Showing posts with label comic strip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comic strip. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Recently Read: Little Orphan Annie in the Great Depression, by Harold Gray
This 1979 Dover collection of strips originally published in 1931 rank with the best of 20th century newspaper comics. The ravages of the Great Depression hit Little Orphan Annie and Daddy Warbucks hard; they first lose their entire savings and then are homeless when a competing businessman/gangster burns their mansion down. This is just the beginning of the tragedies herein, but both fight back against adversity with hard work and indefatigable optimism. Annie even adopts another orphan along the way! Beautifully drawn, imminently readable, these Dickensian tales stand the test of time and are most recommended.
The source material was provided at the time by Bill Blackbeard's San Francisco Academy of Comic Art, and is far superior in quality to the same strips published in book form by Fantagraphics.
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Recently Read: The Complete Sky Masters of the Space Force, by Jack Kirby
Publisher Greg Theakston's black and white collection of the complete Sky Masters of the Space Force syndicated comic strip by Jack Kirby is a treat. The strip was ostensibly written by Dick and Dave Wood (though later stories in the series were clearly written by Kirby) and inked by Wally Wood, Dick Ayers and Kirby himself. It's a very of-its time pageant of U.S. space exploration, comprising sixteen stories. Both Kirby and Wally Wood play to their strengths here, with cosmic vistas, shadow-drenched machinery and costumes and heavily researched tech details.
The main character, Sky Masters, isn't particularly interesting, but the scenarios are, even when, towards the end, Kirby's clearly losing interest and the art becomes as minimal as possible (think: silhouettes whenever possible). The tales of greed, fear, heroism, the supernatural and scientific possibilities are all entertaining.
Theakston rounds out the book with plenty of supplementary material, including art from an early prototype for the series, art from other Kirby/Wood projects, pencils, newspaper ads, and a detailed history of the strip, including affidavit transcripts from Kirby's legal battle with Jack Schiff, then an editor at DC Comics - a battle which would result in Kirby leaving DC for the next ten years (thus making possible the '60s Marvel revolution).
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Ralph Fuller's Oaky Dokey
I'm loving Ralph Fuller's art for his Oaky Dokey strip (reprinted in issues of Famous Funnies).
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Radiophone America!
The oddest comic panel I've seen today. From a
1929-era Buck Rogers strip, reprinted in 1968 by Edwin Aprill, Jr., in a
limited edition of 500 copies.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Freak Cave and Dr. Zaius Birthday Gifts
Above: beautiful birthday gifts drawn and given to me by Kathleen and Ian Cannell. Kathleen painted a vivid, expressive interpretation of my Freak Cave comic strip, while Ian drew the violent visage of Planet of the Apes' Dr. Zaius (""Man shall never speak...as they said in the old proverbs," Are we not men?").
Thank you, Ian and Kathleen. Your appreciation for freakishness gives me hope for the next generation!
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