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?

Vulcan - 4 Oct 1975

Lets have another dip into this title shall we? Have said it before, but Vulcan was way ahead of its time in being a weekly anthology of reprints. Sure, Marvel UK had been doing it for a while, but that was American reprints and here we have UK originated titles. A great idea, which i'd love to see being produced right now - but minus the dodgy colouring.
Okay, lets dip inside:
First up, its that big lunk and big hunk of metal that is "Mytek The Mighty". Just two pages here with a shadowy, unseen shape that may or may not be the fella sinking a ship and going after the professor. Ah yes, the professor. What do we make here in the 21st century of an Egyptian scientist called "Professor Fez" who - wouldn't you just know it - wears a fez. At all times. Even when climbing into bed. Hmmmmm... Still, FANTASTIC art by Eric Bradbury, especially these terrific eyes. The awful colouring here has lessened the impact somewhat though - will have to try and track down the original B&W version.

Next up, "The Spider", which is the usual terrific stuff. Here not only do we have The Spider, but also The Executioner (a musclebound baddie with a "punishing heat ray" stiched onto the top of his balacava) and The Silohouette, the mysterous leader of the bad guys, who acts just like The Hood did back in the 40's Batman serial. Brilliant artwork, which goes to show how the oft-cited Lenoard Nimoy comparison to The Spider is quite a superficial one. There's something not quite right about his face that i can't quite put my finger on. The proportions are right but i think that its the eyes being a tad too small and the nose a tad longer than normal that's doing it here.
"Saber, King Of The Jungle" comes across as a Tarzan rip-off, especially as he ends up in quicksand - something everyone seemd to fall into at some point in every Tarzan film and episode of the TV show that i can think of.

Back on track with "The Trigan Empire", with absolutely beautiful art from Don Lawrence. I can remember very well this episode, with the strangely boggled eye octopus-like robot appearing for the first time.
"Steel Claw" was a bit dull, being mainly exposistion as Crandell tries to figure out who the web-handed foes are all about.

By far the best is "Kelly's "Eye", a strip i've not mentioned that much here as i've always considered him to be a bit of a drip. But this art is just stunning and hugely elevates the tale. Very, very atmospheric as Tim goes up against Count Varga, a "human vampire". Lopez was firing on all cylinders here and i can't think of anyone who'd have been better suited for it.
Last up, "Robot Archie". Oh dear.
"AIEEEE!" WATCH:
Nuffink.

Don Lawrence and Judge Dredd

According to Judge Dredd The Mega History, "The first major Dredd cover on 2000AD [Prog 18] was yet another "rip-off" that angered Carlos Ezquerra. Old hand Dom Lawrence drew the cover, but could not get the Dredd figure right. So Ezquerra's figure from Bank Raid was cut out and dropped into Lawrence's Brainbloom farm."
Looking at the cover yep, that's the Bank Raid shot used yet again and can see why Carlos would be annoyed by that.
And that's typical Dom's work on the Brainbloom's faces, with very Trigan Empire buildings in the background.
But where's his Dredd?
Guessing they would have whitewashed it out, a photocopy of Carlo's one pasted in and then the whole thing touched up.
Just hoping they'd have done it to a photostat of Dom's art and the original is tucked away somewhere, waiting to be seen one day.
What a shock that would be to folk after all this time and i'd love to see what he'd done. "Could not get the figure right" from a giant like Dom Lawrence? Can't believe that - guess it was just something more radical than what they expecting back in those early days when Pat Mills was trying to get an established, consistant look to the strip.

Artist overload - Battle Action 28 Jan 1978

Blimey, what a corker this issue is - fantastic work from fantastic artists with every strip showing off stunning art:
Joe Two Beans by Eric Bradbury
Johnny Red by Joe Colquhoun
Spinball Wars by Ron Turner
Major Eazy by Carlos Ezquerra
Hellman by Mike Dorey
Dredger by Joe Cooper
The Sarge by Mike Western
Really, if anyone wanted to show someone what was so good about Boy's War Comic art, this'd be an excellent example.
"AIEEEE!" WATCH:
A truncated "AIEEE!" from inside a blown up German armoured car in Hellman.
And a frankly unneccesary "AIEEEEE!" from a German soldier who'd only been shot in the shoulder in The Sarge. Wimp.