Classic Comic Spotlight: “Robin of Sherwood” for Look-In, by Mike Noble

There are some great pages of British comic art on offer in this week’s Catawiki International Comic Art Auction, but these stunning pages of stunning pages from the weekly comic, Look-In strip “Robin of Sherwood”, drawn by Mike Noble, are surely the cream of the crop. No wonder a collection is in the works, from Chinbeard Books.

First published in 1986, in “Beasts from the Past”, poor old Robin of Sherwood somehow found himself pitted against an angry dinosaur, a story idea so bonkers that only an artist of Mike’s calibre can surely bring it any credibility, which of course he does, with aplomb.

No doubt we’ll discover the full story behind these dramatic pages on release of a forthcoming collection of “Robin of Sherwood” strips, which were first published in “The Junior TV Times”, Look-In, between 1984 and 1986, drawn by Mike Noble (whose many credits included “Captain Scarlet”, “Follyfoot” and “Star Trek”), Arthur Ranson (“Sapphire and Steel”, 2000AD) and Phil Gascoine (Marvel UK’s Knights of Pendragon).

The collection is on its way from award-winning production company Spiteful Puppet, who produce a range of Robin of Sherwood audio dramas, in partnership with Chinbeard Books and Rebellion Publishing.

Art for a 1984 episode of Robin of Sherwood strip drawn by Mike Noble. Via ComicArtFans

Chinbeard are currently collating and restoring strips, via graphic designer Robert Hammond, and the forthcoming book – not yet available to pre-order – will include an exclusive foreword and a specially commissioned introductory illustration from artist Lee Sullivan (perhaps best known for his work on Doctor Who and Rivers of London), who worked with Mike Noble and saw him as a mentor.

Produced in Britain between 1983 and 1985, the Robin of Sherwood TV drama was created by Richard Carpenter and produced by Paul Knight for Goldcrest. It starred Michael Praed as the Hooded Man in the first two series and Jason Connery became Herne’s Son for the third. The series originally aired in the UK on ITV and in the United States on Showtime cable channel and various PBS stations from 1984 – 1986, and still enjoys a dedicated following on both sides of the Atlantic.

Chinbeard Books have also begun work on an official Robin of Sherwood 1987 Annual, a modern annual inspired by the one published in 1986, recently hitting the number of required pre-orders to make the project viable thanks to ROS fans from across the globe.

The annual will feature all-new content, including illustrations, stories, comic strip, quizzes, facts, interviews, behind the scenes photos, and more, and can be pre-ordered here.

Also on offer in this week’s Catawiki International Comic Art Auction is an episode of the “Jeff Hawke” story “On the Run” by Sydney Jordan, a dramatic Robot Archie” page from Lion by Ted Kearon, more Modesty Blaise” by Neville Colvin,

Plus, there’s a page of the Tiger strip “Olaf the Gladiator” by Italian artist Giovanni Ruggero, an artist who also worked for US publisher Warren, whose many credits for Fleetway also, coincidentally included “Robin Hood” for Thriller Picture Library, as well as “Wolf the Briton” for Express Weekly.

The full weekly Catawiki International Comic Art Auction is here – with bids closing this evening at 7.00pm Thursday 15th July 2021

Pre-order the all-new Robin of Sherwood 1987 Annual here from Chinbeard Books

• Check out the Robin of Sherwood audio dramas at www.spitefulpuppet.com

• Stay tuned to the Spiteful Puppet web site at spitefulpuppet.com and their Facebook presence for the latest on this and other projects – and join the Chinbeard Books Robin of Sherwood Facebook group for more advance news

• Find Robin of Sherwood on AmazonUK

Television series Robin of Sherwood © HTV/Goldcrest Films & Television 1983. Created by Richard Carpenter



Categories: Art and Illustration, Auctions, Audio, Books, British Comics, British Comics - Collections, Comic Art, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds

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