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Post by killercrab on Apr 8, 2008 12:29:21 GMT
Yeah I've seen these in the flesh or in the paint you might say. Held them in fact!
ade
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Post by killercrab on Apr 4, 2008 15:39:27 GMT
Deathbell: outstanding novel, IMHO. GNS at his peak. Genuine sinister air, gripping story from start to finish. >>
I'll endorse this too. Of course I'd also recommend BATS OUT OF HELL , THE SLIME BEAST and THE SUCKING PIT as essential GNS reads. Then there are the CRABS books...
KC
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Post by killercrab on Mar 10, 2008 14:30:03 GMT
Oops I should look more closely Dem! I'm off for a kip.:-)
ade
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Post by killercrab on Mar 10, 2008 12:07:37 GMT
Great colour scheme that makes use of the red cowl to direct the eye to the centre of the image - before you peripherally notice the prone wench in the background! The bat in top hat on the back is a bit shit though...:-P
ade
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SHE
Mar 14, 2008 16:31:50 GMT
Post by killercrab on Mar 14, 2008 16:31:50 GMT
Raquel Welch or what? Look at the face guys :-) Surely was cold in the studio that day... ade
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Post by killercrab on Jan 25, 2008 21:45:17 GMT
Did you see Bear Behaving Badly this afternoon, BTW? It was a Halloween special featuring Horrible Henry the Headless Postman! >.
Postman Pate-less ... bwaarrrr
Sorry I missed it.:-)
ade
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Post by killercrab on Jan 25, 2008 18:29:03 GMT
It's actually the first page of a very fang in cheek ( ouch) New Avengers strip from the 1977 Grandreams annual - a company that kicked out *alot* of tv annuals I can tell you. The story of course isn't about a real vampire - but a disparaged movie lighting man called .. drumroll - Martin Count! Steed gets to say stuff like 'Give it up Count!I've pulled your teeth... *gum* quietly!'
Ha ha ...
All the usual vampire cliches get a knockings - witness this -
' Elsewhere , Steed has arrived at the home of professor L.Sing , Britain's leading expert on the subject of vampires ...'
And I thought that was you.:-)
Transpires Count is using poison inflicting dummy fangs and eventually the avenging trio trap him in his coffin - naturally.
' That really puts the lid on this case ' - Gambit smiles or would if John had drawn him smiling. They then walk off for a stake ... steak through a door marked EXIT. For all it's tongue in cheekness - it does feel like an Avengers story - albeit less subtle than on tv - but good enough for me to have read ' countless' times .
See it's infectious - glad you liked it.
ade
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Post by killercrab on Jan 25, 2008 11:05:44 GMT
This one's for Dem...
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Post by killercrab on Dec 10, 2007 2:07:58 GMT
More please Steve - I enjoy your *asides* as much as the stories!
As an aside too - there was a little mentioned witch hunt of comics here in the UK too ( at the same time). Wertham generally gets the limelight on this issue - but he wasn't the only defender of morality!
cheers
ade
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Post by killercrab on Oct 23, 2007 19:32:15 GMT
Swamp Thing's debut was modest - a short story filler in House of Secrets number 92. DC's mystery books ( of which there were many) usually housed 3 or 4 macabre tales from different writer/artist teams. Stealing from the infamous E.C. mags - DC's mystery books had their own characters who introduced the stories. Nobody thought overly about Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson's little gothic muck monster tale - that was until the mail started pouring in. DC offered the creative team a book to display their protogee - which was declined as they felt the story was a one off and had nowhere to go. A year later and Wein realised by updating the concept to modern times - the idea could run. after convincing a sceptical Wrightson - SWAMP THING the book was born. HOUSE OF SECRETS 92 is now the fifth most valuable silver age comic due to low distribution in the UK amongst other things. The repro above is from a reprint made available in 1992. To be cont... ade
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Post by killercrab on Oct 23, 2007 19:24:57 GMT
The nudity was seen in the original DRACULA LIVES b/w magazines not the comics. When Marvel came to reprint them last year ( after exhausting the color comics) - they censored the overt nudity by having things like hair drawn over the naughty bits.
It caused an uproar in collector circles.
Since then they've put an advisory notice on their latest *magazine* reprints to keep them uncensored , which is what they should of done for Dracula.It's a shame really but I think if you are a serious fan you'll probably get the original issues anyway. I think the Essentials are great cost saving device for newbies - but the lack of colour is a little detrimental , particularly when looking at Gene Colan's work which depends to a degree on colour holding the shapes adding clarity.
ade
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Post by killercrab on Oct 23, 2007 16:41:16 GMT
Marvel's TOMB OF DRACULA started life as a quick cash in on the trendy horror boom of the early 70's and ran for an incredible 8 years - 70 issues *most* of which were created by the legendary team of Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan in the most historic run of any artist/writer team of the decade.
From #2 onwards , the Dracula masterplan emerged as initial writer Conway jettisoned the Universal approach and moved the series from Transylvania to 1970's swinging London - a direct result of his appreciation of Hammer films.
The initial premise of the book was the conflict between Dracula and Frank Drake his descendent - Drake joins up with vampire hunters Rachel Van Helsing , Quincy Harker and Taj Nital - a mute Indian - eventually this team join forces with Blade the Vampire Hunter - an uneasy alliance which ebbs and flows.
After Marv Wolfman took over the writing reins Dracula became even more fleshed out and instead of being a one dimensional villian - he becomes an obsessed and tragic figure - identifiable - and it was this that cemented the book in the hearts of it's fans.
Marvel have recently issued the ESSENTIAL Tomb of Dracula - books 1 and 2 , reprinting in glorious b/w issues 1-49 - at the economical price of around 11 quid each .
Essential is the word ...
ade
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Post by killercrab on Jan 10, 2008 18:21:37 GMT
We'll have to give Bolton a section to himself, ade. He's well worth it. *I'll PM you 'bout the interview*>>
Arguably his best work is in the horror field - he did a great Bionic Woman strip ( House of the 7 keys) that's a mystery/horror in all but name! A bit of recognition for his Night Raven strip wouldn't go amiss ( in HULK comic circa late 1970's).
One of these days I'll get more than five minutes to write something up...
ade
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Post by killercrab on Jan 8, 2008 13:37:28 GMT
Interviews with John Bolton and examples of his superb artwork: >>
I'd like to read that some time. I've been a Bolton fan since he adapted DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS for House of Hammer magazine. I've a decent collection of his work that's appeared over the years ( though I prefer his *early* stuff to the more photorealist) - the sample you supply here a good example of the stuff I don't jones on that much. He did a fun NEW Avengers strip where the trio tackle Dracula - if photobucket wasn't such an arse - I'd scan the opening the full page shot ( I think you'd dig it Dem). Maybe when I grab a free moment I will.
Of course Bolton also illustrated the lion's share of THE MONSTER CLUB adaption - a strip originally drawn as a promotional tool for the trade premiere. I have a copy ( uber rare by all accounts) that I paid the princely sum of 25 smackers for in an auction. He also painted a geneology chart seen in the film ( but stolen off set) and the etching like drawings seen too.
One of my favourite series he drew was for LOOK-IN - his Bionic Woman work was phenomenal - balletic in quality in contrast to Martin Asbury's kinetic aggressive Six Million Dollar Man art ( which is also bloody fine work too).
I met John Bolton once when he signed a copy of HOH for me - probably circa 1979 at a Fantasy Con for which he drew a very Flash Gordonesque poster for ( that I've long since lost alas). Incidently he also did work for a Grandeams Flash Gordon Annual - coinicidence? - unlikely.
Defo an inspiration to me - thanks for highlighting this phenomenal British artist...
ade
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Post by killercrab on Mar 16, 2008 12:10:08 GMT
As mr Rog has mentioned that Norah Lofts has written under the alias Peter Curtis >>
Thanks for the details on Norah Lofts guys! I'm quite fond of THE WITCHES as it happens. Right now I'm reading WITCHFINDERS A Seventeenth-Century English Tragedy by Malcolm Gaskill. Pretty heavy duty tome - most of which is flying over my head to be honest - but it's interesting to read an historical account of the times and trials.
ade
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