Find-Outers Illustrators Comparisons

Enid used many illustrators in her books. Discuss them here.
Tony Summerfield
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Re: Find-Outers Illustrators Comparisons

Post by Tony Summerfield »

In defense of Joseph Abbey I do actually quite like his wraparound wrappers for the first seven books. I am guessing that his 'reign' as a Find-Outers illustrator might have been brought to an end by ill health as he was only 65 when he died in 1954. The series seemed to be cursed as the next 'batsman at the crease', Treyer Evans, died in 1958 at the age of 69 and that meant that a third illustrator had to be found for the series and Lilian Buchanan did the last three books. Fortunately she lived until she was 90 and died in 2004.
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Re: Find-Outers Illustrators Comparisons

Post by Fiona1986 »

I think the less said about Jenny's knockers the better :shock: :lol:
"It's the ash! It's falling!" yelled Julian, almost startling Dick out of his wits...
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Find-Outers Illustrators Comparisons

Post by Rob Houghton »

Tony Summerfield wrote:In defense of Joseph Abbey I do actually quite like his wraparound wrappers for the first seven books. I am guessing that his 'reign' as a Find-Outers illustrator might have been brought to an end by ill health as he was only 65 when he died in 1954. The series seemed to be cursed as the next 'batsman at the crease', Treyer Evans, died in 1958 at the age of 69 and that meant that a third illustrator had to be found for the series and Lilian Buchanan did the last three books. Fortunately she lived until she was 90 and died in 2004.
That's interesting, Tony. I guessed Abbey might have retired due to illness - but I didn't realise Treyer Evans also died.

I agree about the wrap-around wrappers. I like all of them - except the rather peculiar one for Invisible Thief, which was drawn by someone else entirely. I particularly like the dust wrapper for Pantomime Cat - even though it wasn't a wrap-around design, I love the back with the boys disguised and hiding in the bushes.

J Abbey's great strength, in my opinion, was buildings and cars etc. It was really only his figures that left a lot to be desired, and even then he was great at drawing adults. he seems a strange choice for a children's series, as he doesn't seem to have been all that good at drawing children!
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Tony Summerfield
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Re: Find-Outers Illustrators Comparisons

Post by Tony Summerfield »

You are certainly right about 'Invisible Thief', I can't imagine why Jean Main was asked to do that. The only other illustrations she did for Blyton as far as I can remember (not very far these days!) was for the original covers of the 30 Pennant Readers, this was a bit strange as Eileen Soper did all the internal illustrations and actually also redid all the covers when the series was reprinted.

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Rob Houghton
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Re: Find-Outers Illustrators Comparisons

Post by Rob Houghton »

The Pennant Readers covers are much, much better than 'Invisible Thief'! I have often wondered if jean Main was told to replicate J Abbey's drawings and lack of perspective and she overdid it! Abbey was was never this bad! :lol:
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Re: Find-Outers Illustrators Comparisons

Post by Courtenay »

Ah, I didn't realise Joseph Abbey's career was cut so short — I shouldn't be cruel about him, really. I agree, his artwork on the dust jackets is largely very good, much more realistic and appealing than many of his black-and-white drawings (a bit like how Betty Maxey's cover illustrations are in a quite different style from her internal ones, really). But yes, Jean Main's effort on Invisible Thief definitely takes the cake for the weirdest of the weird! :shock: :P
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Re: Find-Outers Illustrators Comparisons

Post by pete9012S »

Here are some front covers from different countries to peruse:


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Re: Find-Outers Illustrators Comparisons

Post by Rob Houghton »

I love how the Pantomime Cat depictions, whether British or from other countries, all attempt to make the cat look terrifying! It's ironic really, as Boysie is far from terrifying, and the cat comes over as rather pathetic in the story, if anything!

Looking in The Cave, I found it amusing that now there are two reviews of the story - a review by Imran Patel - which I totally and completely disagree with - it paints The Pantomime Cat as one of the weakest books - and describes the false clues as having no relevance to the plot - which they completely and utterly DO - and my review, which describes the book as one of the best in the series.

We need one balanced more in the middle, maybe!

Pantomime cat is certainly NOT one of the weaker books - sorry Imran - and I wouldn't describe it as 'juvenile' either. His is not the sort of review that would make anyone want to read the book. Mind you, he names 'Invisible Thief' as being 'the best book in the series'...so there's no accounting for taste, I guess! ;-)
Last edited by Rob Houghton on 12 Apr 2017, 11:07, edited 1 time in total.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
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(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Tony Summerfield
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Re: Find-Outers Illustrators Comparisons

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I quite like the top one, a Danish version of Pantomime Cat.

I hadn't seen your post, Rob, which I have now. Imran Patel was actually only a child, he was in the forums as Philip Mannering, but he departed five years ago.
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Re: Find-Outers Illustrators Comparisons

Post by Rob Houghton »

Tony Summerfield wrote:I quite like the top one, a Danish version of Pantomime Cat.
So do I. It's simple and dramatic. I also like the two Pantomime Cat ones at the bottom. The one with the ginger cat looks a bit spooky though!
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
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Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Find-Outers Illustrators Comparisons

Post by Carlotta King »

The Invisible Thief one second from the bottom completely gives away the mystery! :)
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Find-Outers Illustrators Comparisons

Post by Rob Houghton »

Yes - that's one of Treyer Evans' illustrations from inside, and I always think it spoils the end of the book - but its even worse on the cover! :lol:
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Find-Outers Illustrators Comparisons

Post by Courtenay »

That reminds me of how there's a Noddy book, Noddy Has an Adventure, for which the front and back cover illustrations give away not only who the mysterious thief is, but how Noddy and Big-Ears catch him! :P In the case of the Invisible Thief cover, I'm guessing the editors just picked what they thought was a good illustration from the story without bothering to check whether it gave too much away, but as Enid herself was of course still very much around when that Noddy book was first published, I'm surprised she apparently didn't raise any objection to a cover with such glaring spoilers...

(On the other hand, the target audience for a Noddy book might not pay too much attention to the cover anyway. I think I was about 7 when I first read that one, and even as a somewhat older reader than Enid presumably had in mind, I recall the denouement was a surprise, so I obviously couldn't have looked too carefully at the cover illustrations! :wink: )
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Find-Outers Illustrators Comparisons

Post by Rob Houghton »

That was one of my favourite Noddy books as a child - and I, too, read some of the Noddy books when I was older than the intended age - maybe even as old as 8 or 9. I liked Noddy Has An Adventure because it always seemed more 'adult' (only because of the 'adventure' part! I also thought how thrilling it would be to make a cardboard postbox and hide in it and no one would ever know it wasn't real, lol!! ;-)
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Find-Outers Illustrators Comparisons

Post by Courtenay »

Rob Houghton wrote:I also thought how thrilling it would be to make a cardboard postbox and hide in it and no one would ever know it wasn't real, lol!! ;-)
Well, in a toy village like Noddy's, one probably could get away with it... :lol: :wink:
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