Jack Edward Oliver
Encyclopedia
Jack Edward Oliver was a British
cartoonist
. He is more usually known as J Edward Oliver or JEO and to his friends he was Jack.
He originally achieved fame in late 1970 with a long-running strip in the UK music paper Disc (and Music Echo)
, later Record Mirror
. The strip had many fans including John Lennon
and Yoko Ono
. It included characters from TV, film and music, with a large section for readers' contributions (Win a Plastic Warthog
). One character proved particularly enduring, a dinosaur
called Fresco-Le-Raye — who was named by Alan Shaw from Liverpool. Up to his death, J Edward Oliver continued to create Fresco strips which can be seen on his official website. (The site also featured other strips, such as The Invisible Man, a staple of his Record Mirror years, with Young Julie, The Invisible Woman and more.)
In 1977, the Record Mirror strip was deemed not contemporary enough and was ended. Oliver went to work for IPC Magazines Ltd
, creating comic strip
s including Buster
s Master Mind
(1980-1983), Cliff Hanger
(1983-1987) and Vid Kid
, as well as drawing The Champ
in Whizzer and Chips
from 1979 to 1981. Many of his strips included puzzles and games. In 1984, Oliver also wrote the words for a musical called Swan Esther
which was performed at London
's Young Vic and on BBC
radio
.
When Buster ceased publication at the beginning of 2000, Oliver was the last artist left, and drew the only non-reprint material in the comic's final issue ("How It All Ends", which looked back at how all the Buster characters ended). With Buster gone, Oliver investigated other work, including newspaper strips and first day covers. In 2000, he joined his cousin Steve Oliver, and together they created Phil Stamp Covers for stamp collectors.
Among Oliver's trademarks in his strips were little signs reading "Abolish Tuesdays" and regular sightings of a tiny cube with a crank handle attached. The latter was never explained. Oliver also had something of an obsession with the British actress Madeline Smith
, drawing several appearances by her into his work, which she later complained about. Oliver reacted characteristically, producing a strip about her complaint.
In 2000, a website about Oliver's work revived interest in it. The site was originally created as a celebration of JEO's work in Disc and Record Mirror but JEO contributed new material, as well as obscure historical stuff and a new, e-mailed (and free) weekly strip involving Fresco-Le-Raye, which eventually had hundreds of subscribers and ran for several hundred episodes, eventually turning from black and white to colour.
In 2007, Oliver announced he was suffering from cancer, but continued to create some new material. In March 2007 he married his girlfriend of many years, Liz Hales. He died peacefully on May 26th 2007.
JEO's website continues, with much unpublished material finally seeing the light of day. The official JEO site has a guestbook, where you can put your memories of Jack and his work. This is read by Jack's family.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
. He is more usually known as J Edward Oliver or JEO and to his friends he was Jack.
He originally achieved fame in late 1970 with a long-running strip in the UK music paper Disc (and Music Echo)
Disc (magazine)
Disc was a weekly British popular music magazine, published between 1958 and 1975, when it was incorporated into Record Mirror. It was also known for periods as Disc Weekly and Disc and Music Echo ....
, later Record Mirror
Record Mirror
Record Mirror was a British weekly pop music newspaper, founded by Isadore Green and featured, news articles, interviews, record charts, record reviews, concert reviews, letters from readers and photographs. The paper became respected by both mainstream pop music fans and serious record collectors...
. The strip had many fans including John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
. It included characters from TV, film and music, with a large section for readers' contributions (Win a Plastic Warthog
Warthog
The Warthog or Common Warthog is a wild member of the pig family that lives in grassland, savanna, and woodland in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past it was commonly treated as a subspecies of P...
). One character proved particularly enduring, a dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
called Fresco-Le-Raye — who was named by Alan Shaw from Liverpool. Up to his death, J Edward Oliver continued to create Fresco strips which can be seen on his official website. (The site also featured other strips, such as The Invisible Man, a staple of his Record Mirror years, with Young Julie, The Invisible Woman and more.)
In 1977, the Record Mirror strip was deemed not contemporary enough and was ended. Oliver went to work for IPC Magazines Ltd
IPC Media
IPC Media , a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year.- Origins :...
, creating comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
s including Buster
Buster (comic)
Buster was a long-running British comic which carried a mixture of humour and adventure strips, although the former increasingly replaced the latter...
s Master Mind
Master Mind (comic strip)
Master Mind was a comic strip in the British comic magazine Buster. It made its first appearance in the issue dated 8 November 1980, and ran until 1983 when it was replaced with Cliff Hanger. It was written and drawn by Jack Edward Oliver....
(1980-1983), Cliff Hanger
Cliff Hanger (comic strip)
Cliff Hanger is the name of two different 1983 comic strips, one published in the United Kingdom and the other in the United States.The British Cliff Hanger was written and drawn by Jack Edward Oliver...
(1983-1987) and Vid Kid
Vid Kid
Vid Kid was a comic strip in the British comic Buster, first appearing in 1987 when it replaced Cliff Hanger...
, as well as drawing The Champ
Champ (comics)
Champ was a British comic strip that ran in Whizzer and Chips for a number of years, and was drawn at assorted times by Leo Baxendale, Colin Whittock, Jack Edward Oliver and finally Paul Ailey, before being rested in the early 1980s....
in Whizzer and Chips
Whizzer and Chips
Whizzer and Chips was a British comic magazine that ran from 18 October 1969 to 27 October 1990, when it merged with the comic Buster. As with most comics of the time, Whizzer and Chips was dated one week ahead....
from 1979 to 1981. Many of his strips included puzzles and games. In 1984, Oliver also wrote the words for a musical called Swan Esther
Swan Esther
Swan Esther is a musical based on the bible story of Esther.It was written in 1982 by Jack Edward Oliver and Nick Munns .A professional production was staged by the Young Vic in January 1984 and it has also been performed by a number of amateur companies, most recently by Swanley Light Opera Group...
which was performed at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Young Vic and on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
.
When Buster ceased publication at the beginning of 2000, Oliver was the last artist left, and drew the only non-reprint material in the comic's final issue ("How It All Ends", which looked back at how all the Buster characters ended). With Buster gone, Oliver investigated other work, including newspaper strips and first day covers. In 2000, he joined his cousin Steve Oliver, and together they created Phil Stamp Covers for stamp collectors.
Among Oliver's trademarks in his strips were little signs reading "Abolish Tuesdays" and regular sightings of a tiny cube with a crank handle attached. The latter was never explained. Oliver also had something of an obsession with the British actress Madeline Smith
Madeline Smith
Madeline Smith is an English actress and comedienne. She was a model in the 1960s, and appeared in many comedy films Madeline Smith (born 2 August 1949 in Hartfield, Sussex) is an English actress and comedienne. She was a model in the 1960s, and appeared in many comedy films Madeline Smith (born 2...
, drawing several appearances by her into his work, which she later complained about. Oliver reacted characteristically, producing a strip about her complaint.
In 2000, a website about Oliver's work revived interest in it. The site was originally created as a celebration of JEO's work in Disc and Record Mirror but JEO contributed new material, as well as obscure historical stuff and a new, e-mailed (and free) weekly strip involving Fresco-Le-Raye, which eventually had hundreds of subscribers and ran for several hundred episodes, eventually turning from black and white to colour.
In 2007, Oliver announced he was suffering from cancer, but continued to create some new material. In March 2007 he married his girlfriend of many years, Liz Hales. He died peacefully on May 26th 2007.
JEO's website continues, with much unpublished material finally seeing the light of day. The official JEO site has a guestbook, where you can put your memories of Jack and his work. This is read by Jack's family.