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| Copyright DC COMICS |
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| Copyright relevant owners |
Following the theme of the previous post, this one is similar in that it involves the acquisition of an item 40 years after the fact. Let's see now, it was back in 1986 that Solson Publications released the first issue of Rich Buckler's Secrets Of Drawing Comics. There were four in all, but, curiously, although I had the comic on standing order (I think) with Glasgow's AKA Books & Comics, I only ever got numbers 1, 2, and 4, with issue 3 disappearing into the Twilight Zone without me ever seeing it.
Anyway, to cut a long story short (even when it doesn't merit being a long story, it usually is by the time I get through with it), the elusive third issue arrived at Castel Crivens today, finally enabling me to complete the set. It didn't just manifest out of nowhere though, I ordered it from an eBay seller in the States and I'm as happy as a pig in sh...erbert to now have the set of four. Interestingly, the previous year, in 1985, John Byrne did a comic for the same publisher, called How To Draw Comics Comic.
This was meant as the first in a series, but I never saw any subsequent issues, so can only conclude they never actually appeared. If you type the name into eBay's search box, only #1 shows in the results, so that seems to settle the matter as to whether there were any further issues. Interestingly, in 2014, Collins published a book titled Learn To Draw Comics by John Byrne (which I've just bought from eBay), though there's nothing really to indicate whether it's the John Byrne or not.
The late Rich Buckler is considered by many comic fans as not much more than a 'swipe' artist these days, due to his copying panels and figures by Jack Kirby when Buckler was the regular artist on Marvel's Fantastic Four mag. This is probably unfair, as he was likely encouraged to draw as close to Kirby as he could, though probably more in 'spirit' than in actual art style or swiping whole panels, but I've seen a variety of work by him that shows he wasn't restricted to merely imitating the work of others and had his own style.
In 1986, Solson also published two books by Buckler, one being How To Draw Superheroes (which I've owned for many years), the other being How To Become A Comic Book Artist (which I've just bought on eBay), so who knows, maybe I'll be inspired to buckle down (or should that be Buckler down?) and produce a comic strip or two. Having said that, perhaps How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way is the definitive book on the subject, and even that never prompted more than a page or three out of me.
Anyway, thought you might like to see all four Buckler comics together - for the first time in 40 years! Solson became Showcase with #s 2-4, though the indicia of the third and fourth issues also include the name Solson Printing Corp. Were you a Buckler fan? Then tell your fellow Crivvies in our scintillating comments section and share your appreciation as to why you 'dug' his style. (Or not, as the case may be.) And, just for the hell of it (hee-hee, naughty me, I said 'hell'), that's Byrne's 'How To Draw' comic below.
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| Copyright MARVEL COMICS |
The record wasn't part of my purchase, but it was only the comic I was interested in anyway, simply because I love the cover. I already owned an original J.I.M. #83, purchased circa the mid-'80s, but there were some minor differences to the reprint (colour, detail, etc.) which made it mucho desirable to my eyes. It also contained Thor's first encounter with The Lava Man.
On December 17th 1996, at 21:10 p.m., I ordered the Fantastic Four #1 reprint by Golden Records (from Comic Biz), though this time the record was included. Consequently, over the years, having the LP for one of the mags but not the other, gradually made me regard the Thor comic as somehow incomplete, so I resolved to remedy that situation one day.
Well, that day is now here as, at 11:03 a.m., it was delivered to Castel Crivens, sent from the States after I bought it on September 12th at 10:46 p.m. via eBay. I always feel good when I finally complete some long-term aspiration and that's how I feel right now. That will recede of course, now my task is accomplished, but it's bound to resurface every so often as the years roll by.
Anyway, thought you Crivs might like to see the two items as they were meant to be seen - together. And if you'd like to leave a comment, I'll graciously allow you to - no charge!
******
Footnote: If anyone is wondering how I can be so precise about the time and dates of the above purchases, the answer is simple - I still have the invoices/receipts I received with each order.
First of all, let me thank those faithful Crivites who've shown support and remained loyal to Crivens during the recent accounts of my encounters with Meadowbrook Care Home, part of Enhance Healthcare, whose sole interest is clearly only in enhancing their own bank account. I appreciate that the subject is not normally one you'd expect to see on a blog devoted to comics, collectables, and nostalgia, but considering the massive amount of visits Crivens receives on a monthly basis (many hundreds of thousands, in fact), it would be silly of me not to take advantage of its reach all around the world.
Meadowbrook and some of its staff have shown a ready willingness to lie and distort in their attempts to intimidate and deter me from my stated intention to reveal to the media their many deficiencies, and they blindly support any staff I've formally complained about in their tit for tat revenge tactics aimed at me. Even, oddly, when some of my complaints were partially upheld by them, rendering their accustaions of 'slander' curiously contradictory, if not utterly ludicrous.
When it comes to some of the staff, management have 'got their backs', as they simply can't risk admitting they're prepared to employ liars, thieves, idlers, and incompetents. Not all of them, obviously, but far too many than there should be. However, they certainly have no compunctions about fighting dirty when it comes to attempting to silence criticism of their failure to fulfil their responsibilities and honour their contractual commitments. It's strange that I only received the following email when I disclosed my intention to publicly expose them in the media.
"Over recent weeks, staff have reported repeated instances of intimidating behaviour, inappropriate physical conduct, and inappropriate comments directed against them. These incidents have caused genuine distress to those involved and have, in specific instances, been referred to Police Scotland given the nature and severity of the behaviours described."
The timing of this shocking email is highly suspect, as I'd never previously been informed of any accusations of 'repeated instances of intimidating behaviour, inappropriate physical conduct, and inappropriate comments', nor had I received any visits from the police in regard to them, being told when I enquired that there was no record of any such complaints against me. 'Inappropriate physical conduct'? The mind boggles, as such phraseology conjures up images of a serial groper, and I've never even come close to breathing on any of the staff, never mind touching them. Yes, fighting dirty indeed! Same goes for each of their 'allegations'.
As you know, after what seemed like an uphill and futile struggle lasting years, I triumphed (with unstinting aid from a conscientious Social Worker) in my mission to have my mother accepted by another Home with a higher rating and better reputation, so at least that part of the fight is over. Because of an arbitrary and unjustified ban imposed by her previous accommodation, I was unable to visit my 104-year-old mother, afflicted with Alzheimer's and cancer, for nearly two months, and in that time she has noticeably deteriorated, due (in my firm conviction) to a lacklustre standard of 'care', in which her fingernails haven't been cut for several weeks, giving her hands a witch's claw-type appearance.
Then there were large bruises on her legs, which Meadowbrook management tried to explain away with unconvincing suggestions as to their possible cause, which was a particular trait of the manageress, who always looked for some other reason (or excuse) which would absolve them of any culpability for anything that might show them in a bad light, rather than accept the more likely and most obvious explanation that more accurately reflected reality - as opposed to mere wishful thinking on her part.
I've left three negative reviews on their website over the years, the most recent being the one you can read below.
Review from Gordon R (Son of Resident) published on 10 September 2026
The place, in my four-and-a-half years of experience, is a disgrace. Because I've complained about various aspects over the years and made formal complaints about staff (one once referred to me as a p***k), some have now decided to get their own back by making false and malicious complaints against me.
Also, because I threatened to go public with my dozens of photos of a dirty floor in my mother's room over a period of time and excrement on her toilet seat, which was still there three days later, I have been banned on some pretext as a 'punishment'. I have now stopped paying the fees as I'm hoping they will 'evict' my mother and I can place her somewhere that really knows how to treat a 104-year-old woman with Alzheimer's and cancer.
To those who have left positive reviews, I'd say you need to look behind the curtain.
Below is their response, interspersed with comments by myself.
Reply from Michelle Hampson, Home Manager at Meadowbrook
Thank you for your feedback. We're sorry you feel this way, and our door remains open for further discussion. (I was barred from the premises and Meadowbrook refused to deal with me directly via email. This is an open door?)
Out of respect for the privacy of our residents and their families, we can't discuss any individual's care or any complaint in a public forum. (Of course not, as they don't want to air their dirty laundry.) What we can say is that every concern raised with us, whether about care, cleanliness or staff conduct, is investigated thoroughly in line with our policies and our regulatory obligations to the Care Inspectorate. (They might go through the process of investigating so they can claim they're observing their obligations, but it never results in permanent improvements or any effective resolution of complaints. That's why I was regularly complaining about the same things.) Decisions about how we manage our services are never taken lightly, are always taken in the best interests of the people we support and our obligations to protect team members, and are never a response to someone raising a concern. (The best interests of the people they support? In what way is it in the best interests of a 104-year-old-mother to be denied visits from her son?) Our ethos is that all feedback is a chance to learn and improve. (If that were the case, why do they never seem to learn or improve, repeating the same inefficiencies time-after-time? You can take their inaccurate assertions with a pinch of salt.)
We're proud of the standard our team maintains (when, in fact, they should be embarrassed, if not ashamed, as my many dozens of photographs testify), and of the home's Good grade from the Care Inspectorate at its most recent inspection. (I'd hardly say 3.6 is good.) Visitors are always welcome to meet the team and see the care we provide for themselves. (When a carefully arranged presentation will be put on for their benefit.)
Anyway, thankfully, my mother is now free from their grasp, and will hopefully enjoy a more attentive and effective standard of 'care' than Meadowbrook was capable of providing. (Or even willing to, in fact.) If you have or have ever had a relative taken into care, feel free to comment, even if your experience isn't in accord with my own. And thanks for reading. I may add to this post as other things occur to me.
******
And if you're new to this whole sorry saga, the following links (if you're interested) will give you all the details. Link 5 has some photographs you might like to look at in regard to Meadowbrook's woeful standard of cleanliness. They say the rooms are cleaned every day, yet I have time-and-date-stamped photos on my camera's SD memory card which prove they're not.
Link 1 Link 2 Link 3 Link 4 Link 5 Link 6 Link 7 Link 8
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| Copyright MARVEL COMICS |
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| Copyright DC COMICS |
Great news, Crivvie chums! My mother is now ensconced within another Care Home (above), which has a 9.8 rating and akin to a luxury 5-star hotel, unlike the seedy 'B&B' type hovel she was in. Thanks to Social Worker Estelle, who did more in a week to get my mother moved than her predecessor did in around two-and-a-half years (or more) of ignoring and impeding my attempts to move her to a better place. It'll cost me a fortune in taxi fares to visit, but it's worth it knowing my mother will be properly looked after for whatever time she has remaining.
As regular readers know, I was banned from visiting my mother under false and malicious pretexts and hadn't seen her since July. In that time she has deteriorated greatly and lost a lot of weight, and doesn't seem so responsive as she once was (for a person with Alzheimer's and cancer). The Social Worker was told my mother's hearing aids were broken, though she had new ones fitted only a few months back, and she was left totally deaf and unable to communicate with the Social Worker, who had to write wee notes to elicit any kind of response.
Also, her fingernails clearly hadn't been cut for weeks, if not longer, and she's obviously been neglected and left in her own wee world, isolated from any caring contact. She didn't appear to recognise me and I never heard a single word from her* in the time I spent with her today, though I'm told she gave her name in response to being asked (in writing) by the staff at her new 'home'. Now my mother is out of Meadowbrook's clutches (some staff were okay, but few of them were as conscientious as they should've been) I can relax as some of the pressure is off me.
(*Apart from when she spoke in her sleep as she dozed in an armchair, where she softly muttered "Let go, let go, you'll break it, you'll break it!" Worryingly, she had bruises on both legs below where her leggings stop above her ankles, one of them pretty damn big.)
When we went to collect my mother, Estelle told me management had said I wasn't allowed to take in my 'phone, nor speak to staff - I'd no intention of talking to them anyway. Must've been worried I'd take more photos (something to hide?), though my mobile has no camera, as I have an actual camera for that purpose. My aim was to move my mother as quickly as possible and shake the dust off my feet, yet they seemed more interested in imposing ludicrous restrictions on me so they could fool themselves into believing they were in charge and called the shots.
Think I'll celebrate with a fish supper tonight. However, don't think I've given up on my mission to expose Meadowbrook for what it really is, as there's plenty more I can tell you - and will!
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| Copyright relevant owner |
Two Willy The Kid badges, that is. There's a third one (though I'm unsure of their sequential order), which I intend to track down eventually, but if anyone has it and wants to sell, let me know. Willy was created by Leo Baxendale, his first character after he quit comics around the mid-70s. He produced three Willie books in all, though the third one had a print run of only around 10,000, compared to the first two, which were around 150,000 each.
It took me 31 years to obtain the third book, though I'd like to nab the third badge before too long, mainly because I don't know whether I have another 31 years ahead of me and I'd like time to enjoy owning it. Funny thing is, although I have a large collection of badges, I never wear any - I just like to own them and look at them every now-and-again. I really should've bought the trio of badges back in the '70s, but I intend to rectify this oversight as soon as I can.
Let me know if any of you Crivs would like to see any of my other badges and I'll dig 'em out.
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Okay, I admit it, I'm a lazy git, but why go to the bother of taking my own photographs when I can use the official ones from the company's site? I'm talking about my recent Corgi additions, one received yesterday and one received this morning (yeah, I know, on a Sunday too).
Yesterday, it was The Green Hornet's car, Black Beauty, and today it's the D.B.5 collection, all three of which I've already got separately, but I liked the box. Anyway, no more waffle from me, feast your eyes on these lovely images and think about acquiring them for yourself.
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| Copyright D.C. THOMSON & Co., Ltd |
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| The escape committee at Meadowbrook, perhaps? |
Still no further ahead with matters pertaining to overturning Meadowbrook Care Home's arbitrary and spiteful decision to ban me from visiting my elderly and infirm mother, and thereby also denying my mother the opportunity of seeing me. An utter disgrace of a place, as any Care Home who'd prevent a 104-year-old woman with Alzheimer's and cancer from seeing her son doesn't deserve to be in business. And remember, they're only in business to make money, not to 'care' for people, which is only a by-product of their financial aspirations. They're also not against levelling spurious and malicious allegations in their desperate attempts to protect themselves from numerous documented complaints by concerned relatives.
However, I've been talking to a reporter from The Sun, which will hopefully lead to Meadowbrook and Enhance Health Care being exposed as the disreputable shower they undoubtedly are, and I'll devote the rest of my life to letting everyone know just what kind of organisation and people they happen to be. If you were thinking of allowing this place to 'look after' a loved one, I'd strongly advise you to look elsewhere, based on my own personal negative and soul-destroying experience. 'Welcome To Hell' should be the name above the door, followed by 'Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here'.
In the meantime, steps are being taken to try and get my mother moved to another, better Care Home, though I'm taking nothing for granted. The new Social Worker I spoke with on Friday seems very nice and helpful (unlike the first new replacement from a few days before - I'll tell you that story one day, rest assured), so hopefully that will lead to a happy ending in this ongoing sorry saga. I'll let you know what happens one way or the other.
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| Copyright relevant owner |
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| The following tale is similar to Poe's The Cask Of Amontillado |
Every night when I go to bed, I pass a small window on the hall landing halfway up the stairs. In fact, I pass it whenever I go up (or down) stairs, not just when I go to bed, but that's neither here nor there. I've done so for 50 out of the last 54 years, the four-year difference being on account of my family moving to another house after 11 years and returning here four years later. Regular Crivvies know the details already, so I'm just setting the scene for new visitors to Crivens.
When living in that other house, my way home from my Town's main Shopping Centre enabled me to see the landing window of my former domicile through a gap between a row of houses and a block of flats a little distance away. (Obviously, I could also see it when going in the opposite direction.) Sometimes, at night, the hall light would be on and the window illuminated, and I'd imagine I still lived there and was looking through a time warp to when I yet inhabited the house.
Now that I'm back here, it seems strange to think there was a period I could gaze on the exterior of the window from afar, and its interior is now once again part of my everyday life. Sometimes, I just can't help imagining, as I pause on the hall landing on my way up or down the stairs, that an ethereal younger version of myself is heading home to that other house and glancing over at the window behind which I stand, on his way back to a home he no longer lives in.
Cue Twilight Zone theme?
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