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Commandos invade shops early

2009-12-29T17:42:00.007Z

The end-of-year issues of D.C. Thomson's Commando have arrived in shops a couple of days early due to the holidays. Out now are the following four editions, with information kindly supplied by editor Calum Laird...

Commando No 4255 (previously No 2608 from 1992)

NEVER VOLUNTEER!

The Dakota droned away and the canopy cracked fully open above Bob Slade, a private in the Parachute Regiment. He adjusted his rigging lines and took a quick glance at the barren desert wastes below.

Unlike his mates descending all around him, Bob had been here in North Africa before — as a soldier in the French Foreign Legion, charged with the murder of an officer. And he knew as well as every other Legionnaire that the Legion never forgets…nor forgives!

Story: Cyril Walker

Art and cover art: Ibanez

Commando No 4256 (previously No 2618 from 1992)

BATTLING RUST-BUCKET!

The Duchess of Alna was a pleasure boat by trade, more suited to ferrying holiday-makers than going to war. Yet that’s exactly what she had done in 1940, as one of the heroic “Little Boats” of the Dunkirk Evacuation.

And now, more than fifty years later, when some said that she was only fit for scrap, this unlikely battleship was off to the rescue again — slap in the middle of a war-zone!

Story: Ian Clark

Art: Gordon Livingstone

Cover: Jeff Bevan

Gordon and Jeff were both staff artists. Jeff’s stuff was seen throughout the Boys’ Papers but Gordon was almost exclusively Commando. On average he took 4 weeks to illustrate a complete book.

The two new stories are both set in the Ardennes as it was 65 years ago this month that the Battle of the Bulge was fought there. The Winter Warriors is the last new book drawn by the late Ricardo Garijo, completed before Need To Know but held over for the Ardennes connection.

Commando No 4257

THE WINTER WARRIORS

The Ardennes, December 1944. In the murderous confusion of what became known as “The Battle Of The Bulge”, Allied soldiers warily stalked the frozen wastes and eerie forests of the battlefield, aware that at any moment they could be cut down by enemy gunfire. Not to mention marauding Nazi panzers or the terrors of hidden minefields.

For a squad of rookie American GIs it was going to take all their wits and courage to stay alive…

Story: Ferg Handley

Art Ricardo Garijo

Cover: Ian Kennedy

Commando No 4258

The second Ardennes-themed story

Friends Or Foes?

When the Germans launched their Ardennes offensive — the desperate last-ditch “Battle Of The Bulge” — in December 1944, they sewed seeds of confusion amongst their enemies by using special units dressed in Allied uniform.

Royal Engineer Sergeant Bob Ashford wasn’t the only one who couldn’t tell friend from foe. Nor was he the only one who decided to shoot first and ask questions later.

Story: Peter Grehan

Art and cover art: John Ridgway

Calum has also supplied an advance look at one of next month's issues, with the following info: "We’ll be starting the year by re-issuing the first book featuring an Ian Kennedy cover by way of thanking the man for 40 years of sterling service to Commando. The book is No 453 from... 1970... And is titled Seek and Strike".

Vintage colour comics: GOLDEN No.125 (1940)

2009-12-28T17:00:00.001Z

When one sees articles on the British pre-war and wartime comics, with their simple format of black ink on coloured paper, it's easy to forget that there were also some comics that had full colour covers. Dandy and Beano were not the leaders in that field as sometimes thought, as we'll see with this occasional look back at some of the colour comics from Amalgamated Press.

This issue of Golden, dated March 9th 1940, shows the weekly towards the end of its short life. The comic only ran for 135 issues, and this is issue No.125.

Originally, Golden had started out as a comic printed in black ink on orange paper, then switched to two-colour printing (black and orange on white paper) before upgrading to a full colour cover with issue No.116. It seems that A.P. tried everything they could to attract readers before its merger into Jingles in May 1940.

Why did it fail? The easy answer is wartime shortages probably killed it off and it would have been a relatively expensive comic to produce, so merging it with a cheaper quality comic may have been the best option. A great pity, as Golden would have certainly stood out in newsagents, as this bright and lively Roy Wilson cover demonstrates. (Readers of Alan Moore's new Dodgem Logic magazine will perhaps have noticed that this is the comic that inspired the masthead for Alan's first issue.)

The cover is busy and well designed, with the Golden Picture Palace side strip being a nice bonus alongside the main Lieutenant Daring strip. Daring was a character that had started out on the front cover of Sparkler comic, but A.P. moved him to Golden from the first issue, I assume to try and attract Sparkler's readers to the new comic.

Even to this day Roy Wilson remains one of the most influential humour artists to ever grace British comics. However, to my eye, the semi-realistic style used for Lieutenant Daring himself seems to clash with the bouncy inkline of the supporting characters. This is particularly evident when extreme caricatures (such as the cannibals in this strip above) appear in the same world as the perfect mannequin features of Daring.

Inside the 8 page comic, there's a traditional mixture of text stories and comic strips. However the tone of Golden was slightly younger than that of most other A.P. comics of the time. It seems that Golden was created to bridge the gap between nursery comics such as Rainbow and comics for an older age such as Comic Cuts.

Time for a cheap laugh. Yes, this character's name is funnier than his story...

Other than the cover, there aren't any slapstick strips in the comic. Golden was trying to be a light adventure title rather than an out-and-out "funny". The few humour strips in the comic are quite gentle, and, well, not exactly comedy classics, as shown by this extract from Brother Bill and Sister Sue...

Harbour Pirates is a simple but solidly drawn serial showing plucky youngsters having exciting and dangerous adventures, - the sort of theme that rivals D.C. Thomson would excel at for decades.

For me, Kings of the Air is the standout strip in the comic. The artist is Reg Perrott, a huge talent in adventure strips of the era whose style was far ahead of many of his contemporaries. Sadly Reg died in 1947, before British all-adventure comics really took off, but what a great addition he would have been to comics such as Eagle.

On the back page of this issue is Kaloo, King of the Tigers, an obvious Tarzan copy even down to the logo design. Artwork is by Arthur Mansbridge, father of Norman Mansbridge the humour artist responsible for Fuss Pott and Mummy's Boy in the IPC weeklies.

The war certainly damaged Golden's chances of success but I'm sure that wasn't the only reason for its short run. One would think that a comic featuring talents as strong as Roy Wilson and Reg Perrott, with a full colour cover, would be bound to succeed, - but the appetites of readers aren't always easy to judge. Perhaps the younger tone of Golden was to its disadvantage? Perhaps the more value-for-money (and funnier) Dandy and Beano were just too strong for Golden to compete with?

There'll be a look back at another vintage colour comic soon.

75 Christmases ago, the first Funny Wonder Annual

2009-12-25T11:00:00.000Z

It's December 25th 1934. In stockings and pillowslips across the UK, nestled between the oranges and monkey nuts, is the Funny Wonder Annual 1935, which although was far from being the first children's annual was the first such book devoted to the long-running comic from Amalgamated Press.

Children must have been overjoyed by this book. The Funny Wonder weekly consisted of just 8 pages, black ink on blue/green paper, but this Annual had a whopping 108 pages on paper as stiff as card, with some pages in full colour, all within a hardback cover.

And what a cover! AP's finest artist, Roy Wilson provides a painting of his popular characters Pitch and Toss and their Captain, looking on as the animals of the jungle scoff the contents of their picnic hamper.

Another treat from Wilson's brush greeted the reader inside the book in the form of a full colour plate showing a great slapstick sequence which, unlike the cover, was an appropriately seasonal winter scene.

Following that was an introductory letter from The Editor welcoming readers to the book (and managing to plug the weekly comic while he was at it). The stories then began, starting with a traditional Christmas mystery story.

Board games were often a tradition of annuals and the Funny Wonder Annual served up an appropriate page for the era, Air Raiders.

Roy Wilson was back again for a marvelous four page Pitch and Toss strip in full colour. Sadly the racial stereotypes of the era blight the story (in this case it's a dig at the Chinese) but that was the way comics were back then.

The rest of the book continued with this lively mixture featuring many text stories, comic strip, and short items of interest. Old favourite Charlie Chaplin was there...

...as were tales of exotic lands in stories such as The Snake Charmer's Revenge...

...and this humour-adventure strip Frolics and Fun with Mustava Bunn (artwork by Reg Parlett I think)...

...a busy self-contained page of typical British comic fun with hilarious consequences...

...and a strip called Pranks in the Park which features "The Prying Priors", one of which seems to be a precursor to Thomson's Keyhole Kate who would arrive in the new rival comic The Dandy three years later...

Even robots got into the act, in the shape of The Automatic Man, which must have seemed very modern and exciting to kids of 1934.

The annual was priced 2/6d (12 and a half pence) which was a huge leap from the 1d weekly, but unlike the throwaway comics this was a book to treasure and one that would have entertained its readers throughout the holiday. On the back cover was an advert for five of the AP weeklies of the period. Strangely, Illusrtated Chips, Comic Cuts and others were excluded, but seemingly the idea was to promote one comic a day over five days. It's doubtful that most kids of the Thirties would receive as much as 5d pocket money a week, but if they couldn't afford all five comics at least this ad gives them a choice.

This debut Funny Wonder Annual was presumably a success as it would continue for another six years before World War 2 put paid to it. Some of the other AP titles would also receive annual editions and of course the tradition continues right up to the present day.

I hope you've enjoyed the recent Christmas comics blogs. Blimey! has now been running for three years so I thank you all for visiting and reading these blogs and hope you'll continue to drop by in the months to come. Merry Christmas Chums!

Christmas comics: Funny Wonder / Joker 1934

2009-12-23T01:01:00.001Z

Our final destination on this festive journey into the past history of comics brings us to 1934 and this time, two vintage British comics that were published 75 years ago this week.

First up, The Funny Wonder No.1,083. Don't let the "Funny Wonder and Jester" logo deceive you, - this isn't a merged title. This is the overseas edition, exactly the same as the UK Funny Wonder except for the logo. When Amalgamated Press exported their comics overseas some of them were packaged as two-in-one comics, so in this case The Funny Wonder was sold in Canada with that week's copy of The Jester inside it, hence the boast of "Sixteen Big Pages Every Week". This practice continued for overseas editions until 1940.

Sadly it means that this edition of The Funny Wonder is without its special Christmas logo that would have adorned the UK cover, but other than that it's entirely identical to the British edition. (The interior copy of The Jester has unfortunately been lost in the time stream.)

On the cover, comical sailors Pitch and Toss and their Captain have a lively fun-packed romp with artwork by Reg Parlett "ghosting" Roy Wilson. The final panel and its inevitable slap-up feed (shown in detail at the top of this blog entry) displays a marvelous range of expressions just in one scene.

Inside there's a mixture of 50% text stories and 50% comic strip, as was the standard format of comics from Amalgamated Press. Funny Wonder and its companion comics were in their prime during this period, dominating the stands in the years before Dandy and Beano arrived.

Resident fictional office boy "Pimple" tells a tale featuring a typical black stereotype of the period. Such narrow-minded depictions of black people were numerous in comics of the time, as indeed they were in films and music hall back then. No doubt some of the authors were bigots, but for the most part any offense was unintentional and naive rather than vindictive.

Across the middle pages of the issue, (printed in dark blue ink) a smattering of short strips, with Charlie Chaplin at the centre. The story follows a pattern repeated countless times in comics of this era: poor hero (in this case Charlie) inadvertently foils bully / robber and grateful wealthy character rewards hero with "crisp ten-pound note" which hero spends on a big meal in a posh restaurant. Artwork by Bertie Brown.

The Marmaduke and His Ma strip (drawn by Wally Robertson) is interesting in that it assumes the reader knows that "Santa" is really a parent who brings in the gifts. Indeed, most kids who were old enough to read such comics would already know this, but in later decades the illusion of Santa was usually maintained in children's comics.

Grandad Jones - The Youth with Old Bones is the sort of "youthful grandad" character that would later resurface in The Beano's Grandpa. Speaking of which, you'll note that this strip (and many others of the period) prove that speech balloons and text-less strips were firmly in place before Dandy and Beano were launched, despite some media academics claiming otherwise.

British comics always championed the poor and downtrodden and Milly - The Merry Maid of All Work gave readers a female hero to root for. Artwork by Reg Parlett.

Adventure strip serials usually rounded off these eight-page tabloids and on the rear of Funny Wonder in December 1934 was The Sacred Eye of Satpura, with detective Clive Munro battling crooks in China. Artwork by George Heath, who also illustrated The Falcon for Radio Fun (see previous blog).

Tucked away in a corner of the comic was an ad for the Christmas issue of Larks. No bold half page announcement as titles receive today, just a postage-stamp-sized plug for a companion comic (enlarged here).

Another A.P. comic out that very same week in 1934 was the Christmas issue of The Joker. I showed this cover last year, with its Alfie the Air Tramp strip by John L. Jukes, but now let's take a look inside...

Two text stories lead off the contents of Joker, with A Christmas Mystery and Sea Secret (featuring regular hero Paul Service) both having seasonal themes.

On page four, Maurice and Mick, Ye Merrie Minstrels. The concept of two pals, one thin, one fat, wandering the land and getting into scrapes, had been a common theme in British funnies since their 19th Century beginnings (eg: Weary Willie and Tired Tim in Chips). In its most popular pairing the concept would of course transfer to cinema with Laurel and Hardy.

Midge and Moocher often featured scenes that simply couldn't be published in a children's comic today. This Christmas episode begins with a dog being pushed up a chimney and ends with a baby smoking a pipe. Parents today would have a fit if they saw that in a comic.

Characters in these vintage comics usually ended up in better circumstances than they were in at the start of the strip, - and all within half a dozen panels or so. In Chimp and the Imp, our heroes show resourcefulness to lift them out of their situation. Clearly such tales were intended to inspire readers to be self sufficient, just as the other common theme, the reward-for-good-deed plot, was intended to encourage selflessness.

For several weeks leading up to Christmas both Funny Wonder and The Joker had been carrying small ads for the very first Funny Wonder Annual. Although children's annuals were already established none had been awarded to A.P.'s "funnies" until now... and I'll be taking a look at this rare book here on this blog in an entry scheduled for Christmas Day! If you have time, drop in!

Christmas comics: Radio Fun 1947

2009-12-21T00:01:00.001Z

Hurtling further into the comics time vortex we arrive at Christmas 1947 and the festive issue of Amalgamated Press' Radio Fun is here. One of the more contemporary comics that A.P. launched to rival Thomson's Dandy and Beano, Radio Fun ran from 1938 to 1961 and merged into Buster.

I'll be taking a more detailed look at Radio Fun in 2010 but for today let's leaf through a few pages of this particular issue. The cover character of this period was Tommy Handley, star of ITMA (It's That Man Again), a very popular radio show that spanned 300 episodes from 1939 to 1949. ITMA created several catchphrases, some of which have become so ingrained in the national consciousness that most people who use them today wouldn't even know where they originated from. Case in point: panel five, with Colonel Humphrey Chinstrap's "Don't mind if I do", and the final panel with Mona Lott's "It's being so cheerful as keeps me going".

The artwork for this cover is, I believe, by Swedish born Alex Akerbladh, who also drew the early episodes of Issy Bonn and the Finkelfeffer Family (below) for the same issue. On the facing page is a text story adventure of Petula Clark, - complete fiction of course, but readers were expected to believe it.

Stretching credibility even further were stories "from the pen of the famous star of radio, Vera Lynn". In truth, the stories were undoubtedly the work of an anonymous freelancer or staff writer, but adding a celebrity's name to the header was all part of the glamour of Radio Fun.

In his Christmas episode Northern comedian Wilfred Pickles indulged in some traditional British comic festive hi-jinks by kicking a fat bloke into an oven. The inevitable promise of a slap-up feed concluded the tale, or as Wilfred put it "a reet slap up Christmas go". Artwork is, I think, by A.P.'s finest, Roy Wilson.

Reg Parlett provides a nice Arthur Askey strip for the issue. The plot about the man's infidelity (albeit just an innocent stolen kiss) was the kind of situation that showed Radio Fun was aimed at a slightly wider age range than A.P.'s successors, Fleetway, IPC, and Egmont, would pitch their comics at.

The Jimmy Jewell and Ben Warris strip uses a plot about a Christmas tree that I imagine was old even then! According to Denis Gifford's old ACE newsletter the artwork is by Reg Parlett, but I'm not so sure. Can anyone confirm?

The strip beneath it features Charles Cole and his Magic Chalks, - an obvious precursor to IPC's Chalky. I have to admit I sometimes find the work of Roy Wilson and his imitators hard to distinguish but I think this is by Wilson.

Detective stories were always a popular theme in British comics and this issue of Radio Fun featured a complete seasonal thriller with Inspector Stanley and The Shadow on the Wall.

Rounding out the 12 page issue, on the back page, was the very popular series The Falcon. The dark tense artwork is by George Heath, father of Private Eye cartoonist Michael Heath, and grandfather to 1980s Marvel UK staff colourist of Combat Colin, Sophie Heath!

Back in time again with another Christmas comic soon, chums!

Christmas comics: Smash! 1968

2009-12-19T00:01:00.002Z

Today's journey back in time brings us to Christmas 1968, where the Sixties were still swinging and Smash! was still published by Odhams. Having absorbed what was left of the other "Power Comics", Smash! incorporating Fantastic was the sole survivor, and even the mighty fist of the Power Comics logo had disappeared from the cover as 1968 drew to a close.

Mike Lacey's Swots and Blots strip leads off the comic. In a few months time Leo Baxendale would totally revamp the strip (see an example in yesterday's blog) but for now Mike's pleasant and energetic style dominates.

Inside, the variety line up of humour, British adventure strips, and American reprint made the comic a lively package. Although references to the Season are mostly absent from the adventure strips, wrestling serial King of the Ring manages to force a mention into the script.

The Odhams' comics were always good at getting reader feedback on the stories, as this letter's section above shows. By imitating Marvel's method from the USA, editors Alf and Cos (Alf Wallace and Albert Cosser) adopted a pally down to Earth attitude with their readers.

You'll also notice a small ad for that perennial favourite game, Subbuteo, with 1968 prices starting from 10/11d (54 and a half pence).

One of the most popular Smash! strips was The Cloak and in this issue our hero has a showdown with returning enemy Deathshead. Creator Mike Higgs even manages to end the episode with a festive message featuring a cast of, well, dozens. See how many characters you can identify in the background of the final panel! (As some of you didn't realise, I should mention that if you click on the images you'll see them much larger.)

Marvel reprints were a cheaper way to fill pages than using 100 percent origination, but they always divided the readership. Personally I thought they were great, particularly quality material like Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four even when cropped and re-edited to fit the larger UK page size.

Bad Penny had been originated by Leo Baxendale for the early issues of Smash! and although other hands tackled the strip at times this seasonal episode was by Leo.

An all-Mike Brown effort is this Wiz War page, featuring Wizard Prang and Demon Druid continuing their rivalry even through Christmas.

Ken Reid's comic genius continues in its pre-IPC unrestrained glory with this spectacular Nervs double pager. Hapless Fatty once again falls victim to Ken Reid's dark humour, - and the result is sheer brilliance. Scenes such as Fatty gleefully swallowing toys out of crackers would be one of the reasons IPC were so aghast at the strip, forbidding it to ever resurface in their new line of comics.

One strip that IPC did later revive was Terry Bave's Sammy Shrink. This innocent fun strip began life in Wham! then moved to Pow! and then Smash! due to mergers. Always popular, it was brought back for new stories (again by Bave) in IPC's Knockout, and moved to Whizzer and Chips for a very long run.

Another popular strip was Percy's Pets, which had run in Smash! since issue one. Several artists worked on the strip but most were drawn by Stan McMurtry (aka Mac) such as the example shown here.

Odhams had some offbeat adventure strips, and The Spectre was a short-lived series that ran in the back of the comic. Believed to be dead but secretly living under a cemetery and emerging to fight crime, The Spectre was clearly inspired by Will Eisner's The Spirit in conception, if not in art.

I'll be delving further into the past for another Christmas comic soon!

Christmas comics: Valiant 1971

2009-12-17T19:21:00.007Z

This year, instead of a huge cover gallery of Christmas comics (which last year practically used up all the ones I had anyway) I'll be spotlighting just four individual titles, and taking a more thorough look at each one. The plan is to run one a day over the next few days. Which comics will I feature? Make your guesses now, although none will be more recent than this one.

Today it's the turn of Valiant, dated 25th December 1971. No snow on the logo, but nevertheless it's a fine festive cover by Mike Western. This IPC weekly had been running for almost ten years by this stage and over that time had absorbed the original Knockout, Smash! and, as the cover to this issue makes clear, TV21.

TV21 was well past its glory days by the time Valiant swallowed it, bringing in only Star Trek and the non-tv strip The Tuffs of Terror Island (a silly watered down rip off of Lord of the Flies plus giant seagulls. If you never saw it you didn't miss anything).

Valiant was clearly proud of its Star Trek acquisition, devoting the colour centrespread to it every week. Unfortunately the storylines were traditional boys' adventure comics fare and their characterization of Mr. Spock was more hot headed than the emotionless Vulcan of the tv series. However in the strips favour it had John Stokes as the artist, producing strong, rich artwork that more than made up for the weaknesses of the adaptation.

Although this was the Christmas issue, Star Trek didn't even mention the festive season. Neither did most of the adventure serials in the comic, as dropping in a Christmas reference would have been too contrived even for Valiant. Some of the strips did make the connection however, including Janus Stark which ended the escapologist's current adventure by having him pose as Father Christmas for the orphans. Artwork by Solano Lopez.

Also showing some Christmas spirit was Captain Hurricane, taking time out from Nazi-bashing to have a Christmas "nosh-up" with the troops.

The festive feast had long been a traditional ending to a Christmas strip in British comics, and in 1971 The Nutts were no exception. Nadal's final panel shows the family around the table and the caption even refers to it as a "slap-up feed", - a phrase now only used in satires of the medium.

Reg Parlett's The Crows was another long-running humour strip in Valiant. These half page slapstick strips were ideal to lighten the tone between the adventure stories. As ever, Pa Crow's plans backfire on him, even at Christmas.

The Return of The Claw, the revival of The Steel Claw strip, was in the course of a long-running (some would say too long-running) serial pitting Louis Crandell against Midwich Cuckoo type children and their alien masters. Superb artwork by Jesus Blasco worth the cover price alone.

This issue is notable for a reason other than it being the Christmas edition, for it features the final episode of His Sporting Lordship, which Valiant had inherited (no pun intended) from Smash! After almost three years, Henry Nobbins' comedy-adventures were over, and the characters bowed out in another traditional British comic manner by going on holiday. This kind of happy ending, - the holiday that never ends, - was for boys' comics what a romantic happy-ever-after conclusion was for girls' publications. However artist Douglas Maxted has even snuck in a little suggestion of romance too, with the bikini-clad girl beckoning Henry to follow her into the sea. Almost daring for an IPC boys' comic!

Another strip that had arrived via Smash! was The Swots and the Blots, which Leo Baxendale had begun illustrating when Odhams had become part of the IPC empire in 1969. Baxendale could always be relied on to provide the laughs and this festive strip, with background gags in almost every panel, is a prime example.

Finally, a full page advert from the issue, including a teaser for the replacement strip for His Sporting Lordship, which would also be drawn by Doug Maxted - Yellowknife of the Yard. This retrogressive strip ("Red Indian" detective working for Scotland Yard) was the sort of thing one would expect in a comic of the 1940s not the 1970s, and seemed to be an indication that Valiant was starting to show its age.

In another ad on the page the popular Please Sir! tv sitcom announces its movie debut (which actually tied into the continuity of the tv series). For the benefit of Valiant's young audience the ad has been doctored before publication, - Sharon (22 year-old Carol Hawkins) was showing her knickers in the original movie poster!

At the foot of the page, three IPC annuals are promoted, from the days when annuals truly were on sale in "newsagents and booksellers everywhere".

Another Christmas comic under the spotlight soon!

R.I.P. Dangerous Ink magazine

2009-12-17T16:30:00.000Z

The British creative arts / comics magazine Dangerous Ink has regrettably closed. Editor Tom Green made the announcement on Twitter last week and the current issue (Vol.2 No.4, shown above) is the final issue.

This is another blow to the comics industry and to magazines in general. Dangerous Ink was a highly individualistic publication which admirably spotlighted comics and other forms of art, expanding the awareness of the medium for all involved. My personal regret is that I didn't find time to plug DI here before now, because it was a fine publication that demanded a wider audience.

One of the factors in the demise of Dangerous Ink has been the closure of the retail chain Borders in the UK (all branches close next week). Unlike some retailers, Borders had been willing to give a chance to smaller publishers and more specialized magazines. (They also stocked From the Tomb and Crikey!) The closure of Borders has been a massive setback for such titles.

If you've never seen Dangerous Ink magazine I urge you to give it a try. Back issues are still available from their website http://www.dangerousink.co.uk .You can also read them free online, - but don't be tight. Buy them. They're well produced highly professional magazines that are a delight to own, and feature some of the most surreal and beautiful art I've seen. Comparisons have been made to the American mag Juxtapoz but I always found Dangerous Ink to be a much better, and cooler, magazine.

As I mentioned earlier, DI also spotlighted comics. It featured regular strips (such as the bizarrely funny Kreepy Kat and Jenny's Weird Friend) and also ran items on comics creators, such as the interviews with John M. Burns (Vol.2 No.1) and Frank Quitlely (Vol.1 No.2). Even the art of film makers was included in the mix, with an interview with Ray Harryhausen (Vol.2 No.3). And for something totally different it even interviewed Adam (Batman) West (Vol.2 No.1).

Take a look at the website and give Dangerous Ink some well deserved support by buying a few back issues or all seven if you can afford it. If you're interested in broadening your horizons with alternative art and unique comics then this is for you.

That Damned Elusive Buster Special...

2009-12-11T21:00:00.000Z

"We seek him here, we seek him there, Those Frenchies seek him everywhere. Is he in heaven? — Is he in hell? That damned, elusive Pimpernel " - quotation from The Scarlet Pimpernel, 1905.

The fourth and final issue of Egmont Classic Comics, this time focusing on Buster, is out now, exclusive to WH Smith.

If you're lucky.

Reports are coming in that the comic is practically impossible to find. Collectors across the UK have met disappointment as they've failed to find the Buster special in their local Smiths. I was lucky enough to find the issue in my local branch today, (it wasn't there yesterday) - but they had just two copies, one of which was badly creased and dirty. Both were stuffed at the back of a crammed shelving system too small to accommodate all the comics out there.

This is bad news, considering that the first Classic Comic Roy of the Rovers had a prominent display of several issues when it was published back in April. What went wrong?

My guess is that as the specials come under the umbrella title Egmont Classic Comics Smiths have put it into their database as one title, not four individual comics. As the previous release, Misty, seems to have sold less than Roy of the Rovers, perhaps Smiths have assumed that there is declining interest in Classic Comics and have drastically cut their orders on Buster to suit? If so, this is an unfortunate situation as the fondly-remembered Buster (having been such a long running title) would potentially have attracted more nostalgic readers than the short-lived Misty. In my opinion this isn't impressive service from a retail giant that was given exclusive distribution rights on the comics.

There is hope that more copies will appear around the country next week though. The fan site bustercomic.co.uk has informed Egmont about the situation and it appears distribution has been delayed to many areas. However that doesn't mean they'll be in sufficient quantities when they do eventually turn up.

Back to the comic itself. Is it any good? Definitely, which makes it more annoying that there are so few copies around! The 52 page collection limits its scope to strips from the mid-1970s, which seems a bit odd considering Buster ran for just under 40 years. However, material prior to 1969 is owned by IPC, so that was out of the equation, and perhaps Egmont felt the 40 plus market was the right nostalgia audience to aim at.

It's a great mixture, showcasing what a strong comic Buster was in this period. Numerous funnies include pages from Leo Baxendale (Clever Dick, Snooper), Ken Reid (Faceache, Martha's Monster Make-Up), Reg Parlett (Buster, Rent-A-Ghost, Kid Gloves), Mike Lacey (Val's Vanishing Cream, X-Ray Specs) and more.

Curiously, a couple of Valiant strips are in the mix too: Baxendale's Bluebottle and Basher, and Nadal's Blarney Bluffer because they were reprinted in Buster during this period.

The special features a selection of adventure strips as well, which is fair and balanced considering Buster contained a variety of content for many years. Excellent material, featuring Joe Colquhoun's Sammy Brewster's Secret Ski-Board Squad, Mike Western's Leopard from Lime Street, Solano Lopez' Pete's Pocket Army, and John Stokes' Marney the Fox.

The downside is that due to space the adventure strips are only represented by one episode each, except for Pete's Pocket Army which has three chapters, so don't get too involved in the cliffhangers! It's a shame more pages couldn't have been given to Marney the Fox as this beautifully illustrated story showing some of John Stokes' finest work is crying out for a reprint collection and would make a great children's book.

All in all, this Buster collection is the best of the four Egmont Classic Comics that have appeared this year. It's such a shame that, so far at least, distribution is so bad on this edition. If you're looking for a copy good hunting and be prepared to rummage at the back of those shelves.

Egmont Classic Comics Buster; 52 pages (2 x colour, 50 x black and white) £3.99.

To order previous Egmont Classic Comics in this series see the ad below:

Flashback to 1912: Lot-O'-Fun

2009-12-09T22:26:00.001Z

Here's a British comic that was on sale 97 years ago this very week: Lot-O'-Fun No.353, cover dated 14th December 1912 (published a few days earlier). Click on the images to see them larger.

Lot-O'-Fun was published by James Henderson & Sons Ltd as one of Henderson's competitors to the popular Amalgamated Press comics. However, AP would take it over in 1920. Overall, the comic ran for 1,196 issues from 1906 to 1929.

The cover strip at the period we're looking at is Dreamy Daniel, illustrated by George Davey. Tramp characters were a popular theme in comics of the time and Dreamy Daniel was one of the most successful. The strip had been running since issue No.1 and in 1908 the Music Hall actor Harry Rogerson brought the character to life on the stage. (Source: http://lambiek.net/artists/d/davey_george.htm )

The comic is the usual format of the day: eight tabloid pages, half comic strips, half text stories. The tone of the stories are clearly aimed at a more literate reader than today's children's comics. There are even gags about smoking and drunkards, which would suggest the comic is for adults, yet most of the strips are full of basic (and often childish) slapstick sequences and the text stories feature the traditional themes of boarding schools and footballers. I think it's fair to say Lot-O'-Fun was for all ages, at a time before "concerned parents" and the media became paranoid about the content of comics.

It's good to see a female lead character in a strip of this vintage. Topsy of the Tea Shop may only be a waitress (or perhaps she's the proprietor, it's not clear) but she turns the tables on three male pranksters.

Running alongside the Topsy strip in the centre pages, this untitled Christmas-theme strip has another Lot-O'-Fun character fall in the water. Falling in the water appears to be a popular thing to depict in this publication, as it happens three times in one issue, - making the comic a sort of You've Been Framed for Edwardians.

Paul Push - He Gets the Sack Every Week sounds a bit like a Viz strip ahead of its time. This trouble-prone character finds fate conspires against him every issue, as it does here. I'm not sure if this "mistaking acting as a real crime" scenario was brand new in 1912 but the same plot has certainly been used countless times since in various media.

The back page features another character named Paul. This time it's Patriotic Paul, who would be promoted to the front cover star of the comic during the 1914-18 war. Here, he doesn't get much of a chance to be patriotic but he still manages to clout a bloke on the head with a piece of piping in true British comic tradition. The artwork is by H. O'Neill (signed "H.O.") but what caught my attention was the surreal line in panel three: "I now live in a little world of my own, all made of golden syrup". I think it's a fair bet that sentence has never been used anywhere else in the history of literature.

At the foot of the page, Joey, the Handy Lad sorts out "an uncouth person" who tries to steal his milk. If soaking the tramp wasn't enough punishment, Joey "whistles lustily for reinforcements" in the form of a bloke with "a good stout cudgel", - no doubt to bash the bad 'uns head in with the same force Patriotic Paul used on the hunter in the previous strip. Justice was harsh and swift in British comics, even 65 years before Judge Dredd appeared on the scene.

Lot-O'-Fun (or Lot-O-Falling-In-Water if you prefer) eventually merged into Crackers comic in 1929.

Small press reviews

2009-12-09T17:58:00.000Z

In 2010 this blog will mainly be focusing on its original intention: spotlighting classic British comics of the past, covering old titles before they fade into forgotten history. However at present I want to give a little space to some long-overdue reviews of a few current small press comics I received this year.

Kicking off with Sgt. Mike Battle, this brilliant spoof of gung-ho heroics is always worth picking up. Created by Graham Pearce, Mike Battle is a witty mickey-take of gun-toting heroes who take themselves too seriously and of American comics in general.

Don't let the covers deceive you, smartly satirical as they are this isn't only a parody of Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., as the comedy casts its net wider than that. These 36 page A5 comics are packed with comedy-action and include some genuinely laugh-out loud moments. Real value for money.

Graham tells me he grew up reading Combat Colin and that was an influence on Sgt. Mike Battle. In which case I'm proud to have inspired such a great comic. Copies can be ordered via the website here: http://www.sgtmikebattle.co.uk/

Khaki Shorts is a comic that has now clocked up a respectable 22 issues due to it's bi-monthly frequency. With its bright yellow covers and A5 format it reminds me of the sort of stripzines that would be available in the 1970s, - and that's not a bad thing. Khaki Shorts is a mixed bag. Its anthology content contains strips of various lengths, most of which are surreal and trippy. It's an acquired taste but definitely worth trying. The shift between broad comedy and phantasmagorical material pulls the mind in various directions, which isn't a quality that most comics from the mainstream can boast today.

I particularly enjoyed A.J. Smith's Boy Mindless in issue 22, and it's great to see Jon Miller's work still has its unique electric look. Issue 21 featured a four page tribute to Electric Soup comic including a new page from Frank Quitley. At 24 pages for only a pound (plus 50p p&p) Khaki Shorts is a bargain. Mature readers only. Buy it online here:
http://www.badpressltd.com/buy-evil.php

The Adventures of Kez & Luke is a neat little 48 page mini comic from Luke Paton, the sub-editor of Toxic. I don't usually care much for "slice of life" comics as I find many of them so damned downbeat, but this one has a really nice feelgood feel to it throughout. It's the story of the everyday trivialities of a relationship, and I presume it's all inspired by Luke's own life. As you can see from the cover, the artwork is very basic, - just stick figures, but the dialogue is spot on and the timing of the gags is just right. Most of the strips are short three or four panel gags, although some run to a few more pages.

This comic is actually a collection of the webstrip which is updated every weekday over at http://www.theadventuresofkezandluke.com where you can buy copies of this collection plus Kez and Luke cards and badges.

John Short is a professional comics writer who has worked for various publishers and his self-published Short Comic features a collection of all new characters. With artwork from fellow pros Alex Paterson and Paul Palmer this 12 page A5 anthology is slick and funny. Check out John's website over at http://www.alchemytexts.com to see more of his work where you can order copies of Octobriana and Armageddon Patrol and see preview pages from John's other projects including the excellent Cross.

Reviews of other small press / independent comics will appear on this blog before the end of the year.

Incoming Commando comics

2009-12-09T16:47:00.004Z

Four more issues of D.C. Thomson's Commando comics are in the shops this week, from 10th December. Here's the lowdown, courtesy of editor Calum Laird...

Commando 4251 — DEADLY DESPATCHES

At the end of the 19^th Century our intrepid reporter heroes - Fred “Ferret” McGlone, Harry Hornby and Digby Bolton - are in the front line once again. This time they are caught up in the blood-soaked action of the Boxer Rebellion in Peking.

As British troops fight alongside those of several other nations to quell the brutal uprising, fellow newshounds Charles Black and Ned Bly uncover a plot to misinform the Western world about what’s really happening in China.

Would they and their despatches ever reach home?

Story by Norman Adams, inside artwork and cover by Keith Page

Commando 4252 — THE COLDEST WAR

After being wounded on the Western Front, Captain Peter Laine was posted as a military observer to Finland, a country in turmoil in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution in 1917. Some Finns - the Reds - were on the side of the Russians, while the Whites opposed these Bolsheviks.

When Helsinki was overrun by the Russians, Peter decided that he could no longer only observe. Would he survive THE COLDEST WAR

Story by Ferg Handley, inside artwork and cover by Carlos Pino

Commando 4253 — DOOMED SQUAD

Sixteen-year-old Max Grainer worshipped his brother Walther, a hero on the Eastern Front. He couldn’t wait to get into action himself and join Walther in the fight for glory.

His dreams were rudely shattered when he finally got a taste of what war was all about. And when he learned that his brother had been transferred to a punishment battalion — a doomed squad from which few soldiers ever got out alive…

Story by Ian Clark, inside artwork and cover by Janek Matysiak

Originally No 2542 from 1992

Commando 4254 — KILL THE FUHRER!

It was 1945 but still the war dragged on as Adolf Hitler tightened his grip on his ever-shrinking Nazi empire. Only his death could bring peace to war-torn Europe. Which is why, one cold February morning, Squadron-Leader Kenny Campbell led a Mosquito squadron a very special mission - to KILL THE FUHRER!

Story by Ian Clark, inside artwork by Denis McLoughlin, cover by Ian Kennedy

Collectors may like to get hold of these issues as we are running a subscriptions offer that offers a gift of five archive issues to anyone taking out a subscription to Commando. Two packs are offered, one from the 70s one from the 80s. The only problem is…which to choose!

The batch of Commandos following these will go on sale one day early, the 30^th of December. They will be No 4255 Never Volunteer! (originally No 2608 from 1992), No 4256 Battling Rustbucket! (originally No 2618 from 1992), No 4257 The Winter Warriors and No 4258 Friends or Foes?

Preview: The Christmas Judge Dredd Megazine

2009-12-06T17:33:00.004Z

In the shops this coming Wednesday (December 9th) the Christmas issue of Judge Dredd Megazine features all-new comic strips from some of the UK's finest creators, including the brilliant Al Ewing and John Higgins on Judge Dredd, Alan Martin and Rufus Dayglo on Tank Girl, Al Ewing (again) and Jon Davis-Hunt on Tempest, and a back up Judge Dredd by Alan Grant and Nick Dyer. There'll also be articles and interviews, and a bonus comic reprinting a 2000AD classic. £4.99

More information on this and other titles over at the 2000AD website:
http://www.2000adonline.com/

(Sorry for the lack of more in-depth blogs at present. Normal service will be resumed soon, with a look at some classic British comics and reviews of current small press items.)

Preview: The Christmas Doctor Who Magazine

2009-12-05T17:37:00.003Z

It's the end, but the moment has been prepared for as Doctor Who Magazine No.416, out next Thursday (10th December) interviews David Tennant on his final episodes as The Doctor. Also included are interviews with co-stars John Simm and Bernard Cribbins, and the start of a new Doctor Who comic strip - The Crimson Hand. Plus many more features and a free A1 size poster in a bumper Christmas issue weighing in at 84 pages for £4.99.

40 Year Flashback: WHIZZER AND CHIPS No.1

2009-10-11T00:01:00.002+01:00

Four decades ago today, on Saturday 11th October 1969, IPC Magazines launched the first of many humour titles that would propel them to the top of the British comics industry. Whizzer and Chips No.1 arrived boasting the unique selling point of it being "Two comics for only 6d", - 16 page Chips comic was inside 16 page Whizzer.

As with most comics of the period, Whizzer and Chips No.1 was promoted on television with short, snappy ten second advertisements and within other comics (such as Smash!) with four page pull-out ads on salmon-pink paper...

In reality, Whizzer and Chips was only ever one comic of course, and, within the walls of IPC, was regarded as such by its editor Bob Paynter. At the time D.C. Thomson's Dandy and Beano each had 16 pages for 4d and IPC knew they couldn't compete on that level, so the illusion of two comics for 6d worked, as Whizzer and Chips seemed better value for money as "two" comics than it would have as one.

Being a rival to Dandy and Beano was obviously the intention, and IPC's clever "two-in-one" marketing technique ensured the success of the comic right from the outset. A comic cannot survive on a gimmick alone of course, and fortunately Whizzer and Chips also had a strong content. Many of the humour strips were created by relatively new cartoonist Terry Bave and his wife Sheila who provided the scripts. Bave had learned his craft freelancing for Odhams on strips such as Sammy Shrink and Baby Smasher. For the early issues of Whizzer and Chips he provided no less than seven pages! One of the most popular, Me and My Shadow, a simple but imaginative concept, can be seen here...

Other artists who had freelanced for Odhams also appeared in IPC's new venture. Mike Lacey kicked off with Odd-Ball (which would run for many years by various artists) and Sid's Snake, but the superb Graham Allen was wasted on the limited strip Give A Dog A Bone (a dog tries to hide his bone every week with not-quite-hilarious consequences), and Mike Higgs felt the talents he'd developed on The Cloak were restrained when he was given the more pedestrian Space School to illustrate. Nevertheless, Mike still turned in a great job...

Adventure strips also appeared in the early issues of Whizzer and Chips, albeit fairly lighthearted ones compared to the sort of material that Valiant featured.

Kings of the Castle was a ho-hum strip about the working-class King family inheriting a castle, The Space Accident was a science fiction strip drawn by Ron Turner, The Spectacular Adventures of Willie Bunk was about a kid with magic glasses, but the standout strip for me was The Stealer, nicely illustrated by Tom Kerr...

The most distinctive humour pages in the comic were written and drawn by veteran comic artist and comic historian Denis Gifford who presented us with Koo-Koo Klub and a revival of his 1950s Knockout character Steadfast McStaunch. Every week Gifford devised puzzles that McStaunch would need the reader to solve, - a great interactive idea. Whist Gifford is remembered as the author of many books on comics (who also devised tv and radio shows) his inventive comic style has now mainly been forgotten which is a great shame. Here's the first 1969 Steadfast McStaunch, completely written, drawn, and lettered by Denis...

Another gimmick that Whizzer and Chips was renowned for was the "rivalry" between the two comics, where characters from one comic would "raid" the other, - and the readers would have to spot them in backgrounds. That didn't kick off until issue two, however Chips No.1 cover-starred Sid's Snake - the characters that from No.2 would be the cover stars and mascots of Whizzer. The famous cover star of Chips, accident-prone Shiner, didn't appear until the second issue.

Right from the outset Whizzer and Chips looked slicker, stronger, and better designed than its Odhams predecessors Wham!, Smash!, and Pow! had been. Personally, as a ten year old reading it back then, I found it entertaining but not as irreverent or, well, funny, as the Odhams weeklies had been. The hallmark of IPC's humour comics was "safe" comedy, and Bob Paynter would always encourage creators to be "careful", fearing backlash from parents and retailers.

That said, a few hundreds thousands kids obviously enjoyed Whizzer and Chips immensely, given its long run. Even though I never found Harry's Haunted House anywhere near as entertaining as The Nervs, I still stuck with the comic until my early teens, - mainly due to the solid storytelling and artwork. The popularity of Whizzer and Chips led to the launch of Cor!! in 1970, and many other similar titles such as Whoopee!, Shiver & Shake, Monster Fun, Jackpot, and others which enjoyed varying degrees of success. Even Fleetway's Buster was gradually revamped into an all-humour title to fit within the IPC humour group.

IPC attempted the "two-in-one" gimmick again in the early 1970s with football weekly Score 'n' Roar and humour comic Shiver and Shake. Neither were very successful, proving that innovation is better than imitation. (My theories on Score 'n' Roar's failure can be read here.)

Forty years ago I remember a schoolmate of mine, Grant Hicks, running around the playground of our junior school with Whizzer and Chips No.1, ecstatic that he'd got "Two comics for the price of one". IPC's gimmick had paid off, and continued to do so for that title for many years.

Companion comics which fell by the wayside, such as Knockout and Whoopee! were merged into the seemingly invincible Whizzer and Chips. Eventually the two-in-one comic's luck ran out. Whizzer and Chips folded in 1990, by which time a drop in sales and budget cuts meant that it contained a lot of reprint and had reduced its total page count from 32 pages to 24, phasing out the Chips insert. Yes, in the end Whizzer and Chips merged into itself, before being swallowed up by the long-running Buster.

Preview: The Christmas TOXIC

2009-11-30T16:26:00.003Z

Here's a sneak preview of the festive edition of Egmont's Toxic, which will be in the shops next week, from Wednesday 9th December.

This issue has six free gifts, which due to today's health and safety requirements has necessitated that huge wad of small print on the cover telling parents not to allow kids to wear free plastic ears "when hearing may enhance safety (ie: crossing the road)" and not to use the free Bat Shooter to aim at eyes or face. Legal requirements of the 21st Century eh? Sheesh.

Fighting for space on the cover next to the legalese is a Team Toxic cover by John Rushby. Inside, there's the usual mix of features and strips designed to appeal to 7 to 11 year old boys including items on Doctor Who and the Planet 51 movie. In Whizzer and Chips style the middle 16 pages consist of a pull out mag: Toxic Gamer featuring cheats and guides to numerous video games.

Sadly there's no Robin Hoodie this issue but there are still six pages of comic strip: two new pages by me, Team Toxic in Christmas on Mars and a four pager of mine as a reprint from a few years back: Crazy Christmas. And of course it wouldn't be a proper UK comic Christmas without characters stuffing their faces with turkey in the festive slap up feeds which round off each strip. Gotta keep up the fine comic traditions of artists such as Roy Wilson and Dudley Watkins!

All in all it's a busy and packed issue, and as it's the Christmas edition it will be on sale longer, for a month instead of a fortnight. £3.99 from newsagents, supermarkets and other retail stores from next week.

The Christmas VIZ

2009-11-24T12:44:00.003Z

Here's a quick look at the Christmas issue of adult humour comic Viz, in newsagents across the UK from tomorrow. A packed 52 pages of festive four-letter fun (and topical social satire for the grown-ups) featuring all the favourites.

Once again there's a seasonal free gift, and this time it's a 30th Anniversary calendar featuring every cover of Viz comic from the past three decades. It's a fascinating look at how the comic has evolved over its 191 issues and how it used to be funnier than it used to be. Or something.

Inside this month's issue Biffa Bacon goes shopping for a turkey with hilarious results...

The Bottom Inspectors turn up on Christmas Eve to inspect bottoms with hilarious results...

And Suicidal Syd (what I wrote and drew) embarks on some seasonal suicidal schemes with hilarious results...

Plus Christmas with the Drunken Bakers, Sid the Sexist, The Fat Slags, Eight Ace, Elton John's Gift Wrap Gyp, BNPea, Christmas Letterbocks, Nobby's Piles and much more. And snow on the logo, as is compulsory under the 1947 Christmas Comics Act.

£3.20 from the top shelves of all good (and average) newsagents and supermarkets and places like that wot sell comics from November 25th.

Photos from the Memorabilia Show

2009-11-22T17:17:00.004Z

Here's a handful of photos I took yesterday at the Memorabilia Show at the NEC, Birmingham. I couldn't guess how many people attended but it was easily in the thousands. Most of the attendees I saw seemed to be just browsers rather than buyers, but it was interesting to see genre shows like this pulling in the general public as well as the die-hard fans.

Above is Kat Nicholson and her Draw the World Together crew, valiantly producing numerous sketches all day for the charity.
You can view Kat's spectacular artwork here:
http://thedreamwolf.deviantart.com/gallery/
and the Draw the World Together website is here:
http://drawtheworldtogether.ning.com//

Below: Kat's partner Jason Cardy, also producing brilliant sketches for the charity. Visit Jason's website on DeviantArt here:
http://jasoncardy.deviantart.com/

Below: Comic artist Lee Bradley chats to fans at the show. Visit Lee's blog here:
http://leebradleys.blogspot.com/

Below:
Two shots of crowds at the event.

Below: The Dalek Army invade the show.

Below: The Delorean from Back to the Future. (I'm not sure if this is the actual car used in the movie or a replica.)

Below:
Actors Francoise Pascal and Susannah York chatting to, and signing autographs for, the fans.

My thanks to Lee Bradley for the invite to appear as a guest at "Comic City" and to the fans who dropped by for a sketch. For more info on the show and future events visit the official website here:
http://www.memorabilia.co.uk/

30th Anniversary of VIZ

2009-10-21T12:01:00.004+01:00

The 30th Anniversary issue of Viz, Britain's swearingest comic, is out today (cover shown above). Originally conceived in 1979 as a 12 page comic sold in local Newcastle pubs, Viz became a massive hit with the public, with its sales gradually rising from just 200 to over a million an issue by the 1990s.

(Above: Viz No.1 from 1979)

The latest issue reflects the original format a little by featuring more half-page strips in order to accommodate more characters within its pages. Classic characters such as Tommy 'Banana' Johnson are back in new stories, along with Hector the Collector and His Metal Detector and Johnny Fartpants, and regular favourites such as Roger Mellie and The Fat Slags are also included. (I contribute a half-page Pathetic Sharks strip on page 33.)

To celebrate the rare occasion of a British comic actually lasting for 30 years, The Cartoon Museum in London will be holding an exhibition of original Viz artwork from November 4th 2009 to January 24th 2010 (35 Little Russell Street, London WC1A 2HH). For more details visit their website at:
http://www.cartoonmuseum.org/

Viz No.190, the 30th Anniversary issue, is in the shops now priced £3.00
http://www.viz.co.uk/

Memorabilia Show

2009-11-14T01:46:00.005Z

I'm one of the guests at the Memorabilia Show next Saturday (November 21st) at the NEC, Birmingham. The event actually runs for two days but I'll only be there for the one.

I'll be in the "Comic City" section of the hall alongside other comic creators such as Laura Howell (Sunday only), John McCrea, Lee Bradley, Kat Nicholson and Jason Cardy. I'll be bringing along a few of my old pages to sell, and also doing sketches, so drop by and say hello if you're interested.

There'll be loads of media guests there too, including Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica), Honor Blackman (The Avengers), Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), and David Hedison (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea).

Guests from the world of sport will also be in attendance including Eusebio and Ken Norton.

If you're traveling by train the station you need to get to is Birmingham International (that's where the NEC is). For full details including ticket prices and opening times visit the Memorabilia website here:
http://www.memorabilia.co.uk/

Commando issues for early November

2009-11-12T11:52:00.003Z

Here are the first four titles of D.C. Thomson's Commando comic for November. All of these issues are out today priced £1.35 each for 64 pages. Brilliant to see the great Ian Kennedy is still producing such fine covers for the comic. Thanks again to Commando editor Calum Laird for the info...

Commando No 4243: DANGEROUS DESPATCHES

Intrepid reporters Fred “Ferret McGlone, Harry Hornby et al − are back in the thick of the action! This time the Headline Heroes find themselves slap bang in the middle of the first Sino-Japanese War of 1894. It’s dicey work and they’ll have to keep their wits about them to survive − and, of course, to send their DANGEROUS DESPATCHES

Story: Norman Adams

Cover and inside Art: Keith Page

The second instalment of a four-part mini-series featuring the Headline Heroes, there are stories to come in December and January.

Commando No 4244: THE MEDAL

At the height of the Korean War in 1951, new recruit Gary “Jonesy” Jones was hailed a hero when his instinctive act of bravery saved the life of a high-ranking Allied officer.
Jonesy gained the respect of his comrades. However, he also gained an enemy, his spiteful lieutenant. Driven by jealousy, the officer hatched a plan to break Jonesy…and his squad if need be!

Story: Ferg Handley

Cover: Ian Kennedy

Inside Art: Vila

Commando 4245: PROTECTION SQUAD

Bored with paperwork and traffic duties, Lance-Corporal Jack Johnston of the Royal Military Police was on the lookout for excitement.
So he volunteered for special duties and, after a spell of tough training, became a member of the elite Close Protection Squads.
That was when he began to understand what real excitement was!

Story: Mike Knowles

Cover: Ian Kennedy

Inside Art: Gordon Livingstone

Three Commando stalwarts combine to put together this book. Gordon’s first book was No 4 “Mercy For None”, Ian Kennedy’s No 435 “Seek And Strike”, while Mike Knowles started with No 1125 “Coward In Khaki.”

Commando No 4246: LAST-DITCH DEFENDERS

As the Red Army flooded through the gates of Berlin for the final battle, ordinary German soldiers surrendered in droves, knowing that the end could only be days away.
But for Fritz Langer’s penal battalion, surrender was not an option. Many of Fritz’s men were Russians themselves, having sided with Germany when the Wehrmacht was winning the war. The best they could hope now was a quick death − for soon there would be nowhere to run…

Story: C G Walker

Cover: Ian Kennedy

Inside Art: Denis McLoughlin

It's a tough job but someone has to do it...

2009-11-11T23:00:00.000Z

JANE AND PETT

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Just a quick post so you know I haven't left blogland for good. Click on the image above to see a British Pathe film from 1945 showing artist Norman Pett at work being inspired by his model Chrystabel Leighton-Porter to draw rough sketches for the latest Jane strip in the Daily Mirror.

Blog Break

2009-11-01T14:19:00.003Z

Blogging is time consuming. Even an intended quick review of a comic can take an hour or more from scanning, writing the first draft to publishing online. A more detailed blog can take up to half a day or a full evening. Or maybe that's just me.

Anyway, in order to catch up with some work I've fallen behind on through various setbacks (illness, being my Mum's carer etc) I'm putting this blog on hold for a few weeks. Don't worry, it won't be in mothballs for long, and I'll be back soon with some items of free gifts of the past, Christmas strips, and long-overdue reviews of some great small press comics that have been kindly sent to me.

So it really is a case of "back to the drawing board" for now. In the meantime, if you haven't checked out the blogs of friends and acquaintances on the list at the left of this page now is the time to do so. Lots of good stuff there to keep you occupied for ages!

Check back here again in a few weeks and hopefully I'll have a few new items posted by then!

(Photo above shows the pencil stage of a Super School page I did for The Beano. The completed artwork was published a few weeks ago.)

Crikey! No.12 out this Friday

2009-10-26T23:21:00.003Z

Issue No.12 of Crikey! the magazine of British comics should be in shops across the UK this Friday (October 29th). Once again it contains a strong variety of content, including interviews with Pat Mills (talking at length about his time at IPC plus other things), Leah Moore and John Reppion (on Albion), and veteran comic artist Frank McDiarmid (Cheeky weekly).

Also included is Lee O'Connor discussing his new project with Pat Mills (Stars: The Ayatollah's Son) and the first part of a two parter on Doctor Who comic strips over the years.

Issues of Crikey! can be bought from branches of Borders and various newsagents across the country, priced £4.99, or you can subscribe via their website here:
http://www.crikeyuk.co.uk/sub.html

Crikey! is the only magazine devoted to British comics, and let's face it, there have been very few precedents, so I hope all readers of this blog will support it so that it can continue to thrive. Remember, Crikey! doesn't have the backing of a major publisher behind it so it's up to us to keep such independent publications alive.

Doctor Who Exhibition to close

2009-10-14T21:30:00.003+01:00

Not exactly comics-related but as some visitors to this blog are fans of Doctor Who I thought this might be of interest. The Doctor Who Exhibition which has held a prominent position on Blackpool's Golden Mile for five years is to close next month on November 8th.

Some of the items from the museum will be transferred to other Doctor Who Exhibitions around the UK. The museum features a range of props, monsters and costumes from the history of the 45 year old tv series.

I visited the exhibition last summer and I have to say I was somewhat disappointed that only props from the "classic" pre-Christopher Eccleston series seemed to be featured, and the items seemed somewhat shabby. However, the props and costumes were designed for the tv screen of course and never intended to be convincing up close. It was still interesting to view such items, including the TARDIS console and a Mechanoid from the 1965 serial The Chase which actually looked better constructed than some of the 1980s props.

Fronting the museum is a shop selling a good range of modern Doctor Who merchandise along with numerous back issues of Doctor Who Magazine and recent issues of Doctor Who Adventures. (There you go; there is a comics connection to this blog entry. ;-))

The exhibition (which is on Blackpool seafront, practically opposite the Central Pier) will be open every day from 10.30am to 8.00pm until November 8th, when it closes its doors for the last time.

This isn't the first Doctor Who Exhibition that has appeared (and disappeared) in Blackpool. A similar one, not far from the current venue, opened in 1974 and ran for 11 years. The current one will certainly leave a void. Blaring the various Doctor Who themes out from its key position on the promenade it presumably attracted lots of passing trade from Blackpool's millions of tourists, but according to this report the decision was made by the BBC:
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoolnews/Closure-for-popular-Prom-attraction.5762660.jp

Click on the photographs to see them full size.

The good news for Whovians is that the exhibitions in Cardiff, Glasgow, Lands End, and Coventry will continue. For more information on the Doctor Who Exhibitions around the UK visit this website:
http://www.doctorwhoexhibitions.com/