Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Locked thread
Pigsfeet on Rye
Oct 22, 2008

I'm meat on the hoof
Magnificatz and Breaking Cat News continue to grow on me.
Snype: "Magnificatz is a comic chronicling the feline fantasies of Samurai Sam and Ninja Nina as they try to make sense of this crazy catventure called life."
Background of the comic: http://magnificatz.com/about

Pigsfeet on Rye fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Dec 30, 2017

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

The Bloop
Jul 5, 2004

by Fluffdaddy
The writing on magnificatz is cute but I really hate the design of the catsphere. I wish I liked it more, or like, at all. The other one is great.

Haifisch
Nov 13, 2010

Objection! I object! That was... objectionable!



Taco Defender

Johnny Walker posted:

Luann's like 19 and Brad's what, 22? 23? Do I have that right?
Yes, but Greg is incapable of writing them like young adults instead of teenagers.

Cerebral Bore posted:

I don't think Scott Adams gets how insurance companies work.
He doesn't get how most of the world works.

EasyEW
Mar 8, 2006

I've got my father's great big six-shooter with me 'n' if anybody in this woods wants to start somethin' just let 'em--but they DASSN'T.
Sally Forth







The Continuing Absence of Skippy (October 31-November 1 and 3, 1930)







Peanuts (December 31, 1970, January 1-2, 1971)







Funky Winkerbean







Crankshaft







Rip Haywire







Out Our Way (January 30-31, 1931)





Thimble Theater (July 21-23, 1931)





Say Nothing
Mar 5, 2013

by FactsAreUseless

Stultus Maximus posted:

IT GETS SO MUCH BETTER


kidcoelacanth
Sep 23, 2009

Haifisch posted:

Yes, but Greg is incapable of writing them like young adults instead of teenagers.

Transmodiar
Jul 9, 2005

You're a terrible person, Mildred.
Modesty Blaise

A prelude of what's to come in 2018:

Steve Epting, Eisner-nominated artist of Captain America, The Avengers, El Cazador, X-Factor and Aquaman posted:


Portrait of an Artist

Let's talk about Neville Colvin.

We live in a time where we have access to information about almost anything at any time we wish, yet a quick search of the internet finds precious little about Neville Colvin. He was born in New Zealand in 1918; was a cartoonist for several newspapers starting around 1946, including the Evening Standard in London; he drew a strip called Ginger and Co. in the early sixties, and was a noted portrait artist. That's about all there is, except for one other item on his resume - a newspaper strip he worked on with writer Peter O'Donnell - and that's where I can share a personal bit of information about him.

You see I owe Neville Colvin a great debt, because he introduced me to Modesty Blaise.

One day back in the mid-1980s, I wandered into a local comic shop to browse through the latest offerings. In those days there was something of a boom going on in black and white comics due to the emergence of the direct market and the success of books like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Cerebus. It was also a time of creative experimentation among several upstart publishers and you never knew what you might find on any given week. The black and white comics that were appearing in ever greater numbers began sharing shelf space with newspaper strip reprints produced by Eclipse and Ken Pierce, among others. Publishers were trying new things, and as a reader, I was certainly willing to experiment as well.

On that particular day I picked up an oddly proportioned book with a rather bland cover called Modesty Blaise, a character I was only vaguely familiar with. I know I had read the name somewhere before and I have a cloudy memory of a Gray Morrow illustration that may or may not have been accompanying it (a quick search has confirmed that there was indeed a Gray Morrow portfolio featuring a Modesty Blaise print that I must have seen somewhere).

Unappealing cover or not, I knew by then that was no way to judge a book and began to casually flip through it. I didn't know it yet but that was the moment I became a Modesty Blaise fan. I was quickly bowled over by the beautifully rendered artwork of Neville Colvin and knew at my first glance that I would be buying this book. I also
quickly figured out that Modesty Blaise was a newspaper strip, reprinted here in a maddeningly small format, and that this particular volume was the seventh in a series as proclaimed on the cover. Despite my immediate admiration for the artwork, I bought it with low expectations, knowing that daily strips usually don't read well in this type of presentation and reasoning that no matter how weak the stories might be, the price was worth it for the art alone.

Looking back now I have to laugh at how casually I began to read the first story - 'Death in Slow Motion'. I really only expected to look at the pretty pictures and hey, if the story was only halfway decent, I would count that as a bonus. Well, as Modesty Blaise fans know, the writing was far better than halfway decent, and by the time I had finished that first story I knew I would be going back to buy volumes one to six even if the art was done by someone else - another thing I have to laugh about now, and something else to thank Neville Colvin for, because this is how I discovered the phenomenal Jim Holdaway. In any event, it was Colvin's art that first caught my eye and made me a lifelong fan of one of the greatest adventure strips ever created.

Colvin was the fifth artist to draw Modesty. Jim Holdaway, the visual creator of the strip tragically passed away far too young in 1970 after six years of working on the feature and was succeeded by Enrique Badia Romero, who brought a different, slightly more exotic approach to the character. After Romero left to pursue other interests, Jim Burns and Pat Wright each had short stints before Neville Colvin took over in 1980. Colvin did something that only Jim Burns had really come close to before - evoking the spirit of Holdaway's Modesty. That's not to say that Colvin's art mimicked Holdaway's, but rather it had a similar approach and his version of the characters more closely resembled Holdaway's. Colvin combined a sharp precision with loose abstract strokes that were boldly applied with the confidence that comes from years of experience.

Take a look at some of the backgrounds in ‘The Alternative Man’ - the tropical setting is conveyed through organic lines and patterns even when the characters are indoors, as can be seen in the second frame of strip #5721 and the last frame of strip #5722. This story also show that like Holdaway, Colvin excelled at portraying the environs and settings in which Modesty's adventures took place. See strips #5729 and 5729A for his detailed rendition of a marketplace in the Bahamas, or the Palazzo banquet hall in 'The Balloonatic'. Modesty and Willie's exploits literally span the globe and the locales and backdrops often play an important part in the plots. Colvin's attention to detail when depicting the settings paid off by giving the story an extra level of believability. The heavy use of blacks and a variety of textures that are a hallmark of Colvin's style also helped in lending to the atmosphere and mood of O'Donnell's stories, which almost always included dark elements.

Colvin's characters were good actors as well, using their body language and facial expressions to enhance the dialogue, which is by necessity forced to be as concise as possible. There is a very limited amount of physical space in a newspaper strip in which to convey the story. The words and pictures must make the most of every panel to move it along in short daily installments. The ability to portray both subtle and exaggerated body language is crucial to giving the dialogue the proper emphasis. Colvin excelled at this as his predecessors had, while bringing his own unique style to the characters and the world they inhabited.

Speaking of the characters, Colvin's arrival saw the return of another feature of the Holdaway years - the bizarrely exaggerated villains. O'Donnell excelled at creating colorful (and sometimes downright weird) villains to pit against Modesty and Willie, and it was here that Colvin's cartooning and portraiture background no doubt played a part in his casting of these characters. Like Holdaway's Gabriel, Colvin's villains and supporting players often had odd appearances and unusual features that made them memorable while showcasing the nature of their personalities. This volume certainly has its share of interesting-looking characters, including Cyrena Aquilina, Foxy Dawlish, Sir Piers Delacroix, Roqua, and Guido Biganzoli, a character first drawn by Colvin and later used in three more stories by O'Donnell. Colvin contributed his talents to Modesty Blaise for sixteen consecutive adventures until 1986 when he retired and Romero returned to the strip.

Unfortunately, the only available source for much of Calvin's run until these new editions were the Ken Pierce reprints that first made me a fan. The new reproductions mean we won't miss out on some of the beautifully rendered line work and fine details found in the strokes of Calvin's pen and brush. Also there is the life that Colvin breathed into the strip and its characters and the skill of a fine storyteller who left his mark on a legendary adventure strip while carrying on the tradition begun by one of its creators…

Perhaps you are new to Modesty Blaise and picked up this book out of curiosity. Perhaps Neville Colvin’s art compelled you to purchase this book without you knowing anything about it. If so, I hope you enjoy these stones as much as I did the first time I read them. I can tell you from experience it's a fine place to start.




"Death in Slow Motion" begins next week.

treasureplane
Jul 12, 2008

throwing darts in lovers' eyes, &c.
King Aroo (July 4, 1952)


Wash Tubbs (April 21, 1930)


Lil' Abner (January 17, 1938)


Barney Google (May 21, 1923)


Alley Oop (August 20, 1934)


Oaky Doaks (August 15, 1935)


Dickie Dare (September 28, 1933)


Bringing Up Father (January 29, 1940)


Krazy Kat (January 28, 1936)


Polly and Her Pals (January 28, 1937)

TofuDiva
Aug 22, 2010

Playin' Possum





Muldoon
Ballard Street

Mercedes Colomar
Nov 1, 2008

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS

Cerebral Bore posted:

I don't think Scott Adams gets how humans work.

Ghostlight
Sep 25, 2009

maybe for one second you can pause; try to step into another person's perspective, and understand that a watermelon is cursing me



[Tomorrow is sightseeing at the Tsukiji Market, enjoy the fun Nekonaughey]
Tsukiji is the largest fish market in the world and a popular tourist destination.



[Editor's note: Neko is saying "Cool" at the huge tuna]

[Tsukiji Market]

Shugojin
Sep 6, 2007

THE TAIL THAT BURNS TWICE AS BRIGHT...



Remember, Wilbur! This is all your fault!

Tiggum
Oct 24, 2007

Your life and your quest end here.


Yeah, $30+ seems a little steep for a single comic strip, to be honest. And you can't even get multiple strips together or specific panels by themselves.

EasyEW posted:

Sally Forth
Every year I wonder, who relates to this? Who finds it difficult to stay awake till midnight? To quote my mother "why wouldn't I stay up till midnight on New Year's Eve? I do every other night."

Safety Dance
Sep 10, 2007

Five degrees to starboard!

Staying up late seems more common among people my age (30ish) than my parents' generation.

Haifisch
Nov 13, 2010

Objection! I object! That was... objectionable!



Taco Defender

Safety Dance posted:

Staying up late seems more common among people my age (30ish) than my parents' generation.
Coincidentally, we have more glowing screens to keep us up that late, and more things to do on said screens. :v:

I've noticed I go to bed much earlier when I'm visiting family and can't play my steam library, watch youtube videos with non-tinny speakers, or gently caress around on my 3DS.

Even then I'm almost never asleep before midnight.

TofuDiva
Aug 22, 2010

Playin' Possum





Muldoon

Tiggum posted:

Every year I wonder, who relates to this? Who finds it difficult to stay awake till midnight? To quote my mother "why wouldn't I stay up till midnight on New Year's Eve? I do every other night."

I think it's a proxy for "what's the point." It's not at all hard to stay up until midnight or beyond if you want to, or you're doing something interesting, or you're into the whole New Year's Eve gig. But if you're not into it, why stay up just to watch some wildly expensive glitter ball drop in a city you aren't even in? After a few decades, that can get boring.

Now, if you're in a place that drops something else, that could be pretty worthwhile.

sweeperbravo
May 18, 2012

AUNT GWEN'S COLD SHAPE (!)
^^^^partly this, and since Dick Clark died there's just no point in staying up anymore :smith:


but also
I'm 27 and I'm usually in bed by 9:30 or 10 at the latest, I need my 9 hours and my body is waking me up ready to poop by 8am at the very latest so, yeah, me

Like, for one night, yeah, I can do it, I can make it that far. But I'm at a point in my life where staying up late is not only not rewarding or exciting but just not even natural to me anymore.

[ask] me about being the most boring person of all

Endless Mike
Aug 13, 2003



My parents are asleep by 9 on a normal night so midnight is definitely a stretch. When I have to work in the morning I'm asleep by 11 usually, though much later if not tbf. I think the calculus changes a bit when you have a kid, too.

Kennel
May 1, 2008

BAWWW-UNH!
Nancy


Dustin


Mandrake

Synthbuttrange
May 6, 2007

Medenmath posted:

Prince Valiant



A SPOOKY HELPFUL GHOST!

Haifisch
Nov 13, 2010

Objection! I object! That was... objectionable!



Taco Defender
Shocked they didn't save this setup for a "Dustin has credit card debt, what an IRRESPONSIBLE MILLENNIAL" strip.

Mister Beeg
Sep 7, 2012

A Certified Jerk
"Magnificatz" is a good strip, and I'm glad people here have discovered it.

There are two book collections available on Amazon that I highly recommend.

FrumpleOrz
Feb 12, 2014

Perhaps you have not been to the *Playground*.
The *Playground* is for Taalo and for Orz, but *Campers* can go.
It more fun than several.
You can go there for too much fun.
The Lockhorns


Brewster Rockit Space Guy


On The Fastrack


Safe Havens


Kevin & Kell


Mother Goose & Grimm


Hagar The Horrible


Old New Yorker Cartoons

Medenmath
Jan 18, 2003

Synthbuttrange posted:

A SPOOKY HELPFUL GHOST!

I'm sure there's a logical explanation, like a very specific and convenient dream.

Prince Valiant



Such good companions, to sing mismatched songs simultaneously.

Randaconda
Jul 3, 2014

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Bloom County













Synthbuttrange
May 6, 2007

Seems like a lot of blank space around those strips.

Randaconda
Jul 3, 2014

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS

Synthbuttrange posted:

Seems like a lot of blank space around those strips.

They're from the ebook collection the American Library of Comics put out, and there's only one comic to a page.

Shugojin
Sep 6, 2007

THE TAIL THAT BURNS TWICE AS BRIGHT...


Haifisch posted:

Shocked they didn't save this setup for a "Dustin has credit card debt, what an IRRESPONSIBLE MILLENNIAL" strip.

Every post-Christmas the strip does a "HOW DID THE CREDIT CARD GET SO HIGH??? SO EXPENSIVE" strip

Selachian
Oct 9, 2012

Rhymes with Orange





Pros and Cons



Pastry of the Year
Apr 12, 2013

Arlo and Janis



Tina's Groove Classic (June 1, 2006)



Arlo and Janis Classic (June 1, 1996)



Garfield Classic (June 1, 1986)



Happy New Year to my favorite thread on the forums, an absolute fixture of my mornings for years, now. :glomp:

Kennel
May 1, 2008

BAWWW-UNH!
Nancy


Dustin

Cricken_Nigfops
Oct 25, 2011

CROM!

Haifisch
Nov 13, 2010

Objection! I object! That was... objectionable!



Taco Defender
Flash Gordon


2004 Spiderman









The Amazing The Docks


Magnificatz


Phoebe and Her Unicorn

Professor Wayne
Aug 27, 2008

So, Harvey, what became of the giant penny?

They actually let him keep it.
Getting nostalgic for comics that don't get posted any more. I'm going to start posting the latest Pickles and start from the beginning of Ham Shears and the Creeps (the Creeps because it's finished and Ham Shears because I like the first part of it).

Pickles


Ham Shears




The Creeps

Murdstone
Jun 14, 2005

I'm feeling Jimmy


^^^I'm happy to revisit The Creeps again!

FrumpleOrz posted:

Hagar The Horrible

A historically accurate Hagar?

F Minus



Mark Trail



Mary Worth



Yesterday's was better.

The Phantom



Pooch Cafe



Rex Morgan MD



Geez that's a lot of spoilers.

Flash Gordon May 1957







No one even cares that Ramor and his crew all died. Life is cheap on Mongo.



Have a happy and safe new year, guys!

Murdstone fucked around with this message at 18:13 on Dec 31, 2017

TofuDiva
Aug 22, 2010

Playin' Possum





Muldoon
Have a New Year's Eve dollop of guid auld Ballard Street













Poor Shelley.

Here's wishing you all a good 2018!

Shugojin
Sep 6, 2007

THE TAIL THAT BURNS TWICE AS BRIGHT...


poo poo yes the creeps

SuperKlaus
Oct 20, 2005


Fun Shoe
I'm thinking really carefully and I cannot come up with a more auspicious way to begin a year than the return of The Creeps posts. Wanna buy a book of that.


I really like this one and the last panel. It's great how Sluggo gets owned one last time instead of leaving the joke at his statement, and great how he's not even responding to getting owned at that moment.

Samovar
Jun 4, 2011

I'm 😤 not a 🦸🏻‍♂️hero...🧜🏻



sweeperbravo posted:

but also
I'm 27 and I'm usually in bed by 9:30 or 10 at the latest, I need my 9 hours and my body is waking me up ready to poop by 8am at the very latest so, yeah, me

Like, for one night, yeah, I can do it, I can make it that far. But I'm at a point in my life where staying up late is not only not rewarding or exciting but just not even natural to me anymore.

[ask] me about being the most boring person of all

Similar to me, except I usually get a bad cold around New Year's so I get the flash sweats/sneezing up bloody mucus and want to sleep as much as possible. On an entirely unrelated note, guess who's posting while ill?

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Mercedes Colomar
Nov 1, 2008

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Hell yeah, The Creeps is good. Merry New Year, weirdos.

Foxtrot


Family Circus


Rose is Rose


One Big Happy


Foob


Compu-Toon


Bizarro


Dilbert

  • Locked thread