Discovered in the Special Collections reading room at the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library, James Cook University , Townsville , is the above l944 Sydney booklet about Australian fish . The drawings were by cartoonist and illustrator C. H. Percival (1891-1940) , who served in the WWl War Records section , contributed to a paper for troops and the London Punch, also became a principal cartoonist for the Sydney Bulletin 1920-40
The whimsical text ,in which the above fish was said to have possibly come out of a lunatic's imagination , was by John Winton Heming (1900-1953) , a prolific writer of pulp fiction novelettes and more than 2000 short stories. He had several pseudonyms including Master Sarg for a 76 page book making out he was an American soldier terrified by Australian animals and Aborigines. No doubt many copies were bought by American Servicemen to take home .
It was illustrated by painter Walter Dowman , awarded the St. George Art Society Prize,Kogarah,Sydney, in 1946.
It seems Heming cashed in on the queer market , writing about queer insects, queer animals, queer birds as well . Born in Victoria, he is said to have left school at 14, worked in Brisbane for a time , and claimed to have been a professional boxer , journalist, circus acrobat ,singer, dancer, scene painter, etc.
