Back in the 180s, while Black Tower Adventure and BT Presents were still developing, a man by the name of Adrian Woods got in touch. Adrian was an artist -and I mean that: I really loved the style he used and he could also put together great short stories.
Then, one day...nothing. I wrote to him at the address I had. No responses. Over the years I have searched comic sites but no sign of him. Having never met him I have no idea if he was young or old. I was told by several fanzine people that he was a veteran British comics artist. I have no idea if that is true
I have a bunch of his strips scanned from the old books and I thought, in this 31st year of Black Tower I'd at least like to show some of the work of those early artists. Alive. Dead. Imprisoned in some alien dimension (Dimension X1-2 seems the most likely) I have no idea.
Quality of the scanned pages vary but enjoy this one that did make me laugh back then....nurses will probably understand!
Then, one day...nothing. I wrote to him at the address I had. No responses. Over the years I have searched comic sites but no sign of him. Having never met him I have no idea if he was young or old. I was told by several fanzine people that he was a veteran British comics artist. I have no idea if that is true
I have a bunch of his strips scanned from the old books and I thought, in this 31st year of Black Tower I'd at least like to show some of the work of those early artists. Alive. Dead. Imprisoned in some alien dimension (Dimension X1-2 seems the most likely) I have no idea.
Quality of the scanned pages vary but enjoy this one that did make me laugh back then....nurses will probably understand!
Ha, didn't see that coming!
ReplyDeleteThink I "prefer" Gary Stainsby's stuff out of these two you've posted - DEFINITELY seen his stuff somewhere else (or at least something very similar), in Prime Cuts perhaps? Maybe even Deadline?
Yep. Lovely. Fun, cynical, more than a little irreverent 1980's humour. In comics lots of people come and go.... just got to enjoy them while they're here. Gary Stainsby's art is nice and clean - would've developed into something good. Adrian Wood - yeah, well, I'm a bit of an Adrian Wood fan. The Machine Messiah ( unpublished ?) and Mirror Mirror ( in Tales of Terror #2 ) are just lovely lovely. Such potential. Well. Time to lift off from the planet Nostalgia and get back to work. Have a good day.
ReplyDeleteTwoHeadedBoy: Stainsby used a sort of (or actual) toner effect that was popular at the time. I hope he never actually did all that by stipling -which a few artists did. He may well have been in other small press books and if I can find the box with my copies of Deadline in I'll check. Have I got copies of Prime Cuts? Possible so I'll check that. But you look at the strip and it is pure '80s and I'm glad it cleaned up as well as it did! ;-)
ReplyDeleteStransky. Machine Messiah was published in Adventure vol. 1...no. 8? It needs a new airing. Looking at his pieces again, I do wonder whether he was an old comics pro -John P. Britton was and I worked with him on Phoenix Team and Special Globe Guard. All possible.
I just wished they had stayed in touch or at least gone on to work in comics but the industry here was in its death throes back then. Sigh. I'm getting all menopausal.....MEN CAN HAVE A MENOPAUSE YOU KNOW!!!!
Adventure #8 Vol. 1. You're right, by George ! Oh. Your letter arrived this afternoon - I'm saving it to read when I get home. I'll need something to cheer me up after I take me meds. Have a nice evening - um - day - um - morning ? ....well... oh, you know what I mean !
ReplyDeleteWas I right? Good lords. If only my memory was as good when it came to remembering the toilet...or changing these trousers. What? Yes! I'm not sure what you asked there but I err on the side of....a train....bus....AH! Cortion. Is tortion ? "Testicular tortion, Mr Hooper"....no. It wasn't that. It must have been "caution". I have no idea why you said "tortion". OOOh I'd love a cup of coffee.
ReplyDelete