British cover mount gifts galore in latest Phil-Comics auction

By John Freeman on November 14, 2024

The latest Phil-Comics eBay auction, closing on Sunday (17th November), features a host of British comics With Free Gift included – and some are racking up frantic bidding.

Also in the mix is a first issue of Commando No.1, in great condition, with bids now running to over £860 as we were collating this news item.

Run by Phil Shrimpton, the award-winning Phil-Comics specialises in vintage comics and related items such as annuals, holiday specials, free gifts and original artwork.

Here are some of the auction highlights – check out the full catalogue here on eBay

Action No. 1, cover dated February 14th 1976 With "Red Arrow" Free Gift in Very Good Condition — *Action No. 1, cover dated February 14th 1976 With “Red Arrow” Free Gift in Very Good Condition*

Action No. 2 cover dated February 21st 1976 With Free Gift - a "Hook Jaw" Iron On Transfer, in Fine Condition — *Action No. 2 cover dated February 21st 1976 With Free Gift – a “Hook Jaw” Iron On Transfer, in Fine Condition*

Action No. 3 cover dated February 28th 1976 With Free Gift - Part Free Gift Soccer Super Stars. The free gift is included which is the original packet comprising a number of football cards. There were 64 cards to collect and you got one of four possible sets of 16 cards, numbered 1-16, 17-32, 33-48 and 49-64, to make up the full set – so in theory, you'd have to buy at least four copies to get a full set! — Action No. 3 cover dated February 28th 1976 With Free Gift – Part Free Gift Soccer Super Stars. The free gift is included which is the original packet comprising a number of football cards. There were 64 cards to collect and you got one of four possible sets of 16 cards, numbered 1-16, 17-32, 33-48 and 49-64, to make up the full set – so in theory, you’d have to buy at least four copies to get a full set!

Action No. 16 cover dated May 29th 1976 With Free Gift - "Invasion" Game, based on the comic's strip — *Action No. 16 cover dated May 29th 1976 With Free Gift – “Invasion” Game, based on the comic’s strip*

Commanding much interest, too, are some Action comic retail promotions: an Action comic flyer, detailing gift plans and promotions for Issues 1 through four, and highlighting some of the strips; an incredibly rare “Press Pack” for Action, outlining launch plans for the comic, including its TV promotion; and a poster announcing that “Money Man” was to be in the Princes Street area of Edinburgh, presumably used by newsagents in the Edinburgh city centre are, in the week leading up to Saturday March 27th 1976.

Money Man was a promotional feature in the comic whereby someone (we presume from the IPC team – a bit like editor Steve McManus being Action Man) visited different towns and readers were challenged to go out and find him. A page inside Action No. 7, cover dated March 27th 1976, declares “Attention all SCOTTISH readers! The Mad Money Man of ACTION here again – I’m chucking my cash about in Auld Reekie on Saturday 27th March! Catch me somewhere in the Princes Street, Edinburgh area between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. in the morning – and if you challenge me correctly, I’ll give £5 to the first person and £1 each to the next five – cos I’m mad, mad – you hear? Challenge me by saying “You are Money Man of Action, and I claim my prize!” BUT, you MUST have this copy of Action with you when you made the challenge.”

*Retailer Action comic promotional flyer for its launch issues, the free gifts and main characters*

A rarely seen Action Press Pack for Issues 1, 2, 3, and 4, issued in 1976 by IPC in the run up to the comic's launch in February the same year, printed on cardboard — *A rarely seen Action Press Pack for Issues 1, 2, 3, and 4, issued in 1976 by IPC in the run up to the comic’s launch in February the same year, printed on cardboard*

Action "Money Man" promotional poster for his appearance in Edinburgh in early 1976 — *Action “Money Man” promotional poster for his appearance in Edinburgh in early 1976*

Captain Britain No. 2 cover dated October 20th 1976 With Free Gift "Boomerang" — *Captain Britain No. 2 cover dated October 20th 1976 With Free Gift “Boomerang”; and Captain Britain No. 24, cover dated March 23rd 1977, With Free Gift “Super Jet”, in Fine Condition*

*Captain Britain No. 2 cover dated October 20th 1976 With Free Gift “Boomerang”; and Captain Britain No. 24, cover dated March 23rd 1977, With Free Gift “Super Jet”, in Fine Condition*

A copy of the very first issue of Commando, in "Very Good"/"Fine" condition, which is, erm "commanding" eye watering bidding — *A copy of the very first issue of Commando, in “Very Good”/”Fine” condition, which is, erm “commanding” eye watering bidding*

A great full page advert for the launch of DC Thomson's Commando comic, in 1961. It's not a flyer but a page cut out of another DC Thomson comic (o,r more likely a story paper, given the prose text on the reverse side), but it's appealing to the eye and ties in nicely with the high grade example of Commando No. 1 in the same Phil-Comics auctions — A great full page advert for the launch of DC Thomson’s Commando comic, in 1961. It’s not a flyer but a page cut out of another DC Thomson comic (o,r more likely a story paper, given the prose text on the reverse side), but it’s appealing to the eye and ties in nicely with the high grade example of Commando No. 1 in the same Phil-Comics auctions

Countdown No. 1, cover dated February 20th 1971 With Free Gift – a wallchart promotiing aspects of the space race of the day. Countdown featured Gerry Anderson series strips, and "Doctor Who" — *Countdown No. 1, cover dated February 20th 1971 With Free Gift – a wallchart promotiing aspects of the space race of the day. Countdown featured Gerry Anderson series strips, and “Doctor Who”*

Cracker No 1 cover dated January 18th 1975 With Free Gift - Squeeze 'n' Squeak Balloon — Cracker No 1 cover dated January 18th 1975 With Free Gift – Squeeze ‘n’ Squeak Balloon

Cracker No. 2, cover dated January 25th 1975 With Free Gift - Cracker Bang — Cracker No 1 cover dated January 18th 1975 With Free Gift – Squeeze ‘n’ Squeak Balloon

Also in the auction are early issues of WHAM!, all in good condition, all with their free gifts; a great selection of The Beano, The Dandy, TV Century 21 and Whizzer and Chips comics; copies of EAGLE; copies of early issues of Lion, also With Free Gifts and a rare promotional flyer; issues of Roy of the Rovers and Score With Free Gifts; and a number of Free Gifts without their comic, for the collector who has the latter and is hoping to marry the two up!

For those of you enjoying the new Scream! anthology from Rebellion, there are copies of the original comic on offer in this auction, and some great copies of the humour comic, Shiver and Shake, too.

There are “Free Gift” issues of Sparky, Spellbound, Spike and Tornado up for grabs, too.

• Check out the full catalogue here on eBay – bidding begins to draw to a close on Sunday 17th November 2024 – god luck if you bid!

About the Author
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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. 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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