Who wrote 'The Adventures of Biggles'?

If your first answer to the above question was "Capt. W.E. Johns", then you're wrong - sort of. While Capt. W.E. Johns did, indeed, pen nearly 100 novels and short-story collections starring this quintisentially British aviatior hero, keen-eyed Biggles fans will note that no book appearing under Johns' name ever bore that title.

The Adventures of Biggles was, in fact, the name of the comic book published and created in Australia by Action Comics Pty. Ltd. (Sydney), launched in the early 1950s to capitalise on both the popularity of the Biggles books amongst Australian readers, and on the Australian-produced radio serial, The Air Adventures of Biggles, which was broadcast on numerous commercial networks during 1949-54.

The Adventures of Biggles comic book actually outlasted its radio serial counterpart, running for over 50 (non-consecutive) issues during 1953-57, and was illustrated by Australian artists, Albert De Vine and John Dixon. The comic was even reprinted under licence in Great Britain by Strato Publications - truly a case of sending coals to Newcastle!

Although Capt. W.E. Johns was credited as the author of the comic book series on the front cover of the comic book, a recent discovery I made confirms that Johns did not actually write any stories for the comic book version of Biggles. The accompanying scan of the inside front cover of The Adventures of Biggles No.17 features an interesting type-written note, which reads as follows:

"Biggles" comics are produced in Australia under an arrangement with Captain W.E. Johns, originator of "Biggles". The Australian written scripts are sent to England for approval before publication. I've written about two or three years' supply of 'Biggles' comic scripts for the Australasian market."

Frustratingly, the author of this note has neglected to include their name - was it penned by Albert De Vine, the credited illustrator whose work appeared in that same issue? Or was it the work of another writer?

The comment about obtaining overseas approval of the Australian comic book scripts was certainly boorne out in an unpublished interview I counducted with John Dixon earlier this decade, who succeeded De Vine as illustrator on The Adventures of Biggles:

John [Dixon] says he was given a free hand when it came to creating new Biggles adventures for the comic book series. "Although I do remember Capt. Johns commenting in a letter to [Australian publisher] John Edwards that 'Biggles did not fly jets'," he says. "I don't recall whose idea it was to update the character."

Dixon's recollections infer that he also wrote, as well as drew, the Biggles comic book stories. Whether the same was equally true of Albert De Vine, an artist about which maddeningly little is known today, can only be the subject of conjecture. I've reproduced the contents of this cryptic note, and the page on which it appeared, in the hopes that it might trigger someone's memory, out there, somewhere, who might be able to shed light on the identity of its author. (Image courtesy of the Rare Books Collection, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria.)

'Spanish-Australian' Comics @ AusReprints.com

The AusReprints website, which is traditionally dedicated to Australian-edition reprints of DC Comics' series from the late-1940s to mid-1980s, currently features three in-depth articles documenting the intriguing Australian publishing history of several Spanish-drawn comic strips: Johnny Galaxy and the Space Patrol; Ringo, Big River Lawman; and A Man Called Sunday.

These articles, penned by James (creator of AusReprints.com), are an excellent contribution to Australian comics' 'fan scholarship', which examine a frequently overlooked aspect of Australian comics publishing history - namely, the presence of Spanish/European-drawn material, which gained significant exposure through Australian comic books (especially those produced by KG Murray and Gredown Pty Ltd) published from the late-1960s onwards.

Much of the material discussed in these articles only ever saw English-language publication in Australia, and exposed Australian readers (and aspiring comic creators) to the 'new wave' of Spanish writers and artists, some of whom whose work was also appearing in Australian editions of Warren Magazines' trio of horror comics - Creepy, Eerie and Vampirella.

While the editorial imperatives and commercial machinations that led to such an abundance of Spanish-drawn material appearing in Australian comics may be lost to present-day researchers, these articles nonetheless provide an excellent starting point, tracing as they do the complex, interlocking publishing histories of such strips as Johnny Galaxy, Gringo (retitled 'Ringo' for the Australian market) and A Man Called Sunday. (Image courtesy of AusReprints.com)

Conference Paper: The Contested Frontier - Comic Book ‘Westerns’ and Cultural Identity in Post-War Australia

I recently had the pleasure of participating in the 13th annual Works in Progress conference, held at the University of Queensland during 4-6 September. The theme for this year's conference was 'Pockets of Change: Cultural Adpatations and Transitions'. The broad aim of WIP is to bring recent postgraduate students together from Australia and overseas to discuss their current research interests, and provide them with an opportunity to participate in what, for many, will be their first academic conference experience.

The WIP conference is oragnised under the auspices of the University of Queensland's School of English, Media Studies and Art History (EMSAH), and provided a forum for a diverse selection of speakers, whose research interestes ensured a broad range of responses to the conference theme of cultural adaptation and transition. I found the WIP conference an overwhelmingly positive experience and would encourage any current or prospective postgraduate students to participate in next year's event.

Presented below is the abstract from my own conference paper, which was based on a section from my recently completed honours dissertation.

The Contested Frontier: Comic Book Westerns and Cultural Identity in Post-War Australia

Throughout the first half of the 20th century, the American ‘western’ proved to be a remarkably adaptable genre, successfully migrating from one mass medium to another, and continually reaffirming its public appeal in mass-market fiction, cinema, radio and television.

Comic books, too, were highly receptive to the ‘western’, which briefly displaced the costumed superhero as the medium’s most popular fixture in the years immediately after World War II. The popularity of ‘cowboy comics’ was by no means confined to the United States; western titles were amongst the most popular published in Australia from the mid-1940s onwards, appearing as they did at the peak of the domestic comic industry’s post-war ‘boom’.

Comic book westerns, however, found themseles at the centre of hotly contested debates about Australia’s sense of national identity. For some, the archetypal cowboy embodied the Cold War-era politics of the United States, while others saw in western comics further evidence of the corrupting influence that American culture exerted over Australian society. The public debate over comic books reflected the ongoing tensions in a triangulation of influence exterted by both British and American culture on Australia’s post-war sense of national identity. More importantly, such arguments tended to highlight class-driven distinctions between ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture and the generational biases of their participants. Intriguingly, Australian publishers, writers and illustrators successfully appropriated the image of the American cowboy to their commercial advantage. They innovatively adapted the genre to meet Australian audiences’ tastes in ways that they were unable to achieve with the historically familiar, but morally problematic, figure of the Australian bushranger.

(Illustration courtesy of the Rare Book Collection, Monash University, Victoria.)

Review: The Dark Detective - Sherlock Holmes

The sighting of a new, Australian-drawn comic book appearing on the shelves of the nation's newsagencies is cause enough for comment; but when a second issue of such a venture follows hot on the heels of the first, then surely something is afoot! Thankfully, The Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes is not only remarkable for daring to venture outside the comic shop retail ghetto, but is also a thoroughly enjoyable comic book interpretation of the world's greatest consulting detective.

Written by Chris Sequeira and illustrated by Phil Cornell, The Dark Detective sees the ever-loyal Dr. John H. Watson reluctantly reunited with his irascible friend and mentor, Sherlock Homes, as they attempt to uncover a vast criminal conspiracy that threatens to engulf all of London. Their investigation is sparked off by a string of grisly murders which appear to have been committed, not by man, but by a supposedly mythical creature known as a chimera.

The fictional universe of Holmes' creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is well represented here, as Sequeira introduces key figures from the Holmes canon, including the great detective's brilliant brother, Mycroft Holmes (now serving as head of the Royal Information Portfolio, or RIP), the thoroughly competent Inspector Alec MacDonald of Scotland Yard and the self-styled 'Napoleon of Crime', Professor James Moriarty who may - or may not -be at the heart of this intriguing mystery.

Sequeira nicley captures the prickly temprament of Holmes himself, and faithfully invokes the overall temper and tone of Doyle's original stories, whilst unfolding the plot at a brisk, yet measured pace. Cornell's artwork strikes the right balance between dramatic illustration and caricature, while Dave Elsey's digital colouring cloaks the strip in alternately rich and sombre tones, which neatly evoke the mood of Victorian-era London, particularly with the second issue.

Indeed, the only drawback for me were Elsey's cover illustrations which, despite capturing Holmes's otherworldy character, nonetheless remain curiously flat and static. I would have preferred to have seen Jason Paulos' back cover treatment on issue #2 used as the front cover, not only because it is more visually dramatic, but it perfectly complements the penny dreadful-inspired mayhem of the interior stories.

But this is a relatively minor critique of a comic book that is an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable entertainment, and will become a welcome addition to the swollen ranks of comic book 'pastiches' featuring Sherlock Holmes and co.

The Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes is published by Black House Comics and is available through newsagencies and comic book shops throughout Australia. Price: AUS$5.00/US$3.50.

Event: Dave De Vries' Film Debut - Friday 28 August (Melbourne)

Dave De Vries is best known amongst Australian comic book fans as the creator and original illustrator of the popular late 1980s/early 1990s superhero group, The Southern Squadron, and as well as being a former contributor to the controversial horror comic, Phantastique. Oh yeah, and he's managed to snag a fistful of high-profile comic art assignments in the USA, including Batman, Green Lantern and The Phantom.

But Dave's latest creative venture sees him stepping out from behind the drawing board, and occupying the director's chair on his feature film debut, a sexually-charged thriller called Carmilla Hyde. So, what is this "Gen-Y cult sensation" all about? Here's an excerpt from the film's media release:

Starring Anni Lindner with an ensemble cast of some of Adelaide’s finest rising stars, Carmilla Hyde takes its audience on a spellbinding journey as Millie transforms from repressed nerd to wild and sexy Carmilla Hyde.

Millie, a shy introverted virgin, is drugged and seduced by her housemates. Awaking without any memory, Millie is confronted by internet sex tapes of her night of wanton passion. Humiliated and confused, she turns to hypnotist Dr Webster, and her memories are set free. Her memories, and her alter ego, the wild and sexy Carmilla Hyde. And Carmilla is hungry for revenge.

Melbourne moviegoers can get their chance to see Carmilla Hyde, when it screens as part of the Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF), which is being staged at various venus during 22-30 August 2009.

Carmilla Hyde will be screening at Glitch, 318 St Georges Rd, North Fitzroy, at 9:00pm, Friday 28 August. Check the MUFF website for ticketing details.

Comic Books, Australian Society and Cultural Anxiety: 1956-1986

The heading for this blog entry is the title of the dissertation I wrote as part of my Honours Degree of Bachelor of Arts, which I completed last month at Monash University. It represents the culmination of nearly a year's work and, although it wound up being a very different thesis topic to the one I'd originally conceived back in 2006, I'm nonetheless very pleased with the final result.

For those amongst you who may be interested, you can read the abstract on the ComicsResearch.org website (Just scroll down to the bottom of the page to see my entry). As for the rather alarming image accompanying this blog entry, it is an interior illustration taken from the anti [American] -comic book pamphlet, Sin in Syndication: A Cultural Crime Wave that Menaces Australia!, which was prepared by the Australian Journalists' Association, circa 1950.

Yaroslav Horak's Czech Connection & Me

One of the 'fringe benefits' of maintaining this blog is that I'll often get surprising emails, completely out of the blue, from comic book enthusiasts across the world. The comparative ease with which people can contact one another via the Internet never ceases to amaze, and delight, me. Such chance encounters, while not impossible, were nonetheless quite rare back in the pre-Internet era of the mid-1980s, when I first began writing for Australian comic fanzines and correspondeing (by snail-mail) with comic book fans.

Late last year, for instance, I had a brief email exchange with Tomas Prokupek, one of the editors of Aargh! Komiksovy Sbornik, a Czech-based magazine devoted to comic art. Tomas was writing an article on Yaroslav Horak, who was born in Manchuria to Czech-Russian parents, and initially made a name for himself as a comic book writer-illustrator in Australia during the late 1940s, before achieving international recognition as an artist on the James Bond comic strip for the Daily Express newspaper (UK) during 1966-1977.

Tomas was in desperate need of some illustrations featuring Hoorak's earlier Australian work (little seen outside Australia), and I was only too happy to oblige by supplying scans of a Horak cover for Michael Chance Comics No.15 (featuring Horak's aviator hero, Jet Fury) and the Cop Shop comic book cover from 1983, which reprinted newspaper comic strip stories drawn by Horak, based on the Australian television series of the same name.

Concentrating on my university studies since then, I'd largely forgotten about Tomas's request until last month, when a copy of the handsomely produced 8th edition of Aargh! (pictured)lobbed in my mailbox, complete with Tomas's article on Yaroslav Horak. It's a gorgeous-looking magazine, which spotlights Russian comics, and Russian comic artists - hence the feature on Yaroslav Horak in this issue.

Time permitting, Tomas has promised to send me an English translation of his Yaroslav Horak article which I hope to reprint online, here at Comics Down Under. So, stay tuned....