CRIVENS! COMICS & STUFF!: CLASSIC U.K. COMIC STRIPS: RAVEN ON THE WING...

Thursday, 4 September 2014

CLASSIC U.K. COMIC STRIPS: RAVEN ON THE WING...

Images copyright relevant owner

RAVEN On The WING was a very popular strip that appeared in VALIANT (published weekly by IPC MAGAZINES from 1962 to '76) for many years, featuring the adventures of a young gypsy boy who happened to be an amazingly gifted footballer. Drawn regularly by the talented and prolific Argentinian artist FRANCISCO SOLANO LOPEZ, this particular tale was published in the 1972 VALIANT & TV21 Summer Special. Enjoy a taste of yesteryear - today!

14 comments:

John Pitt said...: This strip doesn't ring any bells with me, even though I regularly bought Vaiant in the late sixties.
My favourite story came from '65 - a schoolmate told me of these monsters that were " ....even better than the Daleks.... " So I just HAD to check them out! They were in the Steel Claw and were like a huge head with one giant eye in the middle and moved about on spider legs. I can't remember what they were called. ( Does anyone know? ). I'd love to see this story again. Along with the Beezer's Jellymen, some of the UK's greatest original monster comic creations!; 4 September 2014 at 13:28
klaus said...: Francisco Solano López is not a prolific Spanish artist: he was an prolific Argentine artist, man!; 4 September 2014 at 13:37
Kid said...: Can anyone put a name to the creatures of JP's comic-buying youth? I don't think I remember them.

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Klaus, just checking you were paying attention. (Cough!) Duly amended.; 4 September 2014 at 13:58
Unknown said...: Klaus the Steel Claw aliens were called the "Kraniums"

You can check them out via the link below (lots of good Steel Claw stuff there)

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=the+steel+claw&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=75A3D41857C8CD56B6C003B7A516C69636D90465&selectedIndex=7; 4 September 2014 at 17:46
Kid said...: McScotty, the person looking for info on the Kraniums is JP, not Klaus.

You can check it out in the comments above. (Hee hee. Ta, McS.); 4 September 2014 at 19:54
Unknown said...: Oooops sorry JP and Klaus (was in a rush as I typed that reply).

I loved these old football strips and "Raven on the Wing" was one of my favourites and it seemed to run for years (only "Hot Shot Hamish" topped it for me). As always excellent artwork by the late great Solano Lopez - I remember some of the regular weekly "Raven" strips having a bit of a mystical edge to them - great stuff there should be a "Raven on the Wing" collection, UK comics were so good at this time with some really amazing UK and overseas talent sigh!

Maybe its just me but "Jo Hagen" could be a contender for a "Babe of the Day" slot??

I seem to recall Solano drew a similar football strip (possibly in the Buster or Lion) that had the word "Wizard" in the title does anyone recall that one?; 4 September 2014 at 21:37
Anonymous said...: Wow, that's one helluva long link on Paul's comment !; 4 September 2014 at 22:56
Kid said...: Off the top of my head, McScotty, I think Raven lasted 'til around 1974. Glad to know that I wasn't the only one thinking that Jo's a bit of a babe. Amazing the effect a drawing can have, eh? I can't think what the other football strip is you allude to, but I'll probably remember it once I'm reminded of the name.

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Knowing McScotty, CJ, it'll no doubt be worth it.; 4 September 2014 at 23:24
John Pitt said...: McScotty, you are a star, sir! Thanks a lot ( been looking for a few years!)
Kid's blog saves the day!!; 4 September 2014 at 23:29
Kid said...: Happy to take any credit going, JP - even if I don't deserve it.; 5 September 2014 at 00:29
Unknown said...: Found an answer to my own question on the Buster fan site (in case anyone was looking for it as well) - the other Solano Lopez football strip I was looking for was called the "Wizard of Football! (considering I had the word "Wizard" and the strip was about football I really should has sussed that out quicker :) )

That link JP, Colin has an amazing amount of Steel Claw strips - I ve been reading them on and off this week was weird that one of them dealt with the "Kraniums"; 5 September 2014 at 09:44
Kid said...: I was wrong, McScotty - I still don't remember it. I'll have to go and look at an example. The Buster site is great, but it didn't appear to have been updated in some time when I last looked, sadly.; 5 September 2014 at 10:07
Unknown said...: The BUSTER site only has the logo on it for that strip Kid

Peter Gray's site had a few pages but sometimes they don't seem to appear (404 etc) but saw them yesterday - But the links here if you get a chance

http://petergraycartoonsandcomics.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/solano-lopezs-busters-wizard-of.html; 5 September 2014 at 13:53
Kid said...: Ta, McScotty.; 5 September 2014 at 14:36

About the artist:

From 1985 to 2000 A.D. (little joke there), I contributed to a variety of high profile comics and magazines for various companies.

For IPC/FLEETWAY/EGMONT, I freelanced as a lettering and logo artist on various weekly comics and monthly magazines, and also as a resize comic artist and spot illustrator on pocket books, summer specials and annuals.

For MARVEL U.K., BLACK LIBRARY, REDAN and USBORNE BOOKS, I again freelanced as a lettering artist, also working as a restoration artist for MARVEL U.S., restoring and re-creating certain pages of JACK KIRBY art for their MARVEL MASTERWORKS editions.

I also lettered the MARVELMAN sample pages submitted to MARVEL U.S. when they were considering acquiring the character, which - as we all now know - they DID.

Supplied comic strips, cartoons and illustrated advertisements for local business campaigns and newspaper publication on a professional basis since the age of 16. Did my first paid art job for publication at 14 or 15 for Lanarkshire Education Board.

Have also made TV appearances as a collector of memorabilia.

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Just some of the titles I worked on are:

2000 A.D. * JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE * DICEMAN * SONIC The COMIC * JUDGE DREDD, LAWMAN Of The FUTURE * CRISIS * REVOLVER * EAGLE * TIGER * BATTLE ACTION-FORCE * BUSTER * WHIZZER & CHIPS * WHOOPEE * NIPPER * SCHOOL FUN * ACE VENTURA, PET DETECTIVE * The REAL GHOSTBUSTERS * DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE * COUNT DUCKULA * RUGRATS * The TRANSFORMERS * DEATH'S HEAD * THUNDERCATS * GALAXY RANGERS * DRAGON'S CLAWS * SINDY * MARVEL MASTERWORKS * The TROLLS * LOADED * INFERNO * WARHAMMER * ROSE BLACK.

Copyright Notice:

Images remain the property of their respective copyright owners and are used here only for the purpose of review, promotion, and nostalgia.

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