This week instead of highlighting a British comic I’m featuring a magazine (I don’t want to begin a new thread so from time to time I will drop a magazine into this section).
THE UNEXPLAINED - 157 Issues
Launched in October 1980, the first issue was bagged with the accompanying second issue free of charge (a novel way of getting the potential readership to continue purchasing). More than a magazine, this was what is called a part-work to be collected in binders and provide a complete reference to the particular subject concerned, an end-date was never specified, because its longevity relied on sales, which were very good, as the magazine lasted three years, finishing with issue 157: The Index on 12th October 1983, having amassed an impressive 3,120 illustrated pages.
The Unexplained was published by Orbis, a company that produced many partworks, including The History of Rock and PC Genius. Brian Innes, former member of jazz band The Temperance Seven, was Editorial Director, while Peter Brookesmith was responsible for the day-to-day editorial duties. The magazine boasted such luminaries as Dr J Allen Hynek (responsible for the famous ‘Close Encounters’ classification system), Brian Inglis and Colin Wilson as consultants.
The writers were experts in their chosen fields, such as Richard Leigh and Michael Baigent (authors of HolyBloodandHolyGrail, which The Da Vinci Code was based on) and Jenny Randles (UFO’s). It was noticeable how objective and unsensational the writing was. This was a serious magazine, for connoisseurs of the strange and mysterious, and despite the extraordinary nature of the subject matter, the prose was always clear and concise, and always careful to pose arguments for and against.
Subjects covered in the first few issues included Hypnosis, Black Holes, Man-Beasts, Acupuncture and the Loch Ness Monster. Most issues would feature a ‘UFO Photo File’ or a ‘UFO Casebook’, which would go into detail about specific cases.
A lively letters page first appeared in issue 9. The contributors weren’t always complimentary, which is a good sign of a magazine taking its readership seriously.
Astronomer Nigel Henbest looked at the theory that the asteroids are the remains of a mysterious planet called Phaeton. ‘Visions of the Virgin Mary’, by Kevin McClure, was a feature that looked dispassionately at the effect that Jesus’ earthly mother has had on believers through the centuries. ‘American Lake Monsters’ by Peter Costello examined evidence for Nessie-type creatures in America, taking in monsters in Lake Eirie in New York state, Lake Utopia in New Brunswick and sightings of a (probably fabricated) giant fish in Alkali Lake, Nebraska. Lake Okanagan in British Columbia boasted a creature called Ogopogo, the so-called “Nessie of North America”.
Editor Peter Brookesmith wrote this in issue 154: “From the start the editorial policy was to describe and investigate phenomena as objectively and disinterestedly as possible. That intention attracted an editorial staff whose intelligence, wit, professional skill, tact and determination would have delighted even the crabbiest of editors… There is very little in all these pages that I would have second thoughts about publishing again.”
I think that says it all.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
The equivalent today would be the many channels on YouTube dealing with such matters. My favourite is "The Why Files", though I also watch "Thoughty2". The many shows hosted by Simon Whistler can also be good when he sticks to the point rather than rambling, as he is prone to do.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,746Chief of Staff
I write on behalf of the Royal Society for Horses. We here at the RSH are deeply concerned at your treatment of two innocent creatures in being forced to run great distances at speed before being ruthlessly slaughtered by spectral entities and would ask that such atrocities are not repeated.
Yours indignantly
A. Snowflake (Miss)
PS We know that earlier some rates were killed but that's okay. Filthy creatures.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,746Chief of Staff
It’s really easy to see why people love these graphic novels…this has been fabulous 🍸
@Sir Miles Doctor’s waiting rooms - a minefield of very old ReadersDigests and Autocar magazines 😁
I’m glad you’re both enjoying Dracula, the finale is something to look forward to, and on Friday, there is some additional pages from the graphic novel which are very interesting.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
I agree, it's a terrific visualisation of the book.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,746Chief of Staff
Again, I’m really enjoying this…I still don’t think they’ve captured Bond’s facial features as described by Fleming…but that’s me being over critical 🤗🤣
I'm running out of compliments (take them as read, please) so here's one comment - in the panel where Bond, Quarrel, and Strangways are looking out at the sea it would have been perfect if we could see the Secatur rather than be told about it.
@Barbel Yes, that would have been good. I wonder if the artist wanted to delay the actual revealing of the boat until later, though?
@Sir Miles I don’t think it’s being over critical, it’s a perfectly valid point.
But, overall, I still think it’s an excellent visualisation of the novel. My wish would be for the future Bond movies to be set in the time period of which they were written, but it’s never likely to happen - in my lifetime anyway.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,746Chief of Staff
Hidden behind a spoiler tag for when Higgins pops in for a look around 🤣
YNWA 97
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,746Chief of Staff
@CoolHandBond, I think the best chance for the books to be filmed in the period in which they were written is probably around now…as Amazon has a stake in the franchise they could easily film these as a tv series…unlikely, but certainly possible…🤔
IPC’s COR!! (two exclamation marks, or, in comics jargon, ‘screamers’) was launched with the 6 June 1970 issue. It was edited by Bob Paynter, and sub-edited by Dez Skinn, of HouseOfHammer fame. COR!! was an enterprising comic, containing 27 strips, over 32 pages. Originally priced at 7d (seven old pence, then three new pence from February 1971), the comic lasted an impressive 210 issues, with its last one - headlined (as usual) “Exciting news for all readers inside!” - cover dated 15 June 1974. Some strips merged with Buster, and some went into other sister titles (which begged the question that if so many strips were popular enough to make transfers, then why did it fold?)
Issue one had Gus Gorilla shouting out the comic’s title, above the headline “Have a drink on us!” (only one screamer), the offer was for a packet of Gulp!! (two screamers) orange flavour drink mix. Just add a pint of water and a teacup of sugar and you had enough juice for ten cups (and to be hyperactive until the next issue went on sale).
Issue two’s free gifts were Letraset transfers and a packet of Anglo Bell Boy bubble gum (more sugar), how glorious were those pre-nanny state days? Issue three came with a ‘Super Mystery Gift’, which I haven’t a clue what it was!
Some strips that appeared in the first issue of COR!! included a schoolboy called Whacky. The Gasworks Gang was a copycat version of The Bash Street Kids from rival comic The Beano. Hire a Horror was a carbon copy of Buster’s popular spooky-themed strip Rent A Ghost, which had begun a year earlier in 1969. The strip ended up in Shiver and Shake when COR!! folded in 1974. Tomboy, drawn by Brian Lewis, was another long-lasting strip, a sort of female Dennis the Menace, ( before joining Buster).
One of the best-loved COR!! strips is the ‘class wars’ adventures of Ivor Lott and Tony Broke. Originally a one page strip, this soon expanded to a two-page centre-spread. Tony lives in a hovel next door to Ivor’s posh mansion. Drawn by Reg Parlett, this hugely popular strip made the merger to Buster. Andy’s Ants and who controlled ants with a magic device was popular and Football Madd centred on Mickey Madd, a “ football supporter extraordinary”.
Over the next four years, many new characters popped up, some briefly, others with more endurance. An example of the latter was The Slimms, the portly, but happy, Mum and Dad were continually being hectored by their son Sammy to lose weight. The strip transferred to Whizzer and Chips.
The Goodies debuted with a series of zany double-page adventures drawn by Joe Colquhoun, taken from the popular television series, Bill Oddie is seen reading an issue of COR!! in one of the episodes.
The end was announced thus…
…and COR!! officially merged with Buster, the following week.
Christmas issues, annuals and summer specials were also published.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,746Chief of Staff
As you say, an astonishing adaptation and all praise to the creators. I'm glad to have read it; it's a valid and perfectly realized take on a classic tale.
Comments
.... again? 😱
Good to see some umm….stirring emotions here 😂
This week instead of highlighting a British comic I’m featuring a magazine (I don’t want to begin a new thread so from time to time I will drop a magazine into this section).
THE UNEXPLAINED - 157 Issues
Launched in October 1980, the first issue was bagged with the accompanying second issue free of charge (a novel way of getting the potential readership to continue purchasing). More than a magazine, this was what is called a part-work to be collected in binders and provide a complete reference to the particular subject concerned, an end-date was never specified, because its longevity relied on sales, which were very good, as the magazine lasted three years, finishing with issue 157: The Index on 12th October 1983, having amassed an impressive 3,120 illustrated pages.
The Unexplained was published by Orbis, a company that produced many partworks, including The History of Rock and PC Genius. Brian Innes, former member of jazz band The Temperance Seven, was Editorial Director, while Peter Brookesmith was responsible for the day-to-day editorial duties. The magazine boasted such luminaries as Dr J Allen Hynek (responsible for the famous ‘Close Encounters’ classification system), Brian Inglis and Colin Wilson as consultants.
The writers were experts in their chosen fields, such as Richard Leigh and Michael Baigent (authors of Holy Blood and Holy Grail, which The Da Vinci Code was based on) and Jenny Randles (UFO’s). It was noticeable how objective and unsensational the writing was. This was a serious magazine, for connoisseurs of the strange and mysterious, and despite the extraordinary nature of the subject matter, the prose was always clear and concise, and always careful to pose arguments for and against.
Subjects covered in the first few issues included Hypnosis, Black Holes, Man-Beasts, Acupuncture and the Loch Ness Monster. Most issues would feature a ‘UFO Photo File’ or a ‘UFO Casebook’, which would go into detail about specific cases.
A lively letters page first appeared in issue 9. The contributors weren’t always complimentary, which is a good sign of a magazine taking its readership seriously.
Astronomer Nigel Henbest looked at the theory that the asteroids are the remains of a mysterious planet called Phaeton. ‘Visions of the Virgin Mary’, by Kevin McClure, was a feature that looked dispassionately at the effect that Jesus’ earthly mother has had on believers through the centuries. ‘American Lake Monsters’ by Peter Costello examined evidence for Nessie-type creatures in America, taking in monsters in Lake Eirie in New York state, Lake Utopia in New Brunswick and sightings of a (probably fabricated) giant fish in Alkali Lake, Nebraska. Lake Okanagan in British Columbia boasted a creature called Ogopogo, the so-called “Nessie of North America”.
Editor Peter Brookesmith wrote this in issue 154: “From the start the editorial policy was to describe and investigate phenomena as objectively and disinterestedly as possible. That intention attracted an editorial staff whose intelligence, wit, professional skill, tact and determination would have delighted even the crabbiest of editors… There is very little in all these pages that I would have second thoughts about publishing again.”
I think that says it all.
The equivalent today would be the many channels on YouTube dealing with such matters. My favourite is "The Why Files", though I also watch "Thoughty2". The many shows hosted by Simon Whistler can also be good when he sticks to the point rather than rambling, as he is prone to do.
Yea, don’t want to strain my eyes too much 🤭
Haven't seen those channels, will give them a look at some point…
I'm sure I've read a couple of those magazines @CoolHandBond probably 6 years out of date in some drs waiting room 🤣
Bram Stoker’s Dracula starring Bela Lugosi (2020) - Chapter Seven (Part 1 of 3)
And so we come to the final chapter in this magnificent retelling of Dracula.
Part two tomorrow…
Dear Mr Stoker
I write on behalf of the Royal Society for Horses. We here at the RSH are deeply concerned at your treatment of two innocent creatures in being forced to run great distances at speed before being ruthlessly slaughtered by spectral entities and would ask that such atrocities are not repeated.
Yours indignantly
A. Snowflake (Miss)
PS We know that earlier some rates were killed but that's okay. Filthy creatures.
It’s really easy to see why people love these graphic novels…this has been fabulous 🍸
I'm going to use a strange word considering the source material- this is beautiful.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula starring Bela Lugosi (2020) - Chapter Seven (Part 2 of 3)
And that’s where we leave it for today…the thrilling conclusion will be posted next Thursday…
I bet you're enjoying making us wait!
@Barbel It’s all part of the fun 😂
@Sir Miles Doctor’s waiting rooms - a minefield of very old Readers Digests and Autocar magazines 😁
I’m glad you’re both enjoying Dracula, the finale is something to look forward to, and on Friday, there is some additional pages from the graphic novel which are very interesting.
LIVE AND LET DIE (2019) Chapter Seventeen:
The beach cottage is exactly as I always envisaged it when I’ve read LALD!
Chapter 18 tomorrow…
I agree, it's a terrific visualisation of the book.
Again, I’m really enjoying this…I still don’t think they’ve captured Bond’s facial features as described by Fleming…but that’s me being over critical 🤗🤣
Yes, that's true. Still, none of the actors have been exactly right either.
Except Dalton, obviously.
LIVE AND LET DIE (2019) Chapter Eighteen:
Next chapter…next weekend.
I'm running out of compliments (take them as read, please) so here's one comment - in the panel where Bond, Quarrel, and Strangways are looking out at the sea it would have been perfect if we could see the Secatur rather than be told about it.
@Barbel Yes, that would have been good. I wonder if the artist wanted to delay the actual revealing of the boat until later, though?
@Sir Miles I don’t think it’s being over critical, it’s a perfectly valid point.
But, overall, I still think it’s an excellent visualisation of the novel. My wish would be for the future Bond movies to be set in the time period of which they were written, but it’s never likely to happen - in my lifetime anyway.
Hidden behind a spoiler tag for when Higgins pops in for a look around 🤣
@CoolHandBond, I think the best chance for the books to be filmed in the period in which they were written is probably around now…as Amazon has a stake in the franchise they could easily film these as a tv series…unlikely, but certainly possible…🤔
HOOK JAW - Part 10:
To be continued next Monday…
Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer - Chapter Two (Part 2 of 2)
Chapter 3 begins next Tuesday…
Excellent, thank you!
COR!! (1970-1974) 210 Issues
IPC’s COR!! (two exclamation marks, or, in comics jargon, ‘screamers’) was launched with the 6 June 1970 issue. It was edited by Bob Paynter, and sub-edited by Dez Skinn, of House Of Hammer fame. COR!! was an enterprising comic, containing 27 strips, over 32 pages. Originally priced at 7d (seven old pence, then three new pence from February 1971), the comic lasted an impressive 210 issues, with its last one - headlined (as usual) “Exciting news for all readers inside!” - cover dated 15 June 1974. Some strips merged with Buster, and some went into other sister titles (which begged the question that if so many strips were popular enough to make transfers, then why did it fold?)
Issue one had Gus Gorilla shouting out the comic’s title, above the headline “Have a drink on us!” (only one screamer), the offer was for a packet of Gulp!! (two screamers) orange flavour drink mix. Just add a pint of water and a teacup of sugar and you had enough juice for ten cups (and to be hyperactive until the next issue went on sale).
Issue two’s free gifts were Letraset transfers and a packet of Anglo Bell Boy bubble gum (more sugar), how glorious were those pre-nanny state days? Issue three came with a ‘Super Mystery Gift’, which I haven’t a clue what it was!
Some strips that appeared in the first issue of COR!! included a schoolboy called Whacky. The Gasworks Gang was a copycat version of The Bash Street Kids from rival comic The Beano. Hire a Horror was a carbon copy of Buster’s popular spooky-themed strip Rent A Ghost, which had begun a year earlier in 1969. The strip ended up in Shiver and Shake when COR!! folded in 1974. Tomboy, drawn by Brian Lewis, was another long-lasting strip, a sort of female Dennis the Menace, ( before joining Buster).
One of the best-loved COR!! strips is the ‘class wars’ adventures of Ivor Lott and Tony Broke. Originally a one page strip, this soon expanded to a two-page centre-spread. Tony lives in a hovel next door to Ivor’s posh mansion. Drawn by Reg Parlett, this hugely popular strip made the merger to Buster. Andy’s Ants and who controlled ants with a magic device was popular and Football Madd centred on Mickey Madd, a “ football supporter extraordinary”.
Over the next four years, many new characters popped up, some briefly, others with more endurance. An example of the latter was The Slimms, the portly, but happy, Mum and Dad were continually being hectored by their son Sammy to lose weight. The strip transferred to Whizzer and Chips.
The Goodies debuted with a series of zany double-page adventures drawn by Joe Colquhoun, taken from the popular television series, Bill Oddie is seen reading an issue of COR!! in one of the episodes.
The end was announced thus…
…and COR!! officially merged with Buster, the following week.
Christmas issues, annuals and summer specials were also published.
I remember reading a few of those 😁
Now I'm wondering what the "Super Mystery Gift" was, too. 🤔
Bram Stoker’s Dracula starring Bela Lugosi (2020) - Chapter Seven (Part 3 of 3)
What an astonishing adaptation of the novel DRACULA this is. The artwork, script and lettering are all phenomenally superb.
Tomorrow I will post the credits, introduction and afterword by Lynne Lugosi Sparks, Bela Lugosi Jr. and Dacre Stoker.
As you say, an astonishing adaptation and all praise to the creators. I'm glad to have read it; it's a valid and perfectly realized take on a classic tale.