As part of CBOs Black Tower 31 And Proud series (sounds like a Channel 4 TV programme about gay rights -so I'll ad (c) to that "in case) here is a piece from another early contributor to Black Tower zines -by Gary Stainsby.
I think -think- this strip is from 1987. Another artist I know nothing about. Seriously, you got a letter asking if you were looking for strips for your zine and you never found out anything about the creator.
Like Adrian Wood, the mysterious artist known as Gary Stainsby had a nice style. And he was developing art-wise but just vanished one day. Nothing more ever heard from him and, yes, I have searched over the years. Hmm. I can see how the rumour that I dispose of people came out....
Anyway, this was one of the first strips Gary sent me and I still like it all these years later (and I managed to clean up the faded/dirty decades old zine pages) and I do hope that he at least continued drawing!
I think -think- this strip is from 1987. Another artist I know nothing about. Seriously, you got a letter asking if you were looking for strips for your zine and you never found out anything about the creator.
Like Adrian Wood, the mysterious artist known as Gary Stainsby had a nice style. And he was developing art-wise but just vanished one day. Nothing more ever heard from him and, yes, I have searched over the years. Hmm. I can see how the rumour that I dispose of people came out....
Anyway, this was one of the first strips Gary sent me and I still like it all these years later (and I managed to clean up the faded/dirty decades old zine pages) and I do hope that he at least continued drawing!
Having looked at this for a while - I think the background tone in a few places is by-hand stipling, not some kind of transfer sheet. Well,if you've got the time and the patience it's a nice effect.
ReplyDeleteOff topic; ACROMAID by Dennis Reader - it only ever had one story, didn't it ? The original 8 pager. Am I missing something about this character ? Anyway. Putting a package in the post in a couple of days - let you know when. Have a goodie.
Yes, I always thought hand stipling and there were a few back then who tried it. I did and after one panel realised it would slow my rate down to a page a day as opposed to 5-6 a day. It also kills your eyes! Acromaid: well, it was not listed in Denis Giffords The Complete Catalogue Of British Comics (1985) so it led to odd rumours. 1) that it was an "insert in another comic" -NO. Paper was rationed and you did not give away a free comic and it is priced at 5d and you did NOT do that with a give-away because the tax man might wonder what was going on., There were LOTS of one-off comics back then because of the regulations. 2) it is a fake and not real D. M. Reader. To which I respond ****** off That is pure Reader. I think it clear that either Denis got a copy after the book was compiled or he missed it. The man had a HUGE collection and I have no idea HOW he found anything (even stored in a never used cooker!). He does mention Acromaid in, I think Int Ency of Comics and also in Super duper Supermen of the Forties and Fifties. I think it was just an omission. There are books he had that he missed out in other works. It happens. Are you missing something? Close your eyes and think of when you had it last...oh. You mean Acromaid suddenly appearing in action with no origin? You had a character, in this case an attractive looking woman and Reader LOVED to draw "hot gals"m, and you knew boys reading wanted to see action...I could have phrased that better. BUT you had only enough paper quota for 8 pages and including an origin with the story might take 9-10 pages., Out goes the origin. After all, we only hear about Electro Maid's origin vaguely. Later, after rationing restrictions went, weekly comics could split an origin into 2-3 parts each of 2 pages But Reader and the others, even if they loved comics, were there to make money. It was business. So get to the gal. The fight. nuff said. Consultation fee -£4657788645 by PayPal please.
ReplyDeleteSorry, can't afford the consultation fee. The reason I asked was simply that I've been doing a few strips lately and all the characters were/are men. So I thought I'd balance it out with a female lead - I'd already done a couple of Reader's Catgirl so I thought I'd try Acromaid - but I found very little info on her, so I thought I'd ask in case I was missing something blindingly obvious. Interesting stuff though, so thanks. Oh yes, the Slicksure 'cover'. I've got bits of it here - I can make a new one. What do you want of it ? Just Slicksure ? Slicksure imposed on the 'comic strip' background ? Let me know and I'll try and sort it out. Well, that's me off for home. Take it easy.
ReplyDeleteThis is why the characters are obscure! Not been thinking of comics much today, did a Dene Vernon page for Green Skies but then got caught up in Irish and Cornish dead seals Depressing. Anything with Slicksure but DON'T letter it! Reader certainly loved his "good girls"!
ReplyDelete'Anything with Slicksure' is a bit vague. Do you want a new unlettered Slicksure strip or a poster or a cover ? Basically, for me, that was a one off. I have only the 'bat' oriented strip and what I read off your blog for Slicksure. I did the strip as a fun demonstration of artists re-doing theold strips.I hadn't thought about doing more, but I'm happy to if you'd like. Side note ( for me ) Dead seals. What do the autopsies say about their deaths ? ( I do realize that therre are limited autopsies - but they are carried out ) Is it a natural phenomenon or is there something else - parasite, change in feeding grounds, toxins, new predators ... what ? Anyway. Back to work.
ReplyDeleteSlicksure -either I miss-read or you didn't phrase it right. I thought you wrote that you wanted to dress as Slicksure to strip? Must be these new tablets (they aren't mine but they were more colourful and I thought why not?) Dark, black pendulous clouds of doom....that was it -toast. What were you offering? I think the A4 cover you did BUT I can chop around that no problem. I'm getting stick for everything these days online. Retirement seems even more nice. Seals -Ireland: nets, gun shots and smashed in skulls. Humans. Others a mystery -as per Cornwall. I've put the Cornish Wildlife Trust and Irish Seal Sanctuary in touch with one another as there needs to be coordination. In the US out of 60 mammal unusual mortality events they could only explain 29. I may check with other European agencies BUT there should be a central reporting office. I'm a semi retired feckin naturalist (actually, you NEVER retire from being a naturalist -I've tried). "Mystery deaths" or "mystery" anything and my pants are down like a Victorian tart's.
ReplyDeleteVictorian tarts ? Are you sure you aren't dressing like Slicksure for some'slick' fun - whatever that might mean. Getting stick from the online community - just ignore them.I'm going to start a new Acromaid andthen send on a package. It'll put a smile on your face. Putting two agencies in touch with each other sounds bizarre- as they are both in the British Isles. Nets, gun shots skulls smashed in sounds like fishermen - salt of the earth unless you interfere with their catch. 'Others' is a bit more omminous. I agree there should be a central reporting agency for these occurances. As most sea creatures are 'creatures of habit', feeding in the same areas and swimming the same routes and areas for decades if not centuries, it should be possible to figure out where they are dying. Location often indicates cause ( toxic spill, over fishing etc ) anyway; I'm not a naturalist ( I bet you didn't know that !) but some co-ordination and liason is needed here. Maybe you should suggest that ?
ReplyDeleteSeals being friendly and knowing people love them...approaching boats and then BANG! or "Klunk!" If the US agency with all its facilities can only solve 29 out of 60 mass deaths of seals...maybe someone needs to specialise. Me, I've done with big cats and exotics. I'm retired but, if they ever really need "The Big Cat Detective" to return "for the country" well...yes, a good few newspapers DID call me that. Oy.
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