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Showing posts with label Geoffrey Bond. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Geoffrey Bond. Show all posts

22 January 2024

100 years of Norman Thelwell - part 9

It closed in May (2023) but here are just some of the highlights from the recent '100 years of Norman Thelwell' exhibition at Mottisfont National Trust property.

First up, was the early years here
Then the war years (part 1) here and part 2 here
Then some Punch covers here
Then some Punch work here and here and here
Some ponies work here
Now, it's some more ponies work...








28 June 2017

What was the first British trade paperback?

So, here's a question I don't know the answer to but I thought it might be interesting to turn it over to the hive mind and see if we can come up with an answer...Which was the first British "trade paperback" to be published? I know this (US) definition is usually applied to volumes that typically reprint 4-6 issues of any given title.

I'm differentiating it from the term 'graphic novel' which I'm taking to mean a title published entirely as one volume. Whatever.

I'll open the bidding with this item, this is an overs-sized (and extremely flimsy) softback reprinting of the (original) Eagle magazine back-page strip The Baden-Powell story. It appeared in 1957 and had originally appeared in Eagle volume 5 number 17 (23/04/54) to volume 5 number 45 (05/11/54), written by Geoffrey Bond (under his Alan Jason pseudonym) and is illustrated by Norman Williams.


25 June 2017

Girl novels - part 2

This second 'set' of Girl novels are all much longer volumes than these but they are all very similar in design (red spine with the Girl emblem on it).

From 1958...Geoffrey Bond also wrote (Luck of the Legion novels) for Eagle. This tells how an amusing, but trivial, incident with a baker's horse leads Claudia to search for the member of an old circus troupe, long since disbanded. No-one is more surprised than Claudia at the strange people and places to which the long and exciting quest leads her.

From 1960...Peter Ling also wrote a character spin-off novel for Eagle (The three J's and the pride of Northbrook). Angela is on the London-New York-Bermuda flight as the story opens, having been previously warned to be on the constant lookout for gold smugglers. Could the quiet, sinister-looking couple be involved, or perhaps handsome Max, who wants to take her out? The story takes many exciting and unforeseen twists which puts Angela to the test, and lead her into some very unusual situations.

First published in 1958 and then reprinted in 1960 (none of the Eagle spin-off novels were ever re-printed). Susan Marsh, the popular young student nurse has a host of problems when a pretty new Sister comes to ST. Bride's Hospital from London - and not the least of them is what to about Rocky, the amiable young man who is nevertheless a deserter from the Army.

First published in 1961. Image taken from here

26 January 2017

ABC film review - November 1952

Here's Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson posing on the front cover of the November 1952 issue of 'ABC film review' - if you look closely you'll see that they both appear to be wearing the same shade of lipstick!


The Luck of the Legions strip is written by the usual eagle creative team of Geoffrey Bond and Martin Aitchison (who only died very recently http://boysadventurecomics.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/in-memoriam-2-martin-aitchison.html)
A strip from Girl - script by Valerie Hastings, art by Bernard Greenbaum. Valerie Hastings wrote two Girl 'spin off' novels - Wendy & Jinx and the Dutch stamp mystery; and Wendy & Jinx and the missing scientist
And here's Richard Attenborough on the back page in a shot from "Father's doing fine" - a rollicking technicolour comedy no less!

23 January 2017

ABC film review - September 1952

From September 1952...
Luck of the legion by the classic team of Geoffrey Bond and Martin Aitchison (who only died recently...http://downthetubes.net/?p=34936)