Wow, it seems like we were just talking about Summer starting, and now it's practically August! Where does the time go...
Lately, I've been passing the time by reading an enchanting little book titled Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley. It's a novel about a lady who's launched on an adventure by an amazing collection of books. So, I thought we could enjoy a little adventure of our own with a couple of books which recently joined my Kellection. They're both from England and both have our boy Bart Maverick on the front.
The first book from across the pond is Maverick - Boss of the Rocking H Ranch. And, by "Maverick", they mean Bret Maverick. You see, this is the British edition of the Whitman Maverick book by Charles I. Coombs and Bart isn't in it at all. But, at least we get Bart (in his grey suit!) on the British cover:
A bookplate from the Flintshire Education Committee reveals that a previous owner was awarded this book because they displayed "commendable industry in school work during the school year ended July 31, 1962". Wow! Almost 48 years ago to the day. (And, I think the only end-of-school year award I ever won was a free cheeseburger from McDonald's for getting all A's on my report card in 6th grade! :->)
Our next bookish bundle from Britain is another Maverick "Television Story Book", or annual:
I have several of these annuals, and poor Bart is only partially shown on all the covers. I guess that's better than no Bart at all, but I think the way he's drawn here makes him also look like he's half-asleep. :-(
Anyway, this annual is filled with nifty stories like "Showdown at Powder Springs" (starring Bart, shown below; the caption reads, "They were at the coffee stage before she finished relating the story"):
It also has factual articles about riverboats ("Agents for opening the west") and luxury sternwheelers ("Just as Bart and Bret Maverick traveled aboard the 'river queens', so did thousands of people who desired comfortable transportation to western adventure, without the bump and roll of the stagecoach"). Funny, I don't remember American comic books being so educational. ;->
There are also comic strips starring the Maverick boys, including one where they help a newspaperman get elected mayor of a small town. (Hmm, why does that sound familiar?)
Incidentally, I recently stumbled upon another old book which is now in the Kellection. It's not from Britain, but it's about a famous (and infamous) figure from America's wild western days. The strange thing is, I found interesting facts about another "legend of the west" by reading it. Like, a family tree often has deep roots which influence how some of the branches grow. And, that's all I'm gonna say about it for now. ;->
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Love seeing your collection grow and thanks for sharing. It is a little sad that Jack Kelly was mostly the second Maverick mentioned, even behing Sir Roger Moore. Jack never got the respect he deserved for his Maverick Role and the memory has to be kept alive by his fans. Thanks for helping keep his memory alive.
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