The Enid Blyton Society

We have seen that Betty Maxey often used to redraw the same scene in many of the famous Five books.
What about the Secret Seven? Do any of the illustrations done by different artists 'line up' in the same manner?

Here we have a comparison of the 1967 Derek Lucas illustrations v 1950 George Brook illustrations...

Secret Seven Adventure v Secret Seven Adventure

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I have always liked the Derek Lucas illustrations.I don't know whether the two Secret Seven illustrators are liked equally? Or is everyone mainly in the George Brook camp?

My copy of that book is the one on the left, but looking at both illustrations side by side like that, and I like them both. Obviously I'm used to seeing the illustation in the copy of the book on the left, but I really like the other illustrations also.

I've got them both, and like Julie, prefer the original on the left.

I have both, but I like the one on the left best. Somehow it's more authentic/realistic...

Honesty

Split from another topic.

With regard to illustrations, I always identified with those in the Famous Five annuals much more strongly than either Soper or Maxey. I now have a strong appreciation for the Soper versions, and tend to picture the Five like this in my mind, but growing up it was always the annual versions as these were the only Famous Five books I came across until in my mid 20's.

The Secret Seven, I always pictured to be like the excellent illustrations by Derek Lucas in the 1970's paperbacks. Although I now have all the Secret Seven books with original illustrations, and like the traditional look of the characters in school caps and coats etc, I still think Derek Lucas did a better job of depicting the Secret Seven. The original illustrations never really gave each character a strong appearance and it's difficult to tell who is who, whereas Lucas completely turned this on its head and gave each character a very distinct look - George, with short cropped hair, Peter with blond medium length hair and Janet with short black hair, Colin with curly dark hair, Pam with plaits and Barbara with a blond bob.

Secret Seven Fireworks is one of my favourite of his covers -

Robert Houghton wrote:With regard to illustrations, I always identified with those in the Famous Five annuals much more strongly than either Soper or Maxey.

     I don't think I've ever seen those annuals; but I vaguely assumed that Eileen Soper had done those, too. Evidently I got a wrong idea somewhere.

Robert Houghton wrote:Secret Seven Fireworks is one of my favourite of his covers -

     I have seen those Secret Seven paperback editions in passing in book-shops, but don't know the illustrations well enough to really comment - but there's something about that cover that looks so 1970s, somehow (a comment I would apply to the Maxey illustrations in the Famous Five, too).
     And I think that anachronistic element of updating characters' hair-styles, clothing, and so on is one of the things that usually causes me to dislike more modern illustrations. Nothing dates a work more than self-consciously trying to be up-to-date.

Regards, Michael.

     Huh - I just noticed that "fireworks" in the title is wrong. As part of a book title, it should have a capital letter.

Regards, Michael.

MJE wrote:

Robert Houghton wrote:With regard to illustrations, I always identified with those in the Famous Five annuals much more strongly than either Soper or Maxey.

     I don't think I've ever seen those annuals; but I vaguely assumed that Eileen Soper had done those, too. Evidently I got a wrong idea somewhere.

Robert Houghton wrote:Secret Seven Fireworks is one of my favourite of his covers -

     I have seen those Secret Seven paperback editions in passing in book-shops, but don't know the illustrations well enough to really comment - but there's something about that cover that looks so 1970s, somehow (a comment I would apply to the Maxey illustrations in the Famous Five, too).
     And I think that anachronistic element of updating characters' hair-styles, clothing, and so on is one of the things that usually causes me to dislike more modern illustrations. Nothing dates a work more than self-consciously trying to be up-to-date.

Regards, Michael.

The Famous Five annuals were produced in the 1970's and 80's and most were based on the 1970's TV series.

I agree that the Secret Seven cover looks 1970's - and it was produced in the 1970's of course. As a child of the 70's I identified with these characters as being contemporaries, and so the anachronistic element never bothered me.

Far better than these modern ones, I think! -

MJE wrote: Huh - I just noticed that "fireworks" in the title is wrong. As part of a book title, it should have a capital letter.

The capital letter was probably dropped on purpose, in an attempt to look trendy!

MJE wrote:

Anita Bensoussane wrote:Eileen Soper and Betty Maxey are the only two Famous Five illustrators I came across as a child, but their interpretations of the Five didn't have much effect on the way I pictured them in my head.

     In that case, Anita, you and I are opposite with regard to the Famous Five, because I must admit that Eileen Soper's illustrations in the Famous Five hugely influenced the way I imagined these stories: not only the characters, but the landscapes and buildings - and just about everything, whether natural or man-made.
     When it comes to pictures showing natural settings (moors, the sea, forests, lakes, etc.), I wonder if her depictions of them are close to what such settings in England would really look like. If not, then they have probably misled my whole visualization of Britain since childhood.

Eileen Soper was adept at drawing typically English (and Welsh!) moors, hills, woods, coves, lakes, cottages, etc. so her illustrations must be of great value in helping non-British readers picture the settings.

MJE wrote:

Anita Bensoussane wrote:Stuart Tresilian and Gilbert Dunlop made a lot more impression on me and I imagine the characters in the Adventure and Barney series pretty much as they drew them.

     Yes - I would agree with that, too, with regard to those series.
     And the Secret Seven illustrators, too. The odd thing there, though, is that I am aware there were three different illustrators who did different parts of that series, but I have never seen any essential conflict in the way they depicted people or scenes, although I imagine that, if I were to compare their illustrations in detail, I would probably find differences in their style.

For me, Burgess Sharrocks' pictures are not quite as attractive. I like the dark, shadowy look of the illustrations by George Brook and Bruno Kay as they suit the mysterious atmosphere of the stories. I'm also fond of Derek Lucas's illustrations because he portrays the excitement and tension well, even though his characters do look very "late 1960s/early 1970s". Again, the portrayals by the Secret Seven artists have not lodged in my head - although I do tend to imagine Janet as Derek Lucas drew her, with a dark bob. I dislike the idea of George having a crew cut (as mentioned by Robert). In my imagination, he has black hair which is slightly wavy.

When I was a child, my Famous Five books were Knight paperbacks. Some had illustrations by Eileen Soper while others had illustrations by Betty Maxey. My Secret Seven books were also Knight paperbacks, with pictures by Derek Lucas, but I borrowed some titles from the library (in hardback) so I became familiar with the original artists too.

All this chopping and changing between different illustrators might explain why I wasn't heavily influenced by any particular artist when imagining the Famous Five or Secret Seven.

Robert Houghton wrote:Far better than these modern ones, I think! -

Who is the toddler in that picture, I wonder? I don't remember a small child appearing in the story, but maybe I've just forgotten.

I also wondered who the toddler was! I'm sure there wasn't one in the story, but maybe I've also forgotten.

It's quite possible the cover illustrator was merely sent a vague summary of the book and hadn't ever actually read it. I've seen a few books with covers where that appeared to be the case.

I wouldn't put it past modern editors to add a toddler to Enid's story. Rather like giving Anne Frank a wacky best friend to perk up that attic.

Courtenay wrote:It's quite possible the cover illustrator was merely sent a vague summary of the book and hadn't ever actually read it. I've seen a few books with covers where that appeared to be the case.

Yes,Courtenay,I agree.That seems to happen rather a lot!

Anita wrote:All this chopping and changing between different illustrators might explain why I wasn't heavily influenced by any particular artist when imagining the Famous Five or Secret Seven.

One reason why I am eternally grateful that I read the books in the 50s and 60s - all H&S hardbacks and no paperbacks.

Robert Houghton wrote:I also wondered who the toddler was! I'm sure there wasn't one in the story, but maybe I've also forgotten. :?

     I don't recall either; but I will go further, and say that I am almost certain that the toddler was not in the story.
     I suppose I could be forgetting also, so maybe it doesn't formally prove the toddler wasn't there; but another vote that agrees would at least seem to increase the likelihood this young child was not there, short of someone actually checking.

Regards, Michael.