DO YOU REMEMBER THE ILLUSTRATED COMIC JOURNAL?

Can you name them all?

The accompanying illustration is a scan of a very poor quality colour photocopy taken about fourteen or more years ago when I was preparing a cover for THE ILLUSTRATED COMIC JOURNAL. The copier (in a local garage, of all places) didn't have the right paper and was so badly in need of toner that the resulting copy was unusable. However, it's the only one I have to hand, so it will have to suffice for the moment.

The Illustrated Comic Journal was a fanzine created by ALAN CADWALLANDER back in the early '80s (I believe) and then taken over by BRYON WHITWORTH some time later. At first it was a black and white A5 publication, but when I became involved as assistant editor in the early '90s or thereabouts, it became A4 with colour covers. Bryon picked the articles and I proof-read and corrected them - although he always managed to overlook some of my corrections and add a few new mistakes once the edited version was returned to him. Such were the drawbacks of the pre-computer "cut and paste" method he employed.

The late DENIS GIFFORD, celebrated comics historian and collector (and compiler of the A.C.E. section of the mag), was much taken with the new logo I designed, drew, coloured and lettered, as it featured his STEADFAST McSTAUNCH character from WHIZZER & CHIPS, saying at the time "What a find in Gordon Robson" (to be sung to the tune of "WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS" - only kidding) - despite me having been a professional comics contributor for quite a few years by that time. Denis didn't seem to remember that he had suggested I become a letterer back in the '70s, after I had submitted a one page comic strip to his short-lived (four issues) ALLY SLOPER magazine. Denis wrote to me to say that he couldn't print it because the inking technique I had used wouldn't reproduce too well, but adding that I could easily make a living as a letterer in his opinion. He even supplied me with some names at IPC (Jack Le Grand - and another, which I forget) and D.C. THOMSON (W. Stirton) to contact.

Black and white photocopy of the original artwork

Anyway, I'm quite proud of the logo - everything on it was produced by my own fair hand, with the exception of the words "Illustrated" and "Incorporating", which were done with Letraset. Bryon eventually passed the mag on to other hands and one further issue was produced - then it unfortunately faded into comics limbo. Shame really.