Singh, Jeff :: Milton Caniff Terry and the Pirates

Terry and Pirates 9/29/39 by Milton Caniff - No Comment

Artist: Milton Caniff (All)

24 Comments - 2,254 Views - 10 Likes

Terry and Pirates 9/29/39 by Milton Caniff - No Comment Comic Art

Click Image to View Full Size

Previous Item:
Terry and the Pirates daily 7/1/39 by Milton Caniff

Next Item:
Terry and Pirates Daily from 1/2/40 Milton Caniff

Artwork Details

Title:	Terry and Pirates 9/29/39 by Milton Caniff - No Comment
Artist:	Milton Caniff (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Comic Strip
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	2,254
Likes on CAF:	10 11
Favorited on CAF:	2
Comments:	24
Added to Site:	11/6/2020
Comic Art Archive:

Description

"No Comment"

Milton Caniff always put a little title/caption on each of his dailies above the top margin. They were there for his own amusement I presume because they never saw print. I have always found them fun and well thought out and have given some thought to cataloging them all if I can but that is a project for another day. He didn't do this for the first year or so of the strip as the first time I have seen this done was in August of 1935 but perhaps he started sooner. He did not do these on the Sundays and continued to do them on Steve Canyon for the first few years but had stopped by the late 50's. The title of this particular strip is "No Comment". I couldn't agree more. The text and imagery speak for themselves. I'll give the description a bit of space before pining on about the art.

I got this piece from a friend. He has had it framed and on his wall for over 50 years and has owned it for almost 60 years so I can say without reservation the piece moving into my collection took a lot of trust. I first saw the piece about 5 or 6 years ago when we met for the first time and we became fast friends sharing a mutual interest in Terry and the Pirates and Corto Maltese. He is the first and only person I know of in the rest of the world who can list those 2 comic works as their favorites other than myself. It was an inspired friendship and I am very grateful to be able to bring this piece into my home and to put on my wall. It means a lot to me both in what it is and also in where it came from. It is from 1939, a pivotal year for Terry and follows closely and is continuous with my favorite Terry and Pirates story line. Here the Dragon Lady has just made the change from pre-war to her post war role as a leader of the Chinese militia in Japan occupied China. There have been other hints at the romance between Pat Ryan and the Dragon Lady but this is their first and only kiss (at least while they are awake). Pat's machismo laden poetic serenade before the kiss is just perfect for the strip and the era and is part of what set his writing apart from that of others. Often copied but never duplicated, Caniff defined the adventure strip with his art, storytelling, dialogue and leading ladies and this strip is at the pinnacle of all that. The last 2 silent panels with camera focusing on what would otherwise be an off-scene gesture are just brilliant.

Social/Sharing

About the Owner

	Jeff Singh ( 7 ) Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	November 2004
Last Login:	September 2025
Website:	http://www.art4comics.com
Country:	CANADA
On CAF:	Premium Member Q&A Jeff's Classifieds Jeff's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF Read More About JeffSingh

Contact the Owner

Use can use a contact form to send an email to this gallery owner,
but, you must be logged in to use this feature.

Comments on this Artwork

You must be logged in to make comments.

Rafa Roldan
Member Since 2010

1 - Posted on 11/6/2020

What a beautiful strip!

Yo Kuri
Member Since 2019

1 - Posted on 11/6/2020

Perfect timing and storytelling with a great backstory!

Monty B
Member Since 2006

1 - Posted on 11/6/2020

Fantastic!!! Many congrats on this amazing addition to your collection... :-)

Aaron N.
Member Since 2009

1 - Posted on 11/6/2020

Holy S---!

D. J. Peters
Member Since 2006

1 - Posted on 11/6/2020

Unbelievable.

Miki Annamanthadoo
Member Since 2003

1 - Posted on 11/6/2020

Wonderful!

Chris K.
Member Since 2008

1 - Posted on 11/6/2020

Breathtaking, Jeff - a thing of beauty!

Ron S
Member Since 2007

1 - Posted on 11/6/2020

Excellent!!

S S
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 11/6/2020

Jeff, I nearly fell off my chair. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I clicked on the link in the email, but it wasn't this. This is really amazing! WOW!

Alex Johnson
Member Since 2006
Forum Moderator

1 - Posted on 11/6/2020

Wow! I'm speechless. What a wonderful bit of story telling.

LB Jefferies
Member Since 2003

1 - Posted on 11/6/2020

Beautiful piece, Jeff. I'm stunned.

George Hagenauer
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 11/6/2020

Tha tis a really major daily - a great find - enjoy it

Oystein Sorensen
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 11/7/2020

Delicious. One of the highlights in the best period of Terry and the Pirates.

Stephen F
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 11/7/2020

The perfect daily. Congrats!

Rob Stolzer
Member Since 2004

1 - Posted on 11/7/2020

Following up on the comments of so many others, congratulations my friend. A truly iconic strip. One of Caniff's most memorable. I'm glad it's home.

Davide G.
Member Since 2009

1 - Posted on 11/7/2020

Ok, now you can stop collecting Terry ;) Perfection!

Ben Friedman
Member Since 2006

1 - Posted on 11/7/2020

Oh, wow. Lovely.

Eelco V
Member Since 2004

1 - Posted on 11/8/2020

Wow really special and beautiful!

Max C
Member Since 2004

1 - Posted on 11/9/2020

No comment is needed for this outstanding piece, my Friend. Any update in your gallery is worth a check, but this time you've surpassed yourself. BRAVO!

Benno Rothschild
Member Since 2003

1 - Posted on 11/12/2020

This one pretty much leaves me as speechless as the Dragon Lady! Truly an incredible addition to an already outtanding collection

Ruben DaCollector
Member Since 2008

1 - Posted on 11/15/2020

Feels like I'm watching a scene out of some film noir. The storytelling is exquisite, the body language so true to life. This has to be one of my favourite Dragon Lady dailies. Congrats, man!

Max Comic Box .
Member Since 2006

1 - Posted on 12/4/2020

Wonderful!!

Amir E
Member Since 2020

1 - Posted on 10/6/2023

One of the most memorable scenes in the strips history. Just great.

CJ Design
Member Since 2018

1 - Posted on 8/11/2024

Storytelling is paramount

All
	Dave E 9/6/2025 11:22:00 AM
	J Murdock 9/6/2025 11:20:00 AM
	Federico Bettini 9/6/2025 11:20:00 AM
	James Cline 9/6/2025 11:18:00 AM
	Ben H 9/6/2025 11:10:00 AM
View All


	P A 9/6/2025 11:02:00 AM
	Henrik Henrik 9/6/2025 10:58:00 AM
	Aasemoon ‎ 9/6/2025 10:54:00 AM
	Aidan (Re-Legion ) Lacy 9/6/2025 10:51:00 AM
	Wade AuCoin 9/6/2025 10:46:00 AM