Fantastic Max - 1990 - Marvel & Redan

This was a comic I hadn't come across before until very recently. I like the look of the covers more than the interior work but there you go. The copyright notice state that this is published by Marvel Comics Ltd in association with The Redan company and that's about all I know about it.

At least 13 issues, if you know any more do let me know, thanks!

Fantastic Max, issue 1, 13th October 1990, 50p

Fantastic Max, issue 2, 27th October 1990, 50p

image not to hand - can you help?

Fantastic Max, issue 3, 10th November 1990, 50p

image not to hand - can you help?

Fantastic Max, issue 4, 24th November 1990, 50p

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Fantastic Max, issue 5, 8th December 1990, 50p

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Fantastic Max, issue 6, 22nd December 1990, 50p

...and then at some point it becomes a month title (rather than fortnightly) and the price goes up to 75p (from 55p)

There was also a Spring Special - the advert is taken from a 1992 Superted Spring Special - and says out now so I think we can safely assume this was published.

UPDATED: Colin Maxwell for Commando

To celebrate the announcement from publisher DC Thomson that Colin Maxwell will be writing another issue of Commando I thought it was about time I got a guide together for what he's written for Commando so far...

Commando 5371, published by DC Thomson 29th September 2020

Five soldiers seek refuge from a storm, looking for a place safe and warm.

Four lay down to rest that night, none are ready for the fight.

Three wake to find another gone. Will any of them survive till dawn?

Commando 5413, published by DC Thomson 16th February 2021

Polish Sergeant Jakub Leszczuk is one of the last men defending Lwow in 1939, but as the Russian tanks roll in, his unit rescues a small puppy called Rebus from a collapsed building.

It isn’t long before Rebus becomes far more than a lucky mascot for the escaping soldiers! As they retrain for the parachute regiments in Britain, Rebus’s desire to please and talent for tricks finds him with Leszczuk behind enemy lines in Italy before prepping the ground for D-Day, as this pair of underdogs help turn the tide on the Nazi war machine!

Commando 5433, published by DC Thomson 27th April 2021

Five men found The Dead Man’s Chest,
Hidden in a cave on an island in the sea,
One saw the riches and turned against the rest,
And decided the treasure was only for he.

But away they went to war in the sands,
And the treasure laid forgotten by the five,
As one by one they died by someone’s hands,
Till there was nought but one man left alive.

Commando 5475, published by DC Thomson September 28th 2021

The ORP Tygrys, or Tiger, was a Polish submarine outclassed by Poland’s modern subs, but its Commander, Leopold Swirski, was proud of the ship and his crew. Then September 1st, 1939 came, the Tiger bared its teeth and growled at the invading Nazi hordes. The sub fought tooth and nail to protect its homeland but took too much damage. Licking its wounds, the Tiger and its crew were forced to dock at a neutral port where the vessel was seized and declawed by the authorities. Well that wasn’t going to stop them —as you can’t change a tiger’s stripes!

Commando 5501, published by DC Thomson December 16th 2021 

Three high‑ranking SS officers meet in a remote mansion house near the Swiss border. With them is a cache of looted jewellery, paintings and antiques, forged papers and plans to flee the falling Reich to South America. But, as they talk in secret, they are disturbed by a knock at the door. A member of the infamous Gestapo has come to interrogate them. Does he know about their plans to flee? And what does this all have to do with Resistance fighter Christina Koch?

Commando 5517, published by DC Thomson December 16th 2021 

In the frozen town of Verdalsora, Norway, Georg Fischer is part of the Nazi occupation. However, after witnessing first-hand the brutality of his superiors, Fischer is sickened by the regime he knows he is a part of. His only option is to desert, fleeing into the merciless landscape of the fjords. But with enemies everywhere and death at every corner, Fischer will need more than his wits if he is to survive.

Commando 5533, published by DC Thomson April 12th 2022

April 1982 saw Britain enter a new conflict half the world away. But before the war would officially begin, tensions rose as three Royal Marines were sent on a recce mission far from their base at Port Stanley when Argentinian forces invaded the Falklands.

Left with an impossible mission that could change the tide of the conflict, the three marines must battle both the climate and the Argentinians if they are to save the day.

Commando 5537, published by DC Thomson April 26th 2022

September 1st, 1939. As the German army blitzkrieged its way across Poland, they didn’t have it all their way. The Polish were steadfast in their defence of their homeland, desperately trying to hold back the tide. But the Nazis would rue the day one man, Corporal Tomasz Zielinski, got on board an armoured train named after a legendary dragon. Tomasz and that armoured tank engine were determined to derail Germany’s plans!

Commando 5567, published by DC Thomson August 16th 2022

It started in the desert, tracking down the so-called ‘Sahara Sniper’, where LRDG Sergeant Jeff Nicholson lost his best friend in the worst way imaginable. Now, as the Allies make their way through the Italian mountains, medics are being picked off faster than a sniper’s bullet! Can Jeff and a green American crack-shot corporal finally close in on this rogue German soldier?

Commando 5585, published by DC Thomson October 11th 2022

A plethora of spooky stories sure to send a shiver up your spine. Join six Canadian infantrymen as they tell ghost stories to entertain them on a cold Halloween night in the Netherlands. One by one, they will thrill you with frightful tales from the frontline!

Commando 5649, published by DC Thomson, May 23rd 2023

As soon the armistice was announced, Sergeant Gennaro Ricci wasted no time returning to Naples to see his family.But the city he left was not the city he came back to. The bombed‑out ruins of Naples had been overrun by German invaders who imposed curfews and shot anyone trying to resist. Plus, his sister had been kidnapped by the German major running the whole shebang!

Well, with a little help from the armed and angry partisans and the scugnizzi, street urchins of the city, Gennaro was going to show the Nazis four days in Naples they’d never forget! For those German soldiers who dared to try to tame the city would…See Naples — or Die!

Commando 5667, published by DC Thomson, August 3rd 2023

Before the war, Leonard Young was an enthusiastic aeronautical engineer who wanted nothing more than to build and design the next great air machine —the helicopter. But when he enlisted, the last thing Leonard expected was to be thrust into action, assisting in the theft of a German prototype aircraft in North Africa!

With the help of a group of LRDG men commanded by the indomitable Captain Michael Ross, Leonard was led on the dangerous mission behind enemy lines. But it’s going to take everything they’ve got to survive stealing the helicopter from right under Rommel’s nose!

Commando 5723, published by DC Thomson, February 12th 2024

Tomasz Zielinski had escaped Poland and the German Blitzkrieg in 1939 by hopping aboard a Polish armoured train headed for safety. That was then, and now, in 1940, he was itching for action, but he and his division were in reserve in the west of France away from the fighting. That was until he was approached by a familiar face with a top-secret mission to head straight into danger to steal an engine right from under the Nazis’ noses! Tomasz was about to ride that train once again!

Commando 5805, published by DC Thomson, November 18th 2024

Corporal Tomasz Zielinski has been in more trains than you could believe! But his temper has landed him in the glasshouse. But a mysterious message arrives in his cell, it's clear that the time has come for Tomasz to get a return ticket!

You can find all other mentions of Colin on the blog right here

You can find all other mentions of Commando on the blog right here

Alf - Marvel UK, part 1

Michael Carroll's timeline of Marvel UK comics (here) has an array of interestingly short-lived comics on that I thought I should create cover galleries for them. Sometimes this is easier said than done but let's start off with part 1 of my covers gallery for the 15 issue Alf comic from 1988-89.

Alf, Marvel UK, issue 1, May 1988, 35p

Alf, Marvel UK, issue 2, June 1988, 35p

Alf, Marvel UK, issue 3, July 1988, 35p

Alf, Marvel UK, issue 4, August 1988, 38p

Alf, Marvel UK, issue 5, September 1988, 38p

The art of British war comics - York - last chance to see

This closes today (Sunday) so this really is your final chance to see this exhibition.

Just a quick shout-out for the "Into battle! The art of British war comics" which is currently on (until the 17th Of November 2024) in York at the York army museum (here). 

It's a slimmed down version of the exhibition that was originally on in Oxford but it's still worth a visit if you're in York. I'll post more photos once the exhibition closes but here are a few to be going on with...  

out the front of the museum

at the front entrance

The guest book - signed by Joe 'Charley's war' Colquhoun's daughters 

souvenir post card #1

souvenir post card #2

souvenir post card #3

the back of this postcard refused to scan properly, grrr! Anyway, it should look like the back of the other 2 postcards

Dan Dare transfers (1)

I'm always happy to feature unusual bits of Eagle merchandise on the blog. 

There were...

Dan Dare roller skates here

Dan Dare hairbrush here

Dan Dare tie clip here

Eagle stationery here

Eagle club notebook here

With the compliments of the Eagle club here

Eagle / Girl table tennis medals here

Eagle club cycle pennant here

Dan Dare gyro jeep here

Dan Dare space shooting here

Dan Dare rocket ball here

Dan Dare beach ball here

Dan Dare bagatelle here

Eagle report to members (1951) here

Dan Dare field glasses here

Dan Dare interplanetary dominoes here

Dan Dare space-ship construction game here

Dan Dare draughts here

and now, thanks to this website we have some transfer from Tuck's. This is the most important set of transfers because of the Dan Dare history it contained... 

Eric Parker - character studies & groups (part 1 of 6)

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

UK scenes (part 2) here

UK scenes (part 3) here

UK scenes (part 4) here

And now we turn our attention to some of his character studies & group scenes (roughs)...

Could this be a sketch for a farmer in a Sexton Blake story?

This definitely looks like sketches for some of his Sexton Blake work

UPDATED: Bugs Bunny - London Editions

Ok, so I'm filing this one under "comics I know nothing about". However, you've got to start somewhere! So here, from 1991, is issue #2 of Bugs Bunny - published by London Editions. 

There have been LOTS of comics featuring ol' Bugs over the years but I'm JUST looking for issues published by London Editions - can you help me out?? Thanks!

Ok, now updated with a cover for issues #6-8 - but did it last any longer than that??

Bugs Bunny issue #1, London Editions, ??p

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Bugs Bunny issue #2, London Editions, 85p

Bugs Bunny issue #3, London Editions, ??p

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Bugs Bunny issue #4, London Editions, 90p

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Bugs Bunny issue #5, London Editions, ??p

image not to hand - can you help?

Bugs Bunny monthly issue #6, London Editions, 90p

Bugs Bunny monthly issue #7, London Editions, 90p

Bugs Bunny monthly issue #8, London Editions, 90p

Eaglecon 80 - part 8

It occurs to me that I've not covered anything to do with the very first Eagle comic convention - Eaglecon 80. A recent sale by ace ebay seller phil-comics (here) of one of the awards from Eaglecon 80 (see below) for £155 has inspired me to start looking images.

I looked at some initial images here

We had images about what was on display here

images of the original art that was on display here

the banquet dinner here

from the panels here

Frank Hampson here

Interviews being held here

All these images are from the late, great Eagle & Dan Dare historian Adrian Perkins.

And now we have images of Keith Watson...

Keith Watson & Frank Hampson in conversation

Keith Watson & Frank Hampson in conversation

Keith Watson & Frank Hampson in conversation