Frank Bellamy writes letters

"Comic Media Vol 2 no 2 whole number 9" it says in the indices. This particular issue of Nick Landau's fanzine carried an extensive interview with Peter O'Donnell (Modesty Blaise's creator) and an advert drawn by someone called Dave Gibbons (end irony) but is more of interest to Bellamy completists because Frank Bellamy wrote a letter that was published.

This wasn't the only letter we know about.

Bellamy also wrote to Dez Skinn's Fantasy Advertiser and Mike Tiefenbacher and Jerome Sinkovec Menomonee Falls Gazette

Fantasy Advertiser Vol. 3:43 May 1972, (no page numbers) had the usual Battlefield! letter column and the first letter taking pride of place is by Bellamy (incidentally that Dave Gibbons artwork also appears here too!)

and lastly (until more are discovered) the one from Menomonee Falls Gazette

This brilliant newspaper/magazine was published reprinting strips from all over the world in black and white. Garth started on September 4 1972 with the opening episode of Sundance which was not illustrated by Bellamy. This seems odd but if the guys hadn't reprinted this the Bellamy  episode wouldn't help them understand the story. Bellamy actually started in September 18 number 40

Tiefenbacher and Sinkovec wrote a letter asking for explanation of Allard's role in the strip's creation Bellamy's reply is interesting. Follow the links above (and as usual click on the NOTE links) to see the full copies on the website

ADDITION - Letter from Frank Bellamy

Thanks to Richard Sheaf for forwarding scans of the cover and the letter that was published in Fantasy Advertiser Vol 3:43, May 1972, I thought it worth showing both here



The cover is not by Bellamy, but by Jim Baikie (does he really not have his own website?) who I know best for his co-creation of Skizz in 2000AD. The date of the fanzine is May 1972 - eleven years before that work!

Anway getting onto the Bellamy connection, his letter is really listed here for the purists among us. Later an interview and a portfolio of Bellamy's work appears in Dez Skinn's wonderful Fantasy Advertiser which are brilliant if you ever manage to get a copy