Derelict Odeon. Out of town cinema multiplexes replaced cinemas long ago in smaller towns. This sorry looking monolith in central Hartlepool was once an Odeon as you will see from the familiar '30s outline and faded ghost-sign. It seems there was an unsuccessful attempt to turn it into an 'American Bar' (see Pool/Snooker sign) and its frontage seems to have been host to a number of shops now abandoned and crumbling. One faint shop fascia which caught my eye was for the Tan Ya Hyde solarium. Not the most classy of shop names in which to top up your George Michael bronzing. The whole building is now in such a state of decrepitude that pigeons have occupied its upper storey and the damp rot is undulating into interesting underground-cavern patterns. Its a safe bet this place will be un-used for a little while longer...

Derelict Methodist Chapels. As a follow-up to my earlier Primitive Methodist post here are two empty and boarded-up Methodist Chapels within walking distance of each other in Hartlepool. I love these simple barn-like Victorian buildings. I wonder how long ago they were full of song and activity?

Disappearing Phrase. A variation on having a "loose slate" or being "a sandwich short of a picnic."

Andy Capp statue. I took a trip today to see a bronze tribute to that great northern cartoon character Andy Capp. The five foot high statue is situated outside a pub named The Harbour of Refuge in Hartlepool.

Capp's creator, Reg Smyth, lived in Hartlepool though his strips (in print since 1957) have been translated all over the world. Apparently in Germany Capp is called Willi Wakker and in France Andre Chapeau.

Some photos from todays trip above and also a classic strip and two early book collection covers for good measure.

Primitive Methodist illustration. This drawing appeared in The Sound Projector music magazine issue 10 way back in 2002. The North East has many 'Primitive Methodist' chapel buildings in its landscape, most now closed or converted into houses. I was interested to read that the Primitives were also known as 'ranters' or 'shouters' because of their noisy and often open-air hymn singing. The Primitive chapel goers were also known for acceptance of women preachers, teetotalism and a form of Christianity attuned to the needs of labouring people.

Hand Painted Sign site. TypArchive is an image library with a simple mission-statement which Bagnall's Retreat can heartily endorse: "Amidst a landscape of vapid malls and sterile (computer) signage, hand-painted lettering retains an aesthetic to be treasured..."

You can also contribute your own photos of the fading art of hand lettering. Take a look here...

Dad's Eye strip. I thought I'd post all of the pages of Dad's Eye, because it hasn't been seen for a while. It originally appeared in a no longer available self-published comic called Knitting for Whitsun back in 2006. The story is partly true and the setting is based on views of Easington Lane and Horden Co.Durham, both depressed former mining villages. Included is a sketch book page in which I was working out how the two characters would look.

Get A Trade pictures. Here are the finished drawings without colour. Mechanic, Signwriter, Plumber and Bricklayer. Learn a Trade and you'll have a future!

Sketch book pages. Here are some preliminary idea pages I drew for a series of four 'Get A Trade' illustrations. These were meant to be careers-advice style pictures from an earlier era, supposedly aimed at encouraging boys into manual trades such as Plumber, Mechanic, Signwriter and Bricklayer.

Sketch book pages. A couple of 70s themed drawings. One was for a Christmas card, the other for a CDr compilation.

An Old Joke #2. Another sketch book strip inspired by the 1939 Remember When article.

An Old Joke #1. One regional magazine I often buy is Remember When, which aims to record the recent history of the North East through the memories of local people. Published by the Newcastle Evening Chronicle this mag can feature some quirky vintage photos and articles.

I drew the above strip this week in my sketch book using a joke from a reprinted Evening Chronicle article from 1939.

Ken Reid (1919-1987.) I think its fair to say Ken Reid was a genius of British comics. I grew up reading his pages in Beano, Dandy, Wham, Smash, Cor and later, Shiver and Shake. However I'm not sure how I missed out on his character Jasper McGrabb. Reid's Jasper strips were unusual in that they were set in Victorian England and Jasper himself was a rich miser who could hear the sound of a coin dropping from any distance. Shown here is a Jasper strip from Wham comic in the late 60s and for good measure I've included a classic Roger the Dodger story also drawn by Reid.

Dilapidated Shop Sign. While strolling the back streets of Hartlepool today I came across this obviously long shut and boarded up shop. Its hand-painted sign is flaking to reveal a more interesting two colour piece of signage with drop-shadow.

Religious paperback covers. More semi-random vintage paperbacks chosen for their covers. The Penguin Book of Religious Verse is one among a series of rather nice poetry collections at this time (1963) which featured a patterned wrap-round with square title panel.

Pelican paperback covers. I photographed this rather random bunch of vintage Pelican books today. Some rareified subject matter here and I confess I have no plans to read any of these titles. These are posted purely for their distinctive design. For more look here.

Ladybird Book art. The publishers of Ladybird children's books have belatedly realised that there is a great interest in the illustrations used in their classic 60s and 70s series. Now a print-on-demand service is available. Its certainly not cheap but there are some beauties which are all the more evocative because they are bereft of text.

Here are some of my favourites, including a Ron Embleton illo from The Story of Newspapers and a glorious Tunnicliffe watercolour from What to look for in Autumn.

British newsprint fun. Have been spending far too much time poring over these cover galleries of British comics from the 60s and 70s. Girl's comics from this period are a real curiosity because, of course, no boy wouldn't be seen dead holding a copy of Bunty or Penelope. Now I'd love to read them.