An Orgy of Playboy's Eldon Dedini Review

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An Orgy of Playboy's Eldon Dedini ReviewI knew Eldon.He was a master.He loved his work and it showed with the wonderful women etc he drew for his cartoons in Playboy.His watercolor work was superb.His jokes;on the button funny.He was simply the best at his occupation.I will miss him and his art,and so will readers of Playboy.An Orgy of Playboy's Eldon Dedini Overview
Collecting a half-century of cartoons from Playboy's most venerable contributor.
For over 45 years, Eldon Dedini has been one of Playboy's most recognizable full-page gag cartoonists. With a masterful watercolor technique that burlesques a broad range of subjects-from East and West Coast urban and suburban adult-hipster to classical Japanese erotic prints-Dedini's most personal cartoons rely on mythology and legend, evoking a bucolic sexually liberated paradise that leaves its reader lingering over the imagery long after the gag registers.A lifelong Californian, Dedini cut his graphic teeth in his early twenties as an editorial cartoonist for the Salinas Morning Post. He studied drawing and painting for two years at L.A.'s Chouinard Institute until 1944, when Walt Disney Studios hired him as a story sketch artist. Refusing to end up as just another anonymous Disney drone, Dedini worked nights and weekends to develop his own style and sold dozens of cartoons to Esquire, which in 1946 offered him a four-year contract at twice his Disney salary. In 1950 Dedini moved to The New Yorker-where he is still a contributor-and finally to Playboy in 1959.An Orgy of Playboy's Eldon Dedini is the first retrospective collection of his work and gathers in one volume the most sophisticated, elegant-and funny-gag panels of the past six decades. Color and black-and-white cartoons throughout

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The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics Review

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The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics ReviewWant to look through the Art of Harvey Kurtzman book before you run out and buy it? I just made a video browsing through the whole thing! Take a look at all the rare art and wonderful cartoony delights in the video below...This book has enough history, art and context to introduce new fans and reward long-time readers of the greatest cartoonist of the late twentieth century.The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of ComicsThe Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics OverviewHarvey Kurtzman discovered Robert Crumb and gave Gloria Steinem her first job in publishing when he hired her as his assistant. Terry Gilliam also started at his side, met an unknown John Cleese in the process, and the genesis of Monty Python was formed. Art Spiegelman has stated on record that he owes his career to him. And he's one of Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner's favorite artists.

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Vertigo Visions: Artwork from the Cutting Edge of Comics Review

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Vertigo Visions: Artwork from the Cutting Edge of Comics ReviewThis book is great because you can see that comic art is really art. The pictures shown in this book are really fabolous and you will wonder how good this people are. This book is for every comic fan especially fans of the Vertigo comics (who already knows that Vertigo often has great artworks) and the book is a must for every graphic designer who wants to see whats modern and get inspiration. But also people who like nice drawings and paintings can buy this and i'm sure they won't get your nose out of this.Vertigo Visions: Artwork from the Cutting Edge of Comics OverviewAdult comic book enthusiasts and lovers of cutting-edge artwork will applaud the ground-breaking masterpieces in this collection of fantasy, crime, mystery, and surreal illustrations. The book spotlights outstanding artwork that has appeared under the famed Vertigo imprint since it was launched by DC Comics in 1993. Always pushing boundaries, this art can be baroque or minimalist, haunting or fantastical, painted or computer generated--and, as this volume amply proves--it is always unforgettable. A wide range of acclaimed artists and designers includes Dave McKean, Marshall Arisman, Rick Berry, the Starn Twins, Michael W. Kaluta, Sue Coe, Greg Spalenka, Barron Stacey, and Brian Bolland. Alisa Kwitney is a novelist and former Vertigo editor. She lives in New York City.

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Shazam: The Golden Age of the World's Mightiest Mortal Review

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Shazam: The Golden Age of the World's Mightiest Mortal ReviewMost people seem to love the Chipp Kidd's work or hate it. I'm in the former category, and THIS book just knocked me out.
A word of warning: If you're looking for yet another recounting of the history of the original Captain Marvel, look elsewhere--this is not the book for you. There are plenty of excellent histories to be had, and a subscription to PC Hamerlinck's FCA is a great way to supplement them.
However, if you're looking for a gorgeous collection of photos of the incredible range of Captain Marvel and Marvel Family ephemera that Fawcett and its partners produced during the 13 golden years those characters were in print, stop wasting time reading this review and place your order NOW. This is a must-have.
I've long been fascinated by the incredible range of merchandising that Fawcett did for these characters--an idea decades ahead of its time--and here are stunningly detailed photos of the best of it, including some of the rarest stuff, repros of original designs for some pieces, and even side-by-side comparisons of original art pages and published comics.
This is what I'd hoped the DC Vault and Marvel Vault books would be. While Shazam!: The Golden Age of the World's Mightiest Mortal doesn't include facsimile reproductions like the Vault books, it shows so much more of the Marvel Family and Fawcett merchandise than either of the former does of their subjects that it just blows them away.
This is a book I'll be returning to it again and again, a visual feast. Heck, the quality of the photos and the amount of detail has me thinking about attempting my own facsimiles or reproductions of some of the items, since that's probably the only way I'm ever going to have examples of the really rare and really cool stuff. I'm already trying to decide whether to use Sculpey or Play-Doh to try my hand at one of those Cap syroco figurines...
Shazam: The Golden Age of the World's Mightiest Mortal OverviewShazam made his debut in Whiz Comics in 1940, and outsold his biggest competitor, Superman, by 14 million copies a month. It wasn't long before a variety of merchandise was licensed—secret decoders, figurines, buttons, paper rockets, tin toys, puzzles, costumes—and a fan club was created to keep up with the demand. These collectibles now sell for outrageous prices on eBay or in comic book stores and conventions. Seventy years later, an unprecedented assortment of these collectibles are gathered together by award-winning writer/designer Chip Kidd and photographer Geoff Spear. Join Kidd, Spear, and the World's Mightiest Mortal in this first, fully authorized celebration of ephemera, artwork, and rare, one-of-a-kind toys, and recapture the magic that was Shazam!Praise for Shazam!:"Superman has always gotten more press, but Captain Marvel may be the greatest expression of comics' optimism: A young boy says a magical word and turns into the World's Mightiest Mortal. Chip Kidd and Geoff Spear's gorgeous new book, Shazam! The Golden Age of the World's Mightiest Mortal (ABRAMS) pays tribute to the hero's bright colors and medium-spanning stories, all lovingly displayed in Kidd's signature style . . . It's a coffee-table book that provides a glimpse into a world where the powers of the gods are just an acronym away." -The Onion's A.V. Club "VERDICT: Despite the quite reasonable price, this features typical ABRAMS art and production quality. Fans will grab this Marvel-ous piece of Americana faster than you can say 'Shazam!'" -Mike Rogers, Library Journal Express "A handsome follow up to Bat-Manga!" --ComicsAlliance.com "This is a collector's dream: Page after page of Captain Marvel art, premiums, posters, toys, and ephemera from the biggest-selling superhero of all time . . . This book is a true time capsule and worthy of any comic fan's bookshelf."--USATODAY.com "Shazam! allows its rich imagery to tell the exciting story of this superhero. Between Kidd's glorious layout and Spear's highly detailed photography, the reader can feel the excitement and fabric that would eventually lead Captain Marvel to outsell Superman during the glorious Golden Age of comics!" --Comic Book Resources "Shazam! beautifully documents the creation and success of Fawcett's Captain Marvel franchise . . . Indeed, for non-Captain Marvel enthusiasts, the book may be most interesting as a compendium of historical documents, a glimpse not just of a bygone pop phenomenon but also of a larger cultural ethos." -Forward.com


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Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary Review

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Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary ReviewThis unexpected gem reprints this classic Binky Brown comic from Justin Green and it's a beautiful book. Deluxe tall format hardcover with gold printing on the cover, the oblong size captures the feel of the original comic book pages. If you're unfamiliar with Green's artwork it is a bit raw and less 'polished' than some of the other underground comix artists of the era, but in today's art world it might be classified as 'outsider art' and has a direct and honest feel about it. If you're a Green fan this is a must-buy since there are so few Green comics produced. And if you're interested in underground or alternative comics I can't think of a better introduction to Binky Brown. Highly recommended.Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary Overview

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We Are On Our Own Review

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We Are On Our Own ReviewThis is a wonderful, touching book. It is a harrowing story of a young women's struggle to survive the Holocaust and save her toddler daughter. The story takes place in Hungary in the last year of the war. A resourceful and courageous woman, the mother manages to hide as a servant woman. She is both willing and able to do whatever it takes to stay alive. The latter part of the book is devoted to her husband's search for her and his daughter. This search is eventually successful and the family builds a happy life after the war.
The book moved me to tears because it touches the raw pain and desperation both of the mother and of the bewildered child. Unlike many other Holocaust books, this one focuses not so much on the cruelty of the Nazis and their Hungarian helpers, but on the many kind people who took risks to help the two survive or just showed them kindness when it was most needed.
One of the central themes of the book is the young child's struggle to understand God in the context of the losses she suffers. Throughout her life, the protagonist yearned to believe in a God that she felt did not exist. It's an interesting theme and is handled in a nuanced manner.
This is a graphic novel, in cartoon strip format. I did not fall in love with the images. They lack the graphic power of "Maus." Spiegleman made the cartoon medium work for him, forever changing it. Katin's images seemed to me to be less interesting and challenging. They are carefully drawn and capture the mood, but what made the book work for me was the dialog, and that could have been captured as a narrative as well.
This book may not, in my opinion, be appropriate for the younger student because of sexual content. There are two situations of forced sex, and while they are not graphically depicted, the themes are rather adult. There is also discussion of an abortion. The older highschool student should be able to contextualize the material appropriately.
We Are On Our Own Overview

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Justice League International, Vol. 2 Review

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Justice League International, Vol. 2 ReviewThere was a time, back in the late '80s, when Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire were on top of the comic book world, when their title JUSTICE LEAGUE - soon changed to JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL - ruled the roost. Giffen and DeMatteis rapidly developed their own wildly popular sub-genre, the dizzy screwball comic book. This style struck a chord with the fans and was so fresh and distinctive that no one else (including Giffen and DeMatteis, in later projects) was able to quite recapture its brand of magic. But, thankfully, these Justice League stories are again available in all their nuttiness.
JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL, Volume 2 reprints issues #8-13, Justice League Annual #1, and Suicide Squad #13. As layed out in issue #7 (Justice League International Vol. 1), the United Nations had just granted international status to the Justice League, now become the Justice League International. This trade collection opens with the very funny "Moving Day," as the League establishes embassies in New York, France, and Russia, and has a rough time doing it. The next two issues are the tie-ins to the Millennium crossover event, with issue #9 unveiling the Manhunter traitor to the team and #10 chronicling the heavy-hitting assembly of superheroes which invades the Manhunters' homeworld.
Issues #11 and 12 are devoted to Maxwell Lord's disturbing origin. Issue #13 begins the two-part crossover with the Suicide Squad, as Nemesis is captured and held prisoner in Russia. Well, you just know field team leader Colonel Flag isn't about to let his teammate stew in stir. So the Squad goes on a break-out mission. And when the President deploys the JLI to Russia, well, it is on! Except that if you're familiar with the roster on both teams, then you know it's not that clear cut. There are friends and allies on both teams, and it's fun seeing some engage in tepid fisticuffs, while others end up embracing. Captain Atom and Nightshade actually end up having a tickle fight. Having said that, Suicide Squad #13 is particularly noteworthy for the vicious, no-holds-barred tussle between Bats and Colonel Flag.
Bill Willingham, creator of the Elementals, provides nice artwork for Justice League Annual #1, in a tale of strange mind possession as the League members are weeded out, one by one. Keith Giffen, lest people forget, can draw a little bit as well as write. In several issues, he illustrates story segments focusing on the Guardians of the Globe, the international team the JLI had just dethroned. He also handles full interior artwork in JLI #13. But I won't mention that I've always found Giffen's pencils to be static-y (ooops).
In this span of issues, Giffen and DeMatteis are still telling fairly straightforward stories, although they've already begun to hone in on that wacky wavelength. "Moving Day" happens to be the most lighthearted story here, a day in the life in which nothing much goes right for the team as they move into their various embassies. The writing team strikes gold right away with Booster Gold and Blue Beetle, whose buddy chemistry would provide collosal dividends for the life of the series. In fact, if there were a heart and soul to this title, it has to be the goofy friendship between Booster and Beetle. Meanwhile, Guy Gardner is still in his bonked-on-the-head nice guy mode. The Black Canary is still on her feminist trip. We first learn of J'onn J'onnz's obsession with Oreo cookies. We get a glimpse of Green Flame and Ice Maiden, who would soon become integral members of the League, as Fire and Ice. And what of Batman? The eternally grim Bats continues to be a perfect foil for all the loopiness. The nice Guy Gardner and new member Rocket Red, Dmitri, especially wear on his nerves. Captain Atom is also on board. He manages to tick off Mr. Miracle. I got a chuckle out of that sequence.
Oh, and yet another member quits.
How big of a following did JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL garner? Enough to spawn several spin-off comic books. In its heyday, the Justice League was featured in JUSTICE LEAGUE EUROPE, JUSTICE LEAGUE QUARTERLY, and JUSTICE LEAGUE TASK FORCE. I mean, there was even a Justice League Antarctica!
Tongue-in-cheek and harebrained the stories tended to be, but Giffen and DeMatteis were writers enough that they make you care for their characters. The banter may have been excessive at times, but, frankly, the dialogue here was more realistic than some of the stuff you read in other, more conventional comic books. This incarnation of the League connected with me and a busload of other readers; from 1987 to the early '90s, it was like hanging out at a college dormitory with my best buds.
Kevin Maguire's distinctive, fantastic artwork serves as a counterpoint to Giffen and DeMatteis's brand of loony. Maguire's expressive faces and poses emphasize the writers' punchlines and give life to the action sequences. In fact, it's very fair to say that without Maguire's realistic renderings, the humor wouldn't have gone over so well.
Anyway, Justice League International Vol. 3 and Justice League International Vol 4 are just around the corner. The wackiness continues.Justice League International, Vol. 2 Overview

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Icons: The DC Comics & Wildstorm Art of Jim Lee Review

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Icons: The DC Comics & Wildstorm Art of Jim Lee Review2010 has seen some great comic artists with their art books getting published. There's Alex Ross, Joe Quesada, Adam Hughes and now Jim Lee. What a fantastic year!
Jim Lee's Icons is a bargain for the price. It's hardcover with 296 pages of amazing artwork printed on good paper. Just one look at the cover and you can tell that it's really good. Publisher Titan Books has done a very good job with the printing and construction.
The amount of work featured is stunning.
Right from page 1, it's a non-stop flow of beautiful artwork featuring the superheroes of DC Comics and WildStorm -- Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc. There are sketches, inks, layouts and full coloured illustrations. Many are printed at full page size, some across two pages, showing off all the intricate line work, grain left by the pencil hatches, details in the characters and background. You won't see any work from his days at Marvel though.
I spent a while on each page marveling at the quality of work, thinking about his dedication to comics. It's really inspiring.
You probably won't get as many page-pausing moments with other art books in 2010.
Highly recommended.
(There are more pictures of the book on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)Icons: The DC Comics & Wildstorm Art of Jim Lee Overview

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100 Animated Feature Films (Bfi Screen Guides) Review

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100 Animated Feature Films (Bfi Screen Guides) ReviewWritten in a clear and accessible style, "100 Animated Feature Films" looks at the high points of this genre. Disney and Japanese anime get the lion's share of attention, but all kinds of animated films (cartoon, puppetry, CGI) from filmmaking traditions as varied as France, Czechoslovakia, Britain, and China are examined.
Ormond doesn't have an axe to grind. He makes it clear that this isn't a "100 greatest" book, because he makes telling criticisms of certain films. Still, he leaves you in no doubt as to why a particular film is important in the development of animation.
I didn't agree with all of his choices, but I was very impressed with what he wrote. He made me want to look at some films again and search out and view others I hadn't been aware of. This is a very worthwhile book.100 Animated Feature Films (Bfi Screen Guides) OverviewThe animated feature film has been long under-represented in film criticism. Yet animated films have probably never been a stronger force in world cinema than they are today. This book discusses 100 key animated films from around the world, from Shrek to Svankmajer. While the genre continues to pick up attention and garner worldwide audiences of millions, appreciation for the art of animated features seems to grow as quickly as the technology driving it forward. International in focus, 100 Animated Feature Films come to life on the page with vivid images from the films discussed.

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Full Moon Review

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Full Moon ReviewFull Moon is one of the better Blandings Castle episodes and is graced by a delightful set of illustrations by Paul Galdone that increase the fun.
When there's a young American millionaire in the woods, the British nobility are apt to trot out their finest-looking, young unmarried women. In the latest generation, that's Veronica Wedge, daughter of Lady Hermione Wedge who is the sister to Clarence, ninth Earl of Emsworth. What Veronica offers in beauty, though, is more than lost in brainpower. So one needs a very shallow, very rich American for her. But unexpected difficulties arise because Freddie Threepwood, Clarence's not-too-bright son, is in charge of squiring Tipton Plimsoll, the American millionaire, around.
Tipton has been on a toot. He's just come into his money and seems dedicated to drinking it up. But some red spots lead him to wonder if he's overdoing it. A trip to the doctor's office warns him that seeing spectres could be next. That observation becomes the basis of a running gag as Plimsoll comes to regard another young lover, Bill Lister, as a spectre whenever Plimsoll sees Lister. Frightened by Lister, Plimsoll decides to go to Blandings to take the cure for his alcoholism . . . and falls madly for Veronica Wedge.
A new problem arises though when Plimsoll perceives that Veronica and Freddie are very friendly. Assuming the worst, Plimsoll stifles his feelings and wanders around depressed.
There's a second romance that needs help. Bill Lister finds himself stood up at the registry office where his awaited his bridge to be, Prudence Garland. Prudence has been bundled off to Blandings Castle by her mother, Dora, also one of Clarence's sisters so that Hermione can keep the young suitor at bay. Prudence becomes annoyed that Bill won't give up on painting in order to run an inn near Oxford. And even if he gives up on painting, they still need 700 pounds to fix the old place up.
Into the breach comes Galahad Threepwood who wants all the young lovers to be happy. In the process, he introduces Bill Lister into Blandings Castle on three occasions under false colors and helps overcome Plimsoll's wavering.
Along the way, there's enough good fun and goofiness to amuse anyone.Full Moon OverviewDespite marriage to a millionaire's daughter and success as a vice-president of Donaldson's Inc., manufacturers of the world-famous Donaldson's Dog-Joy, Freddie Threepwood, Lord Emsworth's younger son, still goes in fear of his aunts when at Blandings Castle.Full Moon tells the story of how he faces them down while promoting the love of Bill Lister and Prudence Garland.A charming Blandings comedy with a full Wodehouse complement of aunts, pigs, millionaires, colonels, imposters and dotty earls.

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Popeye, Vol. 3: Let's You and Him Fight Review

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Popeye, Vol. 3: Let's You and Him Fight ReviewFamous characters that have stood the test of time generally evolve into something much greater then their creators could have ever envisioned. Few people look back at the Siegel and Schuster days as the height of Superman or the Kane and Finger tenure helming Batman as the characters peak. Ian Fleming wrote some fine spy novels but without the films Bond would be just another fairly non-descript spy in an obscure series of books. In this respect Popeye is the rare exception to the rule because no one has ever outdone E.C. Segar. Rather than expand on Segar's wonderful, multidimensional Popeye later writers have only watered him down. Even the brilliant Fleischer cartoons failed to capture Segars magic. Segar had a much richer, livelier world for Popeye than any later incarnations. In the nearly 80 year history of Popeye THIS is the best.
If you've never read Segar's Popeye you're in for a shock. Popeye is rude, crude and often a bully. He has a soft spot for hard luck cases but his desire to help often backfires. What makes Segar so great is that he develops Popeye into a fully three dimensional character flaws and all. In one story Popeye tries to help the poor farmers of Nazilia by insisting that King Blozo give each one a doorknob sized hunk of gold. This ends up shattering the countries economy which is exactly what would happen. Segar delves into some deep philosophical issue concerning the danger of excessively helping the poor and the unfortunate fact that sometimes even the best of intentions can blow up in a persons face. After the economy is repaired King Blozo's kingship is challenged by General Bunzo from volume 2 in a general election. Popeye attempts to rig the election and Segar shows awareness for the dubious morality of Popeye's actions.
Popeye expresses his philosophy of life saying, "I don't do good deeds to get credick. I does `em on account of they oughter get done... an if ya does good deeds jus' to get yerself a swell seat in heaven yer selfish. The only reward ya should expeck for doin' right is the sort of cumfterble feelin wich ya get from doin it" That is an amazingly deep statement coming from a character in a daily comic. The above quote is expressed as an explanation as to why he is helping Wimpy to earn enough money to help his mother afford a place to live. Popeye ill conceived plan is to buy Wimpy a hamburger stand with hopes of turning a profit. When Wimpy inevitably eats his own product Popeye simply gives Wimpy five grand to pass on to his mother. To Wimpy's credit he does give the money to his mother... right before hitting her up for some cash which he proceeds to spend on burgers. Segar sets up an admirable philosophy for Popeye and then shows its flaws. Segar's Popeye is not a great man but he is a complex man with flashes of greatness. This is exactly what elevates Segar above the rest.
This book features a ton of famous firsts including the first appearances of Swee'Pea and Mr. Geezel and the single appearance of Bluto who gets the business end of Popeye's devastating "Twisker Punch". Wimpy is given a much larger role and pretty much takes center stage in the color Sunday comics. The Sundays center around Popeye, Wimpy and Roughhouse and they're at least as much fun as the dailies. Wimpy may be the most amoral character ever to exist in the funny pages. In one hilarious comic Popeye bets a man ten bucks that Wimpy wouldn't choke his own grandmother for a burger. After devising a plan to test Wimpy Popeye ends up ten dollars lighter. Finally let me state that the E.C. Segar comics are clearly a product of the depression era where a violent sailor with poor grammar could be a hero. On the other hand the Segar Popeye, who is fast approaching his 80th birthday, holds up amazingly well and feels much less dated than other decades old characters. If I could give this book six stars I would.
Finally let me close with one quick joke as an example of Segar's wonderful comedic flair....
Popeye: Nothin kin kill me Mr. Works I yam immoral
Mr. Works: You mean immortal
Popeye: I means what I means - tha's what I meansPopeye, Vol. 3: Let's You and Him Fight Overview

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Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future: The Biography Review

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Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future: The Biography ReviewProbably every boy in post-war Britain, now grown to manhood, remembers The Eagle, and its unforgettable space hero, Dan Dare. The reminiscence which opens Dan Dare: The Biography, however, may seem a bit unusual, as it's by Monty Python member Terry Jones. There are also bits by, since it's a British book, "Sir" Elton John and "Sir" Richard Branson, although US readers may shrink from the honorary titles. But that may just be the price of admission for former colonists seeking to enter the world of post-war Britain, and to unearth the fascinating story of the Eagle and Dan Dare.
Absent the appendix, this hardback runs about 200 pages, with seven sections of sewn in color plates, equaling roughly 60 pages of color photographs, along with black and white photos in the text. The author also edited the Eagle Annuals, 1950 Eagle Annual: The Best of the 1950s Comic*Features Dan Dare, the Greatest Comic Strip of All Time and 1960 Eagle Annual: The Best of the 1960s Comic: Features Dan Dare, the Rolling Stones, the Space Race and World Cup 66 Previewed. The Eagle was a boy's paper, in the parlance of the time, (later there was a companion girl's paper) begun in 1950 by Marcus Morris, a Royal Air Force (RAF) chaplain, and Tatarsky reveals that Dan was originally conceived as a chaplain for the Inter-Planet Patrol, as illustrated in color pics of the first Eagle dummy sheets. Another set of plates compares characters from the comic, which ran on the front page of the Eagle, as drawn by the Eagle's four principle artists: Frank Hampson, the originator of Dan Dare; Frank Bellamy; Don Harley; and Keith Watson. All were top-notch artists, and each has his fans.
The comic ran in cliff-hanger form, with long story arcs, and appendix one gives a synopsis of each story, from 1950-1967 (there are 33 story arcs, if I counted right). Hampson created a multi-storied world of the sort that would later come to life in TV SF series like Star Trek in the US and Dr. Who in the UK. No wonder Dan Dare is slated for the big screen. Large, color hardback collections of the Dan Dare stories have been published by Titan Books in the UK, beginning with "Voyage to Venus", which Tatarsky notes, is another name for the first story, "Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future"Classic Dan Dare: Voyage to Venus, Part 1, and which currently run to numerous volumes.
Eight color plates are devoted to Dan Dare merchandise, which accompanies the chapter, "Selling Dan", but it's the tip of the iceberg. A great deal more DD paraphernalia is shown in the Dan Dare chapter of the dazzling collector's book, Blast Off! Blast Off! Rockets, Robots, Ray Guns, and Rarities from the Golden Age of Space Toys along with more recounted tales of the era of Dan Dare in the UK. One reason Dan Dare comics look so realistic and detailed is that Hampson and later artists worked from live models, and the sets look like props from a Gerry Anderson Supermarionation show (another unique SF contribution from the UK).
The appeals of Dan Dare are endless: US readers will be amazed to discover this vital stream of post-war Britain. The work of all four artists will enchant any fan of comic art; the endlessly engaging, multi-faceted story arcs will captivate any SF fan; and maybe part of the appeal is what Dan Dare represents: the hope that somehow good guys can make a difference.Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future: The Biography OverviewA major comic book hero-soon to be featured in a major Hollywood film-gets the star treatment in this lavishly illustrated biography. Dan Dare is the creation of legendary artist Frank Hampson, and for more than 50 years his interplanetary adventures captured the imagination of readers around the world. The success of films like Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow demonstrate the massive appeal of Dan's kind of retro-futurism. The author, with access to the original writers and illustrators and the entire Dan Dare archive, captures all the excitement of the original strips, while painting a portrait of a bygone age of comic book history.

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