Best known to downthetubes readers for his work on the original “Dan Dare” strip for Eagle, Desmond Eric Walduck was also a talented artist – and one of his woodland scenes is currently being auctioned on eBay.
Offered for just over £450, the watercolour, titled “Down In The Forest Something Stirred”, is signed by the artist.
Desmond Eric Walduck was a Islington-born freelance artist who joined the Dan Dare team in the early 1950s. His major task was finishing the artwork of other artists, most notably Frank Hampson. He also worked on some episodes himself, such as the end of “Operation Saturn” in 1954 and the complete episode “Prisoners of Spac in 1955-56.
Other comic stories by Walduck are “Sammy in Space” with Bruce Cornwell for Swift, “Red Devil Dean” for Express Weekly in 1955-56 and “Slaves of War Orphan Farm” for Tammy in 1971.
Walduck, who was also a book illustrator, passed away in Hammersmith, London, in late 1995.
• The auction ends mid-afternoon tomorrow (Saturday 10th June 2017)
Here’s a couple of his previously sold paintings
Thanks to Richard Sheaf for this information via Boys Adventures blog
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.
Categories: Art and Illustration, Auctions, downthetubes News, Other Worlds