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26 April 2019

Dave Gibbons' Jet Jason - a new episode

At the end of last year I revealed a 'lost' character (Jet Jason) that had been created by Dave Gibbons whilst he was still working in British comics in the early '80s (i.e. before he started drawing mainly for big US publishers).

Up until now I knew that Jet Jason appeared in the official magazine of British Airways Junior Jet Club as follows...
1979 - July (here); October/November (here)
1980 - Spring (here); Summer (here); Winter (here)
1981 - Spring (here); Summer (here); Winter (here)
1982 - Spring (here); Summer (here); Winter (here)
1983 - Spring (here)

...but I didn't know what happened after that, as the Spring 1983 issue only had a pin-up rather than a comic strip I surmised that was maybe the last of Jet as by then Dave would have been too busy with his work for the US market. 

However. a further issue of Fleetwings has now come to light and it DOES contain a Jet Jason strip...this is the Winter 1983 issue (thus suggesting that there is a Summer 1983 issue out there as well as this would fit the publishing pattern seen in 1981 and 1982)...

and this is the Jet Jason strip and while the style may be similar to Dave Gibbons' work there's no denying that the strip is by another hand - the mysterious S King 

There is one bit of good news for 'proper' Jet Jason fans though - the chance to spend £2.50 on a Fleetwings Jet Jason pencil wallet and 2 ballpens (one blue, one red)



Here's the image blown up a bit more
Jet appears to be saying "Look out Stellar! I'll pacify that space monster with the neutralizer" 
Stellar [woman] appears to be saying "He only wants to talk Jet"
Digit [robot] says "A friend in need is a friend indeed"


This frame had not been used in any of the episodes previously (theoretically it MIGHT have come from the Summer 1983 issue of Fleetwings but until a copy of that turns up it's impossible to verify).


Another example of Jet Jason being used on promotional material



So there you go then my contender for the most obscure piece of Dave Gibbons merchandise ever produced - have you got anything that can beat it?

1 comment:

  1. Jet is saying "Look out Stellar! I'll pacify this space monster with my/the neutralizer!"

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