Review - Elvis: Hero of the Comic Books

Respected Elvis author and reviewer, Gordon Minto, recently put on his reviewer’s cap to take on what he rightly describes as “a strange landscape” of how Elvis is portrayed in comic books (aka sequential art), a subject, which until now, has not been well covered or understood.

Read Gordon’s detailed review to discover why he found the book to be “refreshingly different, extremely eye-catching, well-researched and well-written, while offering a new slant on things”.  Here is what Minto wrote:

As fans and collectors are well aware, the number of books written about Elvis is staggering.  Certainly, I could not begin to quantify – or even guess - how many there have been.  Many years ago – in late 1988 - when Elvis The Man And His Music magazine first appeared in the UK, I tried to do a round-up of the major publications about Elvis under the generic title of 'It’s Only Words' which was an attempt to sort the super stuff from the shit. 

And now I understand that Nigel Patterson (the author of this particular book) has taken on that unenviable (and, may I say, extremely bold) task for a future book project. Since 1988, of course, fans and collectors have been deluged with all sorts of different types of books – some truly wonderful, while others have been, sadly, woeful. 

But if the volume of books available is surprising then so too is the range of approaches and slants that various authors have taken in writing about Elvis, both directly (as in addressing biographical stuff relating to his life and work in both music and films – subjects with which I am very familiar) and tangentially – basically looking at any topic or area of experience in which Elvis features heavily, gets a mention, or is linked to in some ways. And so, it makes for a pleasant change that this book is as far away as you can get from the self-serving ‘kiss-and-tell’, ‘Elvis always regarded me as his best buddy …’ ‘Elvis really only loved me’ sort of fluff (or BS), that has blighted much of the literary output for many years. So, what is it, and what does it set out to do? Let me try to explain, though I have to admit that I’m unlikely to do this full justice as there’s just so much to describe and explain, plus I’m still trying to get my head around the concepts. 

As it says at the beginning of the book, ‘Elvis Hero of the Comic Books' showcases the continuing impact and influence of Elvis Presley through the medium of “sequential art”, including comic books, graphic biographies, graphic novels, comic strips, caricatures’ and I suppose this synthesizes what it’s about. The author (who draws on an impressive array of sources and references) then goes on to explain in more detail what he is writing about and defining what is generally understood by the various terms in use and how each of the components - referred to above - differ. Happily, what he writes is well-informed, intelligent, accessible, and well-constructed, and helps guide the reader through what may, to some, be a strange landscape. And I include myself in that group. 

Needless to say, this does not appear to be the first such work on the topic but, based on what I have seen, I think it’s safe to say it is probably the most comprehensive and well-illustrated by a country mile. Inevitably, some of the material included has been available before – for example, the well-trodden Captain Marvel link - but all of that is duly credited, and Patterson’s book breaks new ground in terms of its sheer scope, drawing together in one place many of the disparate elements connected with its central topic. And that’s a key point with any work of substance. It’s perfectly acceptable that folks revisit old topics (I do it all the time in my own writings), as long as they’re not simply rehashing stuff but rather bringing something new and original to the table and building on what has gone before. And if you break new ground in the process, and enhance the reader’s understanding of the subject, then that’s a real bonus. 

There’s a parallel here with the various books that have been available over the years dealing with some of Elvis’s films, for example, the ever-popular 'Jailhouse Rock'. While some may have bemoaned the idea of ‘another book on Jailhouse Rock’ when FTD made its surprise announcement to do another a couple of years ago, the end result was stunning and its author, David English (and Pal Granlund), was fully vindicated for their decision to revisit this iconic movie, especially as they revealed so much that was not in the public domain. Critically, each subsequent book on the same general topic had built on its predecessor but, importantly, in each case had surpassed in a significant way what had gone before thus, in my view, fully justifying its existence. 

Nonetheless, when invited to review this book, I must confess to being somewhat bemused by the title, though I was very familiar with the reference Elvis made when he received his award as one of the ten Outstanding Young Men Of The Year in January 1971. The ‘blurb’ surrounding the book presented another off-shoot that, hitherto, I was more or less unaware of – though I knew from my very distant childhood about comics or, as they are now often known - sequential art. 

Despite being a great admirer of the late Ger Rijff’s work in general (I was gratified to see the book is dedicated to him and that he warrants a section of his own – with not a bootleg in sight!) and having always loved his spoof artwork (I worked with him on a number of projects and was privileged to call him a friend), I must also confess to not being very well up on any of these things which, like many other artistic ventures, had simply passed me by. No, on second thoughts, rewind that bit: I came to this topic as a complete novice. For once though, perhaps that’s not too great an impediment, as I came with no (well almost no) preconceptions. 

Other than my experience of reading comics as a child - which I enjoyed and then ‘grew out of’ - since that time they have held no interest for me in any regard, irrespective of who was involved, including Elvis, or what they were about. That said, I don’t mean this sound dismissive, as I am very aware that it is folly to equate comics – or to use its ‘Sunday’ name, ‘sequential art’! – with just children. Big mistake. The format, like animated film, has many adult adherents who, rightly, promote this as a serious art form that transcends age, social, ethnic, cultural - and many other barriers. Indeed, comic books can - and often do - reflect historical and contemporary events in a vivid, sometimes provocative, way and have encompassed things like the Vietnam War, the Cold War, as well as focusing on major personalities such as President Kennedy, The Beatles and, of course, Elvis. Equally, the themes and approaches vary considerably too, as Patterson makes clear in his text. Also the medium has many valuable educational applications. 

At this juncture, I’m reminded that throughout my many years as a fan and collector, I have frequently been mesmerised by the artistic endeavours of fellow fans who seemed to be able to capture Elvis’s likeness in drawings, sketches or paintings. As someone who can barely draw a straight line, invariably I have been awed by their efforts – though I’ve never given any serious thought to collecting such material. But of course, the kind of sequential art we’re looking at in this book – covering a myriad of different sources and types – reveals the extent of Elvis’s influence. 

In simple terms – very simple terms! – comics represent a combination of visual art and text which tells a story or makes some moral, political or philosophical point, though the intention may be simply to entertain and amuse the reader. And that’s worth bearing in mind for some of the artwork presented in this book is not only top-class in terms of how well its done but it can also be very funny and thought-provoking, a testament to the skilled writers involved too. It is, of course, highly interactive and personal. And unlike a film or television programme whereby, unless you’re accessing a recording, you cannot skip ahead with the narrative – you can do that with a comic. Done well, the graphics can (and do) tell the story vividly and capture the reader’s imagination in a way that many other art forms cannot do. 

Perhaps it’s a poor analogy, but I’d liken it to listening to music using headphones or by listening through speakers. In the case of the latter, it can be less demanding on the attention (you can hold a conversation, watch the TV, or read while listening, but then you risk missing a great deal), while the former is usually an immersive and deeply personal experience in which you are constantly reminded of the detail on offer – but only if you pay attention! 

This massive book - beautifully illustrated and visually highly pleasing to the eye - is worth looking into. On browsing through it, I experienced an array of responses, finding it amusing, fascinating, poignant, arresting, risible, grotesque, alarming and preposterous, by turn. In short, no one looking at this is likely to be indifferent to what is on offer. For example, I laughed out loud at the illustration on page 277 - Elvis Poultry Jailhouse Bawk The Coop Sessions Plus Studio Outtakes – In Squawking Stereo! 

Essentially, the artwork speaks for itself without too much by way of notes or commentary. And while the major part of the content is Nigel’s work, the dazzling front cover artwork is the work of Kees Mouwen, who’s done a great job of making this book stand out, capturing the comic book ‘look’ from the 1960s and later works. 

Undoubtedly, the author - who clearly knows his stuff inside out - deserves credit for producing a book that is refreshingly different, extremely eye-catching and - top of my list for any book - is well-researched and well-written, while offering a new slant on things. Without a shadow of a doubt, this work speaks of tireless research (something my long-time writing partner John Townson and I are all too familiar with) and a level of commitment that is impressive. Despite its comic nature (no pun intended), it is a serious piece of work with a scholarly text that skirts close to being overly serious at times but, thankfully, stops short of being pretentious. 

Finally, while not ducking the issue, the question of whether or not I like it personally – or would consider buying it – is, largely, irrelevant, for what is beyond doubt is that if this kind of thing (or subject matter) holds any appeal for you then you’re likely to love it and want it in your Elvis library. Sure, it won’t appeal to everyone (please note there’s only a few well-known images of the actual Elvis included), but that’s true of most things. One man’s meat and all that … But no one is likely to be unimpressed by the visuals. Full marks all round to those involved in producing such an unusual - and, I’m tempted to say, idiosyncratic - book and putting it out there for all to see. 

Interview

Read the interview with >>> Nigel Patterson for more background and previews of this book.

Buy The Book

If you like what Gordon Minto wrote, here is how to get the book. The hardback (8 x 10 inches) edition is available from the >>> Blurb webshop and the softcover edition is available on Amazon sites like >>> Amazon U.S. and >>> Amazon Germany (associate links). 

Australian based fans interested in a signed copy of the softcover can contact Nigel Patterson at: smorgasboard777@gmail.com for a special price offer.

© Review Gordon Minto - August 2024.