UNPUBLISHED TERRY

A recent 'Terry & the Pirates' original art auction on eBay had a unique twist. Offered for sale was the strip that was published on January 14, 1942, as well as a heretofore unseen unpublished version! [click to enlarge pictures]

Above is the published version.

Above is the unpublished version. This was drawn first. Apparently there was some objection to the fourth panel and Caniff was asked to redo it. I'm sure Caniff being asked to redraw a panel was a rarity in itself, particularly at the peak of his career. It's not really a key strip and it has none of the main characters. It only has Sammy the Tapper, a minor villain who was getting his kicks blackmailing Terry's love interest, April Kane.

This was written at the bottom of the unpublished version. My best guess is "Kill this out for Herman", and then initialed EM. Perhaps some other Caniff scholars can give me a hand here? Another big curiosity is the date - 1/6/42. Was Caniff asked to make the change just eight days before press time?!? It seems like an unbelievable turnaround.

Now come the two biggest questions. What was wrong with the fourth panel. The auction seller speculated that it looked 'too official'. A collector friend of mine thinks they were worried the type would get muddied up in reduction. But wouldn't Caniff have foreseen that? Also, why draw an entirely new strip over just replacing the offending panel? The first three panels have minor changes, but it's the fourth that's completely different. A dealer friend of mine wondered if they couldn't get the original back to Caniff, or even a stat, and he redrew it from memory. I don't think that's the case, as we have both originals in hand today. I think Caniff was in a constant battle between deadlines and perfectionism. Perhaps he was always thinking of ways he could have done something better, and here he saw an opportunity to improve upon an already finished strip. See what differences you can spot in the panel comparisons.

Of the first three panels, I think this one is improved by the contrast of white paper against the waiter's suit.

Kudos to Caniff for obtaining what was likely an authentic New York rap sheet of its day. The real improvements in the new panel are (1) the use of Sam's mugshot in favor of all that type and (2) the cigarette now falling out of his mouth in shock.

CANIFF COLLECTOR SPOTLIGHT: RON M.

I've been intrigued lately by original Caniff strip art and those who collect it. When fellow Caniff fan Ron M. posted about art he was selling through Heritage Auctions, I decided to ask him about how he got into collecting. His experience is very similar to my own. "Like most of us," Ron told me, "I read the Sunday funnies each week as a kid. But I have to admit I read only the humor strips. I didn't care for the other genres, of course this was the '80s and most the classic strips were already gone.

Terry & the Pirates - 1/12/43

In the early '90s, I bought a lot of the various reprint books and, in a lot of the introductions, they would typically mention the all-time greats, and Milton Caniff's name always came up(along with Al Capp). Regarding Caniff, once I read some of the strips in various book collections, I quickly found I enjoyed both 'Terry & the Pirates' and 'Steve Canyon'. The storytelling ability was the main enjoyment for me, the historical appreciation for Caniff's artistic abilities came a few years later. I really love his pacing and how it made you want to read the next strip, also his various locations, and his expertise with shading."

Terry & the Pirates - 7/15/43

Ron began collecting original art in 2004, buying them at auction via Heritage, eBay and Russ Cochran. What does he look for in a strip? "I personally use how much I like the art as a barometer of whether I want to buy the page (assuming I have the funds). I dont like to buy pages with too much text or word balloons, so almost all my dailies I have bought I felt the art was really cool. I decided to only buy dailies , and avoid pages that have alot of whiteout. Of course, I love all original art, it's all one of a kind; I just narrowed my criteria so I wouldn't spend more than i can afford."

Steve Canyon 7/12/48

With the boom of reprint collections collecting classic strips, Ron has been getting more enjoyment out of reading than collecting. 'Terry & the Pirates', his favorite, has been reprinted by the Library of American Comics/IDW and is still available. New collections of 'Li'l Abner', another favorite, start this month. Also topping his list are Pogo (collections begin in October from Fantagraphics, Blondie (currently being done by IDW), and Krazy Kat (currently being done by Fantagraphics). This plethora of material led Ron to the decision to sell some of his collection.

Terry & the Pirates 4/23/49

I was intrigued that his collection includes 'Terry & the Pirates' pages by George Wunder. Wunder had the thankless task of not only following Caniff on 'Terry', but competing with Caniff's new creation 'Steve Canyon'. Wunder has been judged by some as little more than a serviceable practitioner of the Caniff school. Ron gave me his perspective: "I really enjoy George Wunder art, as the first Terry Pirates pages I read in the '90s were by Wunder, not Caniff. I've always liked his art, nice crisp lines, so I'm not sure why a lot of people feel the need to constantly say he's just not as good as Caniff. I certainly would not call him an also-ran. To me, Wunder was one of the top talents in cartooning. Put me in the camp that feels he is underrated. Theres a good percentage of people who's only recollection of 'Terry' is probably the Wunder version. I enjoy both artists' work equally, and have never been one to partake in the 'who's better' arguments. Caniff is one of the elites, and to me Wunder is right up there in the next tier as well."

Terry & the Pirates 10/23/67

I asked Ron if he wanted me to provide specific links to his auctions. He responded that I should promote the entire auction of comic book art, which can be found here.

MILTON CANIFF NEWS

The solicitation for 'Caniff', the art book from the Library of American Comics, was in the latest edition of Previews and is also on Amazon. This is the book where I made a contribution to the research done by Lorraine Turner and the book's editor, Dean Mullaney. Dean wrote about that experience here. I asked him what happened to the earlier title, "The Art of Caniff"? "I decided on "Caniff"," said Dean, "because only in comics are art books called "The Art of…." You don't see "The Art of Van Gogh" or "The Art of Rembrandt!"

Also from the Library of American Comics are the volumes of The Complete Terry & the Pirates that have been out of stock. The rarest volumes (4 and 5) have been commanding $100 and up prices in the aftermarket. It's great to see this American classic remain in print. Ask your local comics dealer!

The Comics: An Illustrated History of Comic Strip Art - Jerry Robinson - This revised edition of Robinson's 1974 tome was released last month. I don't have a copy, so I can't confirm the Caniff content. But, not having Caniff would be like doing a Revolutionary War history without George Washington. Robinson, best known in the comic book world as co-creator of Robin and the Joker, was president of the National Cartoonist Society from 1967-69.



Drawing Power: A Compendium of Cartoon Advertising - Fantagraphics will release this in July. According to publisher Gary Groth, some Caniff work is slated to be part of the book. I suspect it's the work he did with Noel Sickles under the pseudonym "Paul Arthur", primarily Mr. Coffee Nerves (which I wrote about here). The co-editor of the book is Rick Marschall, who reprinted the Coffee Nerves strips in 1990 in a Terry & the Pirates book.



Leif Peng - Peng is a Canadian cartoonist and illustrator who also has a blog called "Today's Inspiration", which celebrates the work of cartoonists and illustrators through high quality scans of their work. In doing so, he has built up and shared what is likely the best online resource of Noel Sickles art. If you love the work of Caniff's pal Sickles as much as we do, Peng's site will amaze and delight. Today's Inspiration http://todaysinspiration.blogspot.com/search?q=sickles

Cartoon Limbo - The Prallsville Mills, an historic site in Stockton, NJ, is hosting an art exhibit called Cartoon Limbo. The theme of the exhibit is rejected drawings of famous cartoonists. According to the press material, there is a Caniff item, though I don't know what. Other artists represented include Carl Barks, Charles Schulz and Crockett Johnson.

notes on 'The Complete Peanuts: 1975-76

1975 and 1976 were two exemplary years of the strip, highlighted by the introduction of some new characters. There was Truffles, a new girl who formed was stuck in two love triangles, one between Sally and Linus and the other between Snoopy and Linus (love quadrangle, maybe?). There was also a new school building for Sally to converse with. Two of Snoopy's siblings were revealed - his sister, Belle, and a brother named Spike. The latter quickly became a favorite of Schulz, carrying many of his own solo strips and storylines over the next quarter century. It's striking to me that the cover character is Frieda, who appears only a couple of times in the strips collected here. [the strips may be cut off, so just click on them to see the whole thing]

5/4/75 - The perhaps innovative touch of David Michaelis' Schulz biography was tying incidents from Schulz's life together with things happening in the strip. While I think Michaelis practiced some pop psychology and took it a bridge too far, the approach has it's validity. I can't help but believe that this rambling story of Charlie Brown's is taken from Schulz's own childhood.


7/22/75 - Lucy again trying to relate to Schroeder through his love of Beethoven.


8/14/75 - In an uncharacteristic bout of altruism, Lucy decides to take Spike home and fatten him up. I've always liked the simile "thin as a promise", and I'm sure when I was little I had no idea what "scarf city" meant.


8/20/75 - This reference is one I did understand as a kid. It struck me funny then and bizarre now that Schulz would have Spike watching a "Hogan's Heroes" rerun.


9/25/75 - A simple strip, but it showcases Schulz ability to put an odd spin on an everyday thing.


10/30/75 - It's Peppermint Patty's turn to join Linus in the pumpkin patch. He lays down the law.

3/25/76 - In one of Peanuts' longest storylines (six weeks!), Snoopy has tripped over his supper dish and is confined to a cast. Snoopy's cover story is that he broke his foot while rescuing three airline stewardesses on runaway horses.


5/10/76 - Charlie Brown's stubborness keeps him on the pitcher's mound in the middle of a rainstorm. Things take a surreal turn when the mound starts to float away.


8/9/76 - A pastor named Robert L. Short made a career out of exploring the Christian themes in Peanuts. Perhaps this is a reaction to that?


8/23/76 - I often think of this strip when I can't finish all the food on my plate.


10/9/76 - One for my attorney friends.


12/22/76 - This strip says everything to me about the purity of their unlikely friendship.

SPACE 2011 REPORT

I was very excited for this year's Small Press Alternative Comics Expo (SPACE) in Columbus, Ohio. Not only was last year's show the best SPACE yet, but three friends were joining me on the fun this year. It was at the same venue as last year, the Ramada Plaza Hotel, which is beyond the previous venues: the school gym-ish fairgrounds building, the poorly lit Shriners center and the seemingly abandoned Holiday Inn.

The exhibit room was full and it seemed well attended. SPACE isn't like most comic shows. It's a place mainly for folks who put together their own comics, some for the shear joy of it, some looking for their big break. It's a wonderful hodgepodge of the indy scene, from award-winners with book deals to crudely drawn characters on homemade cut and staple jobs.
You know it's going to be a good show when early on an exhibitor asks if you'd like a free mustache. Then you see he's handing you a business card with a stick-on mustache glued to the back. I now only took the card, I put on the mustache. I kept it on until I was having a conversation with another person and felt completely ridiculous. The mustache guy was Ed Delaney of Peculiar Comics. He was also selling a black & white comic that came with free crayons. Kudos on the fresh ideas, Ed!

Pal Todd Fox had a couple of artists do sketches of his co-creation, Aym Geronimo. Here he is with webcomics artist Alex Heberling.

One of those SPACE surprises was happening upon artist Sandy Plunkett. Though his comic work is sporadic, Plunkett is known for his illustrative style, reminiscent of the Alex Raymond school. Last year he released a collection of his sketchbook drawings. It was nice to meet him and talk a little Caniff. Here's pal Lucas (right) with Sandy.
This is a little much, but it's Todd's picture of me taking a picture of pal Ted with Sandy.


One nice thing about SPACE is finding truly talented artists. One such is Robert Clare Forest. He's apparently so prolific that he was selling at originals for less than most people sell prints. The pieces below spoke to me...not comfortable what that may say about me, though.





Me with the lads at the annual SPACE Prize ceremony, hosted by show organizer Bob Corby. The prizes are for the best comics at the previous year's show. You can read about the winners here. All in all, we drove away making plans to come back again next year (as long as Wizard doesn't buy 'em out)!

RECENT CANIFF AUCTIONS

Here are highlights from some recent Milton Caniff-related auctions on eBay. Click any picture to enlarge it. Let's start off with three strips, all from the 1940s:
This is the 'Terry & the Pirates' daily from June 27, 1940. Paper measures 8 x 24". In this sequence, the mysterious Hu Shee (on the right) has bluffed her way into a role as secretary for Raven Sherman, a philanthropist. The normally aloof Sherman is doing her best not to pine away for the heroic Pat Ryan. Shee gives feminine advice in what may be Caniff's longest word balloon!
Winning bid:$722

I'm struck by the moodiness and texture of this strip. It's the 'Terry' daily from February 17, 1945. The paper measures 22 3/4" x 7 1/4". This is the last storyline for Pat Ryan, in a sequence that punctuates his love/hate relationship with Caniff's uber-femme fatale, the Dragon Lady. Their sexual tension and repartee was a highlight of the strip's run. In the week leading up to the strip pictured, Ryan chides her, "Don't bite your lip, beautiful, you'll poison yourself!" Hu Shee shows up in the fourth panel, as well as in the strip title - "See me Shee; Then see Lee". I can almost hear Caniff's gleeful chuckle.
Pat, DL, last arc?
Winning bid:$2,245

From a late model 'Terry' to an early 'Canyon'. This is the 'Steve Canyon' daily from April 23, 1949 comes at an exciting time in the strip. Canyon has become embroiled in a fight over Communist control in the fictional Asian nation of Damma. Canyon's erstwhile employer/nemesis, Copper Calhoon, has been shot by a sniper. He's had to transport her to India, leaving his friends behind. Canyon sidekick Reed Kimberly and love interest Princess Snowflower have fallen in with Dogie Hogan, a mercenary and occasional Canyon foil.
Winning bid:$375

The piece is approximately 10 1/2 by 13 and signed by the legend "With all good wishes" Jan. 1954. This is a beautiful example of the hand-colored prints that Caniff would send out. Too often I see Caniff's prints on eBay where the seller thinks they are originals, but this seller had it right.
Winning bid:$105.50



I'd never seen one of these before. It's 'Steve Canyon’s Interceptor Station Punch-Out book' from Golden Press. It was part of the merchandising for the 'Steve Canyon' TV show in 1959. The other Golden Press item, the 'Steve Canyon' Little Golden Book, is fairly common and can be had in nice shape for about $5. The point of this Punch-Out book was to take it apart, so finding an intact one seems next to impossible, especially 50+ years after publication. There may be a little kicking of myself down the road for not bidding.
Winning bid:$65