Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Ian Dickson

Ian Dickson

Ian Oscar Dickson was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, on 15 January 1905 and emigrated with his family to Melbourne, Australia, in 1913. Dickson, a self-taught artist, had work published in the Adelaide Register News Pictorial, the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin, the Brisbane Telegraph and illustrated tourist brochures for the Queensland government.

 The Rockhampton Morning Bulletin 24 June 1932

Dickson eventually emigrated to England and found work with film companies and Razzle magazine. In the early thirties Dickson spent several months in Ceylon and after a period back in Australia he relocated there to work for the Times of Ceylon and Ceylon Observer. In 1935 Dickson returned to England where he produced work for Punch, London Opinion, Men Only and Blighty. Dickson was a prolific contributor to these men's digests with some issues featuring three or four pages of his work. During the War Dickson served with the Royal Air Force.
 
Original art possibly from Razzle circa 1950's via Illustration Art Gallery

Dickson was a member of the British Cartoonists Club founded in 1960 and appeared in the 1962 Cartoonists album alongside compatriots David Low and Keith Waite. Over this period the ever prolific Dickson was contributing cartoons to the Daily Mirror and Daily Sketch as well as producing  'Mum' weekly at the Sunday Graphic for fifteen years.




In the fifties and sixties Dickson contributed three or four panel gag strips for Eagle, Girl and Swift Annuals from Hulton Press. Dickson died 21st July 1987.

Girl Annual Nine 1961

Girl Annual Nine 1961

 Girl Annual Nine 1961

 Girl Annual Nine 1961
 

Samples of Ian Dickson's work for Men Only

Men Only July 1950

Men Only July 1950

Men Only May 1950

Men Only May 1950

Men Only May 1950

Men Only September 1949

Men Only March 1954

Men Only March 1954

 Men Only March 1954

 Men Only November 1951
Men Only September 1949 

Sources: http://illustrationartgallery.blogspot.com, Men Only 1946-1954, British Cartoonist's Album, Dictionary of British Cartoonists and Caricaturists 1730-1980 compiled by Mark Bryant and Simon Heneage, http://bearalley.blogspot.com.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Joe Kubert RIP

Like a lot of folk in Australia I was amazed to find Joe Kubert listed as a guest at the 2010 Sydney Supanova but there he was in the promotional material. He did make the trip all the way out here to meet the wide range of fans he had garnered over one of the longest careers any cartoonist has had in comics. A young friend of mine, Darcy Quinn, made the trip up from Melbourne to see him and Kubert very graciously answered a few questions for a video interview. I'm sure many Australasian fans of Joe Kubert are mourning the loss of one of the giants in the field of American comics.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Bevyn Baker Olympian Cartoonist

1960 Rome Olympic Games Competitor Bevyn Baker of Victoria -  photographer J Tanner

With the 2012 London Olympics almost concluded I wanted to post some work by Melbourne cartoonist, Bevyn Baker who in the early days of his cartooning career represented Australia in sprinting at the 1960 Rome Olympics. In 1960 Baker was Australia's second best performer over the 100 and 200 metres sprint and regarded as an excellent Long jumper.

Baker worked for the Argus whilst still in his teens producing a regular gag strip, Richard the Line Shooter.

 The Argus - Monday 24th December

The Heidelberger ran the following piece on Baker in their January 27 1960 edition.


From 1963 - 1969 Baker produced Alex Gurney's Ben Bowyang strip for daily newspapers, The fifth artist to do so.

 
 Alex Gurney's Ben Bowyang.

Later this month I will have a feature interview with Baker about his lengthy career as a cartoonist.

Below: A selection of Baker cartoons from Victorian newspaper The Heidelberger January - April 1960.








Sources: The Heidelberger January,April 1960, http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au, http://trove.nla.gov.au/, The State Library of Victoria, Panel By Panel by John Ryan, pub. Cassell 1979.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Parade Magazine

The Australian Parade magazine featured a mixture of historical stories from Australasia with topical contemporary stories set locally and from around the world. Interior pages are black and white and issues during the sixties and seventies featured vibrant painted covers. Australian cartoonists Stan Pitt, John L Curtis, Virgil Reilly contributed covers during this period.

 Virgil Reilly

Virgil Reilly

Virgil Reilly

Virgil Reilly

John L Curtis

Stan Pitt

Stan Pitt

Tom Bishop

 Tom Bishop

Tom Bishop

Tom Bishop

Tom Bishop

Tom Bishop

Tom Bishop

Tom Bishop