In Memoriam: Eagle comic editor Derek Lord

Derek Lord photographed by Edmond Terakopian in 2001. "Mr Lord was a joy to meet and a joy to photograph," Edmond recalls. Photograph used with kind permission.

Derek Lord photographed by Edmond Terakopian in 2001. “Mr Lord was a joy to meet and a joy to photograph,” Edmond recalls. Photograph used with kind permission.

Former comics editor Derek Lord died at 10.10am on Thursday 23rd September 2004, having been rushed into hospital for an emergency operation for a perforated bowel. He was 77 years old.

I’d known Derek for about five years – from when I contacted him about the possibility of working on the proposed Eureka magazine. I spoke with him on the ‘phone on the Tuesday morning before he died. I spoke to him regularly — he was always on my telephone bill. The only communications I had from him were little notes and postcards. He communicated with everyone that way.

His notes have been turning up on my reference desk all over the weekend.

Eureka B cover by John RidgwaySince that first contact there have been many setbacks and disappointments on Eureka – but Derek was not the type to give up. For every door that closed, he opened another three. He was up to date with his information and knew precisely the right person to get in touch with.

Derek was editor fro two years on the Eagle. He left the title, along with many others, when it was taken over by Amalgamated Press and the entire ethos of the Eagle was changed. He worked for Reader’s Digest and the Milk Marketing Board before an inheritance enabled him to go freelance and allowed him to concentrate on the idea of a replacement for the Eagle.

Prior to Eureka, there was to have been Excalibur and Terra Nova, the latter with Ron Embleton, Don Lawrence and Keith Watson. For various reasons neither publication got off the launching pad.

I met Derek face to face only four times. Although wearing thick glasses, stooped and elderly, he nevertheless impressed me with decisiveness and clarity of thought. He knew what he wanted in Eureka and I found that I wanted very much the same. He wanted to produce something modern and of lasting quality – a difficult task.

Goodbye, Derek – I’m going to miss you.

John Ridgway

· Derek Edward Gerard Lord, editor, born July 12 1927; died September 23 2004

• Read Steve Holland’s obituary from The Guardian

REPLACING EAGLE – READ JEREMY BRIGGS SERIES

Introduction – How do you write about Comics That Were Never Published?Lost Eagle and LightningTerra NovaThe first EurekaEureka Revived



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