Black Max - coming to an end

Of course, am a massive MASSIVE fan of the strip - but have never seen the last ever episode.
I know, i know, that's not much of a fan really. But there's a heck of a lot of episodes to track down - and when i were 10 (and now) each installment had enough thrills to sustain me and i didn't really need to collect them each week to appreciate what was going on.
And i've, still, something to look forward to.
I know the end is soon here in May '72 and that eventually he snuffs it, as born out in the Demon Dwarf sequel, and it sure has changed tack by this point.
Long gone is Wilson's mission to prove that he's not barking mad, going on and on about the German fighter ace who has a squadron of Giant Bats at his command, but no-one believes him.
Here, in just THREE pages we've got:
Max under arrest in England for war crimes,
his two huge King Bats rescuing him, only to try to eat him,
Wilson teaming up with Max to try and end them once and for all,
and the Demon Dwarf re-surfacing in his Mole-like tunneling machine.
Curiously, we also have Max being dropped by the Bats at Stonehenge and finding that one of the crashed planes had "... gouged a hole in the ground... right alongside the pillars! The... The FOURTH pillar from the setting sun! Somewhere near it... is buried THE STONE OF KOTH!". Which he's mighty happy to then dig up as its "... The key to the Bat People!"
So there we have it - the first sign that things are about to change tack once again and we'll be soon seeing the Bat People - huge, manlike (including todgers) creatures with Bat faces.
Reading this far in, it does make you wonder if the writers had this in mind all along - to have Max start with a solitary Bat, then a squadron of them, then the King Btas, then the Bat People.
Or were they making it up as they went along?

Victor - Feb 4th 1978

Just bought a couple of Lion & Thunder's and they came with a couple of Victor's too.
Never was a fan of the title, hazily remembering it for not having any decent art or stories.
Boy, was i right - a truly duff issue, with absolutely nothing to say for it.
If i DID have to though, i'd say this front and back page "true story of men of war" is entertaining. But for all the wrong reasons.
So we've a two page summation of i'm guessing a real event. But i'm pretty sure, if it did happen, dialogue didn't actually go as follows:
"We're in dead trouble!.." exclaims the guy on the machine gun, "... Outnumbered four to one. Give 'em all we've got!"
"You bet!" is the cheery response from a squaddie mate.
"Wow! This is getting exciting!" says the numbskull machine gunner as the Italian planes zoom in.
Pretty unrealistic for a true tale, i'm sure you'll agree.
But then we have this jaw dropping exchange as they dive for cover:
"I'm hurt! A bullet nicked my throat" says one, who can't be too hurt if he can moan about it.
And the retort from a comrade: "And i've got a splinter in me".
Diddums.
Really, that's the highlight and its all downhill from there.
Don't think i'll be seeking out the next issue.

Lion & Thunder 28 Oct 1972

Also in the issue that has Adam Eterno taking to the skies, we also have this classic episode from "Spider v The Android Emperor", with him being his usual arrogant self - until realising that the guy he's up against isn't all he seems. Its a stunning piece of art, best seen here where we get the quite unnerving sight of Maddox's tentacles flaying about and a rare shot of the Spider actually worried and unsure.

We've also got the start of the Black max sequel, "Secrets Of The Demon Dwarf". I didn't care for this at all, what with having no Max in it and the then present day setting. Its a nice idea though - with Gratz awakening not from his months long suspended animation while he waits for the coast to clear, and waking up in the 70's.
Deciding then and there that he will take to the battle to England itself (without stopping i guess to see whether the Great War was still going on), he arrives the follwing day in his very Tnunderbird Mole-like device.
So, he's attacking England with a tunneling machine.
Does he target a power station?
army base?
10 Downing Street?
Buckingham Palace?
No, he begins his reign of terror by surfacing in Piccadilly Circus. And knocks a car over. That's it. Along with the boast: "This is nothing Englanders! This is only... THE BEGINNING!"
What's next then? Nudge a double decker? Squash a bobby?
Hmmmm... Not what i'd call a cliffhanger really.

Adam Eterno - flying ace?

Just been reading an Oct 1972 Lion & Thunder and we have the start of a new Eterno story set in WW1, with brilliantly evocative artwork from Font, up there with Joe Colquhoun's "Charleys War" in my opinion.
Its unusual in that (A) for the first time i've read the fella, he doesn't have any gold threats in the opening instaallment (B) He actually uses technology, climbing into a cockpit and taking off. And, in typical unsubtle 70's setting up, rather clumsily tips the reader off as to what's about to occur:
"In my life of centuries i have learned to do most things. I am no stranger to FLYING MACHINES." he mutters as he appears,
"By Kalizar, the machine must NOT fall in to enemy hands!" he postulates
"Time has not dulled my knowledge of engines and flying. Earlier travels have taken me both to future and past... But this skill is still with me!" he spouts as he takes off.
Subtle, not.
Here i've had him as a bit of a clod all these years and now its seems he can fly and waffle at the same time. And if he can do that, presumably i'll be coming across tales where he's a Formula One driver or whatever

"EXCITING NEWS INSIDE CHUMS!"

I've just started up a new Blog that i'm guessing you'll be very interested in.
Its... Heck, just mosey on over and feast your eyeballs:

http://someoneoldsomeonenew.blogspot.com/

Duffness abounds

Had a trip down to Hastings and, as usual, popped into the Albion Bookshop for a fix of 70's paperbacks and comics.
Have said it before, but it really is a recommneded place - an old school secondhand bookshop, full to brim with clutter and coming across like the sort of place you'd expect to find Peter Cushing in while he's in one of those Vault Of Horror anthlogies.
Anyway, picked up an issue of Bullet and Warlord and, boy, two classic examples of why i don't remember them much and why i embraced Action so much when it came out.
Warlord 21st June '76 is duff beyond belief - crappy stories with crappy art. Two things of note though: "Cannuck King" conforming to the staple in UK comics of the heero having a talent or somesuch that, would you just believe it, keeps coming into situations that addresses it.
Great with Adam Eterno's fear of gold, not so great here where the hero used to be, er, a lumberjack. Makes you wonder if the script writers were scratching their heads week in and week out trying to find ways of incorperating tree felling into the action. This week we have him hollowing out a log so he can hide inside it, float down the river and blow up a bridge.
Hmmmm... How i wish he'd been stationed in the Sahara and then see how he gets on.
Other thing of note is "Rudd's Raiders", a complete Darkie's Mob variation, with one man leading a team behind enemy lines, causing trouble for the Japanese. if that wasn't close enough, the title font is EXACTLY the same.
Bullet May 22nd '76 is a tad better. "Hunted!" has a lad trying to prove his innocence after being accused of killing someone who's taken him in with a wrench. Its pretty forgettable, aside from the heavy handness of setting up the wrench as the pivotal piece of evidence. He's shown his room and the bloke mentions "I was about to put in a new wash-basin but i don't have the right tools". Up pipes laddie: "I'll borrow a WRENCH from work tomorrow", next panel he borrows it, next panel its "I'll just leave the WRENCH on the back stairs". Hey, do you think it'll be significent somehow?
Fireball is the only other thing of note which bizarrely, spends half the story dedicated to football matters before getting on to the spy stuff.

Mike McMahon's finally got a Blog

Very happy to see that one of the true giants of 2000AD has started Blogging. One to keep an eye on.

http://tuggingyourcoat.blogspot.com/

Dean Ormston's Black Max

Just bought Dean's sketchbook, which is filled with some brilliantly disturbing imagery.
A great book made even greater in that, for a wee bit more, Dean will do a sketch of your choice at the back.
As he's reknowned for his moody, downright scary work, had no choice but to ask for his take on Black Max did i?

Smash! and Pow! 139

Another title i picked up from the trip to the 30th Century, this issue from Sept 1968 features classic Gene Colan Daredevil, Steve Ditko Spider-Man and REALLy duff art on the Batman/Superman reprints.
Three things of note with the UK-originated strips:

This odd one called "Brian's Brain" which features our hero "Brian Kingsley... the possessor of an astounding artificial brain." Not only do you get a brain in a jar, its left "in the strange house belonging to Julius Pilt". Who happens to control a prehistoric creature. What a strange little strip, that i've never heard of. Might try and track more down.

Grimly Feendish is limited to only a criminal (ha! gettit?) four panels, but is still fun.


Best thing though, and making it well worth the price, is exquisite Ken Reid work on the Nervs.
Genius, genius stuff

Janus Stark in colour

Just come across this, and what an unusual treat it is - a nice self contained story in full colour.
Normally, that'd be a ghastly notion, not suiting the Victorian setting or the character at all, but it works here in that Janus is far removed from the sooty streets of London and is instead employed to brave the traps of an Eygptian Pyramid to retrieve a piece of treasure, predating Raiders Of The Lost Ark by a good 6 years. The thing that doesn't work is the strange decision to colour in some of the speech bubbles too, which is horrible and really detracts from the art.
Speaking of art, i'm unsure who actually did it. The above splash page screams Ian Kennedy, but the close-up has me doubting. But the figure directly below looks like classic Kennedy. So i'm going with him.

Whoever it was, also did the Raven Of The Wing exactly the same.

I'm guessing both were done in colour as they were for the 1973 Valiant annual, a much more colourful title than its weekly brother.

Also in this copy is the resolution to a Kelly's Eye story i've featured here before, where he's up against the dread vampire, Count Varga. Except he's not. In true Scooby Doo style, he's revealed to be the lowly manservant all along and the terrifying giant bats turn out to be helicopter-like craft. Operated by midgets. Brilliant stuff with brilliant art by Lopez.

The return of Jesus Redondo

How nice it is to open this weeks Prog and see one of the classic artists from yesteryear making a return after such a long time away.
His style's changed somewhat, especially with regards faces - this one at the bottom looks more like Brett Ewins when he was doing Bad Company for the Prog.
But figurework and longshots are still the same, as in the panel directly above that porrait shot.
I've said it before, but Redondo is yet another one of those artists who're long overdue a re-assesment and to be given the credit and accolades they deserve.
In my opinion, the bloke was never better than on Starlord's Mind Wars:

Leigh Gallagher's Black Max

Spent a long wearing day at London's Expo yesterday and real sensory onslaught it was too, being predominatly Anime, gaming and small press titles.
But, the 2000AD stand was there and so too was Leigh Gallagher. I've many times here stated how Leigh is the worthy succesor to Lopez and Font with his incredibly moody B&W artwork on 2000AD's Defoe strip, and he's been top of my list for his take on Black Max.
When i asked Leigh for a sketch of the fella and thrust a reference pic under his nose, he only had a couple of minutes beofre needing to go to the next panel. But still produced this excellent head shot of the cranky old fella. Cheers Leigh!

The best ever Adam Eterno portrait?

As well as Max's talented Bi-Plane in that issue of Lion and Thunder, we also have the best image i've ever come across of the immortal(ish) one. Stunning work from Lopez, capturing the strength and burden of the guy all in one moment.
Sublime.

Going the other way, we have this, er, odd art in Carson's Cubs. Best i can say is its distinctive. And recognisible - whoever this artist is, he was using the same style 5 years later on Dredger in Action:

Cresta - its not frothy, man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2eEWlyVoxQ&feature=related

Black Max's Tardis-like plane

Before i get on to the issue this is from, i'd just like to show you seperately this here best-yet image i've come across of an occasional plot device in Black Max, that is: the outrageous notion that can he actually store his whacking great Bat in the tiny little locker that's just behind the cockpit.
HE would stuggle to get in there, let alone even a wing of the beastie. How does he achieve this? Is the inside bigger than the outside? Is Max REALLY good at origami? Who knows. Its just a bampot notion and totally in keeping with the spirit of the strip

Ads That Time Forgot - Count Dracula lollies

Yet another "they wouldn't do that now" example, the telly advert encouraged kids to "taste the blood of Dracula" or somesuch tag line, the ad here goes on about the blood red jelly, which apparently covered a "core of delicious snocreme".
What the hell ws "Snocreme"?
Never, ever heard of the stuff. Just Googled it and i'm still none the wiser - except that its "An all vegetable formulation".
Anyway, its good to see here the lolly sticks with stencils built in that had their time in the mid 70's, but best of all here is the idea that you can win " a real movie projector and a full length horror film".
That must've been an 8 or 16mm jobbie i guess and, back then of course, "full length" films usually meant 20 minutes of highlights, but what film would they've chosen to give free to teeth-dissolving-from-snocreme-nippers?

Shiver and Shake 21st Sept 1974

Second bit of bounty from 30th Century was this issue. Interested to have a butchers as its a good 20-odd years since i last read one.
Can remember back when a nipper not being too keen on cover star Frankie Stien and that's born out here, being a pretty dull affair with pretty pedestrian art by RT Nixon not being a patch on the great Ken Reid.
Inside there's a whole bunch of strips that i don't remember at all: The Ghost's Revenge, Shake, Blunder Puss, Riddle Me Ray, Moana Lisa, Ghoul Getters Ltd, Creepy Car. And The Ghostly Galleon, which seems to be trying for a serious, spooky tale but suffers from dodgy art.
Strips i do remember and thought "Hmmm, they're ok i guess": The Duke's Spook, Hire A Horror, Lolly Pop, Tough Nutt and Softy Centre, Odd Ball, Webster, Horrornation Street and Scream Inn - which i remember having great, moody art but here is a tad pedestrian:

And strips that i loved then and still hold up now.
Grimly Feendish going after folks' washed wares:

And the genius that was Sweeny Toddler:

Best of all though is the brilliant Slippy Sloppy Horror Soap, a reader creation stunningly brought to life by Ken Reid in his back page "Creepy Creations"

Thunder - final issue

First comic to read from the bunch i bought in the 30th Century is also the most expensive. And that's because its the last issue before merging with Lion a week later.
So, lets have a look shall we? As usual, there's really only two strips of note for both the me now and the me then, Black Max and Adam Eterno. They're the first two after the cover and after them it goes steadily downhill having, in order, Cliff Hanger, Fury's Family, Dusty Binnns, Phil the Fluter, the Jet Skaters, Steel Commando, The Terrible Trail From Tolmec (yes really) and the Gauntlet Of Fate.

Back to what floats my boat, Black Max finishes a tale just in time for the merger. Not too much of note in this episode, apart from a curious line from Max: "I swear by the Bat-Blood of my ancestors... YOU shall be the first to DIE". Bat-Blood? Bat-Blood? What's he on about? There's never ever been any suggestion that he's somehow linked through history with the Bats, or that he may have Bat-Blood running through his veins. And i've not seen mention of it again in subsequent episodes. Just a made up curse just for this week or more? Like i say, curious.

Adam Eterno wraps up too and its a classic, with the big Lunk not only having to fight a gladiatorial duel, but Vesuvius is just about to erupt and, to top it all, the mush he's got to fight is the greatest gladiator in the world. And wearing gold armour. Doh!
And he's got that volcano to thank - he's been cut quite a bit by the golden sword and the death stroke is just about to be delivered when it blows.
Lopez's art is simply astonishing, moving along at a breakneck speed, with some terrific moments - the eruption and the final shot of a vanished Eterno leaving behind his footprints in the deadly ash being tops.
Final thing of note is the two page ad for the following weeks merger. A pretty crude lash-up of an affair.
"AIEEEE" WATCH:
Wee bit too early for the expeletive

30th Century Comics

Me and the Bronze finally, finally got round to visiting this shop yesterday and, boy, were we glad we did.
What a terrific shop, a true throwback to the 80's when they were all independant and before they became supermarkets all selling the same stuff.
Here you get the latest American titles and graphic novels on the ground floor, go downstairs though and you're in British Comics heaven.
Hundreds upon hunderds of comic boxes filling every space, full of every title ever.
A fantastic place where you could spend a fortune. And a charming, knowledgable owner (sorry, didn't get your name) and a lovely way of spending a Sunday morning.
We'll be going back regularlly i'm sure and here's what i got this first time.
And here's the link to the shop. HIGHLY recommended.

http://www.thirtiethcentury.free-online.co.uk/

Grimly Fiendish

Inspired by photos of my local comic shop owner dressed up for Free Comic Book Day on Saturday looking more like Mr Fiendish, i thought i'd take another look at the fella.
Reading a few strips, its become apparent:
(A) How unfair it seems Grimly's been over-looked in the vast pantheon of Leo Baxendale's creations.
(B) How unfair it is that folk of a certain age know the name only for the Damned song.
(C) How unfair it is that folk under that age know him, albeit in a different form, in last years "Despicable Me" - a blatent swipe, being the tale of a super-villain aided by diminutive, strange creatures.
Will be going into the original more, but know i'm going to come out of it with the oft-muttered "why isn't there a collection of these?"
BTW, i enjoyed spotting him in the "Albion" series a while back but, being a serious version, kinda lost the appeal of the character in the first place, yes?