Jim Keefe – Page 92

Flash Gordon 8/6/2000 – George Evans

Post author By Jim Keefe
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Today’s Flash Gordon page (11/25/2012) originally appeared August 6, 2000. Since it focuses on Secret Agent Corrigan and his team the first tier has a group shot with artwork by veteran Secret Agent artist, George Evans.

For a larger version, just click on the artwork. For more on Evans’ work on Secret Agent Corrigan check out my previous blog post for art and links aplenty:
George Evans – Secret Agent Corrigan

I really wanted to show that Dale wasn’t just a damsel in distress in this storyline – that she’d play an active role.

Today’s strip just emphasizes that fact – which will have ramifications for Corrigan later…

As always, to follow Flash Gordon online check out King Features subscription service at: DailyInk.com

You’ll also Find:

buy prednisone for humans The Phantom
by Tony DePaul (Scripts), Paul Ryan (Daily Art) & Terry Beatty (Sunday Art)

buy Latuda online overnight delivery Prince Vailiant
by Mark Schultz and Tom Yeates

The Amazing Spider-Man
by Stan Lee (Scripts), Larry Lieber (Daily Art) and Alex Saviuk & Joe Sinnott (Sunday Art)

Vintage Strips like:
Juliet Jones by Stan Drake
Big Ben Bolt by John Cullen Murphy
Flash Gordon by Dan Barry (Daily Art) & Mac Raboy (Sunday Art)
Rip Kirby by Alex Raymond

And much, much more…

Note: This is not a paid endorsement.
Please resume your normal internet surfing at this time.

George Evans

Secret Agent Corrigan by George Evans

Post author By Jim Keefe
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Taking over after Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson’s run, George Evans’ first daily for Secret Agent Corrigan hit newspapers on February 4, 1980. He had ghosted for Williamson occasionally, but now he was at the helm as writer and artist. Evans continued on the strip for the next sixteen years.

I was first introduced to George Evans’ artistry while working on staff at King Features Syndicate. Ignorant of the huge body of work he had done, I was immediately drawn to the action-packed and beautifully illustrated job he was doing on the strip.

Striking up a correspondance with him, he was more than willing to try to assist a newcomer like myself that was just breaking into the field. The following is a Flash Gordon Sunday page I sent George for critique with the latter being his suggestions on tracing paper.

Because of the decline of adventure strips in newspapers, George Evans’ work on Secret Agent Corrigan didn’t reach the wider audience that would have appreciated it. Maurice Horn lamented this fact in his book, 100 Years of American Newpaper Comics:

“It is unfortunate that because of (Secret Agent Corrigan’s) limited circulation, few people are able to read and appreciate one of the genuinely interesting action strips still extant, a strip carried on in dashing style by Evans.”

Upon Evans’ retirement from the strip in 1996, King Features discontinued the strip.
The last daily saw print on February 10, 1996.

It wouldn’t be the last time Evans drew Secret Agent. In the summer of 2000 I started a storyline where Secret Agent and Flash Gordon would eventually cross paths (the two strips both originally drawn by Alex Raymond). The climactic page where they meet I handed over to Evans.

And here’s how it appeared in print.

For more Secret Agent Corrigan by George Evans check out IDW’s Secret Agent Corrigan Volume 6. I highly recommend it!

Tags George Evans, Secret Agent Corrigan

Craig MacIntosh

Craig MacIntosh – The Last Lightning

Post author By Jim Keefe
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Craig MacItosh, author of The Fortunate Orphans, has a new book coming out…

The Last Lightning — Click on picture to get info on purchasing.

Synopsis:

Nearly seventy years after a top-secret escort mission flown by four American aces ends mysteriously, a missionary in Papua New Guinea makes a startling discovery. One of the missing planes—a P-38 Lightning belonging to the flight leader—is found deep in the jungle. Half a world away, others who learn of the surprising discovery race to unlock the past. Greed, betrayal, and brutality descend on an isolated valley where tribal life, unchanged for a century, is about to be visited by a whirlwind of violence.

“A great story . . . you won’t want to put this book down.”

—Col. Perry Dahl, USAF (Ret.), WWII veteran and P-38 ace, 432nd Fighter Squadron, Southwest Pacific Theater

“MacIntosh has skillfully blended interesting fact with intriguing fiction to capture the experiences of our combat aircrews of WWII and the impact on their immediate families and descendants.”

—Brig. Gen. Dennis Shulstad, USAF (Ret.)

Events:

Launch Party

Oct. 13, 1 to 4 pm: the American Legion in Apple Valley, Minnesota.
14521 Granada Drive – Apple Valley, MN 55214

Book Signing

Nov. 11, 3 pm: the American Legion in Rosemount, Minnesota.
14590 Burma Avenue West – Rosemount, MN 55068

Book Signing

December 4th, 6:30 – 8:00pm: the Robert Trail Library.
14395 Robert Trail South – Rosemount, Minnesota 55068
Craig MacIntosh will be the featured speaker in the ongoing “Meet the Author” series.

When not writing, Craig MacIntosh can be found in the Sunday paper, with fellow cartoonist Steve Sack, in their Sunday comics feature Doodles. MacIntosh also illustrates the comic strip Sally Forth, written by Francesco Marciuliano, which appears in over 600 papers.

UPDATE: Book Launch on October 13th at the American Legion in Apple Valley, MN.

Here’s some pics from Craig MacIntosh’s book launch party for The Last Lightning, including a WWII reenactor that was on hand who introduced Craig.

Tags Craig MacIntosh

Artists - Cartoonists Flash Gordon

Flash Gordon Page specs

Just got a question from Jim Frankenstin regarding the specs I used for Flash Gordon – thought I would answer it here for those interested…

Here’s my basic template.

This first strip is an example of a drop panel with a standard two tier layout underneath.
The drop panel is artwork the newspaper can opt not to print and it won’t affect the main body of the strip.

This second example is a drop panel followed by an irregular panel layout. Flash was offered in two formats; half page (with drop panel) and third page (without drop panel) so I could play with that bottom area however I felt as long as the proportions stayed the same.

I’ve played with different kinds of bristol and go back and forth between plate (smooth) and vellum (textured) – it usually depends on the job. I used 1-ply for awhile just because I didn’t have the best light box, but prefer 2-ply as it’s more durable.

I tended to work pretty small because the size it got printed was postage stamp size – far removed from the kind of real estate Alex Raymond had to work with in the Golden Age of the 1930s.

Flash Sunday Pages — On the left, Flash Gordon 2/25/1934 by AlexRaymond.
On the right, Flash Gordon 11/10/2002 by Joe Kubert.

The size you work in is really dependent on the artist – as long as it stays proportional to the required specs. Patrick McDonnell on Mutts tends to work small compared to Ray Billingsley whose Curtis originals were larger than any other strip I saw during my tenure on staff at King.

Any other questions – just keep ’em coming…

Tags Flash Gordon

Artist Spotlight Artists - Cartoonists Conventions Joe Kubert

Joe Kubert – Saying Thanks…

Post author By Jim Keefe
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Joe Kubert (1926-2012)
Tribute: Part 3

I’m rounding off my tribute to Joe Kubert by reminising about the last time I saw Joe. It was the spring of 2012 at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo.

For the Kubert School panel, Joe Kubert alum (and current President of the Kubert School) Anthony Marques moderated, as Joe sketched and answered questions. Here’s just a few highlights featuring Joe’s comments…

The following video is Joe sketching Nite Owl from the Before Watchmen series. The image was projected sideways on a large screen – my video is rotated to one side so the drawing can be seen right-side-up. While Joe sketched Anthony was fielding questions.

What amazed me during Joe’s drawing demo was that every time Joe was asked a question instead of Anthony (and this is not seen on the video) Joe was so focused on the drawing that Anthony had to repeat the question numerous times just to get Joe’s attention – repeatedly – EVERY time.

Joe finally apologized saying that when he’s drawing, that’s where he’s focused, so he’s not listening to the conversation going on around him.

THAT’S how focused Joe was while drawing – it was remarkable and inspiring to watch…

After the drawing demo Joe stayed for a short time to meet and greet fans. I went up to say hi and the guy standing in line in front of me told Joe he was a huge fan and then asked for Joe to sign his arm so he could then get the signature tattooed.

Joe immediately protested, “Why would you do that? I can’t…”
The fan persisted and Joe kept protesting until the guy’s friend explained it wasn’t a spur of the moment thing, that his friend really was that big a fan.

Joe finally acquiesced.

This last little clip is of Joe signing the fan’s arm.

My time with Joe was relatively brief. It had been years since I had seen him last, but he recognized who I was after I mentioned the Flash Gordon page we had worked on. A smile lit his face and his strong handshake followed. He asked me what I had been up to and I told him about my freelance and teaching.

I then told him, “I just wanted to thank you for my career.”
That warm smile again and the handshake.

And that was the last time I saw Joe Kubert.

There’s more to say, much more, but I’m going to leave it at that.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends – he’ll be sorely missed.