Commando artist Keith Page follows up his profile of French artist Hugo Pratt with a look at the work of “Dan Dare” creator Frank Hampson… Anyone can see that Dan Dare’s space helmet just wouldn’t work. How could you possibly… Read More ›
Eagle
Indian Wars, Dan Dare and PC49, too – New Eagle Times available now
The latest issue of Eagle Times (Volume 32,Number Two), the magazine of the Eagle Society, is available now by mail order, offering a diverse range of features and some text fiction, largely inspired by the original Eagle adventure comic. The Eagle… Read More ›
Sneak Peek: Dan Dare creator Frank Hampson centenary exhibition items revealed
Southport’s The Atkinson is putting the finishing touches to its upcoming exhibition to mark the centenary of Dan Dare creator Frank Hampson‘s birth, which launches on 15th September 2018, and we have a some pictures of items that will be… Read More ›
Wildcat, one of Fleetway’s last boy’s adventure comics, to be collected
Rebellion are to publish a collection of strips from Wildcat, Fleetway’s short-lived, last real attempt at a fortnightly boy’s adventure comic, launched in 1988. There’s also a mention on Amazon for another Jinty collection, Fran from the Floods. Published by Fleetway… Read More ›
Original Frank Hampson studio reference material used to create “Dan Dare” for sale
Rare original reference material from Frank Hampson’s Dan Dare studio, including Astronomical Photographs, are currently for sale on eBay. These boards of “Astronomical Photographs”, which come from Frank Hampson’s estate, were reference files from his Dan Dare studio. As with… Read More ›
Dan Dare “The Venus Campaign” classic story collection revealed, and first ever collections of some stories on their way
Titan Comics will launch Dan Dare: The Venus Campaign its first “bumper” collection of classic Dan Dare stories in November, following a format similar to its James Bond compendiums, using new scans of the stories featured. Plus, there’s news of new… Read More ›
How so many British Adventure Comics became just one – Eagle – in the 1990s
Over on his brilliant Rusty Staples site, 2000AD writer Michael Carroll has begun a series of articles tracing the history of British comics, creating a series of “family trees” showing various mergers and more down the years. It’s something Alan… Read More ›
More Frank Hampson Ladybird Book art for sale, Southport anniversary exhibition announced
The official Frank Hampson web site run by the Dan Dare creator’s son, Peter, has a lot of his art for sale, and some new Ladybird Books art boards ohave just been added. Hampson was first commissioned by Ladybird Books… Read More ›
In Review: Spaceship Away 44
The first issue of Spaceship Away for 2018 has been out for a few weeks now but this is the first chance I’ve had to give it a plug. Wrapped in a smashing new piece of Dan Dare related art… Read More ›
Eagle in the 1980s: The TV ad!
Cartoonist Lew Stringer has come across this advertisement for the launch of the new Eagle comic in 1980s, making the most of the return of Dan Dare and the title’s ambitious photo stories. The ad features Grange Hill actor Vincent… Read More ›
Dan Dare – Raumschiffpilot! That’s Dan Dare in German to you – plus, “Jesus von Nazareth”, too
Dan Dare has a long tradition of reprint in other languages, so it’s no surprise, perhaps, to discover that the early adventures of the Eagle character had an outing in two volumes in German in the late 1980s – Dan Dare,… Read More ›
Rare Dan Dare concept art unearthed from classic story “Reign of the Robots”
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… Read More ›
In Memoriam: Eagle artist Gerald Palmer
We’re sorry to belatedly report the passing of comic artist and illustrator Gerald Palmer, who passed away peacefully at his Jersey home on Wednesday, 16th August, 2017, aged 82. Born in 1935 in Jersey, Gerald was encouraged toward an artistic career… Read More ›
Rare 1975 Frank Hampson interview for BBC Nationwide released
The BBC Archive has released a 1975 Nationwide feature and interview with Dan Dare creator Frank Hampson, recorded shortly after the artist and writer was voted Prestigioso Maestro at an international convention of strip cartoon and animated film artists held… Read More ›
In Review: Spaceship Away 43
The latest issue of Spaceship Away, the glossy zine inspired by the adventures of Dan Dare in Eagle, is available now, wrapped in a Christmas cover by Don Harley. (What a shame this and other Christmas-inspired Dare art isn’t available… Read More ›
Swift comic in the spotlight in new Eagle Times
The latest issue of Eagle Times (Volume 30 No 3) is out now, the latest release from the long-established Eagle Society dedicated to Eagle comic and its many creators and strips. This issue includes features on Eagle‘s companion paper Swift,… Read More ›
In Review: Comic Book Hero by Barrie Tomlinson – and a chance to win a copy!
I doubt whether there is anyone working in comics, past or present, who has had a career more varied or interesting that that enjoyed by Barrie Tomlinson. Working his way from the bottom up, Barrie went on to become Group… Read More ›
In Review: Comic Book Hero – Working with Britain’s Picture-Strip Legends
By Barrie Tomlinson Publisher: Pitch Publishing Out: Now The Book: In the 1960s, 70s and 80s, children’s comics were a massive part of a young person’s life. This book tells the story behind the production of comics such as Tiger,… Read More ›
“Charley’s War” and Space:1999 art, rare 1950 promotional Eagle offered in latest ComPal comics auction
The latest ComPal comic auction catalogue and features “Charley’s War” art, a promotional Eagle rarity and much more among some 385 lots in total, including US comics. The last ComPal auction back in May achieved some record prices with £5600… Read More ›
New comic art exhibition in Newcastle is an absolute delight for British comics fans
Regular downthetubes readers will recall our previous coverage of Comics: Explore and Create Comic Art at Seven Stories, the new exhibition at Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s Books in Newcastle – but now it’s opened, we can reveal… Read More ›