Eagle co-creator Frank Hampson’s son Peter Hampson recently dropped us a line to tell us about some recently-discovered Dan Dare concept sketches, now online on the artist’s official web site.
The art, designs for the story “Reign of the Robots”, was given to Pip Warwick (a sculptor who created several ceramic Mekon heads in the 1970s) and came to light only recently.
Peter believes some of them were produced by Eric Eden.
“The drawings demonstrate yet again the extraordinary level of thought and care that went into the production of the strip,” says Peter. “None of these items were major parts of the story. As far as I’m aware, despite the time and trouble it must have taken to create Sondar’s ‘tent’, it only made it into a couple of frames, and then only as background.
“Fascinating though the drawings are, some of the annotations are even more interesting,” he continues. “For example, Digby’s menu, and the mention of the container beneath the ‘couch’ in the tent as the repository for Alan Stranks’ unknown future requirements – evidence of something which rarely gets a mention in descriptions of life in the studio – the sense of fun which went side by side with all the hard work.”
Some o the art will feature in a new book by author and photograper John Wade on 1950’s SF, The Golden Age of Science Fiction, scheduled for publication in Autumn 2018.
• Check out the full gallery of images on The Official Frank Hampson web site
- About the Author
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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.
Categories: Art and Illustration, British Comics, Comic Art, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds
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