I stumbled across a copy of “The Okay Adventure Annual,” ahybrid of a comic-book collection and a pulp magazine published out ofLondon around 1955, while browsing through auction listings on theinternet.
The hardcover book feature five or six text features along with reprintcomic strips. I initially found it because it had several old Plastic Manadventures inside. Beyond good ole Plas, there were a few other QualityComics characters, including Doll Man, Arizona Raines, Jeb Rivers andTwo Gun Lil, among others.
Despite searching the Web for Plastic Man stuff, I found myselfparticularly enamoured with this totally great cover. I mean how canyou resist rocket ships, dinosaurs, jungle explorers, jeeps andgrenades all in one package? Perfect if you ask me.
The cover illustrated a short story by David Roberts called “The Monsters of Matto Grosso.” Thetale unfolds as three strapping scientists plummet back to Earth afterriding their rocket 10,000 miles into space. The three Brits have abumpy landing on a South American plateau, far away from civilization.
Rather than wait for a rescue team to find them, the explorers set outwith their Jeep across the rugged jungle, only to come across some veryangry and very hungry dinosaurs.
Naturally, the group is shocked by finding live dinosaurs roamingabout, but not too shocked, since they start shooting and throwinggrenades at the prehistoric beasts.
From there, the chase is on as they’re hunted by dinos as they work their way to a river that can whisk them away to safety.
——————————–
More data: Even beyond the comic-book stories, the book is chocked full of line drawings and has color sporadically. It contains138 pages. No publisher or copyright date is visible, though it may have had one on its spine.
The cover art was created by “D. McLoughlin,” which probably refers to Denis McLoughlin,a well-known British illustrator. Interior art, including an original”snap shot page,” table of contents, title page and “write your name here” page is uncredited. The book is clearly a British book. I bought it from a London bookseller and text stories inside have British spellings.
Does this contain any stories of the Blackhawks? The contents of these annuals are a pain to ferret out as no one, it seems, has collated that data. Thanks!!!Bob
No there is no appearance of the Blackhawks in this book.