UPDATED: Dennis comic - Marvel UK

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 the 19 issue Dennis comic from 1989/90.

This would have been called Dennis the menace (since it's based on Hank Ketcham's US comic star) but here in the UK that was obviously a non-starter as an idea. It also makes it really hard to search for! 

UPDATED (22/06/26)

I'm indebted to Frank Motler for highlighting these two 'Dennis' publications. Any more out there?

150 adventures of The Pickle, Corgi Cartoons, Hank Ketcham

Dennis annual 1988

and to friend of the blog Richard Gilham for supplying the images below of issues 1 & 3 of the Dennis special that publishers London Editions produced

Dennis special #1, London Editions

Dennis special #3, London Editions

UPDATED (20/05/26)

There are further appearance of Dennis (Mitchell) in the following publications...

an annual from Marvel UK...

...and this special (#2) from London Editions

UPDATE: I've now found the cover to issue 7. Interestingly the title has been amended from Dennis to Dennis Mitchell (which is the full name of the character - perhaps DC Thomson had been in touch to say the original title was too confusing???)

Dennis comic, #1, 30th November 1989, Marvel UK, 45p

image from here

Dennis comic, #2, 14th December 1989, Marvel UK, 45p

Dennis comic, #3, 28th December 1989, Marvel UK, 45p

image not to hand - can you help?

Dennis comic, #4, 11th January 1990, Marvel UK, 45p

image not to hand - can you help?

Dennis comic, #5, 25th January 1990, Marvel UK, 45p

image not to hand - can you help?

Dennis comic, #6, 8th February 1990, Marvel UK, 45p

image not to hand - can you help?

Dennis comic, #7, 22nd February 1990, Marvel UK, 45p

Dennis comic, #8, 8th March 1990, Marvel UK, 45p

image not to hand - can you help?

Dennis comic, #9, 22nd March 1990, Marvel UK, 45p

image not to hand - can you help?

Dennis comic, #10, 5th April 1990, Marvel UK, 45p

image not to hand - can you help?

Dennis comic, #11, 19th April 1990, Marvel UK, 45p

image not to hand - can you help?

Dennis comic, #12, 3rd May 1990, Marvel UK, 45p

image not to hand - can you help?

Dennis comic, #13, 17th May 1990, Marvel UK, 45p

image not to hand - can you help?

Dennis comic, #14, 31st May 1990, Marvel UK, 45p

image not to hand - can you help?

Dennis comic, #15, 14th June 1990, Marvel UK, 45p

image not to hand - can you help?

Dennis comic, #16, 28th June 1990, Marvel UK, 45p

image not to hand - can you help?

Dennis comic, #17, 12th July 1990, Marvel UK, 45p

image not to hand - can you help?

Dennis comic, #18, 26th July 1990, Marvel UK, 45p

image not to hand - can you help?

Dennis comic, #19, 9th August 1990, Marvel UK, 45p

image not to hand - can you help?

SSI journal - 1982

I've looked before at all things to do with the SSI (Society of Strip Illustration) here and I like the newsletters they produced BUT these were produced in very low quantities so you stand virtually no chance of collecting a set. 

I've looked at some examples of the SSI journal for 1992 here and for other years I'm just going to collect images for the covers as and when they come up for sale on ebay. Over time we might end up with a full (??) set. So here's the start of a covers gallery for SSI journal for 1982...

Society of Strip Illustration journal 45 (April 1982)

at the time of typing this is available here

Society of Strip Illustration journal 46 (June 1982)

Currently for sale here

UPDATE: Tom & Jerry - London Editions

There are a LOT of Tom & Jerry comics out there and I certainly don't intend to do covers galleries for all of them. However, covers galleries for shorter run Tom & Jerry titles feel more achievable. 

I don't know much about this particular title so for now I'm just kicking off this gallery and will come back to it in due course once I find out more about it. More information at this stage is very welcome.

UPDATE (20th June 2026) - covers for issues 4 & 13 added

Tom & Jerry, London Editions, #2, monthly, 85p

Tom & Jerry, London Editions, #4, monthly, 85p 

Tom & Jerry, London Editions, #5, monthly, 85p

Tom & Jerry, London Editions, #13, monthly, 85p

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. 

There was also a t-shirt here

There was also a Dutch version of the book here

Then there was a book of Olympic themed cartoons. All volumes are presumed to be identical apart from the colour of the covers. 

UPDATED: Kevin O'Neill draws for Forbidden Planet

UPDATE (18th June 2026): This is the Forbidden Planet film and TV catalogue #5 by Kevin O'Neill

currently available to buy here  for £25

So, we know from before that catalogue #1 cover was by Brian Bolland, #2 by Kev O'Neill and that #5 was also by O'Neill. I wonder who did the covers for issues #3 and #4?

From the winter of 1979/80 comes the cover to the Forbidden Planet film and TV catalogue #2 by Kevin O'Neill

This was the cover (by Brian Bolland) that featured on the cover of issue 1

UPDATED: Comics exhibitions - an incomplete guide

UPDATED (17/06/26): thanks to friend of the blog Jeremy Briggs for a list he passed me ages ago about exhibitions at Dundee university.

Inspired by my recent post about a (Don Lawrence) comics exhibition I thought I'd start looking into all the comics exhibitions that I've covered on the blog. I'll also try and add in exhibitions I haven't covered - in the hope that some images will eventually surface. At this stage I know this list has a LOT of gaps in it but you've got to start somewhere...

OK so in date order then...

1 April 2022 - 28 August 2022; Superheroes, Orphans & Origins: 125 years in comics (at the Foundling museum here)

21 October 2021 - 6 March 2022 Beano - the art of breaking the rules @ Somerset House here

18 May 2021 - 14 November 2021; V for Vendetta - behind the mask (at the Cartoon museum here)

November 2019; Philip Bond @ Orbital comics here

24 May 2019 - 15 September 2019; Posy Simmonds - a retrospective here

1 July - 17 July 2019; Geoff Senior @ Orbital comics here here here here here & here

March 2019; Psychogran exhibition here

15 September 2018 - 16 March 2019; Frank Hampson - the man who drew Dan Dare here

2018 - 12 March 2019; Frank Hampson centenary exhibition (at Bourne Hall here here and here)

October 2018; Arthur Ranson @ Orbital comics here here here here

1 June 2018 - 30 June 2018; Treasury of British comics @ Orbital comics here here and here

15 May 2018 - 12 August 2018; Beano at the V&A London here

2017; Inking women at the Cartoon Museum here 

Girls in Print: Female Figures in British Comics
Tower Foyer Gallery, University of Dundee
22 July - 21 October 2017
https://www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/exhibitions/comics/girls
https://downthetubes.net/girls-in-print-female-figures-in-british-comics-opens-in-dundee/

Jim Petrie: Minnie the Minx and More!
Lamb Gallery, Tower Building, University of Dundee
3 June – 19 September 2015
https://www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/exhibitions/comics/petrie/
https://downthetubes.net/minnie-the-minx-artist-jim-petrie-exhibition-in-dundee/

Adventures in Space & Time
An exhibition of Science-Fiction Comics Art
Tower Foyer Gallery, University of Dundee
23 November 2013 - 1 February 2014
https://www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/exhibitions/comics/adventures/
https://downthetubes.net/photo-report-dundee-comics-day-2013/ (tied in on the theme but not the date)

75 Years of the Dandy
Lamb Gallery, Tower Building, University of Dundee
1 December 2012 - 12 January 2013
https://www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/exhibitions/comics/dandy/
https://downthetubes.net/photo-review-dandy-day-at-dundee-university/

David Sutherland: Comics Genius
Baxter Suite, Tower Building, University of Dundee
11 June - 15 August 2012
https://www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/exhibitions/comics/sutherland/
https://downthetubes.net/in-review-david-sutherland-comics-genius-exhibition-and-talk/

Commando: 50 Years of Action and Adventure
Lamb Gallery, Tower Building, University of Dundee
1 October - 19 November 2011
https://www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/exhibitions/comics/commando/
https://downthetubes.net/dundee-commando-exhibition-open/

Willie Ritchie: Comic Artist
Tower Foyer Gallery, Tower Building, University of Dundee
27 June - 21 August 2010
https://www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/exhibitions/comics/ritchie/
https://downthetubes.net/photo-review-dundee-comics-day-2010/

Starblazer The Official 30th Anniversary Exhibition
Lamb Gallery, Tower Building, University of Dundee
29 July - 22 August 2009
https://www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/exhibitions/comics/starblazer/
https://downthetubes.net/photo-review-starblazer-exhibition/

Happy Birthday Beano
The Official 70th Anniversary Exhibition
Lamb Gallery, Tower Building, University of Dundee
18 July - 20 September 2008
https://www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/exhibitions/comics/beano2/
https://downthetubes.net/beano-70th-anniversary-exhibition/

BIFF! BANG!! CRIKEY!!!
Lamb Gallery, University of Dundee
4 May - 2 June 2007
Part of the same titled conference (which was the first Dundee Comics Day)
https://www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/exhibitions/comics/
https://downthetubes.net/biff-bam-crikey-seeing-new-worlds-in-dundee/

2000; Dan Dare at 50 - British cartoon centre here

27 May 1999 - 24 June 1999; Don Lawrence exhibition here

6 December 1988 - 14 January 1989; Cartoon Aid exhibition at the Museum of London here

June-September 1987; Comics Iconoclasm at the ICA here

December 1973; A personal view of children's funny papers; Scotland here

Other known exhibitions (to be covered at a later date)...

newspaper comic strips at the NPG

Aarrrghh at the ICA

Dan Dare Southport - 1990, 2000, 2010

Comics Unmasked at the British Library

Cartoon exhibiitons at the Cartoon Museum

The McMenace

Dan Dare in Croydon & elsewhere

other exhibitions covered by me for Down the Tubes

Look at other Down the Tubes entries

UPDATED: Mandy Picture Library cover mystery

UPDATE (16/06/26): thanks to the help of several people the mystery has been solved!

It turns out that this was actually a rough for Judy Picture Library #226. By my calculations this was the February 1982 issue (issue #1 was May 1963). Thanks to Goof and Karen Ross.

Thanks also to Goof and Shaqui Le Vesconte for identifying the artist as Selby Donnison (biography here and here)

We can now confirm that the art I purchased was a rough as we can see several changes for the final artwork...

a). the logo!

b). the hair colour of the girl in the green jacket

c). the desks aren't in the final version

d). the hair colour of the 2nd girl (looking left to right)

Mandy Picture Library was still going strong in 1982 - it ran from 1978 to 1997 see here for more details - so I'm unclear why this wasn't used as a Judy PL cover.

This is a recent acquisition and is a bit of a mystery to me. It appears to be the cover for a Mandy picture library. BUT I've looked at all 277 covers of Mandy picture library and this isn't one of them. Perhaps it was an idea for a cover that never got used??

I also notice the 4 girls and instinctively wonder if they are supposed to be 'The 4 Mary's except that they appeared in Bunty not Mandy. There are 10 Bunty picture library issues that feature 'The 4 Mary's' and this isn't the cover for any of them.

Like I say, it's a mystery. Further hypotheses welcome!

Eric Parker - miscellaneous work, part 10 (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

Old soldiers (part 2) is here

Old soldiers (part 3) is here

Sexton Blake is here

More soldiers is here

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

Comic Cutz - the art of Barrie Mitchell (part 6)

The Barrie Mitchell exhibition that took place in Ryde in February 2026 had many highlights and a LOT of art. I tried to take photos of all the art but there was too much! Anyway, here's the start of a long series of posts all about the art that was there...

1). Harlem Heroes was here

2). paintings of cars was here

3). his work for Red Dwarf was here

4). some football art was here

5). some Dr Who art was here

Some more Dr Who art...

Excalibur auction - part 1

Some images from the recent auction of original comic art from Peter Hansen's amazing collection. This art was sold on Saturday 9th May 2026 by Excalibur auctions.

Dan Dare art by Ian Kennedy (from the cover of the 1988 Eagle holiday special)

Ron Turner art

Robert Nixon art

David Lloyd art from V for Vendetta

John M Burns art

Brian Bolland art

Dudley D Watkins art