UPDATED: Wonder weekly comic from Esso

For anyone who loves, like I do, collecting advertising comics then Wonder weekly from Esso is a must. The exact length of time that it ran for is unclear - the Complete catalogue of British comics (page 220) has it down as running for 52 issues but I've yet to see any issues numbered higher than 25.

Wonder was 16 pages long (4 in full colour) and was professionally produced with high quality artists on each strip. The lead strip is 'Wonder boy and tiger' and the other strip in colour is 'Hovercraft patrol' illustrated by Luis Bermejo. 

As a starter for 10 here's my guide to what Wonder looked like - I've got most of the issues up to issue 25 but not all of them so if you can help fill in any of the gaps just let me know.

Lew Stringer covered Wonder on his old blog here and here   

Today's update is the letter from Esso to Denis Gifford informing him that Wonder ran for 52 issues with the first issue being published on 5th July 1968. The editor was Roberta Leigh.

I've still yet to see any issues numbered higher than 25 but there you go, Esso tell us they're out there.

Today's update is an addition of the cover for issue #6

This now means I'm just missing cover images for issues 19, 22, 23 & 25+

I need issues...1, 19, 22, 23, 25 (and anything higher) 

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 1

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 2

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 3

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 4

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 5

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 6

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 7

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 8

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 9

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 10

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 11

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 12

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 13

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 14

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 15

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 16

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 17

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 18


Wonder comic from Esso, issue 19
cover not to hand

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 20

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 21

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 22
cover not to hand

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 23
cover not to hand

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 24

Wonder comic from Esso, issue 25

UPDATED: Cartoon Aid

I've looked before at publications associated with the Cartoon Aid charity (like Band Aid but with more cartoons and less Bob Geldof) - if you missed them they are as follows...

a). the Olympic book is here
b). Bryan Hitch's work in the Kidz book is here
c). Mike Collin's work in the Kidz book is here
d). Terry & Sheila Bave's work in the Kidz book is here
e). Simon Donald's work in the Kidz book is here
f). Cartoon Aid auction at Sotheby's & a festival in Margate is here

g). Waddington's jigsaw (from the Margate festival is here)

h). Scare Bears monster party book is here 

i). a REALLY big tome called Cartoon Aid here 

j). the 'Loadsa Funnies' telethon book featuring Judge Dredd art by Jim Baikie is here

k). same book but a Dredd strip by John Wagner & Mike Collins is here

l). same book but art by Bryan Hitch and Reg Smythe is here

m). same book but art by Davy Francis is here

n). same book but contributions by humour artists is here

o). same book - contributions by John M Burns, Dave Gibbons and others is here

I've started looking at some of the contents of this big book, so far I've looked at Asterix (here and here) and then I've found that there is some DC Thomson material in there (here) and then I've found some Achille Talon material (here) and some Look-In (here). The Lucky Luke material is here. 

Turns out that there was a t-shirt available too. Art by the legendary John M Burns. At the time of typing this is for sale here on ebay by someone based in Ukraine.

Eric Parker - miscellaneous work, part 6 (of 23)

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

Character studies & groups, drafts (part 1) here

Character studies & groups, drafts (part 2) here

Character studies & groups, drafts (part 3) here

Character studies & groups, drafts (part 4) here

Character studies & groups, drafts (part 5) here

Character studies & groups, drafts (part 6) here

Life drawings (part 1) here

Life drawings (part 2) here

Life drawings (part 3) here

Life drawings (part 4) here

Life drawings (part 5) here

Life drawings (part 6) XXXX

Life drawings (part 7) here

Life drawings (part 8) here

Life drawings (part 9) here

Life drawings (part 10) here

Gentlemen is here

Horses (part 1) is here

Horses (part 2) is here

Furniture is here

Old soldiers (part 1) is here

And now we turn our attention to a final (albeit large selection of his work). Next up is his (further) work on "old soldiers". These are a variety of sizes - from the very small to the quite large.

UPDATED: Dumbass comics - Neill Cameron

I'm always happy to feature Neill Cameron the blog (see all previous entries here) and I was intrigued to come across these early works of his recently. A three issue series 'Dumbass comics' came out around the turn of the millennium. There was also a collected edition 'Absolute Dumbass'. 

The comics have rusty staples and are "just" photocopied pages - great for a nostalgia rush!

These are no longer available on Neill's webshop so I'm just recording their existence for posterity.

Dumbass comic #1

image not to hand - can you help?

Dumbass comic #2, £1.25, 2000

28 pages

Dumbass comic #3, £1.25, 2002

32 pages

The lead story in both issues features "Cleansing services: Special Ops" and there's talk in the back of Dumbass #2 of a 2nd issue of their own standalone comic not going ahead - that presumably means there was a successful first issue. One to look out for. 

Neill's brother James also contributed to these.

If anyone has a copy of issue 1 of Dumbass comics...I'd be delighted to see it, cheers!

UPDATE: friend of the blog ColinYNWA (look for him on the 2000AD forums) was good enough to remind me of the existence of the short-lied 'Panel Beaters' section in the back of Comics International back in the day. This stand-alone Special Ops strip is from issue #163 (dated September 2003)...

UPDATE: friend of the bog James Cameron has supplied me with this image and message...I still can't find a copy of #1 [of Dumbass comics] but I did get Mum to scan the original. It's not perfect as she didn't want to take it out of the frame but it's something!

So here we go then, not the cover of issue #1 of Dumbass comics but instead the original art. I'll settle for that. Thanks to James's mum for her efforts. Plus James & Neill & Henry Flint, whose work adorns the cover.

Jim Baikie - Orkney exhibition, part 6

For approximately the umpteenth time I'm indebted to Norman Boyd for his help with this blog. This time he was kind enough to send me some of his holiday photos from a recent trip to the Orkneys. 

Whilst there he was able to visit the exhibition all about the local artist that was on (from 03/05/25 - 21/09/25) at the Orkney museum in Kirkwall. Comics artist Jim Baikie was the focus of the exhibition. Norman took a lot of photos so I'll spread them over a number of posts, enjoy!   

Part 1 was here

Part 2 was here

Part 3 was here

Part 4 was here

Part 5 was here

Dan Dare - operation fireball

It's hard (after all these years) to find new Dan Dare / Eagle publications out there...but I came across this reprint recently... 

A4 sized, colour cover (and colour first 3 pages) with the actual reprint of the (Keith Watson illustrated Dan Dare story) Operation Fireball story in 20 pages (10 episodes) in black & white. 

Operation Fireball ran in Eagle from August-October 1962 (volume 13 issue 33 to issue 42). The story wasn't reprinted in the original Hawk Books series. This slim volume, published anonymously, sought to redress this balance. 

I'd welcome any information on who produced this.

Dan Dare in Northampton?

Well that was the dream back in the early 1980s for the bakers of "Wonderworld - Themepark and Related Industries Development, Corby" who went as far as producing this A4 sized full colour 68 page guide to their plans.

I recently acquired a copy of the guide having:

a). been intrigued by the image of Dan Dare on the cover; and

b). never having seen a copy of this before

The brochure outlines the developers plans for their early 1980s version of what sounds to me very much like a millennium dome style project.

"What is it? Imagine a place that has as its reason for existence, entertainment and education. A unique resort set in beautifully landscaped surroundings that blends in in perfectly with the neighbouring countryside. That takes into account the British climate and so includes a vast weather-protected centre in the tradition of the Great Exhibition Hall of 1851. A centre where the widest variety of attractions can be housed, each based on a particular theme such as the technology of the day or social or environmental matters. Themes that not only look at our prospects for the future but also at our national heritage of history, folklore and fairytale. An ambitious project, but one that' well under way. Its name is WonderWorld."

So, it's an indoor theme park. It has a number of zones - including land, safety, rhyme, sport, the world, energy, sea and communication.

It's the communication zone/area that interests me the most. Officially entitled "Communication - sailing messages across the airwaves" this zone has 4 pages (all shown below) in the brochure.

The zone contains the following areas...

Commercial radio station

DIY recording studio

Razzamatazz territory

Film showcase

Special effects studio

Print works

DIY TV studio

Professional TV studio

Monorail

Dan Dare restaurant

Radio fun food

Dan Dare emporium: books, cards, souvenirs, space kits, action toys

Wonderworld Post Office

Service facilities

  

The brochure notes:

"When planning the Communications Centre much thought was given to ensuring it does not become dated. Even Disney's 'Tomorrowland' today looks distinctly yesteryear. So the space city architecture of Frank Hampson, creator of Dan Dare, was chosen. Conceived in the late 1940s, his work still has the same futuristic appeal protected from the aging process by the special wrap of fantasy". 

the image at the bottom of this page featured in 'The man who drew tomorrow' - Alastair Crompton's biography of Frank Hampson - on page 198 (but without any context or mention of WonderWorld)

This looks like the Dan Dare restaurant that I highlighted above

the large image of this page featured in 'The man who drew tomorrow' - Alastair Crompton's biography of Frank Hampson - on page 199 (but without any context or mention of WonderWorld).

If you have more details on the whole WonderWorld project then I'd be delighted to hear them.