Betty Maxey illustrations (Famous Five)

[Poppy]

Like Anita, Eileen's illustrations are my preference, but there are several exceptions in the comparisons posted above, that I find myself appreciating Betty's detail and style, better.

Eileen Soper's illustrations are beautiful and very atmospheric, and I love the detail. When I think 'Famous Five', I picture Soper's interpretation.

Betty Maxey's style is completely different, and although they are detailed and realistic, somehow, they don't strike me as the same characters Blyton describes.

[Eddie Muir]

Thanks for posting the illustrations of both Eileen Soper and Betty Maxey, Pete and thanks for starting this thread, Escanor. Most interesting.

For me the Eileen Soper illustrations are by far the best. Like you, Poppy, when I think of the Famous Five it is the Soper pictures that spring immediately to mind.

[Anita Bensoussane]

...while I do think that Betty is a good artist, and I like her pictures, I just was never keen on the 80s clothes.

Betty Maxey must have been clairvoyant if she drew 1980s fashions, as she did her Famous Five illustrations between (I think) 1967 and 1974.

[Courtenay]

I'd love to see all the Betty Maxey illustrations available in the Cave as well, although I realise that would be a lot more work for poor Tony and his scanner!! I love the fact that we have original illustrations from so many of Enid's works available there already - many classic ones which I've never seen before, as most of our Blyton books at home were '70s-era. The Cave is a real treasure trove!

[pete9012S]

Five On A Hike Together-Betty Maxey Illustrations


You can view all the illustrations here...
http://share.pho.to/4orSH#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


I particularly liked this hip and trendy Julian;



Here's a blended pic

[Courtenay]

Wow - and how about these even trendier characters?!



(this is why I really do prefer Soper )

[Anita Bensoussane]

When we had a Five on a Hike Together Readathon a while ago, I noticed that Eileen Soper's illustrations for that book were unusually scrappy:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book ... ustrations" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The children's coats/jackets make them look "boxy", while Maggie looks like a man. I think I prefer Betty Maxey's illustrations for Five on a Hike Together, though her Maggie leaves a lot to be desired as well!

[Moonraker]

A "scrappy" Soper is worth a thousand "articulate" Maxey's in my opinion!

[pete9012S]

3.Five Run Away Together - Betty Maxey Illustrations

http://share.pho.to/4pCf8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[yarvelling]

When we had a Five on a Hike Together Readathon a while ago, I noticed that Eileen Soper's illustrations for that book were unusually scrappy:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book ... ustrations" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The children's coats/jackets make them look "boxy", while Maggie looks like a man. I think I prefer Betty Maxey's illustrations for Five on a Hike Together, though her Maggie leaves a lot to be desired as well!

One thing I have noticed is that Eileen's drawings changed over the years; became more simplified and less detailed, and the main characters aged too for a while, but then it seemed get reigned-in again when Enid decided to write a few more. Without looking, I can't recall which book, but the children suddenly look more childish; less like older teens!
But if you compare Eileen's work in Treasure Island with later books you can see the lack of detail in the later drawings.... they were still very nicely done, but lacked some of the shading, detail, and character.... however, I'd still take these over Betty Maxey's work any day!!

[Anita Bensoussane]

3.Five Run Away Together - Betty Maxey Illustrations

http://share.pho.to/4pCf8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for those, Pete. There are some good ones there - and some not so good. Eileen Soper's pictures for this book are definitely much more detailed and I find them more attractive on the whole. I do love Betty Maxey's drawing of Timmy on his own though, lying down. He looks adorable!

One thing I have noticed is that Eileen's drawings changed over the years; became more simplified and less detailed, and the main characters aged too for a while, but then it seemed get reigned-in again when Enid decided to write a few more. Without looking, I can't recall which book, but the children suddenly look more childish; less like older teens!

I believe Enid Blyton asked Eileen Soper at some stage not to make the children look any older - though I'm not sure exactly when that was.

[yarvelling]

3.Five Run Away Together - Betty Maxey Illustrations

http://share.pho.to/4pCf8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There must have been two editions of this paperback Pete, both sharing identical covers. The copy that I had had the Eileen Soper illustrations, and this edition is listed in the main book listings here as having those too, yet your copy has the Maxey drawings.....!

[Courtenay]

I do love Betty Maxey's drawing of Timmy on his own though, lying down. He looks adorable!

I was going to say that myself, Anita - the first copy of Five Run Away Together I ever read had Betty Maxey's illustrations, and that one of Timmy has always stuck with me as one of my favourites ever!

I also always liked how disgusting Maxey makes Pa Stick look as he's lying on the sofa. But many of her other portrayals of different characters, while usually very well drawn, just don't seem to match the "feel" of what Blyton describes - not least because, as many others here have commented, they're all dressed in 1970s clothing, which is the wrong era entirely (and not exactly a high point in the history of fashion, either!!!).

Although I also find some of Eileen Soper's illustrations a bit sketchy, I agree that she definitely does get "the Five" much more right, much more of the time, than anyone else. I would love to collect a full set of the FF with Soper illustrations, old enough editions for the text to be as little tampered with as possible (dust jackets would be a bonus, though not essential), but that would probably take a lot more time and (especially) money than I can afford to spare right now!

On a slightly different note... I've always assumed that Betty Maxey's illustrations were done as a tie-in with the old TV series of the late 1970s, as her characters look very much like the ones in the TV show, and of course the books were reprinted in 1978 with the Maxey illustrations and shots from the TV version on their covers. Now I see from the Cave of Books, however, that Maxey's illustrations actually predate the TV series by four years. Was she commissioned to do the new illustrations in 1974, showing the characters in (then) modern clothing, because the idea for the TV series was already in the pipeline? Just wondering!

[Anita Bensoussane]

I would love to collect a full set of the FF with Soper illustrations, old enough editions for the text to be as little tampered with as possible (dust jackets would be a bonus, though not essential), but that would probably take a lot more time and (especially) money than I can afford to spare right now!

That would indeed be lovely, but it's a dream I've had to put out of my mind for lack of money and space. Besides, I'm fond of the 1970s Knight paperbacks I've kept since childhood!

I've always assumed that Betty Maxey's illustrations were done as a tie-in with the old TV series of the late 1970s, as her characters look very much like the ones in the TV show, and of course the books were reprinted in 1978 with the Maxey illustrations and shots from the TV version on their covers. Now I see from the Cave of Books, however, that Maxey's illustrations actually predate the TV series by four years. Was she commissioned to do the new illustrations in 1974, showing the characters in (then) modern clothing, because the idea for the TV series was already in the pipeline? Just wondering!

I don't think Betty Maxey ever redid any of the pictures. She illustrated some of the Famous Five books as early as 1967-8, finishing the series in about 1974 (she didn't do the books in chronological order), so any resemblance between her drawings and the TV cast must just be a coincidence.

[Katharine]

I've really enjoyed looking at the comparison pictures. All of which I've only ever seen the Eileen Soper versions of. Although I much prefer her drawings, those examples of Betty Maxey's work are probably the best ones I've seen of hers. I don't like the drawing of Julian and his mother on the phone, for the simple reason it's too "1970s" with his long hair. The picture of Timmy shaking paws is very good, although I think he looks too neat and tidy to be Enid Blyton's Timmy. I know I was probably influenced by Eileen Soper's drawings of him, as they were the first I saw, but to me Betty's dog is too neat and tidy looking. The impression I have of him is a kind of ugly scruffy, but loveable mixture, Betty's dog looks like it could be a pedigree of some sort.

I have a big criticism of the picture with Ally and her mother, the woman looks as though she is smiling at her daughter, the text says she drags her away and shakes her. As a drawing in it's own right, Betty's picture is rather nice, there's a tender look between the two characters, but that doesn't fit with the story line.

Betty Maxey's picture of Anne giving the old lady a drink is really nice, and I like it just as much as the Eileen Soper version. Never thought I'd find myself typing that.