Joe Colquhoun - Flash Point

Just back from France where I picked up a couple of Commando reprints, here's the story behind the first reprint (the 2nd one will come in a later blog).

The issue was this...

What stood out for me was that the art was that the art was clearly by Joe 'Charley's War' Colquhoun. An advert in the back for a reprint volume dated 1963 gave me my first clue for helping identify where the story came from originally.

Back in the UK and some chatting with Commando fan Colin Noble and we narrowed it down to, basically, one possible picture library. We narrowed it down so quickly because Joe didn't do much work for the picture libraries in the early 1960s. 

The only fly in the ointment was the French title, Point d'appui, which means 'fulcrum' rather than Flashpoint.

Colin helped identify that the Flashpoint story had been reprinted a few times over the years...

Here's the original Air Ace Picture Library #35

Which was then reprinted as Battle Picture Library #814

and then reprinted again as War Picture Library #1639

Colin's info. was coming via the Fleetway Picture Library index volume 1 (the war libraries) by Steve Holland and David Roach.

This excellent volume also credits War Picture Library #1342 as being a reprint of Air Ace #35

but the cover makes it look more like a naval story than the desert based story that Joe had illustrated. Instead, War Picture Library #1342 (interior art below)...

 ...is a reprint of Battle Picture Library #611 (see below)

(original art for sale here)

...which is itself a reprint of War Picture Library #95 with art by Gino D'Antonio, script by RP Clegg and cover by Nino Caroselli -  image below taken from the War Libraries index

So, basically the only bit that's wrong in the War Libraries index is the entry on page 164 where War Picture Library #1342 is credited as being a reprint of Air Ace #35 [a story entitled Flash Point] when really it's a reprint of War Picture Library #95 [a story entitled Flash Point]. I think that's about as clear as I can make it and it's pretty obvious how the mistake has arisen.

Interestingly the cover for Rapaces #45 is actually from...

...War Picture Library #/868...which reprints Air Ace 62...

Interior art by Solano Lopez and a cover by Nino Caroselli.

And all that from just one comic.

Free Roy of the Rovers sampler

Great news for all Roy of the Rovers fans...the current issue of Match of the Day magazine has this great preview of the characters you can expect to meet in the free sampler of the 'Roy of the Rovers - scouted' book that they'll be giving away next week! 

You'll recognise some familiar names I'm sure, Roy, Paco and Kevin 'Mighty Mouse'.

The issue to look out for is issue 521, dated 4th September

The Vigilant - what is there to collect?

I'm just trying to work out what collectable items are out there relating to The Vigilant - so far I've found

a). the 'normal' issue of the comic

b). The Forbidden Planet exclusive cover (here signed by Simon Furman [on the left] and Trevor Hairsine [on the right])

c). A poster, signed by Simon Furman again, that was available at a recent con. in London

d). A poster, signed by Simon Furman again, that advertises the launch date

If you've spotted anything else - please let me know

Robert Nixon book covers

Images from my collection (the Stewpot books) and t'internet - covers all by Robert Nixon, enjoy!

Captain Condor rare merchandise not to be sniffed at

Dan Dare really monopolised British comics space-based merchandise but his rival Captain Condor was not above getting in on the merchandise action...First 2 images are small handkerchiefs from my collection (of comic stuff, not handkerchiefs)...

This final image is one that I grabbed from an ebay listing a while back and show that, innovatively, the handkerchief set actually tell a story...

This image also shows that different colour schemes were used on the same image - compare my red-edged handkerchiefs with the ones above. I'm sure that collecting a set of these is hard enough without worrying about getting a blue-edged set, a green-edged set and a red-edged set. Who knows though? If you're a big Captain Condor fan there's not a lot of '50s merchandise out there for you to collect and this may be your Holy Grail. Good luck with it.

From the launch of new Eagle

From the launch of new Eagle here's a behind-the-scenes press photo of 'Dan', Big Daddy and the Mekon.

Once upon I time I knew the name of the actor playing Dan but can't find it now, grrrr.

I also wonder if the Mekon sculpture is (at least the head) of one sculpted by Pip Warwick and which I featured here - these sculptures also featured in the back of the Eaglecon 1980 brochure...

 

Dan Boultwood signing at Forbidden Planet today

Don't forget that this is today folks....

To celebrate Dan Boultwood's recently announced signing at Forbidden Planet (London) on Saturday 25th August 2018 at 1pm in honour of  

it's Dan Boultwood day on the blog!

For those who haven't read it, it's described thus...

Driving through the British countryside, unthinkingly misogynistic space scientist, Dr. Boy Brett, and his companion, Doris Night, pop into a quaint village pub for a cheese ploughman’s...

This is definitely how it starts but hardly does justice to the tale that follows.

You can pre-order a signed copy here and an unsinged copy here

Dan Boultwood has also drawn the cover for 'Tales from the Tardis' (see below), and I thought I'd see what other art by him I could lay my hands on...

The collected 'It Came!' published by Titan Books (March 2014) - this collects the 4 issue series 'It Came!' - Dan's ace retro sf tale

From The Phoenix (issue 166, 7 Mar 2015) we have the first episode of Dirk Lloyd - the dark Lord (described as by Dan Boultwood, created by Dave Morris and Jamie Thompson)

Example page of Dan's art

Also from the Phoenix, here we have, from issue 181 (20 June 2015), Squid Squad

Look and Learn - the editor writes

Picked up for a quid at a recent comic mart is this letter from the editor of Look and Learn magazine all about a binder that had recently been ordered. If I'm honest I don't think the editor wrote it but I was happy to add it to my (very) small collection of British comics headed notepaper, I'll see if I can dig out some other examples...

Thirteenth Floor limited edition announced

The Treasury of British comics imprint have announced that a limited edition (of just 250 copies) hardback version of their Thirteenth Floor reprint is now available to buy here for £19.99 (plus £3.57 for UK postage).

The regular paperback version is also available here for £14.99

Classic British humour characters - rare art (4 of 4)

From the pages of the Comics 101 convention brochure comes this final selection of art by some of the big names of British comics humour art of the 1970s...

Halls of Horror 24 rises from the grave!

Great news for all horror comics fans Dez Skinn is to launch / re-surrect the previously unpublished issue 24 of his 'Halls of Horror' magazine - happy 40th birthday HoH! Details below

Commando 2019 calendar - Ian Kennedy art all the way

Great news for all Commando fans...DC Thomson are bringing back the Commando calendar, and the 2019 version is an all Ian Kennedy artwork treat! You can buy the calendar here

Classic British humour characters - rare art (3 of 4)

From the pages of the Comics 101 convention brochure comes this third selection of art by some of the big names of British comics humour art of the 1970s...

signing for The Vigilant today

This is today, don't forget...

The Vigilant, the first title in the 'Rebellion-verse' has already been announced as a one-shot title in August featuring classic British comic superheroes, but now more news!

Forbidden Planet are now taking orders (here) for their variant cover edition...

...AND they've announced that on Saturday 18th August (1-2pm) Simon Furman (writer) and Simon Coleby (artist) will be signing comics at the Forbidden Planet store in central London.

Art for the variant cover is by Trevor Hairsine

When the evil forces of Von Hoffman and Dr Mesmer team up and pluck the immortal Adam Eterno from the winds of time, all of reality is under threat!

Only The Vigilant; a mighty team composed of super-beings, warlocks, warriors and monsters stand between us and total chaos! Join The Leopard from Lime Street, Steel Commando, Dr. Sin, Pete’s Pocket Army, Blake Edmonds, Yäo and Thunderbolt the Avenger on their premiere adventure.

Classic British humour characters - rare art (2 of 4)

From the pages of the Comics 101 convention brochure comes this second selection of art by some of the big names of British comics humour art of the 1970s...