Nervous Rex

Once upon a time in San Diego, there was an independent publisher called Blackthorne. They published a wide range of comics, including a series called Nervous Rex. Several decades later, I became friends with professional colorist Barbara Marker, who colored covers of this fun series. 

In time, Blackthorne went away. Most of the titles the company published faded into obscurity. Some can prove difficult to find. 

Then it happened one day that an announcement arrived in my e-mailbox. For fans who lament the passing of Blackthorne, it seemed like good news. It also told me a little about a comics creator who wasn't on my radar. As I enjoyed reading it, I thought I'd share the announcement with you.

If you're a fan of Blackthorne comics, perhaps you can live happily, forever after...

 

 

Coming soon from IT'S ALIVE!

 

NERVOUS REX by William Van Horn

 

IT'S ALIVE! is proud to announce the publication of NERVOUS REX by Disney artist William Van Horn, known for his work on Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge comics.

 

 

 

 

Van Horn worked in animation and children's books for some years, before joining Gladstone Comics in the mid 1980’s, creating mainly short Donald Duck stories for them. Though he started that career about the same time as Don Rosa, Van Horn hasn’t had nearly the amount of attention as Don. He has also produced new Donald Duck stories regularly for Danish publisher Egmont, which have been reprinted by Gemstone.

 

Most of William Van Horn’s fans around the world only know him for his hilarious Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge comics. But few know about Van Horn’s first comic book masterpiece, NERVOUS REX.

 

The series about Rexford--a nervous, pint-size and very henpecked dinosaur--shows off Van Horn’s unfettered love of whimsy and wordplay.

 

Much of the humor would be echoed later in Van Horn’s Disney duck comics. But visually and thematically the REX series is inspired by George Herriman’s classic comic strip Krazy Kat.

 

The series sold well initially, but when Van Horn started working for Disney, he largely left REX behind. . .

 

. . .but now it’s back!

 

IT'S ALIVE! plans to reprint the original ten issues, along with an eleventh issue, which will collect the NERVOUS REX short stories that first appeared in issues of both Laffin' Gas and Disney Adventures.

 

 

 

Drew Ford

Publisher

IT’S ALIVE!

www.itsalivepress.com

 

Instagram: @itsalivepress

Facebook: @itsalivepress

Twitter: @itsalivepress

 

IT'S ALIVE! is the brainchild of multiple Eisner Award nominee Drew Ford, publishing out of print comics, English translations of foreign material, original projects, and other unique collectibles.

 

Currently publishing: Airboy, Air War Stories, Breathers, Combat, Dose!, Holler, Kona, Nervous Rex, Red Range, Strange Attractors, and Tangled River.

 

Graphic Novels currently available: Dope, Family Man, Red Range, The Silver Metal Lover, and Voyage to the Deep.