THE BLACK HOLE. (1979)

I bought this (out of print/vintage/collectible?) book for a child, but, as you do, I read it first.

It’s a /trip/.

So... storytime?;)

THREAD.

Ok this is already VERY EXCITING.

Had me at “army of robots”, excellent metadata @randomhouse New York.

We meet the spaceship Palomino.

Side fact: The spaceship is not named after a type of horse. Palomino is a characteristic golden *colour* of some horses. Like a human blonde. The spaceship Palomino is not in fact a golden colour. Confusing to a small child perhaps?

Moving on.

Everyone is white but we do have a woman aboard this ship and she seems to have a position of actual importance and power. I trust she will not be the Daphne of the crew and be only there to need rescuing.

Excited to find out what V.I.N.C.E.N.T stands for.

Unknown object!!!

Going to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume Dr Kate was scanning for threats.

If I find out Dr Kate is only there to repeat the computer, then there are gonna be Sigourney Weaver Galaxy quest gifs.

Specifically this.

Because there has been quite enough...

...of this.

More gorgeous space art. A black hole /and/ a GHOST SHIP. All my Christmases.

Ok I need to go eat a reasonable dinner on time like a reasonable human.

Will come back to this later.

Didn’t mean to leave you hanging at GHOST SHIP.

Ok back! I have dinner (yes you can have a photo) and there is (maybe) #LifeOnVenus https://news.sky.com/story/signs-of-alien-life-detected-on-venus-12071625

I guess a lot can happen while you’re making eggie rice and potato cakes.

Don’t get too close to a black hole kids!!! (Accurate)

ALSO SPACE LIGHTNING.

(Likely less accurate, but do we care? We do not)

Needed popcorn. Have popcorn.

Sweet monent between Dr Kate and V.I.N.C.E.N.T. Good attitude to treating robots right Dr Kate . Excellent reassurance V.I.N.C.E.N.T

Who ever designed that hatch: bad job

Doesn’t Mr Pfizer look a bit like Kirk there? Dr Kate is definitely foreshadowing Beverley Crusher.

Oh. Oh V.I.N.C.E.N.T. Oh no!!!

Further to whoever designed the life line, whoever was responsible for checking it, &/or whoever failed to write a protocol for regularly checking it.

Always check your rope people!

Interesting use of negative space. (See what I did there?)

Woah woah woah! @cnorthwood sent me the opening credits to the film. Not only is the font-game *chefs kiss* and the music EXCELLENT adrift-in-space backdrop, but the cast includes Robert ‘Max Cherry’ Forster and Anthony ‘Norman Bates’ Perkins!

Royalty!

V.I.N.C.E.N.T you stone cold rock star, should have known you’d have it covered!

Cool as a damn cucumber.

Hey. HEY. Doesn’t V.I.N.C.E.N.T look an awful lot like WALL-E here?

Amazing use of depth cues in combination with minimal shading here. But mostly: OH NOES THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE GHOST SHIP.

Sorry to do you another GHOST SHIP cliffhanger, but I really must go insert a duvet into a duvet cover.

I’m not the kind of person that can do that sort of thing too close to bedtime, and will just end up sleeping in an inside out duvet cover sleeping bag.

Again.

Brb.

BREAKING NEWS!!

We know what V.I.N.C.E.N.T stands for!!!

https://twitter.com/vonhitchofen/status/1305592920184164354?s=21 https://twitter.com/VonHitchofen/status/1305592920184164354

I still think the Palomino should be gold. But the landing was perfect & V.I.N.C.E.N.T is displaying excellent planning, forethought and predictive capabilities.

I want to know how he floated ‘down’ in space though. Tiny thrusters? Threw a spanner? This stuff keeps me up nights.

Also GOOD MORNING. I have a day of meetings today but will try to update the odd page from THE BLACK HOLE (1979) as I go. For my other friend who is also having a day of meetings. Space distractions are the best distractions.

Doesn’t V.I.N.C.E.N.T look adorable driving the air car? Oh holy shit what is THAT?

I Do Not Trust Maximillian. Nothing that looms that well can be up to any good. (No this is not a pointed dig at you @amx109)

Have woken up to rain on skylights & a deep desire to find our what happens next in THE BLACK HOLE (1979). Which is definitely better than that I I woke up & had a deep desire to microwave a boiled egg*.

*It’s a funny story but let’s focus on 70’s space fiction storybooks today.

Hello Dr Reinhardt all dressed in red with your looming red robot, I think we Do Not Trust you.

There’s some gorgeous colour work going on here. I wonder if they built this set...?

Apparently yes. The movie had a twenty million dollar budget. Twice that of Star Wars. What? How come I’d never heard of it?

Returning to the crew of the Palomino, I do not have a good feeling about this, I do not have a good feeling about this at /all/.

Why have just the men been sent to get the spare parts with the scary robot? Why does Dr Reinhardt think it is OK to clutch at Dr Kate like this?

No

Ah hell.

Dr Reinhardt wants to send Dr Kate into the black hole (ok I get it, experiment on someone else) wait *with him?!* - what could he possibly need her for when he has an army of robots? Oh no.

So Dr Kate *is* the Daphne of the team. Even down to the colour of the outfit

Ok maybe Dr Kate will do something to take control of the situation. I mean. Even Daphne in the Scoopy Doo movie ends up learning Kung Fu.

Ok no, screaming is all Dr Kate is contributing to the situation.

Luckily V.I.N.C.E.N.T has heard her and is on the case but is struggling to find her.

Who should appear but Old B.O.B* (hey @rjw1) who inexplicably seems to have a moral compass and wants to help.

*stands for??

Oh come on.

Dr Kate is in a Sleeping Beauty/Snow White coffin-style storage device. You know what? Kate better be her last name. I bet it isn’t though.

With V.I.N.C.E.N.T & Old B.O.B in play did we REALLY need Captain Holland?

Stunning art regardless. Colour/depth/lighting

Eeeeeeeee! V.I.N.C.E.N.T is fighting Maximillian! Theynboth have laser guns! Build a giant robot, you build a giant target, that’s all I’m saying.

V.I.N.C.E.N.T better make it out of this in one piece. He’s the best developed character in this thing.

ROBOT FIGHT!

The spinning blades @josephbrowder promised me are real but in a shock twist V.I.N.C.E.N.T has them (!!!!)

For some reason they can’t get back via their own shuttle, but it’s ok they can use the probe ship says V.I.N.C.E.N.T
Honestly. They’d be so lost without him.

The probe ship made to go into a black hole is *itself* black. I can’t work out if that is a useful design feature or not but hats off to the artist for finding a way to paint it against a patch of starless space.

I need to look up who painted all these illustrations.

Lift-off.

...and escape.

Safe at last.

Utterly gorgeous end page.

Well that was a ride.

Thanks for joining me on this tour of The Black Hole (1979) picture book.

Guess I better go watch the film.