"JUST ONE MORE THING..."

Peter Falk (1927 - 2011)

Legendary actor PETER FALK, famous for playing rumpled raincoat-wearing Los Angeles Police Detective Lieutenant COLUMBO, has died at the age of 83.  BERT FREED was the first actor to play the part in a 1960 episode of The Chevy Mystery Show, entitled "Enough Rope" with THOMAS MITCHELL in the role when the plot was used as the basis of a stage play called "Prescription: Murder" in 1962.

LEE J. COBB and BING CROSBY were originally considered for the part when it was decided to turn the play into a one-off TV movie, but Cobb was unavailable and Crosby turned it down. The rest is history - Falk made the role his own, first in the 1968 TV movie, and then in a semi-regular series from 1971 until 1978. Falk reprised the role in 1989 and continued playing the part for several more years, his last portrayal being screened in 2003.

The actor developed Alzheimer's disease a few years ago, and died peacefully at his Beverly Hills home on June 23rd.

MARVEL GREAT GENE COLAN PASSES AWAY...

Gene Colan (1926 - 2011)

Sad to learn that MARVEL legend GENE (The Dean) COLAN passed away on June 23rd (yesterday). Who can forget Gene's astounding artwork on DAREDEVIL, IRON MAN, Dr. STRANGE, DRACULA and HOWARD The DUCK, not to mention his pulse-pounding panels on DC's BATMAN and WONDER WOMAN?

I can't even begin to do full justice to his career, so click on the side-link to MARK EVANIER's blog for a worthy appreciation of the man and his work.

21 MOVEABLE PARTS? I HOPE NOT...

You're looking at the design patent of G.I. JOE, first released in 1964 by HASBRO (Hassenfeld Brothers).  Look at the illustration closely - count the parts.  I make it 20, yet the ads which used to appear in American comicbooks back in the '60s (The Adventures of Andy and George), it was claimed that ol' Joe had 21 moveable parts.  So I just have to ask - did he originally have an extra part that was 'removed' before he went into full-scale production?  And if so, what do you think it was?  (The mind boggles.)

And in case you ever wondered, 'G.I.' apparently stands for Government Issue, though competing explanations include Galvanized Iron (after the initials stamped on metal military equipment), General Infantryman, or an army classification rendered in Roman numerals - GI.  No doubt there are various others.

The ULTIMATE BEANO SUMMER SPECIAL #1 - NOW ON SALE!

Images copyright D.C. THOMSON & Co., Ltd

Exclusive to WH SMITH and on sale now is this colour-packed celebration of 60 years of DENNIS The MENACE, priced at £4.99.  Comprised of 68 pages (including cardboard covers) and containing some of the best Dennis strips from BEANO Summer Specials down through the years, it also includes famous characters like LITTLE PLUM, The BASH STREET KIDS, BIFFO The BEAR and quite a few others.  With artwork by DAVEY LAW, DUDLEY D. WATKINS, ROBERT NIXON and the usual stable of artists.  All in all, a nice little collectors' edition which is sure to appeal to everyone, from innocent little kids full of the joys of life, to overweight slapheads who have never had a girlfriend.

PRESENTING: KID ROBSON'S ARTWORK OMNIBUS - PART ONE...

Pencil drawing of Iron Man #150 cover

I received an email recently asking why I didn't feature any of my own art on my blog.  Obviously someone hasn't been paying attention, but to save anyone who's interested from having to wade through the archives, here's the first part of an 'omnibus' selection of a few pieces.  Some of it is over 30 years old (and pre-dates my professional career), so please be gentle.  Click on picture, then click on result for enlarged viewing.

For Part Two, click here.

ARTWORK OMNIBUS - PART TWO...

Unused fanzine cover.  For Part Three, click here.

ARTWORK OMNIBUS - PART THREE...

Pencil drawing, drawn as a teenager.  For Part Four, click here.

ARTWORK OMNIBUS - PART FOUR...

  

Parody of Amazing Fantasy #15 splash page.  For Part Five, click here.

ARTWORK OMNIBUS - PART FIVE...

'Unofficial' Desperate Dan strip.  To see black & white copy, click here.

For Part Six, click here.

ARTWORK OMNIBUS - PART SIX...

"Yawn! Wonder what kind of day it's going to be, Fred?"

Camping cartoon for poster, drawn as a teenager.

ARTWORK OMNIBUS - PART SEVEN...

Photograph of colour caricature.

ARTWORK OMNIBUS - PART EIGHT...

Black & white copy of unused colour advertisement.

ARTWORK OMNIBUS - PART NINE...

Fanzine masthead.

ARTWORK OMNIBUS - PART TEN...

Unpublished pin-up.

ARTWORK OMNIBUS - PART ELEVEN...

Pen & acrylic ink caricature.

ARTWORK OMNIBUS - PART TWELVE...

Unfinished caricature at pencil stage.

ARTWORK OMNIBUS - PART THIRTEEN...

Comic strip proposal.

EVOLUTION OF A COMIC...

First there's the 'ashcan' edition, just to
secure the copyright...

Cover of the ashcan edition of Action Comics

Then the real cover of the actual first issue is
drawn, before a copy is sent for colouring...

The original cover artwork for Action
Comics #1 by Joe Shuster

Then the actual issue is published...

The published result - for only 10 cents

Then it goes on sale...

Where's the Tardis when you need it?  (Action Comics #1
at bottom-middle of photograph)

Result?  History in the making.

A DOG'S BEST FRIEND...

Double act: Lilli and Zac have been inseparable
since they were puppies

This sad but heart-warming tale was recently reported in the DAILY MAIL and I thought I'd share it with you here.

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Blind dog who has his own guide dog

"When ten-year old Zac went blind his companion Lilli stepped in to prove that a dog's best friend is...another dog.

Now Zac, who had his eyes removed five years ago, relies on his fellow Jack Russell terrier to guide him everywhere.

He stays inches from her side on walks, and she lets him rest his head on her when he becomes tired or disorientated.

The pair have been inseparable since they were taken in as stray pups a decade ago, and when an eye infection cost Zac his sight, Lilli became his guide dog.

The pair's owner has moved abroad and they are seeking a  new home.  Sarah Bussell, of the Blue Cross charity in Tiverton, Devon, said Zac would be lost without Lilli, and the dogs had to be re-homed together.

She said:  'They seem to have an almost telepathic understanding, which is quite amazing to see.

'Zac and Lilli would be such rewarding companions and would give lots of affection to whoever adopts them.'

Anyone interested in adopting Zac and Lilli should phone 01884 855291."

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Altogether now... aaaahhh!  Let's hope they've found a loving new home by now.

The WORLD'S GREATEST SUPERHERO...

The mighty Christopher Reeve - gone, but not forgotten

I note with interest that some advance reviews of the upcoming THOR movie proclaim it to be the best superhero movie since SUPERMAN in 1978.  Recalling just what an impact that particular movie had on audiences, I'm looking forward to seeing if Thor can truly measure up to such fulsome praise.  Nowadays, showing the impossible on screen is a much easier task than it was in 1978 - thanks to the advances in CGI technology - but most of the flying sequences in Superman still hold up pretty well, even after all this time.

Anyway, I'm not here today to talk about ol' Goldilocks - rather it's Superman I want to blather on about for a minute or two - and in particular CHRISTOPHER REEVE's impressive interpretation of The MAN Of TOMORROW.  It was almost as if The SPARKY's PETER PIPER had blown his magic pipes (now there's a reference bound to confuse any American readers) and ol' Supes had stepped straight out of the pages of his own comic.  Has ever a human being so personified a comicbook superhero better than Chris Reeves did?  

The answer is clearly "no" (I'm talking about cinematic portrayals, so relax, all you KIRK ALYN and GEORGE REEVES fans), so it will be interesting to see just how any future interpretations of The MAN Of STEEL measure up to Reeve's definitive portrayal.  BRANDON ROUTH managed a reasonable impersonation of Reeve, but failed to truly match the original.

Anyway, with a new Superman epic in the works, let's take a moment to remember the man who first gave life to the world's greatest superhero on the big screen.

The MYSTERY Of The MISSING WILLY...



Willy sets out on his maiden voyage

I was wandering through my local JOHN MENZIES (now WH SMITH'S*) one Winter's day back in 1976, when I spied a big square table laden with a selection of annuals.  Prominent among them was one I hadn't seen before, though the art style was familiar to me.  "Only £1?", thought me - "I'm having that!"  And thus was I introduced to legendary British cartoonist LEO BAXENDALE's latest comic creation - WILLY The KID.  (*Update 2025: Now TG JONES.) 

The book was laugh-out-loud funny - and an absolute steal at a measly quid.  I couldn't have been the only one suddenly wishing their life away 'til next year's annual.  So impressed was I with the madcap masterpiece, I bought copies for friends - who also loved the lunatic antics of the turnip-headed Willy.  And that's no mere hyperbole: "...when I created the first Willy book... my inspiration in drawing Willy was a turnip."  (Leo Baxendale, 1995.)

Ooer!  He's not even out of the harbour yet

According to the 1st annual, there was going to be a new one every year, and each book would be kept in print forever.  When the 2nd annual came out in 1977, I snapped it up and gleefully looked forward to the next one in what was going to be a yearly succession of Willy the Kid publications for all eternity.  I was deliriously happy.  Experience has long-since taught me nothing is ever that easy and the fates often conspire against us, but back then I was still an optimist.

In 1978 I bought Leo's autobiography, A VERY FUNNY BUSINESS, but, apart from a picture on the back cover, I simply couldn't find a copy of the 3rd annual anywhere.  (Many years later, a dealer told me not to waste my time looking for it as it had never been published.  That would certainly explain why I couldn't find a copy at the time.)  I never saw a new Willy the Kid Annual again - he'd simply vanished from the face of the earth without even saying goodbye.

A lovely colouring job from Leo

Sometime later, in the mid-'90s, I ordered some books from Leo and took the opportunity to ask him about the annual, and he generously took the time to reply and explain what had happened with it.  Here's Leo in his own words from his November '95 response: "Yes, the third... book was published, in September 1978, simultaneously with... 'A Very Funny Business'.  But because writing the autobiography took 4 months of my time in the summer of 1977, I was that much late in starting... the third Willy the Kid book, and as a result... it missed the annual distribution set-up, and was published as a 'posh' book with a wrap-around loose cover, at £2.50 (by contrast with the first and second Willy books, which were £1 each)

" - what's more, the print orders for Willy Books 1 and 2 were in both cases circa around 150,000, and they were sold along with the other annuals (Beano annual and whatnot), but the print order for the third Willy book, being a 'posh' book, had a print order of 10,000, and was tucked away in bookshops, instead of being sold alongside annuals."

At least it's not under his bed

So there you have it from Leo himself - the book was published - and don't let any dealer ever tell you otherwise.  Bax then went on to say the following: "So, alas, alas... lots of dedicated readers couldn't find it, and in many cases have spent the rest of their lives looking for it (funnily enough, the day before I received your order, I'd had an order for prints and books from a young man in Catford in London, with a covering letter telling me jubilantly that only the previous week, he had finally found a copy of the elusive Willy the Kid Book 3 in a junk shop in Wales.)  So never give up hope."

I eventually managed to track down a copy of the book on the Internet in 2009.  It may have taken me 31 years, but I can now finally boast a complete set of Willy the Kid Annuals.  They're well-worth having, though the third book has fewer pages than its two predecessors.  Incidentally, the 'ripples' in the accompanying photographs of Book 3 are on the protective clear sleeve, not the dustjacket itself.  I wasn't going to risk damaging it by removing it to scan.

Never published?  What's this then?

If you're wondering why the annuals didn't continue, the matter is touched on in Leo's book, The BEANO ROOM & Other Places, doubtless available from eBay and some second-hand booksellers.  Why not track down a copy today?

Incidentally, several letters and notes which Leo sent to me over the years appear on various posts on the blog, so if you want to see into the mind of the great man, use the search box to locate them, by simply typing in Leo Baxendale.

Nope, not for sale - don't ask

CRIKEY! The SUPER SEVEN STRIKE AGAIN...



Art by MIKE LACEY.  Copyright REBELLION

Many months back, the now defunct CRIKEY! mag (#12) printed an article about Christmas Annuals.  For some reason which escapes me, they had an illo of three annuals in a vertical row, so that you could see the first one, the title of the second, and part of the third.  As a visual presentation it was a washout, to be frank.  Why show pictures of something that you can't actually see?  What really irked me was that the middle one was the 1973 KNOCKOUT ANNUAL, which has as Christmassy a cover as you could ever wish to cast eyes upon.  (And you had to wish - because you sure couldn't see it on the page.)

This annual was the first I bought near the end of 1972 - with the proceeds from my Saturday morning car-washing exploits in the carpark of a local pub.  (The second I bought that year was the 1973 MARVEL ANNUAL, which hit the shops later than the others.  Perhaps it was a last-minute decision to publish it, hence its tardiness in appearing.)  Anyway, I still remember walking back from the shops with my Knockout Annual, gazing at the cover under the blue, cloud-kissed skies of a bright, sunny August or September late morning or early afternoon.

How not to show an illustration of
three books. From CRIKEY! #12

Knockout the comic (the '70s incarnation) was merged with WHIZZER & CHIPS in June, 1973, so by the time the second annual was issued around August/September of that year, the weekly was already history.  Amazingly, this didn't seem to affect the annuals, because there were 13 of them in all, released every year right up until 1984 (for '85).

I wonder how many kids received a Knockout Annual for Christmas, then wasted their time searching the newsagents for weeks on end trying to find the comic.  As all the while the evil publishers (IPC/FLEETWAY) laughed their socks off at the thought of all those poor, footsore kiddies being consumed with frustration and disappointment.  (Cynical?  Me?) 

Anyway, enjoy the cover - it's a window into yesteryear.

"THEN THEY MASH THEM ALL TO BITS..."



Oh look - Clint Eastwood's stand-in

Here's a photo of me in 1977 with my new pal - a bendy CADBURY'S SMASH MARTIAN.  I say "new", but I may've had him for quite a few months before a friend took this picture in my back garden.  Although I remember the photo being taken, I didn't acquire it (or indeed even see it) until December of '78 when I was in Portsmouth to be best man at said-friend's wedding.

His marriage didn't last too long after that, nor, come to think of it, did our friendship.  However, I still have that self-same Smash Martian today, over 34 years later - in perfect condition too.

There's probably a moral in there somewhere, but I'll let you figure it out for yourselves.  (And look at the size of that shirt collar - Harry Hill hasn't got a look-in.)

I'VE GOT LETTERS AFTER MY NAME...



Unpublished logo.  All lettering on this page by me 

The following piece started life as a comment in response to a post on someone's blog.  Then I realized it would make an interesting entry here on Crivens.  So, with a little editing, here it is for your consideration.

******

I used to earn my main source of income as a letterer on various U.K. comics.  One such comic was (and still is) a cult comic in Britain.  I was known for doing good display lettering, like sound effects and logos, etc.  That's why I worked for them.

Unpublished logo



One day, a 'new' editor (who'd been transferred from a discontinued comic) asked me to stop doing my sound-effects (Wham!, Smash!, Pow!, etc.) in the manner I was doing them.  "It makes the strips you work on look like a Marvel Comic!", he said.  You see, the traditional British way had been just to do basic, black lettering to signify a sound - serviceable, but uninspired - often looking like it had been stuck over the artwork rather than being a part of it.

Unpublished logo

My approach was to integrate the effects into the artwork, and gave them the kind of outline and detail that suggested the sounds they were trying to convey.  ART SIMEK and SAM ROSEN had their own styles, sure - but they didn't so much letter comics the "MARVEL Way" as letter them the best and most effective way they could be done.

That's what I tried to do.  The previous and subsequent editors all appreciated and encouraged the extra effort I put into my work, but this editor just didn't get it.  He'd rather I lettered in a bland, nondescript and unspectacular way as opposed to the best and most dynamic way to do it, simply because he didn't want the mag to look like a Marvel comic - even though Marvel comics looked better.  Simply put - "Don't do it as good as the company that does it best because we don't want people thinking we're them."  Crazy or what?

Hand-lettered flyer

The point of my reminiscence?  If you've ever wondered why a comic sometimes doesn't look as good as it could do, it's not always the fault of the actual contributors.

TIME TRAVEL A REALITY!

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Caught your attention with that title, eh?  However, it's not entirely untrue; you may not physically be able to travel through time, but you can mentally.  Case in point: when I gaze on the above cover from 44 years ago, or - even better, thumb through the actual comic - I find my mind transported back to the month of April, in the year of our Lord, 1967.

To such an extent in fact, that it's almost as if I'm back in the house I lived in at that time; that shops which are no longer around today still exist; that friends who have since died are merely a telephone call away.  So immersed in halcyon days of yesteryear do I become that, when I look up from the comic's pages and find myself in the house I live in today, I'm almost momentarily surprised by the fact.  Anyone else ever feel the same, or am I just bonkers?

Okay, so I'm just bonkers.  Would it have hurt you to lie just this once?