The MR EE travelogue story ends with some elaborate submarine mayhem and includes some decidedly WW2-like imagery, capping this decent---if episodic---story. It could have benefitted from expanding on it's modest 5 chapters, possibly adding another 3, with I SPY stopping off at Italy, the African jungle and Japan, for example.
The first of the occasional 3-page entries of the third series meant that we sometimes saw the last page rendered with red and pink inking, and this was the first example of this type.
Also notable for it's more formulaic, very DCT-like story ending, as BOSS realizes that I SPY has been but a decoy, the real dangerous journey has been done by poor BOSS!
The same thing happened to `Bushboy` strip when that went 3 pages on ocassion. Sparky comic only budgeted full colour on front/back & centre pages.
I never saw the point of Mr Ee at all! He was not `far` enough removed from Mr Mastermind in my view to be a viable villian. If you are going to bring in another major villian he needs to be different! Dr Q would have been better for me.
Great artwork in those issues Rab. Any idea when we'll reach the alleged "years of decline" because it's four pages into this thread and I haven't noticed any yet.
This next story has great artwork also, Lew. I will put up examples of the entire run on here, and the biggest let-down to me was the MR X story, [from July, I think: I definately equate it with the school holidays] and I will be honest with what I think of this material.
But stuff like the following artwork is fine by me:
'I SPYDER' is a serious contender for the most imaginitive---not to say openly bizarre-----villian in the entire I SPY gallery, and he seems to be more inspired by stylized TV animation of the period. He has a great gallery of gadgetry and paraphenallia---notably his very impressive customized motor------which in some ways points towards the more colourful chaos of JOHN GEERING'S 'BANANAMAN' ['NUTTY' 1980-]. The villains in I SPY were obviously comic, but there was an element of deadly seriousness within their motives, which was very different from the more openly farcical cavortings in BANANAMAN.
This story ran for two weeks, from 15 April, 1972, and was very memorable, even by I SPY standards:
For myself -I noticed what I saw as quite a difference in how two characters from the previous series were drawn- villians `Mr X & Mastermind` My comment that `stirred` Lew referred to how I thought drawings of the latter character had `deteriorated` Obviously I couched my words very badly!
Thinking on it- it is down to the change in emphasis of the colour series to less plotted style stories and an upping of slapstick style action through these! It allowed Brian Walker to tackle the art differently as I see it. For the life of me I just cannot take kindly to the changes this series!
I am disappointed that Brian Walker, whose art i very fervantly praised in the B/W series would change his method of portaying both characters mentioned! Now! I have no scanner/Pics to highlight this-but Rab (ISpyguy) will be popping up Icons of Mr X from "Ice Cream Crooks" and "Ghost of Mr X" to show how Brian Walker drew this character in what I would say was in a `less defined` style! i just find it disappointing that an artist I saw draw such fantastic work go and do it not to such detail in my view!
alanultron5 wrote:P.S Is` "Combat Colin" based on a certain Colin Bailey?
No. The name was created by Steve White of Marvel UK (now editor at Titan). My original name for the character was Dimbo, a spoof of the name Rambo, but Marvel felt that such a name would quickly become out of date - and they were right.
Semi-Automatic Steve was inspired by Steve White though.
alanultron5 wrote:For myself -I noticed what I saw as quite a difference in how two characters from the previous series were drawn- villians `Mr X & Mastermind` My comment that `stirred` Lew referred to how I thought drawings of the latter character had `deteriorated` Obviously I couched my words very badly!
It was a few phrases you used that I felt were unfair Alan. One being that Brian's artwork had become "extremely poor".
I'm not saying you shouldn't have an opinion. Of course you're entitled to it, but if you start a topic to continually slight an artist's work without providing any evidence you can't get the huff if people don't automatically agree with you. That's all.
I have put an offer in! Lew, I know someone(Simon Coward) who has a framed Combat Colin strip- he too thought it was `Colin Bailey` who ran his own comic shop! The Place! I take it you don't know him then...he does resemble your Colin very much!
I only got in a `huff` Lew when you implied I was blaming Brian Walker for scripts/plots too! Actually, I have highly praised his artwork in Rab's `threads! Goodness me! Anyone would think I accussed the man of starting both world wars- famine in Africa, floods, death, devestation, more war and nicking me lunch money in 1966!
alanultron5 wrote:I have put an offer in! Lew, I know someone(Simon Coward) who has a framed Combat Colin strip- he too thought it was `Colin Bailey` who ran his own comic shop! The Place! I take it you don't know him then...he does resemble your Colin very much!
Yes I know Colin Bayley. I remember you from Brum as well! I gave Simon that page myself. Let's just say that some of Colin's later exploits were inspired in part by the real Colin, and some other supporting characters were also inspired by other people you know BUT Combat Colin wasn't originally based on Colin in any way.
Congratulations on winning that Sparky No.1 by the way!
