Home › downthetubes News › Frankie Stein Holiday Special cover art included in latest Phil-Comics auction

Frankie Stein Holiday Special cover art included in latest Phil-Comics auction

By on • ( 0 )

The latest Phil-Comics auction of British comics and associated artworks is a small but select offering of 125 listings, well worth checking out on eBay.

Key items include the first Buster comic, published in 1960, complete with its rarely seen free gift balloon bleeper, the glorious, original front cover artwork for the 1980 Frankie Stein Holiday Special, drawn and painted by Robert Nixon; and a Tiger comic from 1965 with its Wembley Whistle free gift, which is quite apt following the recent World Cup!

Phil-Comics first sold The Whoopee Frankie Stein Holiday Special 1980 front cover original artwork by Robert Nixon back in 2017, but the original buyer has reluctantly consigned it to auction. “It’s a delight to have it again,” notes auction runner Phil Shrimpton, “and the colours are still as fresh and vibrant as they were then, and indeed as they were back in 1980. This has been helped by the overlay sheet which is taped to the top back edge. 

1980 Frankie Stein Holiday Special, drawn and painted by Robert Nixon

The art was drawn and painted on thick art board measuring 36.3 x 30.2 cm (approx 14.5 x 12 inches), and is signed to the left edge “Robert Nixon”, with his trademark dash line at the end.

“The ‘Crazy Mirrors’ artwork is really impressive and it’s a sight for sore eyes when inspected closely, feels Phil.

Oor Wullie 7" inch Record DC Thomson 1988 - from the DC Thomson Archive, probably unplayed, described as "as new"
Oor Wullie 7″ inch Record DC Thomson 1988 – from the DC Thomson Archive, probably unplayed, described as “as new”
Oor Wullie Annual 1957 - Dudley Watkins Artwork
Oor Wullie Annual 1957 – Dudley Watkins Artwork
Oor Wullie Annual 1959 featuring art by Dudley Watkins
Oor Wullie Annual 1959 – Dudley Watkins Artwork
Joe 90 No. 10 cover dated 3rd March 1969
Joe 90 No. 10 cover dated 3rd March 1969
Superadventure Bumper Book 1971
Superadventure Bumper Book 1971
Superadventure Bumper Book 1971

There’s a fine mix of DC Thomson and other artworks on offer, more vintage Commando comics, TV Century 21 and Joe 90 comics, too, in the mix.

The latest listings end on Monday 10th August 2026, from 6.00pm UK time

Browse the latest Phil-Comics vintage comic auction here

Phil-Comics are taking a couple of weeks break in August and the next auction will end in early September.

Here are some auction highlights…

First Editions and Free Gift Issues

Buster No. 1 cover dated 28th May 1960 with Free Gift Balloon in rare, very good condition, bright and Supple. Published by Fleetway, this is a really hard to find free gift and Phil-Comics have only sold two in the past, in 2017 and 2025. Coincidentally both sold for £588 but both included the original free gift packet.
Buster No. 1 cover dated 28th May 1960 with Free Gift Balloon in rare, very good condition, bright and Supple. Published by Fleetway, this is a really hard to find free gift and Phil-Comics have only sold two in the past, in 2017 and 2025. Coincidentally both sold for £588 but both included the original free gift packet.
Buster No. 1 cover dated 28th May 1960 with Free Gift Balloon in rare, very good condition, bright and Supple. Published by Fleetway, this is a really hard to find free gift and Phil-Comics have only sold two in the past, in 2017 and 2025. Coincidentally both sold for £588 but both included the original free gift packet.
Buster No. 1 cover dated 28th May 1960 with Free Gift Balloon in rare, very good condition, bright and Supple. Published by Fleetway, this is a really hard to find free gift and Phil-Comics have only sold two in the past, in 2017 and 2025. Coincidentally both sold for £588 but both included the original free gift packet.
Buster No. 1 cover dated 28th May 1960 with Free Gift Balloon in rare, very good condition, bright and Supple. Published by Fleetway, this is a really hard to find free gift and Phil-Comics have only sold two in the past, in 2017 and 2025. Coincidentally both sold for £588 but both included the original free gift packet.
The Buster No. 1 cover dated 28th May 1960 Free Gift Balloon and interior pages
Film Fun cover dated 8th September 1962 With Free Gift - Vickers Vanguard Model Plane
Film Fun cover dated 8th September 1962 With Free Gift – Vickers Vanguard Model Plane
Radio Fun No. 285 cover dated 25th March 1944 with Preliminary Artwork by Roy Wilson
Radio Fun No. 285 cover dated 25th March 1944 with Preliminary Artwork by Roy Wilson
Valiant cover dated 30th April 1966 With Free Gift Model Plane
Valiant cover dated 30th April 1966 With Free Gift Model Plane
Valiant cover dated 7th May 1966 with Free Gift Model Plane Engine Parts
Valiant cover dated 7th May 1966 with Free Gift Model Plane Engine Parts
Wonder No. 1712 cover dated 30th August 1952 with One Preliminary Artwork by Roy Wilson
Wonder No. 1712 cover dated 30th August 1952 with One Preliminary Artwork by Roy Wilson

Original Comic Art Lots

Beano 3358 original Ivy The Terrible Artwork (cover date 2nd December 1996) by Tony O'Donnell
Beano 3358 original Ivy The Terrible Artwork (cover date 2nd December 1996) by Tony O’Donnell
Tom Thug art by Lew Stringer for Buster cover dated 30th December 1989 - New Year Theme
Tom Thug art by Lew Stringer for Buster cover dated 30th December 1989 – New Year Theme
Comic artwork by Mike Higgs for Nostalgia and Comics Phil Clarke c1990s
Comic artwork by Mike Higgs for Nostalgia and Comics Phil Clarke c1990s
An original page of comic artwork which is causing confusion as to where it was published. At the top is written in pen "J & J Annual 1981" which we presume means the Jack and Jill annual. This has been crossed out and next to it has been stamped "FUNTIME 10", but at the very bottom edge (covered with a sticker) it says "CHIPS COMIC 09 JUL 1983", so it's a bit of a mystery. That said, the reverse side says "Chips 9/7/1983" so perhaps that's where it was published later (maybe it was re-used)
An original page of comic artwork which is causing confusion as to where it was published. At the top is written in pen “J & J Annual 1981” which we presume means the Jack and Jill annual. This has been crossed out and next to it has been stamped “FUNTIME 10”, but at the very bottom edge (covered with a sticker) it says “CHIPS COMIC 09 JUL 1983”, so it’s a bit of a mystery. That said, the reverse side says “Chips 9/7/1983” so perhaps that’s where it was published later (perhaps it was re-used)
Dandy Original Desperate Dan Artwork circa 1990, possibly by Ken Harrison
Dandy Original Desperate Dan Artwork circa 1990, possibly by Ken Harrison
Look-In comic Original Woody Woodpecker Artwork from #26 (1987) Bill Titcombe
Look-In comic Original Woody Woodpecker Artwork from #26 (1987) by Bill Titcombe
Mickey Mouse Summer Special 1980 Art - Uncredited
Mickey Mouse Summer Special 1980 Art – Uncredited

Browse the latest Phil-Comics vintage comic auction here

Phil-Comics are taking a couple of weeks break in August and the next auction will end in early September.

‹
›

Categories: downthetubes News

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Discover more from downthetubes.net

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading