion Trail is wonderfully detailed throughout, maintaining its sense of location in small ways. Although there are still some shortcuts taken, such as blank backgrounds, there are enough elaborately constructed scenes to make up for any of lightly fashioned pieces.
Eye Witness sees a rider named Tate Mason accompany Tom as he rides into Bonanza. Mason explains that he saw Notch Coberley kill Chips McKay, the man whose job he is assuming, and that the trial is taking place on the next day. As they continue their journey several shots ring out, and it seems Coberley's men have set to killing Mason. Tom and Tate come up with a plan to get away from the criminals, though Tate isn't as lucky as Tom...
The aspiring lawyer gets a lesson in the law, in a tale which doesn't quite manage to convince on its legal footing. If a single witness wasn't present, it seems unlikely that the entire case would be summarily dismissed, and there isn't a credible reason why Coberley's men didn't simply kill Tate rather than waylay him. More explanation of the muddied plot points could have eased any concerns about the leaps in logic which have to be vaulted.
This is the territorial prison at Yuma, Arizona. The most notorious prison in Western history. Many of the worst desperados of the time were confined here... And many tried to escape... But few made it. This is the story of two men who did escape...Pike and Len Hobson, lifers who have ended up in the prison due to robbery and murder, manage to escape into the Colorado river where they swim for freedom. Someone fires at Tom as he rides into San Carlos, and when he informs the Sheriff about the shooting is told that the Hobson brothers robbed a bank around the time they rode with Tom. That night, when Tom is in bed, the brothers slip into his hotel room and tell Tom that he can clear their name.
A case of mistaken identity which doesn't hinge on lookalikes is always to be applauded, and the intelligent manner in which the case is laid forth makes for a refreshing read. It isn't perfect, with Tom's account being believed a little too readily, but for such a brief strip this manages to impress.
Annoyingly, Brannigan's Boots, the strip adaptation of the pilot episode, is the final strip to be collected here. It doesn't really make sense for such sloppy placement to go unnoticed, and one must conclude that the decision was deliberate.
Tom Brewster rides into Bluerock... A small town obviously throbbing with election-day excitement...Barney Turlock, the presiding Mayor, has taken office once more, with 429 votes to Joe Downey's 201 and Paul Evans' 123, the runners-up acting as the Mayor's Aldermen. As part of the celebrations a horse race is arranged, an entry fee of five dollars bringing the winner one hundred dollars, which TOm is eager to take. Turlock waives the entry fee for Tom, and he starts strongly but is thrown at the finish line - despite this, the race is declared a tie with Katie Brannigan. As a tie-breaker, a shooting contest is prepared. Although the loser, Tom is offered the job of Sheriff of Bluerock - earning him a hundred dollars a month.
The stagecoach carrying the town's mail - along with Tom's latest exam for his correspondence course - is robbed, leaving Tom with little option but to take the job. The first bit of business Tom tackles is the murder of Katie's father, the previous Sheriff, and he soon narrows the list of suspects to two men.
Exquisitely drawn, and with enough internal logic to make for a satisfying read, this is the annual's finest moment, which makes its placement at the back of the book a complete mystery. Indeed, there isn't a faltering step taken anywhere. The inclusion of Billy the Kid, as incentive for people to comply with Turlock's will, seems a tad less imaginative than other incidents, but it works to the advantage of displaying Tom's use of his brains over his fists. Or, indeed, his guns.
A brilliant collection of strips from a fantastic television series.
Tenderfoot Annual
[1962]
Jonny Quest Annual [1966]
[1965] Annual. Original price 9/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Ltd.
Based on the Hanna-Barbera television series.
Painted cover by UNNOWN (uncredited).
Contents:
A suitably action-packed cover, inspired by the strip inside, though made curiously two-dimensional thanks to the lack of background detail, lets us know what to expect - the animated hero caters, after all, to a particular audience, expectant of mystery and (despite Hanna-Barbera's limited animation) motion. There is something, however, a little bit 'off' regarding Bandit, whose appearance throughout the annual feels curiously off-model. The unfortunate placement of the foot of the diver to page-right makes it appear as if he is enjoying himself a tad too much - simultaneously adding a new dimension to the image, and providing a creepy subtext.
Jonny's fishing trip is cancelled - U.S. Zero Five, their Central Intelligence Organization, have informed Dr. Quest a military aircraft carrying a supply of X909, a new top-secret wonder drug, blew up on the runway at Naples Airport. Setting off to investigate the incident in a private plane, the team learn that the plane was in perfect condition, and that the explosion must have been deliberate. A black car was seen hastily departing just after the plane took off, with two unidentified men in uniform.
An all too easy problem to solve, with no sense of distress at any loss of life the aircraft's destruction occurred. So jolly is the tale, at its conclusion there is talk of fishing... Dr. Quest's inventions seem to be rather rudimentary here, and even the action is decidedly muted.
Dr. Benton Quest is busy putting the finishing touches to a top secret report on Intercontinental Ballistic Missile projection, scheduled to be studied by a major Congressional Committee in Washington, while Jonny is enjoying the sun. Having decided to take the hydrofoil out, Race gets it ready for him, and while changing in his bedroom Jonny is kidnapped. After telling Dr. Quest about the incident, the pair set out to locate Jonny.
Feeding what is known into UNIC, the computer gives out a location of interest: The Island of Red Sand, an uninhabited island two hundred miles out to sea, and whose most notable feature is vivid red sand. Hesitating to immediately investigate this lead, Quest awaits further information - which is eventually revealed as Zoltan. Race queries the name, which Quest explains belongs to Zaptan Zoltan, a man who might be plotting to control the world from the island.
An attempt to suppress Dr. Quest's research was never going to go down well, and although the story does its best to keep things moving, there isn't a sense of desperation in the hunt for Jonny. When he is eventually located, there is a ray-gun (a-la Buck Rogers) and much levity, rather than an emotional and powerful conclusion. Adding another layer of problems, the story makes use of sound effects throughout.
Bandit the Bulldog is, sadly, not much better. Fortunately a strip reprint is deployed to reengage the interest of flagging readers.
The Town of Lost Men is, by far, the most intriguing story herein, with Dr. Quest, Jonny, and Race driving across America as part of their vacation. Arriving at a ghost town, they discover a hotel which is inhabited by men with lost looks on their faces, who do not wish to be disturbed. After driving off, Dr. Quest tells Jonny that there was, indeed, something odd going on, but that Race and Jonny are not going to be returning to the town.
Sadly the telling of the tale isn't up to the promise, though the tone is certainly that of familiar Hanna-Barbera series.
An odd, and not entirely successful, attempt at celebrating the series.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Ltd.
Based on the Hanna-Barbera television series.
Painted cover by UNNOWN (uncredited).
Contents:
2 UNTITLED endpaper; a: UNNOWN (uncredited).
4 UNTITLED indicia.
5 Hanna-Barbera's Jonny Quest Annual title page.
6 Contents
7 Capers on Capri text story by UNNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
17 The Plot on Power Island text story by UNNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
27 Bandit the Bulldog text story by UNNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
33 The Mystery of the Lizard Men w: UNNOWN (uncredited), based on the teleplay by Joseph Barbera, William Hanna, Douglas Wildey & Alex Lovy; a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).
r: Jonny Quest (Gold Key) #01 (Dec 1964).
65 Black Gold text story by UNNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
75 The Town of Lost Men text story by UNNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
87 The Riddle of Shark Bay text story by UNNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
94 UNTITLED endpaper; a: UNNOWN (uncredited).
A suitably action-packed cover, inspired by the strip inside, though made curiously two-dimensional thanks to the lack of background detail, lets us know what to expect - the animated hero caters, after all, to a particular audience, expectant of mystery and (despite Hanna-Barbera's limited animation) motion. There is something, however, a little bit 'off' regarding Bandit, whose appearance throughout the annual feels curiously off-model. The unfortunate placement of the foot of the diver to page-right makes it appear as if he is enjoying himself a tad too much - simultaneously adding a new dimension to the image, and providing a creepy subtext.
Jonny's fishing trip is cancelled - U.S. Zero Five, their Central Intelligence Organization, have informed Dr. Quest a military aircraft carrying a supply of X909, a new top-secret wonder drug, blew up on the runway at Naples Airport. Setting off to investigate the incident in a private plane, the team learn that the plane was in perfect condition, and that the explosion must have been deliberate. A black car was seen hastily departing just after the plane took off, with two unidentified men in uniform.
An all too easy problem to solve, with no sense of distress at any loss of life the aircraft's destruction occurred. So jolly is the tale, at its conclusion there is talk of fishing... Dr. Quest's inventions seem to be rather rudimentary here, and even the action is decidedly muted.
Dr. Benton Quest is busy putting the finishing touches to a top secret report on Intercontinental Ballistic Missile projection, scheduled to be studied by a major Congressional Committee in Washington, while Jonny is enjoying the sun. Having decided to take the hydrofoil out, Race gets it ready for him, and while changing in his bedroom Jonny is kidnapped. After telling Dr. Quest about the incident, the pair set out to locate Jonny.
Feeding what is known into UNIC, the computer gives out a location of interest: The Island of Red Sand, an uninhabited island two hundred miles out to sea, and whose most notable feature is vivid red sand. Hesitating to immediately investigate this lead, Quest awaits further information - which is eventually revealed as Zoltan. Race queries the name, which Quest explains belongs to Zaptan Zoltan, a man who might be plotting to control the world from the island.
An attempt to suppress Dr. Quest's research was never going to go down well, and although the story does its best to keep things moving, there isn't a sense of desperation in the hunt for Jonny. When he is eventually located, there is a ray-gun (a-la Buck Rogers) and much levity, rather than an emotional and powerful conclusion. Adding another layer of problems, the story makes use of sound effects throughout.
Bandit the Bulldog is, sadly, not much better. Fortunately a strip reprint is deployed to reengage the interest of flagging readers.
In the mid-Atlantic lies a vast stretch of becalmed waters, marked by massive islands of drifting seaweed and rotting hulks of ancient ships... Derelicts from centuries past. On the fringe of this foreboding place a tramp steamer cautiously makes its way...A poor adaptation of the first episode, with stiff artwork and numerous backgrounds deprived of detail, doesn't suggest that much care had been taken in transferring the story to the page. The colouring is also extremely poor, with no sense of where the action is occurring.
The Town of Lost Men is, by far, the most intriguing story herein, with Dr. Quest, Jonny, and Race driving across America as part of their vacation. Arriving at a ghost town, they discover a hotel which is inhabited by men with lost looks on their faces, who do not wish to be disturbed. After driving off, Dr. Quest tells Jonny that there was, indeed, something odd going on, but that Race and Jonny are not going to be returning to the town.
Sadly the telling of the tale isn't up to the promise, though the tone is certainly that of familiar Hanna-Barbera series.
An odd, and not entirely successful, attempt at celebrating the series.
Jonny Quest Annual
[1967]
Friday, December 14, 2018
South Park Comic Annual 2013
Annual (2013). Cover price £7.99.
NA pages. Full color contents.
Pedigree Books Ltd.
Cover (uncredited).
ISBN-13: 9781907602474
Contents:
An annual to avoid.
NA pages. Full color contents.
Pedigree Books Ltd.
Cover (uncredited).
ISBN-13: 9781907602474
Contents:
2 Welcome to South Park illustration (uncredited).
4 Contents Page / Indicia
6 Stan Marsh character bio.
8 Eric Cartman character bio.
10 Kyle Broflovski character bio.
12 Kenny McCormick character bio.
14 Butters Stotch character bio.
16 The Residents of South Park illustrated feature (uncredited).
17 South Park Comics Scott Tenorman Must Die! title page.
18 Scott Tenorman Must Die! w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
78 Pedigreebooks.com in-house advertisement.
The South Park gang are back, ruder and cruder than ever before in this bumper comic. After Cartman is tricked by Scott Tenorman he seeks revenge on the school bully, leading him down the path of pure evil. The boys are at their best in this hit episode.Oh dear. It seems that lessons haven't been learned from the abysmal 2012 annual, and once more we are presented with screen-grabs of an episode. Fortunately it is one of the better episodes (one of the very best), but this is an incredibly cheap and insulting affair for those who already possess the episode on DVD. At such a high cover price, this is beyond unacceptable when there are so many incredible creators producing original works - it is difficult to imagine even the most ardent fan of the series being satisfied with such an insubstantial product.
An annual to avoid.
2012
South Park Annual
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Official Star Wars: Episode II Annual 2003
[2002] Annual. Original price £6.99.
72 pages. Full colour contents.
Egmont Books Ltd.
Edited by Jane Clempner.
Photo cover montage.
Back cover painting (uncredited).
ISBN-10: 0749856106
Contents:
Whatever gains in originality which Star Wars made throughout the eighties and nineties, with novels, comic strips, and television cartoons providing new storytelling avenues, was brutally stripped back to the bone with marketing for the second trilogy. Retelling the films again and again and again, the characters were robbed of their vitality through tedious repetition, plot points painfully exposed with each incarnation. After the novelisation, the young reader novelisation, the comic adaptation, later packaged as a graphic novel, along with sundry promotional tie-ins, there was absolutely no need to reprise the story once more.
And yet, for reasons best known to Lucasfilm, here we are again.
Worse than pointless, this is only of value for the images from the film. If I want to refresh my memory of the film I'll watch it. The last thing I want to do is read yet another take on something which has become so familiar that I am able to recount lines of dialogue without a great deal of effort. It isn't, I hasten to add, Whitehead's fault - if someone was going to ply forth the tale for the umpteenth time, then he is as good as any to tackle the job, and he injects as much life into proceedings as he is able.
These types of annuals pose an interesting question, which should generate serious concerns in license holders - if this account of the film's narrative exists, then why would a reader bother with the film? It is, after all, the same narrative, and packaged alongside numerous images from the film. Serving as a perfectly reasonable alternative, it might provide more use than sitting through the film. It will certainly take less time to get through.
If adaptations, as a whole, are to survive the transition to print, then they must provide something which the film doesn't contain. What this annual desperately needed was additional scenes, alternative takes on what we get to see in the film, scenes taken from original characters' points of view, or expanding events to depict the consequences of events seen in the film. By rigidly adhering to the film there is only one conclusion:
This book is a complete waste of time.
72 pages. Full colour contents.
Egmont Books Ltd.
Edited by Jane Clempner.
Photo cover montage.
Back cover painting (uncredited).
ISBN-10: 0749856106
Contents:
2 Jedi Forces Photo montage endpaper.
4 Credits
5 Contents
6 Anakin full-color pin-up.
7 Attack of the Clones, part one, text story by Dan Whitehead.
16 Padme Amidala character bio.
17 Padme Amidala full-color pin-up.
18 Anakin Skywalker character bio.
19 Anakin Skywalker full-color pin-up.
20 Obi-Wan Kenobi character bio.
21 Obi-Wan Kenobi full-color pin-up.
22 Mace Windu Quiz
24 Attack of the Clones, part two, text story by Dan Whitehead.
32 Zam Wesell character bio.
33 Zam Wesell full-color pin-up.
34 Jango Fett character bio.
35 Jango Fett full-color pin-up.
36 Vehicles, part one, illustrated feature.
38 Mace Windu character bio.
39 Mace Windu full-color pin-up.
40 Count Dooku character bio.
41 Count Dooku full-color pin-up.
42 Attack of the Clones, part three, text story by Dan Whitehead.
50 Yoda Quiz
52 Vehicles, part two, illustrated feature.
54 Clone Trooper character bio and photos.
56 C-3PO & R2-D2 character bio and photos.
58 Attack of the Clones. part four, text story by Dan Whitehead.
68 Mace Windu's Answers
69 Yoda's Answers
70 Sith Forces Photo montage endpaper.
Whatever gains in originality which Star Wars made throughout the eighties and nineties, with novels, comic strips, and television cartoons providing new storytelling avenues, was brutally stripped back to the bone with marketing for the second trilogy. Retelling the films again and again and again, the characters were robbed of their vitality through tedious repetition, plot points painfully exposed with each incarnation. After the novelisation, the young reader novelisation, the comic adaptation, later packaged as a graphic novel, along with sundry promotional tie-ins, there was absolutely no need to reprise the story once more.
And yet, for reasons best known to Lucasfilm, here we are again.
Worse than pointless, this is only of value for the images from the film. If I want to refresh my memory of the film I'll watch it. The last thing I want to do is read yet another take on something which has become so familiar that I am able to recount lines of dialogue without a great deal of effort. It isn't, I hasten to add, Whitehead's fault - if someone was going to ply forth the tale for the umpteenth time, then he is as good as any to tackle the job, and he injects as much life into proceedings as he is able.
These types of annuals pose an interesting question, which should generate serious concerns in license holders - if this account of the film's narrative exists, then why would a reader bother with the film? It is, after all, the same narrative, and packaged alongside numerous images from the film. Serving as a perfectly reasonable alternative, it might provide more use than sitting through the film. It will certainly take less time to get through.
If adaptations, as a whole, are to survive the transition to print, then they must provide something which the film doesn't contain. What this annual desperately needed was additional scenes, alternative takes on what we get to see in the film, scenes taken from original characters' points of view, or expanding events to depict the consequences of events seen in the film. By rigidly adhering to the film there is only one conclusion:
This book is a complete waste of time.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Street Fighter II #10
Jun 1995. Cover price 95p.
40 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.
Edited by Dck Hansom.
Photo cover (uncredited).
Contents:
Wisely placing Chun-Li (Ming-Na Wen) and Cammy (Kylie Minogue) on the cover, this is an overall more attractive proposition, while maintaining a strong link to the film. While there isn't a free gift this time round, the rather good cover to DC's original printing of the strip is included. Also included, finally, is a recap of prior events, though there's still no reader interaction. It is almost as if the title doesn't need to acknowledge the existence of its following, given how long it has survived already.
Chun-Li introduces herself to Ryu and Ken, warning them that they have ten minutes to flee before explosives go off. Slipping away, she encounters Cammy, who informs Chun-Li she is still under arrest. Sagat discovers that Bison has paid him in money bearing the general's face, angering Bison with his refusal to accept the notes. Guile prepares to launch an all-out attack on the fortress. Blanka is freed from the process which is designed to turn him into the ultimate weapon in Bison armoury, immediately attacking those he discovers.
The story may be filled with holes, characters with paper-thin personalities, and a sense of realism slightly lower than in the average Simpsons episode, but there's one thing the film did well - the explosions are gloriously large and very, very loud. Transposing the film to a comic strip was never going to yield a high quality product, but the conclusion is simply awful. Rushing through the story, in order to get it done and over with as quickly as possible, isn't the best way to handle a problematic narrative.
This issue's lack of feature content is a problem - when the main attraction is so feeble, there is nothing left to latch onto in the hopes that improvements are forthcoming.
40 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.
Edited by Dck Hansom.
Photo cover (uncredited).
Contents:
2 Street Fighter II Presents the Official Movie Adaptation of Street Fighter credits. / What Has Gone Before recap (uncredited). Indicia
3 The Battle for Shadaloo painting by Sonia Hillios.
r: cover from Street Fighter: The Battle for Shadaloo (DC) #nn (1995).
4 Street Fighter, part two, w: Mike McAvennie, based on the screenplay by Steven E. de Souza, based on the Street Fighter video game series, produced by Capcom; p: Nick Napolitano, i: Bob Downs, lettering by Tim Harkins, colouring by Lee Loughbridge.
r: Street Fighter: The Battle for Shadaloo (DC) #nn (1995).
20 Street Fighter II poster
22 The Truth is Out There in-house advertisement for The X-Files.
38 Win the Book of the Movie of the Game competition to win Street Fighter novelisation by Todd Straser, based on the screenplay by Steven E. de Souza (Boxtree; 04 May 1995).
39 Patlabor Mobile Police in-house advertisement for videocassette.
40 Street Fighter. Unplugged. advertisement for Upper Deck trading cards.
Wisely placing Chun-Li (Ming-Na Wen) and Cammy (Kylie Minogue) on the cover, this is an overall more attractive proposition, while maintaining a strong link to the film. While there isn't a free gift this time round, the rather good cover to DC's original printing of the strip is included. Also included, finally, is a recap of prior events, though there's still no reader interaction. It is almost as if the title doesn't need to acknowledge the existence of its following, given how long it has survived already.
Chun-Li introduces herself to Ryu and Ken, warning them that they have ten minutes to flee before explosives go off. Slipping away, she encounters Cammy, who informs Chun-Li she is still under arrest. Sagat discovers that Bison has paid him in money bearing the general's face, angering Bison with his refusal to accept the notes. Guile prepares to launch an all-out attack on the fortress. Blanka is freed from the process which is designed to turn him into the ultimate weapon in Bison armoury, immediately attacking those he discovers.
The story may be filled with holes, characters with paper-thin personalities, and a sense of realism slightly lower than in the average Simpsons episode, but there's one thing the film did well - the explosions are gloriously large and very, very loud. Transposing the film to a comic strip was never going to yield a high quality product, but the conclusion is simply awful. Rushing through the story, in order to get it done and over with as quickly as possible, isn't the best way to handle a problematic narrative.
This issue's lack of feature content is a problem - when the main attraction is so feeble, there is nothing left to latch onto in the hopes that improvements are forthcoming.
#09
Street Fighter II
#11
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Star Wars Comic Vol.1 #5
22 Aug 1999. Cover price £1.25.
28 pages. Full colour.
Titan Magazines.
Edited by John Freeman.
Photo cover.
Contents:
Of all the covers, it had to be Jar Jar.
While I don't mind CGI, per se, the overt artificiality of the character as perfectly illustrated here (dead eyes, tombstone teeth hanging in a gaping grin, and skin which appears to be modeled after a mummified corpse) is simply too far from anything believably moving around and interacting with human characters. Creepy doesn't begin to describe the character.
Thankfully the Yoda poster presents a more reasoned approach to the utilisation of CGI, showing the Jedi master deep in thought. This is the kind of quality poster which makes Star Wars Comic worth sticking with, as it really is a great image. This installment of the film adaptation isn't as action-packed, with a fair degree of talk, but the pictures are pretty enough to mitigate such a slow and deliberate sequence.
Qui-Gon Jinn, taking the back-up strip position, barely gets a chance to establish itself with a mere three pages included. I know there's a limited number of pages available, but really, three pages is simply begging for mockery. Opening with Anakin's victory at the pod-race, the strip shows what can be achieved with digital colouring, and gives a new slant to a scene from the film.
The appearance of a letters page, even one which has an appeal to readers for assistance with a name more appropriate than Communications, is a welcome sight, and the cing on top is a spectacularly singular vision of Darth Maul by Martin Spiers. Yes, Paul D. Bianco's home-made C-3PO is impressive, but it had already appeared in Star Wars Magazine, SFX, and likely elsewhere.
I've thought about the model a few times over the years, and occasionally pondered on what has happened to the majority of notable Star Wars fan-art. If there's one glaring omission in the celebration of the franchise over the years, it is a exhibition of all the weird things people have made to show their love for the series.
28 pages. Full colour.
Titan Magazines.
Edited by John Freeman.
Photo cover.
Contents:
2 Escape from Tattoine text introduction (uncredited). / Contents / Indicia
3 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, part five, w: Henry Gilroy, based on the story by George Lucas; p: Rodolfo Damaggio, i: Al Williamson, lettering by Steve Dutro, colouring by Dave Nestelle.
r: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Dark Horse) #?? (1999).
14 UNTITLED Yoda poster; photograph (uncredited).
19 Explore the Gungan Frontier! competition to win Star Wars Episode I - The Gungan Frontier software.
20 Use the Force advertisement for Lego Star Wars sets.
21 Star Wars: Episode I - Qui-Gon Jinn, part one, w: Ryder Windham; p: Robert Teranishi, i: Chris Chuckry, lettering by Vickie Williams, colouring by Chris Chuckry.
r: Star Wars: Episode I - Qui-Gon Jinn (Dark Horse) nn (May 1999).
24 See and Read the Film advertisement for graphic novel.
25 Communications readers' mail.
26 Coming Next Issue
27 Subscribe & Save
28 Forbidden Planet advertisement.
Of all the covers, it had to be Jar Jar.
While I don't mind CGI, per se, the overt artificiality of the character as perfectly illustrated here (dead eyes, tombstone teeth hanging in a gaping grin, and skin which appears to be modeled after a mummified corpse) is simply too far from anything believably moving around and interacting with human characters. Creepy doesn't begin to describe the character.
Thankfully the Yoda poster presents a more reasoned approach to the utilisation of CGI, showing the Jedi master deep in thought. This is the kind of quality poster which makes Star Wars Comic worth sticking with, as it really is a great image. This installment of the film adaptation isn't as action-packed, with a fair degree of talk, but the pictures are pretty enough to mitigate such a slow and deliberate sequence.
Qui-Gon Jinn, taking the back-up strip position, barely gets a chance to establish itself with a mere three pages included. I know there's a limited number of pages available, but really, three pages is simply begging for mockery. Opening with Anakin's victory at the pod-race, the strip shows what can be achieved with digital colouring, and gives a new slant to a scene from the film.
The appearance of a letters page, even one which has an appeal to readers for assistance with a name more appropriate than Communications, is a welcome sight, and the cing on top is a spectacularly singular vision of Darth Maul by Martin Spiers. Yes, Paul D. Bianco's home-made C-3PO is impressive, but it had already appeared in Star Wars Magazine, SFX, and likely elsewhere.
I've thought about the model a few times over the years, and occasionally pondered on what has happened to the majority of notable Star Wars fan-art. If there's one glaring omission in the celebration of the franchise over the years, it is a exhibition of all the weird things people have made to show their love for the series.
#04
Star Wars Comic
#06
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Disney's Planet
22 Nov 1998 - 26 Nov 2000 (106 issues)
Two-Can Publishing / The Sunday Telegraph (newspaper insert).
InDucks series listing.
Two-Can Publishing / The Sunday Telegraph (newspaper insert).
01 (22 Nov 1998) Mulan full-color pin-up. "Mulan - Mending the Wall" strip begins.
02 (29 Nov 1998) Cri-Kee and Mushu full-color pin-up.
03 (06 Dec 1998) Captain Shang full-color pin-up.
04 (13 Dec 1998) "Aladdin and the Royal Toys" strip begins.
05 (20 Dec 1998)
06 (27 Dec 1998)
07 (03 Jan 1999)
08 (10 Jan 1999) "101 Dalmatians in Star Search" strip begins.
09 (17 Jan 1999)
10 (24 Jan 1999)
11 (31 Jan 1999)
12 (07 Feb 1999)
13 (14 Feb 1999)
14 (21 Feb 1999)
15 (28 Feb 1999)
16 (07 Mar 1999)
17 (14 Mar 1999)
18 (21 Mar 1999)
19 (28 Mar 1999)
20 (04 Apr 1999) "Mulan: The Lucky Cricket" strip begins.
21 (11 Apr 1999)
22 (18 Apr 1999) Hercules "A Torch for Meg" strip begins.
23 (25 Apr 1999)
24 (02 May 1999)
25 (09 May 1999) Jungle Book "The Great Monkey Fling! strip begins.
26 (16 May 1999)
27 (23 May 1999) "Mickey and the Race to Save Space" strip begins.
28 (30 May 1999)
29 (06 Jun 1999)
30 (13 Jun 1999)
31 (20 Jun 1999) 101 Dalmatians "Pongo and Perdy Battle it Out" begins.
32 (27 Jun 1999)
33 (04 Jul 1999) Mulan strip begins.
34 (11 Jul 1999)
35 (18 Jul 1999) "The Little Mermaid: Underwater Engagements" strip begins.
36 (25 Jul 1999) Mulan full-color pin-up.
37 (01 Aug 1999)
38 (08 Aug 1999)
39 (15 Aug 1999)
40 (22 Aug 1999)
41 (29 Aug 1999) A Bug's Life "Royal Trouper" strip begins.
42 (05 Sep 1999)
43 (12 Sep 1999) Hercules "Working from Dawn Till Dusk" begins
44 (19 Sep 1999)
45 (26 Sep 1999) Quasimodo "The Gargoyle of My Dreams" strip begins.
46 (03 Oct 1999)
47 (10 Oct 1999) Tarzan "Dangerous When Wet" strip begins.
48 (17 Oct 1999)
49 (24 Oct 1999) Tarzan "Tantor's Lucky Charm" strip begins.
50 (31 Oct 1999)
51 (07 Nov 1999) Tarzan "Queen of the Jungle" strip begins.
52 (14 Nov 1999)
53 (21 Nov 1999) Mulan "The Little Doll" strip begins.
54 (28 Nov 1999)
55 (05 Dec 1999) 101 Dalmatians "Dalmatian Designs" strip begins.
56 (12 Dec 1999) "Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas" begins.
57 (19 Dec 1999)
58 (26 Dec 1999) Simba "Shadows" strip begins.
59 (02 Jan 2000)
60 (09 Jan 2000) Simba "A Tail Too Long" strip begins.
61 (16 Jan 2000)
62 (23 Jan 2000) Simba "The Talking Tree" strip begins.
63 (30 Jan 2000)
64 (06 Feb 2000) Toy Story 2 strip begins.
65 (13 Feb 2000)
66 (20 Feb 2000)
67 (27 Feb 2000)
68 (05 Mar 2000)
69 (12 Mar 2000) Toy Story 2 "Nervous Rex" strip begins.
70 (19 Mar 2000)
71 (26 Mar 2000) Ariel "Eric's Story" strip begins.
72 (02 Apr 2000)
73 (09 Apr 2000)
74 (16 Apr 2000)
75 (23 Apr 2000)
76 (30 Apr 2000) Donald Duck strip begins.
77 (07 May 2000) Mickey Sports full-color pin-up.
78 (14 May 2000)
79 (21 May 2000)
80 (28 May 2000) Hercules "Teamwork" strip begins.
81 (04 Jun 2000)
82 (11 Jun 2000) "Quasimodo Saves the Day!" strip begins.
83 (18 Jun 2000)
84 (25 Jun 2000)
85 (02 Jul 2000) "The Fox and the Hound" strip begins.
86 (09 Jul 2000)
87 (16 Jul 2000)
88 (23 Jul 2000)
89 (30 Jul 2000) "Donald Goes to Hollywood" strip begins.
90 (06 Aug 2000)
91 (13 Aug 2000)
92 (20 Aug 2000)
93 (27 Aug 2000) "Workout the Hercules Way" strip begins.
94 (03 Sep 2000)
95 (10 Sep 2000)
96 (17 Sep 2000) "Mickey's Marathon!".
97 (24 Sep 2000) Donald Duck "Hard Times!" strip begins.
98 (01 Oct 2000)
99 (08 Oct 2000) No 2-page strip.
100 (15 Oct 2000) Ariel's Birthday Surprise" strip begins.
101 (22 Oct 2000)
102 (29 Oct 2000) The Secret Origin of the Duck Avenger" strip begins.
103 (05 Nov 2000)
104 (12 Nov 2000)
105 (19 Nov 2000)
106 (26 Nov 2000)
InDucks series listing.
Doctor Who Weekly #4
07 Nov 1979. Cover price 12p.
28 pages. B&W contents.
Marvel Comics Ltd.
Edited by Dez Skinn.
Photo cover (uncredited).
Free transfers.
Contents:
The Doctor's letter reminds readers not to play with fireworks, noting that they are still explosives despite their packaging and public perception. It is a message which can't be repeated enough, as even all these years later there are still horror stories of needless accidents being reported - such public safety notices have largely fallen out of favour, and these remnants from a time before social media are really evocative.
The Imperial Air-Galley enters the Temple of the Gods, an alien space-ship, and the Doctor convinces Morris to help his escape - which Morris is more than happy to do, given that he hasn't made an escape attempt for a couple of weeks. The Alien Guard, protectors of the temple, rush to prevent the escape of the prisoners. Managing to avoid recapture, the Doctor meets Vesuvius, the oldest robot in Rome. After performing minor repairs on Vesuvius, the Doctor asks where he can find the Gods - and realises that the Romans have been worshiping the Malevilus, most terrible of alien races.
Aliens who take the form of statues? Shades of the Weeping Angels raise this beyond any quibbles regarding the other-dimensional nature of the Romans. Morris is a great character, who really lightens the strip, as well as being oddly likable.
Although interesting, the Yeti aren't quite as memorable - or terrifying - as the Great Intelligence, who really should have formed the focus of the feature. As a history of the robots, however, it is a fine example of the recaps making the threats seem more credible than the episodes managed. The main drawback to the Yeti is their resemblance to Wombles, which is a complete drama-killer. How are the furry, rotund litter-pickers meant to scare when they are so damn cute?
I wouldn't say no to a pet Yeti.
I'll name him George. And I'll hug him, and pet him, and squeeze him...
War of the Worlds is one of the main foundation stones of alien invasions in popular culture, with some of the most dramatic scenes of devastation to focus on such an unlikely location. It should be told as the epic it is, and have at least one or two compelling, memorable images on every page. It should matter. While the adaptation is fine, it isn't exceptional. If there's one word which encapsulates the strip, that word would be "adequate".
The designs of the tripods owe much to the film adaptation, which overwhelms any positive artistic choices. Such a disappointment.
Continuing the recap of The Dead Planet, the same handful of images which always get published are, quelle surprise, dusted off and printed onece more. Are the choices of photographic record for the first doctor so limited that we never get new (or at least unpublished) material? Surely someone was a bit snap-happy on set, and there remains, somewhere, a few pieces we haven't seen dozens of times. Which isn't a complaint aimed at Doctor Who Weekly in specific, but all coverage of the first Doctor.
As endings go, Return of the Daleks pulls out all the stops.
While I'm going to miss Glax, his transformation from amoral exploitation producer to (albeit reluctant) hero has been a great way to expand the confines of the series. The history of the Daleks outside of strict continuity had already produced a few brilliant stories, and if they were to break free of the series, to invade television screens on their own, this strip would have to be considered as an inspiration.
28 pages. B&W contents.
Marvel Comics Ltd.
Edited by Dez Skinn.
Photo cover (uncredited).
Free transfers.
Contents:
2 A Letter from the Doctor text feature by Dez Skinn (uncredited).
3 Doctor Who and the Iron Legion, part four, w: Pat Mills & John Wagner; a: Dave Gibbons.
7 Crazy Caption 4 competition; photograph (uncredited).
8 Starting Next Week in Issue Five of... Doctor Who Weekly preview of Throwback strip; a: Paul Neary.
9 The Monsters of Doctor Who The Yeti - Robot Pawns Controlled from Space text feature by Gordon Blows (uncredited); photographs (uncredited).
12 Planet Puzzle Answer (quarter page) / Another S-F Winner from Marvel in-house advertisement for Star Wars Weekly.
13 Tales from the TARDIS War of the Worlds, part four, w: Chris Claremont, based on the novel by H.G. Wells; p: Yong Montano; i: Dino Castrillo, lettering by Pat Condoy.
r: Marvel Classic Comics (Marvel) #14 (1976).
18 The Dead Planet text feature compiled by Jeremy Bentham; photographs (uncredited).
22 Doctor Who Photo-File Tom Baker fact-file (uncredited); photograph (uncredited).
23 The Return of the Daleks, part four, w: Steve Moore; p: Paul Neary, i: David Lloyd.
27 Doctor Who and the Turgids advertisement for Doctor Who Radio from Shortman Trading Company Ltd. w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).
28 UNTITLED Tom Baker pin-up; photograph (uncredited).
The Doctor's letter reminds readers not to play with fireworks, noting that they are still explosives despite their packaging and public perception. It is a message which can't be repeated enough, as even all these years later there are still horror stories of needless accidents being reported - such public safety notices have largely fallen out of favour, and these remnants from a time before social media are really evocative.
The Imperial Air-Galley enters the Temple of the Gods, an alien space-ship, and the Doctor convinces Morris to help his escape - which Morris is more than happy to do, given that he hasn't made an escape attempt for a couple of weeks. The Alien Guard, protectors of the temple, rush to prevent the escape of the prisoners. Managing to avoid recapture, the Doctor meets Vesuvius, the oldest robot in Rome. After performing minor repairs on Vesuvius, the Doctor asks where he can find the Gods - and realises that the Romans have been worshiping the Malevilus, most terrible of alien races.
Aliens who take the form of statues? Shades of the Weeping Angels raise this beyond any quibbles regarding the other-dimensional nature of the Romans. Morris is a great character, who really lightens the strip, as well as being oddly likable.
Although interesting, the Yeti aren't quite as memorable - or terrifying - as the Great Intelligence, who really should have formed the focus of the feature. As a history of the robots, however, it is a fine example of the recaps making the threats seem more credible than the episodes managed. The main drawback to the Yeti is their resemblance to Wombles, which is a complete drama-killer. How are the furry, rotund litter-pickers meant to scare when they are so damn cute?
I wouldn't say no to a pet Yeti.
I'll name him George. And I'll hug him, and pet him, and squeeze him...
War of the Worlds is one of the main foundation stones of alien invasions in popular culture, with some of the most dramatic scenes of devastation to focus on such an unlikely location. It should be told as the epic it is, and have at least one or two compelling, memorable images on every page. It should matter. While the adaptation is fine, it isn't exceptional. If there's one word which encapsulates the strip, that word would be "adequate".
The designs of the tripods owe much to the film adaptation, which overwhelms any positive artistic choices. Such a disappointment.
Continuing the recap of The Dead Planet, the same handful of images which always get published are, quelle surprise, dusted off and printed onece more. Are the choices of photographic record for the first doctor so limited that we never get new (or at least unpublished) material? Surely someone was a bit snap-happy on set, and there remains, somewhere, a few pieces we haven't seen dozens of times. Which isn't a complaint aimed at Doctor Who Weekly in specific, but all coverage of the first Doctor.
After 800 years, the Daleks have returned to the planet Anhaut, seeking revenge for their former defeat. Movie producer Glax and his star, Hok Nepo, have found the weapon chamber of the ancient General Nor-Din... Only to have its contents destroyed by the Dalek agent, Kuay, before they could learn its secret...Prepared to kill everyone, and destroy everything, in their path, the Daleks approach the pyramid. Seemingly trapped, and destined to die in the pyramid, Kuay tells Glax that the Daleks' hold on her ended when she touched a crystal helmet - a device which rapidly ages the user. Hok takes the helmet from Kuay, though he cannot get it to work. Knowing her Dalek implants will enable use of the device, Kuay prepares to sacrifice herself to end the menace once and for all.
As endings go, Return of the Daleks pulls out all the stops.
While I'm going to miss Glax, his transformation from amoral exploitation producer to (albeit reluctant) hero has been a great way to expand the confines of the series. The history of the Daleks outside of strict continuity had already produced a few brilliant stories, and if they were to break free of the series, to invade television screens on their own, this strip would have to be considered as an inspiration.
#03
Doctor Who Weekly
#05
Monday, December 3, 2018
Street Fighter II #9
May 1995. Cover price 95p.
40 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.
Edited by Dick Hansom.
Photo cover (uncredited).
Contents:
It would be interesting to see sales figures for this issue compared with the previous issue, though (as that seems unlikely) I would hazard a guess that advance word-of-mouth on the state of the film adaptation would likely have hurt this issue some. Attached to the front, as an incentive to continue past reprints of the manga, there are some trading cards. They are very attractive trading cards, mind you, but with a focus on the film representation rather than comic art.
There's still no introduction, although reprinting the film adaptation would have been the perfect opportunity to start heavy promotion.
Chun-Li Zang reports, for GNT News, on the A.N. forces who are consolidating their hold on Shadaloo City. Ken Masters and Ryu Hoshi are arrested, after attempting to cheat Sagat (by selling on toy weapons as the real thing), and placed in A.N. custody. When a fight breaks out in the yard, Colonel Guile gets the idea to use them in order to locate M. Bison's fortress.
Bison oversees Dr Dhalsim's research, which is progressing with Blanka's transformation into a perfect soldier. Ken and Ryu manage to get their hands on a truck, and with Vega's assistance make a break for the gate to escape the A.N. forces. Guile is shot in the escape, though Chun-Li manages to place a tracker on the truck before it disappears. Balrog discovers that the signal they are receiving is facing interference from another signal, and deduced that it is coming from the A.N. headquarters.
Sneaking in to the HQ, Chun-Li learns that Guile is alive, though she manages to escape before being confined. Zangief, meanwhile, makes acquaintance with Ken and Ryu.
This is a fairly representative adaptation, for good or bad, of the film, with art which manages to convey the mood and setting appropriately. It is rather a steep decline in quality from the art of the manga, but it has its own charm. The storyline may be ridiculous, even for a video-game tie-in, but the real problem is how quickly the strip blasts through each plot point, leaving characterisation behind.
Not the finest moment in film adaptations.
A two-page feature, though ostensibly concerning the film adaptation, makes note of the merchandising bonanza which had arisen from the success of the originating games, though shies away from a complete list of available items. It is rather surprising to see contemporary writing discussing the film in terms of its success, having accrued $30 million in its first 25 days, and its soundtrack album reaching tenth place in the charts.
A side-feature, The Bison Trooper's Guide to Shadoti, is an interesting attempt to create a language, Shadoti, for use in the franchise. It isn't, despite sounding so promising, nearly as useful as it might have been.
40 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.
Edited by Dick Hansom.
Photo cover (uncredited).
Contents:
2 Street Fighter II Presents the Official Movie Adaptation of Street Fighter credits. / Indicia
3 Street Fighter, part one, w: Mike McAvennie, based on the screenplay by Steven E. de Souza, based on the Street Fighter video game series, produced by Capcom; p: Nick Napolitano, i: Bob Downs, lettering by Tim Harkins, colouring by Lee Loughbridge.
r: Street Fighter: The Battle for Shadaloo (DC) #nn (1995).
19 The Truth is Out There in-house advertisement for The X-Files.
20 Street Fighter II poster
22 Lock Up Your Sons! It's Tank Girl in-house advertisement.
35 100 Street Fighter Trading Card Albums to be Won competition.
36 Lights, Camera... Action! text feature (uncredited); photographs (uncredited).
38 Prepare to Face a Deadly New Life Form in-house advertisement for Manga Heroes #04.
39 Get Blown Away With Masamune Shirow's New Dominion Tank Police in-house advertisement for cideocassette.
40 Street Fighter. Unplugged. advertisement for Upper Deck trading cards.
It would be interesting to see sales figures for this issue compared with the previous issue, though (as that seems unlikely) I would hazard a guess that advance word-of-mouth on the state of the film adaptation would likely have hurt this issue some. Attached to the front, as an incentive to continue past reprints of the manga, there are some trading cards. They are very attractive trading cards, mind you, but with a focus on the film representation rather than comic art.
There's still no introduction, although reprinting the film adaptation would have been the perfect opportunity to start heavy promotion.
Chun-Li Zang reports, for GNT News, on the A.N. forces who are consolidating their hold on Shadaloo City. Ken Masters and Ryu Hoshi are arrested, after attempting to cheat Sagat (by selling on toy weapons as the real thing), and placed in A.N. custody. When a fight breaks out in the yard, Colonel Guile gets the idea to use them in order to locate M. Bison's fortress.
Bison oversees Dr Dhalsim's research, which is progressing with Blanka's transformation into a perfect soldier. Ken and Ryu manage to get their hands on a truck, and with Vega's assistance make a break for the gate to escape the A.N. forces. Guile is shot in the escape, though Chun-Li manages to place a tracker on the truck before it disappears. Balrog discovers that the signal they are receiving is facing interference from another signal, and deduced that it is coming from the A.N. headquarters.
Sneaking in to the HQ, Chun-Li learns that Guile is alive, though she manages to escape before being confined. Zangief, meanwhile, makes acquaintance with Ken and Ryu.
This is a fairly representative adaptation, for good or bad, of the film, with art which manages to convey the mood and setting appropriately. It is rather a steep decline in quality from the art of the manga, but it has its own charm. The storyline may be ridiculous, even for a video-game tie-in, but the real problem is how quickly the strip blasts through each plot point, leaving characterisation behind.
Not the finest moment in film adaptations.
A two-page feature, though ostensibly concerning the film adaptation, makes note of the merchandising bonanza which had arisen from the success of the originating games, though shies away from a complete list of available items. It is rather surprising to see contemporary writing discussing the film in terms of its success, having accrued $30 million in its first 25 days, and its soundtrack album reaching tenth place in the charts.
A side-feature, The Bison Trooper's Guide to Shadoti, is an interesting attempt to create a language, Shadoti, for use in the franchise. It isn't, despite sounding so promising, nearly as useful as it might have been.
#08
Street Fighter II
#10
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Total Carnage
Apr 1993 - Jan 1994 (10 issues)
Dark Horse
Dark Horse
01 (Apr 1993; cover price ) Free cover-mounted tattoo. Batman Vs. Predator, Army of Darkness, The Mask and Grendel: War Child reprints begin.
02 (May 1993)
03 (Jun 1993)
04 (Jul 1993)
05 (Aug 1993)
06 (Sep 1993)
07 (Oct 1993)
08 (Nov 1993)
09 (Dec 1993)
10 (Jan 1994)
Friday, November 30, 2018
Doctor Who Weekly #3
31 Oct 1979. Cover price 12p.
28 pages. B&W contents.
Marvel Comics Ltd.
Edited by Dez Skinn.
Photo cover (uncredited).
Free transfers.
Contents:
Albert and Elsie Olthwaite should be revived for the new series, just so this issue's letter from the Doctor can be regarded as canon. An exceptionaly strange manner in which to begin the issue, though the sense of whimsy evoked by such a communication from the Doctor is reminiscent of the Tom Baker era as a whole. Slighty mad, yes, but with insights which pierce through 'common sense' to deliver profound statements.
Which likely makes the show sound a bit pretentious.
The Doctor faces the Ectoslime, which stuns its victims with its odour before liquefying them and drinking them. Searching his memory to recall if he had ever faced one before, he recalls the fact they have a highly developed sense of humour to make up for their appearance - so tells it a joke:
Having saved himself from a gruesome death, he is dragged from the arena and placed as a slave in an Imperial Air Galley by General Ironicus. A fellow captive aboard the ship is surprised that the Doctor isn't afraid of him due to his appearance, though the Doctor explains that, compared to the Ectoslime, he is almost handsome. Catching a glimpse of Caesar's mother, the Doctor thinks he has discovered the secret of the Galactic Roman Empire...
Has anyone attempted to translate the joke? I'm hoping it is presented in a code, and not merely a jumble of symbols, as such small details add a certain something to the character - even if I'm too lazy to find a suitable solution. The design sensibilities of the Roman-inspired world are rich in detail, with a few exceptional panels. The image of Caesar's mother is one of the few times we get to really see the world as the Doctor does.
And there's almost that Bugs Bunny line, for those amused at such things.
Whatever amusement could be gained from the Crazy Caption images is rather muted by the poor choice of images for this purpose. Screen captures of actors in the middle of unlikely and improbable events, with appropriately weird expressions, are much more suited to captioning. Before anyone points out how difficult such images were to get in 1979, such systems were available.
The Ice Warrior is an odd choice for Doctor Who's "monster of the week" feature, as they never really felt like top-tier enemies until later development, though the article is very informative. Behind-the-scenes images of Bernard Bresslaw getting prepared for his role as Varga are wonderful glimpses into the process of bringing the character to the screen, and worth the cover price alone. The paper quality doesn't do the images justice, though any opportunity to get a peek at the workings of Doctor Who's special effects are welcome.
Recapping The Dead Planet, the entrance of Daleks to the series is captured well, yet its importance in solidifying the series' popularity isn't addressed. It should have at least had a few newspaper reviews, or even snippets of Radio Times publicity material, which would have really sold the time period in which the episode was broadcast to readers.
Jon Pertwee's mini-bio highlights the inadequacy of the short overviews - despite being in line with previous entries, there's much more to his career than is presented here. Neither pin-up nor biography, the photo-files are a weird hybrid which serves neither function. While later incarnations of the title would handle the balance better, I find myself frustrated with the self-imposed limitations the title has created for itself.
Return of the Daleks, remaining a beautiful isolated glimmer of gold in the Doctor's universe, finds Glax and Hok knocked from their steeds by a whirling sandstorm. Within the winds, which they struggle through, they find a pyramid which is topped with a strange light. A door opens as they approach it, granting them access to a recording revealing the secret to the Daleks' defeat. Before Glax can learn what they must do, Kuay blasts the device and summons her Dalek masters.
The strips and television series information continues to make this a title which is well worth seeking out, though its lightweight features are beginning to grate.
28 pages. B&W contents.
Marvel Comics Ltd.
Edited by Dez Skinn.
Photo cover (uncredited).
Free transfers.
Contents:
2 A Letter from the Doctor text feature by Dez Skinn (uncredited).
3 Doctor Who and the Iron Legion, part three, w: Pat Mills & John Wagner; a: Dave Gibbons.
7 Crazy Caption 3 competition; photograph (uncredited).
8 The Monsters of Doctor Who The Ice Warriors text feature by Gordon Blows (uncredited); photographs (uncredited).
10 Monster Mix Answers (quarter page) / Another S-F Winner from Marvel in-house advertisement for Starburst.
11 Planet Puzzle illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
12 Tales from the TARDIS War of the Worlds, part three, w: Chris Claremont, based on the novel by H.G. Wells; p: Yong Montano; i: Dino Castrillo, lettering by Pat Condoy.
r: Marvel Classic Comics (Marvel) #14 (1976).
17 The Dead Planet text feature compiled by Jeremy Bentham; photographs (uncredited).
22 Doctor Who Photo-File Jon Pertwee fact-file (uncredited); photograph (uncredited).
23 The Return of the Daleks, part three, w: Steve Moore; p: Paul Neary, i: David Lloyd.
27 Doctor Who and the Turgids advertisement for Doctor Who Radio from Shortman Trading Company Ltd. w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).
28 Have Fun With the Amazing Mr. Bellamy advertisement for liquorice novelties.
Albert and Elsie Olthwaite should be revived for the new series, just so this issue's letter from the Doctor can be regarded as canon. An exceptionaly strange manner in which to begin the issue, though the sense of whimsy evoked by such a communication from the Doctor is reminiscent of the Tom Baker era as a whole. Slighty mad, yes, but with insights which pierce through 'common sense' to deliver profound statements.
Which likely makes the show sound a bit pretentious.
The Doctor faces the Ectoslime, which stuns its victims with its odour before liquefying them and drinking them. Searching his memory to recall if he had ever faced one before, he recalls the fact they have a highly developed sense of humour to make up for their appearance - so tells it a joke:
Having saved himself from a gruesome death, he is dragged from the arena and placed as a slave in an Imperial Air Galley by General Ironicus. A fellow captive aboard the ship is surprised that the Doctor isn't afraid of him due to his appearance, though the Doctor explains that, compared to the Ectoslime, he is almost handsome. Catching a glimpse of Caesar's mother, the Doctor thinks he has discovered the secret of the Galactic Roman Empire...
Has anyone attempted to translate the joke? I'm hoping it is presented in a code, and not merely a jumble of symbols, as such small details add a certain something to the character - even if I'm too lazy to find a suitable solution. The design sensibilities of the Roman-inspired world are rich in detail, with a few exceptional panels. The image of Caesar's mother is one of the few times we get to really see the world as the Doctor does.
And there's almost that Bugs Bunny line, for those amused at such things.
Whatever amusement could be gained from the Crazy Caption images is rather muted by the poor choice of images for this purpose. Screen captures of actors in the middle of unlikely and improbable events, with appropriately weird expressions, are much more suited to captioning. Before anyone points out how difficult such images were to get in 1979, such systems were available.
The Ice Warrior is an odd choice for Doctor Who's "monster of the week" feature, as they never really felt like top-tier enemies until later development, though the article is very informative. Behind-the-scenes images of Bernard Bresslaw getting prepared for his role as Varga are wonderful glimpses into the process of bringing the character to the screen, and worth the cover price alone. The paper quality doesn't do the images justice, though any opportunity to get a peek at the workings of Doctor Who's special effects are welcome.
Recapping The Dead Planet, the entrance of Daleks to the series is captured well, yet its importance in solidifying the series' popularity isn't addressed. It should have at least had a few newspaper reviews, or even snippets of Radio Times publicity material, which would have really sold the time period in which the episode was broadcast to readers.
Jon Pertwee's mini-bio highlights the inadequacy of the short overviews - despite being in line with previous entries, there's much more to his career than is presented here. Neither pin-up nor biography, the photo-files are a weird hybrid which serves neither function. While later incarnations of the title would handle the balance better, I find myself frustrated with the self-imposed limitations the title has created for itself.
Return of the Daleks, remaining a beautiful isolated glimmer of gold in the Doctor's universe, finds Glax and Hok knocked from their steeds by a whirling sandstorm. Within the winds, which they struggle through, they find a pyramid which is topped with a strange light. A door opens as they approach it, granting them access to a recording revealing the secret to the Daleks' defeat. Before Glax can learn what they must do, Kuay blasts the device and summons her Dalek masters.
The strips and television series information continues to make this a title which is well worth seeking out, though its lightweight features are beginning to grate.
#02
Doctor Who Weekly
#04
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