31 July 2022

Another Journal (1950)

I've covered Jane material by Norman Pett on the blog before (here) and now, thanks to a seller on ebay, I can look a little deeper into a number of Jane books that Pett produced. 

All dates are based on this blog post by Steve Holland

Here's the next book them - come back soon for more!











30 July 2022

UPDATED: Blue Moon - 1999

Here's a title (from 1999) well worth looking out for - having said that it seems so only come up for sale rarely so you may well be waiting a while for issues to appear.

Anyway, the concept was a kids comic edited by Tim Quinn & Gillian Baverstock (Enid Blyton's eldest daughter) and looking at updating/continuing classic fairy tales. A dozen issues in total, here's all the details I have about all the various (very good!) creators involved...

Blue Moon, issue 1, 30th March-12th April 1999
contributors include Phil Gascoine, George Sears, Mario Capaldi, Steve Parkhouse, Sputnik, Joy Allen, Maureen & Gordon Gray, John Lupton

Blue Moon, issue 2, 13th April-26th April 1999
contributors include Phil Gascoine, Art Wetherell, George Sears, Sputnik, Steve Parkhouse, Mario Capaldi, Joy Allen, John Lupton, Maureen & Gordon Gray

Blue Moon, issue 3, 27th April-10th May 1999
contributors include Mario Capaldi, Phil Gascoine, Art Wetherell, George Sears, Sputnik, Steve Parkhouse, Mike Hadley, John Lupton, Maureen & Gordon Gray, Charlie Adlard

Blue Moon, issue 4, 11th May-24th May 1999
Contributors include Phil Gascoine, Art Wetherell, Steve Parkhouse, Sputnik, George Sears, Mario Capaldi, John Lupton, Bart Rivers

Blue Moon, issue 5, 25th May-7th June 1999
Contributors include Phil Gascoine, Art Wetherell, Steve Parkhouse, Mike Hadley, Sputnik, George Sears, Mario Capaldi, John Lupton, Malcolm Whittall

Blue Moon, issue 6, 5th July 1999
Contributors include Phil Gascoine, Art Wetherell, Sputnik, Steve Parkhouse, Francis Phillipps, Mario Capaldi, Bambos Georgiou, John Lupton, George Sears, Mario Capaldi, Malcolm Whittall, 

Blue Moon, issue 7, 2nd August 1999
Cover art by Charlie Adlard
Contributors include Phil Gascoine, Charlie Adlard, Sputnik, Steve Parkhouse, Mike Hadley, Francis Phillipps, Mario Capaldi, Bambos Georgiou, John Lupton, George Sears, Malcolm Whittall

Blue Moon, issue 8, 30th August 1999
Cover art by Francis PhillippsContributors include Phil Gascoine, Charlie Adlard, Sputnik, Steve Parkhouse, Francis Phillipps, Mario Capaldi, Bambos Georgiou, John Lupton, George Sears, Malcolm Whittall

Blue Moon, issue 9, 27th September 1999
Cover art by Francis Phillipps
Contributors include Phil Gascoine, Charlie Adlard, Sputnik, Steve Parkhouse, Francis Phillipps, Mario Capaldi, Bambos Georgiou, John Lupton, George Sears, Malcolm Whittall, 


Blue Moon, issue 10 25th October 1999
Cover art by Charlie Adlard
Contributors include Phil Gascoine, Art Wetherell, Sputnik, Steve Parkhouse, Francis Phillipps, Mario Capaldi, Bambos Georgiou, Sputnik, John Lupton, George Sears, Mario Capaldi, Malcolm Whittall, 


Blue Moon, issue 11 23rd November 1999
issue not to hand - can you help?

Blue Moon, issue 12 21st December 1999
issue not to hand - can you help?

29 July 2022

Infinity magazine - issue 50

The latest issue of Infinity magazine is out now. It's up to issue 50 now...
...comic fans can look forward to reading a 4 page article all about new Eagle and a 4 page article on Modesty Blaise creator Peter O'Donnell.

Here's a close-up of that Zardoz poster

You can order issue 50 right here

28 July 2022

UPDATED: Count Duckula comics

ow with 2 new comic covers added...all addition in red

Usually I cover comics that I own but I'm breaking that rule here as I try and look at the various Count Duckula comics that were produced...so in no particular order then...

First up is this 10 issue series from London Editions

after these first 11 editions the London Editions comic the price (and maybe the format) changed - the price from 50p to 85p, here's Count Duckula comic, London Editions, issue 10...

Count Duckula comic, London Editions, issue 11...

Count Duckula comic, London Editions, issue 12


Then there's also a quarterly series - priced at almost twice what the above series sold for I hope it was twice as good! - this seems the most obscure series and I can't tell you anything more about it other than that the "no. 7" 'block' in the top right hand corner looks very much like a London Editions font so I think this is something to do with a comment that Nigel Parkinson made over on the Comics UK site (here)
I was part of a very small team who had a seven-issue run of our own comic, 1989/90 with Celebrity Group. The editor was ex-Marvel Etta Saunders and it was run out of a farmhouse in, I think, Kent. The only other thing I remember about them was their chairman had a Bentley. I think they lasted about 10 months

Not sure how being quarterly helps if this is issue 7 and Nigel only worked there for 10 months, but there you go, it's a messy chronology.

ok, so the Duckula quarterly lasted until issue 8

The most 'common' series is this one by Celebrity...It ran from at least 12th July 1989 (issue #1) to at least February 1990. Initially weekly (up until issue 29) it had gone monthly by the February 1990 issue. Sadly, I can't telly you how long it lasted.
Most of the images here are taken from searching on Instagram.

Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 1

Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 2

Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 3

Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 4

Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 5

Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 8

Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 9

Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 10

Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 11

Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 12

Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 14

Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 15, 16, 17

Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 17-20


Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue (18, 20 &) 21


Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 22

Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 24

Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 25

Count Duckula comic, published by Celebrity, issue 30


...and somewhere along the way Marvel (UK) got involved as well(!) - here's their Winter Special 


So there you have - a 'primer' (for which read 'incomplete') guide to Count Duckula's British comics. As I find more I'll update the above, as ever if you can help out with that task then just let me know.

27 July 2022

UPDATED: Eagle comic free gifts

For ages, I've wanted to track down images of all the free gifts that were presented with the original Eagle comic.

The list below is taken from Cliff Wanford's 'Eagle collectors handbook' and is my guide to what's out there to collect...

Right then let's see what we can find...all updates highlighted in red (thanks to Jonathan Crossfield)

Volume 2, issue #34 (2/34) - Christmas catalogue






Volume 2/35 - Christmas catalogue
assume same as above

Volume 3/33 - Christmas supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 4/8 - Coronation supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 4/23 (11/09/53) - Eagle extra

Volume 4/24 (18/09/53) - Eagle extra

Volume 4/25 (25/09/53) - Eagle extra

Volume 4/26 (02/10/53) - Eagle extra


Volume 4/27 (09/10/53) - Eagle extra

Volume 4/28 (16/10/53) - Eagle extra

Volume 4/29 (23/10/53) - Eagle extra

Volume 4/30 (30/10/53) - Eagle extra

Volume 4/31 (06/11/53) - Eagle extra

Volume 4/32 (13/11/53) - Eagle extra

Volume 4/33 (20/11/53) - Christmas supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 4/34 (27/11/53) - Christmas supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 4/35 (04/12/53) - Christmas supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 5/47 - Christmas supplement








Volume 5/48 - Christmas supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 5/49 - Christmas supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 6/47 - Christmas supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 6/48 - Christmas supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 6/49 - Christmas supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 7/47 - Christmas supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 7/48 - Christmas supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 7/49 - Christmas supplement
image not to hand - can you help?








Volume 11/11 (09/03/60) - Passport to adventure wallet

Volume 11/12 (16/03/60) - supplement - world transport (cut and fold booklet)

Volume 11/13 (23/03/60)- supplement - space (cut and fold booklet)

Volume 11/14 (30/03/60) - supplement - the real wild west (cut and fold booklet)

Volume 11/15 (06/04/60) - supplement - underwater world (cut and fold booklet)

Volume 12/5 (04/02/61) - supplement - post office (cut and fold booklet)

Volume 13/10 - Marvels of this modern age album (with 12 cards)

Volume 13/30 - Holiday extra supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 14/10 - wallet of soccer cards








Volume 15/8 (22/02/64) - Roger Moore tells you how to be a detective

Volume 15/23 - model glider

Volume 15/41 - 4 Olympic medals
these were free with the issue dated 10th October 1964; Boys' World had closed on 3rd October 1964 (and been merged into Eagle) and there clearly wasn't time to re-brand the free gift

Volume 15/42 - The Olympic games supplement





Volume 15/43 - pocket chess and draughts set




Volume 15/44 - Eagle indoor games [chess variants, fox & geese and a colour Dan Dare battle game]




Volume 16/1 - sporting records booklet
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 16/27 - On Europe supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 16/41 - Get going with Eagle supplement - 1. getting into sport
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 16/42 - Get going with Eagle supplement - 2. getting into sport
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 16/43 - Get going with Eagle supplement - 3. getting into sport
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 16/44 - Get going with Eagle supplement - 4. getting into sport
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 16/45 - Get going with Eagle supplement - 5. road safety
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 16/46 - Get going with Eagle supplement - 6. space
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 17/3 [15/01/66] - flashing morse transmitter



Volume 17/4 - the world of signals supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 17/6 - the world of espionage supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 17/21 - the GPO tower supplement
image not to hand - can you help?

Volume 19/4 (27/01/68) - super cut-out model of Ford Escort car


Volume 19/5 (03/02/68) - super cut-out model of Ford Escort car