Note: advance cover, may change
Book Palace Books is to publish a special issue of Illustrators magazine devoted to Trigan Empire and Storm artist Don Lawrence, offering a comprehensive look at this incredible comic artist’s career.
Don, who died in 2003, is best known for his comic strips “The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire” published in the weekly titles Ranger and Look and Learn. In 1976 he quit the strip after discovering how widely the strip was being syndicated without any form of royalties or compensation, and started working for the Dutch publishing house Oberon, hired to create a new comic strip.
1969 Trigan Empire art by Don Lawrence
“Olac the Gladiator” was first published in Tiger, with Don Lawrence provding some of the series art. It was republished widely
While his first attempt that would be the eyecatcher of the new weekly comic magazine, Eppo. While the first strip, “Commander Grek”, written by Don’s friend Vince Wehham wasn’t a success, he would go on to create the incredible series Storm, now available in deluxe collections (as is Trigan Empire and other strips by Don).
Famous for his realistic and detailed style, he was an inspiration for comic book artists such as Brian Bolland, Dave Gibbons and Chris Weston (Weston was taught by Lawrence and Wonder Woman artist Liam Sharp worked as Don’s assistant), and influenced Indonesian artist Apri Kusbiantoro.
One of Don Lawrence’s earlier strips, a page for “Marvelman”
“The Fall of Samaria” for The Bible Story, by Don Lawrence
Edited and compiled by Steve Holland (publisher of the brilliant Bear Alley blog and a number of great books about Brtish comics), the 144-page book will come packed with colour and black and white illustrations, including complete story reprints from Bible Stories, Look and Learn and Ranger, it will also feature work from “Trigan Empire”, Storm, “Karl the Viking” and “Olac the Gladiator”, as well as complete illustrated stories of Pinocchio, Herod the Great, Jason and the Golden Fleece and “The Range Rider”.
Much of the art to be featured has never been seen since it originally appeared in the 1960s and it’s surely a must for all Don Lawrence fans.
• Don Lawrence – Illustrations and Comic strip Art is now available for pre-order here for £25
• Don Lawrence art for sale on the Illustration Art Gallery
• Buy The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire collections from the Don Lawrence Collection
• Buy the Storm collections from the Don Lawrence Collection
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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.
Categories: Art and Illustration, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
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