Christmas covers are coming...

My thanks to 'Big Bad Bri' over on the Comics UK Forum for bringing this item to my attention this morning. On November 4th Phil-Comics is to publish a special book under license from DC Thomson. The Dandy and The Beano: Classic Christmas Comics Covers 1937 - 1969 is a bit of a mouthful of a title but it clearly explains what it is. The covers of every Dandy and Beano Christmas issue from 1937-69 reproduced in all their full colour glory and at full size. 

Now it could be argued that the 'classic' years might also spill over well into the 1970s or 1980s depending on the age of the collector. However it cannot be denied that the 30 plus years represented here will feature some of the finest Christmas covers published by DC Thomson with artwork by such greats as Dudley D. Watkins and Charlie Grigg. I'd venture that due to the age and rarity of the items most covers will be new for the majority of us.

The book is hardback and limited to just 1000 copies priced at £20 plus postage. I've just ordered my copy and you can grab yours while they're still available from Phil's website here:
http://www.phil-comics.com/christmas.php


*****************************************

If you want more Christmas comic goodness (and who wouldn't?) you'll be pleased to know that DC Thomson have recently published two 'Christmas Crackers' editions in the 'bookazine' format. (Magazines with firm card covers.) Each title reprints various Dandy and Beano strips from over the past 75 years and are available now from WH Smith.

Classic Comics on the cards

Egmont have just released two smartly produced box sets of postcards from their Classic Comics imprint. 70s Girls' Comics: 100 Postcards and Battle: 100 Postcards are exactly what they say on the tin.... or rather sturdy cardboard box. Each set features 100 quality postcards depicting covers or images from some of the top comics of the 70s and 80s. 

As the title suggests the Battle set focuses solely on Battle Picture Weekly (and its later incarnation Battle-Action). There are some superbly dynamic covers here and the reproduction is excellent. Classic characters such as Major Eazy and D-Day Dawson are shown in all their glory. Some cards feature images from the strips so we get crisp reproductions of artwork by Joe Colquhoun and Eric Bradbury amongst others.

Art by Geoff Campion.

Art by Carlos Ezquerra.

Speaking of the artists brings me to the only minus point of these postcards. There are no artist credits on any of them (apart from the images that were signed or feature the original credits). I appreciate that these sets are not aimed solely at comic fans (I imagine most will be bought as nostalgic Christmas presents for parents) but it would have been a nice extra just to let the buyers know the names behind their favourite comics of childhood. 

Art by Carlos Ezquerra.

Art by Mike Western.

The 70s Girls' Comics set features covers and art from several titles: Tammy; Misty; Penny; Jinty and Sally. The Misty covers provide the most striking images with their dark and moody themes and they're contrasted nicely by the lighthearted artwork of John Richardson for Tammy. The Jinty covers are perhaps the weakest in composition but no doubt readers of that comic will be pleased to see their inclusion here.

All in all both of these postcard sets are very nicely produced. The boxes themselves have a great 'distressed' design (war-torn 'metal' on Battle and 'yellowed' paper on the Girls' set) and are strongly constructed. 

Both sets are reminders of what a strong comics industry we used to have in the UK before most publishers veered towards magazines with editorial or activity content instead of strips. And these were only a few of the comic titles. Hopefully these postcard sets will sell well enough to ensure more of them. 

There are certainly more than enough powerful Battle covers to easily form a second box set but I'd also like to see a humour comics set (Cor!!; Whizzer & Chips; Whoopee!; Wow!; Buster etc) and an adventure set (Action; Tornado; Jet; Speed; Eagle; Scorcher etc). Time will tell.

Art by John Richardson.

Battle: 100 Postcards 
Published by Egmont. Out now.
ISBN 978-1-4052-6837-0
Price £14.99

70s Girls' Comics: 100 Postcards
Published by Egmont. Out now.
ISBN 978-1-4052-6838-7
Price £14.99

Free Inside! (Additional)

As a sort of extra to the blog posts about comic free gifts that I wrote a few years ago here's a nice cartoon I've just noticed from the 1960 edition of the Daily Sketch Cartoon Book. I suppose free gifts in comics were starting to increase at that time and with ads for them appearing in newspapers (and on TV) they'd be ideal for comment. Especially when you can tie it in with the space race.

The cartoon is by Harry Hargreaves (1922 - 2004). More info about the artist here:
 http://www.tonystrading.co.uk/galleries/comicstrips/hargreaves.htm

If you missed my postings about comic free gifts you can find the first part here:
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/free-inside-part-1.html

Review: Thunderbirds The Comic Collection

This came as a nice surprise yesterday, when Egmont sent me a review copy of their massive hardback Thunderbirds: The Comic Collection. This heavy 288 page book carrying Egmont's Classic Comics imprint reprints the Thunderbirds serial strips that were drawn by Frank Bellamy from September 1967 to July 1969 for their original publication in TV21. There's also a serial by John Cooper from 1970, and four Lady Penelope stories from the sixties by Eric Eden, again from TV21. As a bonus, there are superb cutaways and features illustrated by Graham Bleathman that were first published in Thunderbirds The Comic around 1991.

The book is printed on good glossy stock, which serves the reproduction well. It looks like the pages are shot from the same sources used for Thunderbirds the Comic in the nineties. So although the quality isn't quite as good as the original TV21 comics (or indeed the original artwork), it's still very good indeed and only close comparison with the 1960s comics would show any difference. Bellamy's artwork still looks great, as can be seen from the photographs here that I took of the book.

The Thunderbirds strip by John Cooper is one that Egmont had coloured in the 1990s (its original appearance in TV21 was in black and white). The colours aren't a patch on Bellamy's work but they don't distract from the story. 

The three Lady Penelope serials are her very first adventure, Mr.Steelman, from January - April 1965, The Isle of Aaran Riddle from Sept - Nov 1965, and her last TV21 story, The Vanishing Ray, from Nov 1965 to January 1966. There's also a bonus four page story from the 1965 TV21 Summer Extra.

Hardcore fans of Gerry Anderson's creations will probably already have most of these strips, either in TV21, Thunderbirds The Comic, or the more recent Century 21 books. However, for the completest, or new fans, or people who threw out their old comics, or people interested in British comics in general, this book would serve as an excellent way to obtain a good proportion of classic strips in one package. It'd also make a brilliant Christmas present for introducing a new generation to the delights of such quality material. 

Egmont have also released a set of postcards in a sturdy, illustrated collectors box. Entitled Thunderbirds: 100 F.A.B. Postcards these 100 well reproduced cards feature scenes from various Thunderbirds episodes and also include the title sequence, countdown, title frames, and all. Again, an ideal Christmas present, or just a good treat for any fan of the series. 

Thunderbirds: The Comic Collection 
Price: £25.00
Published by Egmont, October 2013
ISBN: 978 1 4052 6836 3 

Thunderbirds: 100 F.A.B. Postcards
Price: £14.99
Published by Egmont, October 2013
ISBN: 978 1 6893 6

Epilogue: The Last Round-Up

When, in my previous post, I announced that I was ending this blog it took a few people by surprise. Reaction from readers has been very heartening and much appreciated. Although I still don't have the time or inclination to continue with Blimey I've been sufficiently encouraged to return for one last round-up of items that have been published recently, some of which I'd promised to promote a while ago. There's a lot to cover here so relax, have a cuppa, and here we go...

Above is the cover to a brand new comics magazine, Scraps, published by Blasé Books. Edited and designed by my old mentor Mike Higgs (I know, "Not so much of the old", - sorry Mike) who also contributes two strips Kevin and his Comics and The Yesterfiles. The 16 page A4 full colour mag also features two very informative articles by Peter Hansen on British comics and annuals, a Comic ODDments feature, and promotions for books by Blasé and Ugly Duckling Press.

A copy of Scraps No.1 will appear as a free insert in Multiverse magazine soon, or can be picked up in its single magazine format at various comic marts around the country (especially the Birmingham and London ones). However, if you'd like a copy posted to you, you can send a pound coin to cover postage to Blasé Books, Hazelwood, Birchfield Road, Reddich B97 6PU. Alternatively you can pay £1 via PayPal, to blasebooks@aol.com

Another recent debut is Hairy Steve, an all-new 32 page comic book by Jamie Smart and Steve Bright. If you thought you knew what they could accomplish from their contributions to children's comics over the years think again. With Hairy Steve the creators give us a darkly funny adult comic that pulls no punches. A lupine hero! A mad scientist! Zombies! Violence! And more. 

Both creators are highly talented writer/artists in their own right but with Jamie Smart on script and Steve Bright on artwork it's a winning combination that's a must-buy. Hairy Steve was made possible via Indiegogo crowdfunding so those of us who funded it have already received our copies. However if you weren't part of that and you'd still like a copy, a few are still available at a reasonable price. E-mail Jamie at jamiesmart78@gmail.com and he'll sort out a signed copy for you.

Fans of classic British comics will be pleased to hear that Steve Holland has revised and expanded his index for Lion comic into an impressive 262 page A4 softback book. Lion, King of Picture Story Papers is published by Bear Alley Books for £25.99 plus £4 postage. Well worth it for fans of the fondly-remembered weekly, as the book features a 100 page history of the comic, profusely illustrated with sharp, clear samples of strips, behind the scenes photographs of the editorial staff, and the index section itself runs to around 160 pages with details of all the strips in the weekly, annuals, and specials. 

Even if Lion was before your time this is still an absorbing book for anyone with a genuine interest in the history of British comics. It's a great showcase of the outstanding artistic talent that was working in comics back then, with many full page examples of artwork from Joe Colquhoun, Reg Bunn, Leo Baxendale, Don Lawrence and many more. (Many pages are also reproduced smaller than published size, but the reproduction is still clear and legible.) Available here from Bear Alley Books website: 
http://bearalleybooks.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/lion-king-of-picture-story-papers_3.html

Speaking of classic British comic talent, Terry Bave has published his autobiography as a chunky 298 page volume. Cartoons and Comic Strips takes us on a journey from Terry's early days right up to the present, with many examples of his artwork from over the decades.

Terry's work has always had a gentle fun aspect that has appealed to children over the years. He understands the essentials of comic storytelling, with strips that are always clear to follow, and characters that are engaging. Credit must also go to Shiela Bave of course, Terry's wife, who has worked with Terry on the scripts for practically his entire career.

Copies of Cartoons and Comic Strips can be ordered from Terry's new blog at http://terrybave.blogspot.co.uk or directly from the Lulu website here:
http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-bave/cartoons-and-comic-strips/paperback/product-20625272.html 

An excellent graphic novel from a mainstream British publisher is The Complete Rainbow Orchid by Gavin Ewing, published by Egmont. This previously appeared as three separate comic albums but now they're collected into this sumptuous 136 page book. 

 
The Rainbow Orchid is a real epic. An old-school quest type of adventure with the heroes traversing the globe. Garen Ewing's artwork is incredibly detailed. He draws in the fine line style inspired by Hergé and Edgar P. Jacobs but brings his own approach to it. The standard is phenomenal. 

There are also bonus features at the back of the book (character designs and suchlike) and nicely designed endpapers showing specially created ephemera that perfectly mimics the early 20th Century era of the story. Let's hear no more complaints about Britain no longer doing all-ages adventure strips. This is one. Right here. And the quality is as high as anything that preceded it. The Complete Rainbow Orchid is a real treat, and a bargain at only £14.99. (ISBN: 978 14052 6385 6)

The third issue of indie comic Savage! Jungle Princess was published by Kult Creations recently. It's another full colour adventure by John Short and Gabrielle Noble featuring dinosaurs, Nazis, and 'saucy' fun. 

You can order the latest issue of Savage, plus back issues and other good stuff from the Kult Creations blog here: http://kultcreations.blogspot.co.uk/

There's a new event for fans of British comics in the shape of Comic Empire coming to the Royal National Hotel on March 3rd, June 2nd, and October 5th. This replaces the dormant ABC Shows at that venue but will feature items to appeal to collectors of British comics, pulps, magazines and ephemera. See the flyer below for more details and keep an eye on the website http://www.londoncomicmart.co.uk/

Jim Alexander has been a professional comics writer for quite a few years now, and he's recently produced his own comics such as Scout One, Gabriel, Good Cop, Bad Cop, and Amongst the Stars. (The latter with artwork by Mike Perkins in issue 1.) Check out Jim's blog for details on how to order your copies:
http://jimalwriter.blogspot.co.uk/

Comic Heroes, the bi-monthly magazine about comics is on its 17th issue now (and some said it wouldn't last). Available from WH Smith, Tesco and other retailers this current edition features a load of excellent features. The history of Iron Man in comics, interviews with Mark Waid, Ramona Fradon, Roy Thomas, Liam Sharp, Andy Diggle, plus Paul Gravett writing about the work of François Schuiten, with reviews and much more. A very solid issue. £7.99.

PS Publishing have released a new batch of books recently in their line of pre-code American comics reprints. There's Phantom Lady, The Heap, Witches Tales Vol.2, and Chamber of Chills Volume 4 (which concludes that particular title, having now reprinted every issue). It's great to see these classic horror comics back in print for those of us who weren't around when they were originally published. 

The nice thing about these 'Harvey Horrors' is that PS reprint the entire comic, adverts and all, which adds to the experience of capturing the times. Five to seven comics appear in each volume, and there's bonus pages of features and scans of original artwork. You can order the books directly from the publisher here:
http://www.pspublishing.co.uk/ps-art-books-24-c.asp

Fans of horror comics may also be interested in The Best of From the Tomb, a softback book from Twomorrows Publishing reprinting articles from the UK From the Tomb fanzine, which also includes unseen pages that were scheduled for the unpublished 29th issue. A fascinating look back at the era of pre-code horror and crime comics, plus interviews with Joe Sinnott, Shane Oakley and others.

There's a new issue of CLiNT in newsagents and comic shops right now, with another 100 page helping of over the top action and breakneck entertainment. This issue (No.6 in the second series) features the latest chapters of Hit Girl, The Secret Service, Death Sentence and more. 

Look out for another British adventure comic hitting the shelves of newsagents on March 28th! That's the day when Strip Magazine is scheduled for a relaunch with its second series (numbered 1.2). The line-up of stories looks fantastic, and the big news for fans of classic British comics is that it features the return of 1970s Hotspur superhero King Cobra, revamped for the modern age. More info here: http://stripcomicmagazineuk.blogspot.co.uk/

So, plenty happening print-wise in the UK but if you want to support a digital British comic as well, hop over to Aces Weekly which is now in its third volume. A mere £6.99 ($9.99) gets you access to each seven-issue volume. Yes, only a pound an issue, cheaper than any print comic. I created an all-new Combat Colin strip for issue 1, and will be doing another one soon, exclusive to Aces Weekly. Find out more about the comic and its creators here and subscribe!:
http://www.acesweekly.co.uk

And finally... news about my new blog! Yes, Blimey! is still ending (for the reasons I gave in my previous post) but I'm launching a new blog lewstringercomics. As the name suggests, this one will only focus on my own material. (Which won't take me so long to research for one thing.) It won't be updated as often as this blog was, and the commentary will be shorter, concentrating on showing you samples of my artwork from the past, present and, hopefully, future. I hope you'll all give it a visit and bookmark it. You'll find it here:
http://lewstringercomics.blogspot.co.uk

Thanks again for visiting Blimey! over the last six years and for your kind comments after my previous post. See you over on my new blog!