Boxiana Vol. 1 extras: Five rounds with Trevor Von Eeden

Over the next few weeks, this blog will be featuring a series of exclusive previews and 'extras'  relating to the content of Boxiana: Volume 1, which will hopefully whet your appetite and persuade you to buy the full volume, which will be available as a paperback book (RRP £9.99) or ebook (RRP TBC).

A couple of weeks ago, I posted an extract from the second chapter of Volume 1, written by myself, which charted the history of boxing-themed comic strips and comic books. That theme continues today with an exclusive interview with comic book legend and Boxiana contributor Trevor Von Eeden. 

Trevor is a crucial contributor to Boxiana: Volume 1; not only has he written a brilliant and heartfelt article about Jack Johnson which is included in the volume (this piece will be previewed here in the next few days), but he has also produced a series of dynamic, exclusive and original pieces of art which will be showcased throughout the volume. The black and white illustration of Jack Johnson at the top of this page is just one such example. To see the others, you'll have to wait to see the final, printed edition of Boxiana which will be published in November!

I first came across Trevor's art when I was a young comic-book fanatic in the 1980s. His work was full of energy, creative daring and crackled with a spirit of experimental adventure. Years later, I discovered that Trevor had produced a two-volume graphic novel based on the life of Jack Johnson. As a huge Johnson and boxing fan, I was both excited and thrilled to discover how one of the comic book heroes of my youth would bring to life perhaps the most important boxer who ever walked the face of the earth - and The Original Johnson, as this landmark work was called, certainly didn't disappoint.

Not long after reading The Original Johnson I got in touch with Trevor and was delighted to discover that he was a real gentleman with a keen intellect; even better (for me!) was the fact that he liked the sound of my concept for Boxiana and was willing to contribute both artwork and prose to the volume. He's been a constant support and encouragement ever since, and a true pleasure to work with.

 As I said earlier, I'll be printing a preview from Trevor's article on Johnson in the next few days. In the meantime, here's Trevor's thoughts on five questions which I'll be posing to all of Boxiana's contributors over the next few months as we count down to publication in November.

Boxiana goes five rounds with Trevor Von Eeden

Round 1: Can you remember the first boxing match you ever watched?

The first boxing match I remember seeing was the Ali / Liston fight. It was truly mythical- almost biblical in its effect on my psyche (Samson blinded, yet still overcoming the Philistines - loved it!), and it changed my life forever. Then, when I was introduced to the essence of confidence, natural intelligence, love, and joy that was Muhammad Ali’s personality, I remember thinking that with that man in the world, I never need fear losing anything important to me, ever again. He showed me that you can fight for, and win, whatever you wanted in life, as long as you believed in yourself and persevered, despite whatever odds.  I was around 12 or 14 at the time. Before Bruce Lee, Ali was the first (non-white) man in my life to conquer an entire, racist world (not just American society) simply by being himself, and by believing in the fruits of his own labor. An inspiration that has never dimmed.

Round 2: Who are your favourite boxers and why?

Muhammad Ali (the absolute GREATEST of all time), Jack Johnson (one of the greatest MEN to ever walk the planet - period), Sugar Ray Leonard (a miniature version of Muhammad Ali, who did his idol justice), Manny Pacquiao (the Bruce Lee of boxing - blatantly cheated out of his title after the Bradley fight, because he’d become a born-again Christian, which is apparently bad for a boxer’s image, to the powers that be, in Las Vegas…), Sugar Ray Robinson and  Joe Louis also come to mind.

Round 3: Is boxing morally justifiable?

From what point of view? Is sex between consenting adults morally justifiable? It is, in private. When sex becomes a public affair, for profit, that’s when the issue of morality arises. Same with boxing. Fighting sports are as old as civilization itself (especially since most civilizations were built and maintained thru warfare in the olden days) and boxing is but one of the many martial arts that have existed throughout history. If the question refers to boxers being unscrupulously exploited by callous, greedy men, at the risk of their physical and mental health - that presupposes that the average boxer is a punch-drunk idiot, incapable of handling himself in a business arena - which I think is a long dead cliché, in the 21^st Century. Men from Jack Johnson up to Muhammad Ali and beyond, have shown conclusively that being a boxer definitely does not preclude one’s also having the gift of superior intelligence, as well (the “punchdrunk palooka” is a cliché born of jealousy, as are most prejudices). Sex and violence are staples in every civilised society - they’re usually the main ingredient in every popular movie, and most other forms of social entertainment. Two men voluntarily beating the hell out of each other in a ring is undoubtedly morally repugnant to the more squeamish and sheltered people in life - but in a free society, boxing, MMA, and the ever-popular, albeit physically brutal sport of American football, will live on for as long as athletes (and couch potatoes) exist. Does the argument against moral justification take into account the free will of all the parties involved, or is it just another attempt at moral dictatorship by the ever-present, passive-aggressive “moral majority” in every society? America itself was born as a reaction to religious persecution by a malevolent majority - who felt  the right to determine and dictate the “correct” stardard of morality to others. But did they take into account the free will of the parties involved? Boxing is not prostitution, there is no treat of a public health hazard thru communicable diseases involved. It’s a form of self-defense, necessary in an unrelentingly violent world. Boxing is a martial art. One of the oldest in history. It’s simply mutual combat, unlike rampant, wanton prosmiscuity, which is never justifiable - ask anyone who truly loves their sexual partner. Physical love is the most personal, selfish thing that a human being can experience, not something to be bartered about in the marketplace like a piece of cloth, cheese - or meat. On the other hand, is (the Art of) self-defense morally justifiable? Well, who in their right mind would ever say “No” to that question?

Round 4: Time travel has been invented and you are able to match up two fighters from boxing history. Who would they be and why?

Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Louis; Ali vs. John L. Sullivan (in his prime); Sugar Ray (either one) vs. Jim Corbett/Billy Conn/Willie Pep; Marciano vs. Frazier; Pacquiao vs. Mayweather (lol) A young Sugar Ray Leondard vs. Manny Pac would be epic, actually … I’m sure I could think of more, but these are the ones that came immediately to mind. What I’d LOVE to see, if I had a time-machine kinescope, are the fights and fighters from the bare-knuckle era (including the great John L. himself, natch), and the early days of glove boxing. Nowadays, in our 12-15 round bout encounters, it’s inconceivable that boxing matches went on for 50-100 rounds  at a stretch - and that’s without gloves, or any other form of protection! ( I’d imagine the ever-popular kick to the groin must’ve had a field day back then…)

Round 5: What achievement or piece of work from your professional life (writing or otherwise) has given you the most satisfaction?

I have two favorite jobs in my career, so far: The Batman Annual #8 (’82) - the first job where I consciously decided to pull out all stops and draw the script as I saw it, instead of translating (and expressing) it thru the styles of the artistic heroes in my head (Kirby, Adams, Buscema, Swan, Toth). I literally sat down and wrote down a “mission statement” about what I wanted my new style to be, and how I wanted to express myself through it. To this day, it’s the book I’m most proud of, in my 25 year career at DC Comics. I was able to ink it myself, and also got my girlfriend at the time, Lynn Varley, to colour it - her first job in comics. I’d met her at Neal Adams’ Continuity Studios, where she was one of the top inhouse color artists there. She later went on to marry well, and helped her husband, Frank Miller, become one of the most successful creators in comics history during their 20 year marriage. I’m very proud of what Lynn has accomplished in her career, and the Batman Annual #8 is a permanent record of a very happy time, for me. The other “most satisfying” book of my career is The Original Johnson - the first book I’ve ever written and drawn. Unfortunately, dealing with an unscrupulous and untalented publisher has resulted in a lesser quality presentation of my book than I’d designed and expected (for one thing, the cover painting I’d specifically created for my book—my first cover painting ever - was not used. The book was also half inked by someone other than myself, due to the underhanded actions of my publisher. Fortunately, I liked the other inker’s work, but it displeased me not to be able to ink the entirety of my own first book. I’m currently hauling them into court to receive the royalties that they still haven’t delivered, in over four years … the bums.) These actions by others are the reasons why TOJ is not my “most satisfying” job - but it IS my most personally expressive, and I’m very proud to have created it. The book was also very well received by both critics and the fans, which is tremendously gratifying to me.

Thanks to Trevor for sparring five rounds with Boxiana!

TREVOR VON EEDEN was born on July 24th, 1959, in Georgetown, Guyana (formerly British Guiana) - the only English speaking country in South America. He came to America with his family in 1970. In 1976, at age 17, he became DC Comics’ first black artist - and the youngest they'd ever hired. His first assignment was to co-create their first original black superhero, Black Lightning (the black GL knock-off, John Stewart, had debuted shortly before.) BL is still alive and well in the DC Comics Universe. Over the years, Trevor has also received favorable acclaim for his work on Powerman/ Ironfist #56-59 (1979); The Batman Annual #8 (1982); The Green Arrow mini-series (1983); the cult favorite, Thriller (1983-85); The Black Canary mini-series and subsequent regular series (1990-1993) and Legends of The Dark Knight #149-153 (2001) - his last work for DC Comics, to date. His first self-written/drawn graphic novel The Original Johnson, the story of Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight champion of the world, was released in December 2009 to generally positive acclaim from fans and critics alike. A quote from the New York Times Book Review graces both covers of the two volume paperback set. Trevor is currently at work on his second book, The Story of HERU: The First Hero, and resides in the Gun Hill Road section of the Upper Bronx. He is single, lives alone, and enjoys his own company quite a bit. When it comes to sex, he likes women - but infinitely prefers them to be smart, rather than dumb. A good wife would be helpful - but not mandatory - for achieving happiness and peace of mind in life. He has no major complaints nor regrets to report.

Boxiana: Volume 1 will be available through Troubador Publishing, Amazon in the UK, Amazon in the USA and all good traditional and online booksellers.

1    

Further exclusive previews of Volume 1 content, as well as further information about Boxiana's contributors will feature on the Boxiana blog in the coming weeks.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Boxiana: Volume 1 is an anthology of never before published boxing writing and takes an in-depth look at the sport’s past, present and future. Original, startling and thought-provoking, Boxiana examines pugilistic themes, characters and issues ranging from the personal to the universal, combining exclusive interview material with meticulous research. The book’s fresh approach will both intrigue and delight all serious followers of boxing.

Featured in Volume 1: comic book legend Trevor Von Eeden analyses the significance of Jack Johnson; Mario Mungia tries his hand at amateur boxing; Ben Williams uncovers his grandfather’s bareknuckle boxing career; Matthew Ogborn considers the issues boxers face on retirement; James Hernandez catches up with Jon Thaxton; rising light heavyweight Chris Hobbs recounts his life in the military and the ring; Rowland Stone recalls a heady night in 1992; Corey Quincy attempts to solve the Wladimir Klitschko conundrum and Luke G. Williams examines the meteoric rise of Deontay Wilder and the under-rated career of Chris Byrd. 

No other boxing anthology can match Boxiana’s eclectic range of subject matter, or its in-depth examination of issues and characters from boxing’s past, present and future.

Luke G. Williams

Editor

www.boxianajournal.blogspot.co.uk

Follow @boxianajournal

Bare-knuckle legends: Henry Pearce

I have some good news to celebrate today, having signed a contract with a publisher for a long-planned boxing book that I've spent more than a decade researching. Exact details of the book need to be kept under wraps for now, but I am able to reveal that it is connected with the Georgian era of bare-knuckle boxing.

I love every era of boxing for different reasons, but, for me, the Georgian period is the most fascinating in the sport's history, mainly because it is richly populated with charismatic and compelling characters. One of my favourite pugilists of this, or any, time is Henry Pearce, otherwise known as the 'Game Chicken'.

Pearce was, by all accounts, a teak-tough man, with a touch of gallantry to him as well. He never lost a single prize fight, and could count among his victims such legendary figures as Joe Bourke, John Gully and Jem Belcher. After dismissing the challenge of Belcher, though, the age-old temptations of wine, women and song turned his head, and, within two years, he was dead, having contracted tuberculosis.

While researching my book this week, I came across a glorious obituary of Pearce in an old newspaper archive. The obituary was published shortly after his untimely death in 1809 and I've reproduced it in full for your delectation - have a read and I promise you that one of the most exciting prize fighters who ever walked the face of the earth comes into sharp and glorious focus again:

DEATH OF THE GAME CHICKEN - 1 May 1809

"Yesterday afternoon, at half-past four o'clock, died the celebrated pugilistic hero, Henry Pearce, alias the Game Chicken, and once the Champion of England. His fighting career was put to an end to by a complaint of the lungs, brought on by dissipated habits, and at which brought on his dissolution.

The title of Champion of England has, from time to time, been bestowed on various candidates for pugilistic fame; but certainly it was never more justly bestowed than on the person in question; for in the numerous contests in which he has been engaged, he never was obliged to yield the palm of victory. Pearce was a native of Bristol, which has, of late years, been so celebrated for producing heroes. He was about 30 years of age, stout and athletic in appearance, from 5 feet 9 to 10 inches high. Although a professor of boxing, he was never involved in pot-house brawls or casual rencontres.

The first battle of note which he fought, was with a man of colour at Bath, who had been for some years the dread of that neighbourhood. He obtained a hard-earned victory, after a contest of upwards of an hour. He was much inferior in point of strength to his adversary, and was indebted to his success to what may be termed a cautious, cunning system of fighting rather than to a proficiency in the art. Soon after this, the fame and rewards of [Jem] Belcher having been spread far and near, Pearce was tempted to try his fortune in London as a bruiser, and accordingly he came to town at the particular request of Belcher, who having declared his intention of retiring from the ring, promised him the patronage of all this friends. Pearce first entered the lists with Bourke, whom Belcher had twice beaten, and they fought in a room inn St. Martin's Lane by candlelight. The conflict was short and desperate, and in a quarter of an hour the Bristol hero was declared the victor. The bottom he evinced on this occasion procured him the name of the Game Chicken; upon which he crowed defiance to all the game cocks in the kingdom, Belcher excepted (it being his intention not to pit himself against any of the Bristol breed). Gully was at this time in the Fleet for debt, being anxious to fight his way out, he proposed a combat with the Chicken, which took place for a purse of one hundred guineas: on this occasion Guly distinguished himself as a man of bottom and science; but, after an hour's conflict, was compelled to yield to superior strength and experience.

The Chicken's next rencontre was with Elias Spary; the copper-smith, on Moulsey Hurst, and there he gained fresh laurels; for Spray was a man of great strength, and about the middle of the battle, placing a blow on the temple of the Chicken, it required some dexterity on his part to carry on the contest until he recovered from its effects. The battle, however, being won by the Chicken, he was challenged by a countryman of the name of Cart, who held his opponent but a short tug, for the battle was nearly decided in the first round, the Chicken planting his favourite blow in the jugular vein, which completely disabled his antagonist.

The Chicken now became a great favourite with the amateurs; he excited the envy of Belcher, who had, during his retirement, the misfortune to lose an eye; besides, by keeping late hours, he had greatly impaired his constitution. In this state he prepared to fight the Chicken and the battle took place in Yorkshire, much against the wish and advice of Belcher's best friends. The debilitated state of Belcher, and the disadvantage he laboured from want of an eye, gave the Chicken an easy conquest, which, under different circumstance, would have cost him dear. This was the last battle the Chicken ever engaged in. His constitution from this time gradually decayed; and his death, if not entirely originating in dissipation, was undoubtedly accelerated by it. Finding his dissolution at hand, he expressed a desire to see his relations from Bristol; and his father, amongst the rest, took leave of him yesterday morning. Some time before his death Pearce was impressed with sentiments of religion, and requested a clergyman to assist him in his devotions. He hoped forgiveness from all those whom he might have ill treated in the way of his profession, and declared, with his last breath, that he died in charity with all men."

Farewell Glyn Leach

I've been away so it wasn't until today that I discovered that Glyn Leach, the longtime editor of British boxing journalism mainstay Boxing Monthly had passed away at the absurdly early age of 52.

Although I've been a reader of Boxing Monthly for many, many years, I didn't know Mr Leach personally and I never met him. I think, in fact, that I've only ever seen one photograph of him. For a personal sense of what he was like as a man and an editor I suggest that you click here or here or here for some illuminating tributes by people better qualified than me to comment on him.

Nevertheless, although I never knew Leach, his passing still hit me like a Bob Fitzsimmons punch to the solar plexus. Ironically enough, I was planning to send him a copy of my forthcoming anthology Boxiana: Volume 1 in the hope that his magazine would review it. I'd even begun to pen, in my head, a letter to go with it, in which I was going to explain to Mr Leach how much Boxing Monthly has meant to me over the years. Sadly, that's now a letter I'll never write, and sentiments he will never hear.

I can still remember the first time I ever read an issue of Boxing Monthly. It was in the early to mid-1990s and I was already a keen reader of Boxing News, and had no idea that there was also a monthly British title devoted to boxing. One afternoon, I was due at a play rehearsal in Croydon and had arrived early, so I browsed around the local shops and the Boxing Monthly masthead leapt out at me. I eagerly bought and devoured the magazine in one sitting while sat on a park bench eating a pasty. I remember, in particular, a fascinating article about Henry Maske, the German light-heavyweight about who I knew very little. So absorbed was I in the magazine, that I was late for my rehearsal.

Thereafter, I pretty much never missed an issue of Boxing Monthly, although about eight years ago, and to my eternal regret, I dispensed with my collection of back issues during a period when I had fallen out of love with boxing. What a fool I feel like now to have done that.

Each month Leach's editorial was always the first thing I read. His honesty and integrity always shone through in these masterclasses of cogency, erudition and journalistic coherence. Sometimes these editorials were angry rants, shot through with shards of dark humour and cynicism. At other times, they were sunny, optimistic treatises. But whatever tone they took, they were never dull, they never courted sympathy or popularity for the sake of it, and they never, it struck me, were anything other than 100% honest, sometimes brutally so.

Given Leach's forthrightness, you might have expected him to possess a huge ego, but I never got that impression. I've barely ever seen a photograph of him, and certainly there was very little sense of self-promotion or self-aggrandising in those wonderful editorials. 

Reading the obituaries of Leach that have sprung up in cyberspace, it has struck me that he was obviously a kind and encouraging soul as well; I've already lost count of the number of novice writers who have emerged to thank Leach for giving them their big break. And the varied names of contributors in Boxing Monthly over the years certainly indicate that, unlike many publications in the mainstream media, Leach was always willing to give an enthusiastic and talented unknown a shot, rather than rely on a clique-riden coterie of his mates. All of which makes me even more regretful that I never had the guts to pitch Leach a story or feature idea.  

Boxing Monthly has now been in print for 25 years, an incredible achievement for an independent print publication. That is Leach's epitaph. Let's, as a boxing community and set of consumers, make sure it is still here in another 25 years' time as a monument to his passion, integrity and excellence, even though, without Leach inhabiting its pages, it will never be quite the same again.

Luke G. Williams

Editor

www.boxianajournal.blogspot.co.uk

Follow @boxianajournal

Boxiana's P4P top ten

1. Floyd Mayweather

The undisputed king of boxing and the best-paid athlete in world sport. Looked more vulnerable than in a long time against Marcos Maidana but is widely expected to win the rematch. Unless he takes higher risk contests, it seems that little can stop him from reaching 49-0 and, ultimately, probably retiring on reaching 50-0. A great fistic talent, but his penchant for cherry-picking oppo at the right times is arguably holding him back from even greater adulation and all-time P4P consideration.

2. Manny Pacquiao
Underwhelming next choice of opponent in Chris Algieri has accentuated the suspicion that he is a faded force and possibly busted flush whose career is treading water. Nonetheless, he remains a phenomenon with an incredible ledger of achievements and, after Mayweather, the biggest name in the sport. The world still yearns for that fight, of course, although we now know it will never happen.

3. Timothy Bradley
An enigmatic talent who disappointed big-time in his rematch against Pacquiao, however his overall record commands respect and his wins against Provodnikov and Márquez, which prefaced the Pacquiao defeat, were impressive for different reasons. Intriguing to see where his career goes next, once he recovers from a calf injury. 

4. Juan Manuel Márquez
Past his best, but has still enjoyed a remarkable and wonderful career. I think we all agree that a fifth fight against Pacquiao holds little lustre, so where he goes next after his victory against Mike Alvarado is a huge question - the answer might be retirement. We will soon see.

5. Andre Ward

Career is stagnating when it should be at its peak. A wonderful talent, but signature wins and fights are sparse, despite potential for some huge fights in and around his division (Golovkin, Froch 2, Stevenson etc). As long as promotional discord keeps him inactive or only sporadically active, he will continue to move inexorably down a P4P list that he should be looking to top. Recent rumours have linked him to contests versus Kessler or Golovkin - let's hope that's true.

6. Guillermo Rigondeaux
A breathtaking talent, although not to everyone’s taste. Indeed, sometimes he doesn’t seem to be to anyone’s taste. Boxiana is a fan of his pure hit and not get hit artistry though. He's not box-office, but is worthy of his place among the current gods of the sport.

7. Gennady Golovkin
Has looked utterly unstoppable at middleweight recently, although he badly needs a signature fight against a better class of opponent to rubber-stamp what many suspect – namely that he’s a middleweight for the ages.

8. Danny García
As far as Boxiana is concerned, a perplexing omission from nearly every current P4P list doing the rounds. García can bang, box and has a superb chin. Totally dismantled the much-avoided and huge hitting Lucas Matthysse, and has defeated everyone else he’s ever faced, although he got a debatable decision versus Mauricio Herrera. Deserves a big fight.

9. Carl Froch
Teak-tough warrior who has been willing to face anyone, any time, any place. Not the most gifted technician, and was schooled by Ward, but his consistently high level of opposition deserves the utmost respect.

10. Bernard Hopkins
Has had an absolutely incredible career, which should demand and command more respect and recognition. A victory against Kovalev is not beyond the bounds of possibility, and his technique and longevity are quite simply without parallel or equal in boxing right now.

Comments:
P4P lists are probably the most contentious and ridiculous rankings system in boxing, yet they retain an intriguing allure. The main criteria Boxiana has employed in our rankings is to try and combine an assessment of a fighter’s career as a whole along with an assessment of their recent form. Wins against fellow P4P ranked fighters seem to have helped elevate certain fighters to the higher reaches of our rankings – indeed, all of our top five hold at least one victory against another member of the P4P top ten, while no one ranked from 6-10 has beaten a fellow top ten pound for pounder.

Among those Boxiana has seen in other Top Ten P4P lists but opted not to include were as follows - any of these fighters could crack the top ten with a significant win or two:

Nonito Donaire – mixed recent form, lost his biggest fight to Rigondeaux.

Román González - great record but is unfortunate to have been campaigning in low-profile weight divisions. An impressive win against Yaegashi in September could see him crack our top ten.

Miguel Cotto – stellar career but possibly flattered by Martinez victory.

Canelo Álvarez - limitations exposed versus Mayweather and then Lara. 

Wladimir Klitschko - total dominance of a terrible division makes it hard to rank him historically in heavyweight terms and contemporaneously in P4P terms. He’s on a remarkable winning streak, but do all-time-greats suffer defeats against the likes of Puritty, Sanders and Brewster? His constant fouling also irritates Boxiana sufficiently to not place him in the top ten …

Mikey Garcia – great record, lacks a signature win.

Luke G. Williams

Editor

www.boxianajournal.blogspot.co.uk

Follow @boxianajournal