Gag Cartoon of The Year

I do try to avoid swearing and bad language on here, but this cartoon from the Weekend magazine is to good not to share. Someone give them a prize!

Wild Animals I Have Known

Paid $15 for this two years ago, from a secondhand bookshop in Burlington Vermont. Have been dipping into it ever since, and finally got though it the other night. I've done no research on Ernest Seton Thompson, so all I know are his claims on the title page here -


Most of the stories are American, but I was surprised to find one account (of Wully the dog) is based near Bakewell in Monsaldale, and how he was a fantastic sheepdog, obedient and loyal, but would sneak out at night and eat as many as he could.
This book startled me with it's brave and elegant layout - blocks of text surrounded by these huge open margins on seemingly hand-torn pages. Apart from the fact that his illustrations are very fine and well drawn, I enjoyed how, like all good wildlife documentary, he combines the sweet with the cruel and horrific realities -


In his introduction, Thompson explains his approach to nature writing as treating the animals as individuals with their own particular characteristics, whether Lobo the Wolf or Silverspot the Crow. He goes into real detail in some cases, even attempting to transcribe squawks -


When I opened the book, my first impression was that someone had drawn their own sketches in the margin, straight into my copy. It's like Thompson has gone through the text and annotated it, just as you'll find notes in the margins of an old A-level Shakespeare book -


Thompson seemingly has this great insight into the lives of animals - or at least creates the impression he has. I was particularly taken by the way he describes Redruff the partridge's yearly cycle with these tiny little poetic diagrams - (click the image to enlarge - they are well small) -


Hey, American readers - is he a well-known writer over there?
I'll be looking out for his other stuff, if there is any, and highly recommend this book (if you can locate a copy) for kids and grown-ups.

Old Winkle and the Seagulls

Today's children's book; Old Winkle and the Seagulls by Elizabeth and Gerald Rose, first published 1960 (this Picture Puffin a 1976 edition).
I'm posting this mainly for the pleasure of Oliver East, as I think he sometimes works in similar ways - drawing with paint to create a very particular atmosphere, and despite often being reduced to daubs or puddles of pigment, an attention to detail which creates a convincingly familiar world.





My own childhood was filled with Picture Puffins, by the likes of Jan Pienkowski, Tomi Ungerer, John Ryan, Raymond Briggs, John Burningham and Maurice Sendak, all now read ragged.
With about 11 weeks until Baby Popeye is due, I'm starting to relish having a genuine excuse for revisiting all these tatty old books other than putting off getting some drawing done.

Frou the Hare

As one of those people that appreciates maps anyway (is there a word for that? Cartophile?), it made me go 'oooh!' when I turned the page and saw this topographical explanation of Frou being chased by a hound. I enjoy how these illustrations are unafraid of depicting the story as information - as diagrams or lists -


On Ebay there's loads of original French editions of this series, but on top of wanting English versions, there's something quite joyless about finding these things online, despite the 'game' of bidding. As more and more secondhand book sellers realise that they can do good business through Ebay, is leaves fewer and fewer treasures to just stumble upon or rescue from beneath piles of Giles or Garfield. Occasionally I do get the odd Beezer or Beryl the Peril annual off Ebay, but it really does take the fun out of it. The fact that people know the proper price for these things now really spoils it, though I've never been one for needing the mint condition copy (most likely 80% of my childrens book and annual collection are scribbled and crayoned in, or have their 'this book belongs to' section filled out. If I was Amelie I'd return them all to their original owners). Whatever happened to jumble sales?

Whitby

Katy and I had a few days in Whitby the other week (North Yorkshire coast, home of Captain Cook, site where Dracula - as a slavering hound - leapt ship and came ashore). Excellent cakes and pies. Quality fish and chips (Magpie Cafe). Best meal in a long time (Ditto Restaurant). Best museum ever (might warrant a post of it's own). Pleasant chug round on the world's only surviving six-wheeled steambus Elizabeth -



As you can imagine, I got very excited when we came around the corner of Grape Lane and saw Endeavour Books -


-contrary to the very appealing sign above the shop, and good solid namesake (one of Cooks sailing ships), I came away downhearted, with only one find -


I remember encountering the American (imposter) Dennis the Menace as a child, and being completely confused as to how this could have happened. Whilst I enjoy Ketchums artwork (and someone else's version of it here)-



- he's got nothing on our own original Dennis and his genius creator David Law. I will write about him at some point soon, arguing that he's long overdue a treasury/anthology/ no - Complete Dennis (followed by Complete Beryl the Peril).
Elsewhere in Whitby I got this for 50p, convinced it will come in handy if I ever need to draw crying princess cats or a riotous jailbreak -


Best find though, and at a mere £2.50 - Frou the Hare - part of the gorgeous French series by Rojan - see previous post.
Here's a teaser - will do a full post on it next.

Playing Football

A nice find at Katy's parents house - one of her brothers old books - Playing Football by M. Graham-Cameron. I expect most British readers will be familiar with Althea's Dinosaur Books, a real institution of the 70's -


I've just found her site, and I'm pleased to report she is still creating her own books, but unfortunately no longer publishing other peoples books.
I'm drawn to Playing Football by these intriguing illustrations which somehow remind me of Chaing Lee's work (previous post) - simplified and flattened figures rendered in a slightly trembling line.
What is it about this economy of line and colour that I find so appealing? Answers below please!

The Silent Traveller

Another find in Scriveners secondhand books of Buxton - The Silent Traveller in Oxford by Chiang Lee, from sometime in the 50's. Also in the series are The Yorkshire Dales (which I'd love to see) and a zoo one for kids which I found a copy of but was very disappointed by.
I've not read any of the text, but the illustrations make it quite clear what it's about - a Chinese artist exploring Oxford in drawings and observations. Some of the spot illustrations look as if they might accompany any typical Chinese poem, story or text-
- but then browsing through we start to see all the specifically English and Oxfordian characters and scenes -


One even serves to demonstrate to the reader how he is often mistaken for cinema's famous Chinese dectective (or more likely pointed and stared at). He graciously acknowledges a passing resemblance whilst pointing out clear differences -
The book would be delightful enough with just these black and white drawings dotted every 5 or 6 pages, but then turning the page you find the most amazing sumptuous scenes, all unarguably English but rendered in his intricate and delicate Chinese style, skewed perspectives and all -

Weekend Leisurely

click to enlarge

By popular demand, here's some more archive material. All evidence suggests this was made one afternoon in 1998, so I'll have been about 23 (so no excuse really). Inspired by that weekend's Sunday supplements.
Original copies of this are out there somewhere, though the British Library has no record.

Barleycup the Goat

Been sorting out the loft at home. Plans are to put a floor down then a velux window, and make a comics den/make some space for when little Popeye arrives. Stumbled upon these Barleycup strips which I did in 1992, so will have been 17 or 18. Haven't a clue what inspired the one above, but I think the story below is one that I lifted from some kind of 'Big Book of Cons and Hoaxes' or some such thing.

click to enlarge

I do remember drawing these, in bed, a half hour at a time. Other than making a couple of photocopies I never did anything with these, until NOW when the whole of the online world can put off getting on with anything by reading them.

There are plenty of other finds (including one or two short comic stories) which I may post in the future. Or I might not.

Martin the Kingfisher

Too nice to stay in drawing stupid cats yesterday, so took the 64 bus to Macclesfield, a glorious 35 minute journey winding up and down and all over. Could have got off at Kettleshulme and gone to The Swan, which is owned by the residents and does the greatest food I've ever had in a pub, but I stayed on the bus.
The silk museum, which I'd never been to, was closed, but had a good explore around the town. Down side - no comics shops (but then they are all pretty disappointing with no real discoveries). Up side - cracking little indoor market, proper cheese, meat, veg. Mexican restaurant, which I'll try next time. A few interesting looking pubs, and The Cheshire Gap, Macclesfield's highly impressive delicatessen (could have spent £40 easy). Nice cluttered art shop, interesting looking secondhand shop next to it (closed), and a nice little secondhand bookshop, where they offered me wine and I found this -

The back describes the series as possessing "that delicate gaiety which shows they come from the French", "gently ablaze with ROJAN'S lithographs".
Lithography is something I've always fancied trying my hand at, and this beautiful book had renewed my interest. Probably be good for me to draw some other animals too.
I've never seen this Pere Castor's Wild Animal Books series before, so please on your travels look out for MISCHIEF the Squirrel, QUIPIC the Hedgehog, PLOOF the Wild Duck, FROU the Hare, BOURRU the Brown Bear, SCAF the Seal and CUCKOO.


Is it the muted colours, the dusty textures, or just the deceptive simplicity of these illustrations that just makes me sigh? Or am I a softy?



The images and format remind me a lot of the old Picture Puffins which are just achingly perfect. My mum has entrusted me with her collection of maybe 20 different books in the series. Maybe I'll scan one or two for you all in internet land to see.

A Revelation

Do you remember being a kid and going on holiday to France and marvelling at all the thousands of comics they had? Over the past few years I've been telling myself I must re-learn the French that I started at school; partly because it's always so embarrassing being British and arrogantly monolingual, but also because the French always seemed to have a whole other world of great comics just out of reach.
I seem to keep telling schoolteachers and anyone else who asks me about comics, that they are a great way to learn a new language, particularly as the pictures help you undersand the words, and the text is on the whole very basic and in manageable chunks. Deciding to practice what I preach, I got myself a French edition of Tintin in the Land of Black Gold (untouched), some Roman soldier historical comic (untouched), and a Smurfs (or 'Schtroumfs') adventure (which I got through in a few sittings).
All this I can now abandon as Cinebook are taking a good handful of titles each year and translating them into English. As I have made it part of my mission to find good kids comics and graphic novels (then get them to read them), I shall be working my way through the lot.


I've started with Lucky Luke (no.7 of 12 Lucky Luke volumes), by Morris and Goscinny (Asterix fame), originally published in 1971. Real enjoyable stuff with excellent animated artwork and plenty of jokes, I can't see any reason why other 8 to 12 year olds wouldn't be into this.

At a comics event sometime last year, Paul Gravett made the point that we have got it all so wrong -Why is it that in Britain we haven't worked out that it's a good idea to keep a book in print? Instead, every annual, whether it be Rupert, Beano, Smash! or whatever, has 2 months on the shelves at Christmas then gets relegated to oblivion with the rest of them? If I wanted to read or study David Law's wonderful early Dennis the Menace, I'd have to pay 30 or 40 quid on ebay for it (and that's if I could find it). In Europe they keep it all in print, and it's all there to buy new and enjoy.
And why can't I go into a regular comics shop and pick up Tintin and Asterix? There's certainly never anything else for kids in these awful places (Gosh! being the exception to the rule). I had to get my Lucky Luke off Amazon, and so god knows how anyone would ever stumble upon these books on the offchance.
Is it too much to ask for shops to accommodate for the next generation of readers? Believe me if I had the time, I'd run an amazing little shop with ALL of this material - and I'd have a little bakery in the back with a little hatch, and a narrow-gauge railway that would bring my customers through the woods, past the lake and ampitheatre (where The Sadies will be playing once a month), and through under the barn containing my printshop publishing set-up.....
Volunteer here! Come on, sign up!

Carlisle State Pubs

I also picked this up in Carlisle, and felt it warranted a post of it's own. No-one I spoke to while I was up there seemed to know anything about it, but Carlisle and the surrounding area had been subject to a 50 year experimental nationalisation of all their pubs and breweries.
In 1916 the measure was taken - compulsory purchase then 'disinterested management' of public houses created a sudden radical change from intensive and widespread bingedrinking squalor, to a non-profit scheme which encouraged restraint, eating before drinking, and playing a little pool to make your pint last longer. It wasn't quite rationing, but you couldn't buy a round in case you were hoarding beer for yourself.
The scheme initially aimed to tackle the problem of drunken itinerant Irish workers who laboured in the nearby munitions factory, but even when they moved on after the war and the problem disappeared, the decision was made to continue the experiment. By 1971, when the scheme finally ended, Carlisle was actually very proud of it's modernised pubs, excellent whisky and high quality beer. Local nationalised breweries pioneered pasteurising their bottled beer, resulting in the first clear and sparkling brew, as opposed to the bottle-fermented beer with deposits in the bottom.
In the 40's plans were drawn up to extend the scheme to various new towns, which could have led to an eventual full nationalisation of drinking! I find it incredible that we had this essentially communist or Soviet idea running so successfully for so long.
I struggled finding a nice pub in the city centre though.