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Superadventure Annual 1962-63

Superadventure Annual 1962-63

By various (Atlas Publishing & Distribution)
No ISBN

This is a volume of great personal significance to me. My parents were both immigrants to Britain in the aftermath of World War II and I was born at the end of the 1950s. My father was artistic himself and somehow came up with the idea of using comics as a means of teaching me – and I suspect, himself – to read English.

On Christmas Day 1962, this was among the pile of hardback volumes that emerged from the blizzard of wrapping paper my pudgy fingers scattered through our living room. I’ve deduced since what other books I got that day, but this is one I can actually recall reading, both on Dad’s lap and later, over and again in front of the fireplace.

I don’t know what captured my interest. There was no colour, unlike Eagle, Swift, Dandy or Beano. There were no text pages like Lion, no photo features. There were just lots of sleekly drawn, fantastic characters, and they “spoke” like the people on the telly.

I know now that this book featured adventures of Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen (‘The Lady-Killer From Metropolis’, ‘The Most Amazing Camera in the World’, ‘Olsen’s Super-Supper’ and ‘Jimmy Olsen’s Wedding’ all drawn by Curt Swan), as well as the amazing ‘Secret of the Sunken Satellite!’ and ‘The Super-Gorilla’s Secret Identity’ starring the Flash and captivatingly illustrated by Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella.

There were five Aquaman thrillers all drawn by Ramona Fradon (‘Aquaman and his Sea Police!’, ‘The Animal Master’, ‘The Adventures of Aquaboy!’, ‘The Menace of Aqualad!’ and ‘Aquaman Joins the Navy!’), two Tommy Tomorrow sci-fi yarns (‘The Menace of the Metal Monster’ and ‘The Gambling Asteroid’ both illustrated by Jim Mooney) and ‘How Krypto Made History,’ a Superboy story drawn by George Papp. The book also had a number of gag pages by Henry Boltinoff.

What a tribute to the abilities of those early creators that these tales were so well-constructed that even a tubby toddler could be beguiled and bemused and become the grizzled, raddled addict of today. This is a book that will always say “Merry Christmas” to me.

© 1962, 1963 National Periodical Publications, Inc., New York.

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Pow! Annual

<i>Pow!</i> Annual

By various (Odhams Books)
SBN: 60039607X

This quirky item is one of my fondest childhood memories and quite inspirational in directing my career path, and as well as being still a surprisingly qualitative read I can now see it as a bizarre and desperate little experiment. By the end of the 1960s DC Thomson had finally overtaken the monolithic comics publishing giant that had been created by Alfred Harmsworth at the beginning of the twentieth century. By absorbing rivals such as Eagle‘s Hulton Press, Fleetway/Odhams/IPC had stayed at the forefront of sales and by latching onto every fad they had kept their material contemporary, if not fresh, but the writing was on the wall.

The comedy strip was on the rise and action anthologies were finding it hard to keep readers attention. By 1970 when this annual was released the trend generated by the success of the Batman TV show was dying, so why release a book of all-new superhero strips in a title very much associated with comedy features and cheap Marvel Comics reprints? A last ditch attempt to revive the genre? Perhaps a cheap means of using up inventory?

I don’t know and I don’t care. What they produced was a wonderful capsule of fanboy delight, stuffed with thrills, colourful characters and a distinctly cool, underplayed stylishness, devoid of the brash histrionics of American comic books.

Within these pages lurked ‘Magno, Man of Magnetism’, ‘Aquavenger’, ‘Mr. Tomorrow: Criminal of the Future’, The Hunter and the Hunted’, ‘Electro’ (no relation to the Marvel villain – other than the high-voltage shtick), The fascinating ‘Esper Commandos’, ‘Marksman’, ‘The Phantom’ (again no relation to the US crime-fighter), the monstrous ‘Norstad of the Deep’ and the crusading ‘Time Rider’, purportedly all created by Alan Hebden and illustrated in alternating full colour (painted) and half-colour (black and magenta) sections by IPC’s European stable of artists. I’m not sure, but I think there’s some Massimo Belardinelli, Carlos Cruz and lots from that prolific bunch at the Giolitti studio.

These are all great little adventures, beautifully illustrated and singularly British in tone, even though most of the characters are American – or aliens (and no, that’s not necessarily the same thing) that easily withstand a critical rereading today, but the most important thing was the inspiring joy of these one-off wannabes. They certainly prompted me to fill sketchbook after sketchbook and determined that I would neither be a “brain surgeon or a bloke wot goes down sewers in gumboots”. This great little tome gave me that critical push towards the fame and fortune I now enjoy!

© 1970 The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited.

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The Beano Book 1971

The Beano Book 1971

By various (DC Thomson & Co., Ltd.)
No ISBN

For many British fans Christmas means The Beano Book (although Scots worldwide have a pretty fair claim that the season belongs to them with collections of The Broons and Oor Wullie making every December 25th magical) and I’ve chosen this particular edition as another epitome of my personal holiday memories. As usual my knowledge of the creators involved is woefully inadequate but I’m going to hazard a few guesses in the hope that someone with better knowledge will correct me when I err.

In this little cracker are a number of David Sutherland’s Biffo the Bear strips as well as his Bash Street Kids and even a smashing action-adventure of boy super-hero Billy the Cat (I wonder if the editors distributed strips to artists in alphabetical order?). There are whirlwind tales of “fastest boy on Earth” Billy Whizz drawn by Malcolm Judge. Paddy Brennan worked as a dramatic artist for decades on General Jumbo (the heroic boy who radio-controlled an army of robot toys) and the Q-Bikes, a team of young adventurers with technologically advanced push-bikes. In this volume they trade in two wheels for four, and become the Q-Karts for an Australian adventure, whilst the aforementioned General captures a team of safecrackers in his home town.

These annuals were traditionally produced in the wonderful “half-colour” that many British publishers used to keep costs down. This was done by printing sections of the books with only two plates, such as blue/Cyan and red/Magenta: The versatility and palette range this provided was astounding. Even now this technique screams “Holidays” to me and my contemporaries.

Some of the Dennis the Menace strips are possibly drawn by original creator Davy Law, but are most likely the work of his style-chameleon replacement David Sutherland. They all feature his charismatic new co-star ‘Gnasher’, too. The woefully un-PC but astoundingly funny Little Plum strips are by Ronald Spencer, I think, as are The Nibblers; an anarchic gang – and weren’t they all in The Beano? – of mice.

The 3 Bears segments are by Bob McGrath whilst Lord Snooty (one of the longest running strips in the comic’s history – a record only recently overtaken by Dennis) is the work of Robert Nixon, as is the Roger the Dodger Family Album section. There are short romps with Pups Parade (or the Bash Street Pups – the unlovely pets of those unlovely kids) by Gordon Bell and exemplar of Girl Power Minnie the Minx gets her own 16 page mini-book in this annual – and who could stop her? – courtesy of the wonderful Jim Petrie, but I’ll admit to being totally stumped by Swinging Jungle Jim a frantic boy-Tarzan strip that has sunk without trace since those faraway times.

Topped off with activity and gag-pages, this is a tremendously fun book, and even in the absence of the legendary creators such as Dudley Watkins, Leo Baxendale and Ken Reid and with a small but noticeable decline in the mayhem and anarchy quotas, there’s still so much merriment on offer I can’t believe this book is thirty seven years old. If ever anything needed to be issued as commemorative collections it’s DC Thomson annuals…

Divorcing the sheer quality of this brilliant book from nostalgia is a healthy exercise, but I’m perfectly happy to simply wallow – even today – in the magical emotions this ‘almost-colourful’ annual still stirs. It’s a good solid laugh-and-thrill-packed read, from a magical time (I was in my final year of primary school and a beloved, spoiled and precocious little snot with not a care in the world) and turning those stiffened two-colour pages is always an unmatchable Christmas experience.

© 1970 DC Thomson & Co., Ltd.

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The Art of Humorous Illustration

The Art of Humorous Illustration

By Nick Meglin (Watson-Guptill)
ISBN: 0-8230-0269-1

Another terrific book in dire need of re-releasing is this bright and breezy tome that lists and lavishly illustrates the work of a dozen of the world’s greatest exponents of funny drawing.

Author Meglin calls on his many years experience to outline not only the history and careers of his eclectic selection of creators but also includes commentary, exposition on the subject matter, individual’s techniques, approach-to-work and business practices of each comedy mastermind featured. It’s also great to see that the scope is not limited to strips, gag-panels and comic-books but also includes work from magazine and book illustration, covers, greetings cards, cartoon animation, advertising art and television graphics. Meglin also dips his toe into dangerous and controversial waters as he attempts to explain what is funny and why – and he should know, since he’s toiled at Mad Magazine for over fifty years, many of them as Senior Editor.

So if you think you’re funny or have ambitions to earn a living at it, or simply want some great laughs from the likes of Sergio Aragones, Paul Coker, Jack Davis, Mort Drucker, Gerry Gersten, Johnny Hart, Al Jaffee, Bob Jones, Donald Reilly, Norman Rockwell, Arnold Roth and Maurice Sendak this is a volume well worth hunting down.

© 1973, 1980 Watson-Guptill Publications. All Rights Reserved.

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Silver Age Teen Titans

DC ARCHIVE EDITION VOLUME 1

Silver Age Teen Titans

By Bob Haney, Nick Cardy & various (DC Comics)
ISBN: 1-4012-0071-0

The concept of kid hero teams was not a new one when the 1960s Batman TV show finally prompted DC to trust their big heroes’ assorted sidekicks with their own regular comic in a fab, hip and groovy ensemble as dedicated to helping kids as they were to stamping out insidious evil. The biggest difference between such wartime groups as The Young Allies, Boy Commandos and Newsboy Legion or such 1950s holdovers as The Little Wise Guys or Boys Ranch and the creation of the Titans was quite simply the burgeoning phenomena of “The Teenager” as a discrete social and commercial force. These were kids who could be allowed to do things themselves without constant adult help or supervision.

As early as the June-July 1964 issue of The Brave and the Bold (#54), the powers that be had tested the waters with a gripping tale by writer Bob Haney superbly illustrated by unsung genius Bruno Premiani. ‘The Thousand-and-One Dooms of Mr. Twister’ united Kid Flash, Aqualad and Robin, the Boy Wonder in a desperate battle against a modern wizard-cum-Pied Piper who had stolen the teen-agers of Hatton Corners. The young heroes had met in the town by chance when students invited them to mediate in a long-running dispute with the town adults.

This element of a teen “court-of-appeal” was often the motivating factor in many of the group’s cases. One year later the team reformed for a second adventure (The Brave and the Bold #60, and by the same creative team) and introduced two new elements. ‘The Astounding Separated Man’ featured more misunderstood kids – this time in the coastal hamlet of Midville – threatened by an outlandish monster whose giant body parts could move independently. The young heroes added Wonder Girl (not actually a sidekick, or even a person, but rather an incarnation of Wonder Woman as a child – a fact the writers of the series seemed blissfully unaware of) and they finally had a team name: ‘Teen Titans’.

Their final try-out appearance was in Showcase (issue #59, November-December 1965), birthplace of so many hit comic concepts, and was the first to be drawn by the brilliant Nick Cardy (who became synonymous with the series). ‘The Return of the Teen Titans’ pitted the team against teen pop trio ‘The Flips’ who were apparently also a gang of super-crooks, but as was so often the case the grown-ups had got it all wrong…

The very next month their own comic debuted (#1 was dated January-February 1966 – released mere weeks before the Batman TV show aired on January 12th) with Robin the point of focus on the cover – and most succeeding ones. Haney and Cardy produced an exotic thriller entitled ‘The Beast-God of Xochatan!’ which saw the team act as Peace Corps representatives involved in a South American drama of sabotage, giant robots and magical monsters. The next issue held a fantastic mystery of revenge and young love involving ‘The Million-Year-Old Teen-Ager’.

‘The Revolt at Harrison High’ cashed in on the teen craze for drag-racing in a tale of bizarre criminality. Produced during a historically iconic era, many readers now can’t help but cringe when reminded of such daft foes as ‘Ding-Dong Daddy’ and his evil biker gang, and of course the hip, trendy dialogue (it wasn’t even that accurate then, let alone now) is pitifully dated, but the plot is a strong one and the art magnificent.

‘The Secret Olympic Heroes’ guest-starred the Green Arrow’s teen partner Speedy in a very human tale of parental pressure at the Olympics, although there’s also skulduggery aplenty from a terrorist organisation intent on disrupting the games.

This volume concludes with ‘The Perilous Capers of the Terrible Teen’ as the Titans face the dual task of helping a troubled young man and capturing a super-villain called the Ant, despite all the evidence indicating that they’re the same person…

Although perhaps dated in delivery, these tales were a liberating experience for kids when first released. They truly betokened a new empathy with independent youth and tried to address problems that were more relevant to that specific audience. That they are so captivating in execution is a wonderful bonus. This is absolute escapism and absolutely delightful.

© 1964, 1965, 1966, 2003 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved

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The Sleeze Brothers File

The Sleeze Brothers File

By John Carnell & Andy Lanning (Marvel UK)
ISBN: 1-85400-242-2

I first reviewed this as a mini-series for the excellent Slings & Arrows Comic Guide a few years back and I didn’t have a awful lot of good things to say about it then, but it came up in conversation recently and someone whose opinion I respect (not a full-on comics fan) reckoned it a “not bad read” so I thought I’d give it another look in the context of a broader audience.

In the future, El Ape and Deadbeat Sleeze are doing their very best – which is very bad – to make a living as private detectives. But this useless pair of futuristic gumshoes are in trouble with Police Sergeant Pigheadski as often as from such scurrilous rogues as The Reverend Smiler While, Orsum Wurlds, J. Edgar Hairdryer, Marilyn Blondeclone and the truly repugnant Bwokenpotee and Andrexia of the subterranean Aarsouls faith.

Aimed at a mature audience (and I’m saying a big nothing here) this pastiche blends sci-fi sagas and the seminal movie The Blues Brothers to capture the very worst of British humour but at least manages to recycle many of the universe’s oldest jokes one last time – hopefully.

Originally released as six issue miniseries from Marvel’s Epic imprint this volume contains extra story material although I can’t imagine why, since my now reconsidered opinion is that it’s ‘Still Rubbish – But Some People Might Like It’.

It takes all sorts I suppose…

© 1990 John Carnell & Andy Lanning. All Rights Reserved.

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Oh, Wicked Wanda!

Oh, Wicked Wanda!

By Frederic Mulally & Ron Embleton (Penthouse)
No ISBN

Not all comics are for kids nor ever were they. The men’s magazine trade has often featured graphic narratives, usually sexual in nature, often highly satirical, invariably of a much higher quality than their mainstream contemporaries and always much better regarded and financially rewarded. Where Playboy had Little Annie Fanny (created by Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder, it ran intermittently from 1962 until 1988, and revived in 1998, illustrated by Ray Lago and Bill Schorr), publishing rival Bob Guccione wanted the same but better for his publication Penthouse.

He hired journalist, editor (of left-wing magazine Tribune), columnist, novelist and political writer Frederic Mulally to script the exotic, erotic adventures of Wanda Von Kreesus, the richest woman in the world, Candyfloss, her insatiable jailbait paramour and an outrageous coterie of faithful employees including an all-girl army, a mad scientist and a brutal looking thug with the soul of a poet. To illustrate he secured the talents of oil painter and comic strip veteran Ron Embleton (who had astounded comic readers with his lush and vibrant strip Wulf the Briton in Express Weekly and his illustrations in Look and Learn).

Oh, Wicked Wanda! was originally a prose serial illustrated by Bryan Forbes, beginning in 1969 before becoming, in 1973, the unbelievably lavish and torrid strip reprinted here, continuing until 1980 when it was replaced by Sweet Chastity, also painted by Embleton, and scripted by Penthouse proprietor Guccione.

The bored and mischievous hellion is a sexually adventurous woman from a time when sexual politics and liberation were huge issues, and therefore prime targets for low comedy and high satire. Mulally peppered his scripts with topical references (many, sadly which would escape today’s casual reader, I’m sure) and the phenomenal Embleton would depict them with hyper-realistic accuracy. Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, Ted Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Fidel Castro, Lyndon Johnson, Spiro Agnew, Mao Tse-tung, showbiz icons such as John Wayne or Bob Hope and even comic strip greats like Pogo, Mutt and Jeff or Krazy Kat, all meandered through the glossy pages, a cross between a Greek Chorus and pictorial ad-libs.

Many celebrities were actively parodied participants. Henry Kissandrun, mafia Don Marlon Blondo/Burpo, Jane Fondle and demented California Governor Ronald Reekin’ all found themselves victims of the wilful minx and her team. Also classical and contemporary erotic allusions abound ranging from a little nymphette lounging about reading William Burroughs’s Naked Lunch to visual and verbal references to Shelley’s Leda and the Swan.

This slim album reprints the earliest adventures as Wanda collects the rich and the famous for a museum of deviancy, takes on the Mafia, the CIA and the Cubans and does her bit to solve the Oil Crisis. Later adventures saw her romp through the ages in a time machine but to my knowledge these tales have never been reprinted – although they really should be.

Perhaps a little dated, definitely for easy-going adults only, Oh, Wicked Wanda! is nonetheless still a funny read and inarguably one of the most beautiful British strips ever made. It is a tragedy that such work is unavailable to aficionados of comic art.

© 1973, 1974, 1975 Penthouse International Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

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Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melnibone

Michael Moorcock's <i>Elric of Melnibone</i>

By Roy Thomas, P. Craig Russell & Michael T. Gilbert
ISBN: 0-915419-05-X (First Comics) ISBN: 0-936211-01-6 (Graphitti Designs)

Although chronologically the first tale of the doomed king, this adventure was one of the last written by Moorcock (in the initial cycle of stories at least – he returned to the character years later). Adaptors Roy Thomas and P. Craig Russell had also worked on other tales of the last Emperor of Melniboné, specifically The Dreaming City as a Marvel Graphic Novel in 1982 and ‘While the Gods Laugh’ which featured in the fantasy anthology magazine Epic Illustrated #14 (1984).

Elric is an absolute classic of the Sword and Sorcery genre: Ruler of the pre-human civilisation of the Melnibonéans, a race of cruel, arrogant Sorcerers: Dissolute creatures in a slow, decadent decline after millennia of dominance over the Earth. An albino, he is physically weak and of a brooding philosophical temperament, caring for nothing save his beautiful cousin Cymoril, even though her brother Prince Yrrkoon openly lusts for his throne. He doesn’t even really want to rule, but it is his duty, and he is the only one of his race to see the newly evolved race of Man as a threat to the Empire.

When these Young Kingdoms attack the Dreaming City of Imrryr, capital of Empire for ten thousand years, the Fleet, bolstered by dragons and magic easily dispatches them, but wily Yrrkoon seizes his chance and throws the enfeebled Emperor overboard to drown. The deeply conflicted hero believes himself happy to die but some part of his mind calls to the sea-elementals who are bound allies of the Empire to save him. When he returns to confront the usurper, Yrrkoon unleashes a demonic doomsday weapon and flees with Cymoril as his hostage.

All Elric’s magic cannot find them, and in obsessive desperation he pledges allegiance to Arioch, a Lord of Chaos in opposition to the Lords of Order. The eternal see-saw war of these supernal forces is the fundamental principle of the universe or “Multiverse”. For providing the etiolated Elric with the means to find and defeat his cousin, Arioch will demand his devils due, but the Albino does not care… yet in his dark and foredoomed future lurks the black blade ‘Stormbringer’, the Rune-sword, the malevolent Stealer of Souls, and so very soon, he will…

The novel is an iconic and groundbreaking landmark of fantasy fiction and a must-read-item for any fan. This spectacular, baroque adaptation is an elegant and savagely beautiful masterpiece (collected from comics originally published by Pacific and First Comics) of the genre and effortlessly blends blistering action and gleaming adventure with the deep, darkly melancholic tone of the cynical, nihilistic, Cold-War mentality and era that spawned the original stories. You must read the book and you should own this graphic novel.

© 1983-1984, Roy Thomas, P. Craig Russell & Michael T. Gilbert. Adapted from the original short story by Michael Moorcock, © 1972. All Rights Reserved.

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The Last Basselope — One Ferocious Story

Wondering, “WHAT SHALL I GET HIM FOR CHRISTMAS?”

The Last Basselope — One Ferocious Story

By Berkeley Breathed (Little, Brown & Co.)
ISBN: 0-316-10881-2

After a woefully brief and glittering career as a syndicated strip cartoonist and socio-political commentator (so often the very same function) Berkeley Breathed retired Bloom County and Outland to create children’s books. He lost none of his perception or imagination, and actually got better as a narrative artist. He didn’t completely abandon his magical cast of characters.

Although not a Christmas story this charming and tearfully funny tale is a joyous celebration of the wonder of childhood and how little adventures can become great big ones. Starring his best-loved characters (although I personally identified far too closely with Binkley) from Bloom County and Outland: Opus the penguin, Bill the Cat, Milquetoast the Housebug, Ronald-Anne (her mother named her for President Reagan – because he had done so much to advance the cause of Poor Black Women) and Rosebud, the eponymous Basselope of the title.

Opus is a dreamer of great dreams and a frustrated explorer. In his unassuming, shy way he lusts for glory and the heady wine of immortality which can only be found by Discovering Something. Anything will do. And in the pages of the latest ‘National Geographic Enquirer’ he finds his dream waiting.

Organising a safari he heads for the woods at the back of the house in search of the most elusive beast in history and every crypto-zoologist’s Holy Grail. How he finds The Last Basselope and what he actually learns is a magical journey into the uncharted wilds of childhood’s imagination which reveals the strength, power and character of true friendship.

This beautifully illustrated, captivating and multi-layered fable is ideal for the eternally young at heart and all those still looking for a path back to their own wonder years.

© 1994 Berkeley Breathed. All Rights Reserved.

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Pixie Pop — Gokkun Pucho, Volume 1

Pixie Pop — Gokkun Pucho, Volume 1

By Ema Toyama (TokyoPop)
ISBN: 978-1-59816-813-6

Young Mayu’s mother owns a café and she loves to help out there, taking great pride in her ability to make all the drinks just right. But after a particularly trying day at school making a fool of herself in front of a boy she’s trying to impress, she accidentally drinks a strange seven-coloured drink meant for somebody else.

That “someone” is Pucho, the magical fairy of beverages, and the foul-tasting drink was meant to transform her into an adult. Because Mayu has swallowed it she has been changed instead – but not in a good way. Now whatever she drinks, other than pure water, will transform her magically! Milk enlarges her, ordinary water makes her invisible and pork soup transforms her into a piglet!

And all this just when she so very desperately needs to look good – and normal! – for that handsome but distant boy Amamiya…

This is a charming and very engaging fantasy/comedy for younger readers, which has much to say about ambition, dreams and the inevitability of growing up. An above average tale that many older readers will also enjoy, this book is printed in the ‘read-from-back-to-front’ manga format.

© 2004 Ema Toyama. All Rights Reserved. English text © 2007 TokyoPop Inc.