31 December 2022

Nemesis the ride the comic

I'd love to have a copy of this comic in my collection - yes it's a tie-in comic for a theme park ride at Alton Towers! Of course it is.

All other Will Simpson mentions on the blog can be found here

All other advertising comics mentioned on the blog can be found here

These are expensive to buy!


30 December 2022

Hook Jaw cover art by Nick Percival

Always happy to look at Hook Jaw comics - that crazy shark! Anyway, I spotted this on ebay a while back and snagged the image just for posterity. 

Here it is then, the original pencils for the cover to issue 5 [there were 3 variant covers in total]. Personally I think the pencils version is much scarier than the printed version!



Check out all others mentions of Hook Jaw on the blog right here 

29 December 2022

UPDATED: Keith Burns covers for Commando

I first came across Keith Burns art when he illustrated the Titan comics Johnny Red series, since then he's just started illustrating Commando covers and the covers are fantastic. Here are the covers he's done so far...

Commando 5209 - American avenger

Commando 5215 - a matter of honour

Commando 5229 - shadow in the storm!

Commando 5241 - steel inferno

Commando 5251 - Radar raiders

Commando 5259 - Braddock


Commando 5267 - Braddock demons

Commando 5289 - the Wombat and the Tiger

Commando 5297 - fog of war

Commando 5299 - Sladen's promise

Commando 5307 - Stealing Stukas

Commando 5315 - Ironhide

Commando 5329 - Blitzkrieg west

Commando 5335 - Durand's Dunkirk

Commando 5337 - Dodger's Dunkirk

This issue is interconnected with issue 5337 Durand's Dunkirk but told from the perspective of the British fighting to stop their retreat.

Commando 5353 - Outgunned!


Commando 5355 - Bullseye Bruno

Commando 5377 - Third time lucky

Commando 5385 - The flying emu


Commando 5395 - HMAS Expendable

Commando 5411 - Ready for Anything!

Commando 5417 - The girls on the guns

Commando 5448 - Die-or walk!
Check out the third of our nine 60th Anniversary specials Issue 5448 Die — or Walk! Former editor Calum Laird's sequel to Commando Issue 1 Walk — or Die! has the table turned with the Brit carrying the Jerry!

Commando 5463 - Target Tomcat

Commando 5481 - Vengeance

Commando 5497 - Pearl Harbor

Commando 5511 - Escape from Java

Commando 5525 - Sink the Shokaku!
published March 15th 2022

Commando 5547 - Stay behind squad
published June 9th 2022

Commando 5559 - Wild weasel!
to be published July 21st 2022

Commando 5607 - Comabt air patrol


28 December 2022

Casper comic, Marvel UK - volume 2

I looked here at Marvel UK's first Casper (the friendly ghost) comic. Thanks to Michael's Carroll's amazing work here all about marvel UK comics in the '90s we know that there was a second Casper comic series. This series only lasted 4 issues but they seem much harder to track down. Hey, ho. You've got to start somewhere with a covers gallery so here we go... 

Casper comic, Marvel UK, 2nd series, Issue 1, 8th October 1997, £1.40
(image c/o Michael Carroll)

Casper comic, Marvel UK, 2nd series, Issue 2, 5th November 1997, £1.40
image not to hand - can you help?

Casper comic, Marvel UK, 2nd series, Issue 3, 3rd December 1997, £1.40
image not to hand - can you help?

Casper comic, Marvel UK, 2nd series, Issue 4, 31st December 1997, £1.40
image not to hand - can you help?

27 December 2022

Power rangers - Marvel UK (series 1)

I know that the first volume of Marvel UK's Power Rangers comic ran for 13 issues from 1st March 1995 - 1st March 1996 but I've never seen a covers gallery, time to fix that! As you can see there's plenty of gaps to fill...

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Marvel UK, issue 1, March 1995


Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Marvel UK, issue 8, 29th September 1995

There was also a pin-up magazine special (albeit there's no comics content).



26 December 2022

Hardware #3 - Shane Oakley

An image c/o Victor Marsillo and his always interesting "British underground comix" Facebook group. 

This is by Shane Oakley and is the cover to Hardware #3 (Third Kind Magazines, 1985, Staffordshire, England).

Shane's art is great and I encourage you to track him and his art down. Anyway, from Shane, me and evil Father Christmas, happy holidays!

25 December 2022

Happy Christmas from Judge Death and the lads

A christmas card acquisition from the Cartoon Museum a few months ago...

Wardour reads the card out "...Ssseassonss greetingsss Joe! From Judge Deathhh and the ladsss!".

This image is taken from prog 867 (way back in 1993)

24 December 2022

Magic comic #1 flyer

Here's a rare survival...a flyer for issue #1 of DC Thomson's Magic comic. 

Issue 1 of Magic was dated 22nd July 1939 - so we can date this flyer to just before then...


This was recently up for sale on ebay right here - the eBay final bid price was £76

23 December 2022

Luther Arkwright at the Cartoon Museum - part 3

It's recently closed at the Cartoon Museum but here's the third part of my look at the recent Bryan Talbot’s Luther Arkwright: 50 years of a British comics legend

Part 1 was here
Part 2 was here