"Jeani"

Lost one of our greyhounds last week in what appeared to be a massive heart attack - she was only eight years old. It affected all of us more than we ever thought possible. Never barked or whined, she had the most gentle and subtle manners, always considerate and patient. Here's a drawing I did of her a couple of years ago trying to capture one of her reflective moods. May you rest in peace, Jeani, your spirit will always be with us...Rabbits in the garden and chicken roasts unattended in the kitchen are quite safe now...

"Mr McGee And The Blackberry Jam" By Pamela Allen (Hamish Hamilton Ltd, 1993)

Pamela Allen (born in New Zealand, 1934) is the writer and illustrator of this delightful book. Simple drawings with strong shapes, carefully designed to enhance the text in each scene. I love the subtle humor and playfulness both in the pictures and the story - I wish I could have scanned the full double page spreads to show how well the text and pictures work together but my scanner is not big enough. The story is about a man who is not happy with his possessions (ie having only marmalade for breakfast) and goes searching for something different. After a dangerous encounter with some farm animals though, he decides that marmalade is not such a bad deal after all - a moral lesson for all of us!

"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.

"Comic Curious Cats", pictures by Martin Leman, words by Angela Carter (published by Victor Gollancz Ltd, London 1979)

I was really pleased to see that this artist is still working and has a website: http://www.martinleman.co.uk/

Martin Leman (born in London 1934) is still producing these intriguing, mysterious and beautiful pictures of cats and other things. Some originals and etchings are available from his website. The verses by Angela Carter are very amusing and mischievous enhancing the atmosphere of the pictures.

"Colonel Sun" by Robert Markham (Glidrose Productions Ltd, 1968) Design by Tom Adams

I have to say, the original cover for this book - a la Dali - looks much more exciting (even though it hasn't much to do with the story!). Sadly I don't have this first edition but, by luck, wikipedia has it!

"Colonel Sun", Robert Markham, published by the Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd, 1968. Designed by Barry Wilkinson

No, I haven't run out of books, I just had too many hustles and not enough time for blogging.

This isn't the original cover for this book (not the first edition) but I like it anyway - it evokes some the menace and suspense which are always part in every Bond story.

The writer is Kingsley Amis (R. Markham was just a pseudonym) in an attempt to continue the James Bond fame after Ian Flemming's death. I don't think it had much success even though it was adapted and published as a comic strip in the late sixties. You never know, it might just resurface as another Bond movie! There's also a picture of the endpapers - the location where the action takes place...