The original art for a one-page “The Munsters” strip drawn by Peter Ford, first published in TV21 and Tornado, is being offered at auction by American auction house Hakes.
The heavy artboard features pen and ink with inkwash original art for the comic that was published in TV21 and Tornado cover dated 15th March 1969. In the strip, exhausted Herman Munster setting up wake-up call which he proceeds to sleep through, and, together with Grandpa Munster, tries to find a way to get up on time.
It’s rare to see art from the long-running “The Munsters” strip offered at auction, and rarer still for it to be offered on an American auction site, with bidding closing 30th June 2021 and currently at $200.
The art features paste-over, hand-lettered dialogue balloons, one of which is missing in second panel. The large top margin has pencil production notations and bottom margin also has notations and the art board comes with a reading copy of the issue this art was produced for.
New Zealand comic artist Peter Ford may not be a name many fans of British comics may recognise today, but for those of us who grew up in the 1960s and early 1970s, his work remains memorable.
His credits included humour strips such as “The Munsters” and “Bewitched” strips for the TV Century 21 and Lady Penelope annuals respectively, later episodes of “Perils of Parker” for Lady Penelope comic (initially drawn by Gerry Embleton), the wonderful “Super Mousse” advertising strip for Countdown, and “Dad’s Army” and “Autocat and Motormouse” for TV Action.
He also drew episodes of “Cathy Thompson” for Penelope, the later incarnation of Lady Penelope comic, but I don’t have copies of the relevant issues to know the style he used on those.
Those who remember him recall Peter was a powerful, stocky man, of Maori heritage, who grew up in Poplar, London. In addition to his comics career, he was both a judo and school teacher, the latter work including a placing at Daneford Secondary Modern, based in Gosset Street, East London. He later moved from London to live in Southend-on-Sea with his family.
Sadly, along with his strips for Countdown, his work on the African comic, Orbit, was among his last, as he died suddenly, of a heart attack, on 8th October 1974.
• Bid on “The Munsters” art here on Hakes – bidding closes on 30th June 2021
• In Praise of… “Supermousse” Comic Artist Peter Ford
• Discovering “Orbit” – Zambia’s unique science and comic magazine
With thanks to David Roach and Shaqui le Vesconte
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, Auctions, British Comics, Comic Art, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds
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