A copy of The Beano Comic No.1 with its free gift Whoopee Mask and promotional No. 1 Flyer leads the latest Comic Book Auctions sale from Compal, online now at compalcomics.com and closing on Sunday September 1st 2024.
Beano Comic No 1 (1938) with free gift Whoopee Mask
Copies of the first Beano are rare in themselves, but the accompanying free gift is believed to be the only one that survives.
“We first sold this lot in our live auction at Chelsea Town Hall on 28th February 1999,” says auctioneer Malcolm Phillips, “and it has now been entrusted to us once more, 25 years later.
“Then, as now, the Whoopee Mask is the only surviving free gift accompanying the UK’s most iconic first issue. The lot is offered with an estimate of £18,000 – 22,000.”
The lot also includes a copy of The Times newspaper where the sale appeared on the front page, the original auction catalogue and The Beano No.2000, with its back page reprint of the first Beano’s front cover.
But this rarity is, of course, not the only treasure on offer.
The Beano Nos. 3, 6 and 9 are also in the auction, along with a strong collection of KG Murray Australian reprints, including Batman No 1, 12 further early issues, Super Adventure No 1, and Superboy and Superman early issues, too.
Batman Comics No 1 Australian 6d edition (1950 K.G. Murray), reprinting The Bandit of the Bells and Batman and the Vikings stories (from US Batman #55 and #52) with inside front cover full page ad for The Origin of Superman comic. This is only the second Batman No 1 Australian copy to come up for auction in the UK. The first sold in Comic Book Auction’s July 7th 2020 auction for the hammer price of £3050.00
TV Boardman paperbacks (1948-53)
The Woodard Archive continues to offer British gems from the 1950s-60s, with bound volumes of Tiger and Buster, and scarce complete early years of Cherie, Diana, Hurricane, Bunty and 1970s Countdown, Emma, Fantastic, Terrific and Thunder, most of the above with their free gifts.
Copies of Express Weekly (1956) From the Woodard Archive of British Comics
Film Fun original newsagent’s tinplate sign by Metal Box Co. Carlisle with Film Fun Annual 1951, showing the same Laurel & Hardy photo cover
Lion (1954) 102-149 near complete year missing 98-101 and 148
Radio Fun tinplate newsagents’ display sign (early 1950s) by Charlie Pease featuring Arthur Askey, Jewel & Warriss, Anthea Askey, Petula Clark and Cardew the Cad. Albert Thomas ‘Charlie’ Pease (1905-1960) joined Amalgamated Press as an office boy in 1925, having won an AP drawing competition. He went on to become one of the most influential artists in British Comics. As well as the above celebrities he illustrated Peter Brough and Archie Andrews, Hylda Baker & Cynthia, Ronald Shiner and Tommy Cooper for Film Fun & Radio Fun. He is best known for his work on Billy Bunter for Knockout and the Terrors of Tornado Street for Buster
Super Adventure Comic 1 (1950 K.G. Murray, Australia)
Superman 3 (1957 K.G. Murray, Australia)
Tiger (1954-55) With Free Gift, “Every Boy’s Book of Ships” (from No 35). From the Woodard Archive of British Comics
Beano 954 cover dated 29th October 1960, with free gift Little Plum Clickety-Clicker
Buster (1960) 1-32 (to Dec 31 1960) in bound volume. As you can see from the slideshow, the early issues star Buster as “Son of Andy Capp”, a description that Andy Capp creator Reg Smythe was not happy about, Buster then owned by the same company publishing the Daily Mirror. Also featuring Phantom Force 5, The Terrors of Tornado Street, Sea Hawk and Milkiway the Man from Mars. From the Woodard Archive of British Comics
Cherie (1961-63 DC Thomson) 1961, including free gifts
Diana No 1 Flyer (1963)
Fantastic (1967-68) 1-51. No 2 with partial free gift Secret Brotherhood of Power (Eye detail only)). Issues 1-10 reprints US Journey Into Mystery # 83-90, Tales of Suspense # 39-48 and X-Men # 1-6. From the Woodard Archive of British Comics
Hornet (1963-64) 1-68 With Free Gifts
Hurricane No 1 (1964) With Free Gift, T.S.R.2. Flying Model. Starring Typhoon Tracy, Sword for Hire, Skid Solo, HMS Outcast, Rod the Mod and He Rides Alone
Countdown (1971-72) includes Free Gift from the first issue, a Giant Spacefact Wall Chart), featuring “Thunderbirds” by Don Harley, “Lady Penelope” by Frank Langford, “Doctor Who” by Harry Lindfield, “UFO” by Gerry Haylock and “Countdown” by John Burns. From the Woodard Archive of British Comics
Jinty (May-Dec 1974) 1-33 Xmas, No 1 With Free Gift, ‘Smiley Wrist Bracelet’ in original envelope. Starring The Jinx from St Jonah’s , Make-Believe Mandy, Bird-Girl Brenda, Pop Pages and Jinty Made It Herself fashion and Home-Made pages
Art on offer includes The Broons original Jig-Saw box design from 1943 by Dudley Watkins, and the key Treasure Island board from Topper No. 7, also drawn and signed by Watkins, showing Flint’s treasure map.
There’s also a “Dan Dare” / Eagle cover by Frank Bellamy, another by Harold Johns and Greta Tomlinson, further “Charley’s War” pages by Joe Colquhoun, from Battle, The Beano’s “Shipwrecked Circus” strips by Paddy Brennan, plus “Happy Family”, “Old Mother Riley” and “Terry-Thomas” strips, all from The Bob Monkhouse Archive.
The Broons Jig-Saw Puzzle original box cover artwork (1943) by Dudley Watkins. (Due to wartime paper shortages the jig-saw was produced by DC Thomson instead of the 1944 Broons annual)
Early 1940s “Magic Lollipops” original two artwork strips drawn and one initialled by Allan Morley from The Beano
Dan Dare/Eagle front cover original artwork by Harold Johns and Greta Tomlinson for Eagle Volume 3, No 19, cover dated 19th August 1952. “Dan and Sonar fall into the Mekon’s trap…”
“P.C. 49” original artwork (1952) drawn and signed by John Worsley for Eagle Vol. 3, No 12 June 27 1952. “The Case of the Golden Eagle”. With original comic
Dan Dare/Eagle original cover artwork (1959) painted and signed by Frank Bellamy for The Eagle Vol. 10 No 33. With original comic
General George Custer’ and ‘Pioneers of the West’ original back cover artworks from Comet Nos 467 and 486 (1957) both by Septimus Scott
Two original “Billy Bunter” artworks by Charlie Pease for Knockout (cover dated 17th January and 22nd April 1961)
“The Happy Family” original four-strip artwork (1952) by Roy Wilson for Tip-Top No 640, with Old Mother Riley original two-strip artwork by Norman Ward for Film Fun (1941). From The Bob Monkhouse Archive
“Shipwrecked Circus” original artwork by Paddy Brennan in four strip illustrations numbered 1, 3, 6 and 9 from a mid 1950s Beano Book
“Terry-Thomas” original artwork strips by Roy Wilson for Film Fun (Jun-Nov 1958). From The Bob Monkhouse Archive. (Five strips)
Treasure Island original artwork drawn and signed by Dudley Watkins for The Topper No 7 (1953), where Jim Hawkins uncovers Flint’s treasure map – the pivotal part of R. L. Stephenson’s story. First drawn by Watkins in black and white, Treasure Island was initially published in DC Thomson’s The People’s Journal in 1949. The illustrated story was then produced in book form for Thomson’s Told in Pictures Book series in 1950. The artwork was then redrawn with extended panels by Watkins and coloured by him to fit the Topper format in 1958. It first appeared on the back cover of issue No 7 and was reprinted in Topper 476 in 1962. Dudley Watkins’ fine draughtsmanship and eye for detail are fully displayed in this classic artwork page. Gouache and Indian ink on board, 24 x 18 ins. With Treasure Island Told in Pictures Book
Kit Carson original cover artwork (1961) by Jordi Panalva for Cowboy Picture Library No 405, including original booklet
Lone Rider Library No 1 original cover artwork (1961) by Nino Caroselli. With ‘Trapped at The Trading Post’ original artwork drawn and signed by Derek Eyles (c 1940s)
“Charley’s War”, three original consecutive artworks (1978) by Joe Colquhoun for Battle-Action 206, with script by Pat Mills. “It was June 16th, 1916, and British troops moved up to the front, while vast ammo dumps were prepared for the coming battle of the Somme, but Lucky has other ideas…”
“Charley’s War” original consecutive artworks (1978) by Joe Colquohoun for Battle-Action 207, with script by Pat Mills. “June 1916… A few days before the battle of the Somme. Charley Bourne was on sentry duty when he found his fellow sentry, ‘Lucky’ about to wound himself, rather than face ‘going over the tops…’”
“Charley’s War”, four original consecutive artworks (1980) by Joe Colquhoun for Battle-Action 278 with script by Pat Mills. “February 1917. Seventeen-year-old Charley Bourne returned to “Blighty” on leave. He headed for his home in Silvertown, one of the poorest parts of Lond’s East End. As Charley approached his street, he came upon a horrifying sight…”
“Charley’s War”, three original consecutive artworks (1980) by Joe Colquhoun for Battle-Action 283 with Battle-Action 283 cover, consisting of colourists original painting and acetate overlay (the ‘screen print’). “Minutes before the bombs fell, Charley warned the women in the munitions factory where his mum worked…”
“Fury’s Family” original artwork (1970) by Denis McLoughlin for Lion and Thunder No 29 (cover dated 27th May 1970), No 30 (9th October 1970)
“Fury’s Family” original artwork by Denis McLoughlin for Thunder Annual 1973
“Tom Thug – The Brainless Bully” original colour artwork drawn and signed by Lew Stringer for Buster, cover dated 9th January 1993 with speech balloons on acetate overlay
And… who could be without a double-page artwork of “The Bash Street Kids” by the late David Sutherland?
The Beano 2263, cover dated November 30th 1985 – “Bash Street Kids” by David Sutherland
The US Golden Age section is led by Batman #97, Durango Kid #1, Horrors #12, Superman #20, Wonder Woman #36 and World’s Finest #26, with a strong Canadian ‘whites’ selection, including Freelance, Robin Hood, Grand Slam and Three Aces, all by Double ‘A’ publishers with Circus Parade Comics No. 1.
The Silver Age excels with a copy of Marvel’s Amazing Fantasy #15, featuring the first appearance of The Amazing Spider-Man, The Avengers #4, Silver Surfer #4, Strange Tales #107, Tales of Suspense #39, Tales To Astonish #41 & 44, Thor #225 and X-Men #1.
More keys than The Bash Street Kids can throw a stick at!
Postal bids need to be with Compal by Friday 30th August 2024 and the team will enter them on your behalf in thesaleroom.com/Comic Book Auctions website closing on Sunday 25 February from 2.00 pm.
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.
Darn it, and there was me thinking my little test to see if people read this entire article would take our readers longer than a day to spot… at least that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it! 🙂
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![TV Century 21 (1965-69) 1-242 complete run. No 1 wfg Special Agent Identicode Decoder, No 155 wfg Captain Scarlet Album. Gerry Anderson's TV Century 21 achieved iconic status during its 1960s print run. This was largely due to the influence and deployment of the greatest artists of their day in its production. Frank Bellamy and Don Harley drew Thunderbirds, Mike Noble and Don Lawrence took turns at Fireball XL5 and Ron Embleton and Turner drew The Daleks, Stingray and Captain Scarlet. Even Dan Dare's legendary creator Frank Hampson drew Lady Penelope in issues 40-45 and the first few episodes of Fireball XL5. To our knowledge, this is the only complete run to come up for auction and the last 6 issues are notoriously hard to find | From The Woodard Archive of British Comics | No 1 has cream/light tan cover and pages [vg+], the free gift has a Special Agent's name & address neatly filled in. No 2 [vg], No 3 [fn-], 4-17 [fn/fn+], No 156: 2 ins lower b/cover cut-out [gd/vg], balance issues 18-242 [fn/vfn/nm] (242)](https://downthetubes.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/TV21-1-242-Complete-1-105x85.jpg)
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Stunning array of original British comic art and first issue of The Beano offered in latest Compal comics auction
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David Sullivan? You mean David Sutherland. The error is when you’re talking about the BSK art.
Darn it, and there was me thinking my little test to see if people read this entire article would take our readers longer than a day to spot… at least that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it! 🙂