[MB] POD's other work

[Helen Evans]

Hi everyone

I was just wondering if any of you have read or come across any of
POD's work apart from Modesty Blaise and Madeline Brent?

(From Wikipedia:)
After the war O'Donnell began to script comic strips, including the
Daily Express adaptation of the James Bond novel, Dr. No. From
1953-1966 he wrote for Garth, and from 1956-1962 Romeo Brown (with Jim
Holdaway as an artist).
In addition to the comic strips and graphic novels based on Modesty
Blaise, O'Donnell published two collections of short stories and
twenty novels. He wrote a play which was widely performed in the
1980s, "Mr. Fothergill's Murder," and wrote for television and film.
He also wrote for women's magazines and children's papers early in his
career.

I'd forgotten that he wrote some James Bond strips... has anyone ever
read those? Have they been reprinted?
I have a treasuerd copy of 'Mr. Fothergill's Murder' that I came
across on Ebay after trying for YEARS to find it.. apart from that,
I've never seen any of his other work, but would love to read the
short story collections.
Has anyone ever found any?

Helen

[Alex Frazer-Harrison]

Hi Helen

(Guess my membership is still active after all)

Peter O'Donnell wrote the adaptation of Dr. No for the Daily Express. Titan
Books reprinted it a few years ago (the book is probably still available
through Amazon). To my knowledge it's the only Bond strip he wrote as Henry
Gammidge wrote most of the other ones published at the time.

Cheers!

Alex

Post by Helen Evans
Hi everyone
I was just wondering if any of you have read or come across any of
POD's work apart from Modesty Blaise and Madeline Brent?
(From Wikipedia:)
After the war O'Donnell began to script comic strips, including the
Daily Express adaptation of the James Bond novel, Dr. No. From
1953-1966 he wrote for Garth, and from 1956-1962 Romeo Brown (with Jim
Holdaway as an artist).
In addition to the comic strips and graphic novels based on Modesty
Blaise, O'Donnell published two collections of short stories and
twenty novels. He wrote a play which was widely performed in the
1980s, "Mr. Fothergill's Murder," and wrote for television and film.
He also wrote for women's magazines and children's papers early in his
career.
I'd forgotten that he wrote some James Bond strips... has anyone ever
read those? Have they been reprinted?
I have a treasuerd copy of 'Mr. Fothergill's Murder' that I came
across on Ebay after trying for YEARS to find it.. apart from that,
I've never seen any of his other work, but would love to read the
short story collections.
Has anyone ever found any?
Helen

[Helen Evans]

And there it is on Amazon, still in stock!
http://www.amazon.com/James-Bond-Dr-Graphic-Novels/dp/1845760891/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242059481&sr=1-12
Wonderful - Thanks, Alex.

Has anyone else read it? Is it worth buying, would you say?

Helen

Post by Alex Frazer-Harrison
Peter O'Donnell wrote the adaptation of Dr. No for the Daily Express. Titan
Books reprinted it a few years ago (the book is probably still available
through Amazon). To my knowledge it's the only Bond strip he wrote as Henry
Gammidge wrote most of the other ones published at the time.
Cheers!
Alex

[Alex Frazer-Harrison]

Hi Helen

I thought it was OK. I don't remember it very much It didn't really stand
out from the others, but all the strips from that era were pretty
interesting, especially when they took liberties with the novels. Don't
expect MB-style byplay or anything as this is a different animal. But it
does serve to provide POD additional street cred with regards to his later
creation of MB.

Cheers!

Alex

Post by Helen Evans
And there it is on Amazon, still in stock!
http://www.amazon.com/James-Bond-Dr-Graphic-Novels/dp/1845760891/ref=sr_1_12?i
e=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242059481&sr=1-12
Wonderful - Thanks, Alex.
Has anyone else read it? Is it worth buying, would you say?
Helen

Post by Alex Frazer-Harrison
Peter O'Donnell wrote the adaptation of Dr. No for the Daily Express. Titan
Books reprinted it a few years ago (the book is probably still available
through Amazon). To my knowledge it's the only Bond strip he wrote as Henry
Gammidge wrote most of the other ones published at the time.
Cheers!
Alex

[P Woods, Client Services]

Post by Helen Evans
Hi everyone
I was just wondering if any of you have read or come across any of
POD's work apart from Modesty Blaise and Madeline Brent?
(From Wikipedia:)
After the war O'Donnell began to script comic strips, including the
Daily Express adaptation of the James Bond novel, Dr. No. From
1953-1966 he wrote for Garth, and from 1956-1962 Romeo Brown (with Jim
Holdaway as an artist).

I actually grew up reading Mr O'Donnell's Garth in the Daily Mirror,
virtually learning to read on it. One of the first stories I can remember
involved a girl found floating in the sea in a large golden ball. I would
have been around 5 at the time. Many years later I managed to find this
reprinted in a French comic book format (in other words the strips were not
reproduced exactly as in the newspaper, but cut up and enlarged in places
to fit the regular comic book format. Still, a real find! Another story
which was memorable I believe took place in Scotland. There was a menacing
alien who had taken human form as a doctor. He was seemingly unstoppable,
but Garth (the strong-man hero) temporarily subdued him by firing a gas gun
at him. The alien recovered, and the next time the gun was used he was
able to adapt to the weapon, and it no longer affected him. I wish I could
remember more details.

In fact, I really wish all those early 50s Garth strips could be reprinted
- they were beautifully crafted and drawn, and would hold up well even
today. My all-time favourite _was_ reprinted years later by the Mirror, in
book format (omitting some strips) along with two Romeo Brown adventures -
that was The Last Goddess, which introduced Garth's major love interest,
Astra. Seemingly immortal, she relinquished her hold on life at the end of
the story, because she knew that Garth, being mortal, would eventually die
and this would turn her mad/evil. This youngster was very impressed by
such a sacrifice - and was delighted when Peter O'Donnell brought her back
for more adventures with Garth, when he travelled back in time to where she
was still alive. (Later Garth scribes were nowhere near as creative, and
Astra kept on turning up in the present at the drop of a hat, with no
reference to her having committed suicide in her first outing!)

Romeo Brown was also very enjoyable, a bumbling private eye. Many of the
humorous touches we see in O'Donnell/Holdaway Modesty strips are
foreshadowed here - though Romeo's adventures were always much more
slapstick, and usually involved the female lead in any given story losing
her clothes. Mr Holdaway was always very good at portraying that!

Does anyone know if enough of these strips remain in existence to make a
proper reprint edition, on the lines of the current Modesty Blaise project,
viable? I'd buy them like a shot!

Best wishes,

Paul

[Helen Evans]

Interesting, Paul, I'd never heard much about Garth or Romeo Brown -
there's very little information on either, on the internet.

Does anyone know if enough of these strips remain in existence to make a proper reprint edition, on the lines of the current Modesty Blaise project, viable?  I'd buy them like a shot!

Penguin India had plans to reprint the *entire* Garth series (never
before done) but the project is now on hold, I guess because the
publishing market is one of the many that's hurting right now. Too
bad!
But who knows, maybe they still will...

Helen

[P Woods, Client Services]

Post by Helen Evans
Interesting, Paul, I'd never heard much about Garth or Romeo Brown -
there's very little information on either, on the internet.

Enthused by my Garth memories, I just searched Garth (comic strip) on
Wikipedia, and reckon that the two early strips that I mentioned must have
been: "The Golden Sphere and "The Fantastic Doctor Quyn". I waited for
the paper to arrive each morning to see what would happen next!

The first Astra story was, of course, "The Last Goddess".

Cheers,

Paul

[Helen Evans]

I was sent one Garth strip at some point, and can't remember by
whom... unfortunately it didnt' make much sense to me without the
context! - wish I could read a whole story.
You should be able to view it here:
Loading Image...

Helen

[Julie Berk]

I'm pretty sure I found my copy of Mr Fothergill's Murder right on the shelf
at Foyles or Dillons - many years ago!

Post by Helen Evans
I have a treasuerd copy of 'Mr. Fothergill's Murder' that I came
across on Ebay after trying for YEARS to find it.. apart from that,

[Alex Frazer-Harrison]

Hi all

The only copy I've ever seen of this was at the University of Saskatchewan
library some 20 years ago. Might still be there.

Cheers!

Alex

Post by Julie Berk
I'm pretty sure I found my copy of Mr Fothergill's Murder right on the shelf
at Foyles or Dillons - many years ago!

Post by Helen Evans
I have a treasuerd copy of 'Mr. Fothergill's Murder' that I came
across on Ebay after trying for YEARS to find it.. apart from that,