Anyone remember the S.S.I ?
08/08/2015
The Society for Strip Illustration was formed in 1977 to act as a forum for the comic industry's professionals. It ran till 1992 when it changed its name to Comic Creators Guild.
The brains behind its creation were those of editor and writer Dennis Hooper and popular-culture historian Dennis Gifford.
See you in the Funny Papers.
24/07/2015
The way I heard it, - an American publisher/printer with a stack of paper to use up, hit upon the idea of producing a book of reprints of Sunday newspaper strips to use as a free insert into a tabloid newspaper.
This was the 16-page ‘The Funnies’.
Then followed the 36-page one-shot ‘Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics’, which may or may not have been free. After that came ‘Famous Funnies‘ (cover-dated July 1934), a 68-page periodical selling for 10¢.
Jackson Pollock
03/07/2015
Jackson Pollack Tate Liverpool: Exhibition
30 June – 18 October 2015
I think Jackson Pollock is great. Even if I were to have the erudition to say why I shan't trouble you, or myself, by trying to.
If you are interested there are many learned reviews and criticisms of Pollock and his work on the internet, books to read and galleries to visit.
One such book is "Conversations with Artists", by Seldon Rodman, New York, Capricorn Books 1961 , ,
Evergreen
18/06/2015
Claire Barnes, accompanied by Ant Jones, visited and did an interview with me which acts as the basis for an article in the Summer edition (buy now while stocks last) of the publication 'Evergreen'.
Evergreen is a quarterly magazine designed for people of the getting-older persuasion. People like myself who remember 'Film Fun' 'Knockout' and using a thre'penny* bit as legal tender.
Alison Bechdel
11/06/2015
Alison Bechdel's comic strip 'Dykes to Watch Out For' ran for 25 years (1983–2006), syndicated in many alternative newspapers in the USA and this book collects many of them. Described by Bechel as "half op-ed column and half endless, serialized Victorian novel" it is a humourful depiction of the everyday lives and loves of a diverse set of lesbians, their friends and acquaintances, their working and political concerns.
More Moore
26/05/2015
Praising Alan Moore is a bit like taking shoes to Northampton but even knowing I have come late to this party I wanted to let someone know how much I enjoyed DC's newly published compilation of 'Top 10'.
There is no comic book shop in the country town where I live. The Waterstones book shop has just a few collected editions but generally only the unsurprising commercial titles. The comics I do see are at the local library. Every visit to the library involves at least a glance at their two four-foot shelves that are the 'Graphic Novels' section.
Panini post and Cartmel cavil
03/05/2015
The Royal Mail delivered to my door a copy of Volume 3 in the collected Seventh Doctor Comic Strips series. It contains nine reprinted Dr Who strips including one drawn by me. I assume it was sent by someone at Panini. It came as a surprise since I had forgotten that there was to be a reprint to which I had grouchily declined to contribute a few words. There was no explanatory letter enclosed in the package, no cheque or suggestion of how a reprint fee might be invoiced for.
New collection
06/04/2015
Celebrating our reappearance with a piece of shameless self-promotion.
As part of it's grandiose scheme to produce a Judge Dredd Mega Collection in a set of matching books Rebellion have created a new cover for five Judge Anderson stories - Shamballa, The Jesus Syndrome, Satan, The Protest and R*volution.
There is an interview shared between Alan Grant and myself conducted by Michael Molcher who had the wit to come up with some new and interesting topics.
READ THIS - comments - messages
03/11/2014
Due to circumstances beyond my control - circumstances in this case being a combination of the hard realities of life and the vagaries of technology - it seems it is no longer possible to leave comments. Sorry about that. You are missed. I can still be reached. Contact, top right, gives an email address - me@arthurranson.com .
It is also not possible presently for new blogs to be created. This excuse for one was made by the cannibalisation of an earlier blog. Unable to upload images either so we are sadly pictureless. :(
Dave Gibbons Laureate
221/10/2014
Dave Gibbons has been appointed as the UK's first comics laureate by the charity Comic Literacy Awareness.
Dave, I think I can call him Dave, will act as ambassador for comics and their role in encouraging children to read, visiting schools, talking to children, teachers and educationalists. Dave, like me and I guess many others, was a pre-school reader thanks to comics.
When I first met Dave Gibbons, at Lucca, he was at an early enough stage of his career to ask for my opinion on drawing Doctor Who.
Rembrandt
19/10/2014
Rembrandt - The Late Works
The National Gallery
Trafalgar Square
London WC2N 5DN
October 15th - January 18th
Paintings, drawings and prints.
Having composed a deep and meaningful piece about the reasons for my admiration for Rembrandt I pressed the wrong button and lost it all. Perhaps as well.
Appy art
26/09/2014
ROK have completed the digital "Beatles Story" and the app is now on sale for IPad and iPhone on iTunes. You get the 'Beatles Story' originally published in 'Look-in' and other stuff.
