Print

[paw broon]

Because I've been unwell and not able to leave the house, I've been trying to track down a guide to artists and writers on these libraries, and I'm stumped.  So, general appeal, does anyone have any knowledge of a guide, or is good enough to i/d artwork? I know Mike Hubbard did some issues but GCD appears to have no info. on creators.
Any help much appreciated.

[Andrew999]

I wonder if Steve Holland might be of help - he seems to know everything about everything?

I'm currently reading through Super Detective and Schoolgirls Picture Libraries and would love to know more about the creative teams behind them - the quality of art and storytelling is superb (of course, I'm aware that many of the Super Detective stories were adaptations of people like Edgar Wallace and Leslie Charteris - but who did the adaptation?)

It's sad that such fine work remains unattributed.

[paw broon]

SPL # 180, Rally to Catherine, 1962, is by Alex Toth:-

https://pangolinbasement.blogspot.com/2014/09/toth-schoolgirls-picture-library-180.html

I have had a look at Steve's guides and while there are guides for SDL; TPLand a rare one for Cowboy Picture Library, which I can't find, there doesn't seem to be any for the girls' libraries. If we ask Steve and he has a guide, we'd be taking business away from him, I think.
Anyway, that's a start.

[crashryan]

This astonishes me. As a passionate Toth fan I thought I was aware of all his work. Any idea how Toth came to draw an issue of a schoolgirl library? Must be a story there.

[paw broon]

I was also surprised, crash.  Still not been able to find it so it looks as if it hasn't been scanned yet.
There are a few other BIG name, non-British artists who drew some of the other pocket libraries, Hugo Pratt for one but many of the foreign artists' pieces which appeared here were reprints from Euro books.

[crashryan]

There was also an issue of one of the war libraries drawn by John Severin--another shock. I understand Severin explained this in his interview in the final issue of Squa Tront, but it's a rare book and I've never seen a copy.

[paw broon]

As we now know, Toth was responsible for SPL #180. Also the 3 issues by Mike Hubbard - and there are perhaps others. There are at least 2 by Gerry Haylock - 139 & 149 (covers at least)
Reginald Ben Davis did covers for some SPL and drew 2 episodes of the popular Zanna jungle girl series, according to "Illustration Art Gallery" Zanna is in #310 and I'm sure you know where to find that issue.
Jon Davis did covers  - #172; 182; 200 and others.
Peter Kay did the cover for # 219.
Leslie Otway drew some SPL issues but I can't find numbers.