Coral Island part 8

(* Artwork © Look and Learn Ltd. Reprinted by permission.)

Coral Island part 7

(* Artwork © Look and Learn Ltd. Reprinted by permission.)

Coral Island part 6

(* Artwork © Look and Learn Ltd. Reprinted by permission.)

Charles Garvice

Charles Garvice was one of the most popular authors of his era—that era being roughly 1900-1920, when he was the Dan Brown of his day, producing novels of no great literary value that went down a storm with the reading public. Most of them were romances, Garvice churning out dozens upon dozens of books, which had sold some six million copies worldwide by 1911. The Times noted that "He is credited, and probably rightly, with a larger circulation than any purveyor of fiction, his remarkable success being due to a persistent industry and an unfailing ability to gauge the tastes of the greatest possible number."

The reviewer for 20th Century Romance Authors certainly found that Garvice had more going for him than some Victorian romantic novelists: "Garvice had an unusual ability to weave fast-paced, intricate, and believable plots that do not need to rely on coincidence to succeed. Missing jewels or treasures are combined with missing or lost heiresses. His plots usually centre on the hero of the story, and the action is told from his viewpoint. He is often from a titled family and he usually succeeds to the title or is reinstated into his father's good graces."

Garvice offered his own formula for success to R. D. Blumenfeld, who, in In the Days of Bicycles and Bustles, recorded:

I have from Charles Garvice his secret of success in the making of a popular novel designed to cause every cook and housemaid in Europe and America to weep copiously. He says: "First take a wicked Earl; then an innocent village maiden; next some irate parents, a background of soldiers and sailors, a family solicitor and an elopement scene; a church door; snow falling, detectives, and finally Villainy defeated and Virtue triumphant. There's a firm in New York who would take one of these novels a week if I could furnish it. But, alas! I can only do about six a year!

He clearly had wider appeal than cooks and housemaids: a survey of requests for books from the 550 soldiers recovering at Endell Street Military Hospital in 1916 showed that Garvice was amongst the favorites, alongside Nat Gould and Baroness Orczy.

After a prolific and very successful career, Garvice died from a cerebral haemorrhage at 10 p.m. on 1 March 1920 after lying in a coma for eight days.

The Miscellany column of The Manchester Guardian (4 March 1920) accurately summed up Garvice when it said "His books will be forgotten but his place will never be vacant. To each generation its own Garvice." I'm not sure who you would cast in the Garvice role for my generation: Harold Robbins, perhaps? Later contenders would have to include Stephen King, Michael Crichton and, today's Garvice, Dan Brown.

What is surprising is that so little seems to be known about his early career. As someone raised the subject of Garvice recently, it seemed that a little exploring was in order.

The Dictionary of National Bibliography offers the following:

Garvice, Charles Andrew (1850–1920), writer, was baptized on 18 September 1850 at St Dunstan and All Saints' Church in Stepney, London, the son of Andrew John Garvice, and his wife, Mira. Little else is known of his family origins and personal life. Obscurity envelops the formative phase in the career of an author who became a publishing phenomenon—‘the most successful novelist in England’, according to Arnold Bennett in 1910. There is no record of his marriage, although he had married by 1873, when he dedicated his début publication, Eve: and other Verses, to his wife; they had two sons and five daughters. Possibly, Garvice had married abroad, as in the preface to Eve he says that he ‘scribbled on foreign steam-boats and in railway carriages’. He also alludes to a struggling existence, including, perhaps, a bereavement: ‘Most of them [the verses] were written at midnight when the hand was too weary to write and the brain to forge stronger work; some few were born under the cloud of a heavy sorrow.’.

We can add a little to this. He was actually born on 24 August 1850—this from the baptismal record which not only notes his baptism date but the day he was born, too. His parents address at the time of baptism was given as 16 Aston Terrace, Lime House, and dad was a builder

His father, Andrew John Garvice, the son of Thomas and Maria Garvice, married Mira Winter in Gravesend, Kent, in 1848. Andrew John Garvice was born in London on 9 August 1816 and baptised on 17 November at St. Dunston and All Saints in Tower Hamlets, as was his son 34 years later. I believe the couple had a son, Andrew Joseph Garvice, born 2Q 1848 in Gravesend who died 3Q 1849.

Andrew, Mea (sic) and Charles A. Garvice, are in the 1851 census at 16 Aston Street, Saint Anne, Limehouse, Tower Hamlets. Andrew Garvice's occupation was listed as bricklayer (which was also his occupation in 1841 census). Misspellings make tracing the Garvice family very tricky: on Find My Past they are listed as Garvies and on Ancestry, Andrew's wife is given as Alice! Andrew (his death listed as Andrew Garvico) died in late 1851. His widow does not appear on the 1861 census and it is possible that she is the Mary Garvice who (re-)married in the City of London in 1851.

I believe Charles is subsequently listed as Charles Henry Garvice in the 1861 census, aged 10, born Stepney, London, and then a scholar at a school in Mill Road, Bexley, Kent, run by Samuel Collins Barber. This is a little speculative but the 1871 census also lists Garvice (listed as C. A. Garvice) as born in Stepney. By then, Garvice, his occupation described as bookseller, was living with his uncle Joseph Winter (a retired licensed victualler) at 11 The Terrace, Woodford, Essex.

Garvice moved to Hornsey and was married in 1872 to Elizabeth Jones, banns having been published in June and July 1872; the record was subsequently lost from sight because of a spelling error—he is listed as Garbice! Charles and Elizabeth had eight children between 1873 and 1885.

• Vivien Garvice, b. Cookham, Berkshire, 1873; m. Ernest Allen Stapledon, 1898; d. Northam, Devon, 1958
  
• Chudleigh Garvice, b. Cookham, 12 Jan 1875; d. Alexandria, Egypt, 23 Mar 1921 [a biographical sketch can be found here]
  
• Muriel Mary Garvice, b. Cookham, 1877; d. Bristol, 1915
• Beatrix Garvice, b. Weybridge, Surrey, 1878; m. Clifford Henry Bird, 1905
• Violet Garvice, b. Weybridge, 1881; m. Benwell Harold Bird, 1905
• Winifred Garvice, b. Weybridge, 10 Feb 1882; d. Bideford, Devon, 1969
• Olive Garvice, b. Weybridge, 1884; d. London, 1924 [supposedly aged 38]
• Basil Kendale Garvice, b. Northam, Devon, 18 Aug 1885; lived in Canada from 1906; m. Margery R. Cossentine, 21 Jul 1914; 2nd m. Margaret Isabel Crichton Innes, 5 Oct 1940; d. Ladysmith, B.C., 9 Mar 1964

The Garvices first lived at The Retreat, Cookham, Berkshire, where Charles wrote his first novel, Maurice Durant (1875). At the time of the 1881 census, Garvice and family were living at The Chestnuts, Weybridge, Charles' occupation listed as novelist/journalist. By 1891 they were living at Boat Hyde, Northam, Devon, Charles being described as author/journalist/dramatist. By 1901, they had moved to Moorlands, Bradworthy, Devon. Garvice had the house built for himself, according to the local Bradworthy News magazine. A column by Cecil Collacott (November 2000) notes that Garvice also build Little Silworthy in Putford. "At the latter place he experimented with farming and wrote his only non-fiction book A Farm in Creamland."

Moorlands

Although he considered himself a novice farmer, Garvice became President of the Farmers' and Landowners' Association. He was also later chairman of the executive of the Authors' Club.

When he died in 1920, his address was 4 Maids of Honour Row, Richmond, Surrey. He left a gross estate valued at £71,049 6s. 9d. (net £67, 202 6s. 4d.), the majority going to his wife, with bequests to his two sons. Garvice had said, in answer to someone asking if he would like one day to write something that gave him lasting fame, that he did not write for fame but for money. He certainly made money and time has shown that his fame lasted only as long as the succession of bestsellers arrived on the bookshelves.

(* Photograph of Garvice from Life © Time Inc.; the photograph of Moorlands was found here.)

Coral Island part 5

(* Artwork © Look and Learn Ltd. Reprinted by permission.)

Princess Tina Diary

by Jeremy Briggs

It is the time of year for new calendars and new diaries. While there have been many calendars tying into comics over the years, including this year's Broons and retro Beano calendars, diary tie-ins with comics have always been uncommon. Letts TV 21 Diary for 1971 is perhaps the best known but in 1972 Collins produced this little pocket diary to tie-in with Fleetway's Princess Tina comic.

Princess Tina began in September 1967 as an amalgamation of the long running Princess comic magazine which had been around for more than 7 years and the Tina comic, an abortive attempt at a pan-European weekly publication, which lasted only 30 weekly issues in the UK. Just over a year later the title absorbed Lady Penelope comic, by then simply known as Penelope, and it continued on until December 1973 when it was amalgamated into the magazine Pink. As such this diary dates from the later years of the comic.

The diary itself has few tie-ins to the comic however the crown design repeated on the cover was the logo of the comic and was also used in the design of the comic’s club badge. Internally the diary has an extensive run of articles and information at the beginning before the date pages appear. While these include the inevitable London Underground map as well as dates and geographical information, it also includes photos of various child actresses, the winners of the Crufts Dog Show from 1964 to 1971 and, most bizarrely, a complete knitting pattern for a “smart knitted jacket”.

The only true tie-in to the comic inside the diary is an editorial page written by "Linda and Jeffy" the comic's fictional editorial characters who promote the comic and its club on a single page. The address that they give for the club couldn't be more appropriate for this blog.

With thanks to the young Lesley Wallace who, in 1974, decided not to throw this away.

Coral Island part 4

(* Artwork © Look and Learn Ltd. Reprinted by permission.)

Comic Cuts - 5 February 2010

Another good news week. Wells Fargo is finished! I did the last bits of artwork on Monday, read through the introduction and wrote a back cover blurb on Tuesday and that's all the work I need to do until I start getting proofs back from the designer.

For a change of pace, I've been finishing off The Thriller Index, which covers Cowboy Comics, Thriller Picture Library, Super Detective Library, the previously unindexed Australian A.P. comics, plus various annuals and anthologies. This is the follow-up volume to the War Libraries Index published back in 2007. A lot of the work was done in 2008, shortly after I was laid off from Look and Learn, but various delays have meant that I've only just gotten around to completing work on it. The artists' index took two days to compile but I'm hoping that I can have the authors' index finished today (Friday).

I finished work on the 19th Storm album The Return of the Red Prince last weekend and will hopefully have started working on number 20, The Von Neumann Machine, by the time you read this. So that will be the 10th volume of Storm—The Collection almost completed; volume 11, which completes the run of Don Lawrence's 22 albums, is in hand and I'll get to it shortly. Then it's a volume of H. Rider Haggard stories.

I must say 2010 is starting off at a hell of a clip! In fact, things picked up in December; I've written something like 68,000 words over the past two months—only 28,000 of which will actually earn me some money, admittedly, but I'm pleased to see I'm back up to averaging a thousand words a day. Nothing compared to Brian Stableford—who reveals in the latest Ansible that he knocked out 1.86 million words last year, which is over 5,700 words a day and no time off for good behaviour.

I'm happy to say that some of those words I write do actually get read. The Sci-Fi Art: A Graphic History book has made it onto the Locus Recommended Reading List for 2009 in the Art Books category.

And on that cheery note, I'm going to get back to my scriptwriter index. With any luck, by this time next week I'll be telling you that I've managed to complete three books in six weeks. Start placing your bets.

(* Our column header is an original board for "Pony Express" by Don Lawrence, one of the strips we'll be reprinting soon; artwork © Look and Learn Ltd.; the cover for Sci-Fi Art is by Vincent Di Fate.)

Coral Island part 3

(* Artwork © Look and Learn Ltd. Reprinted by permission.)

Coral Island part 2

(* Artwork © Look and Learn Ltd. Reprinted by permission.)

Coral Island part 1

We have a nice double-episode opener for our latest strip, reprinting Coral Island from Look and Learn. Originally published back in 1966, the artwork is by one my favourite artists, Mike Hubbard.

(* Artwork © Look and Learn Ltd. Reprinted by permission.)

Comic Cuts: Upcoming Releases

A round-up of forthcoming books relating to or reprinting British comics and cartoons, along with some selected original graphic novels.

FEBRUARY 2010

• The Canterville Ghost (Original Text). Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332273, 28 February 2010 [originally announced for 1 November 2009].
• The Canterville Ghost (Quick Text). Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332280, 28 February 2010 [originally announced for 1 November 2009].
• Comic Art Propaganda by Fredrik Strömberg. Ilex ISBN 978-1905814701, 1 February 2010.
• Frank Bellamy: Complete Swift Stories [limited edition]. Book Palace ISBN 978-1907081026, February 2010 [originally announced for November 2009].
• Frank Bellamy's The Story of World War 1 by Mike Butterworth & Frank Bellamy. Book Palace ISBN 978-1907081002, February 2010 [originally announced for November 2009].
• Johnny Red: Falcon's First Flight. Titan Books ISBN 978-1848560338, 26 February 2010 [originally announced for 25 September 2009].
• Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Vol. 0 by John Wagner et al. Rebellion/2000AD ISBN 978-1906735333, 15 February 2010.
• Judge Dredd: The Mega-City One Archive Vol. 2: Lawbringers by August Hahn. Rebellion/Mongoose Publishing ISBN 978-1906508890, 8 February 2010.
  
• Rogue Trooper: Tales of Nu-Earth Vol. 1 by Gerry Finley-Day. Rebellion/2000AD ISBN 978-1906735340, 15 February 2010.
• Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet by Ian Edginton & Ian Culbard. SelfMadeHero ISBN 978-1906838010, February 2010 [originally announced for 8 October 2009].
• Tank Girl: Apocalypse [Anniversary Edition]. Titan Books ISBN 978-1845767655, 26 February 2010 [originally scheduled for 28 July 2009].

MARCH 2010

• Button Man: The Hitman's Daughter by John Wagner & Frazer Irving. Rebellion/2000AD ISBN 978-1906735425, 15 March 2010.
• Classic Bible Stories: The Road of Courage & Mark the Youngest Disciple. Titan Books ISBN 978-1848565258, 26 March 2010.
• Good Dog, Bad Dog by Dave Shelton. David Fickling Books ISBN 978-0385618250, 4 March 2010.
• James Bond: Nightbird. Titan Books ISBN 978-1845765163, 26 March 2010.
• Judge Dredd: Mega-City One Archives Vol. 3: Lawbreakers by August Hahn. Rebellion/Mongoose Publishing ISBN 978-1906508906, 8 March 2010.
  
• Slaine: Demon Killer by Pat Mills. Rebellion/2000AD ISBN 978-1906735418, 15 March 2010.
  

APRIL 2010

• The Best of Punch Cartoons, ed. Helen Walasek. Prion ISBN 978-1853757150, 1 April 2010. Softcover edition.
  
• Century 21 Vol. 4: Above and Beyond, ed. Chris Bentley. Reynolds & Hearn ISBN 978-1904674252, April 2010.
  
• Hit the Dirt: Six of the Best from Battle Picture Library, ed. Steve Holland. Prion Books ISBN 978-1853757594, 1 April 2010.
• Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Vol. 15 by John Wagner et al. Rebellion ISBN 978-1906735449, 15 April 2010.
  
• Mezolith by Beg Haggarty & Adam Brockbank. David Fickling Books ISBN 978-0385618267, 1 April 2010.
• Modesty Blaise: Death in Slow Motion. Titan Books ISBN 978-1848561083, 23 April 2010 [originally announced for 27 November 2009].
• No Surrender! Six of the Best from War Picture Library, ed. Steve Holland. Prion Books ISBN 978-1853757600, 1 April 2010.
• Robo-Hunter: The Droid Files Vol. 2 by John Wagner, Alan Grant & Ian Gibson. Rebellion ISBN 978-1906735432, 15 April 2010.
• Spider Moon by Kate Brown. David Fickling Books ISBN 978-0385618274, 29 April 2010.
  
• Wings of Death: Six of the Best from Air Ace Picture Library, ed. Steve Holland. Prion Books ISBN 978-1853757587, 1 April 2010.

MAY 2010

• The Best of Land Battle. Titan Books ISBN 978-1848567313, 28 May 2010.
• Rogue Trooper: Tales of Nu Earth Vol. 2 by Gerry Finley-Day & Dave Gibbons. Rebellion ISBN 978-1906735463, 19 May 2010.
  
• Roy of the Rovers: The World Cup Special by Tom Tully & David Sque. Titan Books ISBN 978-1848566712, 25 May 2010.
• Tank Girl: Skidmarks by Alan C. Martin & Rufus Dayglo. Titan Books ISBN 978-1848566811, 25 May 2010.

JUNE 2010

• Darkie's Mob by John Wagner & Mike Western. Titan Books ISBN 978-1848564428, Spring/Summer 2010 [originally announced for 27 November 2009].
• Judge Dredd: The Restricted Files Vol. 2 by John Wagner et al. Rebellion ISBN 978-1906735470, 15 June 2010.
  
• Leviathan by Ian Edington & D'Israeli. Rebellion ISBN 978-1907519192, 15 June 2010.
  

JULY 2010

• The Complete Al's Baby by John Wagner & Carlos Ezquerra. Rebellion ISBN 978-1906735494, 15 July 2010.
  
• The Stainless Steel Rat adapted by Kelvin Gosnell & Carlos Ezquerra. Rebellion ISBN 978-1906735517, 15 July 2010.
  
• Wuthering Heights (Original Text) by Sean M. Wilson & John M. Burns. Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332877, 31 July 2010.
• Wuthering Heights (Quick Text) by Sean M. Wilson & John M. Burns. Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332884, 31 July 2010.

AUGUST 2010

• Harlem Heroes by Tom Tully, Dave Gibbons & Massimo Belardinelli. Rebellion ISBN 978-1906735524, 15 August 2010.
• Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Vol. 16 by John Wager et al. Rebellion ISBN 978-1906735500, 15 August 2010.
  
• Julius Caesar (Original Text) by John McDonald & Sean O'Connor. Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332945, 31 August 2010.
• Julius Caesar (Plain Text) by John McDonald & Sean O'Connor. Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332952, 31 August 2010.
• Julius Caesar (Quick Text) by John McDonald & Sean O'Connor. Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332969, 31 August 2010.
• Modesty Blaise: Sweet Caroline by Peter O'Donnell & Neville Colvin. Titan Books ISBN 978-1848566736, 24 August 2010.
  
• Watching the Watchmen by Dave Gibbons & Chip Kidd. Titan Books ISBN 978-1848566828, 31 August 2010. Softcover edition.
  

SEPTEMBER 2010

• ABC Warriors: The Volgan War by Pat Mills & Clint Langley. Rebellion ISBN 978-1906735456, 15 September 2010.
• Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future: A Biography by Daniel Tatarsky. Orion ISBN 978-0752888965, 17 September 2010.
• Rat Pack Vol. 1. Titan Books ISBN 978-1848560352, 14 September 2010.
  
• Roy of the Rovers: The Unauthorised Biography by Mick Collins. Aurum ISBN 978-1845134464, 25 September 2010. Softcover edition.
  

OCTOBER 2010

• The Best of Misty. Titan Books ISBN 978-1848560277, October 2010.
• Dracula (Original Text, abridged). Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332259, 31 October 2010 [originally announced for October 2009, then 30 November 2009, then February 2010].
• Dracula (Quick Text). Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332266, 31 October 2010 [originally announced for October 2009, then 30 November 2009, then February 2010].
• The Importance of Being Ernest by John Stokes. Classical Comics, October 2010.

NOVEMBER 2010

• Dan Dare: Trip to Trouble. Titan Books ISBN 978-1848563667, November 2010 [originally announced for 5 January 2010].
• Sweeney Todd (Original Text) by Sean M. Wilson & Declan Shalvey. Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332792, 30 November 2010 [originally announced for 30 April 2010].
• Sweeney Todd (Quick Text) by Sean M. Wilson & Declan Shalvey. Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332808, 30 November 2010 [originally announced for 30 April 2010].

LATE 2010

• Richard III (Original Text, abridged). Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332228, 2010 [originally announced for 1 March 2009, then 1 September 2009, then 14 May 2010].
• Richard III (Plain Text). Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332235, 2010 [originally announced for 1 March 2009, then 1 September 2009, then 14 May 2010].
• Richard III (Quick Text). Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332242, 2010 [originally announced for 1 March 2009, then 1 September 2009, then 14 May 2010].

UNSCHEDULED

• The Bumper Book of Battle. Titan Books ISBN 978-1848560291, unscheduled [originally announced for 23 March 2009].
• A Midsummer Night's Dream by John McDonald & Kat Nicholson/Jason Cardy. Classical Comics, unscheduled [originally announced for June 2010].
• Roy of the Rovers Archives: Season 1954-55. Titan Books ISBN 978-1845769499, unscheduled [originally scheduled for 20 December 2008].
• Tales of the Dead Man by John Wagner. Rebellion/2000AD ISBN 978-1906735197, unscheduled [originally announced for 15 June 2009, then 15 November 2009].

Please note: All dates are subject to change.