Comics UK

Me again.
I'm toying with the idea of putting together a Black Max bibliography - but am finding detailed details on ol' Kloor suprisingly thin on the ground here in the Net.
Any pointers anyone?

Hi Max

Welcome on board! If it's any help your namesake appeared in all 22 issues of Thunder then continued in Lion from 20th March 1971 to 21st October 1972. This was followed by a sequel set in the (then) present day called 'Secrets of the Demon Dwarf', featuring the character Dr. Gratz. The artist throughout was Alfonso Font (except for the very first episode drawn by Eric Bradbury), and I think the writer was Ken Mennell.

- Phil Rushton

Excellent stuff, ta Phil.
I've got most issues so i just needed an end date for knowing when to buy up to.
One more question if i may?
As you say, the art was brilliantly done by Font (and's what makes him my favourite character) but the first issue was by Bradbury.
Isn't that a bit odd that someone would start a strip but only do 3 pages in total?
Especially as his version was quite different from Fonts.
Does anyone know if it was intentional? or Eric was due to do more but pulled out? Or maybe he had to redraw Fonts first issue for some reason?
As i say, odd.

THe first strip would have been done for a sample issue.

Then they farmed out the art to studios


brian

Hi Black Max,nice to see you have started to go down the "Black Max" index route.It is interesting to note that Bradbury did the first episode then studios from abroad continued it.The same happened to Adam Eterno-Tom Kerr and then Colin Page and thereafter foreign Studios.As has been mentioned,probably to give an idea of what the look and feel of the strip should be,then due to the overload of work at home,these strips would then be farmed out to various overseas studios,with agents acting on their behalf here.Also,check out the various Thunder and Lion(maybe Valiant)specials and annuals for other stories(maybe some reprints).Good luck with your research.You're well on the way already.

The Cap.