The Freedom Collective #1

2004. Cover price £2.45
32 pages. B&W contents.
Kremlin Comics [Rough Cut Comics]

Communism's Mightiest Super-Heroes!

Edited by Igor Sloano [Iain Henderson].

Cover p: Dom Regan, i: Colin Barr, colouring by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 "Many Years Ago..." text introduction by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 3 Freedom Collective "This Land... This Terror!", part one, w: Comrade Barr (Colin Barr); p: Domski Regan (Dom Regan), i: Comrade Barr (Colin Barr), lettering by Pioter Rorkov (Peter Rourke).

14 Record Your Parents Voices at Home (half page) fake advertisement. / New from Kremlin Kraft (half page) fake advertisement.

15 "The Power of the Chief!", part two, w: Comrade Barr (Colin Barr); p: Domski Regan (Dom Regan), i: Comrade Barr (Colin Barr), lettering by Pioter Rorkov.

24 Bonus Feature! The Origin of the Krimson Kommisar and the Freedom Collective! w: Comrade Barr (Colin Barr); p: Domski Regan (Dom Regan), i: Comrade Barr (Colin Barr), lettering by Piotr Rorkov (Peter Rourke).

26 Freedom of Speech readers' mail.

28 Society: Party Animal in-house advertisement.

29 The First Cut is the Deepest in-house advertisement for The Surgeon

30 The Final Cut editorial by Edward Murphy.

31 The Sensational Alex Harvey Band advertisement.

32 New from Borealis Plastics - Glow in the Dark Rasputin & The Gamma Tzar Kits fake advertisement.

Taking the overblown histrionics of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's early sixties patriotic fervor, and twisting the message for a suitably Soviet flavor, could have resulted in a horrible mess. Be assured that this is a far better title than most retro titles. While it is a smarter, and less comedic, take on its subject than the cover suggests, it isn't entirely without problems - the very rough title isn't in keeping with the Marvel style, and the Rough Cut logo should have been in a more sixties mode. However the sheer audacity of both the plot and artwork manage to overcome whatever obstacles it makes for itself.

Colin Barr's script manages to avoid most of the problematic mistakes which have plagued US superhero titles (conflating Communist and Nazi ideology), and goes so far as to portray a Nazi (wryly named Von Braun) in league with The Chief.

There's some very subtle touches in the artwork, and good likenesses of historical characters, but the most impressive aspect of Dom Regan and Colin Barr's art is the depth of the images. The employment of foreground/middle ground/background composition grounds the characters in a time and place, unlike many of the classic comics which it parodies, and manages to appease my aesthetic requirements where superheroes are involved.

Freedom Collective mostly amuses my sense of humor through its' use of in-universe advertisements and letter-page, which keeps up the conceit of this being published in the USSR in the sixties, though this presents other (though minor) niggles - the Borealis advert feels more like a seventies advert, and one might suggest that more could have been made of its adverts.

Should this return in some way, I'll be reading. It is a magnificent and audacious title, which has managed what many would have believed impossible... It has made me genuinely interested in the adventures of a group of superheroes.

On This Day: 22 Dec

Births:

Basil Reynolds (1916); Rafael Aura León (1939); Mike Molloy (1940); Noel Ford (1942); Tony Isabella (1951)

Deaths:

Louis Briault (1944); Willie Gall (2006)

Notable Events:

A Special Carol Service for Eagle readers took place at 2:30pm in St. Paul's Cathedral in London in 1951, with Marcus Morris in attendance. Specially-printed sheets of carols were given to participants. Eagle readers Rupert Scott (16), Philip Hughes (14), and Philip Belgeonne (13) spoke for the congregation of over 3,000 people. The collection raised £59 8s 3d for charity.
The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's feature film released in 1960.
Sir Osbert Lancaster was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 1979.
Borders (UK) Limited closed in 2009, leaving Crikey! without high-street distribution.

Wildcat #6

31 Dec 1988 - 13 Jan 1989; Cover price 40p.
32 pages. Colour & B&W.
Fleetway Publications.

Edited by Barrie Tomlinson.

Cover by Ian Kennedy (signed).

Contents:

 2 Turbo Jones UNTITLED [Arglons in the City] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 In Space, Some Things Are More Important Than Others... subscriptions coupon.

 8 Joe Alien UNTITLED [The Great Gardener] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Ron Smith (signed).

11 Kitten Magee UNTITLED [Torg-Lion Attack] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Jose Ortiz (uncredited).

16 Joe Alien UNTITLED (cont.)

18 Alien readers' art; Smiler by Lee Yeun, Vos by Chris Garside, The Blob by Tony Palmer, Octo Slug by Simon Wood. / Time-Warp Data Link feature page (uncredited). / Robojoke UNTITLED ["Take me to your leader"] (pocket cartoon) w:/a M. Herlihy

20 Loner UNTITLED [Minions of the Beast] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: David Pugh (uncredited).

25 Moon of Terror w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

31 Goodbye, Turbo next issue information; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

32 Turbo pin-up; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

The Torg-Lion cover is dramatic - along with being superbly painted - but the design of the creature leaves a lot to be desired. It doesn't look like a creature that might live, and although Kennedy imbues the image with much energy and gusto, it fails to convince as a snapshot of Kitten's battle against the beast due to how cartoonish the Torg-Lion is.

Turbo Jones commands the Burroids dinosaur army after Burroidia is attacked by the Arglons. Turbo rides a deadly Terrosauron... Not knowing that the Arglons are about to bring two Terrosaurons of their own to Burroidia!

We get a name for the city. And it is awful. Honestly, anything would be better than Burroidia, which smacks of a lack of both imagination and credibility. I dread to imagine what their nation is called, or what their national anthem sounds like. Letting loose the Terrosaurons, the Arglons anticipate the speedy demise of Turbo, but before they can prepare their attack Robo manages to sever the Arglons signal. After defeating the Terrosaurons, Turbo orders the city defences stored underground to be activated.

Giving Robo a purpose other than to make a rather attractive action figure is appreciated, though a more proactive stance would have been better than merely requesting permission to act, or responding to orders. He is nothing more than Turbo's well-trained pet, or worse, as uncomfortable as the suggestion is, his slave. As for the grand city defences which are so important to put in place... Nothing more than a giant fence. Fences, no matter how impressive, are very backwards-thinking forms of protection. Did they run out of money for an accompanying moat?

What an utter waste of time. How is a fence supposed to protect against burrowing enemies?

Joe Alien sits down with the leader of the plants - a man who appears to be human - to learn more about the circumstance he and his men has found themselves in. An astronaut aboard the first manned rocked to Mars in the year 2079, everything went as planned until the vessel reached the Von Kaybane asteroid belt, where an asteroid swallowed the ship whole before moving off under its own power.

"We finally landed on this planet...

I was amazed to find that on this continent, vegetation ruled...

They had sent the craft out to discover another living species who could help them... For a great war was being fought between trees and other vegetation...

They wanted me to end the hostilities. They were sick of fighting... I negotiated with both sides...

Finally, an agreement was made. Peace returned to this continent!"

With both sides in the conflict trusting the man from Earth, they decreed he become a king. Assisting in the breeding of new species, he decided to give himself the title "The Great Gardener." With the planet having a strange slowing effect on human biology, he aged slowly, and with the trees and plants not having long lives he became more like a god than a traditional ruler, with even his watering can becoming a symbol of power.

He is, of course, as mad as a bag of ferrets.

This background creates several problems, none of which are immediately discussed. Firstly, why were the plans so hostile to those who are, fundamentally, similar to the most revered figure in their society? The aggression seen does not indicate that the group have entered a peaceful plant society, though that might be explained by the irrationality their leader displays.

The second problem is one which poses a great danger to plans for the long-term habitation on the planet. If people age so slowly, then overpopulation is a real problem which needs to be addressed. If this is merely limited to those living in the area which the plants have claimed as their own, then issues of longevity are mitigated, but if it is a general effect it will impact on every decision hereafter.

After seeing the explosion, Cassandra believes Kitten and Aurora dead, yet they have survived thanks to the holes dug by their robot foes. Hobos, angered at their survival, uses a destabilising beam, interrupting the signals between the brain and limbs, making them non-operative. Kitten almost falls back into the hole, though Hobos steps (or, rather, glides) into action to save Kitten - showing the meat-eating Skik scavengers, brought to the surface by the use of his beam, which now squirm in the hole. Leading them away from the area, while using a carnivore-attracting beam to bring fresh dangers. A Torg-Lion attacks, though Kitten is able to scratch it with her ring, which contains poison from the Kizajeree plant from the planet Maakan, the most deadly in the universe.

Kitten's attack is silent but deadly.

I'm not sure if any poison could make things explode, leastways if they aren't already made of explodium, but it is nice to see some mad, out-of-the-box thinking, no matter the logical leaps required. There is no sense of what Hobos' plan is, which is admirable for this kind of title, which so often signposts plot developments in flashing neon, preventing immersion in the immediacy of events. Not being able to discern the shape of the coming journey is a joy.

Loner uses the telepathic weapons to strike against the monstrous Beast, though it quickly flees to a lower network of tunnels. Following, with tentative steps, Loner discovers a cave full of skulls and skeletal remains stretching as far as the eye can see. Further down into the twisting network of tunnels, and he finally manages to corner it - but must first dispense with its minions.

Beautiful and disturbing in equal measures, the Hell-Beast is a superb creation, and its immensity is presented clearly - Loner is, in comparison, tiny. It sets up the big battle perfectly, with the almost-insurmountable odds clearly laid out.

There is always one story in an anthology which fails to deliver, and here we have Moon of Terror. With the previous three-man expedition crew having disappeared while surveying the planet's first moon, Kurby is tasked with investigating. He has trouble with thick cloud cover, and only barely manages a landing. He escapes the immediate area before his ship explodes, leaving him stranded. Happening upon mutant creatures, Kurby shoots first and asks questions later. Finding a forest, Kurby heads straight for the fruit he spies growing.

There were three men on the first survey, and three mutants attack him. You would think that Kurby had picked up basic mathematics, and put three and three together, but no. And honestly - what kind of brain-dead moron goes and eats alien fruit on a mysterious moon which has already seen the disappearance of three crew-members? With no reasonable sense of self-preservation, I'm willing to state that Kurby is the kind of person who most likely has "Potential Darwin Award Winner" in his personnel file.

#05

Wildcat

#07

Aliens Vol.1 #7

Aug 1991. Cover price £1.50.
52 pages. Colour & B&W.
Trident Comics, Ltd.

Edited by Martin Skidmore.

Cover by Denis Beauvaus.
r: Aliens (Dark Horse) #01 (Aug 1989)

Contents:

 2 Contents / Title Credits / Indicia

 3 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

 4 Aliens Earth War, part one, w: Mark Verheiden; a: Sam Keith, lettering by Jim Massara, colouring by Monika Livingstone.

r: Aliens: Earth War (Dark Horse) #01 (Jun 1990).

28 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

29 Predator The Heat, part seven, w: Mark Verheiden; a: Chris Warner, lettering by David Jackson, colouring by Chris Chalenor.

r: Predator #02 (Jun 1989).

39 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

40 Aliens Vs Predator Untitled, part seven, w: Randy Stradley; p: Phil Norwood, i: Karl Story, lettering by Pat Brosseau.

r: Aliens Vs Predator (Dark Horse) #01 (Jun 1990).

49 Subscriptions (half page) / The Sheffield Space Centre (quarter page) advertisement. / Model Aerodrome Limited Presents (quarter page) advertisement for Halcyon Aliens figure.

50 The Terminator in-house advertisement for #01.

51 Cheap Mail Order advertisement for Planet X.

52 Aliens in-house advertisement for graphic novels and t-shirts.

Another wonderful cover marred by a poor notice placed over the art, this time promoting Earth War. While the title has every reason to bring attention to the story, the manner in which they do so lacks a style and flourish which the strip deserves. A visually stunning piece of horror fantasy which relishes its darkness, Sam Keith really pushes layouts and form to create a feast for the eyes.

Planet LV-426 - Acheron Terraforming Colony.

When I was young, I knew a little girl named Rebecca, Her friends called her Newt.

She had a doll named Casey. The two would stare for hours as manmade storms battered their tiny settlement.

The adult colonists found their new environment cruel and unrelenting, but the little girl had known nothing else. To her, the planet was home.

She only wanted what all children want -

- the warmth and security of family -

- the human connectedness that comes from belonging.

What she got was a nightmare without end.

As anyone who has seen Aliens can attest, Newt is tough. She survived in the alien-infested colony on her own, so that gives credence to her strength of character. Highlighting the fact that she would treat the colony as her home, accepting the harsh conditions there, is a clever way of preparing the reader for what is to come. What is more surprising, though understandable, is the hatred which she holds against Ripley for abandoning her. The addition to the film's conclusion, with Ripley being woken after three days in cryo by Captain Hankerson - who has been travelling in a second ship - is a rather clever way of getting more mileage out of LV-426.

Ripley is shocked when told footage from Kane's helmet still exists:

"The inboard suit recorders logged everything. The Nostromo's android dumped the data into the escape pod's computer long before you slagged him and blew the main ship."

Interested in the navigator, or pilot, which Kane discovered in the destroyed ship, Hankerson wants Ripley to accompany him to the planet to act as a guide, and to provide reliable first-hand information. Threatening to wake up Hicks or Newt if she declines, Ripley is forced to return to the LV-426 with another team of marines.

Keith's style takes some getting used to, especially when he uses more abstract techniques. Beautiful, mad, and quite amusing in places, he breathes life into the story, providing a visual counterpoint to the script's leaps of logic.

The Predators are not happy. Which might be an understatement, as they start firing on people gathered on the streets. It is only when Schaefer targets the fire hydrants that he is able to level the playing field.

Schaefer has no love for the city, his job, or even the people - so why the hell did he do it?

When it was all over, would anyone even care? Or would they turn bac to their televisions, pleased that their reception had finally cleared up -

Then I remembered what he'd said about the beast - the beast in all of us.

"Maybe the hunt is their way of keeping the beast alive"

- maybe this war was Schaefer's way of doing the same.

Mirroring protagonists with their antagonists is an old trick, though Verheiden's script is more explicit in showing the similarities than most would be comfortable with. Having previously set up the hunting background, with flashbacks, the scene doesn't jump out as being out of place, but it certainly makes the reader take notice. This hero of ours, we see, is far from heroic.

Which, given the enemy he is going up against, is probably for the best.

The Sheldon boy crashes his vehicle into a wall, bringing assistance from those investigating the unconscious Predator. The boy explains that his mother and father were killed by monsters, and when he sees the captive alien identifies it as the same species. A meeting is called after the Sheldon ranch is checked, and preparations are made for what is being considered an invasion.

Few of the ranchers had weapons or their own, and the corporate armory consisted of fifteen scatter-guns - primarily for use against fire-crawlers and briar-wolves - and ten pistols earmarked for a police force the town had never needed.

Prosperity Wells was never intended to be a fortress, but the ranchers, under Hiroki's direction, set up an admirable line of defense.

The final three pages are a masterclass in creating tension, with the aliens and Predators stepping up their sport, with Machiko stuck in the middle. The stacking of containers is reminiscent of old westerns, where the wagons are dragged into a circle, further elaborating on themes which have run through the story. As happy that I am about the threat aboard the Lector finally paying off, I do have to wonder - what have the aliens been up to all this time?

On second thoughts, I probably don't want to know...

The Terminator advert at the back of the issue is incredibly pixelated, and so stylised that it doesn't represent the eventual cover repro at all. Adverts this bad should be dropped, rather than negatively influence potential readers.

#06

Aliens Vol.1

#08

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:

 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

On This Day: 21 Dec

Births:

Frank Hampson (1918); Jim Cawthorn (1929); Mick Bunnage (1958); Oliver Preston (1962)

Notable Events:

Judge Dredd made a personal appearance at Nostalgia & Comics, 14-16 Smallbrook, Queensway, Birmingham, in 1990.

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:

 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 October

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.

Ending 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 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:

 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.

03

Dracula

#05

Aliens Vol.1 #6

Jul 1991. Cover price £1.50.
52 pages. Colour & B&W.
Trident Comics, Ltd.

Edited by Martin Skidmore.

Cover by Denis Beauvaus.
r:

Contents:

 2 Contents / Title Credits / Indicia

 3 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

 4 Aliens Untitled, part six, w: Mark Verheiden; a: Denis Beauvaus, lettering by Bob Pinaha.

r: Aliens (Dark Horse) #02 (Dec 1989).

12 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

13 Predator The Heat, part six, w: Mark Verheiden; a: Chris Warner, lettering by Jim Massara, colouring by Chris Chalenor.

r: Predator #02 (Jun 1989).

29 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

30 Aliens Vs Predator Untitled, part six, w: Randy Stradley; p: Phil Norwood, i: Karl Story, lettering by Pat Brosseau.

r: Aliens Vs Predator (Dark Horse) #01 (Jun 1990).

47 Letters Page readers' mail.

49 Aliens - the Graphic Novel, the Portfolio, the t-shirts, the Hardback in-house advertisement.

50 The Terminator in-house advertisement for #01.

51 Subscriptions (half page) / The Sheffield Space Centre (quarter page) advertisement. / Fantasy World (quarter page) advertisement for June opening of Another World.

52 Toxic! in-house advertisement for #15.

One of the best covers so far, with its light blue and black trade dress playing well against Beauvaus' image. The jagged balloon containing the announcement that the aliens have reached Earth is, however, an eyesore - Trident, despite being good at picking out suitable material for reprinting, and with extremely talented creators providing new strips, always seemed to be less adventurous when it came to lettering. In appearance it is the kind of thing I expect to see printed on own-brand boxes of fish fingers rather than a comic cover.

The - the alien is the only one I can trust. Their loyalty transcends human treachery.

Together, we will form a new world. I will lead man and alien alike toward a new glory, a new beginning -

- A better tomorrow!

Spears quickly learns just how intelligent - and duplicitous - the aliens can be, and pays for his arrogance with his life. Meanwhile, at Gateway Station, the ship carrying Newt and Hicks docks, and they discover what has become of the handful of survivors aboard. A report from planetside has news of a nest which the aliens have built, spralwing across the city, and down into the underground. All seems lost for those remaining on the surface, but an old friend is at hand to take the battle to the aliens.

With her final-page appearance, Ripley is, once more, an essential part of the Alien saga. Although her appearance brings a smile - in the same manner as seeing Arnold reprise his Terminator role in Terminator Genisys - though, like Terminator, Aliens needs to find a voice, and characters, away from what is familiar. As interesting as her position in the films has been, there really should be more to the universe than her adventures.

Rasche reunites with Schaefer atop the Pan Am building, and, once Philips' men are put in their place, head to a U-Rent space on the Lower East Side. Filled with enough police impound to take on every cracked-out psycho in Manhattan, Schaefer watches Kartoon Kastle to prepare himself for the coming battle. Realising that the odds are too great, Schaefer sets out to recruit some back-up. The Predators are tracking his movements, and it takes the death of another Predator to convince Carr that< Schaefer is on the level.

Once the recruited army of criminals is properly armed, Rasche points out that they can hardly be expected to fight when the Predators are still in their ships. Forcing them to descend from their ships by the destruction of one of the vessels, Schaefer finds himself stuck between a police force wanting his hide and aliens wanting his head.

The ships aren't greatly impressive, which is highlighted in the panels which present them in close-ups. They remind me of the ugly spaceships which proliferated throughout DC's titles in the 80s, with the same simplistic design sensibilities. It is nice to see unconventional forces stepping up to take part in the forthcoming battle, and reactions to Schaefer's proclamation about alien forces invading is exactly what one would expect.

Searching for the doc, an unconscious Predator, along with the destroyed ship, is discovered in Iwa Gorge. It is brought to the Med Centre, where investigations into its physiology are begun. With all of the excitement it takes a while before anyone notices that the Lector still hasn't taken off.

A chance encounter with intelligent XTs was considered so remote that the company's off-planet manual contained only one line on the subject:

"Avoid direct contact until specially trained personnel arrive on the scene."

We were about to write a whole new chapter.

Aliens Vs Predator is still a fascinating story, though its inspirations are beginning to be noticeable. There's a definite manga sensibility to some of the images, which is both amusing ans appropriate.

#05

Aliens Vol.1

#07

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:

 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."
"I'm sorry I've been so rebellious."
"You will become a great Jedi."
"Do you think the Queen will be successful?"

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.

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

On This Day: 20 Dec

Births:

Albert Thacker "Bertie" Brown (1887)

Deaths:

Leslie Illingworth (1979)

Notable Events:

A Christmas tea for Eagle readers, with Marcus Morris, Frank Hampson, and Charles Chilton, took place in London in 1951.
Paul Smith was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 1992. His chosen book was The Beano Annual 1974.
Bob Monkhouse was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 1998.
The second Dennis and Gnasher animated series ended in 2013.

Danger Man Annual [1967]

[1966] Annual. Original price 10/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Ltd.

Based on the television series starring Patrick McGoohan.

Painted cover by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited)

 4 Indicia

 5 Danger Man Annual title page; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 6 Contents; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 The Big Splash text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

17 No Medals for the General text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

24 The Silver Ring text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

38 Smugglers' Cove text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

51 Countdown text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

60 Dead on Nine text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

68 Payoff on the frontier text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

80 Moses Was the 1st Spy King! text feature UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

85 Playback! text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

94 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited)

With a far better cover, casting Drake in an appropriately moody light, the second annual is a slightly more refined example of the tie-in annual. The endpaper, alas, falls down when attempting to capture McGoohan's likeness, which will be a recurring problem throughout - so distinctive is his appearance that the illustrations struggle to match what we see on screen. A valiant attempt at bringing the character we know and love to the title page begins to claw back a degree of visual harmony with the series, but there's still a significant disparity in appearance.

It was the hottest night of the summer and Drake was sitting at a sidewalk table on the brilliantly lit Via Veneto in the teeming heart of Rome.
   The broad carriageway was agog with every kind of vehicle, from sumptuous Rolls-Bentleys through gleaming Alfa-Romeos and mass-produced Fiats to ancient horse-drawn carroze.
   The pavements of the famous gilded strip were agog with every kind of character, from international film stars through millionaire playboys to gaping tourists and shifty-eyed crooks on the make.
   But none of these received more than a passing show of interest from the Danger Man as he sat sipping black coffee at a table almost directly outside the entrance to the Café Royal.

One of the strengths of this annual in relation to the previous one is its sense of scope - no longer content with a few days in Wales, the reach is greater. As the character was soaked in the Spy-Fi tradition, I would have expected nothing less than a globe-trotting adventure. It is a great story, which even manages to include a spattering of Italian phrases as it races to a conclusion, and it nods towards the James Bond franchise with a pretty face concealing hidden dangers for Drake to counter.

The next stop on Drake's international jaunt is Rio, where he has been chosen by a joint British Intelligence-CIA task force to retrieve a sensitive plan for maintaining order in a troubled naval zone in which San Miguel is a major factor. His task is complicated when Juan Mizol, a man working for the San Miguel Secret Police, sees Drake talking to Jennings, a man known to them. As matters necessitate, Drake kidnaps the officer so that his cover isn't blown...

The humour which closes out the story feels desperately forced, although there are some brilliantly observed moments prior to this. Capturing, in small ways, some of the style of the series, there is much to enjoy in No Medals for the General. Off to Switzerland next, and he is tasked with preventing the kidnap of Abdul Hassan Bey, the Sheik of Menjpore, who is stopping at Zurich overnight before heading on to London, where he will sign an oil deal of significance to Anglo-American interests.

In isolation, calling Drake 'the Danger Man' isn't too noticeable, but when the phrase appears again and again it becomes slightly irritating. Having him referred to exclusively as Drake would have felt less juvenile, though it isn't a major problem.

Smoked Out takes Drake back to London. Smugglers' Cove - which sees Drake in Cornwall - is adorned with the fantastic visual of a Mini driving along a twisting road, and has him investigating people who are meant to be loyal to Britain. It vaguely prefigures some of the themes in The Prisoner, which is often viewed as McGoohan reprising Drake, though the surreality of that series is absent here.

Far classier, yet strangely lacking in a certain fidelity.

[1966]

Danger Man Annual

Temple Houston Annual [1966]

[1965] Annual. Original price 9/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.

Based on the US television series starring Jeffrey Hunter.

Cover photograph (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 4 Indicia

 5 Temple Houston Annual title page; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 6 Contents illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 The Road to Valhalla text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

19 Boots & Saddles feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

20 The Civil War feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

21 Justice Before Breakfast text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

33 The Judgment of Houston text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

47 The Sheriff Who Rode Alone feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

48 The Battle board game; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

50 Nobody's Children text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

61 Paleface - Go Home! text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

75 Headgear feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

76 War Clubs feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

77 The Picture that Lied text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

87 Sleeping Dogs Tell No Lies text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

94 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

It is something of a minor miracle that the Temple Houston television series was as entertaining as it managed to be, given numerous obstacles which it had to overcome in getting to the screen, but - as both history and a western - it lacks a certain something. The sole annual based on the series is similarly constrained by a host of problems, most of which are inherited from the show. The production was rushed, inconsistent in tone, and contained numerous historical inaccuracies, and its annual is (comparatively) leisurely, uneven... and filled with more historically inaccuracies than an average Blackadder episode.

Ignoring facts isn't entirely a bad thing, giving creators the opportunity to elaborate and heighten known events for dramatic purposes. Unfortunately the author(s) don't stretch their meagre facts quite enough to create a sense that real-life circuit-lawyer Temple Houston, Jeffrey Hunter's character, is the cultured badass with a silver tongue he is meant to be. It is the minor, and unexplained, alterations which are the most telling - Temple isn't married, while the real Houston was married by the age of 23. An acceptable break, perhaps, as it gives the series room to explore romantic entanglements, but not addressing the fact is a point of contention.

Characters based on people of note should be presented with their life story intact, and not a shadowy semblance of their history. By depriving the character of aspects which were present in Houston's life, we are deprived of seeing the manner in which he approached different situations. The more facets present, the greater an understanding we can have of his assumed roles. Large additions and subtractions to his story reinforce the feeling that something is wrong. A reader could end up looking for cracks in the story rather than admiring the surface varnish.

It was probably the snazziest piece of gentlemen's haberdashery that had ever been paraded on the dirt streets of Lindley, Texas, and Temple Houston felt that by wearing it that bright morning he was raising the social tone of his adopted town several degrees. Always a sharp dresser, Houston's taste might have been considered on the flamboyant side, but then the Houstons were flamboyant stock, as the history of Texas showed. The fancy, brocaded silk waistcoat had set him back many good dollars. But every cent had been worth it, he decided, as he strolled along the boardwalk acknowledging with a flourish of his stetson the envious glances of the men and admiring ogles of the ladies. If you intended to be the town's best lawyer, Temple chuckled to himself, you have to advertise. The waistcoat, which put all other waistcoats in the shade, was a mighty good billboard of his qualities.

Straight from the start of The Road to Valhalla, the sense of playfulness which marked the second half of the series is brought to the fore, with the strutting peacock aspect of the character being highlighted. There is ample evidence of his propensity for what might be considered garish clothes, and this is actually a boon to the depiction here.

The major problem with the series - and, by extension, the annual - is that there is no sense Houston is a multi-lingual, extremely erudite, well-read walking legal encyclopedia. We instead get stories of a sickly horse which an entire town is wagering its financial future on, in what must be one of the dumbest stories to appear in a western context. By not depicting how sharp, and how fast, Houston's mind is, we are kept at arm's length from him, and distanced from anything resembling drama.

It is truly disappointing that so little is accomplished with so much material available.

Super Thriller Annual [1959]

[1958] Annual. Original price 6/.
130 pages. Full colour & B&W contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.

Painted cover by Edgar Hodges (signed).

Contents:

  2 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

  4 Indicia

  6 "Danger in the Deep colour plate; illustrated by Ronald W. Smethurst (signed).

  7 Super Thriller Annual title page; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

  8 Contents; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

  9 The Mystery of the Mary Celeste text feature by A.W. Dalby-Phillips; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 17 Menace from Space text story by Derek Somers; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 29 Midget Submarine Adventure text story by David Reynolds; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 43 Atomic Pile-Up w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 49 Black Frost text story by Capt. H.H. Swift; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 63 The Time Jumpers text story by Joseph Morrissey; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 75 Ace Hart Earth at Bay text story by Bryn Cullen; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 89 Highwayman's Hideout w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 95 The Tulip Mystery text story by Guy Deakin; illustrated by Edgar Hodges (signed).

109 Thunder Flash text story by Edwin Dale; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

119 The Legendary Lawrence text feature by Arthur Winsford; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

128 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Opening with a colour plate of a diver surrounded by sharks isn't the best start. A far better use of the sole full-colour page would have been to include an Ace Hart image, though underplaying the role of the character does have the (likely unintended) consequence of making his later appearance more special - it was almost a hidden treat within the pages, for readers to stumble upon unexpectedly.

It is a shame, therefore, that Ace's appearance on the title page is so poor - looking substantially older than his regular depictions, it is an image which calls out for explanation - has he, one wonders, been hit with an ageing ray by some diabolical mastermind? Is he really much older than he has let on, utilising rejuvenation creams to appear more vital? Or is this, as I suspect, some crafty imposter, using the costume to go about his nefarious business?

Although there is little to add after so many years of rumination and speculation, The Mystery of the Mary Celeste covers the (altogether far too familiar) events with skill and clarity, laying out the facts as known, and ensuring that the separation between historical fact and lurid fiction is kept suitable clear. I do so enjoy seeing A.W. Dalby-Phillips here, as he never seems to give in to easy options, turning anything he touches into gripping and interesting prose, filled with detail.

The space-ship came at dawn on a bright summer day in 1992, and at that moment Earth's isolation in the Universe was ended. Mankind did not yet know, of course, that the ship was from the stars, but in a very short space of time he was to know that no longer was he alone in space.
   It chose a most unfortunate time to pass over Binstead, for on the previous night there had taken place the annual party in which both the Experimental Station and its attached R.A.F depot pooled resources in making whoopee for all personnel of both establishments in the officers' mess. Harry Morse and Tom Berry, being invited to stay the night, were asleep in two bunks in the sergeants' mess when they were awakened at 5 a.m. by the most awful concert of sirens, klaxons, bells, and whistles, and, scrambling from their bunks, they rushed to the window and stared out.

Displaying how dangerous it is to date events in stories, the first piece of fiction could hardly be more anachronistic now, though looking thirty years into the future was probably far enough for most readers to grasp when this was published. Somers provides a very engaging style here, and the realisation that there is other life in the galaxy is treated intelligently, with enough consideration to keep it from becoming juvenile. It is always appreciated when there is scientific thinking incorporated into such tales, no matter how small the inclusion is.

It is a real shame that Atomic Pile-Up is so dated in appearance. The strip has a strange - though not entirely unappreciated - forties feel to it, and the conceit of a resourceful child outsmarting kidnappers isn't so over-played that it becomes annoying. That the police are involved is a great boon to the story's credibility, as similar narratives in which the child comes to the rescue unaided are always too optimistic regarding the outcome. Can't have readers getting upset when a sprog takes a .45 in the chest, can we...

The Time Jumpers explicitly references H.G. Wells in its introduction, although Morrissey is no Wells, as can be deduced from the story itself. Lance Everett and Bob Wells make in the direction of an abandoned house when they are caught in a thunderstorm, lightning striking the ground all around. Soaked through, they take shelter, and are astonished to hear the sound of a gunshot from within the building. They investigate where the sound came from, tackling two armed men.

What was I just saying about the possibilities of children getting shot in stories...

They are soon transported through time thanks to Professor Wilde's time machine, launched in to all manner of fun and games. It is really difficult to get excited about such stories, with the ever-present "get out of jail free card" hanging over the plot - if something goes wrong, a time machine can deposit the characters back in time just long enough to correct what once went wrong. Or not, for dramatic purposes. Either way, the possibilities have been thoroughly explored in both long and short-form, leaving little room to strike out in an vaguely original manner.

Ace Hart picked his way along the dark gallery formed by fallen masonry. Behind him echoed the footsteps and voices of the other members of the Department of Space Defence - what remained of them. The tortuous passage widened out into a sort of high-roofed chamber.

A disappointing tale, albeit with many interesting moments, regarding an attack by Sylvanus on Earth - which likely makes much more sense with the rest of Ace Hart's adventures to hand.

The closing feature on Lawrence of Arabia is not, as to be expected, a warts and all account, with the usual press-friendly statements repeated. His life has been pored over so relentlessly that what we are presented with is quite slight in comparison. With a few informative books already available in the late fifties, this stands out as a needless excursion. The mix of elements in the annual is appreciated, no matter how often the non-fiction portions have been recounted, and it would likely have been the first time some readers had cause to consider the life of the explorer.

Although extremely dated in places, this retains an appeal. There are, of course, aspects which do not immediately smack of real inspiration, though enough is done to set the work apart from similar publications. Even Ace Hart is provided with a story most unlike the regular superhero fare, which is remarkably brave given the period in which the annual was published.

An absolute gem, although not as finely polished as one might hope.

[1958]

Super Thriller Annual

[1960]

Tales of Wells Fargo Annual [1961]

[1960] Annual. Original price 7/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.

Based on the US television series starring Dale Robertson.

Cover painting by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 4 Indicia

 5 Temple Houston Annual title page; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 6 Contents illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 Gunfight at Powder Creek text story by Douglas Enefer; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

19 The Trail of "Burro Sam" w: Gaylord Du Bois (uncredited); a: Alberto Giolitti (uncredited).

r: Four Color (Dell) #1113 [Tales of Wells Fargo] (Jul 1960 - Sep 1960).

35 The Lucky Streak text story by Douglas Enefer; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

45 Wells Fargo Facts 1852 - 1918 feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

46 Overland Mail board game; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

48 Storm Rider w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Dan Spiegle (uncredited).

r: Four Color (Dell) #829 [Tales of the Pony Express] (Aug 1957).

58 The Pony Express feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

59 The Texas Terror text story by Douglas Enefer; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

69 Avalanche Pass w: Gaylord Du Bois (uncredited); a: Alberto Giolitti (uncredited).

r: Four Color (Dell) #1113 [Tales of Wells Fargo] (Jul 1960 - Sep 1960).

85 Johnny Jump-Up text story by Douglas Enefer; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

93 Rogues Round-Up feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

94 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Continuing the thematic cover design, Tales of Wells Fargo Annual has adopted a far more fitting lettering, though loses some degree of style in the process, the letters being far too fussy. As always Howarth provides a wonderful cover, though with Hardie far more pensive and thoughtful, giving a sombre air to proceedings. Had the endpaper followed, with a suitably melancholy spread, there might have been continuity of tone throughout, but its yellow and pink colouring is uneasily at odd with its scene of a stagecoach in imminent danger of attack. Quite what we are to make of this disconnect is hard to tell.

Beautifully presented reprints of the US strip, along with Tales of the Pony Express thrown in for good measure, add up to real value for readers.

[1960]

Tales of Wells
Fargo Annual

[1962]

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Annual [1967]

[1966] Annual. Original price 10/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.

Based on the US television series starring Richard Basehart and David Hedison.

Cover photographs by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 4 Indicia

 5 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Annual title page; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 6 Contents illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 The Kingdom of Davy Jones text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

23 The Statue Makers text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

31 Robinson Crusoe of the Depths w: UNKNOWN (uncredited)); a: Alberto Giolitti (uncredited).

r: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (Gold Key) #04 (May 1966).

60 The One That Got Away text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

71 Vanderdecken Sails Again text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

81 Trapped in Lost Atlantis text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

94 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

This is painful. With such a rich variety of unexplored locations to set stories in, and so much of the planet covered in water, it is expected that the author of these stories might have decided to have some fun, taking the vessel to uncharted depths, creating unique and interesting problems for the characters to think their way out of, but that isn't the case. Tired, worn out references are the first indication that the stories are aiming squarely for pulpy, rehashed dreck. Davy Jones? Robinson Crusoe? Atlantis? Check, check, and check.

Narratives set underwater are open to a multitude of possibilities, and yet there are no risks taken - even ardent fans of the (mediocre) television series, approaching the title with expectations of the same quality of storytelling, are likely to be underwhelmed with the contents on offer.

If the author couldn't be bothered with a simple non-fiction feature, what was the point of snagging the license?

There are hundreds of mythical sea creatures which should have been considered, some truly terrifying in concept, but the sea-life on display is hokey, unimaginative, and entirely ridiculous. A giant green beach-ball with spindly tentacles? That's as terrifying as an average episode of Rainbow. World had, elsewhere, provided some great reference on prehistoric sea-life, and I wouldn't have complained one iota had that merely been reprinted here, though even reused elements are missing.

Facts about the sea in which the story takes place is, likewise, entirely absent, even though including such detail would have raised the sense of danger in which the characters are journeying in. Had the readers been informed of decompression sickness, the temperature of the sea, or even how dark things get, a mere few metres beneath the waves, then the sense of the vessel, and its occupants, being in considerable danger every step of the way might have been presented. As it is, the adventures might as well have taken place in a yellow submarine.

I expect at the very least a feature on Athenian ships, with Thucydides mentioned one (at the bare minimum), a feature on the different kinds of ships used throughout history, different names for familiar items (Kellick being an anchor, for example), and a quick recap of great literature set on the seas. Moby Dick, the most non-fictiony fiction ever fictioned, would have slotted in perfectly had the notion to include something of merit been considered for even a minute. There isn't even a playfulness in naming ships, such as including a vessel called Acushnet. I want to hurl this annual across the room with force, so limited is its imagination.

A terrible waste, which manages, miraculously, to make the television series appear to be high quality, entertaining, lavish, and intelligent in comparison.

Praise Tangaroa that there are only two of these annuals...

Here is the rock that strands me now;
With one side or the other it must come to war.
That's as sure as a ship's hull pegged tight.
Nowhere do I see safe, untroubled harborage.
                                  Aeschylus.

"The sea can wash away all human ills."
                                  Euripides.

Voyage to the Bottom
of the Sea Annual

[1968]

The Big Battle Annual [1960]

[1959] Annual. Original price 9/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.

Stories of Action, Valour and Daring

Cover painting by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 4 Indicia photograph by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 5 Contents

 6 The German Helmet text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

11 The British Infantry Section and the Weapons Used feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

12 Desperate Decisions w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

19 Small Support Weapons of World War II feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

20 The Fighting Men text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

26 V.C.'s of World War II text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

27 Tell Us Phantom w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

35 Famous Cap Badges feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

37 The Night of the Long Knives text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

45 Tanks of World War II feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

47 They Called Him Big-Head w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

56 Colourful Generals of World War II text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

62 The Pilot from the C.I.D. text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

72 Breakout at Dawn w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

83 Who Dares Wins... The Story of the Special Air Service text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

85 The Day the Tommies Came text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

93 V.C.'s of World War II cont.

94 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Although the page-count isn't excessive, this is a heavy annual - in weight, as well as content. It is also very attractive. Not, you understand, a pretty annual, but quite the polished piece of work nonetheless. Anticipating Battle Picture Weekly, Warlord, Victor, and similar titles, it offers a nice variety of fiction and non-fiction, prose and strip material, and does all this with a dash of style.

1942. Truck and jeep borne patrols of the long range desert group ranged far across the wastes of the western desert, striking terror in the rear of the enemy lines. Car and aircraft parks were attacked, petrol dumps set on fire, ammunition dumps blown up, roads mined and trucks ambushed.

Privates Tod Sloane and Ron Blake of the special patrol, B Squadron, L.R.D.G. were both fighting for promotion until a desperate action brought their rivalry to a climax.

The first strip is the kind of thing which could have appeared in any military title, with no distinguishing style to mark out the story. There are, however, a number of minor its of dialogue which makes me think that someone with experience in the armed forces was behind the script.

Instituted by Queen Victoria in 1856, the Victoria Cross is the supreme British award for gallantry in the field of battle.

• Captain B.A.W. Warburton Lee, R.N.
• Second Lieutenant Richard Wallace Annand
• Flight-Lieutenant D.J. Nicholson, R.A.F.
• Corporal J.H. Edmondson, Australian Military Forces
• Second Lieutenant Premindra Singh Bagat, Corps of Indian Engineers
• Second Lieutenant C.H. Upham, N.Z. Military Forces
• Flying-Officer L.A. Trigg, D.F.C., R.N.Z.A.F.
• Lieutenant-Colonel C.C.I. Merritt
• Second Lieutenant K. Ngarimu, N.Z. Military Forces
• Subadar Lalbahadur Thapa, 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles
• Lieutenant-Commander Wanklyn, D.S.O., R.N.

Although the selected V.C. winners are given brief biographies, they don't manage to truly capture the tremendous acts of bravery for which the individuals were honoured. It would have been better to source photographs (where possible) and reprint the Times notices. With so many great stories, it is a wonder that more wasn't made of the real-life material.

Up to the minute battle information, vital to the Allied cause, was collected by Phantom, code name for the General Headquarters liason signal regiment. Highly specialised mobile groups of men, expert in signals and reporting battle conditions, scouted between the gaps in the advancing Allied armies, moving like phantoms even behind the enemy lines. They had access to each and every H.Q., gathering top secret information and advising battle commanders on future tactics.

March, 1945. The Germans were still fighting fanatically for the Rhineland. Tension mounted as the British 90th Infantry Division prepared to attackthe key centre of Delfhausen across the River Molde. Phantom signal officer Lieutenant Harvey Wilson called on one of the Brigade Headquarters.

While somewhat stereotypical in its depiction of green officers being dismissive of specialised officers from lower ranks, the story folds out with a remarkable sense of combat conditions. The colouring is abysmal, and there are a few panels which lack backgrounds, both of which are my bête noires, but the wonderful manner in which things conclude make me look upon the strip with more affection than I normally would.

Burma, 1944. The Japanese Colonel Tanahashi struck against the British advance guard in the Kaladan Valley, scattering the British troops and laying bare their flank...

Cut off, a small British patrol fought its way back out of the trap with its leader, Lieutenant Rand, and his sergeant, 'Bighead' Colson, arguing all the way...

As much tension as personal conflicts can generate, there's simply too little room for They Called Him Big-Head to develop into something more than a passing moment in the midst of a battle. Despite that, these are interesting characters who have a wonderful story, and the lack of background to their bickering could have presented an interesting look at life in the centre of the conflict - that we don't get to see how things got to the stage where the story begins is a frustrating omission created by the necessity to wrap things up in a timely manner. A more luxurious pacing is sorely needed in tales such as this.

December, 1941. After a siege lasting 242 days, the heroic defenders of Tobruk had been relieved. In June, 1942, Rommel's troops again surrounded the fortress, but this time the defence by Imperial troops was to collapse in a matter of a few days.

News that Tobruk was being surrendered came to Corporal Caswell and the survivors of his section. When they were fully engaged with the enemy in a place called Kings Cross.

I want Breakout at Dawn to be true. There's no reason, mind you, that this tale has any relation to history, but it is such a great little narrative that it manages to draw attention away from the poor colouring completely.

A history of the SAS, no matter how concise, is going to have gaps, and, with barely a page and a half in which to lay out the background, the feature on its formation is riddled with tantalising hints of a greater narrative lurking under the surface. Events are rushed through, with no room to explain the source of some of the techniques, or tell the circumstances of how certain key aspects of the group was arrived at. There are fantastic books about the subject which struggle to find room for the great stories, and this is merely a taster.

This is not, despite what you may believe, a poor showing.

Yes, there is a sense of things being rushed through, and the lack of detail takes some of the sheen away, but there are still enough carefully-honed lines which have the ring of authenticity, and some of the art is truly breathtaking. That it wasn't followed by a series of annuals is a shame. It has the ring of being a Battle Picture Weekly try-out, with features on tanks and badges - pages peppered with images which are cleaner and clearer than similar features a decade later.

A fascinating little chunk of history.

On This Day: 19 Dec

Deaths:

Albert Barnes (1982); Ron Turner (1998)

Notable Events:

Eagle arranged for twenty Club members to tour Eric Bemrose Ltd., and see the latest issue of the title roll off the press, in 1952.
Blue Murder at St. Trinian's feature film released in the UK in 1957.
Rebellion began selling digital editions of 2000 A.D. in 2007.
Nick Park was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 2010.

Danger Man Annual 1966

[1965] Annual. Original price 9/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.

Based on the television series starring Patrick McGoohan.

Painted cover by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 Endpaper illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 5 Title Page illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 6 Contents Page illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 The Big Catch text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

20 The Code Breakers text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

22 Beat This Danger Man Code word puzzle; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

23 Night Train to Rome text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

38 Half a Million in a World Spy Ring text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

40 Traitor's Gate text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

51 Drake's Big Beat text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

62 The Silver Greyhounds text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

64 The House on 22nd Street text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

78 Espionage board game; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

80 The Temple text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

With a four-day break, Drake drives to Wales for a fishing break. Staying at the Mountain View Hotel, in the heart of Snowdonia, he is enjoying the peace and quiet of a riverbank - despite not having caught any fish - when a boulder falls from the mountainside, breaking his rod. As he is dusting himself off from the near miss he encounters Frank Barton, who is out rabbit hunting. Frank informs Drake that the area is known for its loose boulders, with most locals keeping away from the area.

Later, at the hotel's bar, Drake tells the bartender about the incident, and is told that the incident is the first of its kind he has heard of. Returning to the spot where he was fishing, Drake overhears Barton and another man discussing having set the boulder, and discerns that they are operatives for the Organisation.

While I dislike characters stumbling into plots in such a haphazard manner, what follows is interesting enough. There are a few problems with the details, but it effectively sets up the protagonist as a competent secret agent. The specific focus on ICBM technology is a touch too large for the location and men protecting the secret research.

The Code Crackers is a extremely brief overview of British security measures to prevent information falling into enemy hands, though barely covers the subject of codes specifically. That it is followed by a code for the reader to break is a nice touch, yet coverage of different information concealment and transmission practices (a great deal of which had already seen print) could have elevated the piece substantially.

Nobody knows for certain exactly how many spies there are in the world.
   The nearest estimate has been reported from United States sources. This figures that there are more than half a million people actively engaged in the far-flung and complex machinery od espionage and counter-espionage.

As much an apology for the security services as a feature about them, Half a Million in a World Spy Ring does a middling job of setting the extent of the spy culture, though crucially avoids corporate espionage, criminals employing spycraft, and individuals engaged in such actions. One would expect there to be mention of the military spying efforts which were so much a part of the cold war, yet the text is careful to remain diplomatically neutral in reporting events.
Frustrating observant readers further, The Silver Greyhounds relies on several stories which are fairly well-known to fill its contents. What remains unstated is the questionable actions undertaken during the roles of these proto-spies. Several notable spies from history are, likewise, omitted entirely.

A selection of fast-paced stories, a few text features, and a rather pedestrian board game don't make up for the fact that there are no strips included in this annual. It isn't all bad, as the excellent painted cover (with a remarkable likeness of McGoohan) and the prose material more than capture the style and tone of the television series. There's very little reference material available on this, and the lack of documentation regarding World's output makes it unlikely that much more will be forthcoming.

Danger Man Annual

[1967]

Space Family Robinson Annual [1967]

[1966] Annual. Original price 10/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Ltd.

Lost in Space!

Painted cover by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED endpaper by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 4 Indicia

 5 Space Family Robinson Annual - Lost in Space! title page; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 6 Contents illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 Operation Rescue text story by by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

19 Prehistoric Planet text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

32 The Pit of Doom w: Gaylord Du Bois; Dan Spiegle.

r: Space Family Robinson (Gold Key) #13 (Jul 1965).

55 Space Station '75 text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: Space Family Robinson (Gold Key) #13 (Jul 1965).

56 Star-Trapped text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

70 The Mist of Delusion text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

94 UNTITLED endpaper by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Helpfully subtitled "Lost in Space!" in case prospective purchasers didn't realise the connection, its beautiful painted cover doesn't hold back in depicting threats to the titular family. I'm not entirely convinced that the rather brutal, and stark, lettering accurately captures the feel of the Gold Key comics though. The wider format used here is a real boon, allowing room for the art to breathe, and makes the title feel substantial.

The family, for those wondering, are scientists Craig and June, their son Tim, and daughter Tam, who - along with Clancy (a dog), and Yakker (a parrot) - live on Space Station One. This home-away-from-home is a remarkably versatile location, with two small ships available for transporting characters to and fro. Readers might have been familiar with the characters from the strip running in Lady Penelope, but no demands are made on readers to recall events previously seen.

Lively enough adventures, though the illustrations are slightly flat and unconvincing.

Space Family
Robinson Annual

[1968]