A bumper selection of random images.

 

The first two are from the 1968 Valiant Annual.

 

I think this 1950 french poster is telling you not to take your lottery winnings with you when you go diving. Good advice.

 

I believe these toys were given away a number of times over the years. This one is from the '50s.

 

From a 2068 issue of TV21, some Frank Bellamy underwater action.

 

From the '90s.

 

A NAUI publication from 1962.

 

This design sheet by Alex Toth is from the '70s cartoon series Sealab 2020. No, I've never seen it either.

 

Is it just me is there something slightly homo-erotic about this one?

 

And finally, a bit of Bond.

 

 

Tags: The Art of Diving

Sorry, that should be "Rex" Special!

Artist Gil Kane (real name Eli Katz, 1926-2000) had a career that spanned six decades. He worked on the revamped Green Lantern and Atom for DC in the 50s and 60s and later drew Spider-Man for Marvel. During the 70s he was Marvel's primary cover artist. However, I'm confident that he considered his seven year run on Rex the Wonder Dog to be the pinnacle of his career!

 

Rex, a former military dog, was owned by Major Dennis and his son Danny. In issue 27 from 1956 he was faced with the Mystery of the Midget Sub! And no, your eyes aren't decieving you, that really is scuba gear that Rex is using!

 

 Following a nuclear test, Major Dennis is checking the sea bed for signs of radiation. As you do. Danny and Rex become concerned when he doesn't surface as scheduled........

Danny and Rex follow a trail of pearls when suddenly the shadow of a giant ray falls across them......

Continuing to follow the pearls, our intrepid pair find a sunken ship. As they watch, a midget submarine leaves the wreck and proceeds to destroy it with a torpedo.....

Following the sub to the surface, Danny and Rex rescue Major Dennis from thieves who had sunk the ship so that they could retrieve the cargo of pearls later.

 

Two years later, in issue 42, Rex was involved in more aquatic adventures.........

 

This time he eschews the use of scuba gear to show off his extaordinary breath-holding abilities.

 

Danny is told that Bluebeard's treasure is somewhere nearby but he's more interested in finding specimens for his town's aquarium.....

 I'd love to know what Nora's tanks are made of that they can be "ripped" by coral! 

Nora agrees to help Danny and they go diving the following day but Rex is worried because he senses a storm coming. During one of their dives Rex spots trouble and gets to repeat his shark fighting trick.......

No sooner has Rex dealt with the octopus than the storm causes the cave to collapse, sealing the treasure inside. Fear not though because Danny and Nora escape thanks to Rex, the Wonder Dog!

Tags: The Art of Diving

I've been a bit busy lately and haven't had a chance to give the blog my full attention but will hopefully be back to normal soon. In the meantime, why not relax and have a refreshing glass of pop (other soft drinks are available).

Artwork by Bob Peak, 1964.

Tags: The Art of Diving

In my recent blog entry The Art of Diving Goes to the Movies, I pointed out the similarity between Bill Baker's cover for Collier's magazine and one of the posters for the film Underwater! It turns out that in 1969, Vic Prezio was similarly inspired when producing this cover for Eerie magazine.

 

In February I featured a piece by A Fedin that was used in the Golden Treasury of Knowledge published in 1960. The same piece was used on the cover of the French magazine Tout l'Univers in April 1963.

 

In one of my earliest blogs I featured George Wilson's cover to Grimm's Ghost Stories #15 from 1974. Here's the story behind the cover, Treachery Below! Artwork is by Frank Bolle.

Our story opens with underwater salvage expert Mitch Marino, with his rookie assistant Steve, searching for a wreck belonging to millionaire T.D. Granson and his business partner Jacob Moore.

Writing off the ghost as the effects of nitrogen narcosis, Mitch returns to the wreck.....

Mitch tries desperately to escape from the cabin but to no avail.....

 

Tags: The Art of Diving

Another collection of gags from the good folk at Archie Comics.

 

1964. Artist unknown.

 

1971. Not signed but almost certainly Dan DeCarlo. I'm not surprised Betty's fin-socks never caught on!

 

1981. Drawn by Stan Goldberg.

 

1986. Dan DeCarlo.

 

1989. Dan & Jim DeCarlo. Archie better watch out or Betty and Veronica will be out for his blood!

 

1993. Dan DeCarlo & Alison Flood. Lines on paper, it's just lines on paper..........

 

Tags: The Art of Diving