Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Enid used many illustrators in her books. Discuss them here.
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Rob Houghton »

:lol: :lol:

Brilliant! Great photo-shop work too!
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Courtenay »

Wasn't that one posted ages ago? Still a brilliant job, though. :mrgreen:
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Rob Houghton »

yes, I thought it was posted a while ago, but was too lazy to check, lol! :-D
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Moonraker »

I guess as there are so many more Maxey disasters, the same Soper one is bound to turn up over and over again...
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by pete9012S »

Eileen Soper is said to have considered illustrating for Enid Blyton 'hack work' and 'a chore', which I've always found rather sad.
Perhaps it was because she was reigned in when she tried to age The Famous Five and depict them as older children??
It was not until 1941 that her career as a book illustrator took off when the publishers Macmillan suggested her name to Enid Blyton , firstly for a series of Nature Readers. But it was the commission to illustrate Five on a Treasure Island , presumably made at Blyton’s insistence, that made Soper’s name. She went on to illustrate 35 books for Blyton over 25 years. The two were never to meet and it was reported by Eileen’s friends that she considered the illustrations of Blyton’s books “hack work” and “a chore”. She also complained that the author was a menace, in that she demanded “footling changes in drawings that were already adequate”.


http://www.blytonbooks.co.uk/article/eileen-soper" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

As far as the Famous Five were concerned, perhaps it was the repetition that became tedious. Eileen Soper drew the same children and dog over and over again for books, magazine serials, games, jigsaws and other merchandise - over a period of more than twenty years. She may have had to read some of the stories more than once to refresh her memory if there was a gap between magazine serialisation and book release, or if a piece of merchandise related strongly to a particular title. For all we know, adventure books may not have been her cup of tea and she might have been thinking, "Oh no - not another secret passage!"

Mind you, Eileen Soper also got to illustrate nature stories (including the wonderful nature plates), nursery tales and stories of magic, etc. so her Enid Blyton work brought her plenty of variety overall.
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Moonraker »

Anita Bensoussane wrote:As far as the Famous Five were concerned, perhaps it was the repetition that became tedious. Eileen Soper drew the same children and dog over and over again for books, magazine serials, games, jigsaws and other merchandise - over a period of more than twenty years.
My thoughts, too. It must also be remembered that Soper was illustrating for money - a job. Of course it was a chore. Completely different to sketching birds spotted on her bird-table in the garden.
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by John Pickup »

Moonraker wrote: It must also be remembered that Soper was illustrating for money - a job.
At least she earned hers.
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by pete9012S »

Image

Although some consider Maxey a 'modern' illustrator, it's interesting to see how many things have changed since this 1968 sweet shop illustration from 'Hike'..
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by pete9012S »

Image

Some more delightful Maxey's in full colour. Can you guess the titles of these two Famous Five's?
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by pete9012S »

Image

The Secret Seven read and mentioned The Famous Five in their own adventures. Here's The Secret Seven in colour to drool over too!
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- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Rob Houghton »

Wonderful Derek Lucas Secret Seven illustration, but I dislike the colour that's been added - his original covers were much better! :-)
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by sixret »

Too garish!
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Garish indeed! Some of those clothes would make Snubby's "loud" jersey (The Ragamuffin Mystery) look positively quiet!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Rob Houghton
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Rob Houghton »

I agree. Its a shame about the garish colours! :-(

This was one of my favourite covers as a child -

Image
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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