Wednesday, 30 September 2020
Mr Stransky
Your package arrived. Luckily all inside safe and in plastic so not soaked. Go through it all later but stronger envelopes for the British postal system...?
Tuesday, 29 September 2020
The Heroquest Predictions and Perils
CBO Gen 2 Is Here
Comic Bits will be changing. For 15 years I have tried to get support to keep the blog going and with a world wide audience you'd think that might be easy. Not aniota of help from the comic fans (with the extremely rare exception)
About The "World Mysteries" Books In A Nut-shell
I was asked what makes my books different from others? I will try without boring.
Firstly it has to be the amount of research involved. It would be easy to write a book where every case is labelled "unexplainable". The importance of the research is to look at cases and sort out which can be easily explained and which defy explanation. The books are not debunking but look at the facts and there are fully referenced sources that anyone can check -these days they can probably do so online.
There are maps, illustrations and photographs and through archive research I have found photographs that have been declared (by Forteans, cryptozoologists and ufologists) as "lost over a hundred years ago". I looked.
These are not dry reads. People who have read them have all described the books as "lively and not using over-complicated explanations". The point is that I want a good read when I buy a book and one that does not gtreat me like an idiot or spout over technical jargon that means having to find out what the hell someone is talking about. I think that anyone buying my books should expect a good read and not be talked down to. In ovber 45 years I have had to learn about atmospherics, aeronautics, astronomy, psychology and much more. So anything of that nature I explain in easily understood language.
"He (me) writes as though talking face-to-face with the reader" -I would accept that. The more "We should be looked at as the Elite" do not like that approach. Tough. I am not doing this work to look like a super scientist who no one understands but takes the word of.
One thing I always loved was getting my hands on chunky books. Lots of pages and illoes or photographs that made a great fun read. My books tend to have over 300 pages and are A4 in format. Each chapter deals with a seperate case so it is not a case of start reading about the Dead Aquatic Creatures of Canvey Island on page 5 and having to wait until page 310 for a conclusion. Everything on a case or series ofreports is self contained with full references at the end of each chapter.
I have a rather glowing appraisalof UFO Contact? from the Centre for UFO Studies aswell as other groups. When people start pinching your original work and use it uncredited on their blogs and in their books you must be doing something right.
Each book, because I saw these as a way to educate those interested in a subject or research, is priced atthe absolute bare minimum and when a copy of UFO Contact? is sold I 'earn' about £2/$2 -remember I have spent thousands of $/£ in over45 years gathering and investigating cases.
The books themselves I hope willinspire new investigators and researchers rather than sensationalist lie-mongers. Seriously, if just ONE person goes on to investigate and research a subject based on one of my books I will be happy. Poor but happy!
Cinebook Ltd -Newsletter 153 - September 2020
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The First 20th Century Masked Hero?
Just in case you have no idea….
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Orczy
Baroness Emma Magdolna Rozália Mária Jozefa Borbála “Emmuska” Orczy de Orci (/ˈɔːrtsiː/; 23 September 1865 – 12 November 1947) was a Hungarian-born British novelist and playwright. She is best known for her series of novels featuring the Scarlet Pimpernel, the alter ego of Sir Percy Blakeney, a wealthy English fop who turns into a quick-thinking escape artist in order to save ill-fated French royalty from “Madame Guillotine” during the French revolution, establishing the “hero with a secret identity” in popular culture
There could be an argument for earlier characters (Pirate Prince, etc) but the popularity of the secret identity and playboy fop was to be far reaching in pop culture.
One thing that Comic Bits (the publication) tries to do is make sure that these characters and creators are not forgotten. CB tends to focus on UK characters and creators and Orczy was living and working in London so qualifies.
Monday, 28 September 2020
Sunday, 27 September 2020
UFO Contact? Three Books Everyone Ought To Read
Contact! Encounters with Extra Terrestrial Entities?
Unidentified -Identified
Saturday, 26 September 2020
Why Do Google/Blogger, Yahoo/Verizon and Face Book Constantly Change Things?
I reported on Yahoo closing down its 360 blogs and was told I was talking rubbish -Yahoo denied it after all. It happened.
I reported on Yahoo closing down its Yahoo Groups as they existed -deleting many years of hard work by group owners. Yahoo denioed it. People said "WE own the groups spo Yahoo cannot do that" It Happened.
I warned about changes coming to Blogger 3 years ago and several times since. "Talking out your ass!" It happened (the changes not me talking out of my ass).
Google Plus I reported were going to be closed. Google said "Don't be silly" and people believed them. Oh -it happened!
Money. That is what it is all about. As soon as you buy a laptop, PC or whatever your name, address, phone number blah blah blah -it is all out there to exploit. Wanna test this? Just go on Ebay ot Amazon and search for something -an electric cooker or washing machine or TV. See how long it takes for email ads or on page ads to appear the item in question. Someone doubted me and did an online search for "Pile cream". Next day he told me that emails and ads were popping up on all of his pages.
I could write a book about this but why bother?
Your various profile images -they are stolen and used regularly by fake sex and dating sites. They might even use your name. NOTHING you can do about it.
Google Plus was free to members and NOT making money.Money is what the Google owners want.
Verizon owns Yahoo. It is there to make money.
Both companies running...FREE...services -where's the profit? Srervices go.
Blogger used for free. Make it awkward to use. I'm not finding it that awkward just the constant 2-5 attempts needed to actually publish a post. You don't want to carry ads that make Google or Verizon money well screw you -they'll make changes. Changes to Face Book for the same reason.
Face Book makes ALL of your images free on the internet. It is the most pilfered site for images to be used on dating, sex or other scame sites. I gave them all my details. Not my real personal details but they have still been used.
You signed away your right to privacy the moment you purchased your PC, laprtop or Ipad. Go to Incognito Window and what message do you get? Most people skip past the message but Google or whichever service you use will tell you that what you do in Incognioto is far from private. Google and its affiliated or associated companies harvest evertything you do "for statistics" and to "improve" the experience. Think you were safe watching that porn in Incognito? Your Internet Service provider and all of its business users see what you have been watching so Google and its associates, your ISP and its associates and anyone with access to the hundreds of sites using that 'private' data know what you use. It is why I stopped using Incognito for business -its open access to all.
Why do these companies keep changing styles or formats? To keep onbe step ahead of lawmakers who are trying to safeguard your internet privacy and freedom. You think that these companies are not willingly offering your data to governments? Think again.
Blogger and Yahoo will either continue to make changes until any free service is dropped (look at You Tube being caught out spying on its usage by children -feck the kids privacy the company lost millions through it).
Blogger has, perhaps, another year before its owner -Google- pulls the plug. The internet started out allowing us free world wide services to "better our world" now its a money earner and as my solicitor will point out: little trolls trying to start trouble have their ISPsand identities turned over very quickly now because otherwise -legal problems and a possible costly court case.
Friday, 25 September 2020
Sleuth-Hound Sam The Dud Detective no. 4
Again, THANKS to Bob for this. From Boy's Magazine no. 541, 16th July, 1932
Friday Afternoon Is Computer Kill Afternoon!
I had to scan an early UK Silver Age comic for a volume of the upcoming Black Tower Silver Age. Bad enough that, because of rationed paper and ink at the time, like many of its contemporaries it as what we call in the business "a real bastard". The original comic, obviously, sustained some light damage but it was that or make the comic a rarity that few people would get a chance to see or read oreven hear of.
The clapped out PC (and I cannot afford to buy a nrew one so do not suggest that) hindered me every page of the way. Edit a page to an acceptable quality until proper editing then click "save" and the page shuts down as well as documents. Sometimes 3 times on certain pages. So I had to struggle to get Documents open then re-open the file to work on the page again. 45 pages should be just over one hour's work.
THREE HOURS.
I had to open and edit pages so many times that that the 45 pages became approximately 80 pages.All of this for no reward. I am a moron.
This is why I asked for support to keep not just the old British comics projects going but CBO itself. Even now this small post has taken 45 minutes because of computer problems.
But who cares? I carry on until the PC needs to be buried.
Thursday, 24 September 2020
Wednesday, 23 September 2020
The Fleetway Projects That Could Have Been
Someone commented that:
“There was always a persistent rumour that you and Gil Page were involved in secret projects but no one gives out details -Gil Page told someone to ask you but that was years back”
Gil Page was Managing Editor at Fleetway and started with the company when it was the Amalgamated Press -his career spanned over 40 years. Egmont bought up Fleetway and Page was booted out. It was a bit of a blow but he joked that it meant he now had more time for golf!
I first met him in the 1980s after a lot of correspondence. As a Artist/writers agent and trying to sell ccmic projects (Steve MacManus introduced me to someone as “a carpet-bagger of comics in the nicest sense”). Gil filled me in on quite a few things when we met -such as thefact that 2000 AD had a very low readership but that meant that they could call it a “cult following”.
He loved the old characters and we discussed a number of projects. As he said “We have a warehouse full of art and stories we could reprint as ‘classics’ if a new project took off. His greatest enemy -in fact Fleetway’s greatest enemy- was it’s own board room.
I was looking through a copy of 2000 AD while we were talking and mentioned that the last issue was rather bloody but the one I was reading was tame. I was told that every-so-often the “boardroom boys” wanted to see what was being published and for that occasion blood and gore was lessened.
Talking to him about the comic Scream while going over project art Gil told me: “We should be doing a proper hooror comic but the board would not allow that. Scream is the compromise.”
When The Supernaturals (a comic based on the Tonka toys -I have a full set of figures) was abruptly culled I was asked about putting something together to replace it. That project became The Paranormals. The story was finally printed (self published) in Tales of Terror a few years back. It might seem somewhat tame but the idea was to get the board to approve the project then let rip -the super natural child killer staring in at sleeping children in part 2 would have set the tone.
“Can’t afford it” was the board response.
So with Gil helping as much as he could I wrote and drew the 111pp Looking Glass story featuring the classic heroes which would have been re-drawn and coloured and published in parts. Gil loved it. I put together the notes for later stories that pulled in a lot of 1920s/1930s AP characters. I was told that the project would be presented at an upcoming board meeting.
It was rejected.
The board had absolutely no idea about comics and quite honestly were hanging on to whatever salary they were getting until the company died or was sold off. Which is why 2000 AD was sold off cheaply.
So there were a good few projects and along the way, to amuse myself, I doodled whatever came into my head. Getting a rough feel for a character(s). As pointed out in a previous post, nothing sensational or detailed just doodling along.
My blue doodle pad has many images but these are a few. The full extent of what was discussed and planned -at meetings where no one else was present so cannot comment– I’m not about to go into as it would be pointless.
But, yes, a lot was discussed and had Fleetway’s boardroom been of any use the company might still be around.