[profh0011]

I can't read Italian, and so far, I've only had a chance to translate 3 Dino Battaglia stories into English for my blog.  And who knows when (OR IF) I'll ever get around to these (one's in the early 2000s, the other in the 2010s), but I got these because they were obvisously paying some kind of tribute to Poe's "A Descent Into The Maelstrom".

This one's from Brazil!
http://professorhswaybackmachine.blogspot.com/2016/06/poe-1968-pt-8.html

[Downunder Dan]

Coming into this thread rather after it has ceased being active - sorry!

There are two books on Australian Comics dealing with that era. Firstly,
Panel by Panel: An Illustrated History of Australian Comics.by John
Ryan. Here it is, complete with an article and a letter by Ryan. 
https://www.comicoz.com/panel-by-panel.html

More recently in 2018 Graeme Cliffe has published From 'Sunbeams' to Sunset.- the rise and fall of the Australian Comic Book 1924 - 1965]
An article here.
https://www.comicoz.com/comic-related-news/progress-on-from-sunbeams
I have read Ryan's book but I do not own a copy. He was not, by his own admission, a born writer and its not an easy book to read. I'm looking forward to reading Graeme Cliffe's book.

Graeme Cliffe's From 'Sunbeams' to Sunset - the rise and fall of the Australian Comic Book 1924-1965 was published in 2019 (I think! Most dates in anything to do with Australian comics needs a bit of wriggle room - 2019 is the copyright date). It's good and my copy gets a good workout.

Panther kindly provided a link to the text of John Ryan's Panel by Panel: An Illustrated History of Australian Comics. The link still works, but the Comicoz site was substantially restructured in recent times, so the links to the two parts of the book have vanished. But the pages containing the two parts have not!

Part One - Newspaper Strips is available at https://www.comicoz.com/part-one.html

Part Two - Comic Books is available at https://www.comicoz.com/part-two.html

The difference between the two parts should be obvious, although some items started as newspaper strips and were reprinted in comic books later. In rarer cases, like Moira Bertram's Jo, initial comic strip stories continued with brand new comic books later.

The hardcopy book has lots of illustrations from the comic strips and books included, but permission to use these was granted for the book itself. On the other hand, searching for text in the online version makes finding things much quicker, so both versions have their advantages.

[The Australian Panther]

Dan, thanks for this update. I draw CB+ members attention to the 'Comic Related News' page,
https://www.comicoz.com/
Where we find the news of the publication of two new AirHawk issues - whether reprints or new material, isn't stated, but also, note:-

 
I'm super-excited to share (and publicly announce it here for the first time to loyal readers of this blog) that I have signed a publishing deal with Rebellion, under their Treasury of British Comics imprint, to reprint the complete adventures of a classic 1960s comic strip, The Cloak. Not familiar with the title? No problem! I'm going to tell you a little more a little later (above is just a short pictorial teaser), simply to say that creator Mike Higgs and I are hoping to have a "big name" writer (who is a fan of the character) pen the Introduction. (I won't drop any more announcements, as I think that is enough excitement for one day! I really do have your interests at heart, you know!)   

Thanks again, Dan.

[Downunder Dan]

Dan, thanks for this update. I draw CB+ members attention to the 'Comic Related News' page,
https://www.comicoz.com/
Where we find the news of the publication of two new AirHawk issues - whether reprints or new material, isn't stated, but also, note:-

 
I'm super-excited to share (and publicly announce it here for the first time to loyal readers of this blog) that I have signed a publishing deal with Rebellion, under their Treasury of British Comics imprint, to reprint the complete adventures of a classic 1960s comic strip, The Cloak. Not familiar with the title? No problem! I'm going to tell you a little more a little later (above is just a short pictorial teaser), simply to say that creator Mike Higgs and I are hoping to have a "big name" writer (who is a fan of the character) pen the Introduction. (I won't drop any more announcements, as I think that is enough excitement for one day! I really do have your interests at heart, you know!)   

Thanks again, Dan.

As a participant in the Kickstarter funding of the Air Hawk comics, I can advise they are reprints of the Air Hawk daily strips. The first issue is out, and includes the strips comprising the first two stories from 1953, 'Hyjack' and 'Saga of the Lizard Man'. The second issue is in preparation, and will consist of three stories. From the most recent update, the hunt is on for higher quality version of hardcopy of the strips.

[paw broon]

The newspaper strips page and the comic books page can be downloaded and converted to PDF.
The Cloak is an interesting compilation from Rebellion but I'm still not sure that enough can be sold to make it viable. I've read some Cloak stories over the decades but I'm not a fan o the strip.  It was popular for a while but there is surely a diminishing cohort of fans who will remember it and shell out for it.
As for Air Hawk, I'm sure some of you have found the comps of the newspaper strip.
I bought the latest and a few back issues of Diabolik, Martin Mystere and Dylan Dog when my wife and I were on holiday in Italy in May. While I always enjoy DD stories it's Diabolik nowadays that I enjoy more.  Both the new stories, the reprints and the GRANDE (Giant) issues. The standard monthlies have been excellent with innovative and devious plots and crazy plans. If you can find it, Lo Scettro della Discordia is worthwhile.
https://www.diabolik.it/pubblicazione/Lo-scettro-della-discordia
recent releases of the pocket library
https://www.diabolik.it/ultimeUscite

The new French comic shop in Edinburgh now has stock of Hexagon Comics, Le Garde Republicain.
https://www.excalibur-comics.fr/le-garde-republicain/6214-le-garde-republicain-16.html
Good superhero action well illustrated.

I thoroughly recommend this:-
https://aiptcomics.com/2023/10/31/inside-the-mind-of-sherlock-holmes-qa/

[Downunder Dan]

I had a look back at Kickstarter to see if the current Air Hawk reprint could still be joined - it's closed.

I did, however, find that copies can be purchased from Ownaindi, the Australian comic book marketplace, where publishers can make their material available. The front page of the site is https://ownaindi.com/, and the first issue of the Air Hawk reprint is at https://ownaindi.com/shop/comics/john-dixons-air-hawk-and-the-flying-doctor/.

The site says that digital version of some comics are available (Air Hawk isn't one of them) and that they can do foreign orders (although postage of things to Australia is very expensive at the moment, so postage from Australia to other countries may very well be, too). There's also some free digital material, and a page of links to Australian comics-related material (and shops).

[paw broon]

Lovely, exciting cover for this big special of Diabolik.
And as you'll have guessed, I read a lot of Diabolik comics, old and new.  And I found this cracker on line.
Diabolik and The Steel Claw.
Could it happen?  We've had Flash/Zagor from Bonelli, what about Astorina/Rebellion doing this crossover.  The mind boggles.

[positronic1]

Late to this party, but I was astonished to discover what a well-developed publishing enterprise has arisen from the single character Diabolik. I'm also somewhat baffled over the lack of English-language translations over the years of this enduring icon of Italian comics. I'm also somewhat surprised, given the character's longevity, that the publisher is not by now publishing numerous spinoff characters that originated in DIABOLIK. On the other hand, I guess it only seems strange from an American publishing perspective, as Frew has done quite well for just as long publishing nothing else but THE PHANTOM. And while I'll admit to a fascination with The Steel Claw as well, I couldn't help but think that a Diabolik vs The Phantom story would be the ideal crossover. After all, isn't Diabolik basically just a criminal, and that's what the Phantom has dedicated his life to doing, stopping criminals -- with Diabolik being one of the most high-profile criminals operating. Might be problematic in that neither could actually win, of course... and you can't actually imagine the Phantom just giving up and letting Diabolik go his own way.

[paw broon]

Great idea positronic.  I'd buy it.  The problem might be a moral one for KFS, as Diabolik in the beginning, was a killer with no compunction about knocking off anyone who stood in his way, be they police,  bad guys or innocent members of the public. Diabolik was the original "neri" character, quickly followed by the great Kriminal and others in the same style - Sadik, Infernal,  Demoniak, Fantasm - you get the idea. The censors did get hold of them and the titles that survived were toned down.
Diabolik developed into a super criminal with gadgets and more and more outrageous plans to commit robberies.
Simply great entertainment.
There have been issue where Lady Kant takes pole position, and there are recurring characters.
Now that you've put the idea in what passes for my brain, I wonder if in those historical Phantom tales, Ghost Who Walks might team up with Spring Heeled Jackson, when he pitches up in Victorian London.
http://www.victorhornetcomics.co.uk/jack.html

[Robb_K]

I've located several issues of 1955-59 Dutch reprints of "Akim" (Tarzan clone) on Internet Archive.  It was, originally, an Italian series, I think reprinted very soon after in France, Germany, and The Netherlands.  I'm fairly confident that the first Lilliput horizontally-oriented B&W mini-comic series, from the early 1950s ('52-'53) IS in The P.D.  How can I find out if the later, 1955-59 vertically-oriented, full colour 2nd series is in The PD, or still under copyright?

If they're in The P.D., I hope to upload them here, and also translate them to English, and make Scanlations of them, as I plan for ALL our Dutch language books (if I live long enough).

[paw broon]

While I can't find anything  definitive re Akim, the newer portrait format reprints concern me as other Dutch titles have been reprinted vertically and are still on. sale in bookshops.
I know this is frustrating but can we hold off till we get a better idea of the state of play?
As an example, I uploaded a really old, the first?, Rikki Visser book a while ago but I have found another, more recent issue which I believe is still copyright to the Dutch newspaper group where it first appeared.

[Robb_K]

While I can't find anything  definitive re Akim, the newer portrait format reprints concern me as other Dutch titles have been reprinted vertically and are still on. sale in bookshops.
I know this is frustrating but can we hold off till we get a better idea of the state of play?
As an example, I uploaded a really old, the first?, Rikki Visser book a while ago but I have found another, more recent issue which I believe is still copyright to the Dutch newspaper group where it first appeared.

I had that same feeling, which is why I held off on uploading it.  But I have no idea where to look to find out if some company still holds a current copyright.  I asked that very question on Google.NL and got nowhere.  I also don't know of any general (ALL genres) Dutch comics forum.  I think that sort of thing has been dying out, and the speaking communities have migrated to Facebook, X (Twitter), Reddit, Tick Tock, and the like (which I refuse to even explore).  I only go on Facebook to read and screen-shot copy the newly-discovered and uploaded Flook pages.  I won't communicate with anyone on any of those forms of communication.