Braving a cold December morn, the coldest we've had since 1978 according to the newspapers, I take to the mean streets of Cardiff. I'm on a quest, a mission and I'm focused on the task at hand.
N0 shopper laden down with bags and an umbrella that comes perilously close to my eyes will deter me, no loud short guy with bad teeth, a burgar stained sweat shirt and a stall of cut priced Xmas sweets will slow me, no bad tempered traffic warden who insists I park half a mile away can cut short my vital duties.
And so I enter the battleground that is the pre-Christmas boot sale. My mission - quite simply to rummage around the stalls of second hand books, DVD's and 'objects de crap'.
This old annual was quite a find, particularly because I collect anything western related.
There's no date anywhere on the book but I'm guessing that it came out sometime around the early sixties.
The book features nine text stories and two comic strips - unusually for this period both the artist and writer is credited.
John Challis - stories
Dennis Mcloughlin - artwork
The book is in great condition and I got it for one pound.
8 comments:
"Dennis Mcloughlin - artwork"
He still does Commando's. Very distinctive, almost noirish, style. His stories are normally on the Eastern Front or the Pacific, and he can even make a flat ocean with the sun beating down on it look as grim as the mean streets of Chicago.
He can only draw about 5 different faces, mind. Though that is 4 more than i can
So these annuals are worth picking up then Gary? I occasionally see them but always pass them by for some reason. Maybe it's time to buy a few...
Michael - Thanks for the info. Any idea what year this book is from? It's prices 7/6
Steve - I think so yes. I've quite a collection of western related annuals. I'll be posting about a Billy the KId annual next.
Now that's something I would have liked to stumble on. I was and am a big fan of Gunsmoke. used to try to outdraw matt Dillon ever episode.
I love days like this. What could be more like a treasure hunt?
Charles - it's strange but Gunsmoke was the longest running TV western but over here in the UK I was unaware of the show as I grew up, bonanza and rawhide were much more visible.
It's a good thing we don't live in the same town because we would be hitting the same stores and fighting over the same great material.
I can't give you an exact date, but i do have 1957 and 1958 School Friend annuals which are 7/6, so around then perhaps? For comparison the School Friend's are around 160 pages with thick-ish pulp paper, almost entirely black and white (though with one/two colour strips on the same paper), and a single coloured plate at the front. The spines are cloth and the covers are "paper stuck to card"
Post a Comment