Comics are famously a narrative combining words and pictures. It could be said that this site gives evidence of a bias toward images - attention more usually directed at visual artists than at the writers they illustrate. To redress the balance here for the lovers of language are some examples of words from comics and newspaper strips. These give no indication of the authors abilities at plotting or story telling. Then neither do isolated pictures.
A few seconds later . . a good cup of Koks is being served with the frapping paraphernalia in a little box on a tray made of Nonoot wood in the best Pharagonesian tradition . . .
Jean Giraud. Moebius. The Collected Fantasies of Jean Giraud 6. 1988
The rising sun strikes glints of fire from the dark multitudes.
Roy Thomas. A Witch Shall be Born. Conan the Barbarian. 1979
“No matter what ya says I yam - I am what I yam an’ tha’s all I yam”
Segar. Popeye 1931
My place is here, tens of millions of miles from the star I once reached for. It is a vast, floating emptiness, tens of millions of cubic miles in volume. Spread out beneath me lies that for which I longed, dark and silent. Oh darkness and silence, mend what is broken; slowly and inexorably heal my pain . .
Katsuhiro Otomo. Memories. Taken from Memories The Collection. 1994
“0op -wat is mattair weeth ze great Yilstadj ? - he groan - sob, lak in beeg anguish! _ Speak, - is he going swoon weeth a fit?
Gene Ahern. Our Boarding House. 1929
But then the doorman steps back under the canopy after several tries with his little tin tweeter, and I breath easier. He shrugs and my mark starts hoofin’ it. I take a last deep drag, then flick my butt looping into the gutter. It sticks there in the wet, hisses, and the red glow on the tip goes out fast. I step from the shadows.
Writer unaccredited. The Assassin ( Shock Suspense Stories) 1954.
“Now beck into sigglution, witch only these kobbil rocks, this blue bin butch, the moon and dokk, dokk night know - “
Herriman Krazy Kat 1937
“Captain Marvel, I salute you. Henceforth it shall be your sacred duty to defend the poor and helpless, right wrongs and crush evil everywhere.”
Bill Parker. Captain Marvel (Whiz Comics #2) .1940
“And get this - Flatfoot! Just show one little corner of a finger around that door and you’ll get it blown off!”
Chester Gould. Dick Tracy 1935
The First Lancers, the greatest fliers in the Hawkman army, circle at a dizzy height and, at a signal from their leader, fold their wings and dive on Azura’s army.
Alex Raymond. Flash Gordon. 1935
Crazed with blood lust by the men he had already eaten, Hook Jaw reared out of the water -
Pat Mills. Hook Jaw. (Action) 1976
Run down the long, empty, deserted station platform, Carl! Run from this personification of the millions of your country-men who couldn’t ride the tide you chose to ride . . . who were caught in it’s undertow . . .
Writer unaccredited. Master Race. (Impact) 1955
Imagine the Oceanosphere, the viscous universe, the voracious spinning eye of matter in the black and blood of the Serpent. A flash of frost in an inky sphere limpid spiral of surging lymph.
Philippe Druillet. Yragael Urm 1974
“Uu-uuulgh!”
“Eeeeuuugh!”
“Guu-uuurgh!”
“Ayieeeegh!”
“Aaauuunnnf!”
“Glaauurrlg!”
“Nnnn-guuuuuuh!”
Tom Tulley. Death Game 1999. (Action) 197?
“With his mentrek abilities, it will be child’s play for Greyfield to defuse the bomb! We’d better have one of our men inoculate him with a special virus that will spread the darkness to the Emperoratrix himself!
Alexandro Jodorowsky. The Incal 1983
“Forget about the fancy weapons,, Strecho! Just let me cream ‘im in the schnozzola!”
Stan Lee. Angel of Death. The Fantastic Four. 197?
In the Ron Reagan Block for the Aged and Infirm, insomniac welfare vets throng the all-night shopping mall -
Alan Grant/John Wagner. Anderson Psi Division. Four Dark Judges. (2000AD) 1983
Just to see him there, lolling upon the swaying bough, his brown skin mottled by the brilliant equatorial sunlight which percolated through the leafy canopy of green above him, his clean-limbed body relaxed in graceful ease, his shapely head partly turned in contemplative absorption, and his intelligent grey eyes dreamily devouring the object of their devotion, you would have thought him the reincarnation of some demigod of old.
Burne Hogarth and Robert M. Hodes. Jungle Tales of Tarzan. 1976 Adapted from Edgar Rice Boroughs.
“Beat it Naomi - I catch you sucking ‘round Pres again - I’ll have Sonny here give you double what Myra’s getting - and get you fitted with a cement G-String - “
Howard Chaykin Blood and Judgement. The Shadow. 1987
“Hoop-a-la! Anchel boys. Mince pie for a week it giffs und twice on Sunday!
R.Dirks. Hans und Fritz. 1918
“We suffer as we choose. Nothing’s amiss. All torments are deserved . . . . None more than this”
Alan Moore. Swamp Thing Annual 2. 1985
Now fear is added to doubt. A flashing sword rains mighty blows from all directions, numbing his shield arm, denting his helm. The weakling he had hoped to kill is a man of iron.
Harold R. Foster. Prince Valiant. 1959
“Huh! We are still in Befuddle Hall! Um!”
Winsor McCay. Little Nemo in Slumberland. 1908
There was some enjoyment to be had in searching for these so any hint of interest, sign of encouragement and there will be another lot. Perhaps so regardless.
More at http://www.arthurranson.com/blog/more
and at http://www.arthurranson.com/blog/more-words