Frank Bellamy appeared in Lion

Steve Holland's new comics index

Not many people realise that Frank Bellamy's work appeared in the Lion comic, which ran in the UK from 23 February 1952 to 18 May 1974.

I discovered this fact solely because someone mentioned it in their eBay listing years ago and I won the comic - ironically shipped from the USA!

The art in question isn't worth spending money on! I bet you never thought I'd say that about Frank Bellamy's art!

The Lion Holiday Special (undated but published in 1977) pp36-48 reprints the gloriously coloured Fraser of Africa in a horrible blurred black and white!!! And to add insult to injury, the panels were cut up and rearranged for the different sized page. It's a good thing Frank didn't see this travesty!

Lion Holiday Special [1977]

The original ran from 27 May 1961-12 August 1961 (Vol. 12:21 - 12:32) of the Eagle comic and looked like this

Eagle 27 May 1961

Why do I mention this now?

Because when a book is published (see the image at the top) that contains data on the run of Lion comics (and Annuals, Specials etc.) the librarian in me needs to check its validity. And once again I couldn't fault Steve Holland's dedication to his profession as National (Comics) Treasure!

If you pop along to Steve's Bear Alley Books website, you see his description and details of how to purchase it.

If you think £25.99 sounds expensive, it isn't. This work is not likely to ever be published again and especially in such detail with accompanying articles and pictures. It's a great read in itself and has sent me back to the Lion comic to re-read some of my childhood favourites.  The pictures are reproduced crystal clearly and even this old man can read the original art

262 pages is not stressed enough on the site. That's more pages than Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (and Lion: King of Picture Story Papers is eminently more readable IMHO). It's a gorgeous book and if we are snow-bound as the media has been saying for weeks, I have plenty to keep me amused this chilly January weekend!

Go and buy it and support this great work. I get no commission, I just love an excuse to praise and highlight brilliant comic scholarship and especially British comic scholarship...but it must connect to Frank Bellamy in some way as this did!

Frank Bellamy and C. T. Stoneham

Charles Thurley Stoneham (1895-1965) Thanks to Richard Simms for the photo

Watching the fantastic David Attenborough series 'Africa' I was bowled over by the image of rhinoceros groups greeting each other under the starlight and it brought back memories of Bellamy's work on C. T. Stoneham's writings. 

I'm not sure if this works internationally but this link includes the clip I'm talking about. Sorry, if it doesn't work for you, but never mind here's Bellamy's cover for Boy's Own Paper March 1953. For a larger scan follow the 'More information' link on the website

Boy's Own Paper March 1953 Cover

Bellamy's internal illustration shows the rhino by moonlight (again follow the 'More information' link for a larger scan)

Pages 20-21

Besides the four Stoneham stories that Bellamy illustrated in Boy's Own Paper, he also did a cover for a Stoneham paperback reprint of Wanderings in Wild Africa  As Simms tells us "This volume includes chapters detailing Stoneham's experiences on five safaris, as well as practical information on how to hunt big-game and organize an expedition. This book was reprinted in 1957 under the title Wildest Africa."

Wildest Africa - my copy scanned and joined

Photo of the original art (thanks to Jeff Haythorpe)

The reverse of the original art (again thanks Jeff) - note the date

Interestingly Richard goes for 1957, where I took 1958 from the British Library's accession record. However looking again I see they have two copies of the Digit Book dated 1957 and 1958. If only Brown & Watson had included the publication date, we scholars would have less work! If Bellamy, in his own writing says he completed it in December 1956 it seems likely it was published 1957. So I have amended the webpage listing accordingly. I'll add these to my list for when I visit the British Library again. Fortunately they are printed covers not dustjackets, which the BL used to dispose of before adding books to stock. Tough luck illustration art researchers!

For larger scans see the 'More Information' link on the Book listing page

Lastly, Bellamy actually wrote to and received a reply from Stoneham when Bellamy was interested in going on safari. It never came to anything, but an interesting side note!

New Garth Story: The Doomsmen

Starting today in the Daily Mirror the new Garth story The Doomsmen. Originally published from the 3rd May 1975 to the 15th August 1975 (#J102-J191) this has also been reprinted in the following publications:

• Garth: The Doomsmen (Daily strips No. 7) London: John Dakin, February 1981 A4 size reprint 20 pages - Print run 1000 Another edition found published by the Daily Mirror with Copyright John Dakin taken off and where it says No.7, instead it says Daily Mirror 
• Garth: The Doomsmen All Devon Comic Collectors Club Daily Strips: Collectors Club Editions No.7 [No date] - Information from Garth: the index (Pub: ADCCC)

Thanks again to Martin Baines for permission to use his artwork.

Friday 28th December 2012 © Daily Mirror

Sundance comes to an end

Thursday 27th December 2012

See you back here tomorrow for the first episode of The Doomsmen, kindly supplied like the above by the colourist Martin Baines.

Frank Bellamy and Outspan magazine

I have been searching for Outspan magazines for 12 years after having been to the British Library to actually find the details of Bellamy's run in that magazine title. Martin Baines, who colours the current reprints of Bellamy's Garth, asked me whether I could write something on Outspan and I can't refuse him a favour as he has been so kind to me (and you too!)

I need to tell you I do not own a single copy of Bellamy's work in Outspan so all the illustrations you see are photos taken with my camera of the photocopies I ordered from the British Library. 

"Timeliner" by Charles Eric Maine.

The Outspan ("A South African weekly for everybody"), copied the successful format of the UK Everybody's magazine, but the former was published in Bloemfontein, South Africa, starting in 1927 and later became Personality with the 6 June 1957 issue and continued until 23 Dec.1965 when it ceased, probably due to the same reason UK magazines disappeared around the mid-sixties - television

"Timeliner" by Charles Eric Maine.

It was apparently launched by The Friend Newspapers Limited on 4 March 1927 and was extremely popular. The magazine format was similar to the fifties Everbody's I have seen. "Thorough modernisation took place in 1957 when The Outspan reappeared as the fortnightly Personality on 6 June. Past contributors included Agatha Christie, Wernher von Braun, Admiral Donitz, Stuart Cloete, Denis Compton, Eddie Cantor, Major-General Sir Francis de Guingand, Donald Campbell, P G Wodehouse, Viscount Montgomery, Adolf Eichmann and Manuel Fangio. Early editors of The Outspan (and Personality from 6 June 1957) included A W Wells (1927-1939), Gordon Makepeace (1939-1953), W R G Legge (1953-1955), C H H Barry (1955-1960), D S Garnett (1960-1963), R A Short (1963-1971), G Brennan (1971) and Leon Bennett (1972)." - taken from MyFundi.

"Fear is a spotted cat" by Elaine Mans

One of my favourite pieces by Bellamy of this period is the above. It's so atmospheric. I can feel the fear

"The Satan flower" by Peter Monnow

Lastly below are two pages (download  them and stitch them together - don't forget to send me a copy! . The author of this article, Edna Henkel, wrote in September 1956, a grateful letter to Bellamy saying he'd "drawn a figure that looks like me without having seen me" and she goes on to mention that Wide World might publish some of her stories

"I was stalked by a panther" by Edna Henkel

"I was stalked by a panther" by Edna Henkel

Bellamy was proud enough of these assignments to mention them whenever outlining his career. I personally prefer them to his Everybody's work but they are so elusive. If you have copies I would really value talking to you either for sales or scans, contact me at:

Gold Star Gift Book for Boys

I recently had communication from one Peter Sutherland. The name rang a bell and after asking, found out it was not the artist of Alf Tupper the Tough of the Track: Britain's Favourite Comic-book Athlete as the recent reprint book title goes - I thought that would be Roy of the Rovers, myself! Anyway, enough of showing my ignorance of British comics history, here's what Peter kindly shared:

Gold Star Gift book for Boys, an obscure reprint annual of Boy's World Annuals from 1970 and 1971 contains the reprint  of a Bellamy illustrated story from Boy's World Annual 1971 "Johnny Boyland and the quail hunters" by J. T. Edson

The reprint was published in 1972 by Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd. (ISBN 60033922X). It also contains a picture strip by Don Lawrence, Countdown to Death and a text story illustrated by Ron Embleton, Hunter's Lance. You probably know all about it, but just in case. Great blog about Frank by the way, and good to see lots of his great work getting reprinted now. All the best, Peter Sutherland. 

Those words "you probably know all about it"can sometimes be correct but as in this case, no, this is completely new to me. I wrote back to say thanks and also clarify a few points:

Hello, the book is 48 pages including the covers.I checked the 1971 Boy's World Annual and the Frank Bellamy story is reprinted exactly as it first appeared, all the same text and all the illustrations in all the same places. The 1st illustration is on page 33, the 2nd on page 34, the 3rd on page 35, the 4th on page 36 and the 5th (final) one on page 37. All the captions beside the last 4 pictures are included as well. All the best, Peter S. (NOT the Tough of the Track artist)

A man after my own heart - a true bibliographer - so I've updated the annuals page and included the illustrations as taken from Boy's Own World Annual for those who have never seen them. The first is my rough scan showing the lovely billboard font to accompany the stiory and the second is stolen from someone's website. A thorough Google search didn't reveal whose i took it from.

If it's yours please let me know so I can give you credit for stitching these together so nicely

Heros the Spartan update and OFFERS from Book Palace

Book Palace now have a page for pre-orders  and Peter Richardson has shared loads of spreads with us from the forthcoming reprint of Heros the Spartan....more below,.....but first a word from our sponsors friends at Book Palace!

How would you like some reprinted Frank Bellamy books at great prices?

These are extremely likely never to be reprinted in paper form. There are four offers:

From £125 down to £75

All Bellamy's work for SWIFT

From £25 down to £15

Story of World War One Paperback

 From £55 down to £30

Story of World War One Hardback

From £55 down to £39

Three classic reprints

And for those who are keen to hear more of what's happening to the deluxe reprint of Heros the Spartan, follow the link to Peter Richardson's comments and then have a look at the price which has now been decided at £95. By my calculations that's £1 per restored episode - but with John Byrne, the full Frank Bellamy interview from Fantasy Advertiser plus a commentary on the stories by some guy called Norman Boyd! It sounds a lot, but try buying, let alone finding, the Eagles - at least £3.50 a piece - and you'll have to pay approximately £300 for them...if you find them and at that price! Oh, and that Peter Richardson is a card...I love the title of my meagre offering in the Heros introduction! Thanks Peter for dreaming that one up!