There’s a veritable feast of original comic art, from both the UK and US, on offer in the latest Compalcomics auction, now open, including a page of Doctor Who art from the first Countdown annual by Jim Baikie, and four episodes of “Charley’s War” for Battle-Action, written by Pat Mills, drawn by Joe Colquhoun.
Rare British comics with their free gifts are also part of the catalogue open for realtime bidding at thesaleroom.com here right now. You can also browse auction lots and print a fax or mail bidding form at the Compalcomics website.
Postal bids need to be with Compal by Friday 31st May and the team will enter them on your behalf. The auction closes on on Sunday 2nd June from 2.00 pm.
Check out the US comics and comic art on offer in more detail here.
In Compal’s last catalogue, The Woodard Archive of British Comics continued to impress with strong results. Topper 1-50 in a bound volume made £1420, a near complete run of Beano comics from 1960 took £920 and the first 45 Victors from 1961 flew with Braddock to £480.
Highlights from the Archive this time include Beezers 1-50 and 103-154, complete years in bound volumes, the first two years of Bunty from 1958-59, full years of Buster 1963-64 and The Beano No 1242 from 1966, which appeared on the front of John Mayall and Eric Clapton’s Bluesbreakers LP, known as the ‘Beano Album’. Both are included at lot 75.
The low print run Eagle No 1 promotional issue also seeks your attention!
Above: Eagle No 1 promotional eight-page full colour issue distributed to churches and schools in the UK in 1950 to publicise the imminent print run of the first issue of The Eagle. The front cover has no ‘Dan Dare Pilot of the Future’ header and a different date of 21st April 1950. Bright fresh colours. The back corner has two small lower corner edge pieces missing and some discoloured tape marks. Only a handful of copies are known to exist
Compal also have some scarce Australian reprints on offer starting with Kit Carson, King of the West – all 44 issues published in Sydney from 1949. These full size comics were Amalgamated Press’s template for the hugely successful digest-size Cowboy Comics/Picture Library that was printed in the UK from 1952 once paper stocks became more available in post-war Europe. Compal do not know of another complete set in existence. They are followed by strong Aussie runs of The Phantom, Jumbo, Jungle and Kaanga comics, Batman, Super Adventure, Superboy and Superman (with No 18: “The Origin of Superman” offered separately).
British reprints of US comics are also gaining price momentum and Compal have the Arnold Book Company’s Black Magic issues – all 16 of them and the rare Black Magic Album No 1 (They advertised Album No 2 on the back, but according to the auction house’s research, it was never published). R & L Locker’s Planet Comics 2, 3 and 4 are at lot 67 with Trent Book Co’s Fight 2 & 3 and Wings 1-3 also here.
The original artwork selection is led by a Broons Family Portrait by Dudley Watkins from 1954, two Frank Bellamy “Dan Dare” boards for Eagle, a key selection of “Charley’s War” pages from Battle-Action by Joe Colquhoun, “Doctor Who” art by Jim Baikie from the first Countdown Annual, and the full art for “The Collector” four-page story, “Yellow Fever” drawn by Ron Turner, for the 1984 Eagle Annual.
The US Golden Age section starts with EC’s Crime and Shock SuspenStories, Weird Science and Weird Fantasy titles followed by Jumbo, Jungle, Lorna Jungle Girl, Jo-Jo, Fight, Wings and Zoot comics. Patsy and Hedy, Sherry the Showgirl and an original 1940 artwork board of Dr Voodoo by Mac Raboy completes this exciting line-up.
The Silver Age highlights include Amazing Spider-Man #1, The Avengers #1, The Incredible Hulk #1, Fantastic Four #5, 7, 9, 12 and 52, Journey Into Mystery #87, 107 and 109, Strange Tales #101, 104, 108, X-Men #2 and 9 with runs of Action, Adventure and Batman. And there’s original artwork, too, of Iron Man, Master of Kung-Fu, Shanna and Sub-Mariner. Plenty of chocolates in the box to enjoy!
• The May 2024 catalogue open for realtime bidding at thesaleroom.com here right now. You can also browse auction lots and print a fax or mail bidding form at the Compalcomics website
• Check out the US comics and comic art on offer in more detail here.
Postal bids need to be with Compal by Friday 31st May and the team will enter them on your behalf. The auction closes on on Sunday 2nd June from 2.00 pm.
If you have questions about any of the lots in this catalogue, please send an email to Compalcomics Director Malcolm Phillips:
comicbook@compalcomics.com
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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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