Autumn is definitely a season for comic book activities and it’s been a busy time, what with TBC in Bedford, the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in Bowness-on-Windermere, many signings scheduled, and the forthcoming Thought Bubble Festival in Harrogate. That’s not even mentioning the events that attract over 10,000 people, from Dublin Comic-Con to the various London comic cons. It’s hectic.
Which makes the Commando Swap Meet an altogether delightful and relaxedly pleasant change of pace, the welcome enhanced by the presence of the 12th Colchester Sea Scout group, who use the Colchester Baptist Church hall and were hosting the meet, and were out in force supporting it. Attendees were warmly welcomed with hot mugs of tea and coffee and bacon and sausage baps, the venue emanated friendliness.
Everyone is here for the comics.
Building on last year’s event, new dealers arrived and there was a lot of fresh stock. Really unexpected items. I wasn’t prepared, for example, to see dozens of the free gifts that were issued with what you’d call today “boost” issues of Wizard, Victor, Battle and so forth, some of which were really very old.
This is a difficult area for collectors, figuring out exactly which comics had which item and, for more modern collectors, this can be challenging because often the free item was in a bag which advertised the free item. So that could include Panini sticker books for Dune or Star Wars etc. Here, we’re talking about items which are going back to the 1960s, if not before, and it was phenomenal to see them.
British weekly comics such as Battle, Battle Picture Library, Commando, Jinty, Judy, Tiger, Victor and Warlord were well represented, as well as annuals, funnies and older comics such as Valiant, The Rover, Wizard, and many many Eagle comics, from across the decades.
Some titles – Buddy, Bullet, Champ, Spike and Misty – were in higher demand, and scarce about the hall. But there were still bargains were to be had. A well-loved Action comic number one, for example, along with a fistful of other issues, sold for £20. A decent bargain, I thought.
There’s always going to be something unexpected, unusual and sure enough, the free gift items hit the mark, although nearly a full set of Scream! was also highly desirable. For myself, I hadn’t planned on seeing so much Silver Age Batman, and so I ended up buying some.
Stuart Steel and Edward Walker had brought along some incredible art to display, including some massive Graham Coton pieces from Look and Learn, filling the wall impressively. Science Fiction was featured, so there were “Strontium Dog” and “Judge Dredd” pieces on display, a fabulous thing to see adjacent to a page of “Charley’s War”, by Joe Colquhoun.
Artist Keith Burns was a guest and was busy painting blank covers, as well as signing copies the popular Battle Action, now in its third volume. He’d also had brought a selection of his Commando and Battle covers, which created an amazing wall display. His skill with the paint brush, and choice of colours is really quite stunning. Fans were exceedingly impressed, and it was great to see that he did a wonderful Homelander, having inked The Boys mini series, to the delight of a teenager.
Complementing this was a page of The Boys Herogasm, penciled by John McCrea which Keith had inked, and keeping with the team work theme, a page of Skreamer, by Steve Dillon and Brett Ewins was next to that.
Comic artist Andrew Sawyers was also very busy. Fans have welcomed his return to illustration, after a 25 year hiatus, and he was popular it is always special to see artists at work, and seeing their work in action is a delight. Unexpectedly, he did a little Dredd Sketch in his wonderful Art Book when I was not watching, and his red and black drawing is really indicative of the skill that he has. I would pay good money to see him on “Judge Dredd” in 2000AD.
Comic and book archivist and publisher Steve Holland was also at this event. He had a number of new titles on hand, including The Phantom Patrol by Willie Patterson and Gerry Embleton, which Steve edited and has a stunning Chris Weston wrap-around cover. Originally published in Swift , the book, available direct from Steve by mail order, offers all 57 episodes of Sgt. Joe Timm, Jock McKuckie and Paddy O’Connell, involving an infantry patrol who experience quite the fantastical adventures. Steve had a table of books available, many of which proved popular, all published through his Bear Alley Books imprint.
As well as the aforementioned Action Number One, bargains were to be had. Copies of Battle were being offered at £1 each, for example, but could be cheaper with bulk buys, and some early copies of Victor sold at affordable prices. And, speaking of bulk, it was reported one fan bought over 350 Dark Horse Star Wars comics, at about 75 pence each.
The atmosphere was fantastic. It’s a friendly event and any youngster showing interest was offered ludicrous deals, to parents delight.
Talk of favourite artists was constant, the presence of so much art created enthusiasm and interest and these swap meets are attracting an ever expanding community of art buyers and owners. One fan who had bought what was reckoned to be art from a Commando or Battle Picture Library brought it along, seeking assistance identifying it. I was unsure, but had a notion that it was early work if a particular British artist, but more research is required.
Thanks again to Karl Kennedy, and his support team of Bruce Scot, Andy Yates and Stephen Hume, Comic Art Gallery curators Stuart Steele and Ed Walker, and all the people who supported the event for a superb day.
James Bacon
• Steve Holland has his report on the Swap Meet here
• The Phantom Patrol by Willie Patterson and Gerry Embleton, edited and introduced by Steve Holland is available now | A4, 130 pages, b/w, softcover, with matte cover | Via eBay | Via AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
In the summer of 1941, Sergeant Joe Timm and his infantry patrol were trapped in the Greek hills a mile away from the sea and a hidden landing craft that would take them to safety. The Germans hold a vital pass ahead of them and escape seems impossible. German shells begin to drop around their heads, uncovering a cavern with a curious looking craft. Inside, Joe grabs a strange-looking apparatus and rejoins his men just as the Germans advance into their hiding place. Escaping through the cave system, they reach their landing craft, only to face more danger as Stuka dive-bomber turns and screams down at them. As the men hit the deck, Joe accidentally pushes a switch on the apparatus.
The Stuka disappears. Instead, on the horizon they see ancient galleys battling and Corporal Jock McLuckie realises the truth… it was they who had disappeared, transported back 3000 years.
With a tank, a landing craft, a handful of guns and a captured Nazi, the British infantry unit find themselves in the midst of the Trojan Wars.
The Phantom Patrol is a superb yarn of a kind that British comics did best. Fast-moving and wildly plotted, the story grows more complex as the patrol battles its way through Egypt and Private Paddy O’Connell finds himself adrift in time with a police trooper from the future. Flitting from past to future, will the Sarge and his men manage to escape back to now… and, given the situation they left behind, will they survive even if they do get back?
This lost classic with artwork by Gerry Embleton has been rarely seen since it’s original appearance in Swift. The Phantom Patrol reprints all 57 episodes in one blockbuster volume with a wraparound colour cover by Chris Weston. More background here!
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James Bacon (he/him) is an Irish fan, a train driver living in London. A Hugo Award-winning editor of the fanzine “Journey Planet”, he is a comic fan and enjoys comic art, war Comics, Star Wars, Irish aspects to comics and railways in comics or otherwise. He has been writing about comics for over thirty years.
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