League of Extraordinary Gentlemen #2
Geoffrey Tolle
1) Questions were raised earlier about why Mycroft but not Sherlock
appeared in this comic. I believe these are probably answered in this
issue. Mycroft still believes his brother is dead at Reichenbach Falls.
I don't remember how long he was "gone" in the original stories but I
suspect that he will be showing up in future issues (and I very much
doubt that he will appreciate the "gentlemen" that his brother is
employing).
2) I have no idea what Miss Coote's School in Edmonton and the reverend
Septimus Harding are about. I do, however, love the design of the
school. Does this come from "Candide" or one of the other "racier"
novels of the turn of century or before.
3) Mann, Crossman, & Paulin Wine and Spirits is probably a "Dracula"
reference but I haven't read that book thoroughly.
4) Prospe*** of Whiteb*** - Anyone care to guess?
5) Going back to Miss Coote - There is reference to her predecessor,
Miss Flaybum. Given this word-play I suspect that the correct
pronunciation of Coote is "koo-tee" (i.e., lice).
6) Olive Chancellor of America???
7) Miss Carr/School of Pain???
8) Miss Rebecca "Becky" Randall of Riverboro, Maine???
9) Pollyanna (as in "she's such a Pollyanna") - I know the saying but I
can't say where it comes from.
10) Lord and Lady Pokingham???
11) The skeletal sculpture in the British Museum that Quatermain is
examining. I know this is from "She" by Haggard. Was Quatermain involved
in this or not? I can't remember.
12) I don't remember an albino from the "Invisible Man". Is this a
reference to another story?
13) Since the Yahoo skull is scientifically named "Homo gulliverus" I
also assume that the considerably larger skull beside it also comes from
"Gulliver's Travels".
14) The interrogator Donovan???
15) Marker ?? ?? Arne Sak??? - It is hard to tell (or remember) but
isn't this one of the markers left behind to mark the correct path to
the center of the earth in the Verne classic?
16) I am at a loss to explain the ichthyosaur specimen. I would, rather,
have expected the pteradactyl from "Lost World".
17) Captain Mors??? I was rather expecting Captain Robor.
18) The Montagu House Picture
18a) Montagu House??? What, no Capulets?
18b) L. Gulliver - Gulliver of "Gulliver's Travels"? I'd suggest the
Gulliver of "Gulliver on Mars" but this man looks far to old for that.
18c) Mr. & Mrs. P. Blakeny - The Scarlet Pimpernel and Wife.
18d) The reverend Dr. Syn - From the "Sacrecrow of Romney Marsh". I'm
actually kind of surprised at this one as I'm pretty sure that the Dr.
Syn stories are not public domain. Still, I like the depiction.
18e) Mistress Hill???
18f) Ned Buntline - the writer and star of numerous western dime novels
(Beadle's, I believe).
19) Lady Ragnall???
20) Randoph Carter - H. P. Lovecraft's protagonist from the public
domain "Statement of Randolph Carter" and the not-so-public domain
"Dream-Quest for Unknown Kadath".
21) Unnamed Virginian - John Carter of the Barsoom books. I had not made
the Carter connection here - congratulations Mr. Moore.
Any help on completing or adding to this list will be appreciated.
Geoffrey Tolle
W Kenner Rawdon
jayembee
Most of your questions can be answered by Jess Nevins' wonderfully
thorough annotations. He posts them to rec.arts.comics.misc, but
maintains them at the following URLs:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7160/league1.html
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7160/league2.html
But, some quick'n'dirty answers...
> 1) Questions were raised earlier about why Mycroft but not Sherlock
> appeared in this comic. I believe these are probably answered in this
> issue. Mycroft still believes his brother is dead at Reichenbach Falls.
> I don't remember how long he was "gone" in the original stories but I
> suspect that he will be showing up in future issues (and I very much
> doubt that he will appreciate the "gentlemen" that his brother is
> employing).
The Holmes texts have him MIA from 1891 to 1894, while LOEG is set in
1898, though Moore seems to believe that this was the period during
which Sherlock was gone. Either Moore is (a) taking artistic license
to play with the timeline a bit, (b) is going by publication dates and
not by dated references in the texts, or (c) knows less than people
think he does.
> 2) I have no idea what Miss Coote's School in Edmonton and the reverend
> Septimus Harding are about. I do, however, love the design of the
> school. Does this come from "Candide" or one of the other "racier"
> novels of the turn of century or before.
Miss Coote's School does indeed come from some Victorian erotica. The
character of Harding apparently comes from Anthony Trollope.
> 3) Mann, Crossman, & Paulin Wine and Spirits is probably a "Dracula"
> reference but I haven't read that book thoroughly.
Wrong sign. The sign that bothered Miss Murray was partially seen in
the panel. It had the name "Whitby" on it. Whitby is where much of the
action in DRACULA takes place.
> 6) Olive Chancellor of America???
From Henry James' THE BOSTONIANS.
> 7) Miss Carr/School of Pain???
From a series of novels starting with WHAT KATY DID.
> 8) Miss Rebecca "Becky" Randall of Riverboro, Maine???
From REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM.
> 9) Pollyanna (as in "she's such a Pollyanna") - I know the saying
> but I can't say where it comes from.
From the novel POLLYANNA. Moore seems to be having fun knocking down
some girls' book icons.
> 10) Lord and Lady Pokingham???
More Victorian erotica.
> 11) The skeletal sculpture in the British Museum that Quatermain
> is examining. I know this is from "She" by Haggard. Was Quatermain
> involved in this or not? I can't remember.
Not in SHE, but there was a prequel to that book titled SHE AND ALLAN,
in which the two characters met.
> 12) I don't remember an albino from the "Invisible Man". Is this a
> reference to another story?
Nevins explains this.
> 14) The interrogator Donovan???
Introduced at the beginning of the issue. From a series of detective
stories in the late 1800s.
> 15) Marker ?? ?? Arne Sak??? - It is hard to tell (or remember) but
> isn't this one of the markers left behind to mark the correct path to
> the center of the earth in the Verne classic?
Yes. Arne Saknussemm was the Icelandic explorer who first discovered
the route to the center of the Earth, and whose marks Prof. Lidenbrock
(or Lindenbrook, if one is more familiar with the James Mason movie)
followed.
> 16) I am at a loss to explain the ichthyosaur specimen. I would, rather,
> have expected the pteradactyl from "Lost World".
No, it's referred to as being from the "Lidenbrock Sea", which was the
body of water discovered at the center of the Earth.
> 17) Captain Mors??? I was rather expecting Captain Robor.
Apparently the villainous protagonist of a series of German stories
from the period.
> 18) The Montagu House Picture
> 18a) Montagu House??? What, no Capulets?
It was the building originally on the site of the British Museum.
> 18b) L. Gulliver - Gulliver of "Gulliver's Travels"? I'd suggest the
> Gulliver of "Gulliver on Mars" but this man looks far to old for that.
Your first guess is correct. L[emuel] Gulliver.
> 18e) Mistress Hill???
Fanny Hill. Titular character of one of the more [in]famous pieces of
Victorian erotica.
> 18f) Ned Buntline - the writer and star of numerous western dime novels
> (Beadle's, I believe).
Best known as the man who brought Buffalo Bill Cody to fame.
> 19) Lady Ragnall???
From three of Haggard's Quatermain novels: THE IVORY CHILD, THE ANCIENT
ALLAN, and ALLAN AND THE ICE-GODS.
--- jayembee (Jerry.B...@eds.com)
"I have spent my life in contemplation of the nature of man and how
he relates to the universe of truth. That man lies like a carpet."
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
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emb...@email.mot.com
gto...@infinet.com wrote:
> Well, issue two is out. Time to start identifying the references.
Somebody is already doing this. Been posting his stuff to
rec.arts.comics.misc and to a web page. Quite extensive stuff.
>
> 1) Questions were raised earlier about why Mycroft but not Sherlock
> appeared in this comic. I believe these are probably answered in this
> issue. Mycroft still believes his brother is dead at Reichenbach Falls.
> I don't remember how long he was "gone" in the original stories but I
> suspect that he will be showing up in future issues (and I very much
> doubt that he will appreciate the "gentlemen" that his brother is
> employing).
>
AFAIK, Mycroft ALWAYS knew Holmes was alive! He held Holmes hide for
several years. Other writters have speculated on what Holmes was doing
during that time.
> 11) The skeletal sculpture in the British Museum that Quatermain is
> examining. I know this is from "She" by Haggard. Was Quatermain involved
> in this or not? I can't remember.
>
Allan was not involved in the events of 'She', but DID meet her in 'She and
Allan'.
> 12) I don't remember an albino from the "Invisible Man". Is this a
> reference to another story?
>
The Invisble Man was an albino.
>
> 15) Marker ?? ?? Arne Sak??? - It is hard to tell (or remember) but
> isn't this one of the markers left behind to mark the correct path to
> the center of the earth in the Verne classic?
>
Yes. Journey to the Center of the Earth.
> 16) I am at a loss to explain the ichthyosaur specimen. I would, rather,
> have expected the pteradactyl from "Lost World".
>
> 17) Captain Mors??? I was rather expecting Captain Robor.
>
A similiar character.
Michael R. Brown
Thomas Krabacher
>
> In article <36D9D6B3...@infinet.com>,
> gto...@infinet.com wrote:
> > Well, issue two is out. Time to start identifying the references.
>
>
> > Septimus Harding are about. I do, however, love the design of the
> > school. Does this come from "Candide" or one of the other "racier"
> > novels of the turn of century or before.
>
> Miss Coote's School does indeed come from some Victorian erotica. The
> character of Harding apparently comes from Anthony Trollope.
--------------------------------------------------
Excellent job of annotating the feature in "The League..." so far.
As a bit of additional elaboration, Miss Coote is indeed a character
from Victorian erotica, specfically, from the novel (if that's the
appropriate term) "Miss Coote's Confession", a flagellation fantasy
serialized in THE PEARL during the 1880s. THE PEARL has been, and I
believe still is, available as a paperback reprint from Grove Press.
Check the "Erotica" section of you local Tower Books.
Tom
kar...@my-dejanews.com
emb...@email.mot.com wrote:
> In article <36D9D6B3...@infinet.com>,
> gto...@infinet.com wrote:
> > Well, issue two is out. Time to start identifying the references.
>
> rec.arts.comics.misc and to a web page. Quite extensive stuff.
>
> >
> > 1) Questions were raised earlier about why Mycroft but not Sherlock
> > appeared in this comic. I believe these are probably answered in this
> > issue. Mycroft still believes his brother is dead at Reichenbach Falls.
> > I don't remember how long he was "gone" in the original stories but I
> > suspect that he will be showing up in future issues (and I very much
> > doubt that he will appreciate the "gentlemen" that his brother is
> > employing).
> >
>
> AFAIK, Mycroft ALWAYS knew Holmes was alive! He held Holmes hide for
> several years. Other writters have speculated on what Holmes was doing
> during that time.
yep. mycroft knew. that's why 221-b baker street was not rented out in
holmes' absence; he kept everything ready for holmes' eventual return.
(although moore's way of thinking has sexton blake in holmes' old digs)
there was one school of thought that had mycroft as a confederate of
moriarty's since there were several uncharacteristic and odd moments in "the
final problem." if bond is really mycroft and moriarty is "m" this could be a
storyline that moore is pursuing. it would definitely darken mycroft's
character a bit and moore is big on that.
richard...@my-dejanews.com
This is to alert everybody out there that Michael Avallone has died, age 74.
He was a frequent guest at Pulpcons past.
Our world is diminished.
A moment of silence, please.
Richard Bleiler
Geoffrey Tolle
fun to pursue the matter ourselves. Half the fun is the missteps that alert
us to stories we may have missed. The other half is the hunt. The actual
information is the third half.
Geoffrey Tolle
Ray Skirsky
>> 18e) Mistress Hill???
>Fanny Hill. Titular character of one of the more [in]famous pieces of
>Victorian erotica.
A minor quibble: "Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure," by John Cleland was
published in 1750 (It was retitled "Fanny Hill" later). Most certainly
not Victorian, if Miller was using it as such, he's either making a mis-
take or taking literary licence. BTW, FH was a satire of another popular
novel of the day, called "Memoirs of a Woman of Virtue", aka "Pamela."
This novel is almost forgotten, while FH has never, dispite many attempts
to ban it, been out of print. So, for Pamela, virtue must be its own
reward.
Ray
dave pierson
> Well, issue two is out. Time to start identifying the references.
>7) Miss Carr/School of Pain???
I infer lots of 'erotica' references.
>8) Miss Rebecca "Becky" Randall of Riverboro, Maine???
Wild Guess:
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm?
>9) Pollyanna (as in "she's such a Pollyanna") - I know the saying but I
>can't say where it comes from.
ISTR that Pollyanna wasa character in a childs book, same vintage
as Rebecca.
>10) Lord and Lady Pokingham???
Item 7.
>18) The Montagu House Picture
>18a) Montagu House??? What, no Capulets?
I THINK there's a a Montagu reference independent of Shakespeare,
but it escapes me... First Name? Montagu Smith or something?
>18b) L. Gulliver - Gulliver of "Gulliver's Travels"? I'd suggest the
>Gulliver of "Gulliver on Mars" but this man looks far to old for that.
IIR, Gulliver (I) was Lemuel Gulliver... I may be hallucinating...
>18c) Mr. & Mrs. P. Blakeny - The Scarlet Pimpernel and Wife.
The d****ed elusive...
thanks
dave pierson |the facts, as accurately as i can manage,
Compaq Computer Corporation |the opinions, my own.
334 South St |
Shrewsbury, Mass USA pie...@gone.enet.dec.com
"He has read everything, and, to his credit, written nothing." A J Raffles
"....the net of a million lies...." Vernor Vinge
thomasfp....@gmail.com
the links are broken (geocities being part of the web's mythology by now), here is where to find the archived versions of those references:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7160/annos.html can be found (version of 26 October 2009 - last good version) there:
http://web.archive.org/web/20091026172212/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7160/annos.html
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7160/league1.html can be found (version of 26 October 2009 - last good version) there:
http://web.archive.org/web/20091026153709/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7160/league1.html
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7160/league2.html can be found (version of 26 October 2009 - last good version) there:
http://web.archive.org/web/20091026172312/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7160/league2.html
Other sources where the content of geocities seems to have been copied:
http://www.enjolrasworld.com/
Hope this will help!
Thomas
dpsh...@hotmail.co.uk
> Well, issue two is out. Time to start identifying the references.
>
> appeared in this comic. I believe these are probably answered in this
> issue. Mycroft still believes his brother is dead at Reichenbach Falls.
> I don't remember how long he was "gone" in the original stories but I
> suspect that he will be showing up in future issues (and I very much
> doubt that he will appreciate the "gentlemen" that his brother is
> employing).
>
> Septimus Harding are about. I do, however, love the design of the
> school. Does this come from "Candide" or one of the other "racier"
> novels of the turn of century or before.
>
> reference but I haven't read that book thoroughly.
>
>
> 5) Going back to Miss Coote - There is reference to her predecessor,
> Miss Flaybum. Given this word-play I suspect that the correct
> pronunciation of Coote is "koo-tee" (i.e., lice).
>
>
>
>
> can't say where it comes from.
>
>
> examining. I know this is from "She" by Haggard. Was Quatermain involved
> in this or not? I can't remember.
>
> reference to another story?
>
> also assume that the considerably larger skull beside it also comes from
> "Gulliver's Travels".
>
> 14) The interrogator Donovan???
>
> isn't this one of the markers left behind to mark the correct path to
> the center of the earth in the Verne classic?
>
> have expected the pteradactyl from "Lost World".
>
> 17) Captain Mors??? I was rather expecting Captain Robor.
>
> 18a) Montagu House??? What, no Capulets?
>
> Gulliver of "Gulliver on Mars" but this man looks far to old for that.
>
>
> Syn stories are not public domain. Still, I like the depiction.
>
> 18e) Mistress Hill???
>
> (Beadle's, I believe).
>
>
> 20) Randoph Carter - H. P. Lovecraft's protagonist from the public
> domain "Statement of Randolph Carter" and the not-so-public domain
> "Dream-Quest for Unknown Kadath".
>
> 21) Unnamed Virginian - John Carter of the Barsoom books. I had not made
> the Carter connection here - congratulations Mr. Moore.
>
> Any help on completing or adding to this list will be appreciated.
>
>
> Geoffrey Tolle
The Prospect of Whitby is a pub in Canning Town, somewhat to the East of the old county of London (it was then in Essex), but now part of the outer boroughs of Greater London (probably the borough of Newham)
