New Eagle Times highlights Joan Porter’s work on “Dan Dare”

By John Freeman on July 7, 2015

The latest issue of the Eagle-inspired magazine Eagle Times, published by the Eagle Society, is available now, offering a wealth of insights into the much-loved boys comic of the 1950s and 60s. The features, which include insights from colourist and researcher Joan Porter about the Frank Hampson Studio, where Dan Dare was first conceived; and a new series of articles by Roger Perry about the behind the scenes staff who worked on Eagle are as follows:

‘Mark, The Youngest Disciple’ – an examination of the background to Chad Varah’s version of the events surrounding the Passion of Jesus, which appeared in Eagle between November 1954 and June 1955, drawn by Giorgio Bellavitis and re-published in Titan Books’ Classic Bible Stories, which I edited, in 2010
‘Over to You, Joan’ – some memories and insights into the Frank Hampson Studio, and the part played by Joan Porter as Hampson’s assistant
‘Chicko’ – an examination of three-panel comic strip by Norman Thelwell, featuring the longest-running character in Eagle after Dan Dare
‘Saturday Morning at the Pictures, No 3: King of the Rocket Men’ – another in the series looking at Saturday children’s cinema matinees of the 1950s
‘In and Out of the Eagle‘ – more in the series presenting collections of Eagle-related snippets
‘PC49 and the Cases of Stolen Liquour’ – another in the series of PC49 stories adapted from Alan Stranks’ BBC radio stories
‘Centrespreads: The Journey into Space Connection’ – on the artist Gordon Davies, who drew cutaway drawings for Eagle‘s centre pages, and book covers, including those for Pan Books’ Journey into Space paperbacks
‘Rivals of Jeff Arnold No 16: Lash LaRue ‘ – the appearance of the western film star in movies and comics
‘Looking for L. Ashwell Wood’ – Joan Porter recalls an episode from the early 1950s when, on press day, she went in search of the cutaway artist and his urgently needed artwork
‘The Solid Space Mystery’ – a re-look at the ‘Dan Dare’ story from Eagle, which was drawn by Don Harley and Bruce Cornwell, and kicked off in the last issue of 1960
‘They Helped to Bring You Eagle: No. 1 Bert Fielder’ – the first in a new series, which begins with one of the less well-known people who worked on Eagle in the 1960s
‘The Dan Dare Dandies’ – on the civilian modes of dress and fashion in Eagle‘s ‘Dan Dare’
‘Yesterday’s Tomorrow: A celebration of the launch of Eagle and the birth of Dan Dare’ – a report on the one-day symposium held at the British Interplanetary Society on 14th April, 2015, the 65th anniversary of Eagle‘s launch (you can read Richard Sheaf’s report on the day for downthetubes here)
‘WPC56’ – a review of the television series featuring a female police officer, set in the 1950s
‘Anyone for Table Tennis?’ – recollections of the Eagle and Girl Table Tennis Championships which were held between 1954 and 1964

• Membership of The Eagle Society is via Annual Subscription to Eagle Times magazine, which is published four times annually. The Subscription rate for 2015 is: UK £27, Overseas £38 (in £s Sterling, please). Postal applications to: Keith Howard, 25A Station Road, Harrow Middlesex HA1 2UA United Kingdom. If you wish to pay by Paypal (from your Paypal account to the eagle-times hotmail address given below) the Society request an additional payment of £1.50. Enquiries: eagle-times@hotmail.com

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.