That one passed me by, I didn’t know there was a David Wilson!
The final part…
The story was just about okay, but I wasn’t that keen on the artwork. I only posted it because it was nice to see Tatiana again 😁
After the superb adaptation of CR that was posted recently, we will see the next book in the same style - LALD.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,722Chief of Staff
The story was fine, there’s just nothing done with it…it’s basically over before it’s begun….and, as you say, the artwork isn’t overly inspiring either…but it was one I’d wanted to see/read - so thanks @CoolHandBond 🍸
The British comic Action was launched on Valentine’s Day 1976 and immediately created controversy due to its unprecedented diet of graphic violence. Published by IPC Magazines It ran for 36 issues before they suspended publication for 6 weeks due to pressure from the media. Issue #37 had 30 copies printed for checking before the plug was pulled. One of these copies found it’s way to auction a few years ago and reached £1000. Sales were very high, sometimes reaching a quarter of a million copies per week, but when the sanitised new-look version starting with issue #38 came onto the market in December 1976 the sales dwindled and ended up at 70,000 copies per week and Action merged with Battle Picture Weekly in November 1977. The most popular (and controversial) story was Hook Jaw, unsurprisingly ripped off from the movie Jaws. The centre pages were in colour, which explains the difference in pages below, as we begin the saga of a shark…
To be continued next Monday.
Tomorrow, Stephen King’s Creepshow.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
By 76 I was too old for such comics (I can already hear "never too old!" being yelled) but I do have younger brothers so I remember this one. So that's what happened to it!
Creepshow was a 1982 movie consisting of 5 horror stories written by Stephen King in the EC comics vein. Amicus had had some success with the same format in the movies TalesFromTheCrypt and VaultOfHorror. King adapted two of his stories and wrote three originals for this movie, alongside starring in one of the segments. Directed by George A Romero it realised two and a half times it’s budget. A graphic novel was published at the time of release, and here is the first story…
The next story in this book will be posted next Tuesday.
Tomorrow is Wednesday and I will be making every Wednesday - British Comic Day - where I will highlight a comic from the illustrious past of British publishing.
So for the present there is a weekly rota of postings (as follows) -
Monday - Hook Jaw
Tuesday - Creepshow
Wednesday - British Comic Day
Thursday/Friday - Dracula
Saturday/Sunday - James Bond
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
THE BEEZER comic was launched on 21st January 1956, published by Britain’s premier comic house DC Thomson, it ran for an impressive 1809 issues until 15th September 1990.
Printed on large A3 (tabloid) paper it meant that it was inevitably folded on display in newsagents and most surviving copes have a visible central crease. Ginger was the first cover star being replaced by Pop, Dick and Harry in 1961 before regaining the prestigious spot in 1964. The Christmas edition is the most sought after issue each year and here is Pop, Dick and Harry headlining the 1961 copy.
Other popular strips in The Beezer over the years were Colonel Blink, The Numskulls, Baby Crockett, The Badd Lads, The Banana Bunch and a rare non-comedic strip The Iron Eaters.
In the grand British comic tradition, popular titles used to “absorb” other titles when those sales fell to an unprofitable number, and in Beezer’s case it merged both Cracker and Plug comics in its lifetime (a few of the popular stories from these comics would find their way into the master title - replacing some of the less popular titles.) In 1981 The Beezer changed size to the standard A4 size for the rest of its history.
Another British comic tradition is the publishing of Annuals and Summer Specials - Beezer ran annuals from 1958-2003 and Summer Specials from 1973-1993.
After the final issue it was relaunched the following week with sister title The Topper and this lasted for 153 issues before closure.
Another British comic will appear next Wednesday.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,722Chief of Staff
I remember reading TheBeezer back in the day….although I remember the comic strip characters rather than the actual title of the comic 😵💫🤣
As most will agree, the adaption of Casino Royale from the novel was superb. The follow-up novel first published in 1954 will be posted every Saturday and Sunday. I am unable to post tomorrow so both this weekends chapters are in this one post.
TRIGGER WARNING: “Live and Let Die” has always been Ian Fleming’s most controversial novel. Those easily offended are advised not to read the following adaptation.
LIVE AND LET DIE (2019) Chapters One and Two:
Chapter Three next Saturday…
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,722Chief of Staff
Be interesting to see how closely this one follows the book 👀
TV TORNADO hit the shelves on 14th January 1967. Published by City and edited by British comic legend Mick Anglo, it was a cynical exercise in making easy profits. Cheaply produced, colour only on the cover, it was mainly reprinted material and text based adventures. The first issue promised a plethora of treats inside including the usual first issue free gift, this time an “exciting Batchute”. The cover montage of stars were Batman and Robin, Superman, Tarzan and TV shows Bonanza and The Man from UNCLE. Cover lines promised further thrilling delights including another TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, golden age pulp hero Flash Gordon and US comic superhero The Phantom.
So it all looked good but in reality how much was sneakily opportunist? The comic cashed in on the Batman TV craze of the day with text stories. The Man from UNCLE and Superman appeared in text-only adventures, disappointing when kids are expecting comic strip stories. Tarzan was a generic new strip, not based on the then current popular TV series starring Ron Ely (another sly move). The Flash Gordon and The Phantom were reprints of US newspaper strips. So there were just two strictly TV-based strips in the earliest issues; Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, capably drawn by editor Mick Anglo himself, and Bonanza, with art by Harry Bishop, regular artist on Daily Express Western strip Gun Law. A humorous strip Dan Dan the TV Man written and drawn by Denis Gifford rounded things off.
The first half dozen issues continued with this opening roster until issue 6 saw the Superman and Batman text stories dropped, casting some doubt about the licensing of these stories’ publication in the first place. The Bonanza strip was replaced by text adventures.
By way of recompense, issue 7 launched two new strips. The first was The Green Hornet, Mick Anglo drew the strip’s first episode, with Harry Bishop then taking over the reins. Issue 7’s second new strip was Magnus, Robot Fighter, reprints from Gold Key’s Magnus Robot Fighter 4000 AD.
Issue 15 meanwhile brought the strip début of Roger Moore’s contemporary TV action hero Simon Templar aka The Saint. It was very popular and remained a mainstay for the rest of the title’s lifespan. Issue 37 saw TV TORNADO take on the failing comic SOLO and the sole strip to make the transfer was the rather good TheMysterons.
The comic lasted 88 issues before merging with sister title TV21 in that comics issue #192. The usual “important announcement” strap line was emblazoned on the final cover.
The title only had one Christmas issue and the cover was bizarrely given to Harry Secombe!
Four annuals were published from 1967 to 1970, the final two long after the comics demise.
TV TORNADO was by all means not a great comic, but it served as an example of how to make money cheaply, and for all that, a run of 88 issues is a lot more than some better titles achieved.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
I'm liking all this detail explaining the British comics I know nothing about, very educational to a comics history geek like me
Mick Anglo I do know, he was the creator of MarvelMan, the British version of Americas Captain Marvel (the original one, the guy who says Shazam!)
in 1954, when America's Fawcett Comics quit publishing new Captain Marvel adventures, the British publishers who'd been reprinting Captain Marvel up to that point immediately replaced the reprints with a new but identical character called MarvelMan. Whereas young Billy Batson said the magic word Shazam! and turned into the grownup Captain Marvel, Mickey Moran said the magic word Kimota! and turned into MarvelMan.
and I know all this because years later , Alan Moore revived MarvelMan as the dark, disturbing, deconstructed MiracleMan
TRIGGER WARNING: “Live and Let Die” has always been Ian Fleming’s most controversial novel. Those easily offended are advised not to read the following adaptation.
LIVE AND LET DIE (2019) Chapter Three:
Chapter 4 tomorrow…
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,722Chief of Staff
I do enjoy reading these…yes, LALD has ‘issues’ (for lack of a better word) but I wouldn’t remove them…the artwork is ok in this, I’d just prefer Bond to drawn as Fleming described him.
TRIGGER WARNING: “Live and Let Die” has always been Ian Fleming’s most controversial novel. Those easily offended are advised not to read the following adaptation.
LIVE AND LET DIE (2019) Chapter Four:
To be continued next weekend…
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
BUSTER comic was launched with the cover date 28 May 1960 and just scraped into the next century ending with issue #1902 dated 4 January 2000. The first issue had the ubiquitous free gift - this time a Buster Balloon Beeper.
Forty years is some going for a weekly comic and over it’s run it had some iconic strips. The cover star for much of the run was the titular Buster, originally advertised as the son of Andy Capp - the popular newspaper comic strip character from the Daily Mirror, but this link was dropped after a few years. Buster wore the same style flat cap as his father and his comical adventures were long admired by school kids.
Other popular strips were - Dinah Mite, The Astounding Adventures of Charlie Peace (based on the real life Victorian thief), Fishboy (an Aquaman and pre-Man From Atlantis hybrid), Ivor Lott and Tony Broke (two friends separated by finance), The Leopard From Lime Street (teenage adorned with powers of a leopard after being scratched) and a host of strips from other comics that merged into Buster along the way, an incredible 12 mergers happened including Cor!, Jet and WhizzerAndChips.
The Christmas issue of course was as usual the most sought after copy…
The usual Annuals and Summer Specials were also published.
Published by IPC magazines and then Fleetway this was the main competitor to the DC Thomson super-titles Beano and Dandy.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Comments
There certainly is 🤭
That surely can't be a coincidence....
You wouldn’t have thought so…🤔🤭
That one passed me by, I didn’t know there was a David Wilson!
The final part…
The story was just about okay, but I wasn’t that keen on the artwork. I only posted it because it was nice to see Tatiana again 😁
After the superb adaptation of CR that was posted recently, we will see the next book in the same style - LALD.
The story was fine, there’s just nothing done with it…it’s basically over before it’s begun….and, as you say, the artwork isn’t overly inspiring either…but it was one I’d wanted to see/read - so thanks @CoolHandBond 🍸
The British comic Action was launched on Valentine’s Day 1976 and immediately created controversy due to its unprecedented diet of graphic violence. Published by IPC Magazines It ran for 36 issues before they suspended publication for 6 weeks due to pressure from the media. Issue #37 had 30 copies printed for checking before the plug was pulled. One of these copies found it’s way to auction a few years ago and reached £1000. Sales were very high, sometimes reaching a quarter of a million copies per week, but when the sanitised new-look version starting with issue #38 came onto the market in December 1976 the sales dwindled and ended up at 70,000 copies per week and Action merged with Battle Picture Weekly in November 1977. The most popular (and controversial) story was Hook Jaw, unsurprisingly ripped off from the movie Jaws. The centre pages were in colour, which explains the difference in pages below, as we begin the saga of a shark…
To be continued next Monday.
Tomorrow, Stephen King’s Creepshow.
By 76 I was too old for such comics (I can already hear "never too old!" being yelled) but I do have younger brothers so I remember this one. So that's what happened to it!
Creepshow was a 1982 movie consisting of 5 horror stories written by Stephen King in the EC comics vein. Amicus had had some success with the same format in the movies Tales From The Crypt and Vault Of Horror. King adapted two of his stories and wrote three originals for this movie, alongside starring in one of the segments. Directed by George A Romero it realised two and a half times it’s budget. A graphic novel was published at the time of release, and here is the first story…
The next story in this book will be posted next Tuesday.
Tomorrow is Wednesday and I will be making every Wednesday - British Comic Day - where I will highlight a comic from the illustrious past of British publishing.
So for the present there is a weekly rota of postings (as follows) -
Monday - Hook Jaw
Tuesday - Creepshow
Wednesday - British Comic Day
Thursday/Friday - Dracula
Saturday/Sunday - James Bond
THE BEEZER comic was launched on 21st January 1956, published by Britain’s premier comic house DC Thomson, it ran for an impressive 1809 issues until 15th September 1990.
Printed on large A3 (tabloid) paper it meant that it was inevitably folded on display in newsagents and most surviving copes have a visible central crease. Ginger was the first cover star being replaced by Pop, Dick and Harry in 1961 before regaining the prestigious spot in 1964. The Christmas edition is the most sought after issue each year and here is Pop, Dick and Harry headlining the 1961 copy.
Other popular strips in The Beezer over the years were Colonel Blink, The Numskulls, Baby Crockett, The Badd Lads, The Banana Bunch and a rare non-comedic strip The Iron Eaters.
In the grand British comic tradition, popular titles used to “absorb” other titles when those sales fell to an unprofitable number, and in Beezer’s case it merged both Cracker and Plug comics in its lifetime (a few of the popular stories from these comics would find their way into the master title - replacing some of the less popular titles.) In 1981 The Beezer changed size to the standard A4 size for the rest of its history.
Another British comic tradition is the publishing of Annuals and Summer Specials - Beezer ran annuals from 1958-2003 and Summer Specials from 1973-1993.
After the final issue it was relaunched the following week with sister title The Topper and this lasted for 153 issues before closure.
Another British comic will appear next Wednesday.
I remember reading The Beezer back in the day….although I remember the comic strip characters rather than the actual title of the comic 😵💫🤣
Bram Stoker’s Dracula starring Bela Lugosi (2020) - Chapter Two (Part 1 of 4)
More tomorrow…
Bram Stoker’s Dracula starring Bela Lugosi (2020) - Chapter Two (Part 2 of 4)
To be continued next Thursday…
As most will agree, the adaption of Casino Royale from the novel was superb. The follow-up novel first published in 1954 will be posted every Saturday and Sunday. I am unable to post tomorrow so both this weekends chapters are in this one post.
TRIGGER WARNING: “Live and Let Die” has always been Ian Fleming’s most controversial novel. Those easily offended are advised not to read the following adaptation.
LIVE AND LET DIE (2019) Chapters One and Two:
Chapter Three next Saturday…
Be interesting to see how closely this one follows the book 👀
Im looking forward to the next instalments 👏🏻
Hook Jaw - Part Two
More next Monday…Creepshow tomorrow…
Creepshow - Segment 2 - From “Weeds”, a short story by Stephen King published in Cavalier magazine May 1976.
Segment 3 next Tuesday.
TV TORNADO hit the shelves on 14th January 1967. Published by City and edited by British comic legend Mick Anglo, it was a cynical exercise in making easy profits. Cheaply produced, colour only on the cover, it was mainly reprinted material and text based adventures. The first issue promised a plethora of treats inside including the usual first issue free gift, this time an “exciting Batchute”. The cover montage of stars were Batman and Robin, Superman, Tarzan and TV shows Bonanza and The Man from UNCLE. Cover lines promised further thrilling delights including another TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, golden age pulp hero Flash Gordon and US comic superhero The Phantom.
So it all looked good but in reality how much was sneakily opportunist? The comic cashed in on the Batman TV craze of the day with text stories. The Man from UNCLE and Superman appeared in text-only adventures, disappointing when kids are expecting comic strip stories. Tarzan was a generic new strip, not based on the then current popular TV series starring Ron Ely (another sly move). The Flash Gordon and The Phantom were reprints of US newspaper strips. So there were just two strictly TV-based strips in the earliest issues; Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, capably drawn by editor Mick Anglo himself, and Bonanza, with art by Harry Bishop, regular artist on Daily Express Western strip Gun Law. A humorous strip Dan Dan the TV Man written and drawn by Denis Gifford rounded things off.
The first half dozen issues continued with this opening roster until issue 6 saw the Superman and Batman text stories dropped, casting some doubt about the licensing of these stories’ publication in the first place. The Bonanza strip was replaced by text adventures.
By way of recompense, issue 7 launched two new strips. The first was The Green Hornet, Mick Anglo drew the strip’s first episode, with Harry Bishop then taking over the reins. Issue 7’s second new strip was Magnus, Robot Fighter, reprints from Gold Key’s Magnus Robot Fighter 4000 AD.
Issue 15 meanwhile brought the strip début of Roger Moore’s contemporary TV action hero Simon Templar aka The Saint. It was very popular and remained a mainstay for the rest of the title’s lifespan. Issue 37 saw TV TORNADO take on the failing comic SOLO and the sole strip to make the transfer was the rather good The Mysterons.
The comic lasted 88 issues before merging with sister title TV21 in that comics issue #192. The usual “important announcement” strap line was emblazoned on the final cover.
The title only had one Christmas issue and the cover was bizarrely given to Harry Secombe!
Four annuals were published from 1967 to 1970, the final two long after the comics demise.
TV TORNADO was by all means not a great comic, but it served as an example of how to make money cheaply, and for all that, a run of 88 issues is a lot more than some better titles achieved.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula starring Bela Lugosi (2020) - Chapter Two (Part 3 of 4)
Continues tomorrow…
coolhand said: TV TORNADO hit the shelves on 14th January 1967. Published by City and edited by British comic legend Mick Anglo
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I'm liking all this detail explaining the British comics I know nothing about, very educational to a comics history geek like me
Mick Anglo I do know, he was the creator of MarvelMan, the British version of Americas Captain Marvel (the original one, the guy who says Shazam!)
in 1954, when America's Fawcett Comics quit publishing new Captain Marvel adventures, the British publishers who'd been reprinting Captain Marvel up to that point immediately replaced the reprints with a new but identical character called MarvelMan. Whereas young Billy Batson said the magic word Shazam! and turned into the grownup Captain Marvel, Mickey Moran said the magic word Kimota! and turned into MarvelMan.
and I know all this because years later , Alan Moore revived MarvelMan as the dark, disturbing, deconstructed MiracleMan
And thank you @caractacus potts for the added information, which is always welcome.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula starring Bela Lugosi (2020) - Chapter Two (Part 4 of 4)
Chapter 3 begins next Thursday…
TRIGGER WARNING: “Live and Let Die” has always been Ian Fleming’s most controversial novel. Those easily offended are advised not to read the following adaptation.
LIVE AND LET DIE (2019) Chapter Three:
Chapter 4 tomorrow…
I do enjoy reading these…yes, LALD has ‘issues’ (for lack of a better word) but I wouldn’t remove them…the artwork is ok in this, I’d just prefer Bond to drawn as Fleming described him.
Thanks for doing this though, CHB 🍸
TRIGGER WARNING: “Live and Let Die” has always been Ian Fleming’s most controversial novel. Those easily offended are advised not to read the following adaptation.
LIVE AND LET DIE (2019) Chapter Four:
To be continued next weekend…
I am very fond of the "Dracula" visualization, perhaps because of Lugosi, and of course LALD though so far I prefer CR.
Hook Jaw - Part 3
Creepshow - Segment 3:
BUSTER comic was launched with the cover date 28 May 1960 and just scraped into the next century ending with issue #1902 dated 4 January 2000. The first issue had the ubiquitous free gift - this time a Buster Balloon Beeper.
Forty years is some going for a weekly comic and over it’s run it had some iconic strips. The cover star for much of the run was the titular Buster, originally advertised as the son of Andy Capp - the popular newspaper comic strip character from the Daily Mirror, but this link was dropped after a few years. Buster wore the same style flat cap as his father and his comical adventures were long admired by school kids.
Other popular strips were - Dinah Mite, The Astounding Adventures of Charlie Peace (based on the real life Victorian thief), Fishboy (an Aquaman and pre-Man From Atlantis hybrid), Ivor Lott and Tony Broke (two friends separated by finance), The Leopard From Lime Street (teenage adorned with powers of a leopard after being scratched) and a host of strips from other comics that merged into Buster along the way, an incredible 12 mergers happened including Cor!, Jet and Whizzer And Chips.
The Christmas issue of course was as usual the most sought after copy…
The usual Annuals and Summer Specials were also published.
Published by IPC magazines and then Fleetway this was the main competitor to the DC Thomson super-titles Beano and Dandy.
I remember seeing Buster on the shelves, but never bought a copy.
@caractacus potts Look what I picked up at the market this morning 😁