AJD's comic notebook 7 7

[AJD]

2 hours ago, Duffman_Comics said:

Does this Graphic Novel actually touch on the ruins (or otherwise) of Persepolis?

I am going to say no, the title is just an euphemism for lost pride,  glory and the wish for an earlier, "better" state . . .

Prove me wrong.

Well, it's a metaphor rather than a euphemism, but you're on the money.

While I'm here, I should note with sadness the passing of Murray Ball. Ball was a New Zealander cartoonist, who produced the funny, charming and sometimes very earthy Footrot Flats strip. I have a full set of the collections on my bookshelves, and I'm about to go read one of them.

 

 

Edited March 12, 2017 by AJD

[Hepcat]

On 3/11/2017 at 8:48 PM, AJD said:

Dairy confessions with sideboob? Ummmm.... ok. Just for you:

 

 

That's anudder take on the subject entirely.

 

 

[AJD]

The new boards remind me of the Simpsons take on Euro Itchy and Scratchy Land.

C'est la vie, here's my newest acqusition - an Australian reprint of a Fox book. I'm pretty sure I overpaid for it, but with these books, you might never see a copy again. And it's really nice in hand, with great colours.

I have to wonder what the hell those animals are. They look like buffaloes, but have the dentition of carnivores (note the canine teeth). Like the pentadactyl cats on Fiction House books, the artists evidently hadn't studied actual animals. The Fox and FH editors sure didn't have the attention to detail that Kurtzman drove on the EC books he edited.

There's an important safety tip on the back. If you shrink yourself to escape capture, watch out for spider webs:

Edited July 7, 2017 by AJD

[Duffman_Comics]

Andrew, don't you think the Jo-Jo cover is a locally drawn offering? I've had a look at GCD and can't see anything resembling this there.

As you'd be aware, Oz editors of furrin' reprint books were even less inclined to have any "attention to detail" than their US doppelgangers.

Anyway, for mine the critter looks like a cross between a musk ox and a lion. Given the musk ox is an Arctic inhabitant, the hybrid is, ummm, unlikely.

[Rune]

On 12/3/2017 at 0:10 PM, AJD said:

Well, it's a metaphor rather than a euphemism, but you're on the money.

While I'm here, I should note with sadness the passing of Murray Ball. Ball was a New Zealander cartoonist, who produced the funny, charming and sometimes very earthy Footrot Flats strip. I have a full set of the collections on my bookshelves, and I'm about to go read one of them.

 

 

It's sad to read that Murray Ball has passed away March 12, even though he was 78 years old and suffered from dementia the last years. Must be like 30 years ago I read my first Footrot Flats books - I still have a few on my shelves, maybe I should read some tonight 

(In the strip above I think Mr. Ball tries to warn against letting the wife drink too much red wine during weekends ) 

Edited April 1, 2017 by Rune

[AJD]

Yes, it gets a bit untidy around here when Mrs AJD hits the fermented apples too.

Here's a recent pickup. Very cheap, but a nice Montana Veronica cover on this Australian MLJ reprint.

The interior artwork isn't so appealing. Probably the pick is this Suzie splash, with a neat Samm Schwartz signature. (Story from Pep 83)

[AJD]

While I have Photobucket open, here are a couple of WDC&S I added to the box last week. #43 first

I really like the WW2 Disney-inspired military unit insignia on some of these late war books:

This is #42

The Barks 10 pager is pretty funny, with Donald deciding to taunt the nephews by pretending to be a kite-flying girl. Some of the expressions are priceless.

[n2wdw]

5 hours ago, AJD said:

Yes, it gets a bit untidy around here when Mrs AJD hits the fermented apples too.

Here's a recent pickup. Very cheap, but a nice Montana Veronica cover on this Australian MLJ reprint.

The interior artwork isn't so appealing. Probably the pick is this Suzie splash, with a neat Samm Schwartz signature. (Story from Pep 83)

I love that Pep cover.  This one is still on my want list, haven't found a copy yet.  Congrats!

[Hepcat]

On 4/1/2017 at 1:46 PM, Rune said:

It's sad to read that Murray Ball has passed away March 12, even though he was 78 years old and suffered from dementia the last years. Must be like 30 years ago I read my first Footrot Flats books - I still have a few on my shelves, maybe I should read some tonight 

 

 

Those Murray Ball cartoons look great! Which of the books collecting the material he's done would you most highly recommend?

 

 

 

Edited April 3, 2017 by Hepcat

[AJD]

19 hours ago, Hepcat said:

 

Those Murray Ball cartoons look great! Which of the books collecting the material he's done would you most highly recommend?

 

 

 

You can't go far wrong with them. The quality of the strips was uniformly good over its lifetime.  There are lots of cheap paperback collections you should be able to find through abebooks (or maybe even Amazon) for a few bucks. Just grab any one and try it.

[AJD]

While I'm here, I'll post another book from my latest Heritage bulk delivery. With this one, I doubled my collection of books with L. B. Cole covers.

And the obligatory UTC shot, this time with a T. rex (such as it is) especially for Corey:

[Duffman_Comics]

11 hours ago, AJD said:

While I'm here, I'll post another book from my latest Heritage bulk delivery. With this one, I doubled my collection of books with L. B. Cole covers.

And the obligatory UTC shot, this time with a T. rex (such as it is) especially for Corey:

 

Here's an example of an interesting cover ruined by poor colouring.

The human figure top left is lost in the weird red sky colour and the "pterodactyl" is similarly disguised by the dark cliff face behind it.

Did Cole do his own colouring, or was it left to the back office boys and girls?

[AJD]

54 minutes ago, Duffman_Comics said:

Here's an example of an interesting cover ruined by poor colouring.

The human figure top left is lost in the weird red sky colour and the "pterodactyl" is similarly disguised by the dark cliff face behind it.

Did Cole do his own colouring, or was it left to the back office boys and girls?

Peter, Peter, Peter.

Cole painted many of his covers. What gives them such a distinctive look is that he painted onto a black backing. You can see that in this one if you look along the spines at the top of the monster. The 'black' here is actually negative space. There's a terrific book on Cole and his work. You can preview it here.

[sagii]

14 hours ago, AJD said:

While I'm here, I'll post another book from my latest Heritage bulk delivery. With this one, I doubled my collection of books with L. B. Cole covers.

And the obligatory UTC shot, this time with a T. rex (such as it is) especially for Corey:

Gotta love the 'REX' 

You have been knocking it out of the park! Great Australian books. I think it's going the route of acceptance in 'mainstream' collecting of 'Canadian Whites' soon. Some really cool books out there.

[AJD]

1 hour ago, sagii said:

Gotta love the 'REX' 

You have been knocking it out of the park! Great Australian books. I think it's going the route of acceptance in 'mainstream' collecting of 'Canadian Whites' soon. Some really cool books out there.

I really hope you're wrong about that! The last thing I need is for people with US$ chasing them!

They are not very nice books, and I take no pleasure in owning them No one else need ever buy one, because I'm taking one for the team! So there.

(Well, I can try... )

[AJD]

I'm still buying American comics when the right one comes along. Here's another one from the Heritage package. With a Nazi, a vulture, bondage and skulls with gems for eyes, it has everything a collector could want, except for a robot.

And for your UTC pleasure, here's a Hooks Devlin splash with an important safety tip. If the stuffed bear at the museum is wearing a tie, there's a fair chance you've turned up to an event under-dressed.

[Duffman_Comics]

10 hours ago, AJD said:

Peter, Peter, Peter.

Cole painted many of his covers. What gives them such a distinctive look is that he painted onto a black backing. You can see that in this one if you look along the spines at the top of the monster. The 'black' here is actually negative space. There's a terrific book on Cole and his work. You can preview it here.

Well, consider me somewhat edumacated in matters Cole. I did not know of his practice of painting on a black canvas.

The result now makes sense, though I maintain my right to consider it a confused and therefore poor cover

[AJD]

23 minutes ago, Duffman_Comics said:

Well, consider me somewhat edumacated in matters Cole. I did not know of his practice of painting on a black canvas.

The result now makes sense, though I maintain my right to consider it a confused and therefore poor cover

I see your point. I think you need to look at those sorts of covers with a different eye from line drawn and solid colour representations. I really like it (which is why I shelled out for it) but I appreciate it more like a painting than a drawing. It's a bit like saying that Turner didn't really paint the Temeraire.

[AJD]

Another day, another Fiction House book out of the Heritage box:

And a nice Mysta splash for the UTC fans out there:

[AJD]

I love finding artist's reference photos. Back in this thread I had some aviation photos, but I think I can add these portraits - what do you think?

 

Going through 100s of photos of Audrey Hepburn was tough work.   You guys really ought to appreciate my efforts!

Edited July 7, 2017 by AJD