Excalibur Auctions upcoming The Peter Hansen Collection of British Comics and Comic Art – Part 2 event this week features a further tranche of comic art gems from the massive collection owned by the dedicated collector.
The auction, taking place on Saturday 9th May 2026, follows the first auction of amazing items from Peter‘s collection, held earlier this year by Anderson & Garland, Part One realising more than £100,000 including fees.
Peter Hansen’s extensive archive represents a lifetime devoted to celebrating the creators, characters and cultural impact of British comic publishing and includes thousands of popular comic books, rare free gifts, original cover artwork, advertising ephemera, licensed toys, merchandise and fanzines.
Passionate private collector Peter Hansen has generously loaned items from his collection to a range of institutions over the years, such as the Cartoon Museum and the National Centre for Children’s Books.
As we previously reported, Peter’s collection is so vast that it has been necessary to appoint the two largest comics auctioneers in the United Kingdom, Anderson & Garland and Excalibur Auctions, to collaborate on a series of sales throughout 2026, with Part 1 hosted by Anderson & Garland in March, and Part 2 at Excalibur Auctions on 9th May 2026.
“Hundreds of man-hours are being invested in sorting, researching, photographing and cataloguing the material,” Pop Culture, Movie and Music specialist at Excalibur Auctions, Tom Barker commented,m”an exercise in archiving for posterity as much as preparing for auction.
“It is with considerable pride that this extraordinary pedigree collection is being brought to market for the first time, and it is set to captivate collectors, historians and pop culture enthusiasts alike.”
In a 2019 interview here on downthetubes.net, Peter Hansen discussed how he began collecting in his home town of Byker, in Newcastle.
“I started actively collecting comics in the early 1960s at about six years old. My favourite comics were the Beezer and Topper, which were broadsheet comics costing four pence each. I started renting my old comics to my friends at school (who only got 3d a week pocket money) for a halfpenny, for a day or two and soon had enough to buy the Beezer and the Topper and the Beano!
“I also read the DC Thomson comics. I picked up my first American comic, Adventure #304, containing the teenage ‘The Legion of Super-Heroes’ at the age of eight years old, which featured the death of Lightning Lad, and for the rest of my life, American comics also became part of my world.”
Among the highlights of the Excalibur Auctions portion of the collection is POW! number 1, cover date 21st January 1967 by Oldhams Press under the Power Comics imprint. The issue retains its original and highly coveted Spider Matic Gun and all six Spider Disc Bullets, still housed in the original press-out card.
British comics of the 1960s frequently included inventive free gifts, but surviving examples in good condition, especially unused, are exceptionally scarce. Complete copies such as this routinely command significant premiums at auction. The last recorded auction price was £1,920. It is estimated to fetch £500-£800.
Among thousands of pages of original comic art is the painted cover artwork for Eagle Holiday Special published in 1988, featuring the iconic British hero Dan Dare. Created in gouache on board by celebrated British comic artist Ian Kennedy (1932-2022) and inscribed “To Peter, Thanks for the memories”, the piece measures 13 by 18 inches.
Ian Kennedy’s prolific career spanned titles such as 2000AD and Commando, as well as Eagle and The Hotspur. The estimate is for this artwork is £2,000-£4,000.
Another significant highlight is original artwork by British comic artist Frank Bellamy (1917-1976) for Eagle volume 9 number 47 from 1956, “The Shepherd King”, Episode 11, measuring 56 by 42 centimetres. (It should be noted that, sadly, because of the inks Bellamy used, the art is quite faded).
Bellamy is widely regarded as one of Britain’s most influential comic artists, celebrated for his vibrant colour work and realism across titles including Eagle and TV Century 21. His original artworks regularly achieve four-figure sums at auction. The estimate for this artwork is £2,000-£4,000.
The collection also extends beyond print, into rare, licensed toys, including a boxed and complete Dan Dare Planet Gun, licensed by Eagle comics and manufactured by J and L Randall in 1953. Surviving examples in original condition are exceptionally difficult to source. The estimate is £200-£400.
TV Tornado number 1, cover dated 14th January 1967, is offered with its original Batachute parachute toy (free gift). The issue features stories with Batman and Robin, Superman and Flash Gordon, reflecting the era’s blend of American reprints and television-inspired strips. Copies retaining their original free gifts are scarce. The estimate is £80-£120.
The international scope of the archive includes American, Australian and Canadian material, notably Better Comics volume 3 number 1 from December to January 1943-1944, published by Maple Leaf Publications. This wartime Canadian comic features striking propagandistic cover art depicting a baby tying Adolf Hitler and Hideki Tojo in a duffel bag, emblematic of the bold political imagery common during the Golden Age of comics. The estimate is £200-£400.
• The Peter Hansen Collection of British Comics and Comic Art – Part 2 starts at 10.00am on Saturday 9th May 2026 | Excalibur Auctions, Unit 16 Abbots Business Park, Primrose Hill, Kings Langley WD4 8FR | View the full catalogue here | You must be registered to bid
Other Items…
Here are a few more items in this auction that caught our eye…
Comic Art
• The Peter Hansen Collection of British Comics and Comic Art – Part 2 starts at 10.00am on Saturday 9th May 2026 | Excalibur Auctions, Unit 16 Abbots Business Park, Primrose Hill, Kings Langley WD4 8FR | View the full catalogue here | You must be registered to bid
Special Issues
Radio Fun Adventures with Superman – four issues of Radio Fun that include Superman strips, and feature him on the cover (cover dated 7th Nov 1959, 5th Dec 1959, 12th Dec 1959, 9th Jan 1960). Read our feature, “Superman’s British Comic Connections”
• The Peter Hansen Collection of British Comics and Comic Art – Part 2 starts at 10.00am on Saturday 9th May 2026 | Excalibur Auctions, Unit 16 Abbots Business Park, Primrose Hill, Kings Langley WD4 8FR | View the full catalogue here | You must be registered to bid
Ephemera
“This is Not Merely a Sale…”
“From the birth of homegrown heroes to the reprinting of American superheroes for British audiences, this collection traces the evolution of comic publishing across decades,” says Tom. “With original art from legendary illustrators, rare complete gift issues and associated memorabilia, it offers scholars and collectors an unparalleled opportunity.
“This is not merely a sale. It is a defining moment in the preservation and celebration of Britain’s comic book legacy.”
• The Peter Hansen Collection of British Comics and Comic Art – Part 2 starts at 10.00am on Saturday 9th May 2026 | Excalibur Auctions, Unit 16 Abbots Business Park, Primrose Hill, Kings Langley WD4 8FR | View the full catalogue here | You must be registered to bid
• Viewing times: Thursday 7th May 2026 – 9.30am – 12.30pm and 2.00 – 4.30pm | Friday 8th May 2026 – 99.30am – 12.30pm and 2.00 – 4.30pm
Limited viewing is also available in the hour before the auction on Saturday, 9th May 2026, from 9.00am until 10.00am. This is strictly by appointment due to the limited amount of space available
Head downthetubes for…
• A Comics Collection for the Nation: An Interview with Peter Hansen
• Peter Hansen Comic Collection heads to auction, an incredible British comics archive
• Six Figure Result for Newcastle Comic Auction as Peter Hansen Collection Makes Spectacular Debut
• Read our feature, “Superman’s British Comic Connections”
- About the Author
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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.
Categories: Art and Illustration, Auctions, British Comics, Comic Art, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events, Other Worlds
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