In Praise of… Comic Artist Harry Bishop, creator of “Gun Law” and more

I recently did some brief research on the work of British newspaper strip artist Harry Bishop, perhaps best known for drawing Gun Law, based on the TV series Gunsmoke, starring James Arness as Matt Dillon, for the Daily Express.

While influenced by Tony Weare, Norman Rockwell and more, my trawl of the web turned into one of those “downthetubes goes down rabbit hole” mornings, as I discovered more and more to confirm what I long knew – that Harry was an incredible artist was in his own right.

A
A “trailer” for the “Gun Law” strip before its debut in the Daily Express in 1957

Gun Law – still offered for syndication today by Knight Features – became a daily strip in the Daily Express in 1957, which Bishop wrote and drew until it finished in 1978.

Bishop was awarded the British Cartoonists Award in 1965 and  received the Best Dramatic Strip Cartoonist award from the Cartoonists’ Club of Great Britain in 1975 for his work on the strip.

Gun Law by Harry Bishop

He took over the Wes Slade strip in the Sunday Express in 1980 after  the death of its originator, George Stokes (the brother of artist John Stokes), and this also earned him an award, from the Strip Illustrators Society, in 1981.

Born in 1920, he was educated at Hatherley School and the Gloucester School of Art, leaving the latter in 1937 to travel abroad. After serving in the Royal Air Force during World War Two, he resumed his art education in 1947, graduated in 1952 and took up a position as a teacher.

Gun Law for the weekly Express comic
Gun Law for the weekly Express comic

“He was happy teaching and he loved all the children,” says his daughter Janet Bishop in a post to a page about the Garth Secondary Technical School, in London. “After a couple of years, he was offered commercial art work which he decided to do. This led him to draw Gun Law … and he also illustrated books, but he never forgot his teaching days.

“… I think he felt that children’s lives could be hard enough and liked them to learn in a happy and fun atmosphere. That said, he probably let them get away with more than they should…”

“A tremendous artist with a sense of humour,” recalls former pupil Len Coppin. “Not the greatest disciplinarian, just went with the flow to get through the day. “The other thing I remember… was the murals he did for Harvest Festival, Christmas pageants and school plays.  If you were talented enough he would allow you to ‘fill in’ a corner of the artwork.   Not only did he teach us the 3Rs he taught us about life.”

The opening pae of
The opening pae of “The Wrangler” by Harry Bishop, which appeared in the second issue of the short-lived 1970s Ally Sloper comic magazine

Steve Holland notes, in his Illustration Art Gallery profile of Bishop, that his earliest known work for Amalgamated Press appeared in Comic Cuts, where he took over the artistic chores for the adventures of “Cal McCord“, the real-life cowboy and actor, in May 1953. Comic Cuts came to a close soon after, but Bishop was to find a regular home for his work in Swift. His first strip, “Tom Tex and Pinto” ran for 18 months, during which time he also took over the colour cover of Swift, drawing “Tarna Jungle Boy” from June 1954.

He also drew numerous western strip for Junior Express including “Wyatt Earp” and “Rex Keene”, and other titles, rapidly establishing himself as one of the leading western artists in the UK.

His work was republished in Europe and elsewhere, including in Norway and Spain, and the French magazine l’Intrépide, which re-published “Gun Law” (Issues 562-594 and 609-613). He also appeared in the Dutch magazine Eppo, drawing the historical drama “Laben Tall”

“A Coaching Scene”, a watercolour by Harry Bishop, date unknown

Along with a successful  career in comics he was also a prolific illustrator for Deans between 1970 and 1985, including work for the BBC, returning to painting later in life, his landscape work often sold at auction.

Sadly, an eye infection caused him to give up painting completely. He died in 2015, aged 95.

Harry Bishop, artist, born in Painswick, Gloucestershire, on 3 May 1920, died 2015

Web Links

• There’s a biography of Harry here on the Illustration Art Gallery web site, written by Steve Holland, and artwork by Harry Bishop can be found for sale at the Illustration Art Gallery

Lambiek: Harry Bishop

• “Gun Law” is still offered for license by Knight Features

• Tebeosfera has some of Harry Bishop’s work in translation (Spanish language site)

• It’s also worth search Comic Art Fans for examples of his work like this – and in colour

Stripography

An episode of
An episode of “Cal McCord” rom Comic Cuts, published in August 1953

1953

• Comic Cuts – “Cal McCord”

Cal McCord (1904-1983) wasn’t an American cowboy at all; he was born Hertzel Spenadl in London’s Whitechapel in July 1904 and became popular in Britain during the 1940s – 1960s as a Canadian cowboy, rope-spinner, juggler, singer, actor and comedian.

Travelling to Canada aged 16 or 17, he joined the army and learned rope-spinning and became a performer with ‘the Macordialities’, spending six years entertaining Canadian troops across Europe during World War Two.

He appeared in a variety of TV programmes in the UK after the war, including the BBC television documentary How to be a Cowboy (1953), and the BBC radio series, Riders of the Range (1949). His notable film credentials include Carry on Cowboy (1966) and Never Take Sweets From a Stranger (1960).

McCord continued to perform in variety shows and appeared at many music halls, competitions, fetes and fairs across Britain throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. (There’s a picture of him here at a fete in Dunstable in the 1950s and there’s a guide to a “Cal McCord Collection” here)

The first issue of Swift, published in 1954, a stablemate to Eagle aimed at younger readers
The first issue of Swift, published in 1954, a stablemate to Eagle aimed at younger readers

1954 Onwards

• Swift – Covers (1954 onwards)

1954 – 1955

• Swift – “Tom Tex and Pinto” (ran for eighteen months) – Steve Holland has some examples of this strip on Bear Alley here

1954 – 1963

• Swift – “Tarna Jungle Boy”

Issue 76 of Express, cover dated 3rd March 1956, featuring western strip
Issue 76 of Express, cover dated 3rd March 1956, featuring western strip “Rex Keene”, drawn by Harry Bishop

Mid 1950s

• Junior Express – “Wyatt Earp”, “Red Cloud” and “Rex Keene”

Lew Stringer has a feature on Express and its 1956 revamp here

• Thriller Comics – “Jesse James”

• Sun – “Billy the Kid”

1956

• Daily Express – “Gun Law” (ended in 1978)

This strip was widely republished in Europe, including France. The strip features

Reprinting this strip today would require both licensing Gunsmoke from CBS/Paramount and negotiating a deal with the Daily Express.

1957

• Express Weekly – “Gun Law”

1958

• Swift – “Smiley!” (Swift, 1958-59)

1959

• Lion – “Billy the Kid”

An opening page of "Journey_to the Edge of the World" published in February 1964 in Lion. Via ComicArtFans
An opening page of “Journey_to the Edge of the World” published in February 1964 in Lion. Via ComicArtFans

1963 – 64

• Lion – “Morg of the Mammoths”

• Lion – “Journey to the Edge of the World”

Bishop also drew a number of one-off features for TV ExpressBoys’ WorldEagle and Princess.

Later 1960s

• Evening Standard – “Judy and the Colonel”

• TV Tornado – “Tarzan”

• TV Tornado – “The Saint”

• Eagle – “Blackbow the Cheyenne”

Famous and Fabulous Horses by Lucy Berman Illustrated by Harry BishopFamous and Fabulous Horses by Lucy Berman Illustrated by Harry Bishop1972

• Illustrations for Famous and Fabulous Horses by Lucy Berman – copies available on AmazonUK

Ally Sloper Issue 2 -
With thanks to Richard Sheaf

1976

• Ally Sloper Issue 2 – “The Wrangler” (five page strip)

1976 – 1977

Cover art for Eppo Issue 47 (1976) by Harry Bishop, featuring his strip "Laben Tall"
Cover art for Eppo Issue 47 (1976) by Harry Bishop, featuring his strip “Laben Tall”

• Eppo – “Laben Tall”

The Eppo Index site notes the Dutch magazine ran two strips, a historical drama – “Vergelding” from Issue 46 (1976) to Issue 14 (1977) and “De kleine getuige” from Issue 37 – Issue 47 in 1977)

1980 – 81

• Sunday Express – “Wes Slade”

Wes Slade was the creation of artist George Stokes, which he drew for the Sunday Express from 1961 to 1980. Later instalments were written by Jim Edgar from 1979 onwards, with Harry Bishop taking over as artist after Stokes died, aged just 47.

“Wes Slade” was translated and reprinted in comic books throughout Europe, particularly Italy.

1984

• Time and Tune: Cowboys and Indians
Internal illustrations for a BBC Radio for Schools booklet, first published by the BBC in 1984

Time and Tune was a music series offering children opportunities to listen to music and sing along, with creative suggestions and games to develop music appreciation and skills. For more information, visit Time and Tune – Broadcast for Schools.co.uk 

The following scans, which include the cover drawn by David Nunn, were provided to downthetubes by Nigel Parsons.

  • Time and Tune: Cowboys and Indians, BBC Radio Booklet (1985), cover by David Nunn
  • Time and Tune: Cowboys and Indians, BBC Radio Booklet (1985), art by Harry Bishop
  • Time and Tune: Cowboys and Indians, BBC Radio Booklet (1985), art by Harry Bishop
  • Time and Tune: Cowboys and Indians, BBC Radio Booklet (1985), art by Harry Bishop
  • Time and Tune: Cowboys and Indians, BBC Radio Booklet (1985), art by Harry Bishop

Information for this feature via Bear Alley, Norman Boyd, the Illustration Art Gallery, Nigel Parsons and Lew Stringer and others. Additional information very welcome

This item was last updated on 13th February 2024, removing incorrect information that Harry worked on ‘Matt Marriott” for the London Evening News



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