GIL PAGE - R.I.P.

L to R - Dave Hunt, Barrie Tomlinson, and Gil Page.  (From EAGLE Annual 1983)

Saddened to learn (via STEVE HOLLAND's blog) that former managing editor of IPC's Youth Group GIL PAGE passed away a few days ago, aged 79.  Back when IPC were in the process of selling their comics and mags (except for SHOOT!) to the infamous ROBERT MAXWELL, I visited Gil in his KING'S REACH TOWER office one day to arrange a renewal of my ID card, so that I had continued access to my 26th floor desk on my weekly trips to London.

You see, I usually arrived in the city around 6 a.m. and the Youth Group's new offices (IRWIN HOUSE, just along the road) didn't open until 8 or 8.30 a.m.  I'd have had to wander the streets for a couple of hours if Gil hadn't arranged for me to be able to use the Tower as a drop-in point until Irwin House opened for 'business'. Gil was extremely affable and there was no haughty attitude that many people in exalted positions can often display towards the 'little people'.  He even asked me whether I'd like a tea or coffee and actually made me feel as if I were important.  A genuinely nice man.

A good few years ago, I asked him if he'd write a reminiscence of his time in comics, which was originally intended for publication in the U.K. comics fanzine The ILLUSTRATED COMIC JOURNAL.  When that esteemed organ disappeared, I was left feeling guilty that, after him taking the time and trouble on my behalf, Gil's article would never be seen.  Thank goodness for CRIKEY!'s arrival on the scene, because I gave Gil's piece to them, and it appeared in, I think, their fifth issue.  Gil even supplied me with a photo of himself (at my request) to accompany the article.  I believe he was quietly proud to see the fruits of his labour finally in print.

(One drawback was that Crikey! failed to turn off its spellchecker option when retyping the article, and several names were 'corrected' to something resembling their 'true' state, but not quite.  (GEOFF CHAMPION for example, instead of CAMPION.)  Gil wasn't as bothered by this as I was though, and just laughed it off.)

Gil was a man who did a lot for British comics, although most readers probably never heard of him.  It's a shame he's gone, and though I didn't know him well nor could be regarded as one of his friends, he had that enviable quality of making you feel as if you were, even on a brief and passing acquaintance.  Criv-ites may be interested to learn that Gil was editor of the revamped SMASH! (to name but one), which recently concluded its cover gallery feature on this humble blog of mine.

Condolences to Gil's family and friends, and I'll always recall that sunny day in London when Gil made a Scottish stranger feel welcome and more important than he had a right to.  Thanks, Gil - and rest in peace.

KIRBY 'KOCK-UPS' - PART ONE: "WHERE DID THE TIME GO?"

Images copyright DC COMICS

Having dug out my JIMMY OLSEN back issues recently for the purpose of illustrating the preceding post, I decided to re-read the complete 15 issue run and re-acquaint myself with the awesome adventures first published back in the early 1970s.  I then reached for my handy, two volume collected set from 2003/'04 (which every true JACK KIRBY fan should have on their bookshelves), rather than risk damaging the original comics.

The end page of the group's adventure which occurred 'twixt the previous page shown and this one

Look at the first page above.  See SUPERMAN zooming towards that materializing BOOM TUBE?  In between scene-switching to what was simultaneously happening to his best pal Jimmy and The NEWSBOY LEGION at LOCH TREVOR over in Scotland in this ish, a whole ten days had elapsed by the time Olsen's adventure was over in the next, and the scene switched back again to show ol' Supes' encounter with whoever was arriving on Earth from (as yet) parts unknown.

According to Tommy, ten days have elapsed between this issue and the previous one...

There's no way Superman took ten days flying through the secret tunnels under The COSMIC CAROUSEL nightclub 'til meeting MAGNAR, so it just goes to show that even the fabulous Jack Kirby sometimes took his eye off the ball when relating his FOURTH WORLD epic.  One thing puzzles me though - why did it take me so long to spot this Kirby 'kock-up'?

...yet here's Supes still approaching the Boom Tube - just where we left him last issue

Next time I re-read these epic issues, I'll pay far stricter attention and see what bumblin' boo-boos I can spot that Jack missed.  Not that anybody can blame him overmuch - after all, he had at least four different mags on the go at the same time.  Overall, 'the boy done good'!

KID KLASSICS: WHEN SUPERMAN WAS A BUDDING SLAPHEAD - (WELL, ALMOST)...

Images copyright DC COMICS

Every now and again, I'll see a lively discussion on the merits of VINCE COLLETTA's inking and the reasons why JACK KIRBY's SUPERMAN heads were usually inked by MURPHY ANDERSON.  To me it's always seemed obvious that at least one of the reasons was that Jack couldn't render ol' Supes' kiss-curl very well, often making his hair look like a comb-over to hide a receding hairline.  (Or an ill-fitting toupee.)

Don't believe me?  Take a look at the stat of the pencilled pic below and judge for yourselves.  The words 'ARTHUR SCARGILL' spring to mind.  (Or even 'ISAIAH' - 'cos one 'eye's higher' than the other.  Boom-boom!)

IS THE WORLD GETTING SMALLER, OR AM I GETTING BIGGER?

Compare the scene above with the one below.  The above photo was taken circa 1988, the second one was taken today - from approximately the same pov as the first pic.  Look at how congested and narrow the street now seems compared to how it once was.  My town was built to accommodate Glasgow's 'overspill' and had large areas of green within and around the town to make it open and spacious, unlike the confined housing schemes of the City which had become overcrowded.

The green areas within were part of the plan, but almost 30 years ago were re-designated as 'under-developed land', which has resulted in them being crammed with just about any buildings that'll fit.  The town no longer has that open and spacious feel, and I deplore the change.  Where is it all going to end?  It doesn't look as if it's going to be any time soon.

Planners don't seem to take account of the fact that, if you build housing on playing fields, there are fewer play areas for the larger number of kids who will inhabit the area.  More homes for families to live in, but far less space for children to play.  Why can't those who make these sort of decisions see that overcrowding a neighbourhood that was originally designed and built with 'breathing space' is a recipe for disaster in the future?

Has the same thing happened or is currently happening where you live?  Then have a vent in our comments section and feel all the better for it.  Go on, let rip!

BABE Of The DAY - ABI TITMUS...

Here's awesome ABI TITMUS displaying

her spectacular... spectacles.  (Well, what did you

think I was going to say?  You were wrong!)

PART FORTY-FOUR Of FAVOURITE COMICS Of The PAST - SUPERMAN'S PAL The NEW JIMMY OLSEN #s 142 & 143...

Images copyright DC COMICS

I'm feeling a little self-indulgent tonight, so, if you'll forgive me, I'm gonna yak about what may be a case of 'false-memory-syndrome' regarding two of my favourite JIMMY OLSEN mags by JACK KIRBY.  I'll try to make it more palatable by including a lot of great JK art, because we all know how long-winded I can be when I get my teeth into a topic.  The issues under consideration are #s 142 & 143, which I first bought sometime in 1971 or '72.  Or did I?  It would've been '72 at the latest, but at what point in the year did I buy them?  Aye, there's the rub.

I associate this page with my new house - mainly because (I assume)
I remember drawing it while sitting at my dining table

You see, I moved houses halfway through June of '72, but when I look at these two issues today, some pages take me right back to my former abode, and other pages I associate with my current residence.  How can that be?  I'm pretty sure I bought the two mags (on different days in all likelihood) from the newsagent's over the road from my old house during school dinner hour, so a variety of possible scenarios present themselves.  (First I should explain that I still attended the same school in my old neighbourhood even after flitting from the area.)

I associate this page with my old house, as well as a classroom in my
school's technical block.  (I bought the mag during dinner hour)

So I either bought the mags while yet residing in my old home, or not long after having moved to my new one.  That's the choices on offer.  If my previous dwelling, that would obviously explain the association in my memory, but if the new one, it doesn't.  Or does it?  It may simply be the case that, if I purchased the issues in my former neighbourhood not too long after having flitted, the afterglow of subconscious association yet lingered in the back of my mind.  And that would be accentuated by the fact that, having retained our original furniture, the ambience of our old living-room was continued in our new one.  (Also, I probably spent time thumbing through the mags in the shop over a period of days [at least] before I bought them, so that would no doubt reinforce my association of them with the area.)

Old house on some occasions, new house on others.  Could be
I'm remembering the first time I read it - and a later re-read

Of course, perhaps I'm overanalyzing things.  Maybe I associate some pages with my old house because I first read the mags there and they made an impression, and other pages with my new abode because, upon a later re-reading, they made a stronger impression second time around than they had the first.  Could be as simple as that.  "But what does it matter?" you ask, "and why bore us with it?"  Well, I tend to use comics as 'diaries' to a certain extent, in that I usually date past events by whatever issues I purchased at the time.  It can therefore be confusing to look at a mag and have two different associations spring to mind.

Great as this page is, panel 3 is misleading because of the downward angle of SUPERMAN's
arm, and the speech balloon seemingly indicating that the figures are 'small'.  Fact is, they're
normal size, but in the distance.  Had STAN been editor, he'd have had JACK (or someone)
reposition it.  I associate this page with my old house

However, congratulations!  You've managed to make it through to the end (I hope) of my tedious ruminations, so you can take comfort from the knowledge that you richly deserve the joy you'll undoubtedly derive from perusing the pulsating pages and panels of one of the masters of the comicbook medium - JACK 'KING' KIRBY!

Ever been plagued by such perplexities?  Any thoughts, theories, or observations on my woeful waffle?  Then let rip in the comments section, Effendis!  Lines are now open!

I associate this page with my old house...

...and this page with my new one

BABE Of The DAY - LYNDSAY WAGNER...

Lovely LYNDSAY WAGNER

reminds me I need to buy some new

coat-hooks for the hall.  Thanks, gal,

 lookin' mighty fine!  (As usual!).

PART SIX Of DON STARR In The DRAMA OF DOOM...

Copyright relevant owner

Here we are, back again with another instalment of The DRAMA Of DOOM starring DON STARR, to whet your appetite for action and suspense - POWER-style!  If anyone thinks they can identify the artist of this strip, feel free to take a stab at it in the comments section, 'cos we're all dying to know!  (Well, I am at least.)

FINAL PART (SIXTEEN) OF SMASH! COVER GALLERY...

Copyright REBELLION

That's it, Criv-ites - we've reached the end of the road as far as our SMASH! cover gallery series goes.  You now have all 95 issues of the 1969 relaunched version, and I've even thrown in the two Holiday Specials ('69 & '70) as well.  So smile at the pleasant journey through yesteryear we've all enjoyed together, and shed a tear of sadness that it's over.  However, we still have many more travels in time to take, so wipe away that tear and look forward to the past that's yet to come.  (Ooh, profound or what?)

A symbolic cover indeed - SMASH! had reached the end of the line

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY - OOPS! FORGOT...

Images copyright respective owners

It was FREE COMIC BOOK DAY yesterday (7th), but I completely forgot to remind you.  It's still not too late, as your local comicbook (I prefer it as one word) store may still have some mags left.  I don't know what the full list is, but here are three issues which were up for grabs - for nothing.  Bear in mind though - the mags may be free to you, but your store still has to pay for them, so be sure and thank them nicely for supplying you with freebies, and perhaps buy something when you visit.  Excelsior!

BABE Of The DAY - ABI TITMUS...

Today's Babe is ABI TITMUS, Crivs.

Now calling herself ABIGAIL EVELYN,

she's currently pursuing an acting career in

America.  Let's all hope she succeeds - I'd

 say she certainly deserves to!

SMASH! COVER GALLERY - PART FIFTEEN...

Copyright relevant owner

And now, the penultimate part of our SMASH! cover gallery, wherein we bathe in pleasant nostalgia for the days of our youth, when the responsibilities and pressures of adulthood were things beyond our imagining and we thought we'd be children forever.  Now we're older, allegedly wiser, and the end of life's journey gets closer every day, so it's good to be able to look back to a time when we thought our span was eternal.

H'mm, a sombre introduction perhaps, so let's think happy thoughts by looking at these action-packed covers and recapturing that faraway feeling from a time long past.  Enjoy!