NEW PRISONER COMIC

New release: Timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the US television debut of The Prisoner, Titan Comics will release issue #1 in their Prisoner comic series on April 25th. The new comic by Peter Milligan (X-Statix, Batman) and Colin Lorimar (Harvest) is a sequel to the original Patrick McGoohan TV series and focusses on a contemporary spy trapped in The Village. Cover artists include Mike Allred (I love his retro/cartoon style- very fun!) and Jack Kirby (see Titan's upcoming Prisoner book by Jack Kirby and Gil Kane). Looking at the trailer below, I can't help but wonder if the comics will be taking too much of a contemporary-action approach. Much of the original's appeal for me was watching Number 6 -calculating and masking his sometimes feral instincts for independence- and the sinister Village wrapped in surreal pleasantries. There was so much going on in each scene of McGoohan's Prisoner, it was like watching a mad, psychological chess game set in a Mod Wonderland. Speaking as a comic art fan (and published artist/writer), I think it would be a great challenge to capture those nuances in comic form. So many attempts to bring 1960s spies to the comic page have often seemed oddly static. I also spotted a typo in one of the few sample pages released to the press- hopefully they corrected that before going to print. As usual, I remain cautiously optimistic and hope the new series will be fantastic! Check it out at your local comic shop this week. And thank you to Titan for supporting The Prisoner! Related posts: Prisoner Jack Kirby Gil Kane, Interview: The Prisoner Guide, Portmeirion Photography 1, Portmeirion Photography, The Prisoner London Flat, Interview: Police Surgeon, Review: The Prisoner: Audio Vol 2, Alan Hayes Prisoner Audio Review, Interview: Ian Olgivy, Interview: Brian Gorman, Prisoner Supergrass, Prisoner XTC, Prisoner XTC 2, Prisoner DC Fontana, Interview: Avengers Two Against the Underworld, Umbrella Man: Patrick Macnee, Avengers Interview: Mike Richardson, The Saint Interview: Ian Dickerson, Avengers Interview: Rodney Marshall, Avengers Interview Rodney Marshall 2, John Buss Interview, Jaz Wiseman Interview, Village Triangle. 

Selected Spy Vibe Posts: Dr. No Villains Edition,  Spy Vibe Radio: Danger Diabolik, Dr. No 60th, Oy-Oy-Seven, Spy Vibe Radio (UFO), Cold War Comic Strips, Thunderball Event, Mission to India, Mort Walker Celebration,  Peter Wyngarde Celebration, Batman 66 Exhibit, Prisoner Fifty Event, Ian Fleming Publications 2017-2018, Interview: Ed Hulse Pulp, Avengers Audio Drama, Interview: Callan At 50, Interview: Playboys, Spies, Private Eyes, TWA Returns, Spy Vibe Radio 8, Interview: Ryan Heshka, Mid-Century Modern Schulz, Agent Werewolf, Mata Hair Exhibit, Johnny Sokko 50th, Interview: Trina Robbins, Eddie Izzard, The Prisoner Capt Scarlet 50th, Hugh Hefner R.I.P., Jack Good R.I.P., Interview: Shaken Not Stirred, Callan 50th, Spy Vibe Radio 7, The Prisoner 50th Event, Spy-Fi Event, Kaho Aso 007, Two Million, Bo Diddley, Carnaby Pop, Le Carre Events, Billy Bragg Skiffle, Elvis 68, Jack Kirby The Prisoner, Casino Royale Concert, Review: The Prisoner Vol 2, Interview: The Prisoner Essential Guide, Maud Russell Mottisfont, Spy Vibe Radio 4, Batman Gallants, Adam West R.I.P., Village Triangle, Roger Moore R.I.P., Spy Vibe Radio 3, Sgt Pepper 50th, Satanik Kriminal OST, 60s Overdrive, Make Love in London, Spy Vibe Radio 2, Spy Vibe Radio 1, James Bond Strips, Propaganda Mabuse, Interview: Police Surgeon, XTC Avengers, 1966 Pep Spies, Batman Book Interview, Exclusive Fleming Interview, Avengers Comic Strips, Robert Vaughn RIP, UNCLE Fashions, Thunderbirds Are Pop!, Interview: Spy Film Guide, Lost Avengers Found, The Callan File, Mission Impossible 50th, Green Hornet 50th, Star Trek 50th, Portmeirion Photography 1, Filming the Prisoner, Gaiman McGinnins Project, Ian Fleming Grave, Revolver at 50, Karen Romanko Interview, Mod Tales 2, Umbrella Man: Patrick Macnee, New Beatles Film, The Curious Camera, Esterel Fashion 1966, Exclusive Ian Ogilvy Interview, 007 Tribute Covers, The Phantom Avon novels return, Ian Fleming Festival, Argoman Design, Sylvia Anderson R.I.P., Ken Adam R.I.P., George Martin R.I.P., The New Avengers Comics, The Phantom at 80, 007 Manga, Avengerworld Book, Diana Rigg Auto Show, The Prisoner Audio Drama Review.

JAMES BOND STRIPS

New release: Titan Books just released the third volume in their Complete James Bond Classic Comic Strip Collection! The new hardcover edition includes strips from 1960-1966: Goldfinger, Risico, From a View to a Kill, For Your Eyes Only, The Man With the Golden Gun, and The Living Daylights. I love looking at the original strips, especially the work of the great John McLusky, which pre-dated the films and drew more directly from Ian Fleming's novels. From the press release: "James Bond returns to action in six thrilling adventures, starting with 007’s encounter with the titular Auric Goldfinger, the man with the Midas touch. Also included are Risico, From A View To A Kill, For Your Eyes Only, The Man With The Golden Gun and The Living Daylights, each of which has been painstakingly restored to create the highest quality reproduction of the original Express Newspapers’ strip available." More info at Amazon. Previous volumes include 1958-1960 (Casino Royale, Live And Let Die, Moonraker, Diamonds Are Forever, From Russia With Love, Dr No) and a SPECTRE omnibus (Thunderball, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, You Only Live Twice, The Spy Who Loved Me). Enjoy! Spy Vibers, I'm writing and producing a new Spy Vibe radio segment for Cocktail Nation out of Australia! More info HERE.

Selected Spy Vibe Posts: Propaganda Mabuse, Fahrenheit 451 50th, Interview: Police Surgeon, XTC Avengers, 1966 Pep Spies, Batman Book Interview, Exclusive Fleming Interview, Avengers Comic Strips, Robert Vaughn RIP, UNCLE Fashions, Thunderbirds Are Pop!, Interview:Spy Film Guide, Lost Avengers Found, The Callan File, Mission Impossible 50th, Green Hornet 50th, Star Trek 50th, Portmeirion Photography 1, Filming the Prisoner, Gaiman McGinnins Project, Ian Fleming Grave, Revolver at 50, Karen Romanko Interview, Mod Tales 2, Umbrella Man: Patrick Macnee, New Beatles Film, The Curious Camera, Esterel Fashion 1966, Exclusive Ian Ogilvy Interview, 007 Tribute Covers, The Phantom Avon novels return, Ian Fleming Festival, Argoman Design, Sylvia Anderson R.I.P., Ken Adam R.I.P., George Martin R.I.P., The New Avengers Comics, Trina Robbins Interview, The Phantom at 80, 007 Manga, Avengerworld Book, Diana Rigg Auto Show, The Prisoner Audio Drama Review, David McCallum novel, Andre Courreges R.I.P., Who's Talking on Spy Vibe, UFO Blu-ray, Avengers Pop Art.

MANDRAKE SUNDAYS

New release: This week Titan books published the first volume collecting Mandrake the Magician by Lee Falk (The Phantom). Falk's Mandrake character was a gentleman adventurer who traveled to exotic locations to fight international crime with his hypnotic powers and keen detective skills. The comic strip has rarely been re-printed and this book series will be the first complete color collection ever made available! The strip was the first to feature a magician and, unlike other pulp adventurers, Mandrake used his intelligence and illusionist skills to thwart the evil masterminds. Artwork was by Phil Davis, who rivaled Alex Raymond (Flash Gordon, Secret Agent X-9, Rip Kirby) in beautiful fine-brushwork and detail. Like many heroes of the period, Mandrake went on to appear in other media, including a radio show for the Mutual Broadcasting Company (1940-1942), a Columbia cliffhanger serial (1939), and a TV pilot in 1954. King Features released an exciting comic book series in the 1960s. Hermes Press recently published a deluxe collection of the comic books, which also includes extensive essays, rare Mandrake graphics, comic back-up stories, and even some of the original artwork from the comics! (The Hermes cover art appears at the end below. Details at Hermes Press). There have been many attempts to bring Mandrake to the big screen in a feature-length adventure, most notably by Federico Fellini in the early 1960s and in the 2000s by Baldwin Entertainment and Warner Brothers. Mandrake also made appearances in the Defenders of the Earth animated series (1986-87). Despite this long legacy, the original comic strips by Falk are only now receiving the care they deserve. From the Titan press release on Amazon: "From the very beginning in 1934, these are the original adventures of the famous comic strip detective- collected in full for the very first time! Mandrake is a master of hypnosis, whose ability causes his opponents to encounter wild illusions, giving the heroes the upper hand in a fight. His enemies cover a broad spectrum, including gangsters, mad scientists, alien creatures, and characters from other adventures. His greatest ally is Lothar, "Prince of the Seven Nations" who gave up his crown to join Mandrake in his globe-trotting adventures. They are accompanied by the beautiful Narda, princess of a European nation and Mandrake's romantic interest. Mandrake's exploits are among the most stunning and exciting in the realm of comic strips." Spy Vibers can also order the book at Bud's Art Books. Falk's idea of adding mental illusion to mystery/detective adventure was unusual. Street and Smith's popular character, The Shadow, first appeared in print in 1931, but I believe he did not gain his mysterious powers to "cloud men's minds" until the character was adapted for radio in 1937- three years after Mandrake's debut- when it was easier to use the device of invisibility to present the action for listeners. Mandrake and Phantom creator Lee Flak passed away in 1999 at the age of eighty-seven. Spy Vibe's image archives on Pinterest: The Phantom, Cliffhanger Serials, The Shadow, Mandrake the Magician. Enjoy!

Selected Spy Vibe Posts: Sylvia Anderson R.I.P., Ken Adam R.I.P., George Martin R.I.P., The New Avengers Comics, Trina Robbins Interview, The Phantom at 80, 007 Manga, Avengerworld Book, Diana Rigg Auto Show, The Prisoner Audio Drama Review, David McCallum novel, Andre Courreges R.I.P., Who's Talking on Spy Vibe, UFO Blu-ray, Avengers Pop Art Interview, Fergus Fleming Interview, Avengers: Alan Hayes Interview, Jaz Wiseman Interview, Diana Rigg BFI Interview, Casino Royale Interview: Mike Richardson, Lost Diana Rigg Interview, Honor Blackman at 90, UNCLE School, Ian Fleming Memorial, Portmeirion Photos, Doctor Who Exhibit, Farewell Steed, Pussy Galore Returns, Diana Rigg birthday, Sherlock at 221B, Invisible Agent, Saint Interview: Ian Dickerson, Saint Doppelgänger, Fleming's Typewriter, Rare Fleming, Fleming's Music, Ian Fleming's Japan, Jim Wilson Corgi Interview, Fantomas Design, John Buss interview, Saint Volvo, Mod Tales Interview, Agente Secreto Comics, Danger Man Comics 2, Danger Man Comics, John Drake Comics, Der Mann Von UNCLE, Golden Margaret Nolan, Man From UNCLE Rocksteady, Pussy Galore Calypso, Cynthia Lennon R.I.P., Edward Mann Fashion, Leonard Nimoy Tribute, Shatner at 84, Bob Morane series, Thai Bond Design, Bond vs Modernism, Tokyo Beat 1964, Feraud Mod Fashion, Green Hornet Manga, Avengers Interview: Michael Richardson, Ian Fleming: Wicked Grin, Jane Bond Hong Kong Records, Ryan Heshka Interview, Comics Week: Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., Comics Week: Archie, Comics Week: Robots, Comics Week: Cold War Atomic, Comics Week: SPYMAN, Comics Week: Jimmy Olsen, Shakespeare Spies: Diana Rigg, Shakespeare Spies I, Rodney Marshall Avengers Interview, Richard Sala: Super-Enigmatix, Cold War Archie, Playboy Bunny Interview, The 10th Victim Japanese and Kindle, U.N.C.L.E. Japanese Books, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton.

007 SPECTRE COMICS

New release: With the return of the evil organization, SPECTRE, in the new James Bond film (stay tuned for our review), a number of new book collections have been released to help viewers catch up on 007's missions against these notorious baddies. Vintage recently released The SPECTRE Trilogy, an omnibus of Ian Fleming novels featuring Thunderball, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and You Only Live Twice. Thomas and Mercer, an Amazon imprint, published The SPECTRE Trilogy as an eBook on October 6th in the US. Titan has also joined the celebration with a new hardcover edition of classic comic strip adaptations drawn by John McLusky and Yaroslav Horak. From Titan: "The daring James Bond is back, this time in a lavishly put together collection celebrating the iconic SPECTRE storylines. Featuring Thunderball, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, You Only Live Twice, The Spy Who Loved Me. These fully restored and thrilling stories are based on the original Ian Fleming James Bond novels." Titan's cover design is an interesting collage of elements taken from a few different strips: Bond (SWLM panel #696 by Horak), Viv dressing (SWLM inverted panel #808 by Horak), and the car (OHMSS panel #272 by McLusky). Although I prefer McLusky's artwork, I imagine the publisher was going for the slightly modern look of Horak's work for the main image, with McLusky adding a classic vibe to the motorcar. The release date for James Bond: SPECTRE: The Complete Comic Strip Collection is November 6th (UK) and January 19th (US). More info on Amazon and AmazonUK. Learn more about the history of 007 comics with Alan J. Porter's excellent book here. Enjoy!

Selected Spy Vibe Posts: Casino Royale Folio, New James Bond Comic, Diana Rigg BFI Interview, Callan Documentary and Set, Casino Royale Interview: Mike Richardson, Early Saint Box Set, Lost Diana Rigg Interview, Diana Rigg Event, Ian Fleming Letters, New Gillette 007 Covers, Pirate Radio, Spectre Advanced Poster, Honor Blackman at 90, UNCLE School, Ian Fleming Memorial, Radiophonic Exhibit, Portmeirion Photos, Doctor Who Exhibit, Farewell Steed, Pussy Galore Returns, Diana Rigg birthday, Sherlock at 221B, Invisible Agent, Saint Interview: Ian Dickerson, Saint Doppelgänger, Fleming's Typewriter, Rare Fleming, Fleming's Music, Ian Fleming's Japan, Jim Wilson Corgi Interview, Fantomas Design, Jeremy Duns on Bond, John Buss interview, Avengers Season 5 Titles, Saint Volvo, Mod Tales Interview, Agente Secreto Comics, Danger Man Comics 2, Danger Man Comics, John Drake Comics, Der Mann Von UNCLE, Golden Margaret Nolan, Man From UNCLE Rocksteady, Pussy Galore Calypso, Cynthia Lennon R.I.P., Edward Mann Fashion, Leonard Nimoy Tribute, Shatner at 84, Bob Morane series, Thai Bond Design, Bond vs Modernism, Art of Modesty, Tokyo Beat 1964, Feraud Mod Fashion, Green Hornet Manga, No 6 Festival, Avengers Interview: Michael Richardson, Ian Fleming: Wicked Grin, Jane Bond Hong Kong Records, Ryan Heshka Interview, Comics Week: Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., Comics Week: Archie, Comics Week: Robots, Comics Week: Cold War Atomic, Comics Week: SPYMAN, Comics Week: Jimmy Olsen, Shakespeare Spies: Diana Rigg, Shakespeare Spies I, Rodney Marshall Avengers Interview, Richard Sala: Super-Enigmatix, Cold War Archie, Playboy Bunny Interview, The 10th Victim Japanese and Kindle, U.N.C.L.E. Japanese Books, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton.