Jeff Hawke, a truly great strip

[paulvonscott]

Smiley mentioend Jeff Hawke the other day, and I was looking through a second hand book shop, saw the two Titan collections from the eighties (a bit worn, but all there) and thought I'd give them a go.  

They are collections of the newspaper strip story that ran in the Daily News from the fities to the seventies (it's a bit unclear what happened to them after that, as the DN was no more and the strip continued in syndication with Bolland and Neary doing some artwork.

I'd always been tempted back when I was collecting the old Titan Books.  They have very lovely Brian Bolland covers.  But I assumed they would be fairly turgid, dreaery 50's space adventure stories.  So have passed every time I've seen them.

So I started reading them, and well, they seemed to be fairly standard stuff.  Spaceships crashing in deserts, square jawed heroes jetting off into the great unknown.  And then...

Well, the big surprise is they aren't dull at all!  Some fantastic characters (the aliens are always much better than the humans), atmospheric, charming and dazzling art, with geunine wit in the stories.  

The nearest thing I can compare the stories to is the future shocks and time twisters of Alan Moore.  The writing is very well thought out, the plots are interesting and amusing by equal degrees.  I've had quite a few momemts where I've been murmering with excitement or giggling with glee.

Strangely enough, although there are a few elements that date the strip, it is on the whole, a very refreshing strip, with lots of great ideas and visuals.  Considering it was written in the 50's, it is really very accessible.

I think I might just have to try pestering Titan to see if they'll consider releasing more books.  The six stories in the two volumes published are among the 69 stories that exist.  

Syndey Jordan is the artist on most of them, and wrote the early ones.  These stories were written by Willie Patterson, and he wrote quite a lot before succumbing to illness it seems, and Sidney took over again.

So, I'm genuinely thrilled to have discovered Jeff Hawke for myself.  It's been more entertaining than many a strip you'll find in 2000AD, and if you see the books for a few quid, I thoroughly reccomend them.

Cheers

Paul

[paulvonscott]

Oh, and there IS a pair of 'em on e-bay, but don't all go bidding on them and raising the price for e-bay scoundrels to profit from!

[The Amstor Computer]

Definitely pester Titan, Paul - I've emailed them about this (and about old Battle and Action strips) myself, but I've had no reply. At least if they're getting feedback and requests for this stuff, they may consider it.

Since they've already reprinted this before, it wouldn't be too hard for them - as they've done with Modesty Blaise and Bond - to run off a couple of volumes reissuing the strips already published to gauge interest.

Here's hoping!

[paulvonscott]

Well, I've e-mailed 'em!  And now I'm off to finish the last story in the collections...

'The Immortal Toys'

I've started it and again, from the two alien characters at the start, to the basic set up, it's just a joy to read.

Incidentally I noticed on e-bay that you can buy European collections of this stuff.  Typical, huh?  Dastardly foriegners trying to shame us by having more respect for our comics culture than we do.  They must be stopped!

[The Amstor Computer]

Yes, damned foreigners with their reprints of Mercy Heights and Junker - stop them, I say! ;-)

(Good point, though - I've seen so much Brit comic stuff available in Europe that isn't over here. It's obviously profitable enough to reprint and translate, so why not publish it here? Is it just that there isn't a decent market for it?)

[paulvonscott]

Sigh, they just give a damn I suspect.  It's a more normal thing to be interested in comics over there, here, it's a bit of a fringe event.

[paulvonscott]

Sigh, they just give a damn I suspect.  It's a more normal thing to be interested in comics over there, here, it's a bit of a fringe event.

I've read all the Jeff Hawke I may ever read now.  That makes me sad :(

[paulvonscott]

Also, dare I say it, these would be good reprint material for the Meg I think.  I say that based on the quality of the stories, and the fact they are so entertaining.  

Stories are typically 30 pages long (that's with 4 strips to a page, I'm sure it could be possible to perhaps do 5).  Some Meg/Titan Books team up could possibly make it more worthwhile.

Just an idle, desperate thought...

[paulvonscott]

Oh, one more thing...

Dirty Frank has bought the two that were up ther eon e-bay, but if you search completed auctions, a guy called railwaytom had a pair of books up for about the same price.  You could always e-mail him and ask him if they are still available, the auction only ended two days ago.

But, if more than one person e-mails him, the price might go up ;)  So you might want to consider posting here if you're going for it (or you could just fight it out with credit cards at dawn).

Cheers

Paul

[DavidXBrunt]

And here's me chancing my arm...do you fancy borrowing my collected editions of 'The Adventures of P.C.49' and 'Fraser of Africa' in return for a lend of your Jeff Hawkes? 49 is huge fun and Fraser has some of the most beautiful artwork you will ever see, and it's a chance to see what was inside the Eagle now you've read some Dare. Let me know what you think Paul.

[paulvonscott]

Yes, I'm happy to send Hawke on a tour if people want to read it, as long as I'm not paying the postage!  If anyone wants to read em, they could maybe pay the person sending them for the post and add in a first class stamp for when it comes back to me!

Anyone interested, just sign up here.

[Floyd-the-k]

I`ve never heard of this but it sounds good. are there any samples of it online?

[paulvonscott]

I havn't had much luck on the web, here is an Italian site with a little English text on it.  At the bottom is one strip, the best I could do.

Interesting to note Panini seem to have brought out a collectioon in Europe.  After Titan they may be worth a buzz.

Link: Er, there's one at the very bottom...

[Byron Virgo]

You jammy git!

I've been looking for some of those Titan Jeff Hawke books for ages! They really are great, aren't they? Enjoy them - you're in for a treat. PVS!

[The Amstor Computer]

Ooh - interesting suggestion, Paul. Given that Panini are into releasing classic Doctor Who in bumper trade paperbacks - and, I hope, doing fairly well with them - they might be worth hectoring about "expanding their range" :-)