those we left behind

New English Library Book Covers - more youth culture / social expose!!! (The 70's)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Ladybird Book Covers from the 737 Leaders Series (the 70's)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Sat, 18 May 2013 23:29:00 +0000

The Ladybird Leaders 737 series were a collection of factual books aimed at young readers who had progressed beyond basic texts and wanted something more stimulating than Janet & John. Released throughout the 70's, and totaling over 40 by the end of the series, the simple, bold style of the covers was one that stood out in the local Woolworths when I was a young reader. Being a boy, the Dinosaurs and Soldiers books were amongst the first bought, but the wonderful cover images conveyed the subject matter with grace and power. Here is a selection of them;

Links!!!

http://www.easyontheeye.net/ladybird/70s/737/737.htm -brief overview of the 737 Leaders series.

http://www.theweeweb.co.uk/ladybird/patrick_armstrong.php - interview with Patrick Armstrong, an author of several of the Leaders series.

all images courtesy of
Ladybird 737 Covers and Prints

Review - The Walking Dead 110 (Image / Skybound, 2013)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:27:00 +0000

If you haven't read this issue or any Walking Dead over the past 5 years, then be aware that there are spoilers below.

All comic covers are there to entice and sell the product, tarted up, pouting out from the comic racks or online. The fact that the first glimpse of a new comic is usually via the 'solicitations' that roll out on a monthly basis. Solicitation, is, as any good dictionary will tell you, the offering of goods and services. The Walking Dead uses their cover space to build up the hype. Many issues have had covers that pertain to a certain event happening (and by that I mean something momentous) and then the contents do not fulfil on that promise. Take for example issue 49, where Carl is leading Rick by the hand. Rick pulls a very distinctive Zombie shape, and his face is, helpfully, obscured by shadow. My god, you think - it's all over for Rick. Except it wasn't. While i am at it, let's look at issue 85, the issue after Carl had had half his face blown off in the climax of 'No Way Out'. Issue 85 has a cover that is sombre and respectful - a grieving father - Rick - hunkered down in grief, a plain black backdrop framing the pain and loss. Except, as we all know, Carl somehow managed to pull through in ~~a jump the shark moment~~ piece of comic book logic that was barely credible and marks a low point in the series as a whole (According to me).

Anyway - the cover to issue 110 has Michonne and Ezekiel clashing swords and staffs and other stuff that all looks a bit like a close up of a section of a Rob Liefeld cover from 20 years ago. Great, you think, a battle! Or at least a fight. Alas, prepare to be disappointed. The cover image actually pertains to something much more mundane and is so outrageously misleading that when I got to that point in the book I couldn't help but laugh. And groan. And shake my head sadly. Of all the covers that have took liberties with the actual contents, this is probably the cheekiest.

The contents themselves could be read and you could have made your tea and eat it by the time it has took you to read my preamble. It is a lightning quick read this time around, but the economy is to be applauded to a degree. It is lean (not mean), and you get to the end with a bit of a ? hanging above your head. There are 2 distinct plot lines, one involving Jesus and one involving Rick and a delegation meeting Ezekiel. This latter storyline intrigued the most. I really did not think that much of the new guy, and I thought the potential for ruining the book with overcooked characters was reaching a new level with 'King' Ezekiel. However, after this issue, I am warming to him a little, though I think the whole pomp and pageantry thing is a mistake and I don't believe that survivors in a brutal post apocalypse environment would buy into this sub-Mad Max posturing. Saying that, the overall impression of Ezekiel is better than before, and it's the highlight of an issue that moved things on so gradually that I don't expect the cover for issue 111 to be anything more than Negan preparing Sunday lunch for himself and his concubines;

The Horror of....the New English Library Book Covers (70's and 80's)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:13:00 +0000

New English Library paperbacks. The penny dreadful of the 70's and 80's, the B Movie of the book world. Those well known residents of car boot sales, charity shops and landfill. The yellowed pages, with the first page marked in the top right corner with a 5p / 10p/ 25p value. The cracked and worn spines, the smell of mildew, the forlorn look of neglect. What NEL lacked in sophistication, they made up for in their cover presentation. While some covers explicity advertised the contents, others were a bit more obtuse. TWLB presents a small selection of some of the NEL horror back catalouge;

Ace of Wands intro sequence and clip, plus Magpie intro (with music by Spencer Davies) (ITV, the Seventies)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:41:00 +0000

Vaguely remember this one as a child. Not scary like The Feathered Serpent intro, but kind of mesmerising, with a graphical flourish that reminds me of the Magpie intro (and I forgot that the music was by Spencer Davies);

Skinheads and Hippies, Piccadilly Circus, 1969 (photographed by Terry Spencer).

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:25:00 +0000

Photographed by Terry Spencer, these photos show ' a clash of 2 cultures', though if there were any clashing to be done, my money would a) be on the skinheads starting it, and b) the skinheads finishing it as well. The hippies, wisely, avert their gaze from the passing Skins in the first picture. In the third picture a couple of brave hippie souls lift their heads up to check they are actually going past their group, as opposed to into it. This all happens around Piccadilly Circus (the hippies are sitting on the steps of the statue of Eros).

At this point, and staying broadly with this theme of youth subcultures, I would like to point you to the subbaculture site, operated by a man who I regard as a friend and scholar;

http://subbaculture.co.uk/

it is no cut and paste job either - there are some really inspired posts there. Please check it out.

Photos courtesy of;
Picture 1 - http://www.nickelinthemachine.com/2009/04/mayfair-and-the-fall-of-the-hippy-squat-at-144-piccadilly/

Picture 2 - http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/s480x480/5509_446276742110736_587495792_n.jpg

Picture 3 - http://www.museumoflondonprints.com/image/446553/terry-spencer-group-of-skinheads-&-hippies-in-piccadilly-circus-1969

Cover Art for The Walking Dead 112 (Image/Skybound 2013)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:01:00 +0000

Solicitation reads;
"Carl and Andrea are faced with the unthinkable."

Review - The Walking Dead #109 (Image / Skybound, 2013)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:56:00 +0000

There will be spoilers of the contents of issue 109 from here on in.

It's a sure sign that you are a lapsed comic purchaser when you only have 1 title on your pull list and you don't even get that excited when that 1 Wednesday in the month rolls around and you had barely remembered that your 1 title was due to be released. Maybe it's taken me longer than expected to get over issue 108 (not really - I managed to make it to work next day and eat and sleep etc). Maybe I just don't have the enthusiasm for this title compared to 5 or 6 years ago (closer to the truth).

Anyhow - here we are with issue 109, which, by my calculation, will be part 1(of 6) of Volume 19. So lets not expect too many fireworks - although I suspect this arc will involve some sort of challenge to Negans authority (him and his saviours will have been around for nearly 20 episodes by the time we get to the end of this arc, so you would expect events to reach a crescendo).

What I am trying to say is, not a huge amount happens in this issue.

For example;

Maggie grieves for Glenn. She gets commended by a woman who really talks too much about how cool it is that she has a headstone for her deceased love (this scene goes on too long and is afflicted by the verbosity that causes word balloons to pop). Maggie visits the Hilltop Doctor (she is pregnant with Glenns child). Maggie meets the Hilltop Blacksmith. Jesus pops up and lets Maggie in on the big secret (ie Rick is going to beat up Negan). Jesus pops up all over the place at the Hilltop, very keen he is to spread the wonderful news that Rick is going to wait outside the school gates with his mates and give Negan a good kicking. The end result of this announcement to all and sundry is that one guy who Jesus thought he could trust - some Hilltop guard called Kal - appears to have done a runner straight to Negan to tell him the very same news. Jesus berates himself for being so stupid. Considering Jesus has not put a foot wrong so far in the comic, this moment poses the question that if he doubted the reliability of 'Kal', then why approach him with the news? Surely there would have been other useful people in the Hilltop community? Jesus seems to know them all anyway, so why go to the one that was potentially the weak link?

Apart from all that excitement, Spencer makes his first passive aggressive move at Rick. It fails.And Carl has grown a floppy emo type fringe to hang over the abyss of his face. And his dad wants him fighting Negan, side by side, father & son etc. At least he won't be whingeing about being left out of all the 'fun' now, or going all Scrappy Doo when he feels he isnt getting involved, and killing grown men with weapons bigger than he is as a result.

Ezekiel Watch - there was not one Tiger in this issue. Shame.

Rubble Kings (2013)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 21:58:00 +0000

Following a recent successful Kickstarter appeal, surely we must be getting close to a general release of this great looking documentary. Until then (and it should be this year, please let it be this year!) here is the trailer, because it tells you all you need to know;

RUBBLE KINGS TRAILER from shan nicholson on Vimeo.

Cover Art for The Walking Dead #111 (Image/Skybound, 2013)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:05:00 +0000

The Walking Dead Issue 111Release Date: June 12, 2013"Lucille is going to be so jealous."

Well this does appear to be a bit of an ugly cover, both in terms of the subject matter, which looks particularly gruesome, and I don't know what has happened to Negan's face, but its like a Hall of Mirrors effect. He looks....odd. Anyway, looks like blood is going to be spilt, unless the cover is symbolic of something or other. Or maybe the cover relates to nothing at all. It's still an ugly cover.

Review - The Walking Dead 108 (Image/Skybound, 2013)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 13:18:00 +0000

SPOILERS!!! from here on in....

Issue 108 is the last of the current 'arc' - in other words this will be the last few pages you read when the next trade (volume 18) is released in June (currently scheduled for 11 June according to Amazon UK). What that means is, is that issue 108 gives you enough story without much being resolved. It whets the appetite but not much more. The major talking point is the arrival of Ezekiel and his Tiger. No, the Tiger is not stuffed. His name is Shiva (the name of a Hindu deity - Shiva means 'auspicious one'). Shiva abhors violence apparently. Maybe that's why 'King' Ezekiel is able to treat him like a pet. Yes - 'King' Ezekiel is actually the ruler of 'The Kingdom' another one of the pockets of Survivors that make up Kirkman's 'Larger World'. King Ezekiel appears to have all the affectations of a ruler of a past age, complete with men on horseback trotting out to meet visitors and questioning them with antiquated speech. It is all fairly ridiculous, and Kirkman knows this, so this is all a bit tongue in cheek. Ezekiel isn't the first to go a bit eccentric in a post apocalyptic setting - Lord Humungus from Mad Max 2 not only gave himself a lofty title, but also liked wearing a medieval type Hockey Mask and not much else;

Back in the comic, Rick has been introduced to Ezekiel by Jesus. Rick does not like Negan (recap later) and guess what? Neither does Ezekiel, who finds his Negan's style of leadership not up to his Royal standards. To add to the party atmosphere, there is a surprise appearance from Dwight (of The Saviors)! I think its fairly safe to say that his potential to betray Negan was apparent after we learned that not only had the potty-mouthed tyrant a) nicked Dwight's wife but then b) burnt half his face of when poor Dwight tried to steal a few moments with his wife! Rick, however, was not happy to see Dwight and remains suspicious, and can you blame him. After all, not only have the Saviors been responsible for the deaths of 2 important members of Rick's group (Abraham and Glen), but they also held Rick's son, Carl, when he went all Scrappy-Doo and tried to do the job that his Dad won't do right now (which is to KILL NEGAN). AND the Saviors want to come along to Rick's walled community whenever they feel like it and take whatever they want. So you can see why there is some hostility. Hey, I am sure it will all work out fine. Kirkman is letting the readers know that there is an alliance of like minded communities and individuals forming here, with the express purpose of taking Negan down.

We had another peek into the world of Negan this week, when we learned that he has to win at Ping Pong. If he doesn't, I assume 'Lucille' (that's 'Lucille' the Baseball Bat) comes into play. So the lower orders of The Saviors (ie everyone who is not Negan) have to simply throw the match. I believe this proves beyond doubt that, alongside the awful language and general anti social tendencies, that Negan is one big bully and a sore loser. The sooner we are rid of him so we can go back to Rick having long dialogues with himself or any unfortunate who happens to be caught in his gaze, the better!

Speaking of which, there was too many words in the final few pages. Everyone caught a bug and the result was a wave of verbal diarrhoea. It's pretty much mandatory to have at least a couple of pages of this sort of verbosity. I guess its something you just have to get used to.

I flagged Spencer as a problem a couple of issues back - see here. There is something in this issue that only reinforces that. A small scene, but it could be growing into a major plot point over the next few issues.

There was a little bit of zombie action, which was surprising only for how insignificant it felt, other than to give Carl a moment to be vulnerable. This isn't a comic about Zombies any more is it? They appear to be nothing more than an annoyance.

Michonne and Andrea had a few panels together. Michonne is refreshingly frank and sparing with her words in this issue. I wish Rick was.

Was it a good issue? Well, it wasn't bad. It was faintly ridiculous (all that King Ezekiel stuff) and there was some forward momentum (the conspirators coming together against Negan).The cover is amazing, and is the very best thing about The Walking Dead 108.

Skin advert in Crisis issue 28 (1989)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:41:00 +0000

Issue 28 of the adult oriented political comic (only in the late 80's eh?) 'Crisis' has an advert for a forthcoming story. Nothing much unusual in that, except this was an advert for a story that never made it to print in Crisis;

The reason was this - the publisher Fleetway, pulled the story after objections from the printers, who refused to print Skin. The actual reason is harder to determine, but the accepted version of events is that this was due to the harsh language in the strip. The fact that Skin was eventuallt collected and published in graphic novel form by Tundra Publishing, to little or no outrage shows that Fleetway and Crisis missed out on one of the most powerful British comic strips. More here;

http://www.thoseweleftbehind.co.uk/2009/11/skin-milligan-mccarthy-1990-1992.html

The Horror of....the intro to The Feathered Serpent (1976)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:14:00 +0000

Way back in time (well, 2009) I put up a post about the 70's childrens ITV show The Feathered Serpent;

http://www.thoseweleftbehind.co.uk/2009/03/feathered-serpent-horror-of-intro-and.html

To be honest, the posts title was a bit misleading. There was no footage of the intro to The Feathered Serpent. I could only proclaim how utterly unnerving it was, and could only offer footage of the show itself and the end credits. Now, however, I can provide you with proof that The Feathered Serpent really did have a little bit of requisite 70's HORROR in its DNA. Please follow this link and see for yourself (the picture above gives you an idea of what awaits)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kqpDwXQhB8&feature=share&list=PL656FA95ABE2D64A5

The Droids - The Force

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:04:00 +0000

In 1977 (the Year of Star Wars) Yves Hayat was in the record industry, working for French label Barclay Records. With all the hysteria and hype surrounding the cinematic blockbuster, Hayat felt suitably inspired to make his own musical tribute to the quasi mystical space opera. A keyboard player called Richard Lornac (who was a musician on Barclay Records rare Afrobeat LP Tumblack) and drummer Jean-Paul Batailley completed the band. And the name of said band? The suitably derivative 'Droids' no less. A first single from the band, with the in-no-way-a-cash-in-of star-wars title 'The Force' was released, and fans of Space Disco were treated to a performance of the band on French TV, accompanied by a lady dancer/droid.swinging her legs with abandon and not displaying typical droid behaviour. I do not know what C-3PO would have made it. I have a good idea what Daft Punk would have made of it though - wonder if this was in any way an early influence on them?

They followed this up with an album, called Star Peace (see image at the top of the post) which is on Spotify;

For more on the Droids and their Star Peace album, see here

For more on Space Disco - see here and here.

Scarfolk Council

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:39:00 +0000

Scarfolk is a town in North West England that did not progress beyond 1979. Instead, the entire decade of the 1970s loops ad infinitum. Here in Scarfolk, pagan rituals blend seamlessly with science; hauntology is a compulsory subject at school, and everyone must be in bed by 8pm because they are perpetually running a slight fever. "Visit Scarfolk today. Our number one priority is keeping rabies at bay." For more information please reread.

You really should be reading this - the Sex Education post is incredible;

http://scarfolk.blogspot.co.uk/

Football Games History 35th Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:34:00 +0000

This is wonderful;

For the full listing of all the games included, go here;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6sKoL0qSOQ&feature=player_embedded

Rabies - Don't smuggle Death (1970's)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 08:38:00 +0000

At the tender age of 7, I found myself on an unexpected adventure one Sunday night / Monday morning travelling in a hired small truck, zipping around lockups and warehouse storage areas at Heathrow airport. Besides the obvious thrill of staying up later than I ever had before, the locations were also exciting. Cold, dark and mysterious places full of goods loaded on pallets or in boxes. The place was also pretty much deserted as well, which gave the place a slightly spooky edge. I remember going with my Dad (whose idea this trip was - lest you think this was a solo adventure) into a building at Heathrow, going down a dimly lit corridor, and seeing this;

The disembodied skull with the rictus grin was pretty disconcerting. However, this paled in comparison with what waited for me around the next corner of the corridor;

DON'T SMUGGLE DEATH. The DEATH and RABIES in blood red lettering. The snarling wild eyed beast with it's slavering jaws. The innocent victim. prone and defenceless. There is shock value in the image, and the use of the colour red emphasising the 2 keywords in the advertising. It is a hard hitting image, and a powerful message being conveyed. It affected me, especially in the context of being young, being in a slightly alien, dark and deserted environment. The bitter sweet memories of childhood terror!

Britain had some of the toughest quarantine laws in the world in the 70's, following an outbreak of Rabies across Europe. With the UK Borders under attack from this unseen menace, the British Government began a poster and TV campaign about Rabies awareness. As you can see, it's message was stark and uncompromising, with thed TV campaign being arguably the most unsettling;

Links!!!

Fascinating article on how the UK responded to the threat of Rabies;
http://www.historytoday.com/neil-pemberton/mad-dogs-and-englishmen

Poster Images courtesy of the Wellcome Library

Cover for The Walking Dead 110 (Image/Skybound 2013)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 12:11:00 +0000

Nice cover. Looks like Michonne and Ezekiel. Is she making a move on him as well?

Image courtesy of http://thecomicdead.tumblr.com/

Review - The Walking Dead 107 (Image/Skybound, 2013)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 12:04:00 +0000

A typically misleading / playful (depending on your mood) cover shot for the latest installment. Is Carl really dead this time?

SPOLIERS AHEAD!!!

No, of course he isn't - though he doesn't look too good without the face bandages. How would they work that into the TV show?

Meanwhile, Kirkman continues to confound with Negan. Or maybe exasperate. The guy is a conundrum. You want to hate him but at the same time Kirkman throws in a new side to his character so that you might possibly end up respecting him a little. He still forms sentences with Tourettes levels of bad language, but his reasoning behind cooperation over conflict worked for me. Rick, as usual, leads with his head (butt) and his one good fist when faced with the threat of his sons safety. The fact that his attack on Negan is met with minor amusement then slight annoyance suggests that to Negan, Rick is no threat.

So we get the idea that The Saviors are aptly named - they work with all the neighbouring communities, the proviso being cooperation means bending to Negan's will and surrendering good and services on demand. But as long as that is maintained, Negan's 'army' keep order and the undead at bay. Saviors indeed.

Which brings me onto the next point of note (Negan's 'army'). Carl was not just being an impetuous pre-teen who decided to take on a group of well armed adults with psychopathic tendencies. Well, in truth he was that, but a happy benefit of that rash decision is the intel that Carl has on the inner workings of Negan's fortress. When quizzed by Jesus and Rick, it seems that the 'army' may not be as well manned as previously thought. Which brings us on to the conclusion of issue 107, when Jesus (who gets better and better and is probably my favourite character right now) suggests a meeting with 'Ezekiel'. Ezekiel, you may know, or may not, is this guy;

Fun times ahead. Looks like there may be a new Revolution coming to the US in the months ahead.

There were also a couple of sub-plots worthy of discussion. One good, one bad. The good was Eugene and his factory find. Despite all but disappearing in the slipstream of Abraham (RIP), he may now have a chance to shine and actually prove to be useful, providing he can walk the walk as well as he can talk the talk (i.e. produce ammunition to specification and that is fit for purpose). If that is the case, then we may see a tipping point and the odds swing towards Rick in his struggle against Negan.

The bad sub-plot involves Michonne and Heath. Michonne hits on Heath, with no prior warning. Her grab at him is as unsubtle as this new plot development and just begs the question why? It served no purpose and made Michonne look foolish. If it looks like filler and feels like filler, it probably is filler. Not good.

Overall, the issue is another success. No great drama, but layering on the intrigue, fleshing out Negan and Jesus a little more, with the promise of a new character next time round. Apart from that one blip, this continues the comics good run of form.

The Yellowed Pages

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:58:00 +0000

A blog dedicated to lovely old British comic strips - I don't know how I have missed this one (seeing as it has been around since 2009). But at least being late to the party means I have 4 years worth of blog to catch up on. Captain Storm (I don't know if it is his real name) is the blogger of the aptly titled 'The Yellowed Pages', and his mission statement reads thus;

A lover of old British comics from the 60s through to the early 80s and that is what we will showcase here. However sometimes we will stray outside this mandate. Welcome to the Yellowed Pages where nostalgia isn't in the past , it's right here , right now!

There is some great stuff on there, such as The Tower King & The House Daemon (covered in this blog in the past), The Spinball Wars (futuresport - hooray!!!), some of Thargs Future Shocks & Mind Wars (from Starlord). I could go on, but I suggest you check it out. The link is here;

The Yellowed Pages

The Walking Dead #109 Cover and Solicitation details (image/skybound, 2013)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 12:21:00 +0000

The Walking Dead Issue 109
Release Date: April 2013
"Maggie and Sophia pick up the pieces and continue their lives at the Hilltop."

Review - The Walking Dead #106 (image/skybound, 2013)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 09:03:00 +0000

2 things worthy of note;
1 - Charlie Adlard celebrates his 100th Walking Dead issue, which is probably not a record for an artist on a title but is absolutely something to cherish. He gets a glowing appraisal in the 'letter hacks' section, and in it we learn that;
2 - because of Charlie Adlard's singularly superhuman appetite for the work, The Walking Dead has been monthly (and sometimes even more regular) for around 3 years. As I can remember the days when 1.5 / 2 / and even nearly 3 month delays were a semi regular occurrence for the single issues of this title, it would not be hyperbole to suggest that it is because of Adlards dedication and craft that have helped propel this IP to the fame it currently enjoys.

Next up is the review of the issue itself, there is some plot reveals so please be aware SPOILERS from here on in;

As for the issue - well, the cover is a classic. One of the best of Adlards tenure, a suitable work of art to celebrate his centenary, and his art inside is not shabby either. The guy is consistently good, in my opinion, with his own style. It is one of the better pairings of story to artist that the comic medium has produced, up there with Miller & Jansen, Lee & Ditko, Lee & Kirby, Simonsons time on Thor, and Byrne's run on Fantastic Four.

The storyline this month has the requisite sub-plots; Kirkman throwing in an interesting development revolving around Spencer, and Eric voicing his doubts to Aaron on the security of the community since the arrival of Negan. The reveal of cracks in the community is not surprising, as there has been that underlying threat of dissent in the ranks for a few issues now. But the Spencer reveal, while only getting a few panels, is probably one to watch. Jealousy can drive a man insane...

There is more Negan, who reminds us all that Carl, now minus face bandage, and despite having sung a song to Negan, is still up for a suitable punishment. Which leads us nicely on to the cliffhanger of a nicely paced issue with enough storyline to satisfy and enough unfinished business to make the 4 week wait a bit painful;

It goes like this - Rick is desperate to find Carl. Jesus turns up in the middle of the night (after a brief scene showing that, yes indeed, he is still absolutely kickass - it's like he is really trying hard to get a more central role in this title). Jesus tells Rick that he knows where Negan is based. Despite having been on patrol the best part of the day searching for Carl and some perfunctory zombie slaying (see the cover), Rick gathers Andrea and Michonne, and along with Jesus they head off towards Negan's. I will not say any more about the plot, but I will mention Ricks attitude / approach regarding how he wants to deal with Negan. Rick has quickly adapted to the enforced change in dynamics, and being a generally smart guy, knows when to play it cool. Michonne, on the other hand, seems to favour a more direct approach to solving the Negan problem. I wonder if that is going to cause her some grief in the near future? Anyway, Negan and Rick meet up, Rick wants to know where Carl is, and Negan, with his best shit eating grin, tells Rick he cannot wait to show what he has done to his (Ricks) little boy.....ugh. More than a little worrying, and slightly disturbing.

Finally - I am still not 100% sure about Jesus. How did he find Negans hideout? We didn't see how he did it, we just know he did it. Is he fooling us as well as Rick? Is he deep cover? And what has Negan done to Carl? Until next month!!!

The Walking Dead #106 Preview and Wrap Cover (2013)

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 21:03:00 +0000

Out on January the 9th, The Walking Dead #106 (with the best cover of the year so far) arrives with the tantalising prospect of a Negan / Rick showdown. I think most of us who follow the comic accept that any showdown will not be a fatal one for either character (if you have seen the cover of #107 then you will feel a lot more certain of that) - and besides, you get the feeling Negan is going to be around for a while yet. Anyway, we have a few pages of preview of #106 to tide us over until the middle of the week. So follow the link;

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/walking-dead-no-106-preview-408401

30 years ago - Comic Covers January 1983

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:01:00 +0000

The Art of the Annual - 1987

noreply@blogger.com (those we left behind) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 07:50:00 +0000

Last year, as Christmas approached, TWLB cast its eye over that Christmas institution - the Annual. From 1969 to 1984, we looked at some of the best examples of Annual cover design, and how tastes and fashions changed through the years. Some Annuals were evergreens (like the Dr Who series), while others were around for one year, never to return....

For a limited time only, TWLB will be looking at some more of these gems, this time from the mid to late 80's.

All Annual images are courtesy of the marvellous tonystrading site - go there for an exhaustive covers gallery;

http://www.tonystrading.co.uk/galleries/annuals/

Today it's 1987....