There’s a host of British comic goodies in the Spring 2014 auction at Compalcomics , which is now open, including an excellent copy of the first issue of The Beano, some great looking early issues of Mickey Mouse Weekly, art work from Eagle, a Roy of the Rovers page by Joe Colquhoun, an near entire run of TV Century 21/TV21 – and even a very British take on Star Trek for Valiant, drawn by John Stokes.
There are 320 lots in our February/March comics auction, 108 of them British or British-related. The star item in the section is a well preserved Beano Number One. With minor splits and tears it’s been graded Very Good in terms of condition and it has an estimate of £3000-3500 at lot 23.
An interior page from the offered copy of the first ever issue of The Beano.
There’s also a No 1 Beano Book that has been well loved (auction-speak for well worn) in the following lot and it will attract strong interest as the estimate is keen.
Issues of Mickey Mouse Weekly Volume 1 from 1936.
Mickey Mouse Weekly is scarce in the early years – but ComPal are offering an almost complete run, offered year by year, from 1936 volume 1 Number One to Number 300, the New Year issue of 1942. In 1938 Walt Disney drew the first Snow White serial, complete in issues 105-124 and at lot 12.
Gerald G Swan was an independent publisher whose quirky British illustrators and writers are well collected today. Lots 41 and 43 contain some fine examples with first issues of Kiddyfun and Comicolour along with the only two annuals under the Whizz Bang title which were produced during the War. They are rare. Lot 53 showcases Swan’s 1951 Dynamic Thrills title, with lurid covers and this is another scarce run for consideration as there were only 10 issues printed.
The Dandy comics from 1950 and 1951 are on offer, too, complete in bound volumes as is The Beano from 1958. Issues of Wizard from 1951, 1953 and 1954 are also in the auction. 1954 was the year where Desperate Dan mades an improbable cross-over from The Dandy and Dudley Watkins illustrates the cover of Wizard 492 to publicise the new series ‘The Boyhood Of Desperate Dan’.
PC 49 original artwork from Eagle (1952), drawn and signed by John Worsley.
John Worsley was interned by the Nazis during World War Two and fabricated a life-size model of a naval officer which was paraded at roll call whilst the doppelganger made his escape, a real-life story later filmed as Albert RN, directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Anthony Steel. A master illustrator, Worsley used his talents after the war famously drawing PC 49 for Eagle comic and one of his rare signed boards is at lot 62. As well as copies of Eagle from 1959 and 1960 featuring Dan Dare drawn by Frank Bellamy, the auction also features Dan Dare Settles Accounts original story boards created by Frank Hampson’s studio for The Martin Lucas Ltd Mini Cine film strip – the Dan Dare Venus stories adapted for film strip production.
The 1960s section hosts a near complete run of TV Century 21 from 1-212 starting at Lot 82 with the first issue; with JAG, Lion, TV Tornado and Valiant also on offer by popular demand. The 1970s offers all 148 Avengers issues published by Marvel UK – one of the company’s first titles – including the all-important Avengers Wonder Weapon free gift from Number Two; bound volumes of Battle Action starring Pat Mills and Joe Colquhoun’s brilliant “Charley’s War”, along with complete high grade years of Beano and Dandy, all individually bagged and boarded.
Roy Of The Rovers original artwork by Joe Colquhoun, published in 1966.
Talking of Joe Colquhoun, there’s an impressive page of Roy of the Rovers art from Tiger in the auction, as well as an Oor Wullie page by Dudley D. Watkins, a page from Look & Learn‘s “The Trigan Empire” by Don Lawrence, and Star Trek art from Valiant by John Stokes.
Star Trek original two page art drawn by John Stokes for Valiant – for the issue cover date 20th May 1972.
The auction’s US section includes a complete run of Classics Illustrated, 1-169 in 17 bound volumes enclosing 99 first editions. There are early Batman and Detective Comics Golden Age issues and a 1950s pre-code horror and science fiction collection concludes with key issues of Mystic, Strange Mysteries, Voodoo, MAD, Vault Of Horror and Weird Science – including Phantom Lady #17, drawn by Matt Baker. The Silver Age is littered with key issues including Hulk #1, Journey Into Mystery #83 and X-Men #1.
Also on offer is an early run of Fantastic Four from the ‘Uncle Stan’ collection, first auctioned by Compal in 2001 – a series of Marvel comics sent by creator, Stan Lee to his nephew, John in England. They all have their original letters of authenticity and include Fantastic Four #48 – the first appearance of the Silver Surfer.
• Bidding closes on Tuesday 4 March at 8.00pm UK time. Web Link: www.compalcomics.com/catalogue/index.htm
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.
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