The Avenging Art of Diving

Today's post features The Avengers. No, not those ones - it's Steed and Mrs. Peel!

This comes from an April '66 issue of TV Comic and is drawn by Pat Williams. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be much information available about the artist - unless you know different!

(Click for larger images).

 

 

 

My What a Whopper!

Today's post showcases some encounters with particularly big sharks.

Once again I'd like to thank Chris for these first two covers (Click for larger images).

Cold Blue Death (1970) was the first adventure featuring William Martin, codename Tiger Shark, an agent of The Secret Underwater Service. I think this one definitely wins the prize for biggest shark!

Judging by this review (scroll down), the cover is probably the best thing about Rip Tide (1984).

1953. Painted by Fred Freeman. I'm not sure my trunks would still be white in those circumstances!

Ironically given the title of this post, I'm afraid I only have small scans of the next two covers.

1957. This is the odd one out as it features a Whale Shark. Being a plankton eater it would be no danger to divers.

1961.

Two of a Kind - De Kiekeboes

I'd like to thank Chris for bringing the subject of today's entry to my attention and for sending me the images.

De Kiekeboes (originally just Kiekeboe) is a comic strip created by Belgian artist Robert "Merho" Merhottein. It follows the adventures of the Kiekeboe family - Marcel, his wife Charlotte, daughter Fanny and son Konstantinopel. Running since 1977, the Dutch (Flemish) language strip appears in two newspapers with album versions following later. A new volume appears every three months and they sell over 100,00 copies each. As of August 2015, 143 albums have been published. Despite its domestic success, various attempts at publishing the strip in other languages have proved short-lived.

Volume 49, De Medusa-stichting (The Medusa Foundation), was originally published in 1990.

Current editions of the album carry the De Kiekeboes branding, as do those of volume 58, Haaiman (Sharkman), which first appeared in 1992.

The stories sometimes feature science fiction or fantasy elements, in this case a man who turns into a shark. Or possibly vice-versa! I plan to look at the stories and their diving sequences in more detail in future entries.

 

The Gang-Busting Art of Diving

Gang Busters (called G-Men for the first six months) was an American radio show that ran from 1935 - 1957. There was also a 1942 movie serial and a short-lived TV show in 1952. National (DC) produced a comic version from 1947 - 1959 with 67 issues published. The story below comes from issue 47 (1955) and is illustrated by Rip Kirby artist John Prentice.

The underwater action in this tale doesn't stand up to close scrutiny. The depths involved mean the divers, including the police hard-hat diver, would have been badly affected by nitrogen narcosis as well as needing lengthy decompression stops. Still, I'm sure this didn't stop readers enjoying this nicely illustrated story. (Click for larger images).

The Puzzling Art of Diving

Here's a couple of puzzle pages for you (Click for larger images).

The first is from a 1966 issue of Sparky.

The second comes from a 1974 edition of Archie's Pals 'n' Gals.

 

Two of a Kind - Agent X-9

Just a quickie today - two covers from X-9. Both appear to feature action from the strip that gave the magazine it's name - Secret Agent X-9 (later renamed Secret Agent Corrigan).

1969

1970

 

The Daily Art of Diving - Rip Kirby

A short while ago I featured the Agent X-9 cover seen below. The main illustration was for a story from the long-running Rip Kirby comic strip. Today I'm going to take a look at that story, Secret of the Shark, which originally appeared in US newspapers in 1973.

While on a trip to the Caribbean, private detective Rip Kirby is playing golf with his assistant Desmond. Puzzled by Desmond's new-found skills, Rip demands an explanation.

Tammy suggests Desmond plays golf instead of going snorkelling and takes him to visit a local witch who gives him a magic iguana ear!

While under observation by Owl and Pussycat, Rip wants to know why Tammy is determined to stop anyone from snorkelling in the area. Tammy shows Rip a map that she claims marks the location of a scuttled boat containing a fortune. Owl and Pussycat send their henchman to put Rip out of action but he fails. The attack persuades Rip that there may be something in Tammy's story and they go out in search of the boat.

Just as Rip discovers that the life rings are full of heroin, Owl and Pussycat arrive and hold them at gunpoint. Taking the drugs, they leave Rip, Tammy and Desmond in a sinking boat, just as a tropical storm strikes. The trio don scuba gear and abandon the boat.

The baddies' boat is also caught in the storm and their engine is flooded.

Pussycat thanks Rip for saving her and, with the drugs lost and the others dead, he decides to remain silent about what happened.

Rip Kirby first appeared in 1946 and told how the ex-marine returned from WWII and began his detective agency. It was originally drawn by the great Alex Raymond who had himself just served in the Marines. Before the war he had drawn Secret Agent X-9, Jungle Jim and, most famously, Flash Gordon.

Following Raymond's death in a car crash in 1956, John Prentice was chosen as the new artist. Born in 1920 in Texas, Prentice had served in the navy during the war and had various illustration jobs, including work for DC Comics, before he took over the strip. He continued to draw (and occasionally write) Rip Kirby until his death in 1999 at which point the strip ended.