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FANSSCENE Spotlight: 1990s Dan Dare revival in Speakeasy’s spotlight

By John Freeman on January 12, 2026 • ( 0 )

Back in 1990, Grant Morrison and Rian Hughes gave Dan Dare a radical makeover, the focus of interviews and associated features in the comic zine, Speakeasy #109, now available to read online over at the Fanscene archive.

Speakeasy #109 (1990), cover by Rian Hughes

”Dan Dare” was part of the lineup of Fleetway’s short-lived REVOLVER anthology, published from July 1990 to January 1991, intended as a monthly companion title to Crisis, aimed at older readers. It was not a commercial success, and lasted just seven issues before being cancelled and merged with Crisis. Morrison and Hughes take on Dare was, for some, too radical a departure from the original.

Featuring a striking cover by Rian Hughes, today perhaps better known for his innovative, unique font design and archive projects such as the much-praised Arthur Ferrier collections recently published by Korero Press, Speakeasy #109 includes interviews with writer Grant Morrison, Rian, writer Alan Grant, and Dan Dare artists Steve Pugh, Don Harley and Keith Watson.

As always, you can read the issue in full at the Fanscene archive curated by David Hathaway-Price.

Speakeasy was published by Richard Ashford, and then edited by Dick Hansom, assisted by Stuart Green, and issues feature in the Fanscene archive with the full permission of the original publisher.

Here are some sample pages… click for larger image

Speakeasy #109 (1990) - Sample Pages - Dan Dare

Speakeasy #109 holds particular resonance for me: it includes a favourite episode of “Pedantic Stan”, written by me under the pen name “P. Travers” (Paul Travers was a pen name I used), with art by Lew Stringer; and an advertisement for Marvel UK’s STRIP Magazine featuring a panel from “The Wand”, written by me, with art by Liam Sharp – neither of us getting a mention!

Read the issue in full at the Fanscene archive

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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.