The Enid Blyton Society

Pete9012S wrote:Have we got a thread here were we discuss all the Find Outers illustrators?

We have now! Maybe I'll post my comment here, then!

Katharine wrote:I've been reading early editions of the FFO books, and I really don't like the drawings in those at all.

Many of are horrified by Joseph Abbey's illustrations. It is only nostalgia that makes me kind of like them! The one on the bus is absurd - there is no gangway, the perspective is all wrong and one side of the bus seems to be higher than the other!

I agree with you absolutely about Joseph Abbey's illustrations, Nigel, especially your comment about nostalgia.

My own favourite illustrator of this wonderful series is Treyer Evans.

Yes, I much prefer the Treyer Evans drawings, I'm not sure if any of my books contain those, I just looked them up in the cave.

I prefer the Treyer-Evans, illustrations, but I don't really mind Abbey's at all. That is apart from the drawing of the Pantomime Cat. He looks positively frightening!!!

Is that a bus? I thought those were pews in a church. <pause> Does an abbey have pews?

Pershore's does!

THE Chancellor of the Diocese of Worcester announced his judgement on Pershore Abbey's long running pews controversy.
Following July's Consistory Court, Charles Mynors concluded that the pews in the nave should remain in a modified and more flexible form, while the side aisles should remain clear of pews.
Representative samples of older pews should be retained in certain parts of the abbey, but he decided the design of the proposed chairs was "not yet entirely satisfactory."
He also said the pastoral consequences of removing all or nearly all of the pews would have had been "almost entirely adverse."
Mr Mynors added: "I trust all concerned will now be able to put the past behind them, and move on together to seek the common good in a new spirit of co-operation."

[Sorry!]

For me,its quite a rare event,but I quite like/prefer many of the illustrations from the early 1970's paperbacks.
The paperbacks I own did include the excellent Treyer Evans pics (which are possibly the best of all the illustrators efforts?)

You know what I'm going to say...'I wish Tony would consider including the 1970's paperback illustrations in the cave!'

pete9012S wrote:You know what I'm going to say...'I wish Tony would consider including the 1970's paperback illustrations in the cave!'

Ta da!

http://seriesbookart.co.uk/blyton/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for the link, Ian. Great illustrations, a joy to look at.

Yes, thank you Ian for that link. For the first time ever I think I'm going to have to say I prefer the (early) paperback illustrations. Of the hardback illustrators it has to be Treyer Evans for me. I remember looking at the Abbey picture of the Find-Outers on the bus and puzzling over it for ages trying to work out who was who, and why they weren't sitting in the right places, never mind the weirdness of the perspective. One thing - why do nearly all the illustrators make Pip so tiny? I know he wasn't as tall as Larry or Fatty but in some cases he seems to be smaller than Bets!

Lawrie wrote:I remember looking at the Abbey picture of the Find-Outers on the bus and puzzling over it for ages trying to work out who was who, and why they weren't sitting in the right places, never mind the weirdness of the perspective.

Me too! How on earth did he get the commission? Having said that, there is a certain je ne sais quoi about his drawings.....

I'm interested that everyone has mentioned Treyer Evans, and J Abbey...but what about Lilian Buchanan? Doesnt anyone like her illustrations? Personally I like hers the best, followed by Treyer Evans. J Abbey, for me, is way down the list after most of the paperback illustrators!

The first copies I had of the Find Outers were the Armada paperbacks and I thought the cover drawings by Charles Stewart were excellent. Saying that, I have to agree with Robert about Lilian Buchanan, I prefer her covers to Abbey or Evans.

I guess because she only illustrated the last three books she isnt so well known, but as you say John, I love her cover designs, especially for 'Strange Messages' and 'Missing Man'.

Charles Stewart was actually the first Find Outers illustrator I came across, as the Armada paperback version of 'The Mystery of the Missing Necklace' was the first FFO book I ever read. It was from a jumble sale and the cover was attached with tape, and three pages were missing at the end, so I never knew how it finished for quite a few years! I still read it several times though!

'Spiteful Letters' is one of only two 1st edition/Joseph Abbey FFO books I've got, and I always thought his pictures looked a bit odd. Fatty looks like a mature teenager whereas Pip resembles a boy of about 8 in short trousers, and yet they're both supposed to be the same age!