Two hats

I won't show the panels to which this anecdote refers. I'll let you take your copy of the book off the shelf and pretend that you've just discovered the mistake for yourself.
Today I got an email from Serge Ewenczyk of Ca et la, He tells me they've noticed a mistake in book 2 page 42 panel 2 of Alec: The King Canute Crowd. Danny Grey gives his hat to Louise, who puts it on in the next panel, except in the next panel they're both wearing it.
two hats.
It was published like this in 1985, 1990, 1997 and 2000. and Serge is the first person to mention it. These guys have been paying a lot of attention to the details, which is a good sign. but then so have I. A font has been specially made from samples I hand lettered. I have scanned all of the pages from the original art and I had to consult more than one expert before I worked out a dependable system. The big serious problem with it is how to get all those zip-tones to reproduce via the digital process without introducing moire patterns in the greys (look at the awful repro in my two pages in the recent Smithsonian book of comics for a bad example). I mean, over and above the ones that were intentional, put there for deliberate pattern effects in clothing materials for instance. I recently heard that Serge and his team went to some trouble to try to fix those too but gave it up as hopeless.
LOL, as you young 'uns would type.

* * *
oh bloody hell, this post was up and now it's down again. there's a voice mail from my pal, mr j: "It's there, and then its gone again...of course, in the meantime i've gone and checked the page in question in my copy of the king canute crowd... think the page numbers were different in the old books ( which were closer to hand, so i couldn't find it... )... in fact, i have now...and in alec... love and beer glasses, danny grey isn't wearing the hat in the 2nd panel... is this some sort of a conspiracy...

and another voicemail, again from mr j: "ok... alec-love and beer glasses pg 28 ( this is the escape edition we're talking about )... no hat...so at what point exactly was it drawn back in??? and by whom??? is this like a comic book x-file??

what's this? another message from my pal mr j: "seriously, do i get a no-prize for this?"

Damn. if i had anotther post for tonight i'd scrap the whole thing, but we just had drinks with my pal Huge Andrew. Okay, consider the no prize yours, mr j.

and thanks for roning.

another call from mr j.... "you've spelt another with two t's."

ladies and gentlemen, this is live blogging.