"Country Diary Drawings" By Clifford Harper (published by Agraphia Press, London 2003), Part 2

 

 

I thought I'd lost this book for ever and I was so annoyed with myself for not remembering where I had placed it some three years ago! I was preparing to order another one when luckily it appeared behind a bookshelf (where else?) as I was relocating my art books to another room.

 

The book is a collection of 36 drawings done for The Guardian's Country Diary articles, beautifully reproduced in every detail, each one standing in its own page for better appreciation. I love the narrative in them as well as their style and craftsmanship. There's always a bit of mystery and allegory in Harper's work which makes it so much more interesting and special than any other illustration. 

 

 Agraphia Press Ltd (www.agraphiapress.com ) is owned and run by Harper himself as far as I understand - an ideal situation for an artist, to be able to control publications (and profit, hopefully) of his own work. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Harper

 

 

 

"Country Diary Drawings" By Clifford Harper (published by Agraphia Press, London 2003)

 

 

"Yahoo No.5 - How I Loved The War" By Joe Sacco (published by Fantagraphics Books, Inc. Seattle, October 1991) - Part 2

 

 

Joe Sacco was actually up in Scotland this week, for the Edinburgh International Book Festival! He gave a talk last Tuesday at a venue in Charlotte Square where the Festival is held, promoting his latest book "Journalism". I also happened to be there on that day browsing on all the new graphic novels totally unaware of any events taking place or writers walking about signing books etc! I did have a good look at this book though (see cover below) and Sacco's work is getting better each time so I'm definitely up again next week to buy it - might even be lucky and get a signed copy!

 

This year there's a comics and graphic novels fair taking place alongside the normal book fair called Stripped, www.strippedbookfest.co.uk so there a lot to see. It was interesting to discover work by young and unknown artists/writers next to the big international names so you do need more than one day to appreciate the range and quality on offer.

 

"Yahoo No.5 - How I Loved The War" By Joe Sacco (published by Fantagraphics Books, Inc., Seattle, October 1991)

 

 

Nothing to do with THE Yahoo search engine - this magazine came out some 22 years ago! The subject was the mindlessness of the Gulf War of 1991,conducted by President George Bush senior. Sacco, through his powerful drawings and sharp dialogue, asks uncomfortable questions about the meaning of the war to both Americans and the people of Iraq and Palestine. Here is Joe Sacco's impressive biography from Fantagraphics Books' website: http://www.fantagraphics.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=267&Itemid=82

 

"The House That Sailed Away" By Pat Hutchins, Illustrated By Laurence Hutchins (published by Fontana - Lions, London 1978) - Part 2

 

 

Weird and wonderful characters drawn by Laurence Hutchins (this book is full of them!). He is, of course Pat Hutchins' husband and illustrated several of her books as well as many others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The House That Sailed Away" By Pat Hutchins, Illustrated By Laurence Hutchins (published by Fontana -Lions, London 1978)