The latest Phil-comics auction on eBay has more than its fair share of original comic strip art on offer this week, one item revealing the origins of long-running Beano character Ivy the Terrible, as well a the usual mix of vintage annuals and British comics from across several decades, some with their free gifts, and more.
For the first time, this auction also includes items direct from Beano publisher DC Thomson’s archives.
Many of the comics offered With Free Gifts have come from the most comprehensive collection of free gifts Phil-Comics has ever seen, and more will be on offer over the coming months/years!
Hotspur story paper No. 852 cover dated 7th March 1953 With Free Gift – Rocket Glider
Hotspur story paper No. 956 cover dated 5th March 1955 With Free Gift – Pot Shot Pete Game
Hotspur story paper No. 1001 With Free Gift for No. 1001 cover dated 14th January 1956 – Tubby Ted Funny Fizzog Toy
Hotspur story paper No. 1001 cover dated 14th January 1956 free gifts, offered as separate lots in this Phil-Comics auction
Ally Sloper Part of an Old Poster for Larks comic circa 1893-1906. An unusual item which Phil-Comics believe this was part of an original poster that was used to promote Larks comic. Larks was published by Gilbert Dalziel from 1893 and ran until 1906. It was a sister paper to Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday, from the same publisher
Lindy No. 1 Jcover dated 21st June 1975 With Rare Free Gift Bracelet – a gift which Phil-Comics have not sold or seen before. The free gift is still in its printed paper packet.
Rover and Adventure story cover dated 30th September 1961 With Free Gift Famous World War Two Planes
If you’ve ever wanted to own the first three issues of Sparky, launched in 1965, now’s your chance… no free gifts on these lots, however…
Sparky No. 211 cover dated 1st February 1969 With Free Gift Flip Frog. Sparky free gifts are hard to find and Phil-Comics have only sold one of these before, four years ago
Sparky No. 212 cover dated 8th February 1969 with rare Free Gift Zoomer Boomerang. This is the first time Phil-Comics have seen this gift, let along sold one!
This auction also sees the first lots for sale of duplicate items direct from the archives of Beano and Commando publisher DC Thomson, whose back catalogue also includes titles such as Bullet, Hotspur, Mandy and many, many more once weekly comics
As regular downthetubes readers know, DC Thomson, the family-owned business headquartered in Scotland, is home to some of the UK’s best loved titles such as Beano and “The Broons” and “Oor Wullie” strips in The Sunday Post. The company has a remarkable archive in Dundee, housing multiple copies of everything they have ever published. In relation to comics and story papers, this represents approximately one hundred years of material, from the 1920s to the present day.
The archive remains an integral part of the DC Thomson business and an incredible resource. Over the decades, copies of all published comics were bound up into yearly, or half yearly, hardback volumes by the company’s own bindery. These were used in various in-house departments and to store as a record of the company’s output.
Having spent recent years meticulously sorting through the contents, the archive team has discovered a number of bound volumes and annuals that are surplus to requirements.
Over the coming months, Phil-comics will be offering a selection of such annuals and bound volumes that have been “deaccessioned” from the archive.
“This is the first time DC Thomson has ever officially released or sold any items from the archive and we are proud to be representing them in this sale,” says Phil Shrimpton, who runs the online auction house. “This is a unique opportunity to acquire archive copies for your collection.
“Many have little evidence of being handled, whilst others suffer from wear as reference copies,” he adds. “Whilst some of the annuals have wear, some are in the highest grade we’ve ever seen. Each bound volume has had an ex-libris sticker added to the front or rear endpaper, to provide a level of authenticity that it has formally been released from the company archive.”
Undated “Ivy the Terrible” sketches by Robert Nixon. Ivy first appeared in The Beano No. 2233 (cover dated 4th May 1985) and was originally drawn by Robert Nixon, who drew the strip until his death in 2002. This item that once formed part of the DC Thomson archive and is a print of fifteen preliminary sketches, drawn and signed by Robert of the character. A note on the back is interesting as it was presumably written by a member of DC Thomson staff some time ago. It says that the model for Ivy was the daughter of Alan Digby, who worked in the 1980s as the sub-editor on the Beano, under editor Euan Kerr, and later became the Beano editor from 2006-2011. Alan’s daughter was called Jane, according to the note.
All items relating to the DC Thomson Archive will have “DCT Archive” or “DCT” in the title of the phil-comics eBay auction listings, to aid easier identification.
“We are excited to bring these items to market and hope you enjoy the collection,” says Phil.
Original Art Will Remain in DC Thomson Archive
We have been advised that the sale of DC Thomson will not include any original art in their possession.
“The art work collection is unique and a key asset of the company,” the company says, “so will not be sold. We are only selling print material where we have copies that are surplus to requirement.”
DC Thomson commissioned art rarely comes to auction unless through estate sales, or the sale of a gift to a departing staff member.
Ally Sloper Original Comic Artwork by Walter Bell. An original page of artwork, drawn and signed by Walter Bell, for a page in Denis Gifford’s Ally Sloper comic fanzine publication which ran from 1976. The reverse side seems to have Walter’s name and address in pencil
A signed three panel strip with an unusual date of 25th December 1954 on the reverse and a P8 (suggesting page 8?), drawn by an artist by the name of Stovell. Signed to the third panel, the artist’s name and East London address are on the reverse. It measures approx 9 x 5 inches (23 x 12 cm) and is on thick art board
An original page of “Ivy the Terrible” artwork first published in Beano No. 2807, dated 4th May 1996, drawn and signed (RN to the last panel) by Robert Nixon
“Double Trouble” by Brian White, published in the 1950s or 1960s. Hugh Brian White (1902-1984) was born in Luton, Bedfordshire on 4th April 1902, the son of Frank White, a joiner, and his wife Alice. He started his career as a sports cartoonist and caricaturist for local newspapers. His first comic strip was “Mr. Enry Noodle” for Pearson’s Weekly in 1924. In 1929 he and Sid Griffiths formed the animation studio Griffiths and White in London, producing animated adverts for the Superads agency. The studio continued into the 1930s, when it was taken over by Anglia Films. White then created the daily strip “The Nipper” for the Daily Mail, which ran from 1933-1947. The toddler character was based on White’s son John. Short films based on the character were produced by Pathé in 1951. He also drew “LiIle Tough Guy” (1942) for Knockout. In 1952-53, he was reunited with Sid Griffiths when they both worked on the Halas & Bachelor animated feature film of Orwell’s Animal Farm. In 1955 he was contracted to produce a British version of the American strip “Double Trouble”, which ran in the London Evening Standard until 1967. He also worked on DC Thomson’s comics, drawing “Shorty” (1956) for The Beezer, “Keyhole Kate” (1965) for Sparky, “Tick and Snitch” (1973) for Buzz, and “Plum Duffy” (1974) for The Topper. He died in Rustington, West Sussex, in November 1984.
The actual title of this newspaper strip, published, it’s believed, in the 1960s, is unknown – does anyone recognise it? This curiosity measures 16.75 x 7.5 inches (42.5 x 18.5 cm) and is on thick art board
Offered in one lot are three separate episodes of a comic strip called “Nigel”, drawn by Artie Jackson for the Daily Express in the 1950s. Artie’s name and address are ink stamped onto the reverse side of each page. Artie Jackson – who signed himself ‘Artie’ – contributed “Nigel” to the Daily Express in the 1950s, and was the author of “Doglover”, a single-column topical cartoon also for the Daily Express in 1961-1962. He also drew “Danger Mouse” for the Smash annuals, that character predating and different to the one associated with the later animated series. He was also one of the artists to draw “Badtime Bedtime”books for Monster Fun (1975-1976), following Leo Baxendale and Mike Brown.
The opening episode of a “Scott Lanyard” strip for the Daily Sketch Newspaper circa 1955-1956 by Hugh McClelland entitled “The Missing Monster”. Three panel page measuring approximately 18.75 x 7 inches (48 x 18 cm). Hugh McClelland was a cartoonist who headed the cartoon department of the Daily Mirror in the UK. In 1937, he introduced his wild Western comic strip “Beelzebub Jones” in the pages of the Daily Mirror. After taking over as cartoon chief at the Mirror in 1945, he dropped “Beelzebub Jones” and moved on to a variety of new strips, including “Dan Doofer“, “Sunshine Falls” and “Jimpy”. In 1952, he exited the Mirror for the tabloid Daily Sketch. He drew “Pip Squeak and Wilfred” until 1956 when he left the UK and emigrated with his family to Canada. He launched his final strip, “Jimmy Gimmicks”, in 1957, but it lasted only two months.
“The Perishers” original art, probably first published in the 1970s. Dated 6th February, the initials “SM” in “SM 263” in the last panel presumably indicate it appeared in the Sunday version of the paper. The page measures approx 21.5 x 7.5 inches (54 x 19 cm)
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as 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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