30 September 2021

UPDATED: Beano characters 'In flight fun' with Airtours

I'm always delighted / intrigued to spot advertisers using comics as a medium and I spotted these two comics on ebay recently (so apologies for the quality of some of the images). I'd not come across 'In flight fun' before so I don't know if it just featured Beano characters in these 2 issues or even if there were any subsequent issues. Any help gladly received!

Updates are in red, below...

In flight fun (Airtours) - issue 1





In flight fun (Airtours) - issue 2


In flight fun (Airtours) - issue 3


I've now found (here) a copy of issue 4


In response to my first post about this Ivan P Lewis (via the facebook group 'The Beano collectors society') says this lasted a minimum of 6 issues (1994-9). So maybe one copy each year? A new one for each summer holiday perhaps?

So now we just need to find a copy of issues 5 & 6 (and any subsequent issues)

All other Beano references on the blog can be found here

29 September 2021

UPDATED: The Mask adventures comic - Titan comics

Not a comic I've got any issues of but I thought it worthy of inclusion on the blog...so here we go with a covers gallery for The Mask adventures comic from Titan comics. Plenty of gaps still to fill in - please let me know if you can help.

UPDATE: covers for issues 16 & 17 have now been found and added to the listing below

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 1, March 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 2, April 1996
image not to hand - can you help?

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 3, May 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 4, June 1996
image not to hand - can you help?

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 5, July 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 6, August 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 7, September 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 8, October 1996
image not to hand - can you help?

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 9, November  1996
cover by Bruce Timm, art by Dev Madan, script by Michael Eury

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 10, December 1996
image not to hand - can you help?

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 11, January 1997


The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 12, February 1997

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 13, March 1997

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 14, April 1997
cover by Marc Campos, art by Killian Plunkett (pencils), Bruce patterson (inks) and Chris Chalenor (colours); script by Michael Fallon and Mark Verheiden

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 15, May 1997

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 16, June 1997


The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 17, July 1997


The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 18, August 1997
image not to hand - can you help?

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 19, September 1997
image not to hand - can you help?

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 20, October 1997
image not to hand - can you help?

I've listed this up to issue 20 as that's the last issue I can find in the 'advance listings' section of (contemporary comics magazine) Comics International - specifically in issue #85 (September 1997) of Comics International. Although as former editor John Freeman has pointed out to me solicited issues are not the same as printed issues - so it may be that issue 17 is the last issue. 

Images above are either swiped from ebay or from here

28 September 2021

2000AD prog 14 - Flesh! cover up for sale

I've spotted that one of the very earliest 2000AD cover is currently up for sale right here on ebay. It;s the cover for prog 14 (issue cover dated 28th May 1977).

The opening bid was £1,000 and as I type this there have been two bids and the price has been bid up to £1,020

Cover art is by Barrie Mitchell 

Here's what the cover looked like when it was published...

...and here are some slightly more detailed images...




See all other mentions of Barrie Mitchell on the blog here
See all other mentions of 2000AD on the blog here
See all other mentions of original comic artwork on the blog here 

UPDATE: sold for £2,850


27 September 2021

More 'Ant wars' original artwork up for sale

As I reported here there were recently 3 pages of original art for 2000AD strip Ant Wars up for sale. Those pages sold for £599 and now three more pages are up for sale here - there's already a couple of bids and the price is (as I type this) £410. I'd expect these pages to go for more than that because these have some of the actual ants in them.

Pages are all from prog 72 (8th July 1978) - good luck if you bid!



UPDATE: sells for £673.87

26 September 2021

UPDATED: Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures

I've updated this post on new information - all updates in fuchsia - last updated 19th October 2021

I've looked before at comics from Titan Comics (here) and I wanted to look at another title I know very little about, published by Titan Magazines. Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures ran in 1996/7. Six issues were definitely released, and up to nine were advertised.

The title reprinted strip material previously published by Dark Horse Comics as The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, based on the animated updated version of the 1960s original show. That series ran for twelve issues and three specials, but Titan’s title did not run the course due to disappointing sales, the TV series not proving a success in the UK.

Titan's issues were not, as noted on the Jonny Quest Fandom Wiki here, a direct re-release of the Dark Horse versions, and they released the stories in different order. For instance, the Dark Horse issues #1-4 included the story "Net of Chaos" in four chapters, while the Titan  Magazines issues 3 and 6 (and presumably issues 4 and 5) include chapters of this story. The story "Hell on Earth: The Movie" was in Dark Horse issue #7, but Titan issue 3 includes this story instead.

One of the feature writers was "Paul Travers", a pseudonym for editor John Freeman. 

The Dark Horse comic strip editor throughout was Phil Amara.
 
So, without further ado, here's my covers gallery. As ever, there are a few gaps, so if you can help out do let me know.

Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures, Titan Magazines, Issue 1, October 1996

Includes a toy figure - one of the Jonny Quest team - as a free gift, which seems to have varied. 

Cover by Alex Nino

Surd in the Machine” by Shaun McLaughlin with art by Jim Hall

“Message from Mars” by Michael Ryan with art by Roger Petersen 

A profile of Surd, also features, along with an introduction to the JQ core team.

Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures, Titan Magazines, Issue 2, December 1996

Cover Artist: Unknown

Strip: “Countdown to Chaos” by Shaun McLaughlin, pencilled by Dean Zachary, inked by Shepherd Hendrix, coloured by Kell-O

Plus a profile of Ezekiel Rage, a guide to Quest Mansion, and a pullout A3 poster

Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures, Titan Magazines, Issue 3, January 1997



Cover Artist: Unknown

"Hell on Earth, The Movie" by by Shaun McLaughlin, art by Ron Randall

"Net of Chaos" Part One by Kate Worley, pencilled by Francisco Solano Lopez, inked by Andrew Pepoy (mis-spelt as "Andrew Pepay"), coloured by James Sinclair, lettered by Tracey Hampton-Munsey

Includes stickers as a free gift and a profile of Questworld and Doctor Zin.

Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures, Titan Magazines, Issue 4, February 1997
The cover of issue 4 is on the right hand side of this image

"Net of Chaos" Part Two by Kate Worley, pencilled by Francisco Solano Lopez, inked by Andrew Pepoy, coloured by James Sinclair, lettered by Tracey Hampton-Munsey

Includes trading cards as a free gift. 

Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures, Titan Magazines, Issue 5, March 1997
“The Eyes of Rapa Nui” by Kate Worley, pencilled by Francisco Solano Lopez

"Net of Chaos" Part Three by Kate Worley, pencilled by Francisco Solano Lopez, inked by Andrew Pepoy (Pages 19 -24), coloured by James Sinclair, lettered by Tracey Hampton-Munsey

This issue includes a profile of the Quest Submersibles and a JQ mini-poster.

Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures, Titan Magazines, Issue  6, April 1997
Cover by Francisco Solano Lopez

“The Eyes of Rapa Nui” by Kate Worley, pencilled by Francisco Solano Lopez

“An Infinite Memory” by Shaun McLaughlin, pencilled by Ron Randall

"Net of Chaos" Part Four by Kate Worley, pencilled by Francisco Solano Lopez, coloured by James Sinclair, lettered by Tracey Hampton-Munsey

I've now looked at the British Library catalogue for this comic and it has it lasting only six issues. I'll therefore discount the existence of issues 7-9 (despite issue 9 being solicited in issue #82 (June 1997) of Comics International).

There’s some background on Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures show here on the Classic Jonny Quest fan site

25 September 2021

Marvel UK's 'Rugrats' comics

I've looked at all sort of Marvel (UK) comics on the blog just click on this link to check 'em all out but today it's a new title for me - yes it's Rugrats the comic. I'm unclear how long this actually lasted. I know it lasted at least 24 issues (see cover scan below) and issues were listed in Comics International up to #31 [in CI issue 94] but Comics International #95 has an issue listed but no issue number. So, issue 32 seems like the likeliest highest number that Rugrats could have reached but I'd be delighted to know for sure.

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 1
Contributors include Bambos, Mario Capaldi, Steve White

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 2
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 3
Contributors include David Leach, Mario Capaldi, Simon Furman

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 4
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 5
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 6
Contributors include Bambos, Simon Furman, Steve White, Adrian Salmon

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 7
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 8
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 9
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 10
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 11
Contributors include David Leach, Adrian Salmon, Bambos, Matt Brooker [D'Israeli], Steve White

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 12
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 13
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 14
Contributors include David Leach, Simon Furman, Mike Hadley

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 15
Contributors include Mike Hadley, Gordon Rennie, Steve White, Bambos

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 16
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 17
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 18
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Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 19
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 20
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 21
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Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 22
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 23
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Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 24
Contributors include Bambos, David Leach, Steve White

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 25
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 26
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 27
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 28
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Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 29
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 30
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 31
image not to hand - can you help?

Rugrats comic, published by Marvel UK, issue 32
image not to hand - can you help?

24 September 2021

The lure of the comics

Over here on the Down the Tubes website is an article looking at the campaign against the horror comics of the 1950s. One of the pamphlets produced at the time was recently up for sale on ebay. 

The closing price was too rich for me (£192.77) but luckily the seller scanned all the pages. For posterity I've therefore taken those scans and include them below so that you don't need to hunt down this rare pamphlet.

So, here you go, a glimpse of the moral panic of the 1950s c/o the International Women's Day committee. I'm guessing that the exhibition they refer to (page 12) is the exhibition may be the ones that eventually makes is similar to the one organised by the NUT that the memo referred to here