Justin Marriott [ed.] - Comics Rule OK #2

[dem]

Justin Marriott [ed.] - Comics Rule OK #2 (Sept. 2024)

THE CROK POT: The readers have their say on issue one - Gold or Shite?
COMMANDOS RULE OK: CROK reports back from the best comics show you've never heard of
COMICS! UGH! THE VERY CESSPITS OF NON CULTURE! Jim O'Brien dives into the world of Raymond Briggs
A BURNING RING OF FIRE: Justin Marriott on 'Flame o' the Forest` from LION comics
WHO RUNS BLACKMARKET? WHO GOVERNS BRITAIN? Jim O'Brien on TAMMY's 'Lights out for Lucinda'
OH-WOHHH - THE TROGLODYTES... Justin Marriott wrestles with an army of reanimated cave dwellers
THE FANTA-STIC MR FORBES Jim O'Brien on Brian Forbes a comics artist in 'top shelf' magazines
AT LEAST WE TRIED Dez Skinn spills the beans on the history of WARRIOR
NOT FOR SOFTIES! Jim O'Brien on ACTION's future sport strip, 'Death Game 1999'
POCKET ROCKETS Justin Marriott on on 'Jet Ace Logan'
SIMON TEST AND THE TEMPLAR OF DOOM Justin Marriott on the 'Thirteen Tasks of Simon Test'
A MAN CALLED SUDDEN Jim O'Brien on Martin Sudden, the underground comix artist
A CIRCUS OF THE DAMNED Justin Marriott on horror strips in long running girl's title TAMMY
ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT FOR USE BY PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE Jim O'Brien on artist Arthur Ranson and the Fairburn System of References
THE MARKS OF FOUR GUNMEN Christian Blees on the western artwork of Arturo Del Castillo

Just arrived! Future sport is horror, unsuccessfully coping in the wake of a nuclear strike, more misery and gloom from the girls comics, focus on the rivals of Trog, from the toilet bowl it came, heroines of 70s-80s porn mag comic strips, enthused letters column, etc, etc.

Available via:

Am*z*n.uk
Am*z*n

[dem]

L-R David Lloyd, Warrior #11, July 1983: Mick Austin, Warrior #16, Nov. 1983:

To dive straight in, first thing, I love this from the editorial, written in response to a faceb**k post.

"... I thought the whole idea of fanzines is .... Not to be concerned about toeing the line in pursuit of sales numbers or advertising, to cover subjects that a commercial publication couldn't afford to, and bring new and idiosyncratic views and opinions to the subject. If someone described CROK as shambolic, I would say exactly and thanks .... In terms of subjectivity if that means inaccuracy perhaps that is inevitable due to the very nature of a fanzine, with CROK written by fans of comics rather than comics professionals. The contributors do their best to be accurate, but will be restrained by lack of time and funds to undertake deep research. It is important to keep perspective as well. Although I would never intentionally print inaccuracies, if my summation of how many issues a reanimated caveman strip ran for in VICTOR was wrong, for instance, the world will keep on spinning and no-one will have been hurt." - Justin Marriott Enter the Jaws of the CROK

Tony Thewenetti No Tears for Molly, Tammy Annual, 1981

Some personal standouts; the editor (again) on horror and supernatural content in Tammy, featuring 'the Duchess,' sports mistress from Hell (The Chain Gang Champions: for aquatic equivalent, see Swimmer Slave of Mrs Squall), Carol's enchanted school blazer, Eva's evil eye, ballerina's in peril, sinister old bags at a seaside resort, girl-eating plants and borderline misery porn involving comprehensively abused chambermaids, daughters (My Father, My Enemy), penniless orphans pressed into service, etc (for servants in peril aficionados, Marionette's delightful blog, The Tammy Project, includes a particularly interesting piece on Maureen Spurgeon's sadomasochistic No Tears for Molly). Finally for the best read for girls, Jim O'Brien revisits Lights Out for Lucinda (6 Dec. 1975-7 Feb 1976) which sees an entitled, unpleasant rich teen apparently thrown back through time and space to a desolate moorland town during the early years of WWII where she's put to work in a munitions factory. It's either toil long hours or go without your rations — at least, that's what Lucinda and workmates are led to believe ...

Closer in spirit to CROKs mothballed sister publication The Sleazy Reader, a feature on Brian Forbes' raunchy strips Oh, Wicked Wanda!, New Adventures of Sexy Susan, Pinky Knight, Carrie, and The Astounding Memoirs of Mrs Hawkins-Smythe as featured in top-shelf men's mags, Mayfair, Knave, Penthouse, and the dildo brothers' Sexy laughs. Forbes also illustrated the one-shot, Don Glut scripted porno-SF title, Fanta.

Jim O'Brien on Action's ultraviolent future-sport-is-horror entry, Death Game 1999, which sees condemned prison inmates offered a stark choice between state execution or a shot at brief snuff TV stardom as a player on a spinball team.

Costa Death Game 1999, Action, 8 May 1976.

More to follow ....

[andydecker]

Oct 18, 2024 8:59:30 GMT dem said:

if my summation of how many issues a reanimated caveman strip ran for in VICTOR was wrong, for instance, the world will keep on spinning and no-one will have been hurt." - Justin Marriott Enter the Jaws of the CROK

Spot on.

[dem]

Oct 18, 2024 10:55:38 GMT andydecker said:

Oct 18, 2024 8:59:30 GMT dem said:

if my summation of how many issues a reanimated caveman strip ran for in VICTOR was wrong, for instance, the world will keep on spinning and no-one will have been hurt." - Justin Marriott Enter the Jaws of the CROK

Spot on.

As with fanzines, so too with message boards. This one, anyhow.

Complimenting #1s dinosaurs in comics feature, This issue's 'Strips that Time Forgot' column remembers Ugg, Cecil the Stone age Scrapper, Billy's Bonker, the cannibal tribe of peril Plateau and other cavemen - perhaps we should try for a Vault DIY imaginary anthology equivalent? I'm sure it would be truly terrible.

Brian Bolland Zirk: Silver Sweater of the Spaceways, Warrior #3, July 1982

Was never particularly interested in Marvel, 2000AD or Warrior. In the latter case, that might have been different if the two issues I picked up had featured intergalactic pervert, Zirk, who if the sample illustration is representative, resembles a giant multi-tentacled swollen bollock welded to a giant Subbuteo base. According to Dez Skinn, the strip landed Warrior in financial straits. "We lost over a third of our distribution when a parent complained about a four page Steve Moore and Brian Bolland strip called Zirk. It took us over six months to recover. You could argue that this wasn't a title for children ..."

David Lloyd