The latest Phil-Comics auction on eBay includes a number of items from the personal collection of former editor and script writer David Motton: rare editorial correspondence and a “Dan Dare” script, artefacts the like of which have never been sold through this auction house previously.
Also on offer is Leo Baxendale art for a Beano annual, and some “Johnny Fartpants” art for VIZ by the legendary Brian Walker – a real treat! – and plenty of “Free Gift” British comics.
David Motton Archive
David Motton enjoyed a thirty-year career working in comics from 1954 to 1985. Following his National Service in the early 1950s, he was looking for employment. Following a chance encounter of his father with Leonard J. Matthews (the editor of the Sun comic at the time, at Amalgamated Press, and who later went on to become Director of Juvenile Publications with the firm in the 1960s), he was offered a job as a writer for Sun. There, he learned the trade of a script writer and went on to write “Billy the Kid” and “Max Bravo” for Sun, as well as “Jet-Ace Logan” for its sister paper, Comet. He would become the editor of Sun, as well as editing Film Fun and Knockout in the 1950s. This led to David ultimately being offered the editorship of Eagle, but he turned down the job as he thoroughly enjoyed his script writing work.
After various industry takeovers, David became freelance in the late 1950s and spent the rest of his career, up until 1985, working freelance for a variety of publishing houses such as Odhams, City Magazines, Polystyle and DC Thomson.
In a wide and varied career spanning thirty odd years, David wrote early issues of Commando (some of those scripts surviving, too), scripts for “Dan Dare” in Eagle, “Burke’s Law” for the first year of TV Century 21, “Captain Condor” for Lion, “Doctor Who” and “Space Patrol” for TV Comic, “Roy of the Rovers” for Tiger, “Desperate Dan” and “Dinah Mo” in The Dandy, “Skid Solo” and “Roy of the Rovers” for Tiger, plus stories for Thriller Picture Library, Fleetway Super Library, Look and Learn, Tell Me Why, Pippin, Diana, Judy, Bunty, Victor, Beezer, amongst others.
“We had the pleasure of meeting David at his home recently, along with his son-in-law Tom,” says auctioneer Phil Shrimpton, “who has been busy sorting through a number of scripts that David has kept from his career.
“Originally, when David was typing the scripts he placed a carbon copy beneath each page and kept these for his own reference. David also has a number of letters of correspondence with various publishing houses over the years, with their individual comic title letterheads. We hope you enjoy the items being offered for sale from this collection.”
You can locate the items by searching for “David Motton” in the auction house’s eBay shop.
Scripts
Leading the items on offer from the David Motton Collection is a carbon copy “Dan Dare: Operation Crusoe” script by David Motton for Eagle Annual 1964.
This is the full script that David submitted to London-based Odhams Press, London, for the story “Operation Crusoe”, published in two parts in the annual, drawn by Don Harley – a copy of the annual included in the offered lot.
“It’s genuinely rare to find scripts for comics on the open market,” Phil notes. “Having traded in comics for many years and sold hundreds of pages of original artwork in that time, it’s fascinating to see, for one of the first times, a script and thus gaining a deeper insight into how comics were produced. This is a great example rarely seen on the market.”
As with other scripts in David’s collection, originally when David was typing the scripts he placed a carbon copy beneath each page and kept these for his own reference. The top copy would have been posted off to the publisher and so it is the retained copy that is for sale here.
Comprising 87 separate pages (10 x 8 inches typed on one side only) plus two extra pages at the front with the story title and David’s address at the time, the script is in generally nice shape, with some minor foxing on the last few pages, plus some light creasing. David has recently signed the top page of this block.
There’s also a separate two pages, stapled together, which is a summary of the story. These pages have some wear and tanning but all the print is legible.
“It’s interesting to see that the script writer was tasked with not only writing the text boxes but also a paragraph description for the artist to follow,” Phil notes (although not, a surprise to the many comic writers who follow downthetubes!). “For example, the first panel showing Dan and Digby, David supplied the following description to the artist… It’s clear that quite a reasonable amount of detail went into describing each panel, but leaving the artist to add their own touch too:
“Interior of the space-ship. The control cabin. We see Dan and Digby, stunned and shocked, look dazedly about them. Several of their instruments are broken or fused. Thin wisps of smoke issue from some of them and the main control console.”
“Interesting to see how not all of the speech text written by David was actually used,” Phil adds. “Some was summarised or shortened as the artist had to design the script over 8 pages and panels of varying sizes. For example, in the second panel Digby says the following:
“It’s blown up our Astra-Globe! Without that we can’t plot a course for home… or anywhere else!”
David’s script, however, originally wrote the following:
“It’s blown up our Astra-Globe among other things! Without that it’ll be impossible to plot a course for home… or anywhere else come to that!”
There’s also a carbon copy of the full script that David submitted to Fleetway Publications for the story published in Fleetway Super Library Secret Agent Series #10 (1966), a copy of the comic included in the lot.
It comprises approximately 130 separate pages (10 x 8 inches typed on one side only) and in total 268 panels which required direction for the artist to follow. The story commanded 122 pages in the comic and of course the pages had a mix of one, two or three panels per page. The script is generally in nice condition. David has recently signed the script to the first page.
The panel descriptions are, as ever, much more than dialogue. For example, the opening page / single panel of the story just states the story title “Payment in Death” and a single text box “A Landslide in Hong Kong…”. In the script, David has typed out the following for the artist, so it’s clear that quite a lot of detail went into each panel:
“General view of a hillside in Hong Kong that is covered with new blocks of flats built on the steep slopes. Main item of interest, in fact the whole emphasis of this picture, is upon one of these ten or fifteen storey buildings collapsing and sliding down the precipitous slope beneath it towards other tall buildings and intervening slums.”
Also included are two letters on Fleetway Publications letterhead which was the cover letter for the payment made to David for this script, dated 16th July 1966 and 5th August 1966. David was paid £50 for the script. “As a point of interest, we asked how long it took him to write this script,” says Phil, “and he recalls probably around three days. The one letter also includes details of payments made for scripts for ‘Skid Solo’ and one other.”
Two more rarities – carbon copies from the David Motton collection of “Desperate Dan” and “Dinah Mo” scripts for The Dandy from the 1980s, if David’s memory serves correct. “We’ve not attempted to find the issue of Dandy that these strips refers to, but it would be great to locate it and pair them up,” says auctioneer Phil Shrimpton.
• Check out the current full Phil-Comics catalogue here on eBay
• Check out our interview with David published in 2011: Motton’s Memories: An Interview with one of Dan Dare’s early writers
Editorial Correspondence
Correspondence about comics from David’s collection in this auction include two letters was sent by a member of staff working on DC Thomson’s Beezer to the writer in March 1984, which goes into quite some details about various scripts, including having to return one as it was a bit similar to a “Baby Crockett” story they had… “maybe it’s just as well. I think the artist might have had kittens trying to draw it”.
“It’s rare and indeed interesting to see the Beezer letterhead,” Phil notes, mentioning, too, that it’s a little bland compared with the other ones in the auction from 1972: and also the correspondence that evidently went back and forth between freelance workers and Thomson staff. “We’ve not seen a Beezer letterhead before,” Phil says. “We can’t make out the name of the signature of the Thomson staff member.” Does anyone reading this article?
This letter was sent by an unidentified member of staff working on DC Thomson’s Bunty comic to David Motton, and refers to the “No. 1 of Horses For Sale” and payment for the script. It’s rare and indeed interesting to see the lovely Bunty letterhead, and, also, the correspondence that evidently went back and forth between freelance workers and Thomson staff. “We’ve not seen a Bunty letterhead before,” says auctioneer Phil Shrimpton. “The Thomson staff member had a surname of Moon, but we can’t make out the initial – possibly H.”
Diana staffer Ken Gordon sent this letter to David Motton, which refers to the “No. 2 of Debbie and Jo” story. The Diana letterhead, rarely seen, makes this another DC Thomson rarity
This letter was sent by a member of staff working on DC Thomson’s Judy comic to David Motton and refers to the “No. 15 of School Bell” story. We can’t quite make out the name of the Thomson staff member, but it’s an impressive signature!
A letter from Victor staffer James Halley sent to David Motton and referring to the stories “No. 2 of The Green God of Iago” and “No. 2 of Charlie Wright”.
• Check out our interview with David published in 2011: Motton’s Memories: An Interview with one of Dan Dare’s early writers
Comic Art
Artwork on offer in this auction includes original “Charlie Choo” art by Leo Baxendale, created for the Beano Book 1955 – a rare chance to obtain wok by the legendary artist, the strip based on the Honolulu police detective Charlie Chan, originally a series of novels but made into films in the 1930s. Be aware the art, measuring 49 x 40.5 cm (19.25 x 6 inches approximately) and story is very much “of its time” and should be regarded in that light. A copy of the 1955 Beano Book is not included in the lot.
Also up for grabs is a Christmas-themed spread of “Johnny Fartpants” by Brian Walker, created for VIZ sometime in the 2000s.
Brian Walker enjoyed a very rewarding and impressive 50-year career as a cartoonist and illustrator, drawing some 5400 pages in that time. He contributed hugely to British comics, working for both IPC and DC Thomson. His work for IPC included the hugely popular “Scream Inn” in Whoopee, “Three Story Stan” and “Wizards Anonymous” in Shiver and Shake and “Boxatricks” in Buster, amongst others. “I Spy”, for Sparky and “Smasher”, for The Dandy, are probably his best-known strips for DC Thomson, but he also drew “Spike” in Spike and ‘Pop, Dick and Harry’ in the Beezer. In the early 2000s he drew ‘Johnny Fartpants’ fo rVIZ, as well as creating the character and strip “Goldfish Boy” for the adult comic.
• Check out the current full Phil-Comics catalogue here on eBay
Free Gift Comics
As ever, there are plenty of comics offered With Free Gifts included – some of them very collectible, such as the the copies of the 1980s Eagle, and Tiger, complete with “Action Force” figures and other free gifts.
This auction features a number of rare issues of the nursery title Bimbo, complete with beautifully presented free gift albums on some early issues…
The copy of Buster cover dated 5th May 1962, With Free Gift – a Boomerang – is a very rare item. “We’ve only sold one of these boomerang gifts before,” notes Phil Shrimpton. “That one was assembled (giving it some charm, admittedly) but this is a great example being unassembled and still on its backing card. Either way, it’s very hard to find.”
• Check out the current full Phil-Comics catalogue here on eBay
Badges and Comic Club Membership Items
• Check out the current full Phil-Comics catalogue here on eBay
Plus, Don’t Miss…
A superb example of this “Dan Dare” pop-up book, published in 1953 by Juvenile Productions, London. Measuring approximately 10.5 x 8.5 inches it has five pop up pages, which feature every other page. There’s a bit of damage to the back, but the interiors look great!
This issue of Marvel UK’s Marvel comic forms part of a superb collection of UK Marvel comics, from 1972 to about 1980, that came in recently and that Phil-Comics are auctioning off in this sale and the next one or two sales. The collection comprises long runs of Spider-man Comics Weekly, Mighty World of Marvel, Hulk, Rampage, The Avengers, The Complete Fantastic Four, Savage Sword of Conan, The Titans and a few odds and sods. Several free gifts are present, plus a few key issues. All have come from the same, original owner who had bought them from new and kept them meticulously to this day… until now.
• Check out the current full Phil-Comics catalogue here on eBay
• Check out our interview with David published in 2011: Motton’s Memories: An Interview with one of Dan Dare’s early writers
- 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.
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