Frank Bellamy and Alan Vince

The most recent Eagle Times (Vol 24 No 2 Summer 2011) has a feature by the always interesting Alan Vince.  He profiles some of Bellamy's illustrations in the Radio Times, Sunday Times Colour Magazine supplement, called 'Eureka' and the Daily Mirror. Nice collection of artwork.

The tiger (shown from the article - below) was first shown to the public (to my knowledge) by the reporter Tony Smith on the Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph Thursday 8 May 1980, p.16

 

Tony kindly sent it to me from his scrapbook of cuttings - thus the sellotape - and I'm grateful to him. I have reproduced it below - please excuse the crudeness of the picture!

The interesting thing about the article by Alan Vince is that he reports on a visit to the Hulton House - the home of the Eagle comic, a lady mentioned to him that the Esso for Extra advert was by Bellamy. Alan says here that he had never heard this before or since - and neither have I. However I think I can help clear this up.

In last year's Raymond Sheppard: Master illustrator exhibition catalogue written by Paul Liss (and in which I had a hand) he writes, with the help of Sheppard's daughter, Christine:

© Paul Liss 2010

Knowing Sheppard's work very well, I know that the following is by him too. But you can see where the confused story by the Eagle lady came about as both tigers are striking a similar pose, but this is definitely by Raymond Sheppard, not Bellamy. But I do like all three versions!