HONK! FOR ATTENTION...

Copyright relevant owner

Adult publication HONK! by artist LEE JAMES TURNOCK, is now available here.  Not for the faint-hearted, vicars, priests, rabbis or kids.  After enduring vilification by some so-called 'professional' cartoonists (note: just because you get paid for it doesn't necessarily mean you're any good - as the work of some published individuals far too readily attests), LJT finally has his very own underground comix which lovers of that genre should be well-pleased with.  Check out the above link now!

Update as of October 2023: LJT's comic is no longer available. 

CALLING ALL RIVER BANKERS - NO, THAT'S NOT RHYMING SLANG...

Copyright relevant owner

Regular readers will know that I'm a huge fan of the book The WIND In The WILLOWS, written by the estimable Mr. KENNETH GRAHAME (a Scotsman, naturally) back near the turn of the last century.  I collect different editions of the book, and today I took possession of the latest addition to my library, The Centennial Anniversary Edition - which is a reissue (or an old copy) of the 75th Anniversary Edition with an amended dustjacket.

What's fascinating is the fact that the cover illustration by ERNEST H. SHEPARD is not one that's familiar to these shores, apparently being reserved exclusively for U.S. editions of the book.  The evocative illo, featuring the main characters from the tale, is copyrighted 1960 to the artist, but it's interesting to wonder why it was never used in U.K. editions - though it's always possible that it may have been utilised relatively recently.

The volume features an informative preface by MARGARET HODGES, and an 'afterword' by E. H. Shepard himself, entitled 'Illustrating The Wind in the Willows', which, again (to the best of my knowledge), has never appeared in any U.K. printing of the classic tale.  I do have two reservations however.  Firstly, the eight colour plates (first seen in the 1959 edition) seem 'washed out' in comparison to U.K. printings - and, secondly, the dustjacket seems too large for the book's width, in the way that the flyleaf folds over the edge.  That apart, it's a nice little addition to the collection of any fans of this classic piece of literature.

THAT'S TAKING BROTHERLY LOVE A BIT TOO FAR, DON'TCHA THINK?

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Cop a gander at the above panel from THOR #144, in which BALDER The BRAVE manfully suppresses his attraction for his golden-haired Asgardian buddy's girlfriend.  What a hero!

But wait a minute - according to the panel below, from the TALES Of ASGARD back-up strip in JIM #102, SIF is his sister.  Ugh!  What a pervert!

Funny how quickly you can go off some people, eh?

However, worry not, O true believers.  It was later revealed that Sif was actually the sibling of HEIMDALL, not Balder.  Phew!  (And that looks like Heimdall's helmet in the above pic, so Stan was likely responsible for the mix-up.)