Wednesday 3 December 2008

Colonel Sun shines bright


NO, nothing to do with the recent James Bourne movie but a collection of the Daily Express newspaper strips adapting Kingsley Amis's one and only stab at the character. Aswell as an original story, River of Death.

Titan Books
£12.99

The strips are written by Jim Lawrence and drawn by Yaroslav Horak. And removed from their original medium, three panels daily in the newspaper, collected together like this the story is given room to breathe and really comes alive.


The book is well thought out and offers great value for money for the Bond fan who is having withdrawl symptoms since the film franchise seems to have suffered a hostile takeover by the Bourne people and kicked out a curious celluloid mutation, James Bourne, licenced thug and larger lout.

Have no fear this collection has its feet firmly in the Fleming camp. The character in these strips is very much cool, smooth, larger than life James Bond.


The book contains an introduction by Britt Ekland who doesn't give any deep insight into the character or story but is photographed with her tits to the fore, so that's okay then. Well this is James Bond, you know. Mr Sexist himself.


Much more interesting is an article looking at how Kinglsey Amis came to write the novel on which the main story is based. And an interview with comic strip writer, Jim Lawrance which is reprinted from Comics Interview 69 from way back in 1989.

Bond fans will love it

6 comments:

Chris said...

James Bourne, LOL.

I had no idea Kingsley Amis wrote this. My only exposure to him was in a highbrow college British Lit class. We read Lucky Jim.

Charles Gramlich said...

A little Freudian slip there? James Bourne! I didn't know this about Amis either.

Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin said...

Kingsley Amis wrote the novel Colonel Sun as Robert Markham. He also wrote a JAMES BOND non-fiction study. Amis was quite a Bond fan. I don't think he would have liked James Bourne either.

Anonymous said...

I think "Colonel Sun" is the best Bond pastiche by far, and the only one true to Fleming.

Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin said...

Rafe - I agree with you fully there. Although I did quite like Devil May Care.

Chris said...

Hi Gary,

I picked you for the "meme" thing going around. Hope that's okay. Looking forward to seeing your post!

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