London-based Comic Book Auctions (ComPal) November catalogue has just opened for bidding at the-saleroom.com and includes some magnificent artwork boards from the Bob Monkhouse Archive – along with, separately, some rather nifty comics-inspired badges and several “giveaways” from various British comics.
Comedian, game show host Bob Monkhouse started his career in the 1940s as a script writer and comics illustrator and he corresponded with and knew most of his contemporary artists personally. Art from the Archive on offer comprises pieces from 1900 – 1974, including “Ally Sloper” by W F Thomas, Film Fun’s “Terry Thomas” by Terry Wakefield, pages of “Erik The Viking“, “The Trigan Empire“, both by Don Lawrence , and Garth and Thunderbirds pieces by Frank Bellamy.

Ally Sloper ‘Vote For Sloper’ original artwork (1900) drawn and signed by W.F. Thomas Oct 20 1900. From the Bob Monkhouse Archive

Beano/Biffo The Bear original front cover artwork (1953) from The Beano No 551 Feb 7th 1953. Drawn and signed by Dudley Watkins. The Postman stuffs a cork in Biffo’s trumpet but ends up posted in his own letterbox! This art is poster colour and ink on cartridge paper. There are some small sealed tears to lower margin with a small piece missing. 20 x 14 ins. ‘The Beano’ header is a laser colour copy

Biffo The Bear original artwork drawn and signed by Dudley Watkins for The Beano Book 1953. The art is Indian ink on cartridge paper, hghlighted with red and blue crayon. 19 x 13 ins.

Black Bob: five original artworks from The Dandy/Black Bob books (1950s) by Jack Prout

The Broons original artwork (1966) drawn and signed by Dudley Watkins from The Sunday Post 27 March 1966
Daphne does neighbour, Big Alec, a favour by heating his steak pie in the oven for later. Grandpaw and the boys come back early and tuck into ‘their’ steak dinner. Then Big Alec comes for his pie, Grandmaw has to give him her grocery shopping and Grandpaw has to pay 38/6d for a guid ‘knife and fork’ tea for the whole family.

Desperate Dan original artwork by Dudley Watkins from The Dandy 19 June 1969. The cat gets ink over the kids’ homework but Dan and the teacher end up re-writing it! Most of the word balloons are missing. Indian ink on cartridge paper. 22 x 15 ins

Erik The Viking original artwork (early 1960s) by Don Lawrence for Lion comic. Re-titled (from Karl the Viking) for later publication in Smash comic. From the Bob Monkhouse Archive. Indian ink on board. 21 x 16 ins

Saucy postcard original colour artwork (early 1960s) drawn and signed by artist, Arnold Taylor. ‘When do you want to stop, Lady?’ ‘They’re not all mine, constable!’ Poster colour on board. 9 x 6 ins

Trigan Empire original colour artwork drawn and painted by Don Lawrence from Look and Learn cover dated 28th February 1970 (later reprinted in Vulcan No 28 in 1976). Trigo and his arch-enemy, Zer Thorus, face the searing wilderness. From the Bob Monkhouse Archive. Gouache on board. 189 x 14 ins
The Thunderbirds double-page illustration by Frank Bellamy is magnificent and one of his best boards ever to come up for auction.

Thunderbirds original double-page artwork (1966) drawn, painted and signed by Frank Bellamy for TV Century 21 No 90 1966. From the Bob Monkhouse Archive. The front cover of the comic screamed, ‘Nightmare Splashdown for Crippled Ship – Monster Attacks Thunderbird 3!’ And here is Bellamy’s brilliant double-page artwork to prove it! The ‘Thunderbirds’ logo is an unattached laser colour copy, as are all the word balloons and the original comic which are part of this lot. Bright, fresh Pelikan inks on board. 28 x 20 ins.
Complementing this artwork array are further boards including a superb early Dan Dare by Frank Hampson, a Beano cover by Dudley Watkins, Dandy by Jimmy Chrichton and three more original “Charley’s War” boards by Joe Colquhoun, covering a harrowing story from the Battle of the Somme in July 1916.

Beano/Biffo The Bear original front cover artwork (1953) from The Beano No 551 Feb 7th 1953. Drawn and signed by Dudley Watkins. The Postman stuffs a cork in Biffo’s trumpet but ends up posted in his own letterbox! This art is poster colour and ink on cartridge paper. There are some small sealed tears to lower margin with a small piece missing. 20 x 14 ins. ‘The Beano’ header is a laser colour copy

Charley’s War three original artworks by Joe Colquhoun from Battle 615 (1984). The Battle of the Somme, July 1916. Charley and his mates have been taken prisoner and one of them reveals the terrible secret of the previous Christmas in flashback where the captain’s treachery resulted in the Germans’ deathly revenge. Three artworks, Indian ink on cartridge paper. 17 x 15 ins each

Dandy/Korky The Cat original front cover artwork by Jimmy Chrichton from The Dandy fireworks issue No 1041 (cover dated 4th November 1961). Fishy firework foolery! Bright poster colour and Indian ink on cartridge paper. 19 x 14 ins. ‘The Dandy’ header is a laser colour copy

Dan Dare original artwork for the story “Terra Nova”, for Eagle Volume 10 No 23. At this time, the art team comprised Frank Hampson, Frank Bellamy, Keith Watson, Don Harley and Gerald Palmer. Colonel Dare and Digby launch Anastasia to locate the derelict ship ‘Galactic Pioneer’, his father’s vessel, lost in space some thirty years earlier. Note the Eagle logo and header was painted by illustrator and original owner, Mike C with his sketch of encouragement. (Other boards of this time do not feature a logo at all).

Film Fun “Terry Thomas” art by Terry Wakefield for Film Fun (1950s). From the Bob Monkhouse Archive, Terry’s in a proper state but he’s not sure if it’s the United States or South America! Indian ink on cartridge paper. 13 x 6 ins (x 3)
At the other end of the scale there are four pieces by Viz co-creator, Chris Donald, where “Tommy Johnson’s Big Banana”is sure to appeal.

Viz original artwork (1987) Tommy ‘Banana’ Johnson (he’s got a big banana!) 15 x 11 ins. With Viz 27 from which it comes. Both initialled/signed by Chris Donald. With Brown Bottle postcard artwork also initialled ‘CD’

An original sketch drawn and signed by VIZ co-creator Chris Donald. It reads: ’Doctor, I keep collecting comics’. Doctor: ‘Hmm. A lot of these issues seem to date back to your childhood’. Pen and ink on paper 8 x 12 ins
There are some smashing comics also on offer including Ally Sloper No 1 from 1884 (also from Uncle Bob’s collection), Adventure, Rover and Wizard No 1s – lower grade first issues at lot 11, a high grade Beano Book from 1942 and three Beano and Dandy bound volumes in very fresh condition between 1949 and 1953.

Beano 247 Xmas (1944)

Beezer No 1 (1956). Starring Ginger by Dudley Watkins, Pop, Dick and Harry, Mick on the Moon and the Banana Bunch by Leo Baxendale

Blue Bird 1 (1922), Mascot 1 (1921) – first issue girls’ comics published by DC Thomson

John Wayne Adventure Comics 1-5 (WDL 1950s)

Lone Ranger 1 (WDL 1953) with original WDL newsagents’ order form

Magic Fun Book 1 (1941). On the cover, Koko leads his Magic FunSkaters. The Peter Piper back cover illustration is by Dudley Watkins.

Magic Fun Book 2 (1942). Koko supports his Magic characters on the cover.

Mighty Midgets ‘Blitz’ books, published in the 1940s W Barton. Mostly sold by Woolworth’s at 3d each, these booklets helped distract children in air-raid shelters and Underground stations during bombing raids over London. Consequently they became known as ‘Blitz’ books and are scarce. The 3d price was subsidised by Saxa Salt, Kiwi Polish and Foster Clark’s Custard Powder who advertised on the back covers. Also pictured: three Bertram Mills Circus complimentary ticket booklets (1946, 1948)

Science Fiction Monthly (1974-76 New English Library) 1-28
Complete run. Vol. 2 No 11 with T-Shirt Transfer. With stories by Ray Bradbury, John Wyndham, Brian Aldiss and Arthur C Clarke, featuring artists Bruce Pennington, Chris Foss, Tim White and Bob Fowke. In large, broadsheet size, Science Fiction Monthly was published loose leaf and the centre double page posters were often extracted thus ensuring that very few complete sets survive. This one heroically has, and in very high grades

Sexton Blake Annual (1938, 1940-42) 1-4. Only these four annuals were published, there was no annual for 1939. 164 pages omnibus editions with No 1 starring Sexton Blake against Raffles and No 4 with Blake co-opted into the Secret Service and fighting on the deck of a U-Boat

Mickey Mouse Annual 2 (1931)
Two Magic Fun Books from the early 1940s are also on offer and attractively estimated to sell.
Buck Rogers, Batman Australian reprints and John Wayne compete for your attention as do lots 109 and 110 where Space Cadets conquer Strange Worlds. Further rarities on offer include Beano No 20, Hotspur 1-10, Sexton Blake Annuals 1-4, Beezer 1 and 2, Solo 1 and 30, Mighty Midget ‘Blitz’ books and a hardback copy of The Broons Book for 1952, especially printed for D.C Thomson’s editor, R D Low.

British comics club badges from the 1930s-60s, including Tiger Tim, Teddy Tail, Bobby Bear, Harold Hare (2 different), Lion, Cococlub, Eb’n’Flo Cheery Coons, Rupert, Boys’ Magazine, Girls Fun Club, WL Old Girls, Tarzan, Tarzan Westworld, Buster, A.K. Happy

Buck Rogers Watch – 1935
The US section continues to focus on Golden Age Action, Batman, Detective and Superman comics alongside Hollywood Heart-Throbs, Film Star Funsters and Lonesome Cowboys. Thre’s some great EC titles, too.
The 1960s start with a brilliant run of Amazing Spider-Man from 1-400, Avengers, Conan, Daredevil, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Journey Into Mystery, Tales of Suspense and X-Men, with DC’s Action, Adventure, JLA, Lois Lane, Rip Hunter right through to Batman – The Cult first prints.
• This online auction ends 25th November 2018 at 2.00pm UK time. Check out the auction and bid at the-saleroom.com | View all the lots on Compal
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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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