UPDATED: VR Troopers - from Phoenix Press

UPDATE (21/04/26) - now with covers for issues 2 & 3 of the Marvel UK magazine added

I've looked before at independent comics publisher Phoenix Press...

Iznogoud comic here

Phantom 2040 comic here

...and here's another addition to their work, yes it's the "Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic" - a tie-in to the populat TV series of the time (1995/6).

The Phoenix Press title is definitely much harder to find than the version that Marvel published. The art (and writing) in these comics is uncredited and might best be described as competent.

Here's what you're looking for...

Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic, Phoenix Press, issue 1, September 1995

Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic, Phoenix Press, issue 2, October 1995

Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic, Phoenix Press, issue 3, November 1995

Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic, Phoenix Press, issue 4, December 1995

Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic, Phoenix Press, issue 5, January 1996

Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic, Phoenix Press, issue 6, February 1996

Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic, Phoenix Press, issue 7, March 1996

currently for sale here

The German edition of the comic had the same covers (and presumably the same contents) but they were published a few months after the British version. 

Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic, Phoenix Press, issue 8, April 1996

cover not to hand - can you help?

The German edition of the comic had the same covers (and presumably the same contents) but they were published a few months after the British version, so, in the absence of the British edition, here's the German version 

German covers are taken from here

There were also this from Marvel comic - albeit with no comics content. Again I'm unsure how long this lasted.

Saban's VR Troopers magazine, Marvel, issue 2, 13th December 1995

Saban's VR Troopers magazine, Marvel, issue 3, 10th January 1996

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