Early Dan Dare original art going under the hammer in British Art and Design auction

By John Freeman on April 7, 2026 • ( 0 )

Nestling within a wider auction of British Art and Design from Kinghams Auctioneers & Valuers are some original early Dan Dare artworks created for EAGLE next week.

The auction itself, taking place Thursday 16th April at the Cotswolds-based auction house, encompasses art, ceramics and more, and also includes work by artists such as Edward Bawden, Stella R. Crofts, Patrick Heron, Frances John, Clare Leighton and many others.

Although the artworks are credited to the strip’s creator Frank Hampson, “Dan Dare” was the work of a team. All the boards offered were created for the story known as “Voyage to Venus” the original opening adventure for Dan Dare in Eagle in April 1950. Dan with Digby, Professor Peabody, Sir Hubert Guest and Hank and Pierre, set off to Venus to investigate the destruction of previous expeditions and also to assess Venus’s viability for growing food for the starving of the Earth. It is here Dan encounter the deadly Mekon and the friendly Volstar of Theron.

“Dan Dare’s stories are packed with adventure and numerous high-tech inventions and machines,” the auction house notes, and there is plenty of that within these pages up for sale, estimated to sell for between £1200 to £1800.

Art credited to Frank Hampson (1918-1985) for the first “Dan Dare” story for EAGLE, generally known as “Voyage to Venus”, 1951. “All aboard the mystery tour”, gouache on board original front cover artwork for Dan Dare in the Eagle volume 1 episode 13, unsigned, annotated 1/13/1 bottom right, and top border. 53 x 41cm (sheet)

Art credited to Frank Hampson (1918-1985) for the first “Dan Dare” story for EAGLE, generally known as “Voyage to Venus”. “Now for the rest of your disguise”, gouache on board original front cover artwork for Dan Dare in the Eagle volume 1 episode 40, unsigned, annotated 1/40/1 bottom right, 54 x 41cm (sheet)

Art credited to Frank Hampson (1918-1985) for the first “Dan Dare” story for EAGLE, generally known as “Voyage to Venus”. Gouache on board original front cover artwork for Dan Dare in the Eagle volume 1 episode 50, cover dated 22nd March 1951, with modern Eagle banner, framed

Situated in Moreton-in-marsh, on the edge of the Cotswolds, Kinghams Auctioneers is fast progressing into an established regional fine art auction house. Founded by George Kingham, one of the country’s leading experts in twentieth century decorative arts, the team have decades of experience in the antiques and collectables market.

• British Art and Design, 10.00 am 16th April 2026, Kinghams Auctioneers & Valuers | View the full Catalogue | You must be registered to bid

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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.