Eric Parker in the UK (part 2 of 4)

I've recently begun a lengthy series of blog posts all about renowned illustrator Eric Parker (check out his Wikipedia entry here) who had a 50 year (!) career as a comic illustrator.

I've looked at Roughs (part 1) here
Roughs (part 2) here
Roughs (part 3) here
Roughs (part 4) here
Female heads (part 1) here
Female heads (part 2) here
Female heads (part 3) here
Female heads (part 4) here
Pubs (part 1) here
Pubs (part 2) here

Overseas (part 1) here

Overseas (part 2) here

Overseas (part 3) here

Overseas (part 4) here

Overseas (part 5) here

Overseas (part 6) here

Overseas (part 7) here

Overseas (part 8) here

Overseas (part 9) here

Overseas (part 10) here

UK scenes (part 1) here

And now we turn our attention to his UK paintings...

This one is captioned "Cross Hands Hotel, Old Sodbury, June 20th 1959". The hotel is still in use today.

Dan Dare the animated TV show - storyboards

All these images are taken from a recent eBay sale of storyboards from the Dan Dare animated TV series that aired in, what, 2001?

UPDATED: Were Bears comic

Were Bears comic is a hard to acquire '90s title that has some link to Scare Bears (for instance here in Z comic) and comes from George Nicholas - whose work I covered in the first earliest ever posts on the blog here for his work on Scouse Mouse, Z, Wanted, Ace and Blat.

Issue 1 was monthly but the title then went bi-monthly (so 6 times a year); seven issues in total (the first 2 issues published by Clearmark and the last 5 by London Editions) and this is what they look like...

I own issues 1, 3 and 5.

Now updated with the cover of (the previously missing) issue #6

Were Bears - published by Clearmark - issue 1, November 1990

Were Bears - published by London Editions - issue 3, 1991

Were Bears - published by Clearmark & London Editions - issues 1-7 (apart from #6), 1990-1

Were Bears - published by London Editions - issue 6, 1991

Were Bears - published by London Editions - issue 7, 1991

as it says here...

Werebears was a line of cuddly toys created by George Nicholas in 1983 to give boys a more masculine alternative to Carebears. Each had the ability to transform from regular looking teddy bear to a monster by flipping the face and paws over. The line initially had four characters. Howler, Grizzler, Fang and Gums. Ear bear came with an audio cassette featuring a story about the character it came with. A few years later a fifth Werebear was released called Growler. This Werebear was larger to accommodate the electronics which gave it the ability to growl.

Four more characters were added to the line, this time as enemies of the Werebears. Called the Terrorteds, these bears did not have the transforming ability of the Werebears but were still monstrous looking. They were named Chomp, Munch, Snapper and Grunt.
A comic was also created by Nicholas and lasted 7 issues. Originally published by Clearmark for the first two issues, then London Editions for the last 5. It told the origins of the Werebears and Terrorteds.

In 2012 Werebears made a short lived come back, with new toys being sold exclusively in Farm Food stores The line consisted of Grizzler, Growler, Howler and Fang. All could not only transform but howl with flashing light up eyes. Gums was absent from the new line, probably due to being the worst selling character in the original line as kids didn’t seem to like a Werebear with no teeth.

The Charles Hamilton companion

I've looked before (here) at bibliographies etc. related to 'old boys books' (story papers like The Gem and The Magnet) and, while I can't possibly start collecting anything else in real life, here on the blog there's always more room on the shelf for volumes like the Charles Hamilton Companion...

this image swiped from a post by John Tipper on the The Magnet - Greyfriars - Billy Bunter - Frank Richards Facebook group here. Check out John's website here

The Charles Hamilton companion

volume 1 = A history of the Gem and Magnet

volume 2 = The Greyfriars characters

volume 3 = centenary edition

volume 4 = Schoolgirls' album

volume 5 = Rookwood

volume 6 = The Gem story illustrated

volume 7 = The Christmas stories

volume 8 = The Greyfriars commentary and book of verse

where there more volumes beyond issue 8? Do let me know. I'd also like to run a piece on the publications of the Museum Press. Again, any help on where I can find a list of their publications would be gratefully received.

Into Battle! - the exhibition, part 6

It's just finished but for anyone who missed it, here's part 6 of my look at the 'Into battle! - the art of British war comics' exhibition. 

Part 1 was here

Part 2 was here

Part 3 was here

Part 4 was here

Part 5 was here