Eric Parker - character studies & groups (part 4 of 6)

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

And now we turn our attention to some of his character studies & group scenes (roughs)...

this image (below) is on the rear of the image above

this image (below) is on the rear of the image above

Dan Dare models - by MG Southall Ltd

I'm always happy to feature unusual bits of Eagle merchandise on the blog. 

There were...

Dan Dare roller skates here

Dan Dare hairbrush here

Dan Dare tie clip here

Eagle stationery here

Eagle club notebook here

With the compliments of the Eagle club here

Eagle / Girl table tennis medals here

Eagle club cycle pennant here

Dan Dare gyro jeep here

Dan Dare space shooting here

Dan Dare rocket ball here

Dan Dare beach ball here

Dan Dare bagatelle here

Eagle report to members (1951) here

Dan Dare field glasses here

Dan Dare interplanetary dominoes here

Dan Dare space-ship construction game here

Dan Dare draughts here

Dan Dare transfers (1) here

Dan Dare transfers (2) here

Riders of the Range painting book here

Today it's the turn of a piece of Dan Dare merchandise that I'd not seen until recently...images swiped from ebay from this seller. This was up for sale for £10,000 - box & figures are in lovely condition but it's out of my price range.

UPDATED: All the Bears

There's a story to be unpicked somewhere about all the following characters and, right now, I'm not sure how it all hangs together so I just need to start somewhere by working out all the instances of the character appearances that I've found so far.

The characters are Star Bears, Scare Bears and Were Bears...

UPDATED: I've found an image of the Scare Bears stickers (25 in a pack for 24p!) so I've added that in below...

1). Star Bears 

Created by Craig Dixon and Matt Gibas

Here and here I looked at Z comic...

...which has 4 pages of Star Bears content...

...and then there was the sticker book (here)

And in this book there's a 6 page strip...

Here's an example page...

2). Scare Bears 

Illustrated by Craig Dixon and Matt Gibas

Illustrated by George Nicholas

This featured in the sticker book (here)

Here and here I looked at Z comic...

which featured a 4 page Scare Bears strip

there was also the Scare Bears monster party book that I looked at here

The Scare Bear also feature on the cover of 'Cartoon Aid' which I looked at here

and this has two newspaper style strips

plus this full-colour 12-page strip (illustrated by George Nicholas - my list of his work here)

3). Were Bears 

another comic from George Nicholas - which I looked at in more detail here - a title from 1990/1. So I'm assuming that the Scare Bears evolved into Were bears

UPDATED: Sooty comic - London Editions magazines

There have been a number of different comics over the years starring Sooty but I'm going to focus on this title from London Editions magazine. Denis Gifford (in issue #111, volume 12/7, of ACE) records issue 1 as October 19th 1989 - bi-monthly.

Writers included JD Savage, who also scripted two episodes of The Sooty Show and two Sooty video specials. He wrote strips for all the Sooty comics published by London Editions, Egmont UK's comic publishing section. When Egmont bought Fleetway Publications from IPC  in 1991, London Editions was merged with it, with the combined company known as Fleetway Editions, and they continued the Sooty title with the same brand identity, including the annuals). Savage also wrote "Sooty" strips for the eponymous Marvel UK title.

London Editions was, as regular readers of this blog know, based in Manchester - near Boddington's Brewery, "with the smell of beer heavy in the air on the journey there," JD Savage recalls. "Really nice people and friendly office.  

"There had already been a few Sooty issues, I think, because when I went to initially meet editor Judith Laverty, who I remember very fondly," he continues. "I took along scripts for an entire issue's worth as a surprise, based on reading one.  

"The strip was probably written in-house before as she seemed very pleased to have all that new material to hand - and then I wrote almost every Sooty strip over the next ten years or so." 

JD Savage currently writes for Eco Kids Planet and The Week Junior: Science+Nature, amongst other titles.

UPDATED: now with a cover image for issue 2, 22, 23, 24, 30, 32 & 43 (!)

Sooty comic, issue 1, undated, 70p

Sooty comic, issue 2, undated, 70p

Sooty comic, issue 3, undated, 70p

image not to hand - can you help?

Sooty comic, issue 4, undated, 70p

Sooty comic, issue 5, undated, 70p

image not to hand - can you help?

Sooty comic, issue 6, undated, 70p

image not to hand - can you help?

Sooty comic, issue 7, undated, 70p

image not to hand - can you help?

Sooty comic, issue 8, undated, 70p

Sooty comic, issue 9, undated, 70p

image not to hand - can you help?

Sooty comic, issue 10, undated, 70p

image not to hand - can you help?

Sooty comic, issue 11, undated, 70p

and there may be more issues than that

Here's a glimpse of issue #43 of Sooty

UPDATED: Alan Clark reference books

I've looked at comic reference books a couple of times before...

i). Dennis Gifford books here (with all Gifford posts here

ii). Lofts & Adley books are here

iii). Dennis Gifford is here 

iv). David Ashford is here

v). Ray Moore is here

vi). Martin Hamer is here

vii). Colin Morgan is here

And now it's the turn of Alan Clark...

His very newest book (February 2024) is this one - priced at £36 (including postage) and available from Alan himself (ebay trading name of 'orsonwelles99' right here) - and looks at the crossover between, well, comic papers, music hall & early cinema. 316 pages long!

So prolific is Alan that I realise I'd missed one of his publications (from April 2023) - more details here

His very newest book (October 2023) is this one - priced at £30 (including postage) and available from Alan himself - ebay trading name of 'orsonwelles99' right here

His very newest book (December 2022) is entitled BRITISH GOLDEN AGE COMICS. COMIC PAPERS BETWEEN THE WARS 1919-1939 is in fact 2 books, priced at £33 for both and available here

The Laughs of a nation - the publications of Gerald G Swann is available here for £23

Just published (January 2022) is Alan's look at Comic papers of the platinum age, creators & their work: 1874-1914 - available for £25 (inc. postage from Italy)

The books is described as follows...

What is the British Platinum Age? Within these pages it’s defined as 1874-1914. It started with James Henderson’s Funny Folks and ended forty years on with the start of the 1914-1918 war. The Platinum Age was the ‘Big Bang’ of the comic universe. It was when the British comic was invented. It was followed by the ‘war years’, then the ‘nursery years’ After which the publishers created a raft of new titles for older readers. Which in turn paved the way to the Golden Age of the 1930s. That Golden Age crashed spectacularly after war was declared on Germany in September 1939 when once again paper shortages returned and staff and freelancers were again called up to join the forces. It was not until over a decade later that the industry recovered enough to start a Silver Age. That began with Eagle on April 14 1950. The war years, nursery years, the Golden Age and Silver Age are other stories. This book is an homage to the Platinum Age and its amazing publishers, editors, creators, writers and artists who were responsible for it. And which led to everything that followed.

COMIC PAPERS OF THE PLATINUM AGE is a 284 page, small size (A5), non-profit, limited edition publication the purpose of which is to promote and provide information about the editors. artists, writers and publishers of Platinum Age comics and story papers.

Well illustrated with rare titles. Informative text. 284 pages.

Just published (Autumn 2021) - and available here - are this pair of books on the 'golden age' of British comics.

Alan's other books that he's published since Autumn 2020 now all seem to be out of print (apart from 'The fun factory' volume) - so I'd order these books soon if you want them.

Just published (Summer 2021) is this book available from Alan himself at this ebay seller ID (orsonwelles99)

The fun factory of Farringdon Street by Alan Clark

subtitled - a history of Amalgamated Press 1890-1960

Recently published is this book (reviewed here)

From early 2021

From Autumn 2020...

From 1998 the Dictionary of British comic artists, writers and editors

From 1991 - "Comics an illustrated history" by Alan and Laurel Clark

From 1989 "The best of British comic art" by Alan Clark

From 1988 "The children's annual - a history and collector's guide" by Alan Clark

From 1983 - "The comic art of Reg Parlett - 60 years of comics!" by Alan Clark

From 1983 - "The comic art of Roy Wilson" by Alan Clark & David Ashford

as ever...if you spot anything I've missed just let me know