Is the purpose of Copperart to recreate the glories of Rome and Sparta?
Friday, 31 May 2013
Gladiators in the Stairwell
Was making my way back up to our front door last night and realised that the best in my (or rather someone else's) Copperart was staring at me from the stairwell walls..
Is the purpose of Copperart to recreate the glories of Rome and Sparta?
Is the purpose of Copperart to recreate the glories of Rome and Sparta?
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
Where are those MasterMans?
Possibly one of the reasons for my collecting habit can be traced back to my grandfather, Herman. After I went to live with my grandperes, when I was 7, I discovered that hidden away in dark hall cupboards were small collections of things that brought some pleasure to the hard life he lived as a wharfie in Hobart during the 1950s & 60s.
Most importantly for my future indulgences he had gathered issues of English war comics, those small almost square editions that you rarely see nowadays, and only at ridiculous prices. Tucked alongside copies of Battle were also vaguely remembered copies of MasterMan, a typically 60's version of limey superhero antics. These must have imprinted into my brain after many Sunday arvos laying on his bed reading these salty desert Rommel bashings and now forgotten black and white pre 2000AD scifiings.
By the time of 12 I had started to amass (courtesy mostly from my next-door neighbour Robbie who was kept in supply from his older cousin and passed off to me what he wasn't interested in) my own Marvel and DC bundles - an ongoing increasing mass that continues to this day.
I never did get to obtain his comic collection after he died when I was around 10 (still a mystery), but I still carry with me evidence of Herman's other passion - matchbox covers. As a dock worker he had access to a trade coming in from all corners of the globe and there are memories of an exotic collection, which, again did not make its way to me. Instead I carry his collection of Australian labels that he had asked me to soak off the box and display in a scrapbook. This collection probably owes more to his other passion.. smoking, which may have been the reason he died a man not that much older than I am now.
I've always loved this scrapbook, partly for the memories it evokes, and for the detailing to the quaint 1960s cover photos done by my brother Steve and I. This may also be my earliest example of future cartoonist in action..
Here's a cold stout raised to you Herman.. and where are those MasterMans...
 |
| Yours truly & his Grandfather - 1959 |
By the time of 12 I had started to amass (courtesy mostly from my next-door neighbour Robbie who was kept in supply from his older cousin and passed off to me what he wasn't interested in) my own Marvel and DC bundles - an ongoing increasing mass that continues to this day.
I never did get to obtain his comic collection after he died when I was around 10 (still a mystery), but I still carry with me evidence of Herman's other passion - matchbox covers. As a dock worker he had access to a trade coming in from all corners of the globe and there are memories of an exotic collection, which, again did not make its way to me. Instead I carry his collection of Australian labels that he had asked me to soak off the box and display in a scrapbook. This collection probably owes more to his other passion.. smoking, which may have been the reason he died a man not that much older than I am now.
I've always loved this scrapbook, partly for the memories it evokes, and for the detailing to the quaint 1960s cover photos done by my brother Steve and I. This may also be my earliest example of future cartoonist in action..
Inside on now yellowing and crumbling pulp paper lays many a cold Warrane arvo glueing travesties. While not a completist project it conveys a serialist finickiness that tried it's best to adhere to a straight line..
There is one page missing though, a series on Roman/Greek gods and monsters that made it's way into an artwork a few years ago.. I'll go hunting for it.
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
A Sunday Surprise
Once in a while the universe works synchronistically to bring together two plans..
One was to catch up with an old friend that I once shared a warehouse with in the 90's, and the second was to go to a garage sale on last weekend. I had seen a flyer on King Street last Friday for a 'Toys For Boys' sale in Petersham and promised Kaspar that we would check it out on Sunday (if he was a good boy beforehand, of course).
It's not too often that he isn't and after some persisting we set off down the line mid Sunday morning.
A few days before all this I had been thinking of catching up with my friend Jessie and family, after she finally returned me a phone contact on Facebook a little while back. It had been a year or so since I last had an address for them so was thinking of dropping in soon.
Anyway as we turned into the address on the flyer who is manning the garage stall but Jessie and her sons. The last time we had seen them was up the road from where they used to live in Stanmore at, also a garage sale. This time it was their turn to return to the world selections of J & J's playtime objects that they had grown out of. This is more a Kaspar post as I didn't pick up anything for myself, as the 'Boys Toys' were not quite my genre, but he did score for $20 (mine not his) two bag loads of Lego with lots of Star Wars and medieval bits, a dozen pint-sized cars, the latest Herbie movie and a Star Wars plastic retractable light sabre.
A morning well spent.. thanks J & J & J (and lets catch up soon..)
One was to catch up with an old friend that I once shared a warehouse with in the 90's, and the second was to go to a garage sale on last weekend. I had seen a flyer on King Street last Friday for a 'Toys For Boys' sale in Petersham and promised Kaspar that we would check it out on Sunday (if he was a good boy beforehand, of course).
It's not too often that he isn't and after some persisting we set off down the line mid Sunday morning.
A few days before all this I had been thinking of catching up with my friend Jessie and family, after she finally returned me a phone contact on Facebook a little while back. It had been a year or so since I last had an address for them so was thinking of dropping in soon.
Anyway as we turned into the address on the flyer who is manning the garage stall but Jessie and her sons. The last time we had seen them was up the road from where they used to live in Stanmore at, also a garage sale. This time it was their turn to return to the world selections of J & J's playtime objects that they had grown out of. This is more a Kaspar post as I didn't pick up anything for myself, as the 'Boys Toys' were not quite my genre, but he did score for $20 (mine not his) two bag loads of Lego with lots of Star Wars and medieval bits, a dozen pint-sized cars, the latest Herbie movie and a Star Wars plastic retractable light sabre.
A morning well spent.. thanks J & J & J (and lets catch up soon..)
 |
| Two bags of mixed Lego looks like this.. |
top - L9U - Mattel (Made for McD's) - 2006
86A - Mattel (Made for McD's) - 2006
Kruzzer - Tonka - 2004
L9F - Mattel (Made for McD's) - 2006
2nd - Turbo Flame - Hot Wheels - 1995
Drift King - Hot Wheels - date unknown
Krazy 8S - Hot Wheels - 2000
no title - Hot Wheels - 2007
bottom - Transformers police car - unknown maker - date unknown
Urban Agent - Hot Wheels - date unknown
XXXOIO - Hot Wheels - date unknown
(not sure but possibly McD stands for MacDonalds)
Herbie Fully Loaded - Walt Disney - date unknown
 |
| The Force is strong in this one.. |
Tuesday, 7 May 2013
Far, Far, Away from the Big City
On our sun soaked waterside holiday in the final school holiday weekend, I was taken on a mystery travel to what turned out to be that far away suburb of Sydney - I'm talking Manly!
Aside from a night at the Sebel and two nights at the QStation historical accommodation of North Head, Manly turned up a few opshop surprises for Madame B, Kasper and I.
First of the bat, St Vinnies dropped four die cast metals into Kaspar's hands at 50c for the lot - thanks to kindly white-haired lady.
Aside from a night at the Sebel and two nights at the QStation historical accommodation of North Head, Manly turned up a few opshop surprises for Madame B, Kasper and I.
First of the bat, St Vinnies dropped four die cast metals into Kaspar's hands at 50c for the lot - thanks to kindly white-haired lady.
Hovercraft - Matchbox - 2000
24/Seven - Hot Wheels - 2002
Bassline - Hot Wheels - date unknown
Mitsubishi Eclipse - Hot Wheels - date unknown
Next after casual carouselling around the festive alleyways we made our way over to the Lifeline establishment. With it's impressive book assemblage front counter and trash boutique appeal I was impressed with the Fisher & Price kids plastic recordplayer (with its pianola type slab records included) in the window - but not by its $45 price, although I was assured that an item like this went for $1000 on Ebay recently. Oh well, I may have let that one slip by, and instead found something which I should be able to find a good home for for a friend's upcoming birthday..
Music From The Big Top - The Merle Evans Circus Band - Tradition - 1974
Down the road apiece we stumbled onto the Salvos store (sorry no photo), and although I walked out with no booty Madame B added these fine porcelain plates to her growing Crown Lynn stack ($2.50 apiece)..
The granny trolley got slightly more heavier as we set out for the return ferry back to the city, leaving the North Head behind us..
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)