Excalibur auctions - 14th Feb 2026 - highlights

Some of the lots in the recent sale by Excalibur auction (here) were truly amazing and I'm recording them here for posterity. Congratulations if you were the winning bidder on any of these.

Action comic cover #1 - at by Carlos Ezquerra, hammer price of £5,000

Hook Jaw art; lot description as follows; hammer price of £400

Believed to have been completed 'pre-ban' and unpublished as notations on the page edge mention 'Action 39' & 'Nov. 6th 1976' - Action was pulled from circulation after the 16th October issue was published and only returned in a more sanitised form on the 4th December 1976. One panel has been removed and replaced with a photo-copy which has been taped underneath. Artwork measures 41.5 cm by 52.5 cm (V)

Hook Jaw art; lot description as follows; hammer price of £3,800

ORIGINAL HOOKJAW SPLASH-PAGE ART FROM ACTION #1 by RAMON SOLA - The very first page of Action's flagship title - the iconic Hookjaw strip. Inspired by 'Jaws', this page highlights its first appearance and how it came to get its name. A notation on the page edge says 'Action76' - The original title for the comic. Pen and ink on paper - Artwork measures 36.5 cm by 51 cm (V)

Evidence of the original comic title - Action 76

Original title - Jaws of the black gold

Van Helsing's Terror tales arrives in paperback

A quick shout out for the new publication from Dez Skinn (just search for him on facebook) it's a glossy softcover edition of his previously published (albeit in a limited edition hardback - 100 copies only) reprints from House of Hammer magazine, Van Helsing's Terror tales.

You can expect contributions from Martin Asbury, Donne Avenell, Jim Baikie, John Bolton, Joe Colquhoun, Dave Gibbons, Trev Goring, Brian Lewis, Chris Lowder, Angus McKie, Steve Moore, Steve Parkhouse, Ramon Sola and Patrick Wright.

MACH 1 - volume 2 cover reveal

Amazon have (here) put up the cover for volume 2 of Rebellion's MACH1 reprints

Due ouf for release on 18 April next year, they say..
When terrorists, super-weapons and other-worldly forces plot destruction, the British Secret Service need John Probe – their number one super-agent. But when Probe begins to question the motives of his superiors and the ruthless logic of his cybernetic brain, he finds the service has dark secrets up its sleeve… including failed prototype, M.A.C.H. Zero!
The agency will find out what happens when they try to control Men Activated by Compu-Puncture Hyperpower!

Yours for £16.99

Van Helsing's Terror tales has risen from the grave!

...or come back from the printers to be more precise and what a volume it is! Hardback, 80 pages, its even got a dustwrapper, it's like a proper annual and everything.


And then there's the roster of writers & artists involved...in no particular order...Angus McKie, Brian Lewis, Chris lowder, Donne Avenell, Jim Baikie, Joe Colquhoun, John Bolton, Martin Asbury, Patrick Wright, Ramon Sola, Steve Moore, Steve Parkhouse and Dave Gibbons

20 stories from the cream of British comics talent
70+ pages 
Hardback 
What more could you want? An essential purchase, well done to Dez Skinn for getting this published

Just search for "Monster Mag" on facebook

A Brian Lewis page...

A Joe Colquhoun page

 A Ramon 'Hookjaw' Sola page