85. IN HIS CUPS: COLLECTED TALES OF GIMBLEY (Self-published) lulu.com
Phil Elliott's most recognizable character may possibly be David Gimbley, dreamer and pub frequenter who regales anybody nearby with tall tales about his towering coiffed younger self. This collection of Gimbley stories doesn't promise to be complete, however at 180 pages we're satisfied. Starting with the very first Gimbley story in the mini-comic A7 COMICS #1: GIMBLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT...
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Old and young Gimbley and Jack first appearance
Through several decades, to a 21st century appearance in David Lloyd's ACES WEEKLY...
I had always made the mistake of thinking of Elliott's Gimbley as existing only in the Herge "ligne claire" style because of the cover of BLITE I'd seen so many times without actually seeing Elliott's actual comics work.
Elliott had a very detailed, almost busy style in his early FAST FICTION work. This strip is sort of a bridge between those early works and Elliott's clear-line style.
Phil Elliott must have had a regular outlet for Gimbley, as there are a great many full- and half-page strips of varying degrees of narrative experimentation and graphic calisthenics...
My favorite run this volume has Gimbley's adventures with his mate Jesus! These are very simply drawn, almost sketches at times. The stories are ridiculous, hilarious, and definitely sacrilegious as the last one seems to take place in a strip club! This example has Jesus drinking too much wine at a wedding and...
In conclusion, Gimbley has been an excellent channel for Elliott's humble personality and graphic experimentation through his long career.
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