Let's Keep it in the Local Planetary System: Mars Man and Moon Man

I wanted to make another appeal to blog readers with a collection of old comics -I know, so far every appeal has failed but I'm too stupid to give up.

If anyone has scans of the Mars-man and the Moon Man strips and are willing to forward them to me then I would be very grateful because after 20 years I've still never seen a copy.

Thanks

 

Puzzle solved

I received a response from the British Library which told me what I already knew however one very tiny piece of info opened everything up so Renwick and Otley is now no longer a mystery.

Anyone here related to William Walker of Otley?

"That's a scary old man on the cover!"

When I took the package from the front doorstep the first thing that I noticed was that it was bulky. I felt around the package as I was not expecting anything large (old habits die hard) and after that I carefully undid the package to find that there was another sturdy layer of card....followed by more protection and then...a book!

It was sturdy enough in itself but lightweight. It turned out to be 25 Star Stories For Boys published by D. C. Thomson & Sons.  Now, normally I do not buy fiction books only technical ones or books covering subjects I am looking into so need references. I have no time to read a lot of text books. So why did I buy this one? Well, I thought one of the stories featured art by John McCail but iot did not -just the publisher re-using an old title. Not uncommon.

Here is the book -look how thick it is...

The book size is 11.5 inches x 8.25 inches and 1.25 inches thick (29.9 x 20.25 x 2.5 cms) and there are 190 pp and in those days this thickness of paper was not unusual and books looked bulky!

Cover not in bad shape but as my sister pointed out "That's a scary old man on the cover!" Ahem. A kid that lived a rough life I'd say!

The spine is missing its cloth binding. Nothing really that unusual because even 1950s and early 1960s annuals bound this way can lose the binding cloth. Remember these were books printed as disposable entertainment and the binding on other books read by careful adults might remain intact but, come on -kids!

The frontispiece is rather jolly and not scribbled on.

The dedication page...my camera needs shooting but it's all I have:

"This BOOK Belongs To-
Keith Parsons
with Love & best wishes
from Auntie Nance & Uncle Jack
Xmas 1939"

Below is the contents page

And I know what you are thinking: "He must have spent a fortune getting that book!"  Well, it is over 81 years old and there is the significance of it coming from the very year that the "unpleasantness" started with Germany (no, NOT Brexit! Honestly). My mind asks questions immediately knowing full well that I will never get the answers.  But here we have Aunt Nance and Uncle Jack giving nephew Keith a Christmas annual just as war was breaking out and you can only hope they all went through that safely.

It is not just a book but a connection to human beings 81 years ago.

Oh. Right. You wanted to know how much I spent on this book. Deep breath, with postage...£7.50 or Euro 8.19 and $9.23.  That about covers you for 1.5 US comics today. Bargain. I may read through it more when I get time as I've a lot of publishing work to do but for my collection I do not mind having this book -it all dovetails in with our favourite subject -comics!

No, before you ask, I do not sell on or even think about how I could mark up the price of the book.

Do You Know Anything About Renwick of Otley (no, this is not about Medieval heraldry!)

There are many problems when it comes to tracking down defunct publishers. Renwick of Otley, with an office in Fleet Street it says in the books (probably letter drops) is one such publisher. Nothing comic book related but I have some of their hard back boys' books and to be honest sellers and dealers know nothing about the company. It has taken a month of solid searching to piece together bits and pieces for an upcoming article in Comic Bits

Problems: apart from the printer and the Fleet Street address there is absolutely no information what-so-ever. No date. Also, I have only two that carry inscriptions and these are important in a number of ways.

Firstly: "To Jimmy. Happy Chistmas 1959" helps date it straight away. The owner writing "This book belongs to ---------, 1956" again dates it. Dating is an important aspect. However, knowing that Auntie Joan and Uncle Bert gave the book to Jimmy gives it a sort of connection with tghose people (do not panic -I am not now going to try to trace the former owners!).

One person I bought a book from told me that he had owned it over 50 years and that his gran had given it to him -she having been born in 1878.  Now that is an added bonus for a bibliophile: from printers to shop to purchaser and then on to child.

I had, as I wrote, found out a few small pieces of information from book and online research but wanted to find out more. I thought "Try the British Library!"  So off went an email (I am not travelling by two buses to post a letter under current circumstances):

"Hello. I have several hardback books/annuals for children published by Renwick of Otley. I can find no details of the company and their books are undated ranging from 1920s to mid 1950s. "Fleet Street, London EC4" is one address: therewas an office there likely a letter drop. The books were "Printed by William Walker & Sons (Otley) Limited" that in the books is followed by "Printerdom, Otley". Do you have any information on the company? If it helps their titles included Our Boys' Tip Top, Our Boys Tales and Our Boys Best of All -similar titles for Girls. Thanks in advance -Terry"

Well, when I wrote that email I thought that the books were rare but then realised I only thought so because sellers were saying that!  I felt a real ass when I realised that -falling for the biggest con selling line on Ebay!  As it turns out there are a lot of these books out there.  But today I received a reply from the British Library:

"Hello Terry Hooper,
Thanks for your enquiry.

Since the discussed books were published after 1914, your enquiry is under the subject area of Humanities so I'm transferring it to my colleagues in the Humanities Reference Service Team.

You will be contacted in due course.
Kind regards, "

Seriously. What the--- "undere the subject area of Humanities"??  Before you ask there are several Reference Service Teams but none really explain what they cover. I am guessing I will need to wait longer to be told "We know nothing"! 😁

Wait unless someone out there has any information?  If you have then please get in touch. Like I wrote; nothing comic related just a curiosity to find out more about the company.

Archiving the Face Book Group

It is what you do with groups and blogs where no one shows any interest

I just archived the UK Golden Age Comics Face Book group. It was bad enough that the Yahoo version ran from 2002-2019 (when Yahoo deleted its groups as anything but mailing lists) and the only member responses I got were "We don't know anything -you are the expert" (which wears very thin as an excuse to not contribute especially when you know five of the longest members have big collections but never contribute BUT do take any original scans they want).

But I saved as much as I could -files, photos, images -some rare or not seen in many decades. Took a few months to get everything I could on the FB group. Some old members joined but the majority simply could not be bothered -even announcements on the old Yahoo group page go unanswered (though members are still active on other groups).

The one thing I have heard constantly since 2010 is "We need to see more UK reprints" or "That I am buying when it is published!" and now we have Comic Bits and Black Tower Super Heroes (BTSH prinrting a few old strips) and how many copies have sold? 0. None. Not one. I do not think a single copy of any of the 6 slimmwer volumed Black Tower Gold Collections has ever sold. The BIG collection...4 copies in 7 years.

So where is this claimed "huge interest in the British Golden Age of comics"? Not even the near legendary Back From The Dead has sold a copy and that took weeks to clean up and make readable.

Just over under 40, 000 views of this blog. Any comments from readers or questions? Not one. Any of the 40k actually purchased one of my books then please let me know. Leave a comment because as it stands I seem to be alone here.

My scans get stolen and uploaded to other pages with "original scan source unknown" added -the uploaders are members on my group.

My articles and posts have huge chunks stolen and used by others as 'their' work. Scans they will soak up all day long but support the continued work by buying books? Slap my ass because in a 3000 word article I made one -1- typo.

As sole contributor to the blogs and groups I've had enough. You can check out the page but not comment. Come September the FB group will probably be deleted like the blogs.

One man +No support of any kind=..... . The math is not that difficult.

I love talking about comics but I'll do what I do anyway -keep it all in my head.

Some upcoming changes

With continued lack of any kind of support from the thousands who visit CBO on a daily basis the blog will go dormant in September.

A few changes are on the way.

The Black Tower Comics & Books blog as well as Face Book page are set to continue -again, high views but no comments which is okay as they deal with my publishing business.  People can still ask questions if they want but I'm not too concerned about none since that seems standard these days.

If I find videos I feel are relevant to Independent comics then I will post them on the blog.

With well over 100 books now on the online store Black Tower is still one of the largesat (the largest) Black and White Independent comic publishers. one change taking place is that The UK's Largest Independent Publisher" will have the "UK" part dropped.

With the new system having been brought online by the Print On Demansd company I use over a week ago there are still problems. I can assuire you that if you check a book out and there is no cover displayed that is purekly an on site problem they are sorting out. ALL of the books are there and can still be ordered.

However, the new book display system of 4 at a time is tedious.  For this reason one of my old comic news blogs is being update to the Black Tower Comics Shop News.  Eventually all books, their covers and links for ordering will be listed so that the only point you really have to go to the online store is to check out the book preview and order.  The Comic Shop News will be a kind of online catalogue supplimenting the onlone store.  All for potential customers convenience...but a lot work for me!

Hey, I'm even posting a link to the BTC&B blog and vice versa so I am making this all very easy for you who are interested.

I will announce when the Comic Shop News blog is open later in the week.

Dene Vernon -Ghost & Mystery Investigator

A4

B&W

24pp

Price: £5.00 (excl. VAT)Prints in 3-5 business days

http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper/dene-vernon-mystery-man/paperback/product-24488985.html

After more than 70 years John McCail's ghost and mystery detective, Dene Vernon is back.

In this ClassicComic Fun reprint four of Vernon's terrifying cases -The Burning Heart! -The Terror of Steinlitz Castle! -The Evil From The East! and The Silent Pool Mystery.

Hurricane Hurry -The Stranger on a Horse

A4

B&W

20pp

Price: £5.00 (excl. VAT)

Prints in 3-5 business days
http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper/hurricane-hurry-stranger-on-a-horse/paperback/product-24490237.html

Hurricane Hurry is seemingly always at the right place and right time to come across bush-whacking skunks, low down varmints and plain old killers.

Under cover U.S. Marshall or Pinkerton Man? Or just a stranger on a horse "moving along"?
William A. Wards Western hero slaps-irons and uses his fists to deals out some Wild West justice.

Reprinting strips not seen in 60-70 years.

Comic Bits No. 2 -OUT NOW!

A4
B&W
80pp

Price: £6.00 (excl. VAT)Prints in 3-5 business days

https://www.lulu.com/en/en/shop/terry-hooper/comic-bits-volume-2-no-2-may-2020/paperback/product-166j76qn.html

The second issue of the magazine celebrating creators, titles and characters of the British Platinum, Golden and Silver Ages of comics.

In this issue

William A. Ward finally gets some long deserved recognition for his contribution to comicsJohn McCail gets "bigged up" something rotten!

We look at comedian and actor Bob Monkhouse's comic creation career

Steve Dowling -Father of the Garth newspaper strip speaks to Denis Gifford (the ONLY interview he ever gave)

There is a look at Dennis M. Reader and his comics work that spawned some of the UKs first super heroes.

There is also a look at William Fletcher Thomas, Ernest Wilkinson, Jos Walker, Mary Byfield and William H A Chasemore...

oh, and LOTS of lovely art and stripwork!

Completed

Issue 2 of Comic Bits volume 2 No. 2  is almost done and dusted. Front cover and 80pp interior done just the back cover to do.

Date for publication on the store front is 1st May.

So no interest?

Fair enough. Site stays as it is

New Book Cover Changes

Technical problems have been sorted and these are the new covers

Hurricane Hurry -Stranger on a Horse

A4

B&W

20pp

Price: £5.00 (excl. VAT)

Prints in 3-5 business days
http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper/hurricane-hurry-stranger-on-a-horse/paperback/product-24490237.html

Hurricane Hurry is seemingly always at the right place and right time to come across bush-whacking skunks, low down varmints and plain old killers.

Under cover U.S. Marshall or Pinkerton Man? Or just a stranger on a horse "moving along"?
William A. Wards Western hero slaps-irons and uses his fists to deals out some Wild West justice.

Reprinting strips not seen in 60-70 years.

Dene Vernon -Ghost & Mystery Investigator

OUT NOW!

A4

B&W

24pp

Price: £5.00 (excl. VAT)Prints in 3-5 business days

http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper/dene-vernon-mystery-man/paperback/product-24488985.html

After more than 70 years John McCail's ghost and mystery detective, Dene Vernon is back. In this ClassicComic Fun reprint four of Vernon's terrifying cases -The Burning Heart! -The Terror of Steinlitz Castle! -The Evil From The East! and The Silent Pool Mystery.

Want To See More?

Over the last week you've had quite a few comic treats and looking at the number of views at leasdt I know "someone" is checking out the blog even if there are no comments.

So now I have to ask you readers out there; simply leave a comment for the post you liked. It can simply be "Nice", "Fun" -no rules about what you have to write but PLEASE either state "I like this character" or "I'd like to see more".

Because, unless I know people are reading anbd enjoying and, hopefully, learning something about the characters, I am posting nothing new. It does not take a minute to write a quick comment and it encourages me to share some of my comics with you.

And please do not forget that there are Golden Age British comics volumes on the store front.

Thanks and I hope to hear from some of you.

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/hoopercomicsuk

Slicksure To The Rescue!

Harry E Banger (pron as in "Ranger") detective-cum-spy-cum super agent from Swan's comic line

The Falcon!

George Heath art on The Falcon from the 1957 Radio Fun Annual these pages were photocopied and sent to me by Brian "Bib" Edwards back in the 1990s when he learnt of my interest in the character.

The character featured in Radio Fun from 1947-1960. From 1st June, 1957 (BIG clue there as to why I was interested!), he featured on the front page in his new costume.

Enjoy

George Sanders IS The Falcon!

George Sanders, of course, played Mr. Freeze in a two-parter episode of the 1966 Batman TV series, was the voice of the uber malevolent man-hating tiger Shere Khan in Disney's The Jungle Book (1967), and as Simon Templar, "The Saint", in five films made in the 1930s and 1940s and that led to The Falcon.  The main reason was that RKO had been fighting with Leslie Charteris, creator of The Saint, so they stopped the series and then put Sanders in a new B picture series about another suave crime fighter –starting with The Gay Falcon.

Now, this is a comics blog so ‘Sanders’ characters’ comic connections should be noted.  Mr Freeze originated in DC Comics and later appearede in the Batman TV show (three different actors playing him –Sanders, Eli Wallach and even Otto Preminger!).  

The falcon appeared in Amalgamated Press’s Radio Fun weekly comic as the suave, sophisticated hero but in 1954 he gained a neat costume that had wings and helped him fly –well before Marvel Comics Falcon. Worth noting here is that, as with British movie and radio stars, those of Hollywood and their characters were used unofficially –Danny Kaye, Laurel & Hardy, Mickey Rooney and many, many others were liberally used in British weeklies.

 Above: George Sanders as the Saran

 Above: Sanders as Mr Freeze

 Above: as The Gay Falcon (come on -we're better than that!)
Below: The Radio Fun strip The Falcon which used to carry a photo of Sanders at the top left before that was dropped.

 Below: from a May, 1955 edition of Radio Fun. The Falcon...with costume and wings!  Artist: George Heath

Miracle Man -The Millionaire

A lot of comic history being rebooted over this character. The series was published in 1965 by Top Sellers of Manchester and ran for 13 issures. Thought to be most reprinted Spanish work -this story comes from No.11

Space Commander Kerry -The Phantom-X

This story, and most others, are credited to Mick Anglo.

Space Commander Kerry ran for 55 issues starting in August, 1953 until 1954.  Published by L. Miller Ltd., Mick Anglo drew the first 50 issues. When I saw this quoted as being by Anglo I checked the art -it literally screams out "Denis Gifford!"

And it is Gifford's work as he drew issues 51-55 and this comes from issue No. 53

Record set straight...again.