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| Copyright REBELLION |
Well - sort of. Above is what was a rather beat up copy of the first combined issue of LION & EAGLE from 1969 that I got via eBay back in November. The seller hadn't noticed 4 missing pages when he listed it, and I didn't notice right away when I received it as they'd been carefully removed and their absence wasn't immediately obvious. The seller gave me a full refund and let me keep the issue once I pointed out the fault, and Crivens reader Hucky supplied a Mediafile link to scans of the complete issue so I could restore the comic to its full complement of stories.
However, although I now had access to the missing pages, I still didn't have them in published form so had to estimate their image size from the ones that remained, which aren't all the same ratio so there's no guarantee that the replacements exactly match the originals. (They'll be pretty close though.) Also, printing on both sides of the same sheet of paper so that the images are 100% back-to-back is difficult to do with any precision, so I had to settle for the art being more towards the middle on the 'facsimile' pages, instead of slightly closer to the spine like the others.
I used FILMOPLAST P90 PLUS (supplied by reader Hackney Steve) to reinforce the cover's spine, and to attach the replacement pages to their other halves, and although not perfect, it's a fairly neat, now-complete readable copy of this comic from the '60s. Incidentally, the tape is less apparent then it looks in the photos - the camera's flash makes it seem more obvious in places than it actually is. Eventually, I'll track down a better condition copy, but mending this one was a satisfying exercise which saved it from being thrown into the bin.
So I've rescued the comic from oblivion and consequently feel very proud of myself. Don't be shy about telling me how gifted I am in the comments section. All lies to that effect will be gratefully received and readily believed.
Update: I've since replaced this ish with a better copy and given the repaired one to a pal.
