ComPal auction offers Dan Dare, Spider and Kelly's Eye art

The Spring 2013 Comic Book Postal Auction closes next week - and they have some fantastic British comic lots on offer, as usual, including original art from strips such as Dan Dare, The Spider and Kelly's Eye as well as complete runs of comics such as New Eagle

Sure to attract top bidding are artworks such as Keith Watson's Dan Dare art for The Eagle Vol 15: No 46, published in 1964, in which the evil Mekon has begun a systematic destruction of London from an immense metal mushroom growing in the heart of the ciy (Lot 107).

Lot 117 is a great piece of Spider art by Reg Bunn, published in 1966, in which The Crook From Outer Space becomes the Spider's evil twin, while Lot 148 is a page from Kelly's Eye published in 1972 by Solano Lopez, in which, coincidentally, Tom Kelly, owner of the life preserving 'Eye Of Zoltec' travels back in time to battle Ragnar his other world evil self.

Also offered, among others, is cover art from humour comic Shiver and Shake by Robert NiXon (Lot 159); art by Eric Parker for the cover of an issue of the Sexton Blake Library (Lot 53); a smashing piece of Desperate Dan art drawn and signed by Dudley D. Watkins, published in 1952 (Lot 65), and a 1956 Topper cover by the same artist (Lot 72). There are several Picture Library and Rupert the Bear artworks also in the auction, as well as a page from Saber, published in a 1969 edition of Tiger and Hurricane by Denis McLoughlin (Lot 96).

One of the stalwarts of British comics illustration, Denis McLoughlin (1915-2002) is best known for his work for TV Boardman where he drew Roy Carson, Swift Morgan, Blackhawk, The Spirit and Buffalo Bill. His 'hard-boiled detective' comic style won him legions of fans in the 40s and 50s and his work on Okay, Adventure, Buffalo Bill, Super Coloured and New Spaceways Annuals further enhanced his position. In 1967 he went to work for IPC where 'Saber', illustrated above, was his first project.

Later employed by D C Thomson, he drew stories and covers for Buddy, Bullit, Crunch, Victor and Wizard and his last work was illustrating Commando War Stories in pictures.
Tragically, he took his life with a Colt revolver a week after his 84th birthday. His work is rarely seen at auction.

A promo copy of the short-lived Tornado - absorbed into 2000AD after just 22 issues - is among the comic rarities. The title featured artist Dave Gibbons as super-hero Big E on the cover of the first issue, posing inside with Tharg. Also on offer is a promotional issue of Whoopee, as well as other rare and sometimes elements of unpublished comics, such as Viking, a DC Thomson title that is being offered along with a authenticated script for the Scottish company's Starblazer title (Lot 165).

New Eagle fans may also be interested in a 93 issue unbroken run of the title, offered in five bound volumes starring Dan Dare and The Mekon by Gerry Embleton, The Fist Of Danny Pike by John Burns, The Tower King, House Of Daemon and Fifth Horseman all by Jose Ortiz. Included in the lot are free gifts Action Force Mini Comic 1-5, an Eagle Convention Programme 1980, Mekon poster and Bubbly World Cup Chart poster, a Matchbox Toys poster and several other toy posters and leaflets, plus a Boys And Girls Exhibition programme from 1962, a Radio Luxembourg 50 Pop Years magazine, Christie's Dan Dare artwork catalogue (1993), Eagle Days Remembered supplement (1994), Dan Dare At 50 (2000), a BT Dan Dare phone card and several other 1990s pieces.

One of the star items in this catalogue is a Dandy Comic No 1 (Lot 30). Its grade is [gd+] and with the demise of the weekly print Dandy late last year ComPal know there will be strong interest in this scarce first issue. Several early Dandy comics from 1938 are also on offer.
When the printers at DC Thomson checked the registration and colour of a comic before a print run the ‘printers' proof’ was signed off by the editor or his sub prior to printing. These unique pieces of DC Thomson history have never been seen at auction before and there are five Beano covers available at Lot 37.

There are plenty more comics on offer too, including runs of Magnet and many more.

• Bidding will close at 8.00pm UK time Tuesday 5 March More info: www.compalcomics.com

• Receive an email before auctions open and closes: Click here to join their mailing list

Keith Watson Dan Dare art up for auction, first Joe 90 and more

Dan Dare art by Keith Watson

Art from Trigan Empire by Don Lawrence, Dan Dare by Keith Watson and Nellyphant by Leo Baxendale are just some of the lots in the current ComPal Auction, which closes soon.

Also up for grabs are first issues of titles as diverse as Comic Cuts, published in 1890, Mystic, published by L. Miller in 1960 and a first issue of Joe 90 comic - with free gift.

Comic Cuts is widely regarded as the first comic and the Number One on offer is one of very few known to have survived. "It’s a bit grubby and dog-eared," note ComPal, "but one might be after 122 years." Not so The Hotspur with some ultra high grade complete years of 1935 and 1938 on offer.

 

The first Rupert annual was published in 1936 and there’s a copy available with rare dust jacket followed by annual 2 with its original despatch box.

 

A Beano Book 1 is also in the auction.


There are more Eagle rarities in the current auction with, Keith Watson’s original artwork of a darkly threatening Mekon and another Dan Dare Walkie-Talkie Set (released early 1950s) produced by J & L Randall – a lot that includes one Jeff Arnold and two Dan Dare badges, Eagle Passport with all four inserts, Eagle Club Membership Card, Eagle Pocket Chess And Draughts Set in card (no pieces), three Eagle Annual and book flyers with Junior Shipmate of The Cutty Sark Eagle Certificate and six Dan Dare plastic figures.

One other fun item has to be a set of Dan Dare knitting patterns published by Sirdar in 1991, offered with some Dan Dare model figures set hand-painted metal and boxed, produced by Good Soldiers in the 1990s.

One of ComPal's long standing customers mainly collected Christmas and Fireworks issues of Beano and Dandy and he has consigned his entire collection of war years issues right through to the 1970s.

One non-comic offering is a 1939 run of Picture Post with brilliantly evocative covers and photo-stories of Britain preparing for war.

A rare TV Century 21 special is also on offer, along with Fleetway’s Super Library, all 26 issues, and a fine Trigan Empire artwork by Don Lawrence.

The US section highlights 1950s pre-code Horror comics with long runs of Dark Mysteries, Web Of Mystery and Marvel Tales. There are most issues of Superboy #3-75, Superman #102-300, J L A #1-164 and a Hulk #1 cents copy.


• Bidding closes on Tuesday 27th November at 8.00pm GMT. Full catalogue at www.compalcomics.com/catalogue/index.htm. If you have a question about any of the items in the catalogue, please send an email to Compalcomics director Malcolm Phillips at comicbook@compalcomics.com

Trigan Empire by Don Lawrence

 

Dan Dare art up for sale on eBay

A page of Dan Dare artwork from the original Eagle is currently up for sale on eBay, on offer from American comics creator and editor Scott Dunbier.

The art is a page from the story The Phantom Fleet, first published in Eagle 50 (volume 9) in 1950.

Written by Alan Stranks, the artists credited for this story are Dan Dare co-creator Frank Hampson, Keith Watson and Desmond Walduck, but the Scott says "there’s probably more Duck here than Ham".

In the story, radio and television transmissions are being disrupted throughout the Solar System by an unknown force. Spaceships are disappearing. After a rocket ship carrying Sir Hubert Guest goes missing, Dan and crew set out to discover what has happened to it.

They find a fleet of huge alien craft containing peaceful aquatic creatures called Cosmobes who are fleeing from another aquatic race, the warlike Pescods, whose "Crimson Death" weapon destroys all metals on contact.

Attempts to destroy the Pescods' pursuing fleet fail, and they dive into the Earth's ocean and begin to build themselves a city. Fortunately for Earth the Pescods' settlement is on top of the submerged volcano Krakatoa, and when it erupts due to seismic disturbances from the pesky Pescods, they are all destroyed.

A panel from the offered Dan Dare page

The art measures 9.5 x 12.5 inches on large illustration board; the art is in nice shape but has some staining (perhaps no surprise given the many horror stories told down the years about how such art was treated by some publishers) and shows some age.

Scott previously bought and sold original comic art since the early 1980s, but "gave it up full time in 1995 to work in comics publishing."

While we were on eBay, we also came across seller "alanb1109", who regularly sells copies of Eagle and has announced he is about to offer quite a substantial collection in coming weeks.

Could be worth keeping an eye on.

• View The Phantom Fleet art here on eBay

• Dan Dare comics checklist (GoogleDoc, corrections, additional information welcome)

First 2000AD Dredd cover to go under the hammer

Veteran comics artist Barrie Mitchell, perhaps best known for his work on Roy of the Rovers, is selling some of his art - including the 2000AD cover that was the first to feature Judge Dredd.

Featuring on Issue 5 of 2000AD, published in March 1977, the cover sees Dredd in action against a giant robot, Krong, inspired by the story in the same issue, which was drawn by Carlos Ezquerra.

Despite having the honour of being the first Judge Dredd cover artist, Barrie's 2000AD career is quite scant in comparison with the huge amount of work he has done for a slew of publishers down the years. His credits include work for girls titles such as Bunty, Mandy and Diana, as well as action titles like Look-In, Pow and Wham, and various Marvel UK titles. He was the final artist on the Roy of the Rovers comic, drawing the strip from October 1992 until its cancelalion in March 1993, returning the character in 1997. He also worked on the The Mirror's Scorer strip in 1989-1990. (More info here on this downthtetubes comic artists page)

The cover will be auctioned by Island Auctions at Cowes Masonic Lodge on the Isle of Wight on 5th August 2010, as part of a larger sale of special auction of Fine Art & Maritime Collectables during Cowes Week.

In addition to this 2000AD art, Barrie told downthetubes he is selling some other pieces of art, some by other artists, in the auction. These include some pages of his own Doctor Who strip for Doctor Who Magazine, featuring Third Doctor Jon Pertwee, two pages of his Roy of the Rovers work, a signed page of the Penthouse strip Wicked Wanda by Ron Embleton, bought some years ago at a Society of Strip Illustrators event, two examples of John M. Burns Seekers and a page of Dan Dare from the Eagle, drawn by Keith Watson in the late 1960s. (Barrie wasn't able to tell us which story this art was from).

• Island Auctions web site: www.shanklinauctionrooms.co.uk or telephone 0198386

• Barrie Mitchell's 2000AD Credits

Spaceship Away Turns 21

The new issue of Spaceship Away, the science fiction comics magazine inspired by and featuring the original Dan Dare, includes some stunning exclusives sure to appeal to fans of the original version of the Eagle space hero created by Frank Hampson.

Wrapped in a glorious new Dan Dare cover featuring ever major character from the strip from veteran artist Don Harley (click on the image above or here for a larger version), the issue also includes a glorious tribute to Keith Watson's work on Dare by Chris Weston, as part of a retrospective of the artist's contribution to the legend.

Garth: The Bubble Man - superbly coloured by John Ridgway - continues and, while there are two Dan Dare strips to enjoy this issue, proves the highlight of this issue's strip content for me, along with a cutaway of the Tempus Frangit vessel by Graham Bleathman.

In something of a coup for the magazine, this issue carries coverage of a little known news piece about the making of Dan Dare made by the BBC in the 1950s, complete with photographs of the event, and also features some incredibly rare Dan Dare art by Frank Hampson created for the BBC Nationwide magazine show in 1975.

• To order the issue online visit: spaceshipaway.org.uk

Phantom Fleet Appears

Officially on sale this week is Dan Dare: Phantom Fleet from Titan Books, the latest in the company's high quality collections of the classic Eagle comic character.

First published in 1958 and written by Frank Hampson and Allan Stranks with art from Hampson, Desmond Walduck and Keith Watson, the story opens with radio and TV transmissions disrupted throughout the Solar System. Spaceships - including one carrying Sir Hubert - disappear, Dan and company set out to discover what's going on.

They find a fleet of huge alien craft containing peaceful aquatic creatures called Cosmobes who are fleeing from another aquatic race, the warlike Pescods. But the Pescods have a deadly weapon, the 'Crimson Death' -- and they're heading for Earth! Will Dan and his crew be able to once again save the day?

The story marks the debut of Keith Watson on the Dan Dare strip, who joined Frank Hampsons's studio as an assistant artist in 1958. Eagle Times notes that after Hampson left in 1959, and Frank Bellamy took over as lead artist on Dan Dare, Keith continued along with the remainder of Hampson’s team but, dissatisfied at the way of working, he too left in 1960 - to draw Captain Condor in Lion. Two years later, he returned to Eagle as the sole artist on Dan Dare, and continued until early 1967 when the comic began reprinting old Dan Dare strips. Sadly, after being diagnosed with cancer, he died in 1994.

Phantom Fleet is the only Dan Dare title planned for early 2009 release from Titan, but the company continues to publish several British comics collections including Modesty Blaise: The Ladykillers, Tank Girl Remastered, Torchwood: Rift War (all due 24 April) and The Best of Wallace & Gromit (29 May).

• Buy Dan Dare: Phantom Fleet from amazon.co.uk
• Buy Dan Dare: Phantom Fleet from amazon.com
• Titan Books: www.titanbooks.co.uk