Tomorrow Revisited: Frank Hampson Book Launch announced

The long-awaited art book Tomorrow Revisited by Alastair Crompton, focusing on the career of Dan Dare creator Frank Hampson, is to be launched at Chris Beetles Art Gallery on Tuesday 30th November 2010.

Announced back in February and originally planned for release to mark the the 60th anniversary of Eagle back in April, Tomorrow Revisited tells the life story of Frank Hampson and, although there are shades of Alastair’s first book, The Man Who Drew Tomorrow, the text has been completely  re-written, covers much not in the earlier work, and has been read and authenticated by Peter Hampson, the artist’s son.

Tomorrow Revisited also contains many pages of Dan Dare art, reproduced from Hampson’s originals, so it reproduces better than in the original Eagle comic. The book also features reference photographs, experimental sketches and try-out drawings where Hampson is designing aliens and hardware, and other material used in creating the strip.

Although Road of Courage, which told the life of Jesus, was Hampson's last full-length strip, after he quit Dan Dare Hampson went on to create seven other strip cartoon characters intended for Eagle, or, in two cases, a national newspaper. These strips are printed for the first time in this new book, together with some of the  intended story-lines.

Tomorrow Revisited costs £29.99. In addition to the regular release, a deluxe leather bound hard back edition (Limited to 100 copies, priced at £295.00) housed in a leather bound Presentation Case is also being produced, which comes with a certificate of limited availability signed by Alastair Crompton, Peter Hampson, Andrew Skilleter and Don Harley; a unique original illustration by legendary Eagle artist Don Harley; and a Frank Hampson illustrated Homage by Andrew Skilleter.

The Chris Beetles Gallery is in the centre of St James’s, London's best known art dealing district and is acknowledged as showing the greatest stock of Illustrators and Cartoonists work in the world. Original Hampson artwork from the first Dan Dare story for Eagle will be on display and for sale.

• Tomorrow Revisited: Book Launch 6.00pm until 8.00pm, 30th November 2010, The Chris Beetles Gallery, 8 & 10 Ryder Street St. James's, London SW1Y 6QB. Telephone: 020 7839 7551

• For full details and a preview of some of the pages from the book visit http://store.pspublishing.co.uk/acatalog/info_480.html

Conservative Leader Cameron Focus of Cartoon Exhibition

Brilliant British cartoonists site Bloghorn draws our attention to two political cartoon exhibitions featuring cartoons lampooning Conservative leader David Cameron open in London next week, at the Chris Beetles Gallery and the Political Cartoon Gallery.

Peter Brookes: The Best of Times, is at the Chris Beetles Gallery from Monday 12th October until the end of the month. It features more than 100 of Brookes’s most recent cartoons from The Times will be on display and signed copies of the book accompanying the show are available from the gallery.

Drawings by Brookes also feature in Cameron in Caricature, an exhibition of 60 cartoons charting the fortunes of David Cameron since he became Leader of the Conservative Party in December 2005, at the Political Cartoon Gallery from next Tuesday (13th October) until 24th December.

Due to his upbringing and education, Cameron is often portrayed as a toff and is portrayed by Martin Rowson of the Guardian as Little Lord Fauntleroy. After Cameron called for greater transparency in the publication of both Commons' expenses and councils' expenditure, Steve Bell, also of the Guardian, now draws him as Dave the Jellyfish.

As well as cartoons by Bell and Rowson, there are also cartoons of Cameron by Brookes and Morten Morland of The Times, Dave Brown and Peter Schrank of The Independent, Ingram Pinn of the Financial Times, and Andy Davey of The Sun, among many other leading cartoonists.

• The Chris Beetles Gallery, at 8 and 10 Ryder Street, St James’s, London (nearest Tube Green Park or Piccadilly Circus) is open Mon-Sat, 10am–5.30pm. Web: www.chrisbeetles.com


• The Political Cartoon Gallery, 32 Store Street, London, is open Mon-Fri 9.30am–5.30pm and Sat 11.30am–5.30pm. Web: www.politicalcartoon.co.uk

Tube Surfing 6 July 2009: Scotch Corner, Harker, Tom Baker, Bodysnatchers and Cricket

• Those pesky Scottish creators are attempting another coup of downthetubes with a reminder that Scotch Corner, a collection of Scottish artists, is up and running. The fine team from north of the border include Thomas Crielly, Gary Erskine, Andy Hepworth, Jon Hodgson and Graeme Neil Reid.
"Every day there will be a new piece of art posted, each artist posting on a certain day," says Thomas" We kicked off last Wednesday so have a look and feel free to comment on the images."
The blog will also feature the work of guest artists: on Sunday, Leigh Gallagher kindly provided this splendid 2000AD-inspired image.

• A quick reminder that the London Film and Comic Con takes place later this month (Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July) at Earl's Court 2. As well as media guests such as Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap, Star Trek: Enterprise), Tom Baker (Doctor Who), Bruce Boxleitner (Babylon 5, Heroes) and Eve Myles (Torchwood), comics creators such as Spider-Man artist Lee Townsend, The Beano's Henry Davies, Doctor Who Magazine's Mike Collins, John Charles and Al Davison are also on the guest list, as well as publishers such as Orang Utan Comics. More info via www.londonfilmandcomiccon.com/.

• ComicBitsOnline has a round up of all the new Classics Illustrated titles now on sale in British newsagents, which include digitally enhanced editions of Mutiny on the Bounty, Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. You can also subscribe to the series online via the official web site at: http://www.classicsillustrated.co.uk

• Brilliant British cartoonists news site Bloghorn - for some reason, often a breed apart from comics artists, although I'm never sure why or how that happened - reports the Chris Beetles Gallery in London will stage A Celebration of Cricket: From Ashes to Zooter from 15th July 15 until 8th August.
Encompassing 200 years of cricket and featuring illustrations and watercolours, more than half the show will be devoted to cartoons, including the work of Glen Baxter, Mark Boxer, Tony Husband, Jak, John Jensen, Larry, Nick Newman and many more.
The Chris Beetles Gallery, is at 8 and 10 Ryder Street, St James’s, London (nearest Tube Green Park or Piccadilly Circus) is open Monday to Saturday, 10am – 5.30pm. The gallery’s website can be found at www.chrisbeetles.com

• 2000AD and Star Wars artist Colin Wilson reports he's got his own web site. "After 14 years of maintaining a website, I've finally got myself a domain name. With my old ISP cutting me off a lot quicker than expected, thanks to Wolfgang at Gestalt my comic work, in all its glory, can now be found here (http://web.mac.com/wilco440). Who knows, I might even have the time to update the site one day...."

• Over on the Forbidden Planet International blog, Richard Bruton has given a glowing review to the latest issues of indie detective comic treat Harker, the work of York-basd publishers Ariel Press, which we had no hesitation in plugging earlier in the year. "Harker issue 1 & 2 were reviewed a few weeks back. The verdict: I thought it was great," he opens. "So with issues 3 & 4 I was really hoping it was going to live up to the promise of the first issues. Well, [Roger] Gibson & [Vince] Danks have taken that promise and really gone for it. If 1 & 2 established the characters and setting and dastardly plot, then 3 & 4 are where they relax and open out into the story some more. It’s still completely fantastic genre stuff but it just gets better and better and better here."
Issue 5 is already on the shelves at Traveling Man in York and is winging its way to the other stores Ariel supply over the next day or so. If your local comic shop doesn't supply it, please ask them to drop me an email: roggibson1@aol.com - we'd be very happy to supply them, and will make it very easy for them (and even offer them a really good rate). Read the full review here or find out more about the comic at www.arielpress.com

• Talking of indie publishers, head over to Insomnia Publications blog where, after a whole host of new titles and projects were announced last week, various art trailers for them also now feature. Upcoming titles include Burke and Hare by Martin Conaghan (interviewed about the project here) and Will Pickering, Oz: Fall Of The Scarecrow King by Barry McGowan, Damaged Goods: Manifestation by Mark Chilcott and Butterflies and Moths by Jennie Gyllblad. Head there now, or take a gander at their Burke and Hare preview on myebook...