We have previously featured British Rail’s attempts to encourage rail safety here on downthetubes, which included the creation of Captain Caution, drawn by 2000AD‘s Ron Smith, and another superhero, Ben Racey. Now we can add TV police cops Starsky & Hutch to the list.
Coming up for sale on Saturday 23rd April 2022 as part of a wider Antikbar Original Vintage Posters auction is a poster issued by the British Railways Board – Stay Off The Line And Stay Alive! – featuring fictional detectives Starsky and Hutch in a colourful comic storyboard rescuing a boy injured while trespassing and playing on railway lines as they carry out surveillance on criminals planning to hijack a train.
At the time of release in 1977, Starsky & Hutch, the American action television series created by William Blinn starring David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser, was a British TV ratings smash, so it’s no surprise that, like the 1960s Batman, public organisations saw the duo as a good way to get kids attention.
Published by British Railways Board, the artist is not identified. The poster was printed by Impress (Acton) Ltd and in very good condition, creasing and you can bid for it here on The-Saleroom
• View the full auction catalogue here
With thanks to Norman Boyd
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. Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Star Trek Explorer (previously known as Star Trek 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, British Comics, Comic Art, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events, Other Worlds
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