Review - Hot Lead #2

This second homage to the western is as lavishly illustrated as the first. Not only a pleasure to read, to view, but also a collector’s item!  The full colour images justify the cost of the magazine. And what images!

Although this issue covers the art of the western, it kicks off with an article about the film – and book – Charro! It makes fascinating reading, concerning the original written treatment, the novelisation and the mediocre Elvis film itself.

 

#2 features the western artwork of Tony Masero, who has been supplying paperback covers since the 1960s – in all genres. Besides an interesting interview with many accompanying covers there’s a gallery of six full-page paintings. Tony painted the cover of my 2012 Black Horse Western Old Guns.

Then there’s an overview of the western illustrations of artist Frank Bellamy, who died too young at  59. He was one of my favourite illustrators of the 1960s with his Dan Dare, Fraser of Africa and Heros the Spartan strips. He drew three western adventures for the sci-fi Garth series, every black-and-white panel a work of art.

Germany had a vast following of westerns from the late 1940s until the 1980s, and a good portion of the output is considered here; the artwork and storylines were heavily influenced by the Spaghetti western explosion, though censorship reared its head, too…

Finally, author Paul Bishop gives us a colourful overview of western comics, ranging from the 1930s to the rather sparse present. I fondly remember some of the covers depicted!

Recommended for fans of westerns and nostalgia buffs.