"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 Lone Ranger Annual" 1953 (part 3)

Couldn't resist not sharing this breath-taking "kick-ass" sequence from this book! It's almost cinematic in its structure - sometimes I wonder whether it was the comic artists that borrowed from films or the film directors borrowing from comic books... I've added the cover as well even though I don't like the style as much - probably done by a different (uncredited) artist altogether.

"The Lone Ranger Annual" 1953 (part 2)

"The Lone Ranger Annual" Published in Great Britain by World Distributors (Manchester) Ltd in 1953

The illustrator typically not credited which is a great shame ( and disgraceful). I bought this stunning volume a couple of weeks ago and can't help going through each page, admiring the compositions, angles, perspective and craftsmanship of this artist. So much efford and skill spent in order to deliver the thrilling action to the reader. I've deliberately scanned the frames individually for a better appreciation of the artwork.

"Dragon Mountain", Story and Illustrations by Tim Vyner (HarperCollins Publishers, 1996)

Mysterious and atmospheric illustrations set in the far east, about a boy's journey to discover a dragon living high on a mountain. A heart warming story taking us through the boy's imagination and belief in the dragon's existence, to the enchanting reality of the mountain and the wonderful creatures that live there. Striking illustrations, beautifully executed in watercolour - quite a unique style with great attention to detail. Here's Tim Vyner's own website where you can view more of his books as well as some recent Olympics inspired illustrations: http://www.timvyner.com/index.html Also his blog with plenty of interesting material: http://www.timvyner.blogspot.co.uk/