Heroes! The British invasion of American comics - part 8

Recently (ish!) finished at the Cartoon Museum (here) was their exhibition 'Heroes! The British invasion of American comics'. 

For anyone who couldn't make it here's part 8 of my look at what you missed...

Part 1 was XXXXX

Part 2 was XXXXX

Part 3 was XXXXX

Part 4 was XXXXX

Part 5 was XXXXX

Part 6 was XXXXX

Part 7 was XXXXX

Colin Curly comics

A new one for me recently is these mini comics produced in association with Quavers crisps. I don;t know much about them but if YOU do then do get in touch, thanks!

Quavers promotional comic #1 - Whizzer and Chips

Quavers promotional comic #2 - Whizzer and Chips

image not to hand - can you help?

advert for Quavers promotional comic #3 & 4 - Buster

Quavers promotional comic #4 - Buster

and then there's this as well

Money Fun #1

A long time ago (here to be precise) I looked at the contributors to a rare advertising comic called "Money Fun!". It was masterminded by Denis Gifford and National Saings (Bank) and was produced in July 1982. 

Anyway, for posterity, I wanted to record the fact that the front cover for issue #1 of Money Fun is currently up for sale here for £225

It's described thus...

Original artwork by Jim Baikie for a National Savings advertising campaign that was published as Melvin's Money Fun comic in 1981. Only one other edition was published in 1982. On the artwork is a reference to Chas who was Charles Grigg (a famous comic illustrator) and also a reference to DG, probably a reference to Dennis Gifford an illustrator and author. Size 38 x 27cm (image) mounted and framed

The reference to Jim Baikie is in relation to the double page spread that Baikie produced for the interior of the comic. The original art for which sold recently here as lot 494 in the Peter Hansen auction of comics.

The reference to Charles Grigg is incorrect. The Chas in this case is Chas Sinclair.

For more details please see Denis Gifford's ACE Newsletter #38 (volume 4, number 5) dated Aug/Sep 1981...

UPDATED - Captain Planet and the planeteers

Update (23/03/26) - I've completed the cover gallery via the addition of the cover for issue #3

I've now acquired some copies of Captain Planet so in red I've added details of writers, artists etc

Prompted by a question on a facebook group together I've been inspired to look into the 'Captain Planet and the planeteers' comic...I don't have any copies myself so I've scoured t'internet for the images below...Marvel US put out a 12-issue series but for Marvel UK I've only got up to issue 4 so far - were there more? Let me know! 

Captain Planet and the planeteers, Marvel UK, issue 1, cover dated 12th October 1991

cover by Mario Capaldi and John Burns

The single story is called 'A hero for Earth' and is labelled as 'Stan Lee presents' so this sounds like a US reprint to me

Writers = Barry Dutter & Jim Salicrup

Pencils = José Delbo

Inker = Mike DeCarlo

Letterer = Jim Massara

Colour = Brad Vancata 

Captain Planet and the planeteers, Marvel UK, issue 2, cover dated 26th October 1991

Mario Capaldi on cover art duties

Story 1 = A hero for Earth - no credits but assume it's as per issue 1 (above) 

Story 2 = Toxic Terror!; story by Ian Rimmer, art by Mario Capaldi, lettering by Cie, colouring by Louise Cassell

Captain Planet and the planeteers, Marvel UK, issue 3, cover dated 9th November 1991

currently for sale here on ebay

Captain Planet and the planeteers, Marvel UK, issue 4, cover dated 23rd November 1991

Mario Capaldi and John Burns on cover art duties

Story 1 = 'Smog gets in your eyes' [continued from issue 3], script by Barry Dutter and Jim Salicrup; art by Jose Delbo & Stephen Baskerville; lettering by Jim Massara; colouring by Sarra Mossoff.

Story 2 = 'Carbon copy' [continued from issue 3], script by Ian Rimmer; art by Mario Capaldi and Bambos Georgiou; lettering by Cie; colouring by Helen Nally

Captain Planet and the planeteers, Marvel UK, holiday special

Hmmm, where did they get that idea for a cover from?

Published August 1992

The contents are a single story 'If you can't nuke em...join 'em'...script by Barry Dutter; pencils by Pat Broderick; inks by Bruce Patterson & Ralp Cabrera; letters by John Costanza; colours by Sarra Mossoff; story editor Rob Takar

And Tim Perkins worked on the annual (and he also worked on a colouring book and the colouring & activity book)

I posted the above in a Facebook group and John Michael Burns (renowned colourist and nephew of artist John M Burns) was kind enought to make a comment on the post...

UPDATED: VR Troopers - from Phoenix Press

I've looked before at independent comics publisher Phoenix Press...

Iznogoud comic here

Phantom 2040 comic here

...and here's another addition to their work, yes it's the "Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic" - a tie-in to the populat TV series of the time (1995/6).

UPDATE (22/03/26) - I now know that there was an English language version of issue #7. That makes me think that there should also be a English language version of issue #8. But I've never seen it so I can't be 100% sure (but then I hadn't seen the English language version of #7 until very recently).  

The Phoenix Press title is definitely much harder to find than the version that Marvel published. The art (and writing) in these comics is uncredited and might best be described as competent.

Here's what you're looking for...

Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic, Phoenix Press, issue 1, September 1995

Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic, Phoenix Press, issue 2, October 1995

Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic, Phoenix Press, issue 3, November 1995

Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic, Phoenix Press, issue 4, December 1995

Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic, Phoenix Press, issue 5, January 1996

Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic, Phoenix Press, issue 6, February 1996

Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic, Phoenix Press, issue 7, March 1996

The German edition of the comic had the same covers (and presumably the same contents) but they were published a few months after the British version. 

Saban's VR Troopers - official 3D comic, Phoenix Press, issue 8, April 1996

cover not to hand - can you help?

The German edition of the comic had the same covers (and presumably the same contents) but they were published a few months after the British version, so, in the absence of the British edition, here's the German version 

German covers are taken from here

There were also this from Marvel comic - albeit with no comics content. Again I'm unsure how long this lasted.

Elizabeth Kay obituary

Just recording this obituary (originally published by The Guardian) here for posterity...that of Elizabeth Kay (here). The obituary was published online on 1st January 2026 but didn't make it to the printed version of the paper until 7th February 2026.

She "...wrote stories for comic strips in DC Thomson's Bunty and Judy magazines., including "Anna, Junior Miss" and "Backstage Betty".

 

UPDATED: Ivory Castle Arrow covers

I've looked before at Ivory Castle Arrow (here) with their covers by John Ryan (issues 1-9) and John M Burns (issues 10-11). The search for issue 1 and 4 continues. 

Previously I've added images of the club badge but for this update I've added in some images supplied by friend of the blog Keith Chapman concerning his work on 'Arrow. Enjoy!

UPDATE (20/03/26) now withe cover to issue 4 - which is currently on sale here c/o ace ebayer ewan_b

Got issues...2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Need issues...1, 4

Ivory Castle Arrow, issue 1

cover not to hand - can you help? 

Ivory Castle Arrow, issue 2

Ivory Castle Arrow, issue 3

Ivory Castle Arrow, issue 4

cover by John Ryan, interior art by Don Harley, Philip Mendoza and others 

Ivory Castle Arrow, issue 5

Ivory Castle Arrow, issue 6

Ivory Castle Arrow, issue 7

Ivory Castle Arrow, issue 8

Interior art is by Philip Mendoza, Reg Parlett and an artist who's signed his work - How they found Maroobi - but I don't recognise the signature

Here's a close-up of that signature...

Any ideas? If so, just let me know, cheers!

UPDATE: I have now been told that the artist is Leslie Caswell - who was a mentor of sorts to Mike Noble when Noble was starting out in comic strips. Norman Boyd has a number of posts about Caswell on his Visual Rants blog, including this one which has comments from two of his children: 

Ivory Castle Arrow, issue 9

Ivory Castle Arrow, issue 10

Ivory Castle Arrow, issue 11

There was also a badge for the Ivory castle league - defend your ivory castles - it commands!

Friend of the blog Keith Chapman has shared these images of his work on issue 11. He also worked on other issues too.