01/03/2020
While ago I saw on Netflix the film ‘I Kill Giants’ directed by Anders Walter and starring Madison Wolfe - which I enjoyed.
Few days later I found in my library the comic book by writer Joe Kelly and artist Ken Nimura from which the film had been adapted.
I read and enjoyed that.
It got me to musing on how we read comics.

21/02/2020
Exhibition of the work of Polish born cartoonist Andrzej Krauze.
22nd February - 17th May.2020

Though you need to be in Poland to see it.
It is on at Zachęta – National Gallery of Art in Warsaw.
Poland has a long and distinguished history in graphic art.

12/04/2020
Result. Dundee University are to take the entire collection
The university has graduate and post graduate courses in Comics and Graphic Novels in both design and in literature degrees.

30/01/2020
‘Superheroes Never Die,Comics and Jewish memories'

22/01/2020
Here listed the comics that are part of the collection over 500 publications I would like to give to anyone who can collect, care for, and make them available , ,

14/01/2020
Here a list of the graphic novels that are part of the collection that is on offer to anyone who can collect, care for, and make it available to folk with an interest in comics and comic history.

05/01/2020
So far there has been no response to my offer to give my comic book library to any worthy recipient. Worthy in this instance meaning an establishment that will make them available to the public and/or students.
The list of books on comic history appears a few blogs over.
As further enticement below is a list of the ‘Collected Editions’ that come with this amazing offer.

01/12/2019
Recently I came across two items about comic’s favourite creator who should have had a role in the Harry Potter movies, Alan Moore.
One, stemming from his daughter Leah Moore, concerned Alan’s treatment by the American comics industry and his reaction to it.

19/11/ 2019
Comic-book library anyone?
I have lots of comics and comic related books. Recently I took the trouble to list them. Comics 263. Collected Editions 155. Graphic Novels 58. Publications devoted to individual artists 17. Other (books, magazines, catalogues) 55. History 39, Not all of them are in perfect condition but the majority are good.

22/10/2019
Tate Britain
Millbank
London SW1P 4RG
11 September 2019 – 2 February 2020

Tate Britain is open until 22.00 on the first Friday of each month for Late at Tate Britain(except January)

The Tate want potential visitors "to be aware that the art of William Blake contains strong and sometimes challenging imagery, including some depictions of cruelty, suffering, sexual violence and the brutal treatment of enslaved people.

05/10/2019
These images are of prints made from my work.
They are fine-art prints, limited editions numbered and signed by me.
They are hand-made by established professional printer, with an MA from the Royal College, Jonas Ranson.

26/09/2019
This is here courtesy of the old boys network.
The old boys in this instance being John, Alan and I.

23/10/2019
It took a while – a combination of red tape (theirs) and ineptitude (mine) delayed my Netflix payment but now it’s mine (It’s mine! It’s mine I tell you! All mine! ). Seems things are moving as planned with the proposed Button Man movie and I have ordered a new bed.
Saw a report (see link below) that Netflix are planning to spend lots more money on creating content in the UK.

15/09/2019
These are pictures I made in Paint some time ago. They were planned for a project I have since given up on.
Here now cos, . . . well why not?
All Judges shown, corporeal or supernatural, are copyright Rebellion Publishing

21/08/2019
Art Spiegelman, comic historian. Pulitzer Prize winner and creator of ‘Maus’, wrote an essay for inclusion in the Folio Society’s proposed compilation of golden age Marvel comics. The essay gives a succinct history of the American comics industries birth and early development. While America was debating whether to join in the war against Hitler’s Germany some comic creators, many of whom were Jews, had their characters fighting fascism - most famously Captain America punching Herr Hitler.

04/08/2019
Seen a few comics this week.
Only one made me smile. That was 2000AD.
It was the Judge Dredd strip, ‘Control’ that did it. Not for the humour of the story ( which featured un-chuckle-worthy piles of dead bodies, an insane murderer in law-enforccr uniform, and the titular hero blinded and buried up to his neck) but for the sheer pleasure of looking at Chris Weston’s artwork.
He does so much and with such authority it is a joy to see him at work.

I picture Chris in the purpose built Norwegian-pine shed he uses as a studio, on his ergonomic stool.

14/07/2019
Una edición en español de 'The Beatles Story ha estado disponible desde diciembre de 2018. publicada por Norma Editorial
Disculpas - debería haberlo mencionado en el momento ..
Ahora también hay una edición alemana publicada por Dark Dragon Books.

Seit Dezember 2018 ist eine spanische Ausgabe von 'The Beatles Story' bei Norma Editorial erhältlich
Entschuldigung - sollte es zu der Zeit erwähnt haben ..
Es gibt jetzt auch eine deutsche Ausgabe von Dark Dragon Books

A Spanish edition of 'The Beatles Story has been available since December 2018.

07/07/2019
Yossel: April 19, 1943’ by Joe Kubert
DC Comics
This is not your regular comic book.
First because technically it is not a sequential pictorial narrative with the story told in pictures with added words. Rather it is illustrated text. Great illustrations, moody and emotional, but it is the text that tells the story.
And then there is it’s subject
It is a first person narrative, initially from teenager Yossel, living in the Warsaw ghetto created by the Nazis to contain Jews. The conceit is that Yossel has been a reader of American super-hero comics.

23/06/2019
Email at the website contact address. is presently not available to me. Some technical thing. Been this way for a week or so. Apologies should anyone be awaiting a reply.
Normal service will be restored as soon as possible.

Above: Charles Sellon and W.C. Fields in ‘It’s a Gift’)

18/05/2019
Update May 18th.
Martin Shaw can cease resting assured.

Agreements have been reached, contracts have been signed, forms filled in to allow payment free from USA income tax.
The latter significant since I believe John and I getting part payment ( we haven't yet) signals that Brian Helgeland has begun, or is beginning, to write the screen play,
Trying not to be too optimistic - years ago Dreamworks had also had scripts written but that didn't stop them from later dropping their plan to make the movie..

If you are wondering - and why wouldn't you be?

11/05/2019
The British Museum is presenting the largest exhibition dedicated to manga ever held outside Japan.
May 23rd - August 26th.
Room 30, British Museum,
Great Russell Street, London,
WC1B 3DG

Members free
Adult £19.50
Under 16 free Accompanied by a paying adult
Groups £16 per person. Monday – Friday only (10 or more people, phone booking only, group organiser goes free)
Senior £16. £9.75 after 12.00 on Mondays (phone booking and walk-up only)
Student and 16–18 years £16. 2-for-1 tickets on Fridays
Unemployed person £16.

22/04/2019
I\ am not so good with Reality. Comics served this discomfort with actuality by being largely fantasy and escapism of one sort or another. “Based on real life” as the intro to TV or film is always a good reason not to watch it.
One piece of reality is bothering me though – what is happening to our climate.
Comics have dealt with real life concerns - questions of racism, sexism, fascism, gender issues and homophobia - even in the outlandish setting of Superhero worlds. There are documentary and autobiographical comics.

28/03/2019
It is no secret that I have a bit of a thing about Captain Marvel, the 1940’s version.
http://www.arthurranson.com/blog/will-real-captain-marvel-please-stand

In that piece I suggested I might well go to see the film ‘Shazam’. In the event, encouraged by all the positive headlines, I have just seen the “Captain Marvel’ movie. The positive headlines seem to have been largely due to this film being seen as a ‘good thing’ because it is that rare thing, a female-led superhero film. The female hero is front and centre, the independently driving force of the story.

15/03/2019'
A possibility I was aware of but now publicly announced in the show biz mag Variety', Netflix intend to make a Button Man movie.
Having only myself heard this confirmation an hour or so I am still a little shell-shocked.
Here is a link to the announcement -

https://variety.com/2019/film/news/netflix-button-man-director-brian-he…

I am going to make myself a cup of tea

11/03/2019
Recently reported that my local library had closed its graphic novels section. http://www.arthurranson.com/blog/stolen-comics
Seems I was misinformed or they have had a change of heart since on my last visit there it was in all its glory with a wide variety of great books.
Since I am presently reading – ahem- a Dostoyevsky novel and feeling reading time constrained I restricted my self to taking two. But two fat ones.
“Sabrina’ written and drawn by Nick Ornaso
and . .
‘Logicomix – An Epic Search for Truth’ written by Arostolos Doxiadis and Christos H.