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Who Remembers KP Outer Spacers – The Comic Strip?

By John Freeman on June 28, 2025 • ( 0 )

Artist Frank Langford’s comic strip work spanned many titles, including titles such as Lady Penelope and Countdown. Later in his long career, as Jeremy Briggs noted in previous downthetubes items, he was one of the artists who advertisers turned to, commissioning him to create eye catching comic strip-styled advertisements to promote their products, be it Corgi’s Batman toys, Yorkie bars. One campaign of the late 1970s was a five part comic to promote KP Outer Spacers snacks…

KP Outer Spacers - The Comic Strip - art by Frank Langford- Part One

KP Outer Spacers - The Comic Strip - art by Frank Langford- Part Two

KP Outer Spacers - The Comic Strip - art by Frank Langford- Part Three

KP Outer Spacers - The Comic Strip - art by Frank Langford - Second Serial - Part One

KP Outer Spacers - The Comic Strip - art by Frank Langford - Second Serial - Part Four

Frank Langford wasn’t the only artist commissioned to promote KP Outer Spacers. As Richard Sheaf has previously highlighted in his Boys’ Adventure Comics blog, and we featured here, as part of a wider article on promotional comics, back in 2019, 2000AD’s Robin Smith also drew a series of strips to promote the snacks.

KP went all out to promote them to space fans, also commissioning a series of promotional posters you had to eat your way through several packets of the “Crispy Corn Snacks for Cosmonauts” to acquire… which 2000AD writer Michael Carroll not only did, but featured them here on his Rusty Staples blog.

Feeling hungry yet?

With thanks to Reuben Willmott for pulling these together

Web Links

• Boys’ Adventure Comics: KP crisps advertising campaign drawn by Robin Smith

• downthetubes: Brand Promotion? New Product to plug? Call a comic artist!

• Rusty Staples: Noncomics: KP Outer Spacers Free Space Posters

• downthetubes: Words From Beyond: Lady Penelope Artist Frank Langford Part 1 – Tardis Interview (item by Jeremy Briggs)

• downthetubes: Words From Beyond: Lady Penelope Artist Frank Langford Part 2 – Andersonic Quotes (item by Jeremy Briggs)

About the Author
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John Freeman

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.