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.
