"Tiramola" comics by Roberto Renzi (published in Greece by KABANAS-HELLAS, 1970's)

Couldn't resist in showing parts of this tattered comic from my childhood - many fond memories of this bizarre elastic superhero who can take any shape, expand, become liquid, spring, string etc in order to escape from and capture the bad guys. This was an Italian comic created back in 1952 by Roberto Renzi (born 1923) but became extremely popular in Greece and ran for decades. You can see lots of wonderful Tiramola covers on this Greek website: http://www.mycomics.gr/Serafino/Serafino.htm
Also this article on wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiramolla
 

"Cat Squabbles" By Harris ("MAN" magazine, Nicosia, December 2002 issue)

 

Here is another one for the end of the year! I was looking through my - very old - portfolio the other day and I came across the series of comic strips I used to produce for this monthly magazine in Cyprus, 11-12 years ago. The subject, being seasonal (families, in-laws, booze and Christmas trees) should be fairly uplifting... Happy New Year to all!

"Valentina And The Magic Lantern" by Guido Crepax (first published in 1976, this edition is published by Headline Publishing Group, Great Britain, 2012), Part 3

 

 

 

Crepax famously modelled Valentina's image on the legendary 1920's actress Louise Brooks (the pictures below are from her 1928 film, "Pandora's Box").  Considering that she first appeared in his comics from the mid sixties, she must have been at odds with the hairy, hippy youth trends of the day. It captures her Italian elegance and sophistication perfectly.

 

"Valentina And The Magic Lantern" by Guido Crepax (first published in 1976, this edition is published by Headline Publishing Group, Great Britain, 2012), Part 2

 

The deliberate absence of any dialogue or text in the entire book makes it quite unusual and drives the focus directly on the sequence of the drawings and the meaning within them. The story is a journey through Valentina's dream world, revealing her deepest erotic fantasies, passions and, sometimes, fears. The settings change all the time, from science fiction to the world of fashion, costumes and objects from past centuries. Even Crepax himself makes an appearance behind his drawing board, adding to the surrealist effect. Not to be confused with cheap, sleazy pornographic comics - this is a serious and complex story that is designed to work on many levels.  

 

 

"Valentina And The Magic Lantern" by Guido Crepax (first published in 1976, this edition is published by Headline Publishing Group, Great Britain, 2012)

 Now, these comics are different. Italian artist Guido Crepax (1933-2003) added a new dimension to the world of comics in the 1960's and 70's with his unique vision and sophistication. Here's a short biography on the great artist and writer:  http://www.designboom.com/portrait/crepax_bio.html

 

"Forever People", #9, July 1972, Written and Illustrated by Jack Kirby (published by National Periodical Publications, INC, New York 1972) - Part 2

 

 

I picked up this and several other issues of "Forever People" at a car boot sale last year and was so pleased with their immaculate condition and how great the artwork looked! Jack Kirby(1917-1994) was a prolific artist, responsible for the creation of so many comic superheroes - Captain America, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Hulk, the Silver Surfer, Iron Man to name but a few! The American comics industry just wouldn't be the same without his enormous input over a period of some sixty years. The "Forever People" were probably lesser known characters but the drawings are so full of energy, brilliantly composed for maximum suspense, and with classic sound effects! This Wikipedia article on his life and work is quite extensive but there are many other websites dedicated on his work and many books: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Kirby

 

"Forever People", #9, July 1972, Written and Illustrated by Jack Kirby (published by National Periodical Publications, INC, New York 1972) - Part 1

 

 

"Secret Origins, Starring Green Lantern And The Sandman", DC Comics Inc, New York, 1986, Part 4

 

A few more brilliant stills from this one - the creators for The Sandman story were Roy Thomas and Michael Blair (an extensive article on him and his contribution to Marvel Comics and DC Comics here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bair )

 

 

 

"Giant Comic", Featuring The Phantom Ranger (illustrator unknown), c1956

 

Yes, another "masked ranger" story - this one produced in Britain. The drawings are quite simple and naive in character but still charming. The stories are hilarious (the "headless horseman" below says it all!) but you have to keep in mind that they were designed for very young readers! The cover must have been painted by another artist (I presume) and is much more sophisticated and eye-catching. You can just about read the name of the artist on the bottom right-hand corner (I think it's W something Howarth...), otherwise there are no credits for the creators of this book.

 

 

Giant Comic, Featuring The Phantom Ranger, Published in England by World Distributors Ltd, Manchester, c.1956

"The Fixer - A Story From Sarajevo" by Joe Sacco (part 2)

I have finally managed to get around to posting these - too busy with work, family and the veg garden... What I like about them is how real these characters look - their faces, expressions, postures etc. It's almost like you are there experiencing the events yourself which makes you really appreciate how observant and skillful the artist is in depicting the scenes.

"The Fixer - A story from Sarajevo" by Joe Sacco, published by Jonathan Cape 2004

Joe Sacco writes AND illustrates this book. Very powerful drawings capturing the mood and the horrors of the war in Bosnia. There's a biography of the artist on http://www.fantagraphics.com/ (follow the links on individual artists). I'll be scanning some more pages for an other post.

"Slaine" by Pat Mills and Mike McMahon (Titan Books Ltd, 1986)

Comics with such high quality drawings don't come by very often. Every page is beautifully designed and packed with all those amazing, weird and creepy characters. Here's a link on Mike McMahon's biography and other work: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_McMahon_(comics)

"King Lear", Ian Pollock, part2

There are 160 pages in this book - faithful to the original Shakespeare text - and each picture is almost like an artwork in its own right. It must have taken the artist ages to finish the whole story. The execution of the illustrations appears to be easy but there is a lot of work on the details of the costumes, the dramatic effect of the lighting and the compositions. To my surprise the book is still available (new) today and well worth having for any Ian Pollock fans.