Christmas comics and Doctor Who TV Comic rarities included in latest Phil-Comics auction

By John Freeman on September 24, 2024

You can tell Christmas is coming when Phil-Comics start including Yuletide-themed offering to their eBay auctions – and they definitely have some festive treats on offer this week!

Their latest auction features just over 400 vintage comic listings this week, with some of the highlights shown below, including another batch of comic Free Gifts, some with, some without their related comics and US comic artwork by Joe Kubert and Mort Drucker.

Also included are several lots of Countdown and TV Comic featuring “Doctor Who” strips, some issues quite sought after by collectors; and a smattering of newspaper strip art, too.

*TV Comic Holiday Special 1968, with Doctor Who strip featuring Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor*

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

The Beano No. 910, cover dated 26th December 1959 - the 1959 Christmas issue of the weekly comic — *The Beano No. 910, cover dated 26th December 1959 – the 1959 Christmas issue of the weekly comic*

Buster, cover dated 23rd December 1967 Christmas issue, with smashing cover art — *Buster, cover dated 23rd December 1967 Christmas issue, with* *smashing* *cover art*

*Rupert Bear Annual 1960, with Magic Painting Pages*

Beezer The Beezer No. 197, cover dated 24th October 1959, with rare "Buzzer Bee" Free Gift — *The Beezer No. 197, cover dated 24th October 1959, with rare “Buzzer Bee” Free Gift*

The Beezer No. 197, cover dated 24th October 1959 - rare "Buzzer Bee" Free Gift — *The Beezer No. 197, cover dated 24th October 1959 rare “Buzzer Bee” Free Gift*

A "The Bash Street Kids" printer's proof featuring art by Leo Baxendale, for The Beano No. 903, cover dated 7th November 1959. A rare item, with only a handful of printer's proof items from the Beano having appeared on the market over the years. This Bash Street Kids proof was printed at the same size as the comic, but with wider borders, so is larger than the comic and measures 11.75 x 9.75 inches. It was once bound into a booklet of others and has three hole punches to the left edge — A “The Bash Street Kids” printer’s proof featuring art by Leo Baxendale, for The Beano No. 903, cover dated 7th November 1959. A rare item, with only a handful of printer’s proof items from the Beano having appeared on the market over the years. This Bash Street Kids proof was printed at the same size as the comic, but with wider borders, so is larger than the comic and measures 11.75 x 9.75 inches. It was once bound into a booklet of others and has three hole punches to the left edge

Buster Free Gift from the weekly comic cover dated 11th November 1960 - Buster's Toothy Grin - one of three early free gifts from the comic offered in this auction — *Buster Free Gift from the weekly comic cover dated 11th November 1960 – Buster’s Toothy Grin – one of three early free gifts from the comic offered in this auction*

*Boys Magazine storypaper No. 514, cover dated 9th January 1932, with Free Gift Animal Book*

Wham! No. 15 Free Gift, issue cover dated 26th September 1964 - Whampire Bat — *Wham! No. 15 Free Gift, issue cover dated 26th September 1964 – Whampire Bat*

Jack and Jill cover dated 29th January 1666, with its very rare gift - a set of Plasticine - intact — *Jack and Jill cover dated 29th January 1666, with its very rare gift – a set of Plasticine – intact*

TV Comic Holiday Special 1968 - Doctor Who strip featuring Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor — *TV Comic Holiday Special 1968 – Doctor Who strip featuring Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor*

The two-page "inside Racing" feature from The Sunday Times Magazine for 25th April 1971, featuring art by Eagle and TV21 artist Frank Bellamy, a copy of the magazine on offer — *The two-page “inside Racing” feature from The Sunday Times Magazine for 25th April 1971, featuring art by Eagle and TV21 artist Frank Bellamy, a copy of the magazine on offer*

Writing on his indispensable Frank Bellamy blog, Norman Boyd notes that after completing six assignments for the colour Sunday supplement to the prestigious The Times, he was asked to create a double page spread for an article on horse racing. This was to be his final work for the Sunday Times magazine, but Norman has a rough here, that presumably was rejected, that can be compared with the published version. Norman also notes the original art was sold in 2018 for £880.

Comic Art Lots

George and Lynn No. 1425 Original Comic Art by Josep Gual, published in The Sun newspaper sometime in the early 2000s. Phil-Comics acquired this page of artwork from a bookseller who used to live in London next door to the scriptwriter, Conrad Frost. Conrad wrote the scripts for the "George and Lynn" strip, published daily in The Sun newspaper for many years. You can imagine how relentless it must have been to come up with a storyline, simple yet clever, every day without fail. So he asked his bookseller neighbour to supply joke books from his shop to provide inspiration, which he duly did. Apparently Conrad was paid £250 per script, so was quite a well paid chap to say the least. Upon his death, the book seller acquired a handful of original drawings from Conrad's wife — George and Lynn No. 1425 Original Comic Art by Josep Gual, published in The Sun newspaper sometime in the early 2000s, relisted from a previous austion. Phil-Comics acquired this page of artwork from a bookseller who used to live in London next door to the scriptwriter, Conrad Frost. Conrad wrote the scripts for the “George and Lynn” strip, published daily in The Sun newspaper for many years. You can imagine how relentless it must have been to come up with a storyline, simple yet clever, every day without fail. So he asked his bookseller neighbour to supply joke books from his shop to provide inspiration, which he duly did. Apparently Conrad was paid £250 per script, so was quite a well paid chap to say the least. Upon his death, the book seller acquired a handful of original drawings from Conrad’s wife

Episode 2690 (as numbered on the reverse of the art) of "Just Jake", a strip created by Bernard Graddon for the Daily Mirror. This is a politically incorrect episode of the long-running strip, which ran between 1938 and 1952 and starred Captain ARP Reilly-Foul ("Jake" becoming a peripheral character after the strip's first year), squire of Arntwee Hall in the village of Much Cackling — Episode 2690 (as numbered on the reverse of the art) of “Just Jake”, a strip created by Bernard Graddon for the Daily Mirror. Relisted from a previous auction. This is a politically incorrect episode of the long-running strip, which ran between 1938 and 1952 and starred Captain ARP Reilly-Foul (“Jake” becoming a peripheral character after the strip’s first year), squire of Arntwee Hall in the village of Much Cackling

An epsiode of "Scott Lanyard" (No. A192) by Hugh McClelland, for the Daily Sketch — *An epsiode of “Scott Lanyard” (No. A192) by Hugh McClelland, for the Daily Sketch, relisted from a previous auction*

*Original art by Joe Kubert for DC Comics Our Army At War #193 (1968)*

A large page of original comic artwork by the late Mort Drucker for page 6 (which was page 3 of an 8 page story) of "Serpicool" for Mad Magazine #169 (1974). The story is based on the 1973 Al Pacino film "Serpico" that also led to a TV series. Drucker was a master of the caricature and he's done a fine job with Al Pacino here. Even with damage to the lettering, it's a smashing artwork — A large page of original comic artwork by the late Mort Drucker for page 6 (which was page 3 of an 8 page story) of “Serpicool” for Mad Magazine #169 (1974). The story is based on the 1973 Al Pacino film “Serpico” that also led to a TV series. Drucker was a master of the caricature and he’s done a fine job with Al Pacino here. Even with damage to the lettering, it’s a smashing artwork

• Check out the full catalogue here on eBay

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

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.

‹ New book, “The Redemption of Andy Capp”, reassesses Daily Mirror’s long-running humour strip

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Categories: Art and Illustration, Auctions, British Comics, Comic Art, Comics, Doctor Who, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Magazines, Other Worlds, Television

Tags: Auction News, Bash Street Kids, Buster, Christmas, Doctor Who, downthetubes News, Eagle, Frank Bellamy, Joe Kubert, Mort Drucker, The Beano, The Beezer, TV Comic

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Christmas comics and Doctor Who TV Comic rarities included in latest Phil-Comics auction

Comic Art Lots

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Comic Art Lots

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