EDMOND RIPOLL EN UK

[Phoenix]

With regard to the definition of heading block and heading block illustration. Strictly speaking the heading block only really refers to the title and the illustration that often accompanies it is certainly a spot illustration. It was the norm at Thomson's however to refer to the title and the illustration that accompanied it together as 'the heading block'.

I do now realise that there is more than one way to skin this particular cat. However, Ray and I have learned a lot from each other over the last twenty-five years or so, and I learned the expression heading block from him as it was used quite often in the very early days of our collaborations. I feel relieved that I have been exonerated, and that I can now use the expression again whenever its use is called for. The expression spot illustration was never required over those years so I only learned it this week. I'm unlikely to forget that now!

[Lew Stringer]

With regard to the definition of heading block and heading block illustration. Strictly speaking the heading block only really refers to the title and the illustration that often accompanies it is certainly a spot illustration. It was the norm at Thomson's however to refer to the title and the illustration that accompanied it together as 'the heading block'.
In the case of this Commando 'V for Vengeance' story and presuming it was a Wizard original then, without seeing it, we have five choices George Ramsbottom, Peem Walker, Jack Glass, Ian Mackay or Doug Phillips.
Although artists would sometimes change during the run of a story, due to illness etc, this was quite rare as deputy head of the Thomson Art Dept John Roy kept very strict rosters on the availability of artists and their workload was managed accordingly. So, most of the time, an artist assigned to a given series would see it through from beginning to end.

I don't doubt you, Ray, but I'm surprised an editor would refer to it so formally as a 'heading block'. I've only ever heard of it being called a 'header', just as 'spot illustration' is nearly always abbreviated to 'spot illo'. But I'm mainly going by what other publishers say, not Thomsons, so perhaps they're more precise in Dundee.

[paw broon]

That's been good, with an interesting selection of opinions. It appears that our various definitions of headers, spots, blocks are based on experience or what we learned/overheard from publishers and other industry pros. In my case, apart from being aware of how some professionals describe these things and similar, I worked on a paper for a while, decades ago, and was regularly in typesetting and layout depts. That was not a DCT co. so terminologies might very well be different.
That's all from me

[Phoenix]

I have yet to find out the original artist from The Wizard spot pictures (which were the ones used in Commando) and the The Hotspur artist. And I am almost sure that Ray will have a look at this thread and drop in the two names that I am looking for!

So, getting back to the matter raised by Colin about the identification of the artist or artists whose work was used in Commando, presumably Ray will need to see that issue, and then, assuming that there was only one issue of Commando with the V For Vengeance title, determine which of the five serials in The Wizard with the title V For Vengeance is the one used by the Commando editor, (let's not complicate matters prematurely by including the V For Vengeance serials with a different title!), and then check every heading block and spot illustration throughout its run to see whether any substitute artist has been required at any point. Then he will have to turn his attention to all three serials in The Hotspur and do the same research there. I suspect that a bit of patience will be required before Ray can drop in the two names that (Colin is) looking for!!

[colcool007]

I have yet to find out the original artist from The Wizard spot pictures (which were the ones used in Commando) and the The Hotspur artist. And I am almost sure that Ray will have a look at this thread and drop in the two names that I am looking for!

So, getting back to the matter raised by Colin about the identification of the artist or artists whose work was used in Commando, presumably Ray will need to see that issue, and then, assuming that there was only one issue of Commando with the V For Vengeance title, determine which of the five serials in The Wizard with the title V For Vengeance is the one used by the Commando editor, (let's not complicate matters prematurely by including the V For Vengeance serials with a different title!), and then check every heading block and spot illustration throughout its run to see whether any substitute artist has been required at any point. Then he will have to turn his attention to all three serials in The Hotspur and do the same research there. I suspect that a bit of patience will be required before Ray can drop in the two names that (Colin is) looking for!!

Well to save a little time, the Commandos to look for are the foursome that were released on 13 March 2014, (4687 to 4690) which explains why I was able to pick them up at DeeCon 2014.

On our digression into header and spot illustrations, it's interesting to see what everyone's views are and it shows how we all differ in the methodology in our cataloguing of comic knowledge. It continues to show there is no right or wrong way of remembering as long as we are able to define it to each other.