[Robb_K]

Because I've always like to read a lot of history books from an early age, I liked to read Classics Illustrated, historical novels in comic book form, Westerns, 1800s and early 1900s Science Fiction and Detective comics, and Medieval Tales (all period pieces that gave us modern-day kids an idea of what things looked like in bygone days) - especially those which displayed excellent artwork.  In that spirit, I have chosen, for this fortnight, two comic books from The Golden Age that include stories about pirates. 

One is Dell and Western Publishing's "Famous Stories #1 from 1942, which contains only one long 60+ page story, Robert Louis Stevenson's classic pirate tale, "Treasure Island".  It was drawn (both penciled and inked), very well, by Robert Bugg. 

The other book is Hillman Periodicals' Pirate Comics #1, from 1950, a 52-page book, split into several fairly short stories, each one from a different century of pirating on the open seas, set in various far-flung portions of The World's oceans.

I'll be very curious to read what other members think of the story writing and artwork in theses stories.

Dell's "Treasure Island" can be found here: 
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=16829



I'll be curious to find out how it measures up to Dell's later, Disney version, based on Disney's own feature film, starring Robert Newton as Long John Silver.  I wonder if the 1942 book was based on the earlier film starring Wallace Beery, or strictly on Stevenson's novel? 

Hillman's "Pirates Comics #1 can be found here:   
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=21258



I'll be curious to see how the Hillman stories portray their supposed "historical novelettes" - (e.g. how close they are to being reasonably realistic, or if they include events that couldn't have happened the way they portray them due to lack of an adequate level of research being done).  Certainly, Michael Suchorsky's excellent artwork, on the first two stories, is a big plus for it.  Jon Small(Captain Roberts), and Allen Ulmer (Philip Ashton) drew the other pirate stories, and Jack Oleck wrote the script for "Alpha The Slave Pirate". The artist of the Viking story is still unknown. Ernie Schroeder is thought to have been the cover artist.

[The Australian Panther]

Looking forward to this!
Thanks Robb!

[Morgus]

When I was a kid, my mom would read to us from Macmillan?s TREASURE ISLAND with the Warwick Goble illustrations. It had belonged to my Uncle Bob. I never wanted to see any movies of it because the Silver in the movies wasn't that guy from the Goble drawings. THAT guy was scary.

The cool part was hearing all the double dealing and mayhem in her sing song voice. Made us laugh.

When we vacationed, she didn?t want to bring the blue covered MacMillan edition with us, so she picked up that FAMOUS STORIES NUMBER 1 of TREASURE ISLAND at Salvation Army or somewhere. Totally forgot it until I  started to read it. Now, a lot of the CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED adaptations haven?t held up for me, but the Dell and Western version did. The colouring is a little rudimentary, but you can tell the good guy from the bad guy in the sword fights.

PIRATES COMICS is totally amazing. I don't know a thing about it, but I could believe it if you told me it influenced Wally Wood. I?m glad this was saved. Got to show it to my grand son.

[K1ngcat]

I didn't grow up with the usual childhood classics, my favourite reading matter was a collection of illustrated encyclopaedias! In fact I don't think I've ever knowingly read  Treasure Island before, even in comic form. So all I can say is that the artwork, uninspired as it is, suffices to tell the tale. I found the potted biography on the back page a nice touch, I never knew RLS made his final home on a South Sea Island, now I'm jealous.

On the other hand, Pirates Comic #1 is a very different affair, lifted by Suchorsky's gorgeous artwork and the creative colouring. I can't imagine how much of the "true stories" are true but they're very entertaining and I like the way they widen the scope by moving away from the "arrh me hearties" stereotype of piracy and showing you pirates through the ages. John Small's art on the "boy pirate" story is pretty fair too, though GCD seem to have missed his obvious signature. Overall it leaves me inclined to read the other three issues.

Thanks for these, Robb_K, good choices.
All the best
K1ngcat

[Robb_K]

When I was a kid, my mom would read to us from Macmillan?s TREASURE ISLAND with the Warwick Goble illustrations. It had belonged to my Uncle Bob. I never wanted to see any movies of it because the Silver in the movies wasn't that guy from the Goble drawings. THAT guy was scary.

The cool part was hearing all the double dealing and mayhem in her sing song voice. Made us laugh.

When we vacationed, she didn?t want to bring the blue covered MacMillan edition with us, so she picked up that FAMOUS STORIES NUMBER 1 of TREASURE ISLAND at Salvation Army or somewhere. Totally forgot it until I  started to read it. Now, a lot of the CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED adaptations haven?t held up for me, but the Dell and Western version did. The colouring is a little rudimentary, but you can tell the good guy from the bad guy in the sword fights.

PIRATES COMICS is totally amazing. I don't know a thing about it, but I could believe it if you told me it influenced Wally Wood. I?m glad this was saved. Got to show it to my grand son. 

Hi Morgus.  I didn't find out until looking at your Profile, that you are a fellow Canadian.  Glad I could help direct you back to childhood memories with my choice of Dell's "Treasure Island".  I, too, read MacMillan's deluxe version, with Warwick Gobles great illustrations.  I like his work very much.  My cousin (Aunt and Uncle) had that book. 

I agree that Dell's version of "Treasure Island" was more true to Stevensons novel than the Classics Illustrated version.  But, unlike you, I wanted to see the film adaptations of his story, to see what directors and acting could do to portray his story.  I loved all the 1930s and 1940s film versions of his classic stories (Kidnapped, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, etc.

And I'm also glad that you like Pirates Comics, as well.  You should get some good entertainment from them.  Its a shame that that series lasted only 4 issues.

It's great that the comic book buyers and scanners do us fans and posterity the favour of saving these great and nostalgic works of art and pieces of not only our youth, but of history, from disappearing from the public consciousness.   

[Robb_K]

On the other hand, Pirates Comic #1 is a very different affair, lifted by Suchorsky's gorgeous artwork and the creative colouring. I can't imagine how much of the "true stories" are true but they're very entertaining and I like the way they widen the scope by moving away from the "arrh me hearties" stereotype of piracy and showing you pirates through the ages. John Small's art on the "boy pirate" story is pretty fair too, though GCD seem to have missed his obvious signature. Overall it leaves me inclined to read the other three issues.

Thanks for these, Robb_K, good choices.
All the best
K1ngcat 

I am glad that my choices have brought some new reading and art appreciation entertainment to some of our members.  Yes, I agree that moving away from the cliched 17th and 18th Century Caribbean Buccaneers to also show sea pirates through the ages, and all over The World was a good idea, and makes for a much more interesting experience.  I doubt that the statement that these are "true stories" was meant to actually get readers to believe they are 100% factual, based on written accounts of family stories, handed down orally for hundreds of generations.  I'm sure they were meant only to infer that these stories relive snippets from historical novels, which use general knowledge of what was going on in particular geographic areas in particular eras as their settings, and may also mention a few particular historical events, and, sometimes, even an important historical figure, but the names of most of the characters and the details shown in the story prefabricated from the author's general knowledge of the major sweeps of history of that period and location, merely to illustrate what might have happened, and give a feel for what living though it might have been like.

On GCDs accuracy:  I think you would be astounded to find out just how many data points their all-volunteer "staff" have had to tabulate (probably in the millions).  It is a wonder that they have done as much as they have with so little in the way of resources.  Unfortunately, that sheer amount of data assures that there will be many thousands of individual errors we will find in their data base.  I have tried to offer my assistance in correcting all those I can find.  But, apparently, they are too unorganised to allow outsiders to offer up corrections, because those would have to be verified.  And there is no one to do that added work.

[crashryan]

Treasure Island was one of my favorite books as a boy. We had the Winston edition with splendid Frank Godwin illustrations. Both the story and the illustrations had a huge effect on me, starting me off on pirate adventure stories and Golden Age illustrators. I still re-read the book occasionally.

When I first read this Famous Stories adaptation years ago I didn't know who Robert Bugg was. Later I learned that he's something of a cartooning legend. He illustrated not just for comics but also for magazines and advertising. He was a stalwart at Johnstone and Cushing, drawing comic-strip ads that appeared in Sunday newspaper comic sections. He also drew newspaper cartoons, ghosted the Sunday Dennis the Menace, and did tons of other stuff. Check out his Lambiek bio--he had quite a career.

In this adaptation Bugg delivers a solid job, especially on the shipboard sequences. The coloring and printing are also very good, making an overall attractive package. That said, I'm not as enthusiastic about Bugg's art as I was at first. There's no problem with his draughtsmanship and composition. He overuses knees-up medium shots, but that was standard practice at the time. What disappoints me is the lack of strong characterization.

While Jim Hawkins is fine, Dr Livesey and Squire Trelawney are poorly defined. When we first meet them we see mostly the backs of their heads and it's hard to tell them apart. In fact we don't get our first look at the squire's face until a dozen pages later, well into the story. Important supporting characters need recognizable faces which we should see clearly in their first appearance. Captain Smollett is another weak character. Unshaven and haggard, he looks like one of the pirates. One could argue that this is true to life. Ship's captains didn't dress like Lord Nelson. But Smollet needs a unique physical appearance that we recognize at a glance.

Long John Silver is the greatest disappointment. Every artist who's taken a whack at Treasure Island has come up with a different version of Long John. Many were influenced by the Big Two of the movies, Wallace Beery and Robert Newton. Though enjoyable these two were far from Stevenson's description. Bugg's Silver is closer to the book version, but again he has no personality. He looks like just another pirate. Of all the characters John Silver should be a commanding presence. We should recognize him immediately from any angle. Part of Bugg's problem is that he tends to give everyone except Jim and Ben Gunn the same height, weight, and age. Maybe sea rations were so bad there weren't fat pirates, but surely there were stocky pirates, short pirates, skinny pirates, younger pirates and older pirates. Greater variety would have helped immeasurably.

The script does a good job of covering the book's important action. It feels a little diagrammatic at times. I would have enjoyed a more lively writing style. At least it doesn't feel crammed together like last week's Michael Shayne adaptation. The inside front cover message is fascinating. I've never seen a classic-story editor enumerate and then justify their editorial decisions. It starts one thinking about what does and doesn't work when translating a novel into a comic. Dell apparently wanted their Famous Stories series to have educational value. I'm sorry there were only two issues. The second issue, Tom Sawyer, isn't nearly as well-wrought as this one. Still I think Dell could have given Classics Illustrated strong competition.

[paw broon]

I read Treasure Island way, way, way back in the distant mists of time and around the same time I was given the Dudley D Watkins text strip version.  A small hardback published by DC Thomson.  The same series included 3 other cartoon interpretations of classic tales, Kidnapped (my favourite, even prefer it to Treasure Island), Oliver Twist, Robinson Crusoe, all graced by Watkins art.
The Watkins version of Treasure Island has skewed my appreciation for the story and it was with a bit of trepidation that I read the version Robb chose.  I quite enjoyed it but I take what crash says about the characters.  Again though, I was in two minds about the Dell version as I recently had a look, for the umpteenth time, at 2 Italian versions, one with art by Hugo Pratt and the other drawn by Carlo Boscarato.  Despite being a huge fan of Pratt's work his version is a bit too talking heads for me and I prefer the Boscarato interpretation.
There are a couple of other versions and we have Thriller comics #3 on site art by Mike Hubbard, but the scan is of a facsimile and, as crash notes, this sort of spoils Hubbard's work.
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=74304
There is also a version  from The Sidney Morning Herald, which I have somewhere.
Treasure Island is such a great story and this version is enjoyable.  I like the art and the scene when Jim shoots Hands is really well done - something which is excised in the Thriller Comics version.
As for Pirates, I'll get to that one later but the pirate stories in Thriller Comics are among the best pirate stories in comics, anywhere. And it's not just my poor opinion.
I draw your attention to Captain Flame:-
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=77000
Thanks Robb for these comics, especially as I hadn't encountered them before this.

[Robb_K]

There are a couple of other versions and we have Thriller comics #3 on site art by Mike Hubbard, but the scan is of a facsimile and, as crash notes, this sort of spoils Hubbard's work.
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=74304
There is also a version  from The Sidney Morning Herald, which I have somewhere.
Treasure Island is such a great story and this version is enjoyable.  I like the art and the scene when Jim shoots Hands is really well done - something which is excised in the Thriller Comics version.
As for Pirates, I'll get to that one later but the pirate stories in Thriller Comics are among the best pirate stories in comics, anywhere. And it's not just my poor opinion.
I draw your attention to Captain Flame:-
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=77000
Thanks Robb for these comics, especially as I hadn't encountered them before this.

Thanks Paw, for referring us to the Thriller version, which has fantastic artwork(both inking and staging), and also and what was chosen to be portrayed makes it a great read.  Thanks also, for referring us to "Captain Flame", which also has great artwork, and has a great premise for the story, even given that some of it is a bit over-the-top (and too unlikely).  The artwork in the British adventure stories that I've seen, is a lot better, on average, than that of the young, amateurs, who started drawing for the early US and Canadian comics in the beginning years of The Golden age.  These artists work was up to the highest standards of classic book illustration.

[The Australian Panther]

https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=16829
Treasure Island.
This is the archetypal pirate adventure story and deservedly so, since it is a very well-constructed narrative.
i seem to have always been aware of it, but it doesn't have any special meaning for me.
The notes on the inner cover are welcome.

  Every effort has been made to preserve the substance, the spirit and the atmosphere of R.L. Stevenson's Famous novel.

Adapting a novel to a comic book format is not an easy thing to do, and some efforts fail completely, but this is a textbook example of how to do it right.
The art doesn't just tell the story well, it creates an evocative atmosphere.
I had never read the whole story before today, although I have read a deal of RLS's work, he was a surprisingly modern author.
But he may have been setting up a possible follow-up story, with Silver still on the loose and most of the treasure still on the island.
Cheers! A good comic read.   

[SuperScrounge]

Famous Stories #1 - Treasure Island

When I read these books I also have a window open at the GCD and I'll add or correct their info over there as I'm reading. They have some recurring characters on a list that can be picked and so I typed in Hawkins and got a list of comic book Hawkins, which made me wonder if the creators of those character names were thinking Treasure Island. Is Sandy Hawkins (Sandman's sidekick) last name a tribute? Same with Tomahawk's real last name (Tom Hawkins). Just an odd thought that popped into my head because the book was popular back then and would have been known to all those writers.

Not bad. I was surprised at how long it took until they were on the ship and away. Made me wonder how many chapters that took up in the original novel. I think most authors these days would start on the ship and treat the opening stuff as a flashback.

John Silver (I think he only gets called Long John Silver once in the comic) did not come off as flamboyant as he does when played by an actor. Whether that's true to the novel or just this adaptation, I'm not sure.

[K1ngcat]

Famous Stories #1 - Treasure Island

John Silver (I think he only gets called Long John Silver once in the comic) did not come off as flamboyant as he does when played by an actor. Whether that's true to the novel or just this adaptation, I'm not sure.

I have heard, I can't vouch for its veracity but it seems likely, that all of our "aarh me hearties" pirate stereotypes we have today (including Geoffrey Rush's) are based on Robert Newton's cinematic Long John Silver. Before that pirates talked like ordinary people. Sound plausible?

[The Australian Panther]

This is the most recent fictional depiction of Long John Silver.
Guy with the crutch [Luke Arnold] is Silver, has just recently lost his leg. Toby Stephens is Captain Flint.
Flint is the central character but also over 5 seasons Silver comes from nowhere, grows and changes and eventually becomes the dominant character.
Black Sails: 4x9 flint and silver (flashback training Scenes) (Pt2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyNxLFK5ExQ
(Black Sails) John Silver - Pirate King
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OEtTtfTJmA
My favorite in this, and they are all good, is Toby Schmitz as Rackham.
Warning! Warning! Will Robinson! Serious spoilers.
If you plan to watch the series, do not watch the Analysis!
Black Sails Analysis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpHPhOVesfI
It was planned from the beginning to be a prequel to Treasure Island, to end up sometime before Treasure Island starts,with all the elements in place,but there so much else happening that that is not at all obvious!
You have to know the book to get that!   
I agree with her analysis of the ending,which is disappointing for the reasons she mentions,but it's still very much worth watching.
cheers!

[Captain Audio]

Famous Stories #1 - Treasure Island

John Silver (I think he only gets called Long John Silver once in the comic) did not come off as flamboyant as he does when played by an actor. Whether that's true to the novel or just this adaptation, I'm not sure.

I have heard, I can't vouch for its veracity but it seems likely, that all of our "aarh me hearties" pirate stereotypes we have today (including Geoffrey Rush's) are based on Robert Newton's cinematic Long John Silver. Before that pirates talked like ordinary people. Sound plausible?

Probably the most enjoyable pirate movie I can remember is "The Black Swan".
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034522/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_24
If you've never seen it find it.
Tyrone Power's role as Jamie Warring is classic.
All Rafael Sabatini's pirate and adventure stories are well put together and full of action and memorable characters.

[The Australian Panther]

All Rafael Sabatini's pirate and adventure stories are well put together and full of action and memorable characters.

Agreed!
Quite a few of his were filmed!
The Black Swan 1942 Full movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzpUouHRGt8
then again!
Captain Kidd (1945) RESTORED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEQjqAEXHOQ

The unhistorical adventures of the notorious pirate with an All-star cast including Charles Laughton, Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton, Gilbert Roland, John Carradine, Henry Daniell, and the New York pirate Sheldon Leonard ! 

[SuperScrounge]

Pirates Comics #1

The Sea Witch - Nice. I wonder how much of this "true story" is actually true though.

Alpha the Slave Pirate - A bit slow, but otherwise okay. I assume this was the opening story in a series?

Captain Roberts Boy Pirate - For someone who didn't want any part in piracy, when he chose it he became ruthless.

Long Ben Avery - Eh.

The Viking Terror - Interesting, his vow to destroy England was so great that once he got a little power he sat around in luxury shaking his fist in the air and passing on the vow to future generations. Truly a powerful lesson for the ages. 

All-Time Super-Teams - That's a tiny bat the batter is holding. Seems too small for regulation play.

Philip Ashton Boy Pirate Fighter of the Old World - Nothing against Philip's part in this, but Captain Riviera seemed to play a major part in fighting the pirates.

[SuperScrounge]

I have heard, I can't vouch for its veracity but it seems likely, that all of our "aarh me hearties" pirate stereotypes we have today (including Geoffrey Rush's) are based on Robert Newton's cinematic Long John Silver. Before that pirates talked like ordinary people. Sound plausible?

I've heard that too. Various people have pointed out that most pirate captains came from a higher class, and sailors in general came from different parts of England than Robert Newton, so if any pirate did speak like him it would have been rare.

[crashryan]

Pirates Comics #1

I reviewed this book day before yesterday but I must not have pressed the "post" button because my review never appeared on the forum.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The stories, set in different historical periods, were lively and felt complete despite their short length. Two of them, "Alpha the Slave Pirate" and "Philip Ashton, Boy Pirate Fighter," ended with hooks that made it seem they were going to be series. In fact they were. Both characters appeared in all four issues of Pirates. I don't understand why Hillman never made a point of this with "Read more adventures of ___ next issue!" captions. It might have encouraged first-time readers to buy the next issue. I thought the swashbuckler who pops up to save the day at the end of "The Sea Witch" would have made a good continuing hero, but he didn't even get a name.

Mike Suchorsky's artwork is terrific! I'm no expert so I can't judge the accuracy of his costuming, props, and ships, but without question he put great effort into drawing them. I like his character design and posing. Too bad Suchorsky never drew Treasure Island. The rest of the issue's artwork, while adequate, suffers in comparison.

Thanks to our own Kapitein Rob(b) for suggesting these books.

By the way, if you crave more pirates and swashbucklers, by all means take Paw's advice to check out Thriller Comics Library. Most, though not all, are adaptations of novels. You'll find adventures of heroes Captain Flame (a great strip), Captain Blood, Captain Kidd, and The Sea Hawk. There are also one-shot titles like The Black Swan and To Sweep the Spanish Main. Speaking of one-shots, Dell's Four Color #598, Captain Davy Jones, is an entertaining swashbuckler with excellent art by Ernie Schroeder. Quality published their own pirate comic, Buccaneers, but frankly the art (much of it by Reed Crandall) is the main draw. The stories are rather simplistic, especially if you've just read a Thriller Comics Library issue.

[bowers]

 Read both of these years ago, and loved 'em both. I've always been a fan of this colorful genre, both books and films.
Pirates #1 had, in my opinion, the best art of the Hillman run. Subsequent issues overall went downhill in both stories and art.
Dell Famous Stories did not fail to disappoint. A good re-telling of this favorite with the expected retro-art and dialogue. Still, quite entertaining!
Following the discussion of some of the film adaptations, I'm surprised nobody mentioned the 1990 Charlton Heston/Christian Bale version. Christian Bale's last role as a juvenile and played very well. Heston did retain the "arghh", but he was both charming and deadly as Silver should be played. A very good supporting cast with cameos from Christopher Lee and Oliver Reed. Also a rousing soundtrack , with some great work by The Chieftains. According to IMDB, many fans consider this version to be the closest to the book. However, my personal guilty-favorite pirate film has to be the over-the-top and tongue firmly in cheek "The Crimson Pirate"! Burt Lancaster and crew brawl their way through the Spanish Main with panache and larceny. Yes, it can be totally unbelievable at times, but SO much fun to watch! The sea-bottom scene is priceless! Also be on the lookout for "Crossbones", a short-lived 2014 TV series. It was a network show, so they couldn't go as far as Black Sails did with nudity and violence. But it did feature John Malkovich who played his role to the hilt! Cheers, Bowers

[Captain Audio]

  However, my personal guilty-favorite pirate film has to be the over-the-top and tongue firmly in cheek "The Crimson Pirate"! Burt Lancaster and crew brawl their way through the Spanish Main with panache and larceny. Yes, it can be totally unbelievable at times, but SO much fun to watch! The sea-bottom scene is priceless!
Cheers, Bowers

The character Captain Jack Sparrow owes a bit to the Crimson Pirate. Lancaster was a circus acrobat before turning to acting and it certainly shows in many of his films.

[bowers]

 True story, Cap. If you look at many of Lancaster's films, you'll probably find Nick Cravat, his acrobatic partner, in a bit role. Cravat also played the gremlin on the aircraft wing who terrorized William Shatner in my favorite Twilight Zone episode. Cheers, Bowers

[Robb_K]

Time for me to review the books I have chosen:
Dell Famous Stories #1 - Treasure Island
I enjoyed reading the Dell version of Treasure Island very much.  It seemed to follow the original novel  slightly more strictly than the Classics Illustrated version did, despite showing much less detail in the backgrounds, concentrating more on showing the action.  Robert Bugg's artwork is very good.  I like it better than Alex Blum's work in The Classics Illustrated version. And I like the staging and camera angles, and colouring, as well.  This version is full of action, but it leaves out some key parts of the story, which, especially with the large potential page count available (67 pages), is a big disappointment.  Stevenson's (Jim Hawkins') narrative introduction to his story tells the reader that he cannot reveal the location of the island because much of the treasure is still there, implying he will go back for more.  But, I still would have liked him to mention what part of The World it lies ((e.g. The Carribean Sea).  I would also liked to have seen a few scenes aboard the ship on the way from England to the island.

To my taste, and memories of how he was described in the book (and drawn in the book illustrations, Long John Silver should have been drawn somewhat older, and more heavy-set, with more flamboyant clothing than depicted in either of Bugg's or Blum's versions.  As far as I remember, he wore a captain's coat.  But in both Dell's and Classics Illustrated versions, he just wore a seaman's shirt.  And he should have looked more scruffy, as well.  Also, I think that the island should have been in The Caribbean Sea, with a tropical climate, having palm trees, rather than the deciduous oak and elm trees and evergreen firs and pines of the mid and northern latitudes.  But, despite those few complaints, I enjoyed reading it and looking at the artwork, very much.

[Captain Audio]

True story, Cap. If you look at many of Lancaster's films, you'll probably find Nick Cravat, his acrobatic partner, in a bit role. Cravat also played the gremlin on the aircraft wing who terrorized William Shatner in my favorite Twilight Zone episode. Cheers, Bowers

Yep. Nick Cravat (Nicholas Cuccia) and Lancaster met at a summer camp when youngsters and became friends for life. Close friendship between partners in acrobatic feats is a definite plus where split second timing and complete confidence in each other could be the difference between life and death.

[crashryan]

Long John Silver should have been drawn somewhat older, and more heavy-set, with more flamboyant clothing

I agree that Silver should have looked less menacing than Bugg drew him. For fun I pulled out my old copy of Treasure Island and found Stevenson's description of Long John:

...a man came out of a side room, and at a glance I was sure he must be Long John. His left leg was cut off close by the hip, and under the left shoulder he carried a crutch, which he managed with wonderful dexterity, hopping about upon it like a bird. He was very tall and strong, with a face as big as a ham--plain and pale, but intelligent and smiling. Indeed, he seemed in the most cheerful spirits, whistling as he moved about among the tables, with a merry word or a slap on the shoulder for the more favoured of his guests.

Stevenson doesn't go into much more detail, but he stresses the fact that unlike the crew, Silver didn't appear the least bit threatening. Even Dr Livesey is taken in by him at first. It would seem that of the movie versions Stevenson imagined someone more like Wallace Beery (minus the treacle) or Robert Newton than, say, Charlton Heston or Tim Curry. Some online articles about the book claim that Stevenson also created the template for piratical dialogue. I haven't read any pirate fiction older than Treasure Island so I can't verify that. However Stevenson's dialogue certainly has the cadence of a movie pirate:

"I'll give you my affy-davy, upon my word of honour, to clap you somewhere safe ashore. Or if that ain't to your fancy, some of my hands being rough and having old scores on account of hazing, then you can stay here, you can. We'll divide stores with you, man for man; and I'll give my affy-davy, as before to speak the first ship I sight, and send 'em here to pick you up. Now, you'll own that's talking. Handsomer you couldn't look to get."

I don't have a visual example, but to my mind one of the better comic book Long Johns was in Pat Boyette's version for Berkeley/First Comics. As a whole that adaptation, both written and drawn by Boyette, was quite good.

[Robb_K]

Long John Silver should have been drawn somewhat older, and more heavy-set, with more flamboyant clothing

I agree that Silver should have looked less menacing than Bugg drew him. For fun I pulled out my old copy of Treasure Island and found Stevenson's description of Long John:

...a man came out of a side room, and at a glance I was sure he must be Long John. His left leg was cut off close by the hip, and under the left shoulder he carried a crutch, which he managed with wonderful dexterity, hopping about upon it like a bird. He was very tall and strong, with a face as big as a ham--plain and pale, but intelligent and smiling. Indeed, he seemed in the most cheerful spirits, whistling as he moved about among the tables, with a merry word or a slap on the shoulder for the more favoured of his guests.
[/b]
Stevenson doesn't go into much more detail, but he stresses the fact that unlike the crew, Silver didn't appear the least bit threatening. Even Dr Livesey is taken in by him at first. It would seem that of the movie versions Stevenson imagined someone more like Wallace Beery (minus the treacle) or Robert Newton than, say, Charlton Heston or Tim Curry. Some online articles about the book claim that Stevenson also created the template for piratical dialogue. I haven't read any pirate fiction older than Treasure Island so I can't verify that. However Stevenson's dialogue certainly has the cadence of a movie pirate:

"I'll give you my affy-davy, upon my word of honour, to clap you somewhere safe ashore. Or if that ain't to your fancy, some of my hands being rough and having old scores on account of hazing, then you can stay here, you can. We'll divide stores with you, man for man; and I'll give my affy-davy, as before to speak the first ship I sight, and send 'em here to pick you up. Now, you'll own that's talking. Handsomer you couldn't look to get."

I don't have a visual example, but to my mind one of the better comic book Long Johns was in Pat Boyette's version for Berkeley/First Comics. As a whole that adaptation, both written and drawn by Boyette, was quite good.

Wallace Beery played Stevenson's long John Silver to a tee.  The 1934 version was the first film version I saw (it played on Canadian TV near the end of the 1940s).  And I thought Beery played him perfectly.  I loved Newton's version, as well (I LOVE hammy acting).  Newton could  do it all - play ANY character, any style.  He was a great actor.  He was a bit over-the-top as Long John.  But he was very natural and subtle in most of his early films.  Silver was too great a creation of Stevenson's to be indistinguishable from the other pirates, as both Bugg, and Classic Illustrated's Alex Blum drew him.  He should have been tall and big and bulky (like Beery), and had clothes that set him apart from the everyday crewmen.  He was a big, tall, jolly teddy bear as the ship's cook, who had on an old, torn ship captain's coat, and wore a beat-up, old ship captain's hat, to go along with the parrot on his shoulder; all of which was more prominently shown and noticed after the mutiny and when he changed character, and took over as a pirate ship captain, who could, without guilt and remorse, murder anyone who got in the way of his quest for treasure.

Another big hulk of a man, who was also a great actor, and I would have liked to see play Long John was Victor McLaglen (hoping that he could do a good job of speaking in the southwestern English (Bristol) dialect).  Beery wasn't as convincing on that task as was Newton (who, not so coincidentally, had grown up in that part of the country).