Lucky Luke: Billy the Kid
by Morris & Goscinny, trans. Luke Spear (Cinebook Ltd, 2006) [Original French language version published in Spirou magazine, 1962]
Morris’ illustrations are as playful as ever but Goscinny’s script lacks the usual sparkle, overmuch being made of the central conceit (ie. that notorious outlaw Billy the Kid is an actual child) and in-story repetitions similar to those in Goscinny’s Asterix stories.
A Lemon-Yellow Elephant called Trunk
by Barbara Softly; ill. Tony Veale (Chatto, Boyd & Oliver, 1971)
What seems at first a tale of whimsy turns instead into a rather clumsily executed parable of individual worth and acceptance. Thankfully Tony Veale draws a creditable elephant (and round-snouted giraffes). The floating artwork and limited use of colours leave an impression.
The Complete Peanuts: 1961 to 1962
by Charles M. Schulz (Fantagraphics Books, 2006)
By the early 60s, Schulz has more or less perfected his Peanuts strip: droll adult wit filtered through the eyes and actions of children (plus the irrepressible Snoopy) and interspersed with tour-de-force visual humour. This is a particularly good volume for Linus.
Neuromancer
by William Gibson (Ace, 1984); audiobook read by Jeff Harding (Bolinda, 2014)
Though ground-breaking, Neuromancer in retrospect seems more a writers’ guide for cyberpunk than a fully-fledged work, its constituent parts being 5% plot, 35% characterisation and 60% overlay. Appreciation of the audiobook will depend largely on one’s tolerance for Harding’s hardboiled noir drawl.
P.G. Wodehouse: An Illustrated Biography
by Joseph Connolly (Eel Pie, 1981)
A light and breezy biography with plenty of black-and-white photos (not all of which are of any great relevance to the text). There’s not much substance here but it’s a decent enough introduction. Contains a complete Wodehouse bibliography with notes for collectors.
The Downhill Crocodile Whizz and Other Stories
by Margaret Mahy; ill. Jon Riley (Puffin, 1987)
The lead story doesn’t do justice to this collection. Where ‘The Downhill Crocodile Whizz’ is merely frivolous, the nine subsequent tales offer imagination of substance, combining fairy-tale whimsy with offbeat social observations and gently eccentric worldbuilding. Jon Riley’s illustrations egg the pudding.
Transformers: The Movie
dir. Nelson Shin (1986)
A truly execrable piece of stream-of-consciousness filmmaking, taking the very worst aspects of television cartoons, action movies, Japanese SF, the 1980s (in general) and synth-metal fusion soundtracks (in gruelling particular) and throwing them together with disastrous effect. No wonder Orson Welles died.
The Silver Pigs
by Lindsey Davis (1989); audiobook read by Christian Rodska (Bolinda, 2015)
The mystery doesn’t amount to much or even feature heavily in this long-ish debut novel. The Ancient Roman setting, however, is refreshing in its detail and Didius Falco (history’s first down-and-out detective!) has a certain appeal, especially as voiced by Christian Rodska.
Cade: Galaxy’s Edge
by Douglas Hill (Bantam, 1996)
A slightly awkward blend of MG and YA space opera. There’s action aplenty but sections of the prose are remarkably clunky for an author of Hill’s calibre. This first book establishes Cade (an Artful Dodger type) and the universe he operates in.
Duckula and the Ghost Train Mystery
by John Broadhead (Carnival, 1988)
Capturing the spirit of the Count Duckula cartoons was never going to be easy, and Broadhead seems determined to show it. With prose as bland as the sorely missed soul-funk theme song is zany, this book offers nothing beyond the cover art.