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Eagle Times Volume 29 Issue Four publication delayed after editor’s passing

By John Freeman on December 19, 2016

Eagle Times Volume 29 Issue Four

The latest issue of the Eagle Society‘s Eagle Times, dedicated to Dan Dare and Eagle, has sadly been delayed and will now not be available until after Christmas after the passing of editor Howard Corn.

Howard, who was Editor-in-Chief of Eagle Times and one of its major contributors, who read Eagle from Issue One when it debuted in April 1950, died in November, aged 73.

Longtime editor of Eagle Times Howard Corn, who died in November 2016. Photo: Eagle Times

“Without Howard, there would have been no Eagle Times,” notes Will Grenham in a tribute on the Eagle Times blog. “Following the collapse of [the short-lived fanzine] Eagle Days in 1987, Howard instigated an emergency meeting of like-minded fans at the Westminster Central Hall Comic Mart and afterwards at a nearby cafe, presenting copies of an Eagle Times pilot issue entirely produced by himself. His enthusiasm ensured that an Eagle Times editorial team was swiftly created, with Howard fully at the helm.

Diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year, he remained optimistic despite his illness, describing his work for Eagle Times as both a labour and therapeutic, and he was working on it very shortly before he died. Most of the content for this, 2016’s last issue, had already been been planned by Howard, and publication of this issue will see the completion of 29 years of Eagle Times.

Latterly, Howard had wished to see Eagle Times reach a full 30 years of publication, and it is the intention of the magazine’s editorial team to endeavour that it does.

downthetubes extends its sympathies to Howard’s family and his many friends at this time.

In the issue:

‘Christmas with Dan Dare’ – a look at how the Christmas festival was recognised, represented and (sometimes) ignored in ‘Dan Dare – Pilot of the Future’ strips in Eagle and Eagle Annual
‘Martin Aitchison (1919-2016)’ – An illustrated short obituary of the artist of ‘Luck of the Legion’ in Eagle, who became one of Ladybird Books most respected and prolific artists
‘PC 49 and the Case of the Tramp’s Secret’ – a festive PC49 story, based on a story created for radio by Alan Stranks
‘A Christmas Wordsearch’ – a puzzle, based on Eagle‘s Christmas issue, 25th December, 1965
‘Chicko and Christmas’ – Christmas appearances of Norman Thelwell’s strip cartoon character, who would appear for twelve years in Eagle and Eagle Annuals
‘He Tried to Stop You Reading Eagle‘ – an adjunct to the series, ‘They Helped to Bring You Eagle‘, this first part of the story of Leonard Matthews, General Managing Editor of Fleetway, covers his early career editing Sun, Comet and Knockout for Amalgamated Press, and originating Top Spot
‘The Jetex Dan Dare Space Ship‘ – on the “Tailored” spaceship model, first marketed as the Dan Dare Space Ship, which was designed for Wilmot, Mansour & Co. Ltd by Peter Cock in 1953/4, powered by a Jetex 5 oz thrust rocket motor
‘Under the 1950s Christmas Tree’ – some of the Eagle and Girl inspired items that might have been received by children as Christmas gifts in the 1950s
‘Howard Corn (1943-2016)’ – an obituary of the originator and Editor in Chief of Eagle Times, who was also one of its major contributors
‘Eulogy for Howard’ – the words spoken by Bob Corn at his brother Howard’s funeral on 18th November 2016
‘In and Out of the Eagle‘ – some more in the series presenting collections of Eagle-related snippets
‘Alien Flora and Fauna in Dan Dare’ – on the various plants and creatures that inhabited the worlds of Dan Dare in Eagle
‘Dan Dare: The Audio Adventures’ – a review of the first set of Dan Dare Audio Adventures from Big Finish and B7 Media
‘Enlightening’ – a review of the exhibition on comics which is at the Lightbox Gallery in Woking, Surrey, from October to the end of December, 2016, and the talk given by Frank Hampson’s son, Peter, on 8th October
‘Eric MacKenzie (c.1949-2015) – on the man who started the Dan Dare Club, through a letter to Eagle published in 1964 and would later produce the ‘Dan Dire’ parody in Comic Media News International in the 1970s and from 2004, in Spaceship Away.
‘Remembering All Treens Must Die!’ – a re-examination of ‘Dan Dare’ strip written by David Motton and drawn by Keith Watson that ran in Eagle from June – October, 1964
‘Children’s Annuals of the 1970s’ – a look at some of the children’s annuals published in the 1970s, after Eagle‘s demise, but still in Eagle Annual‘s times (the original series of Eagle Annual appeared up to 1975)
‘The “New” Bakehouse’ – a look at the former bakehouse that was Eagle‘s and Dan Dare’s first studio and which has recently been renovated
‘Space Quiz’ – An illustrated quiz with artwork by former Dan Dare artist and writer Eric L. Eden, which originally appeared in Supercar Annual

• Membership of The Eagle Society is via Annual Subscription to Eagle Times magazine, which is published four times annually. The Subscription rate for 2017 is: UK £27 | Overseas £38 (in £s Sterling, please). Postal applications to Keith Howard, 25A Station Road,
Harrow, Middlesex HA1 2UA United Kingdom

If you wish to pay by Paypal (from your Paypal account to the eagle-times hotmail address given below) we request an additional payment of £1.50. Enquiries: eagle-times@hotmail.com Blog: http://eagle-times.blogspot.co.uk

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.