John Armstrong

News has been announced this evening by Rebellion Publishing that the artist John Armstrong has passed away. 

Known mainly for his work illustrating the long-running Bella serial for Tammy in the 1970s and early '80s, John had also worked on Girls' Crystal in the early 1960s where he drew a serial called Cherry and the Children. 

Another memorable strip was the supernatural thriller Moonchild, which John illustrated for Misty in 1978. He later drew a Grange Hill strip for Beeb magazine. 

John Armstrong's delicate brush strokes, combined with a realistic style for expressions and figure work, made him a perfect artist for girls' comics, where characterisation was paramount for readers to relate to the stories. 

Only a few months ago, Rebellion released Bella at the Bar Volume 1, collecting the earliest Bella strips that John had illustrated. The book was warmly welcomed by fans of the character and, hopefully, by a new generation of readers.  

My condolences to Mr.Armstrong's family and friends for their loss. 

Preview: BELLA AT THE BAR Vol.1

July's release from The Treasury of British Comics will be Bella at the Bar Volume 1, a collection of the first year of Bella stories that first appeared in Tammy weekly from 1974 to 1975. (There's also a back up strip reprinting a Bella story, That Barlow Kid, from a Tammy Annual.) A favourite amongst many collectors who read it at the time, this softback book is sure to be a winner. 

Here's the PR from Rebellion, along with a preview of the first episode...

• CREATIVE TEAM: Jenny McDade (w) John Armstrong (a)
• REGIONS: worldwide & digital
• RELEASE DATE: 12th July 2018
• PAPERBACK, 114 pages
• PRICE: £10.99 (UK)
• ISBN: 9781781086254
• DIAMOND: MAY183143

Bella’s gymtastic adventure begins here! Bella Barlow is a young orphan with ambitions to be a world class gymnastic. She has the talent, but is hampered by her cruel Uncle Jed and Aunt Gert who constantly exploit her for their own selfish gains. While out cleaning windows for her uncle’s business, Bella comes across an exclusive school with a great gymnastics programme. A kind teacher named Miss Mortimer would happily accept her, but the young athlete faces great opposition from her guardians and the horrible snobbery of the school’s headmistress.

Available in print from: book stores, Amazon, and comic book stores via Diamond Available in digital from: 2000 AD webshop, 2000 AD iPad app, 2000 AD Android app, 2000 AD Windows 10 app

Available to pre-order now directly from the publishers:
https://treasuryofbritishcomics.com/catalogue/RCA-G0005