WGTB Reviews The Life and Times of Conrad Black: A Wordless Biography

Few Canadians are more polarizing than Baron Conrad Moffat Black of Crossharbour. Born in Montreal, Quebec to beer baron George Montegu Black Jr., and his wife, the daughter of an insurance magnate, Jean Elizabeth Riley, Black was educated in such bastions of the Canadian establishment as Upper Canada College and the Trinity College School (both Toronto in the area) before completing degrees at Carleton, Laval and McGill universities, finishing in 1973. Education notwithstanding, it was seven years prior that Black started down the road towards what he is best known for – being a newspaper proprietor – when he purchased the fledgling Quebec-based Eastern Townships Advertiser in 1966. This would lead to Black and his family starting the investment company Ravelston Corporation and the systematic acquisition of newspapers across the globe over the course of the next three decades. Black and the companies he controlled would eventually go on to own such influential broadsheets as the Chicago Sun-Times, The Jerusalem Post and Britain's Daily Telegraph.
 

The Life and Times of Conrad Black: A Wordless Biography, George A. Walker, The Porcupine’s Quill, 2013, pp. 221, C$22.95

But all this would change in July 2007 when – after a very public trial – he was convicted in a Chicago court of corporate fraud and sentenced to six and a half years in a US federal prision. He would go on to serve only three and a half years after which he returned to Canada where he currently resides in a tony Toronto neighbourhood. The Life and Times of Conrad Black: A Wordless Biography by George A. Walker is an unorthodox treatment of the above story done through 100 prints of wood engravings. So while this book is not a graphic novel in the conventional sense of the phrase, it is nevertheless a very interesting take on one of the most loquacious and controversial Canadian exports of recent memory.

Lord Black, the Baron of Crossharbour was given a Life Peerage by British Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2001. This was opposed by Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, who citing the 1919 Nickle Resolution, a motion in the Canadian House of Commons that prevented Canadians from recieving British honours, forced the two parties to go to court. The case Black v Chretien in the Ontario Court of Appeal saw Black lose his case and subsequently give up his Canadian citizenship. All images from The Life and Times of Conrad Black.    

The book starts with a well written introduction by the author who explains the purpose and goal of the book, making it clear this is not a hit piece and should not be viewed as one. Rather, the book tells the story of Conrad Black's life through masterfully crafted images and transitions one image at a time from his earliest beginnings to his resettlement in Canada after prison. As a long-time reader of comics, I have often heard that the panels of graphic storytelling should be thought of as the highlight moments of a longer narrative such as a TV show, film or novel and this book takes that to an extreme. In 100 images you see such mountains as Black being made a member of the Order of Canada and valleys as his incarceration by the US government. Other significant images include meeting Pope John Paul II, a significant event for a convert Roman Catholic and Black sweeping the floor of a prison cell. 

Conrad Black after purchasing the Daily Telegraph. The "Torygraph" was an extension of Black's conservative ideology in the UK.    

Pope John Paul II was a towering figure in conservative politics of the 1980s and Black, having been received into the Church in 1986, would not have missed an opportunity to meet the pontiff.

But it would all come crashing down in 2007 when Conrad Black was convicted of fraud in a Chicago court.

This is an interesting book and as mentioned, a very unorthodox telling of Conrad Black’s story. As a work of art it is a very well done and an accomplishment in so many ways. It does lack as a work of history; not having the information to give readers a sense of who this man is. But that's clearly not the point, and the book in so many ways is a superlative expression of Black's flawed and complicated humanity. And in this respect it's very good. When Black achieves, he is represented as doing such. When he fails, he is fairly represented as well. In this reviewers mind, the above cited image of Baron Black of Crossharbour sweeping a prison floor remains the most potent and is emblematic of not only Black's failings, but how fleeting each and every one of our own successes can be. With a $22 price point it is an expensive purchase for what amounts to a half hour read, but it is still an interesting and well crafted work of art. Read in conjunction with a solid history, it would certainly be valuable at highlighting the key moments in Conrad Black's life, giving the reader a much better sense of who Lord Black is.  

Admittedly, before his fall from grace, I was an admirer of Black and this is what attracted me to the book. Having read his books on US presidents Roosevelt and Nixon, I continue to admire him as an historian, but as a convicted felon the lasting image I'll have of him is that of carrying Bankers Boxes of corporate documents from his Toronto office. Nevertheless, like the subject of the book or not, The Life and Times of Conrad Black: A Wordless Biography and its 200 images is a remarkable account of the life of a remarkable individual and a very interesting "read" overall.  4/5 STARS

WGTB Reviews Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance

I first read Morrissey and Marr: The Severed Alliance sometime back in the mid 1990s. It was dog-eared copy I had borrowed from a friend and to be honest, I didn’t get very far -- keeping it largely as a locker accessory to boost my bona fides when it came to musical knowledge. Since then however, Severed Alliance has become famous and is now considered among the best books on a musical group. And it was with this in mind that upon coming across the 20th anniversary edition, I decided to finally give it the reading I should have decades ago. Having remained a fan of the Smiths (and of both Morrissey and Marr) since, I also knew it would be fun reading about one of the most famous musical duos to come out of the 80s.  

Morrissey and Marr: The Severed Alliance, 20th Anniversary Edition, Johnny Rogan, Omnibus Press, 2012, pp. 624,  £14.95

To say the book is a tour de force is an understatement. Coming in at 624 pages (including extensive footnoting), Severed Alliance begins with a detailed account of Morrissey and Marr’s familial roots in Ireland, complete with smatterings of both Irish and British political and sociological history to provide context for the eventual moves to England. From there it discusses the early careers of both: Morrissey as a prolific writer of letters to the musical press and eventual author of his own pamphlet-book on the New York Dolls, and Marr as an precocious and thorough student of popular music. Along the way we are also treated to a detailed description of the UK’s music scene of the 70s and 80s which provides important context as to backdrop of the Smiths’ development. This all culminates with the eventual first encounter of the eventual bandmates, instigated by Johnny’s friend Rob Allman at Morrissey’s house Stretford, Manchester.

From there it’s on to an account of the rise of the Smiths as a four person ensemble; the writing of their earliest songs and the methods in which Morrissey and Marr went about creating their art. Of course, by reading Severed Alliance in 2013, one is able to do so with the Smiths’ entire catalogue close and this is a real advantage. I can’t tell you how many times I had to stop reading and listen to them. Rogan does a great job analysing the Smiths’ canon and this has led to a new appreciation of music I have literally listened to for decades.  

Along with a command of the music, Severed Alliance is also good at explaining the business side of the group and how important this was to its overall being. In the past, Morrissey has expressed displeasure with this book, and this is probably because Rogan pulls no punches with regard to contractual aspects of the band and in places really airs the dirty linen. In these sections we also learn about the Smiths importance to the fledgling Rough Trade records and Morrissey and Marr’s dominance of the financial affairs of the band, all of which eventually led to the legal case Joyce v Morrissey and Others before the Royal Courts of Justice in the 1990s. The legal aspect of the Smiths' history was beyond the scope of the book, but subsequent research done during the trial shows that Rogan did not let his project end, and the litigation did contribute to the revised edition. 

Reading books on musical groups can seem like a somewhat pointless activity in an era of near instantaneous pop culture information. But even with the internet, Severed Alliance provides in one volume a thorough analysis of the Smiths and the two personalities that drove this band during its short existence. The opening chapters about Morrissey’s Irish background seemed a little excessive in places, but this minor failing aside, the writing is great (at times being as poetic as Morrissey's himself) and this book tells the facinating story of the Smiths in a comprehensive and engaging way. Because of this, Morrissey and Marr: The Severed Alliance is a very enjoyable book and would make a great addition to any indie/alternative music aficionado’s library. 4.5/5 STARS      

British Markets & War Comics

First off, my apologies for not writing in almost a month. Between exams, meetings, jet lag and weddings, I've been busier and more tired than ever. But after a month long hiatus from writing, things are somewhat back to normal and I hope to get some comic reviews and features out in short order. Today's piece mixes comics and travel and I hope you enjoy it. 

Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill.

When you visit London (or most any other British city) sooner or later you happen upon a market that sells almost anything. London is full of them and a couple weeks ago I visited one of that city's most famous: The Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill. It was featured in a Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts film a couple years back and remains a major tourist attraction.

There's a mix of British and American comics to be found in the book stalls of most UK markets.

...along with other cool books

...action figures and toys

...and suits of armour. This is England, after all!

While there wasn't a lot of comics related items, there were the usual sequential art gems that I've noticed consistently show up at these markets. These includes the magazine-sized British editions of American comics, late 80s and early 90s US comics and some cool British war comics, of which I bought these three:  

Published from the late 1950s these comics differ quite a bit from American comics. They are smaller (7 x 5.5 inches) and have on average two black and white panels with a typed font on the page. Having about 66-68 pages per book, they result in about the same length of a modern comic and the art is good and realistic. Their coolest feature however is their fantastic insight into an idealized vision of British machismo and patriotism in the post-war period. 

For example, The Railway of Death story tells the tale of ne'er-do-wells from a Scottish suburb nicknamed 'The Shambles' and how a benevolent army Lt. Colonel persuades the courts to allow them to become a regiment in lieu of going to jail after a major brawl. Along the way they encounter a rough training process, burnt down canteens and class-based prejudice from an established English county regiment before eventually becoming the victorious defenders of British India. 

In a Bridge on the River Kwai-type story, these 'Jocks' (a somewhat archaic and mildly derogatory nick-name for Scotsmen) do their duty against the Japanese.

Before that they were getting into street fights in 'The Shambles'...

...and feeling age old British class based prejudice from a 'County' regiment of 'Guardsmen'. 

They made mistakes along the way...

..but eventually found their way as good British soldiers. This was from the final splash. 

In the book Special Force there is a similar story of redemption in the military setting. Here a naval Commando on manned torpedoes or 'chariots' washes out after a failed mission in France. From there he decides to leave the navy to join a parachute regiment only to soon be forced to team with his old colleagues to destroy a German dam.

'Special Forces' largely developed in the Second World War.

This story features chariots or manned torpedos.

... and the paratroopers.

and redemption -- all with the goal of beating the 'Jerries'.

The book The Lost Army by Commando War Stories in Pictures* was  different. This book told the story of action in the African desert, albeit with an archaeological twist. These 'Britishers' while trying to take out the treacherous 'Jerries' and led by a brainy corporal named Bill 'Prof' Stanley get help from some unlikely allies: a lost ancient Persian Army.

Mixing ancient history and modern warfare, this book was somewhat different from the previous two.

In a story fitting of Indiana Jones, these are not ghosts but descendants of an ancient army. It's never explained how these men reproduced for a hundred generations or how they find food in the middle of the North African desert, but those niceties are not needed. The fact is they help the British defeat the Germans and destroy the secret Afrika Korps base. Blimey! 

Persians and British fighting the Jerries in the desert.

A great closing splash from The Lost Army.

If you're ever in the UK and visit a market you'll be sure to find some of these cool old war comics. The Railway of Death was published by IPC Magazines 1972 (first in 1961), Special Forces by IPC Magazines in 1980 and The Lost Army by Commando in 1974 (first in 1966). They offer great insight into the British mentality during post-war period and are a cool comics souvenir. Please feel free to leave a comment if you've come across some cool comics-related items in your own personal travels. 

*Commando War Stories in Pictures has been publishing from the early 1960s and still publishes today.