UPDATED: Aaargh!!! at the ICA

I'm aware of the 1970/1 comics exhibition at the ICA entitled "Aaargh!!! A celebration of comics" - although I've not covered it on the blog to date - but this image was new to me so I thought it could act as a prompt for me to gather together all sorts of other bits n' bobs about the exhibition.

UPDATED: now with another poster added

art by Alan Aldridge

Don Lawrence - Eastercon 1989

I've snagged this image from ebay for posterity just to capture the self-portrait of comics artist Don Lawrence (on the far right hand side)

The seller described it thus...

This is the cover of the 1989 Eastercon - Contrivance - held in Jersey. Guests of honour that year were Avedon Carol, Rob Hansen, M. John Harrison, Don Lawrence, Anne McCaffrey, and, I believe, Martin Lodewijk, who all appear on this gorgeous painted piece

Ian Kennedy - Battle Action Force

This is just to record for posterity the existence of this fabulous piece of art that was a commission from Ian Kennedy. What a piece of art!

The seller described it thus...

The piece features characters from Battle Action Force - the UK 80s iteration of GI JOE. 13.5 x 11.5 inches.

Marvel comics film & fantasy convention 80

A recent auction sale by Excalibur auctions (here) gave a great 'behind the scenes' view of what went on at the Marvel comics film & fantasy convention 80. Check out that schedule! Sounds like a great day.

The badge appears yo have been designed by Jerry Paris - who has a brand new webshop open here

School Friend #1

A recent sale by ebay seller 'the-Lewes-Bookshelf' (here) - who seems to be turning up a lot of interesting comic stuff lately - featured not only issue #1 of School Friend but also an A5 sized single sheet promotional flyer for the 1st issue. Rare! The winning bid was just over £50

UPDATED: Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes Gang!

I looked at a London Editions Bugs Bunny comic the other day (XXXXXX) and in my researches I came across these two issues of a different Bugs Bunny comic. 

A monthly title that lasted at least 40 issues and published by Fleetway Editions. Perhaps that first Bugs Bunny comic I looked at would eventually morph into this comic - who knows? Time will tell.

Now updated with the cover for issue 33. 

Bugs Bunny, issue 27, 95p, July 1994 

Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes Gang!, Fleetway editions, issue 33, £1.05, January 1995

Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes Gang!, Fleetway editions, issue 34, £1.05, February 1995

Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes Gang!, Fleetway editions, issue 35, £1.05, March 1995

cover image not to hand - can you help?

Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes Gang!, Fleetway editions, issue 36, £1.05, April 1995

Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes Gang!, Fleetway editions, issue 37, ??, May 1995
cover image not to hand - can you help?

Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes Gang!, Fleetway editions, issue 38, 99p, June 1995

Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes Gang!, Fleetway editions, issue 39, 99p, July 1995

Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes Gang!, Fleetway editions, issue 40, 99p, August 1995

Lawless 2025 - the photos, part 4

For anyone (like me!) who thinks it'a a very long time to wait until Lawless 2026 here's some photos of Lawless 2025 to help keep you going until May 2026.

Simon Bisley prints were here

More prints & Bisley paintings were here

Bisley pencil work is here

and now examples of other original comic art that one of the traders had for sale...

The story of Doncaster

I've looked before at newspaper comic strips (click here for all previous mention on the blog) and I'm always on the look out for strips that are new to me.

'The story of Doncaster' [published  by Doncaster Gazette] certainly falls into that category! A recent spot on ebay [from this seller] the listing described the item thus... 

Here we have the softback booklet ' Doncaster Gazette - The Story of Doncaster ' which is a blank booklet in which to stick the strip stories found in the Doncaster Gazette at the time telling the story of the town.

The strips are enclosed within the book but are not stuck in.

Published by the Doncaster Gazette in 1978

UPDATED: Alf - Marvel UK, part 3

Michael Carroll's timeline of Marvel UK comics (here) has an array of interestingly short-lived comics on that I thought I should create cover galleries for them. Sometimes this is easier said than done but let's return to my covers gallery for the 15 issue Alf comic from 1988-89.

Part 1 was here

Part 2 was here

Now, thanks to friend of the blog Richard Gilham, I've updated the post below with the cover to Alf #15. Cover gallery completed!

Alf, Marvel UK, issue 11, March 1989, 40p

Alf, Marvel UK, issue 12, April 1989, 40p

Alf, Marvel UK, issue 13, May 1989, 40p

Alf, Marvel UK, issue 14, June 1989, 45p

Alf, Marvel UK, issue 15, July 1989, 45p

Alf then seems to have merged with The Marvel Bumper comic (31 issues, 01/10/88 - 22/07/89). 

Here's the first appearance of Alf in The Marvel Bumper comic

There was also an Alf autumn special - maybe using up unprinted material from the monthly comic??

Isometrics newspaper strip

Recently (here) I looked at a Daily Express health based comic strip. This is the only other strip I know of but there may be others! This is by the same writer (Ridwan Aitken) but a different Modesty Blaise artist - this time it's Romero.

The whole point of Isometrics seems to be that you can exercise without moving. You just don't move for six seconds (!!!) and that's your exercise. Can't believe this stuff isn't still very popular unless, just maybe, it doesn't work.

All other mentions of Romero on the blog are here

For newspaper strips click here

Letters from the editor

I've looked a few time before at 'letters from the editor' (here) and I just had to add a few more examples that ace ebay seller phil-comics (here) recently had for sale

sold for £33

sold for £14.09

sold for £5.07

sold for £10.50

sold for £5.50

sold for £6.50

Martin & Hazel Trouse

My look at comic reference books has, to date, covered a number of authors such as...

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

vii). Alan Clark is here

viii). Norman Wright is here

ix). Tony Summerfield is here

Next up are a couple about whom I know nothing other than the fact that they published this partial index (55 pages long) of The Wizard, 1944-1963 in 1994. The Wizard was first published dated 23rd September 1923 so this covers the 2nd half of its forty year life. 

If anyone knows aything more about them or knows of any other books they wrote I'd be delighted to add to this post 

UPDATED: Tintin calendars

Inspired by my post recently about Asterix calendars I suddenly wondered if there were a whole lot of Tintin calendars out there as well.

A quick search on ebay has turned up the following images - I'm sure there'll be more out there to discover so keep your eyes peeled for another post on this topic soon.

All additions are highlighted thus

Tintin calendar 2026

Tintin calendar 2025

Tintin calendar 2024

Tintin calendar 2023

Tintin calendar 2022

Tintin calendar 2021

Tintin calendar 2020

Tintin calendar 2019

Tintin calendar 2018

Tintin calendar 2013

Tintin calendar 2011 & 2012

Tintin calendar 2009 & 2010

Tintin calendar 2007

Also from 2007, but not related to a specific year, is this birthday calendar..

Tintin calendar 2005

Tintin calendar 2004

Tintin calendar 2001

Tintin calendar 2000

Tintin calendar 1996

Tintin calendar 1995

Tintin calendar 1994

Tintin calendar 1993

If you're interested in comic calendars then here are the links to the other calendar themes that I've covered...

1). Beano & Dandy calendars are here
2). Commando calendars are here
3). Judge Dredd calendars are here
4). Broons calendars are here, here and here
5). Oor Wullie is here
6). Dan Dare calendar is here
7). Miscellaneous calendars are here

8). Viz calendars are here

9). Asterix calendars are here

10). Andy Capp calendars are here