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| ESSENTIAL READING: | |
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Graphic Witness: Four Wordless Graphic Novels by Frans Masereel, Lynd Ward, Giacomo Patri & Laurence Hyde selected and introduced by George A. Walker Firefly $29.95 The power of a story told through images lies in its universality. It can be read anywhere by anyone, regardless of language, making it an ideal medium for social commentary and criticism. Four rare wordless novels are reproduced here, by some of the greatest woodcut artists from the first half of the 20th century, as a testament to the roles as graphic witnesses. The stories they tell reflect the political and social issues of their times: economic depression, social injustice, war and fear of nuclear annihilation. While the context may have changed, the issues, sadly, remain relevant today. Reproduced in their entirety are: - The Passion Of A Man (1918) by Frans Masereel - Wild Pilgrimage (1932) by Lynd Ward - White Collar (1938) by Giacomo Patri - Southern Cross (1951) by Laurence Hyde "This book contains classic wordless novels that used to be almost
impossible to find (believe me, I tried)... George Walker gives
them context and allows the genius of Ward, Masereel, Patri and
Hyde to shine. If you care about graphic novels, if you're interested
in what can be done with images, you need this book." "These wordless novels are such vital objects and still have so
much to offer - beauty, brutality, empathy, a seriousness of purpose,
joie de vivre, revolutionary fervor - but most of all, these books
reflect the work of artists who fully believed that art can change
the world." |
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The Cartoon Century: Modern Britain Through The
Eyes Of Its Cartoonists (HC) by Timothy Benson Random House $20.00 A year-by-year history of the past century, as captured in contemporary cartoons and caricatures, featuring work by Britain's finest cartoonists. Cartoons have the astonishing power to encapsulate a historical moment or popular mood. From the death of Queen Victoria to the downfall of Saddam Hussein, this book shows the views taken by the nation's leading cartoonists of the issues and personalities that dominated the news. Some show a nation united (the outbreak of the First World War); more often they reveal where battlelines have been drawn, whether they're cartoons supporting or attacking appeasement, trade unions, the EU or contraception, or seeking to praise or bury Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair or the Archbishop of Canterbury. Many have achieved iconic status (David Low's savage attacks on Hitler; Steve Bell's portrayal of John Major with his pants over his trousers), but a number of the cartoons shown were rejected or censored by contemporary newspapers. Together, they offer fascinating and revealing snapshot views of Britain over the course of a tumultuous century. Timothy Benson runs the Political Cartoon Society from its headquarters in Store Street, Lonson. |
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The Adventures Of Hergé:
Creator Of Tintin by Michael Farr Last Gasp $29.95 Following on from his best selling Tintin: The Complete Companion, Michael Farr portrays the little known but fascinating life of Herge, the remarkable artist behind Tintin, the boy reporter who continues to thrill and delight an ever-widening audience. In seven separate sketches he presents his picture of a man whose life is the key to his creation. A hundred years after his birth, Georges Remi, better known as Herge, is celebrated for creating Tintin, the dauntless young reporter-hero of this strip cartoon he first introduced in 1929. The Adventures of Tintin remain a constant source of reference throughout this new book, which draws on fresh material found in the extensive archive held by the Studios Herge, as well as a series of interviews with those who knew him intimately, friends, and colleagues who worked with him. Generously illustrated (color and b&w), this hardcover book examines the life and passions of a man who, despite his international fame, preferred to avoid the limelight, finding inspiration in modern art, the latest scientific developments and world affairs, and seeking enlightenment in Zen Buddhism and philosophy. It considers his role as the European pioneer of the strip cartoon and establishes his role played by contemporary cinema in his development of it, from the slapstick of the 1920s, through the drama and suspense of the pre-war Hitchcock thrillers, to the early works of Steven Spielberg - the one filmmaker he believed could successfully bring Tintin to the large screen. Apart from the strip cartoons that made his name, Herge was an accomplished graphic designer and typographer and his - at times - highly advance work for advertising is reviewed, as well as his later, less successful, aspirations to become an abstract painter. Not only was he fascinated by modern art, he also became an avid collector. He greatly admired the pop artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein - buying major works of theirs - and they in turn paid tribute to him. |
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The Other Side by Jason Aaron & Cameron Stewart DC/Vertigo $12.99 A collection of the hard-hitting, miniseries examining life on opposing sides of the Vietnam War through the eyes of two young men: Bill Everette, an Alabama farm boy who's been drafted into the Marine Corps, and Vietnamese farmer Vo Dai, who enlists in the People's Army of Vietnam to fulfill his duty to his country. This volume features behind-the-scenes extras, including an introduction by Captain Dale Dye. "Talk about nailing the zeitgeist: Vertigo Comics brings the
horrors of war home to disconnected America with two different
works, The Other Side and DMZ.
While neither one is specifically about Iraq, it's nearly impossible
to read them without considering our country's neo-con New World
Order... Peering into another senseless quagmire, the self-contained
Other Side is a stunner of a comic. In fact, few war stories in
any medium blend such horror with such a poetic humanization of
the enemy. Newcomer Jason Aaron weaves a gripping Vietnam tale
with two leads, Billy Everette and Vo Binh Dai, both rural boys
swept into an incomprehensible conflict. As their paths inexorably
cross in a war-ravaged hell, each experiences his own increasingly
bizarre reality: Billy sees ghosts of dead American G.I.s, while
his gun goads him toward violence; Vo Dai believes gods and dragons
cross his path, spurring him to action. As grippingly tragic as
Aaron's tale is, artist Cameron Stewart elevates it to a higher
level. Stewart and colorist Dave McCaig give us a comic both beautiful
and dreadful to gaze upon. There's excellent material in the appendices,
including photos and diary excerpts from Stewart's research trip
to 21st century Vietnam. This book's so good, it deserves a hardcover
edition on top-notch paper, but you won't go wrong with this paperback." |
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The Original Art Of Basil Wolverton (HC) by Basil Wolverton with Glenn Bray Last Gasp $35.00 The hilarious spaghetti-and-meatball style caricature art of Basil Wolverton has been a huge influence on art luminaries such as Robert Crumb, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, Robert Williams, Drew Freidman, and others. This is the first time that the work of one of comicdom's major legacies has been presented in a fine art tome, showcasing art from the collection of Glenn Bray, with essays by Monte Wolverton and Doug Harvey. Basil Wolverton, a unique cartoonist in the decades from the 1940s to the 1960s, was best known for his depiction of human and otherworldly creatures rendered with smoothly sculpted features, spaghetti-like hair, and extremely detailed crosshatching. Born in Oregon in 1909, Wolverton pitched his first comic strip to a syndicate at the age of 16, but it wasn't until 13 years later that he would sell his first comic features to the new medium of comic books. 'Disk-Eyes the Detective' and 'Spacehawks' were published in 1938 in Circus Comics. In 1940, 'Spacehawk' (a different and improved feature) made its debut in Target Comics. The series ran for 30 episodes (262 pages), until 1942. 'Powerhouse Pepper', Wolverton's most successful humor comic book feature was published in Timely, Marvel and Humorama comics from 1942 through 1952. Wolverton penned many other features, producing a total of some 1,300 comic book pages. In 1946 he earned first prize for his rendition of Lower Slobbovia's ugliest woman, Lena the Hyena. The contest, part of Al Capp's 'Li'l Abner' newspaper strip, was judged by no less than Boris Karloff, Frank Sinatra, and Salvador Dali. It won Wolverton fame and notoriety, and moved his career into the mainstream spotlight for a few years, with features and caricatures appearing in Life and Pageant magazines. At the peak of his style, in the early 1950s, he produced what many regard as his best work, 17 episodes of comic book horror and science fiction. During the '50s, his work was prominently featured several times in the early MAD magazine, as well as Life and Pageant. In his later years Wolverton produced a story of the Old Testament, which included more than 500 illustrations, and created a series of apocalyptic illustrations based on the New Testament's "Book of Revelation." During this time he continued to create outrageous cartoons for clients as diverse as Plop , Playboy and the Topps Company. Wolverton died in 1978. "I hate this cliche, but it's true, Basil Wolverton's art BLEW
MY MIND!!! He's the main inspiration for me to do what I do AND
the first to appreciate the beauty in ugliness... I even love his
name!" "Wolverton is one of the greatest of the greats, a never-duplicated
one-of-a-kind comic-book genius whose work holds the same visceral
impact today as it did 50 years ago. Do not miss this opportunity
to study and scrutinize these original pages." "The first time I ever saw the work of Basil Wolverton was on
the cover of MAD number 11, in 1954. I was eleven years old and
it changed forever the way that I looked at the world." "In the middle of the 20th century the audacious cartoon style
of Basil Wolverton was considered, at best, silly. But his lurid
drawings didn't go unnoticed by a few artists of the day. In the
1950s noted cartoonists such as Jack Davis, Harvey Kurtzman and
Wallace Wood caught his virus. Later, such luminaries as Ed "Big
Daddy" Roth, Robert Crumb and even Walt Disney Studios fell under
his spell. And, in all due respect, I myself contracted inspiration
from his infectious imagination." |
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The Complete Nemesis The Warlock Vol 1 by Pat Mills & Kevin O'Neill, with Bryan Talbot & Jesus Redondo Rebellion £13.99 From the pages of 2000AD... Termight is a world at the heart of a cruel galactic empire - a world devastated by nuclear warfare. Deep below ground, its inhabitants try to eke out a mere existence, continually threatened by the Terminators, lead by the diabolically evil Torquemada. There is a resistance though, and a new kind of hero. Meet Nemesis the Warlock, champion of the coming rebellion. "Refusing to bow to convention, Kevin then drew the wildest idea
of all: Nemesis visiting a steam punk fantasy world. He deserves
all the credit for this - all I did was make sense of it story-wise,
but I regard his Victorian imagery here as surpassing anything
I have seen anywhere in science fiction art before or since. Steam-driven
roller skates! Zeppelin propelled shoes! Flying hansom cabs! The
fact that his pages of visual genius are rarely, if ever, mentioned
in comicdom astounds me; especially as he has since produced the
Victorian fantasy The League Of Extraordinary
Gentlemen." "This whole period is my favourite in the golden early days of
2000AD though we had censorship problems and readers vote charts
dictating the views of, frankly, a minority. Unless they were positive,
in which case, of course, they were a fair reflection of all our
readers." |