Explanations....and blood
Tuesday, 30 May 2017
"...the people at the top lacked any real commitment to comics..."
In the 1940s the thinking was that the Second World War would see an end to comics. They continued.
Then there was "Cinema is going to kill off comics" but they continued.
Then TV was going to kill off comics. They continued.
Video games were going to kill off comics. They continued.
Computer games were going to kill off comics. They continue.
But do you know what did the damage? The people in comics. In the United States it seems that the, uh, 'experts' have looked at all the historical stuff and concluded that when the professional comic writers, editors and artists (particularly at Marvel) were replaced by comic fan boys the industry took a nose-dive. Jim Shooter started getting things back in order but...well that is a long story but after he went the company nose-dived into quicksand.
The US comics industry was more ingrained in pop culture, something the UK industry had tried to jump into but in a smaller way. Without the backbone to "Do a Stan Lee" it was bound to fail. The problem was that many in the UK industry were still too embarrassed to admit to working in comics. But, again, the fan boys got into the industry and things began to unravel. They may well want to see themselves promoted as the "revolutionary creators" but they sped up the death of UK comics.
And the people at the top lacked any real commitment to comics. A D. C. Thomson executive stating on TV in the early 1980s that "comics will be dead in ten years" more or less summed up the industry thinking. Do something to attract new readers and keep the old ones? No. Start producing lesser quality material and let the dying horse drag itself to the quicksand.
The meetings I had with comic management in the 1980s/1990s showed the problem. "We get hundreds of letters a month asking for this character or that comic to be brought back" I was told "but these people have no idea there is no interest in these comics or characters now!" Uh, "hundreds" of letters a month is sign of interest. Then, several times, "a new comic launch costs around £65,000!" I was told. I pointed out I knew printers that were good and never ever that expensive. But, no, this was for the "launch" -the kind of launch that got the return of Roy of the Rovers about an inch (2.5cms) of space in national papers -IF they bothered.
Where was the £65,000 going to? Best not to ask questions. The UK comics industry was just as corrupt as its US counterpart but without the organised crime element!
Looking back, it is sad to say that the only person who realised that comics could be a major industry in the UK was Robert Maxwell (and his rival, Rupert Murdoch was waiting to jump in if Maxwell did). And do you know who put the spike in at both camps? The people working in the comics themselves -they were cutting the very lifeline they were grasping.
Today...let's not go there. The fake comic pioneers can continue taking credit for everything while passing the blame on to others and re-write comics history how they want it.
Here is the thing, though: there is no reason why comics in the UK should not succeed. Video and computer gamers also collect/read comics. So do movie goers. Kids still love to read old comics and many have never seen a real comic before. You have the product then you have an audience. Weekly comics seem almost ruled out these days but the monthly advertising product magazines that replaced comics are still going. "News agents won't stock the comics any more due to shelf space" -crap. Go into a newsagent and look at the shelves. If it sells they will order and those monthly ad mags are still there.
You need your product (comic) and you need to promote it -these days free advertising is everywhere and that includes radio and digital TV.
You need a distributor who know their job.
That sounds simple? It is. The thing is that you have to get away from the "fans producing comics" mentality. A monthly comic would be business. It needs to be run by someone who knows comics and what is going on outside of comics that will be of use to comics. No "my friend is a good artist so I'll get him involved" -can your friend (who is now an employee NOT friend) draw the number of pages required on time and if he/she cannot cut it can you replace him/her with someone who can?
It is business. If you are, say, Managing Editor, then your boss is putting his money into the business to get a profit back. This is where the UK industry failed. An idea that was "hot" was never even tried because editors couldn't be bothered and management never had the backbone to go to the bosses and say "This seems like a very good idea" and convince them. At Fleetway it was a shock to see that management downward were simply biding time until they retired or their jobs went.
But let's not go there. I am still surprised no Chinese or India based businessman has tried to get into UK comics. The continued success of Cinebook The 9th Art proves there is still major interest in comics in the UK.
I'm here. Contact me.
Sunday, 28 May 2017
Redefining The Ages Of British Comic Books...up-date
Let's be honest -I should not be re-posting this again. However, despite giving the link to several people who are very off the mark, they persist. It is important that anyone who is really interested in British comics get the correct information.
And no one has so far given Gerald Swan the credit for introducing the US comic book format to the UK which, in itself, is a very significant and important point and credit. Now you know.
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Why re-post this article since it was first published back in 2000 and several times since then? Well, despite the "serious comics history" pundits being given the link on a number of occasions it appears I am beneath their interest. I know this because they are now stating that the Overstreet Price Guide has published 'new' info.
Here is what someone wrote on Yahoos Platinum Comics group:
"But even that big news in Comic Book History has been overturned, with the discovery of an even earlier comic book, entitled The Glasgow Looking Glass, published in Scotland, in 1825."
Yes, well, Denis Gifford and myself both wrote about that (he WELL before me) back in 1984 and wrote about it in 1985.
Now I do realise that some "sequential historians" look down on us regular comic folk but seriously they are ten years behind the rest of us.
So here is the cranky old article but with new illos.
I thank you.
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Despite attempting to fill in the Lost Era of British comics from the 1940s/1950s since the 1980s it is only recently, with the invaluable help of Dennis Ray, owner of The 3-Ds comic store in Arlington, Texas, that a small chunk of this period has been rediscovered.
Characters not listed even in Denis Gifford references have been found. These have started to appear in the Black Tower Golden Age Classics series. As they are unlikely to be big money earners the cover prices were kept low for those interested in the subject.
Oh, and as I've proven previously, the myth of the Germans "never had comics during the war" is just that.
A myth.
And though some comics continued few survived. Thomson's continue but in much poorer form and British comics as an "industry" are dead.
Above: Dennis Gifford
Above: Comics Historian Alan Clark
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Here is a slightly up-dated version of my article defining the British ages of comics from my British Golden Age Comics web site and a couple years back on CBO.
The late Denis Gifford spent many decades chronicling the history of British comics. It was a never-ending task and at least we still have his books to rely on –these have been so plagiarised by new ‘experts’ that it shows just how valuable any Gifford book is. For this reason,I am relying solely on Denis’s and the “Tel’s From The Crypt” feature from vol.1 no.1 of COMIC BITS [1999].
Of course,there are some who would argue that comic strips go back further than the dates I give. This is debatable and,hopefully,one day the UK will have a symposium on the subject!
Looking Glass was a tabloid sized periodical published by Thomas McLean and could be purchased as either a plain or hand-coloured edition. Some 36 issues were published starting on 1st January, 1830 until December, 1832 -but from issue number 13, that was published on 1st January, 1831, it suddenly got re-titled to McLean's Monthly Sheet of Caricature or The Looking Glass.
But this was not the first Looking Glass! John Watson published The Glasgow Looking Glass on the 11th June, 1825 and it lasted five issues up to August, 1825. From 18th August, 1825 and for twelve issues up to 3rd August, 1826 as Northern Looking Glass. Not to be confused with The Glasgow Looking Glass -no connection.
But this was not the first Looking Glass! John Watson published The Glasgow Looking Glass on the 11th June, 1825 and it lasted five issues up to August, 1825. From 18th August, 1825 and for twelve issues up to 3rd August, 1826 as Northern Looking Glass. Not to be confused with The Glasgow Looking Glass -no connection.
THIS is the comic 'newly discovered' by the Overstreet Price Guide!
According to Denis, the first comic magazine was actually titled…The Comick Magazine! The magazine appeared on 1st April,1796. The publisher was Mr Harrison of 18 Paternoster Row,London who describe the title as “The compleat Library of Mirth, Humour, Wit, Gaiety and Entertainment”.
Most purists would argue that The Comick Magazine was wholly text,however,it did come “enriched with William Hogarth’s Celebrated Humorous,Comical and Moral Prints”. –one per monthly issue! These prints formed the series “Industry and Idleness” and when put together in their “narrative sequence”, argued Gifford,”they could be described as an early form of comic strip”
Above: Dr Syntax on Tour
Thomas Rowlandson provided plates for The Caricature Magazine [1808]. On the 1st May,1809 came The Poetical Magazine and it was in this –Rowlandson the artist once more—that what is arguably the first British ‘comic’ super star was born:Dr Syntax! The serial by William Combe,”The Schoolmaster’s Tour” was Dr Syntax’s first,uh,outing and in 1812 was reprinted in book form [graphic novel?] as “The Tour Of Dr Syntax in Search of The Picturesque”. This featured 31 coloured plates.
Dr Syntax spawned merchandise spin offs,as any comic star does,such as Syntax hats,coats and wigs!!
Figaro 31st March, 1832
Inspired by the French funny paper Figaro,on 10th December,1831,the four page weekly Figaro In Londonappeared. Cover and interior cartoons were by Robert Seymour. This first funny weekly went on for eight years and was to inspire [imitation] spin-offs such as Figaro In Liverpool and Figaro In Sheffield. We can see the future shape of the comic industry appearing here!
Punch In London appeared on 14th January,1832 –this weekly lasted 17 issues and the last featured 17 cartoons!
The longest lived comic magazine,of course,was Punch from 17th July,1841 until its demise in 2002!
It is a fact that Punch,on 1st July,1843,introduced the word “cartoon” into the English language;on that date the magazine announced the publication of “several exquisite designs to be called Punch’s Cartoons”. Two weeks later the first appeared,the artist being John Leech. [for more info on Punch see http://www.punch.co.uk/]
Punch number 1
Leech also drew “The Pleasures Of Housekeeping” [28th April,1849] –described as a slap-stick strip about a suburbanite called Mr Briggs which,ten years later,was published in book form as Pictures Of Life And Quality.
In 1905 Mr Briggs was still being reprinted in six penny paperbacks.
Judy~The London Serio-Comic Journal started on 1st May,1867 and,on 14th August of the same year introduced a character who became one of the greatest comic heroes of the day…….Ally Sloper!
Ally Sloper [so called because,when a debt collector turned up he Sloped off down the Alley!] was a bald headed, bulbous nosed figure with a rather battered hat. ..often described as a Mr Micawber type [as played by W.C.Fields and others over the years]. Ally was constantly trying to make money but more often than not never quite succeeded.
Merchandise abounded, Sloper Pewter mugs, figurines, bottles and much,much more. And you can learn a great deal more on a wonderful web site –
There was an Ally Sloper comic in 1948 and some might think that was it. However, Walter Bell drew the old lad inAlly Sloper, a British comics magazine published by Denis and Alan Class in the 1970s.
Note: since this was first written the Ally Sloper's Comic Bits was shelved and also, in an interview with Alan Class, he told me he was NOT publisher of the 1970s fanzine!
Above the 1948 Ally Sloper comic.
Ally has certainly lived longer than his creator, Charles Henry Ross, could probably ever have imagined!
Into the 20th Century and there was the rise of many illustrated text stories and comic strips with text under each panel.
D.C. Thomson had titles like ADVENTURE and ROVER. Alfred Harmsworth’s, and later his Amalgamated Press’,COMIC CUTS was the first comic though. Issue 1 was published on 17th May,1890 and the final issue was published on 12th September,1953 with issue number 3006!
But the 1930s saw a virtual explosion in comics from small publishers outside London. These included Merry Midget, no.1 dated Saturday,12th September,1931 and published by Provincial Comics Ltd.,Bath –and the other title from this publisher was Sparkler. Also publishing from Bath were Target Publications who produced Rattler and Target.
Above:The Illustrated Chips, 1933
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Now these were traditional humour strips and gags along with text adventure stories. But in 1939 something happened that ended the Diamond Age and saw the beginning of the Golden Age.
On the 8th July,1939,the Amalgamated Press published, in Triumph, the strip “Derickson Dene”, drawn by that "mysterious" comic great 'Nat Brand' (Len Fullerton). Gifford described the strip as “a four page serial strip that established him [Dene] as the first British super hero in the American comic book style”.
And then,on the 5th August,1939, in Triumph no.772,compilations of the Siegel and Shuster Superman newspaper strips started. On the front cover,flying through space and drawn by John “Jock” McCail was The Man of Steel.
These two very significant strips, in my opinion, ushered in the British Golden Age.
Above: two 1943 comics still surviving in my collection.
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There was only one little problem. Across the English [or French] Channel,a little twerp with a silly moustache started a “bit of a tiff” we know as World War Two. Paper restrictions and the banning of imported goods such as comic books,meant that British publishers had to use whatever they could. Comics were printed on brown wrapping paper,silver paper[!] and other inferior stocks. Many comics simply vanished.
No new ongoing titles could be published so smaller publishers began to issue one-off eight pagers.
The best known publishers remembered today are the Amalgamated Press and D.C.Thomson,at the latter not just Lord Snooty and his Gang but also Eggo and Desperate Dan took on the Germans.
+pagecover.jpg)
But Gerald G. Swan deserves a mention for books such as War Comics, Topical Funnies Special Autumn Number, Thrill Comics, and Slick Fun. . Swan gave us Krakos the Egyptian and Robert Lovett:Back From The Dead.
A. Soloway produced All Fun and after the war Comic Capers [1942] and Halcon Comics [1948]. R & L Locker published Reel Comics and Cyclone Illustrated Comic. Newton Wickham published Four Aces and Martin & Reid produced Grand Adventure Comics.
Gifford himself, later to work on Marvelman -and there are VERY strong rumours Marvel comics will be reprinting the 1980s series*, produced Mr Muscle. Cartoon Art Productions of Glasgow published Super Duper Comics [1948]. W. Daly gave us Crasho Comic [1947]. Cardal Publishing of Manchester gave us the Gifford drawn Streamline Comics [1947]……..
There were so many publishers and titles and these titles included Ally Sloper, Ensign Comic, Speed Gale Comics, Whizzer Comics, Super Duper, The Three Star Adventures, The Atom, Prang Comic, Marsman Comic, Big win comic, Big Flame Wonder Comic, Evil Eye Thriller, The Forgers and many,many more –super heroes,science fiction, humour, detective,war comics the lot.
However, there was soon to be a revolution. Publishers started declining and the big companies continued on. Then,on 14th April,1950, ”launching British comics into the new Elizabethan Age,and the Space Age” appeared The Eagle, starring Dan Dare. This date can be seen as the start of the Silver Age of British comics.
In the Amalgamated Press’ Lion no.1,23rd February,1952 Robot Archie made his debut. In 1953, rivals D. C. Thomson featured General Jumbo in The Beano. Miller, of course, brought us Marvelman and his family of comics.
More uniquely British characters followed and into the 1960s we saw “The House of Dollman”, ”The Spider” (created by Jerry Siegel despite what some UK pundits write. I spoke to the man in charge at Fleetway who when younger handled the scripts with Siegel's name on and told how the office was a-buzz about "the character -created by one of the men who created Superman"), ”Steel Claw” and ”Rubberman” appear.
In the mid –to- late 1970s titles began to get cancelled more and more frequently with Thomson and Fleetway/IPC seemingly not sure just where they were going comic –wise. In February,1977, 2000 AD made its debut and it was a pivotal point for British comics [not to mention for the US industry which later recruited many of the talents involved to help its rapidly sinking comics in the mid-1980s.
From all of this we can define the ages of British comics.
The Platinum Age ~ 1796-1938
The Golden Age ~ 1939-1949
The Silver Age ~ 1950-1976
The Modern [Bronze Age] ~ 1977-1995
And there you have it;a brief break-down and definition of the Ages. of British comics. What we see today are little cliques of Small Pressers who come and go by the dozen every few months. Those who continue to declare there is an industry are rather sad as they depend on a non-existent thing to boost their ego and "be someone".
On Fandom And Little Cliques..and sharing!
I know that it is a very -very- small group in the UK but why shouldn't they get a chance to see the comics I have discovered? Most of those I know who are interested cannot find or afford the price of the comics and even when fairly priced it is finding the comics. So I do the work and publish the collected Gold books or the complete collection which works out cheaper.
I will never ever make my money back! But I never thought that I would. Unlike in, say, the United States where, were even a 350+pp b&w collection of US Golden Age available then it would sell to real fans or collectors, in the UK...obviously not. I won't even go into why as I have done so before and the lack of interest was overwhelming.
But the books are there for anyone really interested in UK comics of those periods. There was the British Golden Age and UK Golden Age Heroes & Comics blogs. The first has had 23, 834 views since it was set up in 2011. The second has had 6, 112 views since set up in 2013.
the Yahoo! British Comic Books Archives group was set up on 31st January, 2007 and has thousands of images over several album pages and a lot of interesting posts. It has 55 members -and the majority are not even in the UK.
Sales of the Collected book, and I need to point out that not one of the slimmer volumes has ever sold...3 copies. Once you take into account what I finally receive financially, those three sales do not even pay for one of the comics I purchased to go in it.
Now, in the old fanzine days it was common to find fans sharing photocopies of old comics (none of us had scanners or internet until the 1990s!) or swapping information. Initially, fans started to do the same thing over the internet but that more or less stopped years ago now. There are books fans are looking for and we know other 'fans' have copies. Will they scan and share? No. Why? "Because no one else here has a copy so it's mine and I'm not sharing!" And that was actually said on one of my Yahoo group members. These people tend to like to steal the work I have done and add it to sites so they get credit but simply state "original scanner unknown"....I guess the scans just appeared miraculously on their computers then?
When I have used material in a book scanned and sent to me by someone I name them. But I do not credit people using silly, anonymous internet names. And I have made it clear that I cannot (there are very sounds legal reasons why no one ever should) credit "anonymous" or some internet name. Why on earth are these people scared to take credit for their scan work?
That adds something else to the mix. Groups where scanners of Silver Age UK comics go into all their scanning details (which is pointless) and call themselves "comic editors". Weird. They are scanners and not comic editors!
And...allowing 95% of members on their groups to be anonymous is fine. After all, MI5 would love to track them down -seriously, you are on a fecking comic 'fan' group so why do you need a different internet name on that and 4-5 other groups?? The world's security services are not after you for reading comics. Unless it's so there is no come back on them when they take part in petty sniping at other members? It's why I left those groups.
But, that anonymity....you offer scans over the internet on your groups but then get angry (and "angry" does not really cover it!) when someone has compiled all of those scans into a collection on CD to sell on Ebay. Screeching -"Without given credit to me!" and "Profiting from group scans and contributing nothing back!" but this is the very funny part of it: they "all" want to know who this person is (I was actually accused once but that stopped as soon as I asked them to repeat the remark and get sued, stupid little infants) but how can you when you let all these people join anonymously? Any how could this person contribute back to the group?
Financially? Oh, well, how do they know this person has NOT contributed scans (I suspect he has and I think I know who he is and it is quite obvious unless you are a "comics editor" on a Yahoo group!)? Who gets money? And best of all is the idea that, somehow, their copyright and editing work has been infringed upon. Firstly, a scanner has no copyright claim. You offer a free scan on the internet it gets used....tell me about it...sob sob...just two of my Eros books have been illegally downloaded by the millions. I don't lose sleep over it or bleat on.
And now the "elite Platinum 'comics' clique". I ask about certain characters or titles. "Oh yes. That is in the (my) collection". Any chance of a scan? "I am rather busy. Ask me in a couple months" and the one I always laugh at: "Oh, I had no idea that one had not been catalogued. I've had that for years." Seriously, this is what I call "a load of old bull crap". So you are one of this studious elite and read everything there for years but this just slipped by? You never knew? Rather, you do not have a copy because other than that line nothing else is contributed. Scan and you will solve all the problems and answer all the questions but no, just the "Oh, I had no idea that one had not been catalogued. I've had that for years." End of story.
And don't get me started on the fella (in the US) who joined my Face Book Golden Age group to find out WHO from his group was a member and banned them and very rudely told me I was banned from his group, too!
This is not fandom. It's rather like, when you were a kid and played "conkers" and there was always some lad claiming he had a "Twentier" (smashed 20 other conkers in a game) but would never produce it or bring it to a game. Or a "Hundredsy" marble -same thing. If they are true fans they share for the love of the comics medium. My collection was always open to be read (and sadly I paid the price for that) by other fans. share and you get to talk about the characters, comic or creator -it IS fun.
But I see it with comic people from Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany and even France: most have no knowledge of comics prior to the 1980s. Almost as though comics appeared in the 1980s and there was nothing before. Worse are the snooty comic 'experts' who say with 100% confidence "France has always had more eye brow comics -never super heroes!" And I, CBO, have shown that this is just an ignorant statement based on no knowledge. "Germany never had comics during World War 2 -the Nazis forbade them!" Same thing. Proven false.
We need a good fanzine in the UK -most countries do- and we also need to get real, genuine comic fans to chat. I say that with a 100% failure rate at the Golden Age blogs and on CBO comments are rare enough.
It seems to be more about snooty cliques or little cliques following bully boys in the UK. On my Yahoo! groups you can join and use a pseudonym on the group BUT I need to know who you really are because I learnt the lessons.
think about it -what has your experience as a comic fan been like and what do you miss or feel is needed?
Saturday, 27 May 2017
Books
....Books, and Much More!
I don't get much money at all from other sellers but....
http://www.bokus.com/bok/9781326208790/the-return-of-the-godstwilight-of-the-super-heroes/
https://www.infibeam.com/Books/return-gods-twilight-super-heroes-terry-hooper-scharf/9781326208790.html
I think if you check online for sellers in your country you should find some. A note -I do not sell via Amazon as 95% of book cost does not go to me. When it comes to Ebay the same thing applies but you will be ripped off on price. Ebay sellers have to buy the book and they only do that when someone buys it from them. "Free post" is a lie. That postage is included in what you are paying the dealer. Often you are paying the retailers postage then paying him again for forwarding the book to you. You pay postage TWICE.
I have seen dealers offer my books with £10 ($25 US) added to cover price. My books are far cheaper (especially now post Brexit) from the online store where you have options (3 options) on the postal service you require. Apart from printing cost, PODs cut and postage any other money goes straight to me (in the US all sales are taxed heavily but I have to accept that).
The long and the short of it is this: you use Ebay, Amazon or other dealers you take your chances. You order direct from the store your order has more protection and will get to you quicker.
The Hooper Interviews!
To celebrate, at the time of publication, over 25 years of interviewing comic creators -writers, artists and publishers- this 365 pages book was produced.
Interviewees included Yishan Li, Marv Wolfman, Dave Ryan, John Cooper, Mike Western, Donna Barr, Roberta Gregory, Sonia Leong, Emma Vieceli, Pekka A. Manninen, Alan Class, Karen Rubins, Kate Glasheen, Ron Fortier, Jon Haward, Franco Francavilla, Rick Geary, Tania Del Rio, The Etherington Brothers, Olivier Cadic (Cinebook the 9th Art), Holly Golightly and MANY others.
Profusely illustrated with art and photographs!
Reduced in price until October to £16.80 -an odd price but it's what the printer and lulu.com earn -I get zilch!
http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/the-hooper-interviews/paperback/product-22078000.html
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Black Tower Comics began in 1984 as a Small Press publisher of A5 (US -Digest size) titles such as Adventure,Presents,Windows and Hanley's Garage. Then came the news, reviews, previews and interviews publication backed up by the mart and mail order service -Zine Zone (later Zine Zone International).
In 2009, with the innovation in publishing of Print On Demand (POD), Black Tower jumped in head first!
One of the first titles to see print in the new comic album format (A4) was The Bat Triumphant! This saw the complete story, begun in Black Tower Adventure vol. 1. William A. Ward's long lost 1940s character once again saw print as he fought a host of enemies in an attempt to reclaim his homeland.
And while The Bat may have fought fist and nail to reclaim his homeland, another 1940s Ward creation, Krakos the Egyptian, seemed far from willing to claim a new Egyptian Empire as promised to him by the Gods. Tackling a number of foes and even encountering the Many-Eyed One, Krakos turned his back on the gods and the final panel of Krakos -Sands Of Terror, delivered a true twist!
Of course, the flag-ship title had to return! And so Black Tower Adventure -eventually reaching new heights when the legendary Ben Dilworth jumped on board! Volume 2 consisted of ten issues. Just look at these covers....
And, with something like 40 years worth of files and investigation reports could all that much delving into UFOs, lake and sea creatures and many other mysteries not result in a book or two...or three? Some Things Strange & Sinister, Some More Things Strange & Sinister as well as Pursuing The Strange and Weird: A Naturalist's Viewpoint set a precedence.
Whereas for decades those involved in "UFOlogy", "Cryptozoology" and "Forteana" declared many mysteries, that photographs were lost "to history" and so on, these three books swiped away the false claims. Alleged lost photographs -found. 'Mysteries' solved by doing actual research work and reading the sources -something others had never done.
And, of course, mention natural history and Black Tower Books broke new ground with that in The Red Paper: Canids.
But not all the prose books covered mysteries and wildlife.
And if there is one thing "Herr Professor" loves it is discovering and presenting long lost UK Golden Age (1939-1951) comic strips and characters from publishers such as Gerald Swan, Foldes, Denis M. Reader, Cartoon Art Productions and others.
Scanned and restored as best as can be considering the poor print quality of the rationing years -especially red, orange, yellow, blue and purple ink printing!
Ace Hart The Atomic Man! The Tornado! TNT Tom! Dene Vernon! Acromaid! Cat-Girl! Bring 'Em Back Hank! Robert Lovett:Back From The Dead and so many other action heroes and humour strip characters -William A. Ward, Jock McCaill and a host of known and unknown creators contribute -either in single volume " Black Tower Gold" albums or all six collected into the 400+ pager -The Ultimate British Golden Age Collection!
Another great love is Centaur Comics from the United States. Right at the very start of the American Golden Age of Comics Centaur had creators who were ahead of the others! Before Plastic Man there was Plymo! Before The Human Bomb there was TNT Todd! Before Green Arrow and waaaaaaay before Hawkeye there was the mysterious red hooded archer called The Arrow! And, to just break your comic mind world there was even a Black Panther -decades before Kirby came up with his character of the same name.
The Eye Sees All. The Owl. The Iron Skull. Amazing Man. The King of Darkness. The Invisible Terror. The Blue Lady. The Shark. Mini Midget & Kitty. Mighty Man. Super Anne. The company may have been short-lived but it's characters -oh boy!
The two volume Centaur Heroes Collection has been compiled into one sweet 140 page comic collection!
Horror. Ghost stories. The twist-in-the tale. Did you think that a publisher who is a big horror comic/film fan would ignore these?
Nope. Each year since 2010, BTCG has published a Tales Of Terror anthology album and 2014s included some fun and spooky lost Swan Comic strips. I mean how can you go wrong -even Ben Dilworth is in these!
The Church Of England has it's own basher of dark forces in the Reverend Merriwether -"God's Demon0-Thumper" as the press billed him. From an ancient Egyptian demon to a village of the damned and Varney the Vampyre, werwolves and a final confrontation with Satan himself -Merriwether pulls no punches and offers no compromise. And in those last few seconds between life and death, Merriwether's mind recalls past cases -thanks to Ben Dilworththe Tall Man of Osaka.
Merriwether: God's Demon Thumper and Merriwether: The Test Of Satan are available as individual comic albums or in one swanky book The Collected Merriwether: God's Demon Thumper.
Oh, did I forget to mention Dene Vernon -British comics' first investigator of the supernatural and strange mysteries? I did? Unbelievable since Gavin Stuart Ross drew the 1948 based Dene Vernon: The Thing Below!
If any of you out there has purchased Black Tower Golden Age Collection vol.1 you would have found the strip Dene Vernon -The Burning Heart”. But who is Dene Vernon and why is he important to British comics history?
Firstly,his proper credit was “Dene Vernon. Ghost Investigator”. In the 1930s and 1940s the work of ghost investigators such as Harry Price [despite what people write about his work at Borley Rectory] and the great Elliott O’Donnell could be found reported on in national newspapers as well as on radio.
He claimed descent from Irish chieftains of ancient times, including Niall of the Nine Hostages (the King Arthur of Irish folklore) and Red Hugh, who fought the English in the sixteenth century. O’Donnell was educated at Clifton College, Bristol, England, and Queen’s Service Academy, Dublin, Ireland.
In later life he became a ghost hunter, but first he traveled in America, working on a range in Oregon and becoming a policeman during the Chicago Railway Strike of 1894. Returning to England, he worked as a schoolmaster and trained for the theater. He served in the British army in World War I, and later acted on stage and in movies.
His first book, written in his spare time, was a psychic thriller titled For Satan’s Sake (1904). From this point onward, he became a writer. He wrote several popular novels but specialized in what were claimed as true stories of ghosts and hauntings. These were immensely popular, but his flamboyant style and amazing stories suggest that he embroidered fact with a romantic flair for fiction.
As he became known as an authority on the supernatural, he was called upon as a ghost hunter. He also lectured and broadcast (radio and television) on the paranormal in Britain and the United States. In addition to his more than 50 books, he wrote scores of articles and stories for national newspapers and magazines. He claimed “I have investigated, sometimes alone, and sometimes with other people and the press, many cases of reputed hauntings. I believe in ghosts but am not a spiritualist.”
Remember that bit about being strangled by a ghost [not unique in the lore itself]. This is what Denis Gifford wrote about Vernon’s first adventure:
“..Vernon spends the night in a haunted bedroom where a weary wanderer was found on the floor. ‘A gasp of horror came as they gazed on the terror-distorted features of the dead traveller!’ Vernon saves Dick from being throttled by a grinning black monster,chained by its neck since 1785. But he had to burn the house down to do it.”
You know, I am quite sure that there is a similar O’Donnell story -though he never burns places down!
The creator of the strip was Jock McCail who also drew oriental detective Ah Wong for Swan’s New Funnies [1940-1949], Darrell King Of The Secret Service in Thrill Comics [1940-48],New Funnies [1949] and Slick Fun [1950]. McCail also drew Get-Your-Man-Gilligan, a Western strip for the Amalgamated Press title Jolly between 1938-39.
Dene Vernon ran as a strip between 1940-1946 so must have been popular -as many of the Swan horror strips were.
It would be nice to put together a complete Dene Vernon book at some point but these old British comics are very rare to get hold of either as printed items or scans!
But, in 2011, Vernon featured in his first adventure since 1946. Yes, post-war Britain was the setting for…
I think over 60 years was a long enough rest for him -and THE THING FROM BELOW was enough of atough task for him but...well, his final fate in The Green Skies is really ...."gutting"
hehehehehe er, Sorry.
But maybe an appearance in Black Tower Super Heroes before that? I can't really say -I don't want to spoil the fun!!
Remember the name, though: Dene Vernon!
And did you know Ross also drew the two adventures of Victorian mystery man Chung Ling Soo? Chung Ling Soo: The Curse Of The Jade Dragon and Chung Ling Soo: The Case Of The Thames Serpent were two cracking tales of magic, adventure, murder and deception -still available as single comic albums or collected together to form The Adventures Of Chung Ling Soo!
Collecting together Chung Ling Soo And The Curse Of The Jade Dragon And Chung Ling Soo The Case Of The Thames Serpent By Terry Hooper-Scarf and Gavin Stuart Ross in which the deception begins but just what is deception and what truth?
Ben Dilworth is no slouch either! Chung Ling Soo's police "counter-foil" isnone other than old London "Jack" (police man) Inspector Wilberforce and when Dilworth says "Here's a Wilberforce one-off: PUBLISH IT!" you do not argue!
And did you know you can be a Gold Master of Japanese Haiku? Well, neither did I -but guess what? Ben Dilworth is such a master and his Osaka Brutal features his Haiku in English!
Old saleman that he is, Dilworth just keeps on going. He produced Aesop's Fables -a darker version of the childrens tales and then went on to write two well illustrated prose albums looking at spirits and demons -Dilworth's Japanese Yokai and Dilworth'sWestern Yokai. Osaka and the Yokai books were combined with Aesop's Fables into the one volume The Collected Ben R. Dilworth -though the single volumes are also still available.
The follow-up to Dilworth's Western Yokai is here!
And could anyone forget the sensational Iron Warrior Versus Big Bong:When Giants Fought? But add to that the various Iron Warrior strips from Adventure and you get The Iron Warrior Collection -When Giants Fought! In the 1940s, William A. Ward's creation was to be the most graphically violent comic strip seen until the 1970s. That is some legacy. It continues....with a touch of fun!
In case you are wondering, yes, obviously there are super heroes. Mix in ancient pantheons of gods, giant robot, alien invasion, Lovecraftian dark ones and so much more that the book runs to over 320 pages then you have part 1 of Terry Hooper-Scharf'sInvasion Earth Trilogy" or as it is titled Return Of The Gods: Twilight Of The Super Heroes! And epic ending with the words: "Dr Morg has killed us all" -and if you have never read the mind altering counter actuality that is The Dr Morg Trilogy you may be saying "What? Who-?"
And part 2 of the trilogy The Cross Earths Caper ought to get you in the mood for 2015's big 31st Anniversary third part of the trilogy The Green Skies.
If you pass the ESTC (Epileptic Seizure Test Cover) on Dr Morg well, you are fit and healthy enough to read it and to check out all the Black Tower Comics and Books at the online store -see why we are the UKs largest publisher of Independent Comics!
A4Comic Album52 pagesBlack & WhitePrice: £8.00
Ships in 3–5 business days
Metapsychophysics meets comics. Its the next inevitable natural evolutionary step in comic books!
For the first time all three parts of the highly acclaimed Dr. Morg Trilogy are combined into one volume:
WORDS WITHIN WORLDS
AFTER ORWELL
and the final explosive
Is it all just hallucination -a scientific test gone wrong? What is the "Brotherhood of Sleep"? What immobilizes and creepily studies people in their sleep? Jack Flash, Johnny Neg -and others all feel the chilling, unstoppable evil that Dr Morg's experiments seems to have awoken.
"It has our DNA!" But WHAT has our DNA??
The spine-tingling words of Jack Flash on the final page of The Return of the Gods said it:
"Dr Morg has killed us all!"
The Small Press zine trilogy was put into one scrumptious edition with a new cover designed by internationally renowned artist Paul Ashley Brown to smash into your optical nerves like an Abrams Tank smashing through a brick wall with guns blazing..
In Europe this book got rave reviews and they understood it. They liked what they saw and read while, in the UK, the definition of "comic intellectualism" is reading The Beano while seated on the toilet.
Are YOU intellectual enough for this?
Or space out enough?
Man this will blast your lower intestinal track like last week's curry.
By the 1700s the British fox was on the verge of extinction and about to follow the bear and wolf having been hunted for sport for centuries. The answer was to import thousands of foxes per year for sport. But foxes kept dying out so jackals were tried. Some were caught, some escaped. Even wolves and coyote were released for hunting and "country folk" were very far from "happy" -some even threatening local hunts -one intending to release a wolf for a hunt- with legal and other consequences. The summation of over 40 years research by the noted naturalist and former UK police forces exotic wildlife consultant reveals the damnable lie of "pest control" hunting but also reveals the cruelty the animals were subject to and how private menageries as well as travelling shows. Private menageries, or single exotic "pets" as well as travelling shows helped provide the British and Irish countryside with some incredible events such as the 1905 "vampiric" sheep killer of Badminton, the mystery hounds of Cavan and Coyotes of Epping Forest.
The Girt Dog of Ennerdale is also dealt with in detail -was it a tiger? A Tasmania Thylacine? This book gives the exact facts and details for the first time. Up-dated 2013 edition includes a section on sarcoptic mange in foxes and treatment plus a list of wildlife sanctuaries and rescue centres in the UK.
After more than 40 years as an investigator and more than fifty as a naturalist,the author has opened some of the many files he has accumulated dealing with such things as..
This and much more. Updated with extra pages and photographs.
*********************
http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/pursuing-the-strange-weirda-naturalists-viewpoint/paperback/product-21307125.html
UP DATE -From Dead Aquatic (Humanoid) Creatures, the giant squid and yet undiscovered sea creatures; submarine and ships crews encountering true leviathans.
There is a fully expanded section which also refers to the so-called ‘Ningen’ sightings and video footage.
Extinct animals at sea that have been re-discovered. The subject of Sasquatch and other mystery Hominids around the world is dealt with including a look at the “Sasquatch-killer”, Justin Smeja.
Dr. Bryan Sykes and his DNA test results for TVs The Bigfoot Files as well as the controversial Erickson Project and Dr. Melba Ketchum’s Even more controversial Sasquatch DNA test results.
Also included are two early French UFO entity cases that still baffle. Ghosts, strange creatures and the Star-Child hoax. All dealt with by the naturalist and pursuer of the strange and weird
*******************
By that same token, ask people who “Spring-heeled Jack” was and you would be lucky to find anyone who had ever heard of him.
Spring-heeled Jack was the subject (loosely) of a film The Curse of the Wraydons (1946) and Dominic Keating also appeared as Spring Heeled Jack in the 2010 film Sherlock Holmes by The Asylum film company. The character has also featured in both American and British comic books and a number of books, for both children and adults.
But the fact that the Springald held the country –not just London– in a grip of terror much longer that the Ripper did is all but forgotten except for some half-truths and fanciful theories.
Now be prepared to read the full story of Spring Heeled Jack
http://www.bokus.com/bok/9781326208790/the-return-of-the-godstwilight-of-the-super-heroes/
https://www.infibeam.com/Books/return-gods-twilight-super-heroes-terry-hooper-scharf/9781326208790.html
I think if you check online for sellers in your country you should find some. A note -I do not sell via Amazon as 95% of book cost does not go to me. When it comes to Ebay the same thing applies but you will be ripped off on price. Ebay sellers have to buy the book and they only do that when someone buys it from them. "Free post" is a lie. That postage is included in what you are paying the dealer. Often you are paying the retailers postage then paying him again for forwarding the book to you. You pay postage TWICE.
I have seen dealers offer my books with £10 ($25 US) added to cover price. My books are far cheaper (especially now post Brexit) from the online store where you have options (3 options) on the postal service you require. Apart from printing cost, PODs cut and postage any other money goes straight to me (in the US all sales are taxed heavily but I have to accept that).
The long and the short of it is this: you use Ebay, Amazon or other dealers you take your chances. You order direct from the store your order has more protection and will get to you quicker.
T-Shirts, Mugs, Caps, Comics and more -Black Tower Stores
All Black Tower comic albums (that is A4 format) are in black & white. Once you've had black and white you won't go back to colour, baby.
BTCG has specialised in presenting original material covering super heroes, crime, adventure, sci fi, horror as well as illustrated prose -not to mention ground breaking books on "world mysteries" and wildlife. Oh, and even a huge book of interviews with comic creators and publishers.
All the books are, naturally, available for overseas licence -but we cannot translate work: that will be up to any licensed publisher.
What follows is a brief glimpse at some books but you can visit the online store to see more details and books at:
To contact me please check out "About" at the top of the page -thanks!
BTCG has specialised in presenting original material covering super heroes, crime, adventure, sci fi, horror as well as illustrated prose -not to mention ground breaking books on "world mysteries" and wildlife. Oh, and even a huge book of interviews with comic creators and publishers.
All the books are, naturally, available for overseas licence -but we cannot translate work: that will be up to any licensed publisher.
What follows is a brief glimpse at some books but you can visit the online store to see more details and books at:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/hoopercomicsuk
You can also find some on Amazon and other sources but they do not make me much money so, come on, buy from the online store and remember that at least these books will be collectibles!
To contact me please check out "About" at the top of the page -thanks!
The Hooper Interviews!
To celebrate, at the time of publication, over 25 years of interviewing comic creators -writers, artists and publishers- this 365 pages book was produced.
Interviewees included Yishan Li, Marv Wolfman, Dave Ryan, John Cooper, Mike Western, Donna Barr, Roberta Gregory, Sonia Leong, Emma Vieceli, Pekka A. Manninen, Alan Class, Karen Rubins, Kate Glasheen, Ron Fortier, Jon Haward, Franco Francavilla, Rick Geary, Tania Del Rio, The Etherington Brothers, Olivier Cadic (Cinebook the 9th Art), Holly Golightly and MANY others.
Profusely illustrated with art and photographs!
Reduced in price until October to £16.80 -an odd price but it's what the printer and lulu.com earn -I get zilch!
http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/the-hooper-interviews/paperback/product-22078000.html
****************************************************************************
Black Tower Comics began in 1984 as a Small Press publisher of A5 (US -Digest size) titles such as Adventure,Presents,Windows and Hanley's Garage. Then came the news, reviews, previews and interviews publication backed up by the mart and mail order service -Zine Zone (later Zine Zone International).
In 2009, with the innovation in publishing of Print On Demand (POD), Black Tower jumped in head first!
One of the first titles to see print in the new comic album format (A4) was The Bat Triumphant! This saw the complete story, begun in Black Tower Adventure vol. 1. William A. Ward's long lost 1940s character once again saw print as he fought a host of enemies in an attempt to reclaim his homeland.
And while The Bat may have fought fist and nail to reclaim his homeland, another 1940s Ward creation, Krakos the Egyptian, seemed far from willing to claim a new Egyptian Empire as promised to him by the Gods. Tackling a number of foes and even encountering the Many-Eyed One, Krakos turned his back on the gods and the final panel of Krakos -Sands Of Terror, delivered a true twist!
Of course, the flag-ship title had to return! And so Black Tower Adventure -eventually reaching new heights when the legendary Ben Dilworth jumped on board! Volume 2 consisted of ten issues. Just look at these covers....
And, with something like 40 years worth of files and investigation reports could all that much delving into UFOs, lake and sea creatures and many other mysteries not result in a book or two...or three? Some Things Strange & Sinister, Some More Things Strange & Sinister as well as Pursuing The Strange and Weird: A Naturalist's Viewpoint set a precedence.
Whereas for decades those involved in "UFOlogy", "Cryptozoology" and "Forteana" declared many mysteries, that photographs were lost "to history" and so on, these three books swiped away the false claims. Alleged lost photographs -found. 'Mysteries' solved by doing actual research work and reading the sources -something others had never done.
And, of course, mention natural history and Black Tower Books broke new ground with that in The Red Paper: Canids.
But not all the prose books covered mysteries and wildlife.
And if there is one thing "Herr Professor" loves it is discovering and presenting long lost UK Golden Age (1939-1951) comic strips and characters from publishers such as Gerald Swan, Foldes, Denis M. Reader, Cartoon Art Productions and others.
Scanned and restored as best as can be considering the poor print quality of the rationing years -especially red, orange, yellow, blue and purple ink printing!
Ace Hart The Atomic Man! The Tornado! TNT Tom! Dene Vernon! Acromaid! Cat-Girl! Bring 'Em Back Hank! Robert Lovett:Back From The Dead and so many other action heroes and humour strip characters -William A. Ward, Jock McCaill and a host of known and unknown creators contribute -either in single volume " Black Tower Gold" albums or all six collected into the 400+ pager -The Ultimate British Golden Age Collection!
Another great love is Centaur Comics from the United States. Right at the very start of the American Golden Age of Comics Centaur had creators who were ahead of the others! Before Plastic Man there was Plymo! Before The Human Bomb there was TNT Todd! Before Green Arrow and waaaaaaay before Hawkeye there was the mysterious red hooded archer called The Arrow! And, to just break your comic mind world there was even a Black Panther -decades before Kirby came up with his character of the same name.
The Eye Sees All. The Owl. The Iron Skull. Amazing Man. The King of Darkness. The Invisible Terror. The Blue Lady. The Shark. Mini Midget & Kitty. Mighty Man. Super Anne. The company may have been short-lived but it's characters -oh boy!
The two volume Centaur Heroes Collection has been compiled into one sweet 140 page comic collection!
Horror. Ghost stories. The twist-in-the tale. Did you think that a publisher who is a big horror comic/film fan would ignore these?
Nope. Each year since 2010, BTCG has published a Tales Of Terror anthology album and 2014s included some fun and spooky lost Swan Comic strips. I mean how can you go wrong -even Ben Dilworth is in these!
The Church Of England has it's own basher of dark forces in the Reverend Merriwether -"God's Demon0-Thumper" as the press billed him. From an ancient Egyptian demon to a village of the damned and Varney the Vampyre, werwolves and a final confrontation with Satan himself -Merriwether pulls no punches and offers no compromise. And in those last few seconds between life and death, Merriwether's mind recalls past cases -thanks to Ben Dilworththe Tall Man of Osaka.
Merriwether: God's Demon Thumper and Merriwether: The Test Of Satan are available as individual comic albums or in one swanky book The Collected Merriwether: God's Demon Thumper.
Oh, did I forget to mention Dene Vernon -British comics' first investigator of the supernatural and strange mysteries? I did? Unbelievable since Gavin Stuart Ross drew the 1948 based Dene Vernon: The Thing Below!
Dene Vernon From The Burning Heart To The Thing From Below
Firstly,his proper credit was “Dene Vernon. Ghost Investigator”. In the 1930s and 1940s the work of ghost investigators such as Harry Price [despite what people write about his work at Borley Rectory] and the great Elliott O’Donnell could be found reported on in national newspapers as well as on radio.
If they could inspire me as a teen to get involved in this type of work imagine the effect on everyday folk in the pre-TV era and before all the faking of Most Haunted and Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures as well as others.
But Amalgamated Press and D.C. Thomson were too “clean” to touch this type of subject unless it was a “real hoot” in a humour strip.
Gerald Swan changed all that. His comics introduced a whole group of paranormal/occult types fromKrakos The Egyptian to Robert Lovett:Back From The Dead [all subjects of Black Tower collections]. Vernon’s appearance in Thrill Comics No.1,April,1940,marked the very first truly supernatural strip series in British Comics.
Tall,lean with a high forehead and thinning hair,Vernon bore a resemblance to the young Harry Price in a way. However,his cases seem to have been pure O’Donnell and in case you are asking who O’Donnell is I give you Wikipedia's somewhat weak entry on the man:
Elliott O’Donnell (February 27, 1872 – May 8, 1965) was an Irish author known primarily for his books about ghosts. He claimed to have seen a ghost, described as an elemental figured covered with spots, when he was five years old. He also claimed to have been strangled by a mysterious phantom in Dublin.
But Amalgamated Press and D.C. Thomson were too “clean” to touch this type of subject unless it was a “real hoot” in a humour strip.
Gerald Swan changed all that. His comics introduced a whole group of paranormal/occult types fromKrakos The Egyptian to Robert Lovett:Back From The Dead [all subjects of Black Tower collections]. Vernon’s appearance in Thrill Comics No.1,April,1940,marked the very first truly supernatural strip series in British Comics.
Tall,lean with a high forehead and thinning hair,Vernon bore a resemblance to the young Harry Price in a way. However,his cases seem to have been pure O’Donnell and in case you are asking who O’Donnell is I give you Wikipedia's somewhat weak entry on the man:
Elliott O’Donnell (February 27, 1872 – May 8, 1965) was an Irish author known primarily for his books about ghosts. He claimed to have seen a ghost, described as an elemental figured covered with spots, when he was five years old. He also claimed to have been strangled by a mysterious phantom in Dublin.
He claimed descent from Irish chieftains of ancient times, including Niall of the Nine Hostages (the King Arthur of Irish folklore) and Red Hugh, who fought the English in the sixteenth century. O’Donnell was educated at Clifton College, Bristol, England, and Queen’s Service Academy, Dublin, Ireland.
In later life he became a ghost hunter, but first he traveled in America, working on a range in Oregon and becoming a policeman during the Chicago Railway Strike of 1894. Returning to England, he worked as a schoolmaster and trained for the theater. He served in the British army in World War I, and later acted on stage and in movies.
His first book, written in his spare time, was a psychic thriller titled For Satan’s Sake (1904). From this point onward, he became a writer. He wrote several popular novels but specialized in what were claimed as true stories of ghosts and hauntings. These were immensely popular, but his flamboyant style and amazing stories suggest that he embroidered fact with a romantic flair for fiction.
As he became known as an authority on the supernatural, he was called upon as a ghost hunter. He also lectured and broadcast (radio and television) on the paranormal in Britain and the United States. In addition to his more than 50 books, he wrote scores of articles and stories for national newspapers and magazines. He claimed “I have investigated, sometimes alone, and sometimes with other people and the press, many cases of reputed hauntings. I believe in ghosts but am not a spiritualist.”
Remember that bit about being strangled by a ghost [not unique in the lore itself]. This is what Denis Gifford wrote about Vernon’s first adventure:
“..Vernon spends the night in a haunted bedroom where a weary wanderer was found on the floor. ‘A gasp of horror came as they gazed on the terror-distorted features of the dead traveller!’ Vernon saves Dick from being throttled by a grinning black monster,chained by its neck since 1785. But he had to burn the house down to do it.”
You know, I am quite sure that there is a similar O’Donnell story -though he never burns places down!
The creator of the strip was Jock McCail who also drew oriental detective Ah Wong for Swan’s New Funnies [1940-1949], Darrell King Of The Secret Service in Thrill Comics [1940-48],New Funnies [1949] and Slick Fun [1950]. McCail also drew Get-Your-Man-Gilligan, a Western strip for the Amalgamated Press title Jolly between 1938-39.
Dene Vernon ran as a strip between 1940-1946 so must have been popular -as many of the Swan horror strips were.
It would be nice to put together a complete Dene Vernon book at some point but these old British comics are very rare to get hold of either as printed items or scans!
But, in 2011, Vernon featured in his first adventure since 1946. Yes, post-war Britain was the setting for…
DENE VERNON -THE THING FROM BELOW!
A4
B&W
54 pages
£8.00
hehehehehe er, Sorry.
But maybe an appearance in Black Tower Super Heroes before that? I can't really say -I don't want to spoil the fun!!
Remember the name, though: Dene Vernon!
And did you know Ross also drew the two adventures of Victorian mystery man Chung Ling Soo? Chung Ling Soo: The Curse Of The Jade Dragon and Chung Ling Soo: The Case Of The Thames Serpent were two cracking tales of magic, adventure, murder and deception -still available as single comic albums or collected together to form The Adventures Of Chung Ling Soo!
Chung Ling Soo: The Curse Of The Jade Dragon
Terry Hooper-Scharf (W) Gavin Stuart Ross (A)
A4
B&W
30 pages
£6.00
Prints in 3-5 business days
Chung Ling Soo. World's greatest conjurer and said to be an American stage magician in disguise. Or was he?
In this story,Chung Ling Soo is called in by Scotland Yard to investigate a gruesome series of deaths -all amongst a party who discovered a Jade Dragon statuette in China
Is the statuette cursed -and can Chung stop any other deaths?
The Case Of The Thames Serpent
A4
54 pages
B&W
£6.00
Prints in 3-5 business days
Victorian conjurer and man of mystery and deception, Chung Ling Soo has been marked for death by a Chinese Tong that never fails to get its man. Will Chung be able to escape death long enough to solve bizarre murders in London 'd dockland as well as sightings of a sea serpent in the Thames ?
And who is the Dragon Lord and how do his murderous plans fit into things?
The second in the Chung Ling Soo Man Of Mystery series
That scene still gives me chills. But Chung Ling Soo is dead. He is dead -right? But if he was in the cab with Wilberforce HOW could he be the driver and.....buy the book and find out! :-P
Both books are available as single albums but ....
The Case Book Of Chung Ling Soo
mWriter: Terry Hooper-Scharf
Artist: Gavin Stuart Ross
Paperback
A4
84 Pages
Black & white
Price: £8.00 Ships in 3–5 business days
To many he was simply a stage magician. Others knew the truth –such as Scotland Yard and the very secret Q Bureau.
From a seemingly cursed jade statue bringing gruesome and violent death to those who found it years before to a plot by a Chinese supremacist group hoping to strike and bring terror and destruction to the heart of the British Empire and seemingly unstoppable Tong assassins and an evil warlord willing to betray and murder even his own allies–this is Chung Ling Soo's world.
Sergeant Wilberforce of Scotland Yard was the closest thing to a friend the Magician had yet even he was perpetually stumped by him...and his deaths!
Ben Dilworth is no slouch either! Chung Ling Soo's police "counter-foil" isnone other than old London "Jack" (police man) Inspector Wilberforce and when Dilworth says "Here's a Wilberforce one-off: PUBLISH IT!" you do not argue!
And did you know you can be a Gold Master of Japanese Haiku? Well, neither did I -but guess what? Ben Dilworth is such a master and his Osaka Brutal features his Haiku in English!
Old saleman that he is, Dilworth just keeps on going. He produced Aesop's Fables -a darker version of the childrens tales and then went on to write two well illustrated prose albums looking at spirits and demons -Dilworth's Japanese Yokai and Dilworth'sWestern Yokai. Osaka and the Yokai books were combined with Aesop's Fables into the one volume The Collected Ben R. Dilworth -though the single volumes are also still available.
Japanese Yokai ~Preview
Benjamin R. Dilworth
Paperback,
A4
Black and white
32 Pages
Price: £5.00 (excl. VAT)Prints in 3-5 business days
The follow-up to Dilworth's Western Yokai is here!
Text accompanied by some superb illustrations by Ben Dilworth of supernatural beings interwoven in Japanese culture such as "Kappa" the Water Monster; "Azuki Arai"; "Kuchi Saki Onna" (the Big Mouth Woman) and others.
Into ghost stories or ghost comics then this will suit you to a terror!
Horror comics yes but also some nice illustrated prose from Dilworth in...Dilworth's Horror & Ghost Stories but for the connoisseur those stories were collected together with the Phantom Detective comic strips into The Complete Phantom Detective!
Ben R. Dilworth
black & White
A4
Paperback,
36 Pages
Price: £6.00 (excl. VAT)
Ships in 3–5 business days
Murdering Ghouls. Satanic Masses. Demonic Possession. Werewolves. Poltergeists. Vampires. To many of the uninitiated these are just “things that go bump in the night” -TV or film fantasy.
In the Victorian era, The Phantom Detective used his decades of occult study to help those in danger from these “things” and he paid the ultimate price…. ….
Yet he continues to help and to observe as best he can for now he is a true...
PHANTOM DETECTIVE!
From one of the UK's most under -rated comic creators, Ben R. Dilworth, comes new life breathed into and a new slant given to the adventures of the former mortal who has become one of the Watchers -forbidden to act even to save a life from supernatural forces. Except "rules are there to be broken or at the very least stretched until you can see through them!"
The much anticipated collection from the co-creator of Peter Wisdom and artist of Mark Millar's The Shadowmen!
And could anyone forget the sensational Iron Warrior Versus Big Bong:When Giants Fought? But add to that the various Iron Warrior strips from Adventure and you get The Iron Warrior Collection -When Giants Fought! In the 1940s, William A. Ward's creation was to be the most graphically violent comic strip seen until the 1970s. That is some legacy. It continues....with a touch of fun!
In case you are wondering, yes, obviously there are super heroes. Mix in ancient pantheons of gods, giant robot, alien invasion, Lovecraftian dark ones and so much more that the book runs to over 320 pages then you have part 1 of Terry Hooper-Scharf'sInvasion Earth Trilogy" or as it is titled Return Of The Gods: Twilight Of The Super Heroes! And epic ending with the words: "Dr Morg has killed us all" -and if you have never read the mind altering counter actuality that is The Dr Morg Trilogy you may be saying "What? Who-?"
And part 2 of the trilogy The Cross Earths Caper ought to get you in the mood for 2015's big 31st Anniversary third part of the trilogy The Green Skies.
If you pass the ESTC (Epileptic Seizure Test Cover) on Dr Morg well, you are fit and healthy enough to read it and to check out all the Black Tower Comics and Books at the online store -see why we are the UKs largest publisher of Independent Comics!
Currently working on a few more Men t-shirts but also including designs for Women t-shirts.
Yes, now the Black Tower T-shirt online store is open!
https://shop.spreadshirt.net/Blacktower/men?noCache=true
Yes, now the Black Tower T-shirt online store is open!
https://shop.spreadshirt.net/Blacktower/men?noCache=true
Journey of the ID: The Dr Morg Trilogy
Another book due for deletion at the end of February is this one. Like other deleted books the files will be destroyed with only a certain number of copies in my own collection.
The only version of this book will be the newly designed layout and expansion that you will find in The Green Skies. In Europe this book was understood and got rave reviews. But that was Europe and in the UK "comic intellectualism" is defined as reading The Dandy while sat on the lavatory.
The history of this book is covered elsewhere but for now.....
A4Comic Album52 pagesBlack & WhitePrice: £8.00
Ships in 3–5 business days
Metapsychophysics meets comics. Its the next inevitable natural evolutionary step in comic books!
For the first time all three parts of the highly acclaimed Dr. Morg Trilogy are combined into one volume:
WORDS WITHIN WORLDS
AFTER ORWELL
and the final explosive
THE DEATH OF DR. MORG!
Is it all just hallucination -a scientific test gone wrong? What is the "Brotherhood of Sleep"? What immobilizes and creepily studies people in their sleep? Jack Flash, Johnny Neg -and others all feel the chilling, unstoppable evil that Dr Morg's experiments seems to have awoken.
"It has our DNA!" But WHAT has our DNA??
The spine-tingling words of Jack Flash on the final page of The Return of the Gods said it:
"Dr Morg has killed us all!"
The Small Press zine trilogy was put into one scrumptious edition with a new cover designed by internationally renowned artist Paul Ashley Brown to smash into your optical nerves like an Abrams Tank smashing through a brick wall with guns blazing..
In Europe this book got rave reviews and they understood it. They liked what they saw and read while, in the UK, the definition of "comic intellectualism" is reading The Beano while seated on the toilet.
Are YOU intellectual enough for this?
Or space out enough?
Man this will blast your lower intestinal track like last week's curry.
The Hooper Interviews
From a huge selection of interviews covering the Small Press, Independent and mainstream Comics from the UK , Europe and US. Here are a few of the best interviews from 30 years.
Paperback
Perfect Bound
A4 (cms=20.98 wide x 29.69 tall)
B&W
365 pages
profusely illustrated with art and photographs.
£20.00
ISBN 9781326210113
Prints in 3-5 business days
Someone referred to it as “Comics 101” –background info on creators, how they got started, what tools and even paper/board they use. Damn near damaged my wrist because it is a BIG book. And Who exactly is interviewed in this book?
Karen Rubins -The Dark, The Witch and other books
Alan Class -the man behind the Class Comics series
Kate Glasheen -the incredibly talented artist on Hybrid Bastards, Bandages and other works
Tom Pinchuck -writer of Hybrid Bastards
Dave Ryan -the artist/writer behind War of The Independents
Jon Haward -UK artist who worked of Tales of the Buddha, Dan Dare and more
Ron Fortier -the man behind Mr Jig-Saw and Airstrip 27 books
Michael Cho -creator of Max Finder Mysteries and some really cool art
Then there are a bunch of interviews related to The Black Coat that was published by Ape Entertainment -Francavilla may be a name familiar to DC and Marvel comic fans these days:
Jeremy Colwell
Ben Lichius
Adam Cadogan
Franco Frankavilla
The comic character Gumby also returned to comics and that created another series of interviews titled: The Gumby Interviews (Gumby, himself, was never interviewed)
Mel Smith
Paul H. Birch
Rick Geary
Joe Martino -from Ripperman to Shadow Flame
Yishan Li -Seriously, do I have to explain who Yishan Li is? DCs Blue Beetle, the Buffy comic and much more!
Pekka Manninen -As far as I am concerned, Finland 's top comic creator and I'm not saying that because I am the UKs top Kapteeni Kuolio (Captain Gangrene) fan!
Lauren Watton -Pink Apple Jam and Sweatdrop Studios
Willie Hewes -Amaranth and Itch! publishing
Emma Vieceli -come on. Star of stage and musicals not to mention one of the UKs top Manga artists -Manga Shakespeare, Dragon Heir and more.
Sonia Leong -another noted UK Manga artist whose credits include Romeo and Juliet for Manga Shakespeare.
Nick Defina -the man behind Septagon Studios and Scorn
Donna Barr -The Desert Peach and so much more that you can check up on at her Midnight Library blog. She's a comic book Goddess.
Roberta Gregory -The other comic book Goddess and pioneering female creator. Roberta created Bitchy Bitch and many other characters.
Jeff Brooks -the man behind the UK editions of Classics Illustrated
Matt (D'Israeli) Brooker -from zines to "proper comics" including Deadline in the 1980s
Tania Del Rio
Holly Golightly -Broadsword Comics, Archie, Schoolbites and much more (below)
Vanessa Wells -superb creator of a comic I loved titled Shrouded and much more these days -http://www.vanessa.withbits.com
Marv Wolfman -Yes. The Marv Wolfman.
Morag Lewis -another UK Manga artist who worked with Sweatdrop Studios
The Etherington Brothers -if you've ever been to a good UK event you will have seen the duo behind Malcolm Magic, The 8th Moon Sketchbook, Moon and more.
Nicole Damon -CBOs favourite fantasy art model. Nicole has worked with Ben Uriegas, Loprenzo Sperlonga, Greg Hildebrandt and others.
Olivier Cadic -the man who brought Franco-Belgian comics to the English language readers via Cinebook The 9th Art! Everything you need to know.
Mike Western -"The Guv'nor" of British comics with strips such as The Wild Wonders, The Leopard From Lime Street and so many more to his name they would need a book to list.
John Cooper -Again, a creator who worked on many UK comic strips from Judge Dredd, One-Eyed Jack, Johnny Red and many others.
Mystery Canids, Chupacabra, Strange Sea Creatures, UFOs and much MUCH More!
The Red Paper: Foxes, Coyotes, Jackals, Arctic Foxes and Wolves in the UK
One for those interested in Wildlife -or cryptozoology!
Terry Hooper
The Red Paper: Canids
Paperback,
A4
(21 x 30cms)
202 Pages
Photographs, illustrations and maps
By the 1700s the British fox was on the verge of extinction and about to follow the bear and wolf having been hunted for sport for centuries. The answer was to import thousands of foxes per year for sport. But foxes kept dying out so jackals were tried. Some were caught, some escaped. Even wolves and coyote were released for hunting and "country folk" were very far from "happy" -some even threatening local hunts -one intending to release a wolf for a hunt- with legal and other consequences. The summation of over 40 years research by the noted naturalist and former UK police forces exotic wildlife consultant reveals the damnable lie of "pest control" hunting but also reveals the cruelty the animals were subject to and how private menageries as well as travelling shows. Private menageries, or single exotic "pets" as well as travelling shows helped provide the British and Irish countryside with some incredible events such as the 1905 "vampiric" sheep killer of Badminton, the mystery hounds of Cavan and Coyotes of Epping Forest.
The Girt Dog of Ennerdale is also dealt with in detail -was it a tiger? A Tasmania Thylacine? This book gives the exact facts and details for the first time. Up-dated 2013 edition includes a section on sarcoptic mange in foxes and treatment plus a list of wildlife sanctuaries and rescue centres in the UK.
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Some Things Strange & Sinister (2013 -up-dated)
A4 Format
B&W
Paperback
358 pages
Heavily illustrated
£20.00
After more than 40 years as an investigator and more than fifty as a naturalist,the author has opened some of the many files he has accumulated dealing with such things as..
The Terrifying Events At The Lamb Inn, The Ghosts Of All Saints Church, Dead Aquatic Creatures of Canvey Island, captured bigfoot like creatures in India -all exclusively presented for the first time and with new added research previously unseen.
PLUS a vastly expanded section on Spring-heeled Jack! Photographs, maps, line drawings and up-dated to make 358 pages looking at Things truly Strange and Sinister.
Cryptozoologist,Ghost Hunter,Ufologist or Fortean:this book has something for everyone -including the just plain inquisitive!
ContentsForeword by Travis L. Whitehurst
Introduction de occultis non judicat ecclesia
The Bristol Rocking Horse
The Terrifying Events At The Lamb Inn
The Coonian Ghost
The Ghosts Of All Saints Church
His Luminous Chamber
The Late Reverend Dr. Blomberg
And More Ghost Stories
The Thomas B. Cumpston Case
The Chupacabra
The Strange Case Of The Gotherington Gargoyle
What’s Tall,Hairy And Vanishes?
Mystery Beasts Of Ireland
The Creature Of The Dump
The Strange Creature Of Repton Woods
The Bizarre Legends,Crimes And Truth About Spring Heeled Jack
The Black Beast Of Darmstadt
The Nameless Thing Of Berkley Square
The Terrifying Case Of The U.S. Naval Transport
The Case Of The Ghost Lear Jet
Ghost Planes,Crashes And Dead Aquatic Creatures
The Mitchison Loch Ness Monster Video
From The Deep Below To The Air Above –USOs
Aerial Encounters Over Austria
A Crashed UFO In 1790?
Angel Hair
Quimper-Corentin:Where “Thunder Fell”
Strange Aliens From Space
The Llandrillo ‘Saucer’ And Other Crash Retrievals
Transient Lunar Phenomena,Alien Structures And Moon Vegetation
Whiddon Down-Saint-Jean-du-Guard:Impossible Correlations?
The Venezuelan HorrorA Final Word.
ContentsForeword by Travis L. Whitehurst
Introduction de occultis non judicat ecclesia
The Bristol Rocking Horse
The Terrifying Events At The Lamb Inn
The Coonian Ghost
The Ghosts Of All Saints Church
His Luminous Chamber
The Late Reverend Dr. Blomberg
And More Ghost Stories
The Thomas B. Cumpston Case
The Chupacabra
The Strange Case Of The Gotherington Gargoyle
What’s Tall,Hairy And Vanishes?
Mystery Beasts Of Ireland
The Creature Of The Dump
The Strange Creature Of Repton Woods
The Bizarre Legends,Crimes And Truth About Spring Heeled Jack
The Black Beast Of Darmstadt
The Nameless Thing Of Berkley Square
The Terrifying Case Of The U.S. Naval Transport
The Case Of The Ghost Lear Jet
Ghost Planes,Crashes And Dead Aquatic Creatures
The Mitchison Loch Ness Monster Video
From The Deep Below To The Air Above –USOs
Aerial Encounters Over Austria
A Crashed UFO In 1790?
Angel Hair
Quimper-Corentin:Where “Thunder Fell”
Strange Aliens From Space
The Llandrillo ‘Saucer’ And Other Crash Retrievals
Transient Lunar Phenomena,Alien Structures And Moon Vegetation
Whiddon Down-Saint-Jean-du-Guard:Impossible Correlations?
The Venezuelan HorrorA Final Word.
Alleged piece of crashed UFO from Berwyn Mountains, Wales.
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Some More Things Strange & Sinister
Paperback,
A4
327 Pages
Heavily illustrated
£20.00
http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/some-more-things-strange-sinister/paperback/product-18763730.html
Follow-up to Some Things Strange & Sinister. For those interested in Ufology, cryptozoology, hominology, unusual natural history, ghosts and mysteries in general. The secret history of gorillas in the UK -before they were officially 'discovered'.
Follow-up to Some Things Strange & Sinister. For those interested in Ufology, cryptozoology, hominology, unusual natural history, ghosts and mysteries in general. The secret history of gorillas in the UK -before they were officially 'discovered'.
The history of the Wild men of Europe, the UK and US: something that in the 1800s become very "pop culture" Very pop culture and totally forgotten today! Hominology. Sasquatch and Bigfoot -is there evidence for their existence?
No sitting on the fence here -the Patterson-Gimlin film is looked at as well as other evidence. The Author's conclusions?
You might be surprised. Giant snakes. Amazons. The Giant serpent of Carthage. The Girt Dog of Ennerdale -another big cult 'creature' amongst paranormal and cryptozoological circles. The Beast of Gevaudan -what was it and were there really descendents of the creature in the 19th century -one of which was actually brought to London? Believe it or not more than one incident of historical crocodiles cases in the UK. In fact, far more than even the Author had thought . And, after more than a century of claims by 'researchers' that it no longer exists: The Silent City of Alaska and the near legendary 'lost' photograph taken of it.
No sitting on the fence here -the Patterson-Gimlin film is looked at as well as other evidence. The Author's conclusions?
You might be surprised. Giant snakes. Amazons. The Giant serpent of Carthage. The Girt Dog of Ennerdale -another big cult 'creature' amongst paranormal and cryptozoological circles. The Beast of Gevaudan -what was it and were there really descendents of the creature in the 19th century -one of which was actually brought to London? Believe it or not more than one incident of historical crocodiles cases in the UK. In fact, far more than even the Author had thought . And, after more than a century of claims by 'researchers' that it no longer exists: The Silent City of Alaska and the near legendary 'lost' photograph taken of it.
This and much more. Updated with extra pages and photographs.
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Pursuing The Strange And Weird -A Naturalist's Viewpoint (2014 up-date)
Terry Hooper-Scharf
Paperback,
A4
249 Pages
£20.00
Paperback,
A4
249 Pages
£20.00
http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/pursuing-the-strange-weirda-naturalists-viewpoint/paperback/product-21307125.html
UP DATE -From Dead Aquatic (Humanoid) Creatures, the giant squid and yet undiscovered sea creatures; submarine and ships crews encountering true leviathans.
There is a fully expanded section which also refers to the so-called ‘Ningen’ sightings and video footage.
Extinct animals at sea that have been re-discovered. The subject of Sasquatch and other mystery Hominids around the world is dealt with including a look at the “Sasquatch-killer”, Justin Smeja.
Dr. Bryan Sykes and his DNA test results for TVs The Bigfoot Files as well as the controversial Erickson Project and Dr. Melba Ketchum’s Even more controversial Sasquatch DNA test results.
Also included are two early French UFO entity cases that still baffle. Ghosts, strange creatures and the Star-Child hoax. All dealt with by the naturalist and pursuer of the strange and weird
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The Bizarre Legends, Crimes And Truth About Spring Heeled Jack (2014
Terry Hooper-Scharf
Paperback,
Paperback,
53 Pages
Dimensions (centimetres) 20.98 wide x 29.69 tall (A4)
fully illustrated and referenced
£10.00http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/the-truth-about-spring-heeled-jack/paperback/product-21259526.html
The terror and mystery created by “Jack The Ripper” has been the subject of countless books, magazine articles as well as movies and TV documentaries. Ask anyone if they have ever heard of Jack The Ripper and it is doubtful anyone would respond with a “no idea.”
The terror and mystery created by “Jack The Ripper” has been the subject of countless books, magazine articles as well as movies and TV documentaries. Ask anyone if they have ever heard of Jack The Ripper and it is doubtful anyone would respond with a “no idea.”
By that same token, ask people who “Spring-heeled Jack” was and you would be lucky to find anyone who had ever heard of him.
Spring-heeled Jack was the subject (loosely) of a film The Curse of the Wraydons (1946) and Dominic Keating also appeared as Spring Heeled Jack in the 2010 film Sherlock Holmes by The Asylum film company. The character has also featured in both American and British comic books and a number of books, for both children and adults.
But the fact that the Springald held the country –not just London– in a grip of terror much longer that the Ripper did is all but forgotten except for some half-truths and fanciful theories.
Now be prepared to read the full story of Spring Heeled Jack