The EAGLE #1 - COMPLETE ISSUE...

Copyright relevant owner

The EAGLE was Britain's brightest, boldest, biggest and best comic of the 1950s.  Created partly in response to the growing tide of unrest over American crime and horror imports, MARCUS MORRIS's and FRANK HAMPSON's 20 page photo-gravure-printed publication was an immediate hit, selling close to a million copies a week in its heyday.  Star of the comic was undoubtedly DAN DARE, originally envisioned as a space chaplain, but evolving into an interplanetary pilot of the future before first seeing print on or around April 7th, 1950 in Eagle #1.  (Cover-dated April 14th.)  Although originally registered with the G.P.O. as a newspaper (a tradition of the times), the periodical was a comic, pure and simple.  Costing three old pennies (thru'pence), it was published by HULTON PRESS Ltd., and printed by ERIC BEMROSE Ltd.

But whence came the name Dan Dare?  Legend has it (and it may well be true) that the space hero's alliterative appellation was derived from the phrase "Dare to  be a Daniel", in reference to Daniel in the lion's den as recounted in The BIBLE.  (Marcus Morris being a clergyman at the time.)  However, he wasn't the first action-adventurer of that name - a Dan Dare had appeared in WHIZ COMICS back in 1939/'40, sharing the pages of perhaps the greatest hero of them all - CAPTAIN MARVEL.  However, no one much remembers the U.S. counterpart these days, whereas the British incarnation continues to appear in brand-new adventures in every issue of SPACESHIP AWAY, a deluxe, three times a year publication available through mail order and specialist comic shops.  (Click here for details. And if you're a fan of the original Eagle, click here.)

As a special treat, generous moi has decided to show the complete first issue of The Eagle from 1950.  The pages are reproduced from my own personal copy of this legendary landmark and, therefore, any imperfections on the actual pages will be visible in the accompanying images.  And, before you ask, no - it's not for sale!  (Sharp-eyed readers will no doubt spot that another famous character also made his debut in this iconic issue.  I bet when you spot him, you won't be able to stop whistling the theme tune of his later TV show.)  Enjoy.

     

Click on images to enlarge - when they pop up in another window, click again for optimum size.  

MOONMANDO'S MELLOW MAGIC...

  

It's Sunday, which is commonly regarded by many as the 'day of rest'.  (Though, historically speaking, from the Jewish perspective I believe it's actually a Saturday.)  Never mind, it's time to relax and chill out; to recharge our batteries for the week ahead before plunging back into the maelstrom of life.  With that in mind, here's the titanically-talented MOONMANDO, playing an appropriate musical melody to soothe your troubled soul and touch your heart with peace and tranquillity.  Enjoy!

(Incidentally, the original video disappeared, so I replaced it with a more recent one, hence the disparity in the dates.)

BUSTER & THE BIG ONE - 1965 ISSUE - PART ONE...

Buster's Diary: Art by Angel Nadal.  Images copyright relevant owner

Sometimes I'm astounded by my generosity.  I mean, who else would bestow upon his loyal readers a complete, 1965 issue of BUSTER & The BIG ONE?  Some other blogs might be content to tease their members with one or two panels from a page, or a couple of pages at most, but I believe in occasionally going the whole hog and presenting the complete issue, adverts and all.  (No, don't thank me - that's what I'm here for.)

The Big One came out on October 10th, 1964 (cover-dated 17th) and only lasted for nineteen issues before it was merged with Buster.  Some sources claim that The ASTOUNDING ADVENTURES Of CHARLIE PEACE started in the short-lived comic, but he actually first appeared in a special preview in VALIANT the week before beginning his regular spot in Buster Capp's popular publication.  I understand, though, that some of his strips were reprinted in The Big One during its brief run.

This is the first instalment in a three-part series.  Hopefully, you'll find something interesting in the contents - or perhaps even revive a few half- forgotten memories from your childhood.  For Part Two, click here.

Maxwell Hawke: Art by Eric Bradbury

Our Great Grandpa: Art by Trevor Metcalfe

Whacko with Claude & Cuthbert: Art by James Malcom

Son of Sherlock: Art by Stan McMurty or Graham Allen

Toys of Doom: Art by Solano Lopez

The Astounding Adventures of Charlie Peace: Art by Tom Kerr

WOW! FANTASTIC COVER GALLERY PART TEN...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

Presenting yet another phantasmagorical panoply of Power-packed pictorial delights - I give you FANTASTIC #s 55-60, published by ODHAMS PRESS back in the late '60s.  I could wax eloquent all day about these MARVEL masterpieces, but it wouldn't be fair to hold you back from passing your peepers over the pop-art productions which follow.  So let's not waste another second - dive right in, the water's lovely.  

KID ROBSON'S A TV? NO - KID ROBSON'S ON TV...

              

Here's your genial and handsome host in a television appearance from 1998, on a show called UNDER THE HAMMER.  (And there's doubtless a few people who wish that I were - literally.)  There's an interesting little story to this (I trust), which is why I thought I'd illustrate it with the actual clip.  I don't know where GRAMPIAN TV got my name, but they contacted me about doing an interview on the subject of comics, to which I readily agreed.

On the actual day, about six or seven people turned up - but upon seeing my room, exclaimed "It's an Aladdin's cave!  Forget comics, we'll do a feature on toys!"  Whoever would have thought so many people were required to film one person talking?  There was a cameraman, soundman, interviewer, director, producer, lighting man, etc.  The director and the producer sat in my back room, watching events on a monitor, and the rest all packed into my front room while I held court, so to speak.

Altogether, they were here for about two hours or so, but guess what?  When the programme was broadcast several months later, my moment of glory only lasted under three minutes - if.  That means (assuming ANDY WARHOL was correct) I'm still owed about another twelve and a bit minutes of fame - and I aim to collect!

TRIFFIK? I HARDLY THINK SO...

Copyright relevant owner.  (Will they have the guts to admit to it?)

Take a look at the above abomination - TRIFFIK!, from 1992.  If a worse comic than this ever saw the light of day, then thankfully I don't remember ever seeing it.  From the amateurish, awkward masthead to the sub-standard, awful balloon lettering, almost everything about this comic was wrong.  Even the handful of strips that were quite well drawn suffered from being poorly lettered and surrounded by other strips which must have been scrawled by drunken chimps with a burnt match during a break-out from the zoo.

I duly contacted the editor, who had no previous experience working in comics, and suggested that the lettering needed to be improved.  (I wasn't looking for work, being quite busy with my regular assignments in 1992.)  His response?  "I like it the way it is!"  I even sent him a detailed colour 'rough' of a new logo, based on the old one, but bolder, brighter and better.  His response? "Roughs are no good - I can't envision the finished result.  You need to show me why yours is better by doing the proper, finished article."  (Despite the quotes, I'm paraphrasing his comments from memory.)  So, an editor with no ability, no vision and no clue.  Don't get  me wrong - he was a nice enough bloke, but he was never cut out for comics in a professional capacity.

I understand that the comic only lasted for twelve issues - which was about a dozen too many in my humble estimation.  I never bought another one as I had plenty toilet paper at the time and had no need for more.  It remains an object lesson on how not to do a comic.

You'd think a certain Dundee-based publication currently having circulation problems would have learned a valuable lesson from the sad but inevitable fate of Triffik!, eh?  H'mm, apparently not.  What is it they say?  "Those who don't learn from history, are doomed to repeat it."  Let's all hope it doesn't turn out to be the case.

SUPERMAN'S 'BIT On The SIDE' - FAVOURITE COMICS Of The PAST - (PART NINE)...

Copyright DC COMICS

If my powers of recollection are still functioning properly after a period of forty-two years, I first bought the above GIANT SUPERMAN issue in 1970 while on holiday in the Scottish seaside resort of Rothesay.  However, my main recollection of it is, I suppose, from some weeks later, when I was off ill from school one day, being sustained (as was usual in such circumstances) by tomato soup and American Cream Soda.

Let us now, in memory's mystic band, return to an earlier age - when your humble host was but an eleven year old lad with forever in front of him, and pleasure unparallelled could be had from a few comics scattered over a bedspread - as though they were treasures undreamt off that even the brightest bauble could never hope to match.

I remember the picture below having a strange, tingly, effect on my youthful mind (and other areas) as I lay in bed on that pleasant morning over forty years ago.  I pretended it was SUSAN STORM in civvies, and entertained 'romantic' fantasies that would've doubtless brought a blush to the cheeks of many a spinsterly aunt had they been capable of seeing the workings of a seemingly innocent child's mind. Looking at it now, my first thought is "Wow, wotta bod!"  Why haven't I ever met a real woman with curves like that?  (Yeah, I know - I really do need to get out more.  I'll make it a resolution.)   

 

Anyway, hastening past my youthful yearnings as quickly as possible, let's take a look at the rest of the contents.  First up is SUPERMAN'S LOST BROTHER, which I not only associate with that day off school, but also with the garden of our holiday home where I'd first read it some weeks earlier.  Tell you what - I'm going to linger by the above picture for a little while longer, so just go on ahead by yourselves.  I'll join you at the end of the post.

   

Ah, so there you are - hope you haven't been waiting long.  With any luck, our whistle-stop tour through the above images has rekindled a few warm memories of your own associated with this comic from yesteryear.  When I think of it, we really had it made back then, didn't we?  Collectors' item classics for a mere florin - or 'two bob bit' in the parlance of the day.  Nowadays, this would be a softcover book priced at between ten and fifteen quid.  No wonder people call them 'the good old days' - they were!