You can subscribe to Rebellion's newsletter at their Treasury of British Comics website and that's where I saw this (with thanks to Richard Sheaf for the nudge!). Boy's World Annual 1971 had the J. T. Edson story "Johnny Boyland and the quail hunters" on pages 23-27 and Rebellion still have the original art which is a joy to see.
Boy's World Annual 1971 p.27
Boy's World Annual 1971 p.26
Boy's World Annual 1971 p.25
Boy's World Annual 1971 p.24
Boy's World Annual 1971 p.23
Rebellion added this short piece:
This month, the Rebellion archivists have found a quintet of stunning original Western illustrations by the legendary Frank Bellamy. Produced for the Boy’s World Annual 1971, the story 'Johnny Boyland and the Quail Hunters' was written by J. T. Edson.
Born in Kettering in 1917, Bellamy is renowned for his stunning work for Eagle and TV Century 21. With a radical approach to page layouts, and a sophisticated and innovative use of graphic effects and colours, his work truly stood out against the more staid and formulaic comics of the era. For Eagle he illustrated 'Heros the Spartan' and 'Fraser of Africa', as well as working on the lead 'Dan Dare' strip. He also drew 'Thunderbirds' and the splash center spreads [sic] of 'Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons' for TV Century 21, and the Daily Mirror's 'Garth' strip 1971 until his sudden death in 1976 at the age of 59.
Although fondly remembered, Boy's World was rather more short-lived than intended. Published from January 1963, Boy's World was meant to be an Eagle for the new decade, with full bleed magazine-style layouts and an impressive roster of creators, including writers such as Harry Harrison and Michael Moorcock, and artists like John M. Burns, Ron and Gerry Embleton, Gerald Haylock, Frank Langford, Brian Lewis Harry Bishop, and Luis Bermejo.
However, the project was beset by problems. Its original editor was replaced before launch and the first issue had to be substantially revamped in under six months. In the end, it lasted just 89 issues and in October 1964 it was folded into Eagle, the comic it had been intended to replace. The title continued as an Annual until 1972.
However, these small examples of Bellamy's work for Boy's World had a curious second life – the story and its illustrations were reprinted in exactly the same way in the Gold Star Gift Book for Boys from 1972, which reused material from the Boy's World Annuals from 1970 and 1971.
Bellamy only produced covers for five Captain Scarlet strips in TV21 - no centrespreads! It only takes a minute to count them in my index and the full details are there. The rest of those stories were drawn by Don Harley (2) and a further three drawn by Jim Watson - none on the centre pages.
Here's a link to the Gold Star Gift Book mentioned and isn't interesting that all these were reproduced at "same size" in the printed annual?
"Mikeluxy" has done us a favour. He has uploaded the complete 25 minute episode of "Quick on the
Draw" in which Frank Bellamy appears.It's not a great copy but beggars can't be choosers! The video is hosted on the always busy Archive.org - the link to his original is here but I've uploaded an edited version above which shows the introduction and Bellamy's bit. If you want to watch the whole programme, Bellamy appears at around 19 minutes and 24 seconds in the link to Mikeluxy's version.
BACKGROUND: QUICK ON THE DRAW
The format of the 25 minute show (including an advert break) was devised by Denis Gifford and the compère, Bob Monkhouse was a close friend. The format was for Monkhouse to sketch a visual joke and then ask the three other members of the panel to do the same in a given time. Each work would then be reviewed and nominal points added. Bill Tidy, the cartoonist famous for the Daily Mirror's "Fosdyke Saga" appeared regularly and this week, we see Leslie Crowther (of "Crackerjack" fame) and Diana Dors, the actress whom Bellamy got to know well, exchanging greeting cards. Monkhouse has Diana Darvey - an ex-Benny Hill girl - assist him.
In a letter dated 8 April 1974, Bellamy received his contract to appear on the show and on 23 April 1974 David Clark of Thames TV (Producer) thanked Frank Bellamy for his appearance and confirmed the transmission date as Wednesday 19 June 1974 at 3.55pm. Bellamy received a nominal £5 for his appearance. The programme was part of the post-school afternoon broadcasts (one wonders whether this was suitable with its seaside innuendo?) and was followed that day by "Little Big Time" at 16.20 and the very popular "Follyfoot" at 16.50. This episode's Director was Daphne Shadwell.
TRANSCRIPTION
The transcription was rather difficult as the audio is not good in places. Any corrections, please let me know. I have only transcribed the Bellamy section (c.3 minutes 11 seconds).
Bob Monkhouse: And this is a gentleman for whom I have the deepest possible respect. A great many of you who read one of the most popular daily papers in this country will follow the adventures in a strip there of a truly fantastic character. The character was created long ago, but only within the last three years has the finest dramatic illustrator in the British comic world taken on the job of bringing his adventures to the world. The only dramatic illustrator in fact to appear in this series, Quick On The Draw, is behind that door and I invite the panel to tell me, do you know the character that’s taking form?
PANEL : Garth
BM: Garth it is! Can you name the much celebrated……
BILL TIDY: FB!
BM: FB, indeed it is Bill, BT: Frank Bellamy, BM: Frank Bellamy, come out Frank, you’ve been caught at it.
[APPLAUSE]
BM: Frank, you know, I follow you around and pick up scraps of paper, that you happen to have …used for anything, quickly if you draw on them, so you know that I’ll do anything you say. But we want to find out if the panel will do as you say. Can you set them a problem?
Frank Bellamy: Something to do with a superhero, you know the old strong man, similar to Garth.
BM: Similar to Garth. We have the Garthfield ladies in the audience tonight….
[LAUGHTER]
BM: Right, A strong joke please in 30 seconds, and could you give us something similar please Frank? Thank you, draw away on my board, it’s um, fun to watch.
[SOUNDS OF ACTIVITY AND MUSIC IN BACKGROUND]
Camera 2 is peeping at you, from over your shoulder, or trying to. Can you just err, give a little bit that way [helps position FB for the camera], thanks. Ah, now camera 3 has a view. All our panellists are working away to try and produce a joke, about strength. It seems to me that Diana’s making a nice simple clear job of it. Diana would you like to tell us what the err, what the strength of that one is? [Background music fades]
DIANA DORS: Well that’s about the strongest thing I can think of, it’s a piece of Danish blue.
[LAUGHTER]
BM: That’s strong. Out of 5 Frank?
FB: Three
BM: Just three points for that. Bill Tidy, can you tell Frank what you’ve done?
BT: Yes, this is the strong lady, at the circus and the, err circus chief is saying to the clown, as he watches her struggling with his giant barbells, “By Jove, she’s come on a bit since “Plucky Postmistress Foils Nine Masked Intruders””.
[LAUGHTER APPLAUSE]
BM: Maximum marks for that one don’t you think…[FB: Yeh]. That’s a definite five. Leslie, what have you got for us?
LESLIE CROWTHER: Well, this, is, .. is designed to show the strength of the animal world, as you can see, it’s the zoo, this giraffe, but what you can’t see is the zoo keeper inside the house, who’s saying, “Shut that door. There’s a tremendous giraffe in here!”
[LAUGHTER APPLAUSE]
BM: Your job
FB: Um, er..4
BM: Another 4, another 4, and what have you done for us here Frank?
FB: Well, I haven’t time to draw Garth so I’ve just drawn his chest. BM: That’s his chest.
AUDIENCE GROANS
BM: Frank Bellamy thank you so much [for being here]
FB: Thank you so much, thank you
[APPLAUSE]
Finally, more on the TV Show on NostalgiaCentral and Denis Gifford created a book Quick on the draw! with a cover and caricatures by Chas Sinclair. It was published Arrow Books, in 1978 in conjunction with Independent Television Books.
The image from "Thunderbirds" above was posted recently on Facebook by my friend Jeff Haythorpe and this sparked a few discussions about how Bellamy managed a double-page spread plus a black and white page each week, which I'm picking up here. Before i start all the heavy detail, I want to repeat this is not a published black and white page from colour, it is in fact a black and white ink wash as Bellamy originally drew it. We need to go a bit backwards in time. Frank Bellamy drew the last "Heros the Spartan" story for Eagle which when published ended in Volume 16 No. 30 (24 July 1965). After this he drew two covers for the comic "Arms Through the Ages:The crossbow" (Vol 16:35 - 28 August 1965) and "Arms Through the Ages:The floating mine" (Volume 16: 36) published 4 September 1965 - both can be seen here. We know that the lead time (from submitting artwork to its publication) was usually 6 weeks, so Bellamy looks to have finished with Eagle circa last week of August 1965.
"Heros The Spartan" in Eagle Annual 1966, p.89
He received a cheque from Eagle paid in on 28 June 1965 and labelled "Heros #20" for £88/0/0d. So a double spread paid £88 (no shillings and no pence - pre-decimal money). Interestingly that last story has 22 episodes but I can't see these payments. He then received the same for the two "Arms through the Ages" covers (£88) paid in on 4 August 1965. I can't find any obvious record of the "Heros" story which appeared in the Eagle Annual 1966 (and would have most likely been completed before March 1965 - and gives me an excuse to show you the first page of that story!). So we can say the last cheque from Eagle was paid in on 4 August 1965.
So the big question is what did he do then? After such a long run with Hulton - and the new comics group under the title Odhams / Longacre Press / Fleetway where did he go?
We know that Bellamy submitted a letter of application to the Royal Society of Arts in March 1965 - perhaps thinking about the ending of a comic era, he wanted to look in other directions. The letter went before the committee on May 10th and following this he not only became a member but gained the post-nominals Fellow of the RSA such was his artwork held in high esteem by his peers - most likely his non-comic work which he had been exhibiting around various places in the preceding few years.
On the 12 July 1965 he received a response to his resignation letter. It arrived on Odhams letter headed paper from Alfred F. Wallace (Managing Editor, Juvenile Publications), confirming Bellamy was free of any commitments, and wishing him all the best for the future.
TV21 #54 pages 10-11 - the third "Thunderbirds" issue
Looking at when the first "Thunderbirds" was published (TV21 #52 dated 15 January 2066 - actually 1966 as the clever device was it was a newspaper from 100 years in the future!), we see he drew both a colour centrespread plus a black and white page - so three pages a week. This lasted from #52 to #65 (15 January 1966 - 16 April 1966) covering two stories - "Forest Inferno" and "White Rhino Rescue" - 14 weeks.
In their interview with Bellamy, Dez Skinn and Dave Gibbons asked about how he came to be involved:
Alan Fennell, the writer of the TV "Stingray", "Thunderbirds" and so on, was the first editor of TV21. He approached me saying he was wanting to start a comic of the same quality as Eagle, but with the Century 21 look about it, more S-F orientated. Alan wanted me to draw "Stingray", the lead strip in TV Century 21, number 1. But, because I was working for Eagle at that time I wouldn't leave to draw "Stingray". I felt I had to fulfil my commitments with Eagle, which I did, and then after explaining to the Eagle editor, Alf Wallace, we parted as best of friends and I started work for TV Century 21. It was clear, at this stage, that it would be a wise move to change anyway, because in 1966 Eagle was tailing off a bit, whereas TV Century 21 was a new magazine. [It actually ended with Volume 20:17 - 26 April 1969 ~Norman]
Asked if it was hard drawing puppets in an action setting, he replied
Yes, it was a problem. Everybody had seen them on the television, and so they would think of the characters as l8"-high puppets, which they were. So I had to decide whether to make them look like the puppets they were, or the people they were supposed to be. I went for forgetting they were puppets, other than simplifying the heads, which had to be recognisable from the established versions on the television.
Also Nancy told her version - expanding a bit - to Alan Woollcombe:
Gerry Anderson wanted Frank to illustrate ‘Thunderbirds’ so Alan Fennell (editor of TV Century 21) took us over to meet Gerry and Sylvia. He showed us all round the studios, showed us how they made the scenes and the puppets work so Frank agreed to illustrate ‘Thunderbirds’. Eagle was going down the drain anyway. The only thing was, be hated drawing puppets, so he made all the puppets look more human.
Asked if Frank had models to work from, Nancy replied:
Just the heads, white heads. The funny thing was, they were ever such ghastly things, and I was always playing jokes on my son David. One night he came in really late so I had got all these heads and arranged them along the pillow on his bed, and then covered them up with the sheet. When he came in, there were all these ghostly heads grinning at him, dead white... oh, I heard him scream!
In 1992 Nancy was interviewed on local radio and this is how she related the same story:
Gerry Anderson was deciding to bring out a comic on Thunderbirds and Alan Fennell, he was the Editor, got in touch with Frank and they had a meeting with Gerry Anderson at Slough. So I went along as well and Gerry Anderson was very kind and he showed us all around.. well, it was a sort of factory where they made the Thunderbird films and he showed how the puppets worked, how the special effects were done, and it was a very interesting day. Also, I was very thrilled when Sylvia Anderson drove up in a beautiful shocking pink sports car because it reminded me of Lady Penelope.
Getting back to the first "Thunderbirds" strips, in the records shared with us by Nancy Bellamy, we have not only the above payment data but a very interesting payment listed on 29 July 1965 for "TV21 1" which paid £126. When he was paid for 'series three' which went down to just a colour double-page spread, he was paid £94/10/0d - so £94.50 in modern parlance. When it changed to 2 separate pages he was paid less - £80 - which I find strange!
Later in the interview he was asked about why Thunderbirds changed from a centrespread to two separate colour pages
The reason they split the spread with a gutter was purely that they could sell two separate pages to the continental market, for reprinting, better than an awkwardly—shaped centrespread.
But did you notice that he was PAID in July 1965 for "Thunderbirds"?
So between his last "Heros" and the two 'stray' covers he was already working on "Thunderbirds". We know he kept up the double-page spreads and later the two separate colour pages so I wonder how far ahead of himself he got? Also it must be said, Ron Embleton, Mike Noble and Don Harley were able to create 2 B&W pages plus one and half colour pages around TV21 #150 onwards so what looks like a tremendous output was similarly done by others too. So Frank Bellamy had a long lead time to get his photo reference and puppet reference before commencing on, what I consider his most read comic strip.
During the discussion of the TV21 #54 image at the top of this article, Graham Bleathman kindly shared his TV21 #52 black and white page, so let's end this here - I've added the published double-page spread of the very first "Thunderbirds" comic strip written by Alan Fennell and drawn in inks by Frank Bellamy, for your enjoyment
Just a quick note to mention that a lovely copy of Heros the Spartan artwork has come up in Compalcomics Auctions latest auction. The whole catalogue is open for realtime bidding at thesaleroom.com and Malcolm still lists them on his website too at Compalcomics
The piece we're interested in comes from Eagle Volume 15 number 23, dated 6 June 1964. It's a very nicely preserved piece and is the first episode of "Axe of Arguth", Bellamy's third story (of four plus the annual) about Heros.
The lot is described thus:
Lot # 60: Heros the Spartan original double page artwork (1964) painted and signed by Frank Bellamy for The Eagle Vol. 15. No 23 'Surviving a terrible storm, Heros and his crew are attacked by strange vessels, their wild, stocky leader screaming the Romans will face a task more terrible than any the spirits of evil and darkness could devise!' Bright Pelikan inks on board. 28 x 20 ins. The Heros title lettering and rectangular text boxes are laser copy additions to complete the look of the artwork £4,000-4,500
I'd like to have seen the artwork without the lettering added by a keen collector, but I understand the desire to have a copy of what was published.
That last panel always reminds me of Graham Ingels gruesome work for the infamous E C Comics and which influenced Bernie Wrightson's work later in the late 60s where he would often use the device. I can see a similar image by Wrightson, but can't lay my hands on it. Anyone point me to the right image?
A Heros The Spartan artwork painted and signed by Frank Bellamy sold under its estimate after the auction’s close at £2750
I spoke to a collector who was of the opinion there was nothing exceptional about this particular piece, and I agree.
AUCTION SUMMARY
Heros the Spartan Eagle 6 June 1964 (Vol.15:23) WHERE?: TheSaleroom / Compal Auctions
STARTING BID: £3600 Auctioneer's estimate: £4,000 - £4,500
ENDING PRICE: £Unsold at starting bid - sold after auction at £2750
END DATE: 27 August 2023
I was going to write about a great exhibition entitled "KAPOW –The Art of Making Comics and Films" which runs until 9 September 2023 at the Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, Little Elborow Street, Rugby, CV21 3BZ which has been reviewed on DownTheTubes
James Bacon has not only done a better job than I would have done, but his photos are better too. Respect James!
Here are some of my images which at least record which Bellamy artwork what was displayed along with my ramblings.
"Sequential visual storytelling is the art of our time" it says on one bit of blurb on the wall, and film and comics go so nicely together but have differences - so well shown here. "Colour is like the soundtrack of a film" The exhibition's strength is that it really set me thinking when 'exclaiming' like this but also demonstrating what it meant. I couldn't help but think Mike Noble's excellent example would have worked well here to show sketch to finish to colour and how colour added so much more. "Thumbnails and roughs are like the building blocks of a story"...but of course not everyone needed to do either of these. Bellamy drew rough sketches and then went straight to inks. There are some great examples of comic art methods, styles, workings using artwork by Jock, Ian Churchill, and fantasy artist Bob Cheshire in this exhibition and the artists' generosity has made this an excellent exhibition.
Bellamy's Thunderbirds at Rugby
The double-page spread is a high quality print from the original art (TV Century 21 # 125 10 June 1967) and the single page is the original art from TV Century 21 # 217 15 March 1969
Models and Supermarionation
I felt this information panel would have been better placed near the "Dan Dare" board by Frank Hampson et al (but with that common error "The Eagle" corrected to "Eagle") as his studio used many maquettes and models to draw from. But we do know Frank Bellamy also had puppet heads to draw from and also visited the APF studio in Slough when the filming of "Thunderbirds" took place - so I suppose this works here too.
Round the corner we see the section labelled "Comic Styles" with a wonderful selection to illustrate the many forms of comics (including "Danger Mouse" with an "Unknown Artist" attribution - isn't this Arthur Ranson, who is credited later with "Duckula"? It is indeed - checked with Arthur!). I suspect Bellamy, in his usual modest style would have been awed to be right next to Berni Wrightson and one of the latter's most famous works! I remembered copying one of those panels in my A Level art class!
"Comic Styles"
"Comic Styles" explained
The two pieces here are both from "The Wolfman of Ausensee" 'Garth' story. F170 + F171 are the consecutive strips, for those who want to know and below them, the Hampson "Dan Dare".
'Garth' F170 & F171
I came away having been challenged to think further about comic art -and I've been no slouch over the last 60+ years! There are many models and TV elements I haven't mentioned as well. Wallace & Gromit artwork and models brought a smile to an older man, and the 'Van Gogh' room as I called it was excellent!
We've just got over the excitement of the Frank Bellamy "Edition" interview and Alan has uploaded two more interviews. Alan Hayes has a website, called Hidden Tiger which will be of interest to anyone who likes 'Cult TV'.
1976 ITV: ANGLIA TV: ABOUT ANGLIA: Chris Young Interview 1976
Chris Young interviewed Frank Bellamy in Geddington where he moved to in his last year of life. Geddington is near Kettering and famous for being one of the places where Queen Eleanor's body when rested on its route to Westminster Abbey from Nottingham and subsequently it had a cross placed at the spot. It can still be seen today. If you're visiting, have a look at the Star Inn too as it appeared in one of Bellamy's "Garth" strips, "The Spanish Lady"
The interview starts with an introduction, and leads to the interviewer Chris Young taking to Frank and seeing examples of his work. We can date the interview from the internal evidence that Bellamy has illustrated Garth for 5 years (he began in 1971).
The TRANSCRIPTION
ANNOUNCER’S INTRODUCTION
Frank Bellamy gives millions of people all over Britain a brief dose of escapism, over the Cornflakes or perhaps on the way to work. It’s his pen that creates the daily adventures of that durable veteran cartoon superman Garth, hero of a thousand adventures in the Daily Mirror. Chris Young visited Frank and Garth at their home in Kettering.
CHRIS YOUNG INTRODUCTION For nearly 5 years, Frank Bellamy has lived every one of Garth’s extraordinary adventures, in his studio, first in his house in Surrey, now at his new home, a bungalow at Geddington near Kettering. The monsters and other baddies that Garth has done battle with, and of course beaten, were created solely by him before being committed to paper for the regular enjoyment of the Daily Mirror’s several million readers. The strip is also syndicated and is actually seen in many countries throughout the world. Frank Bellamy’s first published works were cartoons of local footballers in the Kettering Evening Telegraph. Just after the war he moved to Fleet Street, working in an advertising studio and in 1953 went freelance when he was offered the first comic strip of his very own in Mickey Mouse Weekly. Later he spent 8 years on the Eagle comic during which time he helped draw the almost legendary figure of Dan Dare. By himself, on the same comic he illustrated the entire Field Marshall Montgomery and Sir Winston Churchill stories. He’s also done regular work for the Sunday Times and the Radio Times and three years ago was judged the best foreign artist by the American Academy of Comic Book Artists. But Frank all his career had dreamt of drawing Garth a story which first appeared more than 30 years ago. Now work on the strip is a full time job, as it appears six days a week.
INTERVIEW Chris Young: Now, looking closely at this original Garth drawing, Frank, how difficult is it to get action into such a small space?
Frank Bellamy: Well, it is very difficult because it is, as you can see, quite a small space, that’s why he’s chopped off [a lot there] the point [here and there] for example, is to show violent action. Someone being shot instead of sagging down er…gracefully dying, being shot out of the picture you see. That’s why I have this little composition he’s forward from that I hope The same here he’s too being shot. This is violence in a western once again illustrating the…how Garth can be a detective one minute, he can be a Sheriff, he’s as a Marshall actually, the next minute in this.
CY: OK, so let’s move on, because you don’t only do Garth, in the past you have done all sorts of other things, haven’t you?
FB: Yes, this
CY: This is what?
FB: This is Thunderbirds. And this is a development of mine, to stop the usual treatment of a strip, which was picture after picture after picture, to give a composition to a complete double page spread including one frame, which is right the way across. This is showing the entrance to the Atlantic Tunnel. There’s an aircraft taking off here [an airfield]
CY: And this is all your imagination?
FB: This is purely and simply imagination and I was saying before, getting involved, feeling mentally about it, and that’s what actually makes me draw pictures in that way…
CY: It would take a long time to draw that.
FB: It would, this is a case of having to draw one of these every week, regularly.
CY: Alright , let’s look at the next one. Now we’re getting a bit more serious aren’t we?
FB: This is to show, er, heart attacks and treatment, non-photographically, purely pictorial journalism this and er..showing what happens during a heart attack. I’m afraid it’s rather a quick jump from comics. But, is exactly the same treatment, same approach on Thunderbirds, Garth or this.
CY: And that was in the Sunday Times?
FB: This was in the Sunday Times colour supplement, yes.
CY: Alright, and beneath that?
FB: In other words they accept the comic strip medium
CY: Even in a er…serious newspaper
FB: This one is the pre the first moon landing. I must tell you it’s the first strip that I have ever drawn minus balloons [WHAT?]. It would have been lovely to say I made it, [WHAT?] but it is the first time drawing a strip minus balloons and in this case for real because I’ve been drawing for years science fiction, it seems funny to draw it naturally happening.
CY: But that was done before the moon landing?
FB: This was done before the actual moon landing
CY: Were you fairly, er, accurate?
FB: All the way through, I understand. Yes.
CY: It all came true
FB: Yes. Ha ha ha !
ANNOUNCER’S ROUNDUP
The talent of one of Britain’s top illustrators Frank Bellamy
[4 minutes 38 seconds]
1976 BBC: LOOK EAST 9 March 1976
The second interview comes from the regional show Look East (BBC East Anglia) and is an article that has been recorded (obviously). To date the film has not been found The Interview takes place again at Frank's house in Geddington. We suspect, from what's said Frank Bellamy drew his interviewer. Interestingly I have a copy of the letter sent commissioning this interview. George Milner-Smith wrote on 23 February 1976 on BBC Norwich letter heading and he apparently enclosed a photo and symbol for Look East. He states the transmission date “is due to be” Tuesday 9 March 1976 - dependent on the day's other news stories - presumably a rail disaster might supersede the interview. Milner-Smith requested a cartoon (is this because of last line of the interview?)
The TRANSCRIPTION
ANNOUNCER’S INTRODUCTION
FADE IN ….Northamptonshire, and he now draws one of the top newspaper cartoons, Garth in the Daily Mirror. In Look East tonight he talks about his work.
[BAD CUT ON TAPE]
INTRODUCTION …and behind the comic strip in today’s paper [BAD CUT ON TAPE] …a cartoon is one of the biggest selling points of any newspaper. Now, one of the most successful cartoons is Garth in the Daily Mirror. It’s drawn by an artist from Northamptonshire, Frank Bellamy. Now, today Garth is engaged in a life or death struggle on a cliff top. It’s the strip Frank Bellamy was drawing when we talked to him in his home in Kettering.
Garth, for the uninitiated, is the ageless hero of many adventures in time and space. And this is only one of many commissions which fill the day of one of Britain’s top illustrators. Frank Bellamy has been drawing all his life and his work is in demand all over the world. But he’s never been to art school.
During the heyday of British comics Frank worked for the Eagle since it ceased publication several issues have become collector’s items. He’s been drawing the Garth strip for the last five years, responsible for every drawing of each day’s issue. But what sort of a challenge does it all present?
INTERVIEW
FB: It’s difficult to say what sort of challenges. The only challenges I can really say are challenges on your inventiveness and being able to churn out the work in a given time, because,…for my money a deadline is absolute religion, of course, I must stick to those things which separates me from the weekend painter. I’m having to do a thing to a given format and a given time. Each one has its own problems. My er.. contribution is to present this visually and I like, if possible, to present it in a different way each day, not repeat what’s happened previously or the way a presentation, in fact, keep it flying all the time. It sounds very easy but I can assure you it isn’t at all.
Accuracy is very important because the readership of, for instance, the Daily Mirror could be between 13 and 14 million. Somewhere along the line, if I’m drawing a western there’s someone there who’s probably a buff on western arms and ammunition and clothing, I must be correct because they always like to write in and say you’ve made a mistake. For instance, there’s a job over there for the old Eagle I was rather pleased with the presentation, the whole thing, it went through the editors, all the process engravers all these various people seeing this particular work, no-one noticed, other than the readers when it happened. You’ll notice that I have a German infantryman there firing his rifle, there’s the flash from the muzzle, but I’m afraid the bolt is up in the air instead of down. All the readers write in, spot that deliberate little mistake, which wasn’t so deliberate, it was an absolute mistake on my part, it’s bound to happen every now and again.
I started Eagle the famous Eagle, which I’m sure is the ultimate in children’s comics in 1957. I spent a number of years, enjoyable years, drawing for Eagle because it was a cut above any comics that had ever been known in this country before. This Montgomery is one of Eagle’s, and from there in later years they approached me to see if I would draw Dan Dare. I wasn’t over keen on drawing Dan Dare because I hadn’t originated the characters. However, I did the drawings for a year, exactly a year, and they then wanted me to go ahead and draw a centrespread, which is in full colour, which was Heros the Spartan, which I drew for a number of years, I forget how many. He was a cross between a Greek warrior and a Roman warrior and is what we call sword and sorcery. Could be up to all sorts of things; mysterious islands, monsters, queer beings, all sorts of things with this historical element running through the whole thing. It was a very adventurous story, bags of battles, lots and lots of hard work for me I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. And it was an unusual type of strip on the British market. They were usually science fiction, westerns, basically school stories, police, cops and robbers, this was historical with a lot of fantasy which was first class for strip cartoons.
Unfortunately, Eagle, after its tremendous success gradually did fold and I’m afraid television took over. And here’s an example, when I left Eagle going into draw Thunderbirds. Here’s an example of the difference between drawing Dan Dare which was fiction which seemed years ahead, we were in a scientific age and it had caught up and it made extra problems for me to invent, particularly in things - sequences such as this.
[5 minutes 37 seconds]
There are more interviews to come! Alan and I have been communicating about them.
***SEE BELOW FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH FRANK BELLAMY***
Radio Times 24 Nov - 30 Nov 1973 p.4
We got a nice surprise in 1973 when opening the weekly Radio Times (24 November 1973 - 30 November 1973). On page 4 there's an article which includes a photo of Frank Bellamy surrounded by his artwork. The title of the piece "Modest
strip artist" has a half page article on Edition where Barry Askew interviews Bellamy for the programme broadcast on
30 November 1973. The photo - much used - was credited to Jeremy Grayson with a bye-line "Frank Bellamy: suffers agonies of diffidence bringing
work to Radio Times".
The article text:
Frank Bellamy must be the world's most modest strip artist The Eagle strips he created for schoolboys in the late 50s and 60s - Fraser of Africa, Marco Polo and The Happy Warrior - are legendary now. Garth, his Daily Mirror strip, is a cult hero. But he still suffers agonies of diffidence when he's bringing in a piece of art work for RADIO TIMES. He's diffident, too, about appearing in Edition (Friday 11.40 pm BBC2). "I never had an art school training", he says, "And I still remember my first day's work in an advertising studio: I made tea and cut myself on the guillotine machine. Never touched a pencil." He says he sees figures as a camera might. "And I never cheat at drawing. If I'm in doubt, I use myself as a model. I know I've occasionally caught myself snarling in the mirror".
The corresponding page in the TV listings (page 51) shows:
Radio Times (24 Nov 1973 - 30 Nov 1973) Page 51
Bill Storie, a friend of the blog and keen Bellamy fan previously wrote on this blog:
In my view Barry Askew held the opinion that comics were
ephemeral and hardly worth mentioning and the usual BAM, POW, CRASH were mentioned - a good indicator that someone's view of comics is stuck in
the 60s Batman show. The programme, Edition, went out as the last programme of the evening (yes, TV used to be less than 24 hours a day!) and states "Frank Bellamy, the artist who draws 'Garth' in the Daily Mirror and the Daily Record [...]"
Bill goes onto say:
The Radio Times "Modest Strip Artist" reference mentions that (erroneously) FB drew for the Daily Record - this is technically accurate inasmuch as he was never (as far as I know) commissioned to do art for that paper but his work did appear there quite often in the form of Garth and various other spot illustrations such as the moon landing piece. Back in those days the Daily Record was basically the Scottish version of the Daily Mirror (the Mirror did not have a large Scottish readership and much of the Mirror's daily output was simply re-jigged into the Daily Record). [See much more on this issue here ~Norman]
You can now hear the whole interview thanks to Alan Hayes (hiddentigerculttv) and he has this description on the audio:
Comic
artist Frank Bellamy (1917-1976), who is famous for his work on
publications such as The Eagle, TV21 and Radio Times, interviewed on the
BBC2 late night programme 'Edition', hosted by Barry Askew.
Bellamy
is highly thought of, particularly by fans of comic art, Gerry Anderson
and Doctor Who, but also of The Avengers, for which he supplied
on-screen artwork for the 1967 episode 'The Winged Avenger'.
Soundtrack only - a rare off-air recording. Originally transmitted on Friday 30th November 1973.
It's 8 minutes and 18 seconds long (including the intro and 'outro' plus station ident - I sound as if I know what I'm talking about!) I transcribed the version I had and have included it below so the text is searchable, but Bill is right. It's not the best interview! But Bellamy was paid £40 ""to provide own drawings and to be interviewed". As an ex-librarian I had the privilege of going behind the scenes at the BBC Archives and checked with an expert - the programme was another victim of the tape wiping that has caused many a Doctor Who fan to weep! If it ever appears, Frank's estate is due a re-broadcast fee!
The Transcript:
ANNOUNCER: “Now we close the evening here on Two with Edition.”
[INTRO MUSIC]
[INTRODUCTION] BARRY ASKEW: “Edition POW!, that’s one man’s view of me sitting here in the studio. The only thing he hasn’t drawn are my tortured tonsils, for which my apologies at the outset. Frank Bellamy, whose cartoons have a unique unchanging quality, stretching from Dan Dare in Eagle to Garth which he now does in the Daily Mirror. Later in Edition we look at his work in the world of comics.
[INTERVIEW] BA Frank Bellamy, I suppose you’re best known for your work on Garth in the Daily Mirror, currently. Having looked at that film where mainly we saw American comics, in fact. What kind of comics did you grow up on, as a boy, yourself?
FB Well, the first ones were things such as Chips or Rainbow and then gradually getting Sunday supplements from the United States which contained Tarzan and that type of thing. There you see the American comic as you see it in the, er.. film, was non-existent in this country. There were comics, [little types] , for sort of eight year olds, right down to six and five…
BA Things like Beano and Dandy which I grew up on?
FB Yes. I’m afraid they didn’t affect me at all, I never used to read those sort of things.
BA Let’s look at what did, in fact, affect you. I mean, one of your classic periods was with Eagle and there we have an example of Dan Dare. Now what kind of technique development do you put into Dan Dare?
FB The technique I used, you mean the materials?
BA Yes.
FB The materials I use are exactly the same during all my career as a strip artist; waterproof inks. In this case, full colour waterproof inks.
BA What about the design techniques themselves, how were those developed?
FB That was a development of mine. I was tired of seeing frame upon frame of little, squared off pictures which was the old fashioned idea. I wanted to bring out the page as a complete page or a spread as a complete spread, make it a unit in its own right.
BA You also I think had special thoughts on colour, didn’t you?
FB Oh yes.
BA If we look at, for example, we have Fraser of Africa there, which is another Eagle piece of work. Tell me about the colour that goes into that.
FB You’ll notice on this one it’s sepia run through it. The idea originally was to develop a different type of strip to the others, which were either full colour or black and white monochrome. This had to be reproduced in full colour, I gave them colour experiments which they put under the process cameras, all proved positive and that’s the net result; producing that sepia look and a different er..look to the page in the Eagle.
BA With something again for the Eagle, like Montgomery of Alamein, there’s an interesting example there of the way that you use frames and shapes in different ways.
FB Well, there once again is breaking up this square frame, one on top of another and to bring out important frames. For instance, the one in the centre there, was just to give a monochrome look to associate with the monochrome films of the second world war.
BA Yes, er..TV21, which was a magazine, um..is that a completely different technique, or is that just a development of the one we’ve seen?
FB It’s just a development, the materials, as I said in the first place, it’s exactly the same here as the first, say, Dan Dare ones we had Eagles, which is going back to the 1960s.
BA Yes, and of course there we have Star Trek that I think is er.., is er.. the Radio Times
FB Yes, a full page in the Radio Times, once again, exactly the same technique.
BA This seems to imply that your technique hasn’t changed very much at all over the years. Is that so?
FB Er.. very little. It’s intentional because I’m always conscious of the printer and their limitations. It gives me limitations but I’m prepared to accept it.
BA What kind of limitations, if we are looking, for example, at that Sunday Times Colour Supplement front cover there, what kind of limitations do you have to bear in mind for the printer, in producing that?
FB I give him pure colour so that it will reproduce purely. There’s the red, there’s no black or anything, I use one red, one yellow, one blue. [So that you do] not confuse the process people with umpteen different colours on the original you see.
BA But to bring it right up to date, of course, you are I suppose, obviously most famous for Garth and here we have one or two examples of Garth. I think the first one in fact, is from last April, isn’t it.
FB Yes, yes, it’s a western strip, actually. Previous to the er..first one, which was of course taking place in the present day, he arrives in a ghost town and gradually changes off into er.. the old west.
BA He’s a remarkable looking character there, isn’t he?
FB Suddenly you see on the second episode there, he is er..a western Marshall.
BA And then you bring him right up to date, if we look at, for example, yesterday’s and today’s. What’s he doing here, what’ve you made him here?
FB This is what.. we, er.., loosely call it a suit story – this is when people are walking about in suits, this is espionage and all that sort of thing. I can’t tell you any further because that would be giving the show away on a present running story.
BA How long has that got to run?
FB Um.. they usually ..[run] about seventeen weeks, it varies one way and another, usually about seventeen weeks.
BA Right. You can’t give them any kind of sneak preview?
FB Er, ooh, all I can say is that with one mighty heave he gets out of it as usual.
BA I see. Tell me how one sets about drawing um..a Garth strip. Can you show me?
FB Well, yes. In this way; there is a piece of board exactly the same way I would use for the Garth strip. [scratching sounds of pencil on board] Set it out in pencil in this manner and once again you’ll notice I break up the frames. I’ll show you on this one here. For the start, of course, there’s the balloon and stuff to go in, [scratching sound on board] [mumbling] it’s about the most important piece of all.
BA Does the scripting give you a problem? How do you relate the script to your er..to your work?
FB I keep in general to the script. Occasionally you get little things that on a typewritten script don’t work visually. Then it’s up to me to er.. re-draw, [scratching sound] or re-think, or present it in a different manner.
BA If.. if you find a script that you’re not, yourself, in sympathy with, I mean, can you draw to that or not?
FB Well, yes, but er….
BA If you don’t actually feel the script?
FB More often than not, I try to make myself feel it and it’s much better if you, I can get one that I’m interested in in the first place. For instance, the western one, I was thoroughly interested in drawing a western because I want to get these little bits of authenticity in a western instead of just a cowboy story.
BA How long would it take you in fact to do a complete Garth strip?
FB Agh, that’s a difficult one. All I can say is that I have to complete bank of six..my pen’s running out… six a week and come what may, a deadline is a deadline, it’s a religion to me. And er..they have to have one every week.
BA Well there we see it, the end of a complete live Garth strip, specially for Edition. And Frank Bellamy thank you very much indeed for that example of your technique.
FB Oh, thank you.
BA From Edition now it’s goodnight
[MUSIC].
Many thanks to Richard Farrell for alerting me to the fact there was now a public version to hear online!
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