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| Art by Steve Ditko, copyright Marvel Comics |
As I gad about the streets of Glasgow, the city of my birth, I'm often struck by its similarity to other countries. Depending on exactly which street one happens to be, the architecture resembles New York or Chicago, Prague, Russia, Berlin, Austria - and no doubt quite a few other places. In fact, the city has stood in for a few of these locations in various movies over the years, so it would seem that I'm not the only one who thinks so.
As I mentioned once before, back around the mid-'90s, a small group were taking a stroll around George Square in the centre of Glasgow. Amongst the assembled company was no less a personage than ARCHIE GOODWIN (anyone who doesn't know who he is can leave the room now) and his wife ANN, and no more a personage than my good and humble self. As we all chatted amongst ourselves on our way to dinner, Archie and myself at first continued a conversation we'd begun earlier, and then expanded onto other matters.
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I mentioned to him that, as a young boy, whenever I was in the city centre with my parents, invariably I would be bought a comic (one of the POWER COMICS usually) containing reprints of JACK KIRBY or STEVE DITKO tales, and had no problem at all imagining that they were taking place in Glasgow. This, of course, was because the buildings that Kirby and Ditko drew in their strips were identical to those of my birthplace. 'Twas Archie who pointed out that it was no surprise, as many of America's city blocks had been designed by some of the same architects, who had emigrated to the U.S. in the early part of the 20th century.
There's an alley I pass just along from Glasgow's Central Station, and I swear to you, if I were ever to see a Steve Ditko SPIDER-MAN climbing up or down one of the walls, I doubt I'd be in the least bit surprised. In fact, I almost expect to see him every time I look. Maybe one day, eh?
Ahh, Archie Goodwin another great of the comics industry sadly now gone I was a big fan of his work (he was a pretty good stylish cartoonist as well), really liked his Warren work and his "Manhunter" stories with Walt Simonson at DC are still among my favourite in the genre - must have been a privilege to meet such a giant of the industry. When I was in New York a few years ago I too was struck by the resemblance in certain area to Glasgow and a few New Yorkers in my office say the same - I think I read somewhere that Chicago streets were based on the Glasgow grid system as well. I think I know the alley you are referring to next to FP - have to say I can see what you mean: tight alley with high buildings on each side and a guy permanently begging at one end wearing £100 plus designer trainers lol - McScotty
ReplyDeleteI know the alley of which you speak, McScotty - it leads through to the taxi rank outside Queen Street station. And I saw the guy (or close facsimile) to whom you refer yesterday, when I was in at FP collecting some goodies. However, the one I was thinking of specifically is in Gordon Street (great name for a street, that), or the next one along. The alley leads down to a multi-storey car park.
ReplyDeleteOriginally posted: 18 October 2013 23:37