John Black’s Body: A Story in Pictures by Ben Martin is not a wordless novel; it is a satirical (and cynical) look at war, politicians, and the common soldier. It consists of 48 pictures and 403 words. Published in 1939, at the start of WW2.
It is left to the reader to decide how, if at all, this title relates to the more widely known John Brown’s Body. John Brown was an abolitionist who was hanged for leading a raid to incite a slave rebellion at Harpers Ferry, Virginia.
Not much is known about Ben Martin (any information is appreciated and will be given a credit line). He was apparently born in 1911 in Oakland, California and settled his family in Orange County. In 1938, he ran (unsuccessfully) for the Democratic nomination and later wrote about his experience in The Atlantic Monthly. The few articles about (or by) him display wry humour with a point.
In addition to John Black’s Body, he also had published two other, almost wordless, stories (but not covered here):
- 1940 Mr. Smith and Mr. Schmidt: A Story in Pictures; The Vanguard Press, New York
- 1940 Alfred; Simon and Schuster, New York
John Black’s Body is included in the “Not-Quite” section of this site. The dust jacket, in referencing “48 pictures and 403 words,” is a clear nod to the wordless-novel genre, similar to Gibbings’ publications.
A few words about the publisher of this book, The Vanguard Press, founded in 1926; it published titles throughout the 1920s and 30s on communist and socialist theory and other left-of-center topics, a pattern consistent with this book. Its ambition was to introduce works that were otherwise unpublishable by more mainstream presses, and at affordable prices (as per Wikipedia).
Title: John Black’s Body: A Story In Pictures
Author: Ben Martin
Illustrator: Ben Martin
Introduction: No
Date of publication: 1939
ISBN: 9781199432674 (ISBN10: 1199432679)
Publisher: The Vanguard Press
Place of publication: New York
Printer: Reehl Litho Company, Inc, Bound by H. Wolff, New York
Copyright: The Vanguard Press
Dimensions: 9 3/4 x 6 3/4 x 5/8″ (24.7 x 17.2 x 1.7 cm)
Dust jacket: Yes – designed by the artist?
slipcase: unlikely
Binding: hardcover
Boards: paper-covered
Language: English titles, etc
Paginated: unpaginated
Printed: recto
Edition: Trade only
Reproduced from line drawings
References: Avermaete
Description:
Image credit: Art By Christine.
a reaction to the glue used in the pastedown.
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