Sunday, 26 January 2020

ALLY SLOPER - FOURTH & FINAL ISSUE...


Copyright relevant owner

Just over 6 years ago, I decided to feature the late DENIS GIFFORD's 4-issue monthly ALLY SLOPER magazine, but I've just noticed that it seems I only ever showcased the first 3.  So back into the cupboard for me it was, to dig out #4, acquired way back in 1976/'77 when the title was new.  There was a 5th issue intended, but low sales meant the title was cancelled before #5 ever saw print.  Given how long a mag is prepared in advance, it's likely that the 5th ish was completed even if it was never published, so it would be nice if the contents were to turn up somewhere and finally see print 40-plus years after the fact.

Anyway, enjoy a peek at some of the pages from #4, including JACK KIRBY's take on Ally Sloper - SLOPERMAN!  The 'King' himself even makes an appearance, drawn by HUNT EMERSON, in the form of CAPTAIN KIRBY.  Jack made Ally a superhero and Hunt did the same in Jack's case.  Great stuff!

(There's always a slim possibility that I did actually feature this ish in a blog post before, but, if so, I can't find it, so perhaps I inadvertently deleted it without realising it.  Anyway, never mind, it's here now and that's what counts.  If you remember buying this short-lived 'series' back in the day, feel entirely free to reminisce about it to your heart's content in our far-out and groovy comments section - it needs YOU!) 














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6 comments:

  1. Dave S26 January 2020 at 20:20

    That Derek Duff art is lovely- not a name I'm familiar with, but one I'll be finding out more about.

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  2. Kid26 January 2020 at 21:24

    I'm not familiar with the name either, DS, but as you say, lovely artwork. I wonder if the name is a pseudonym?

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  3. McSCOTTY27 January 2020 at 01:35

    I read on another blog that showed Duffs art on this strip that he was known to some industry pros at the time ( so it wasnt a pseudonym) and that he did very little comic art only this strip and some other western strips for the overseas market before moving out off comics into design work

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  4. Kid27 January 2020 at 01:41

    That's interesting, McS. I thought the style was similar to that of John Ridgeway or John Bolton, and wondered if it might've been an early pseudonym of one of them. It's true to say that Duff's style is very far from being duff.

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  5. McSCOTTY27 January 2020 at 09:55

    I thought it looked like John Ridgeways art as well Kid.

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  6. Kid27 January 2020 at 11:06

    And you know what thought did, McS - peed the bed and blamed it on the blankets!

    ReplyDelete

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