Frank Bellamy and Barry Windsor-Smith

Heros the Spartan from Eagle Vol. 16 No. 27
Photographed from Book Palace reprint - few copies still available

David Jackson has sent me on a quest, this time it concerns BWS, or Barry Smith or Barry Windsor-Smith, yes, he of Conan, Valiant Comics, etc etc fame!

My first contact with BWS was in the Power Comics of the mid to late 1960s, although at that time I didn't know he did the pin-ups of Marvel superheroes in Fantastic and Terrific . Kid Robson has shown some of Thor and others. I was aware of his work on Conan the Barbarian being praised by many at the time, but Britain's importing of Marvel comics was sporadic at best so I didn't see it until later! However I did see his Gorblimey Press work advertised and actually paid for some of them. I now proudly own Pandora's Box (with a specially-made octagonal frame!). You cans see lots of Barry's work on his site.

In an interview for Comic Book Artist (Vol1, No.2) Jon B. Cooke did with BWS he mentioned his connection with Bellamy:

CBA: Any favorite British cartoonists, such as Frank Bellamy?
Barry: I was quite awestruck by Bellamy, his "Heros the Spartan" was simply magnificent. I was never particularly influenced by him, however. Britain had a clutch of exceptionally gifted comics artists during the '50s and '60s but the subject matter of the strips often disinterested me. I liked "Dan Dare" and Heros, I think that's all. I named the lead male character in my "Young Gods" series Heros in homage to Bellamy.

The first notion I personally had was when I bought a book called Masters of Comic Book Art, (a brilliant review is on the Comics Journal site). Written by 'Doc' P. R. Garriock, - who I would love to talk to should anyone have his email or phone number - it featured long pieces on:

• Will Eisner (Creator of The Spirit)
• Harvey Kurtzman (Mad magazine etc.)
• Frank Bellamy
• Richard Corben (Warren Magazines etc.)
• Barry Windsor-Smith
• Jean Giraud (AKA Moebius)
• Phillipe Druillet (Creator of Loane Sloane)
• Wally Wood
• Robert Crumb
• Victor Moscoso (Zap Comix)

A fantastic mix of people from various countries - and BWS and FB were included. Again Bellamy and Windsor-Smith not only have features in Twomorrows' True Brit, but the introduction, by George Khoury states:

Here in America, very little is known of the British creators prior to Barry Windsor-Smith. Artists like Frank Bellamy, Leo Baxendale, and Sydney Jordan are far from household names; a tragedy, really, because when you see their art, it will seduce you.

To understand how popular BWS' (and of course Roy Thomas') Conan was, in the same year of FB's award - see below - the 1971 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards ("for material published in 1971; awarded in 1972") had:

Best Continuing Feature  Conan the Barbarian (Marvel)
Best Individual Story 

• "Devil Wings over Shadizar," by Roy Thomas & Barry Smith, from Conan the Barbarian #6 (Marvel) 
• "Tower of the Elephant," by Roy Thomas & Barry Smith, from Conan the Barbarian #4 (Marvel)

 I don't often quote myself, but this is from my Star Trek article...

I understand that the single colour page [of Star Trek] was part of the reason Frank Bellamy got the "Foreign Comics Award" from the Academy of Comic Book Arts in 1972 - for work published in 1971 he was awarded "Best Foreign Artist Frank Bellamy (Star Trek)". I'm sure Barry Windsor-Smith had a hand in recommending him for this and I know Archie Goodwin was in contact with him. Bellamy told Goodwin that Chris Lowder had informed him the Academy had seen a sample of his "Heros the Spartan" work and judged him more than worthy of the award. therefore his actual comic work for 1971 was concocted for the purposes of giving him the award.

So what, you ask?

The Avengers and Savage Sword of Conan #100 Splash page (UK publication)

 Take a look at this from the Marvel British reprint (The Avengers and Savage Sword of Conan #100) of Conan The Barbarian #21. Strangely the story title has been changed  to "The Menace of the Monoliths" but when it was published it was the "Monster of the Monoliths"! Does it look familiar? It should, you saw it at the top of this article! On the Grand Comics Database website, there are some interesting notes as to how BWS appears not to have drawn much of this particular issue.

Detail from Eagle Vol16. No. 27 (Frank Bellamy)

Now, with Dan Adkins (who often 'borrowed' from others), P. Craig Russell and Val Mayerick involved, we can't be sure, who 'borrowed' Bellamy. UPDATE: See comments below where we know it's Adkins

However it's not that simple. Because of the nature of multiple stories from various comics being split to fill one UK reprint, we have another anomaly. The comic itself contains Conan, The Avengers (Smith too!) and Master of Kung Fu in 36 pages (with a letters page too!).

The Avengers and the Savage Sword of Conan #100
Week ending August 16 1975

The Conan story in TAATSSOC #100 starts with the above splash page of horse riders. However, the original published in the American Marvel Conan #21 has 10 pages before the second page of the UK reprint, excluding this splash page....which I don't think is Smith, Adkins, Craig Russell or Mayerick!

Often the early Marvel UK reprints would blow up and extend a panel from the story concerned, in order show some continuity between stories that had been split across weekly issues, but I can't find any of the component parts in any Conan upto #25! I own the Essential Conan - a Marvel black and white reprint of the first  25 issues of the comic in America. It contains the whole of the above story and I can't see anywhere where it appears - even if it was a compilation from various shots by BWS! Conan hardly rides a horse until the last page of #8! In #14 and #15 he starts to (in these 'Elric' issues) and going all the way through to #25 there are hardly any shots of the rear end of horses as drawn here!

So not only do we not know who 'adapted' Bellamy's "Heros" panel but we don't know who did the other two riders (including that trademark BWS shot of Conan's medallion flying away from him!). I know many of the youngsters of the Bronze Age did work on the UK reprints, including Ron Wilson, Jim Starlin, Keith Pollard, John Romita Jr. etc. So I'd be tempted to name someone like that, but that's still odd that they used FB here!

UPDATE: See comments below where we know it's Adkins

Can anyone help? I couldn't find any index of the USA artists' original art in UK Marvel reprints, but remembering being amazed by this 'newcomer' Jim Starlin, whose 'compressed' figures were easy to spot!

Original Art: Thunderbirds from TV21 #167

Christmas is a great time to slow down but I just caught notification of Terry Doyle selling a piece of Thunderbirds artwork by Frank Bellamy. It's in Russ Cochran's latest auction and is currently at $228!! That will surely rise quite significantly. While you follow the link to the auction, have a look at some of Terry's other superb collection for auction, including an Eagle cover by Desmond Walduck, some Al Williamson and even Frazetta!

Thunderbirds TV21 #167 page 10 Original art

You can see how well the colour has been preserved and how the original printing process in TV21 had gone down hill in the later years of that fantastic comic. In case the scan was the problem, I checked my TV21 which I still own and yes, the reproduction leaves a lot to be desired! So enjoy the original! Learn the lesson Bellamy fans! Do NOT put this artwork on your wall, no matter how much UV glass and how little light you get in that room! It will fade in any light!

Thunderbirds TV21 #167 page 10

 And as it's still Christmas here's the next page so you can read the two pages together!

Thunderbirds TV21 #167 page 11

SUMMARY
 
WHAT?: Thunderbirds, from TV21 #167 Page 10
WHERE?: Russ Cochran's Auction December 28 2017
Lot No.:  4881127
SELLER: Terry Doyle
STARTING PRICE: 
ENDING PRICE: $1,086.00 including Buyer's Fee (20%) = £803.51
END DATE: 28 December 2017
No of bids:
No of bidders:

CENTENARY ARTICLE: Frank Bellamy and the Corby Pole Fair 1947

Kettering Leader and Guardian May 30 1947
Thanks to Tony Smith for the image above

 

***UPDATE***I've been reminded there is a Facebook group for the Pole Fair: https://www.facebook.com/CorbyPoleFair

"Corby Pole Fair is happening on the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday on Friday 3rd June 2022 - 8am to 8pm"

***************************************

I promised something new for the last of my Frank Bellamy Centenary articles, and this comes courtesy of Tom Bingham, a "Corby-based man, well known for his connection to the arts and his hand-made guitars" - it said in a recent local article!

For those of you who don't like Bellamy's older work, be patient, immerse yourself and enjoy a good laugh, appreciating the ink work, the use of blacks and above all the imagination.

Since the 13th century a "pole fair" has been held in the Northamptonshire town of Corby (the town's name derives from 'raven' as can be seen on the coat of arms). Why a 'pole' fair? Apparently men who were to be punished would "ride the stang" or pole - "no toll- you ride the pole".  Like many British traditions there are varying accounts. In recent years two poles have appeared - one a greasy pole with a ham to be won at the top, and the 'stang' on which men ride held in place by two strong men. How the village of Corbei - now Corby, was granted its Royal Charter (in 1568) is also debatable - but one romantic origin is that Queen Elizabeth I was riding in Rockingham Forest and either her horse got stuck in a boggy piece of ground or she fell off her horse and was helped by the good men of Corbei. Or it might have been granted as a favour to Sir Christopher Hatton (an alleged lover of the Virgin Queen!). How it happened was less important than the rights given under it to escape taxes of various sorts as well as avoid conscription. I can't find why the fair did not start back in Elizabethan times, but like many things we think are traditional, it began with the Victorians since 1862. *

According to Margaret Marshall's article   

Queen Elizabeth granted that the ‘men and tenants’ of Corby should be quit of the customary dues of ‘toll, pannage, murage, and passage’, and other exemptions enjoyed by ancient demesne manors.

Though largely symbolic, the charter was a significant element in Corby ’s developing sense of community, identity, and self-governance, and may have been issued to allay villagers’ concerns at the manor’s acquisition by a powerful courtier.

Likewise, it was probably no coincidence that Corby ’s tenants successfully petitioned Charles II to confirm the charter in 1670, when the manor passed from the Hatton’s to the equally powerful Brudenells

If the fair started in 1862, and happened every twenty years, I can't find any reference for the 1882 fair. There are photographs of the Fair in 1902 and 1922. Following the pattern the 1942 fair would have occurred in the War so it appears to have been moved to 1947 and amazingly footage exists on Youtube of the 1947 Corby Pole Fair.

The appearance in this video of a couple of gentlemen dressed in full Scottish regalia might make you wonder,  but the town attracted lots of Scots workers when the post-WWII demand for steel increased.

The fair returned to its normal pattern and was again held in 1962, (although 1968 was the 400th anniversary of the granting of the charter) and was next held in 1982 and 2002. Preparations are underway now for the next one in 2022 after a court case was settled in 2006 - a man was injured climbing the greasy pole in 2002!

Corby Pole Fair 1947 A5 booklet cover

The image at the top of this article shows Frank Bellamy's review of the Pole Fair that took place on May 26 1947 which was Whit Monday (or Spring Bank Holiday as we say now!). He also illustrated a 16 page A5 sized booklet, which contained many advertisers from the local area. I have included all the pictures cleaned up here (the cover above) - see below for access to the complete work.**

A self-explanatory cartoon of welcome and warning!

Step over the Corby boundary at your peril!
Note the chimneys of the steelworks

The enthusiastic men with the pole, or stang, race to an objector!
No toll, you ride the pole!

The Danes started it by raiding up the Nene and Welland rivers!

Anyone know what the "No B-U's" comment means? Is it "No Broken Ups" as in chaper bits of unbrunt cake? Or am I trying to be too clever?

A lovely cartoon of the Danish settlements!

A long and busy day with loads of sadism and fun!

"Unsavoury missiles" adding to the punishment

Good Queen Bess bored after no assassination attempts on her life for 2 years

The stocks teach a lesson in history!

A naughty husband suggests bringing back the ducking stool too!

I've always found Bellamy's 'big foot' style of cartooning fun and it's interesting how he didn't really return to it at all in his career. And I guess he was provided with some notes or guidance as to which topics to cover in creating this artwork, imagine if we found them after all these years!. 

If you wish to join in the next Pole Fair in 2022 join the Facebook group here

Lastly, many, many thanks to Tom Bingham for his generosity in sharing this.

================
* "The Corby 'Pole Fair' is an ancient custom held every 20 years with the fifth Pole Fair attracting crowds of 30,000 in the summer of 2002" - History of Corby [Emphasis mine as I think there is evidence for at least 7]

Frank Bellamy and his studio references

Radio Times (21/12/1974 - 03/01/1975) Bridge on the River Kwai p.46
"Bridge on the River Kwai, one of the most 
Oscar-laden films ever produced is the big film for 
Christmas night on BBC1 at 8.45"

Recently in conversation with David Jackson I mentioned a scan he sent me had enabled me, for the first time, to be able to read the titles of books on Frank Bellamy's studio shelves.

Photo of Bellamy taken by Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph photographer, Kit Mallin

Now, if you click you will, at least be able to make out:

• Badmen of the West by Robert Elman
• The Movie Treasury: Gangster Movies Harry Hossent
• The Movie Treasury: Western Movies Walter C Clapham
• A Pictorial History of War Films Clyde Jeavons.

 Coincidentally David has a copy of some of these and kindly sent me this page from A Pictorial History of War Films by Clyde Jeavons - page 94. So Bellamy owned a copy and had to produce an image to accompany a Radio Times TV listing for the Christmas issue. Back then such films were a big event (remember we only had three channels!) and it would be things like Magnificent Seven, Sound of Music or Bridge on the River Kwai. I recently read A Town like Alice by Nevil Shute for the first time - a present from my retiring line manager, and was amazed how much I enjoyed it. It still reads very well. It's not about the bridge directly but about the Japanese treatment of some women who march around Malaya (the real incident was in Sumatra, states the author's afterword).

Clyde Jeavons A Pictorial History of War Films p194

It's interesting to see how Bellamy has not copied the images available to him here, but used them to inform his work.His portraiture of actors and actresses are very accurate. Below is the page on which the picture at the top of this article appeared. (The linework of Frank Spencer is by Peter Brookes whose work appeared around this time in the Radio Times).

Radio Times Dec 21-Jan 3 1974-1975 p46

Thanks again David for sparking another article!

Frank Bellamy and the Mexican Bandit

Mexican bandit by Frank Bellamy

I love it when I get someone write to me with something I'm certain most people will not have seen. I also love it when I have permission to share, so here you go courtesy of Chloe Tideswell.

Chloe said:

Feel free to share the picture on your blog it would be lovely to share it with people and I am sure my Grandad would have wanted that too.

I have measured the picture it is 30cm in length and 24cm in width to be honest I have never taken it out, or seen it out of the frame. I have attached a  picture to show you this.

 It almost looks more amazing without the frame as the rest of the picture is white it is also painted on some line board? I always thought it was on paper. Amazing.

Rear - CS10 Bellamy's preferred artboard

It has been on the wall for 30 years I have always admired the picture (I'm 32) and last Christmas my Grandad, who passed away in July with a short battle with cancer, gave it to me as a gift. He always called the picture 'most unusual'  and was a fan of Bellamy's work and in his lifetime had quite a lot of Bellamy's work in his office. He would often tell me that the Mexican Bandit was an unpublished picture and was quite special.

Before his passing he gave me a typed up letter written by himself explaining the background for his Bellamy pieces and as my Nana is still alive agrees with what he wrote.

Here's the story:

In the 70s my Grandparents owned a Buy and Save Supermarket in a place called Clifton in Nottingham (where we were from) One of their regular customers was the late Frank Bellamy's sister in law. She asked if they were interested in comic strip art and arranged for them to visit Frank's widow in her bungalow in Kettering, this was around 1982, six years after he died.

She was a lovely woman, they said, and showed them a great deal of Bellamy's work and in conversation mentioned the good relationship he had had with the creators of Thunderbirds. They purchased 9 pieces that day including the Mexican Bandit which I am told was on the wall at the Bellamy's house

They also were shown a letter sent from Sir William Russell Flint some years before, congratulating him on a magazine illustration that he commented he couldn't have done better himself. Nancy was very proud of this and never wanted to part with it.

Six months later Nancy rang my Grandad offering to sell a double page picture with famous people on it including Frank Sinatra, the Royal Family, the Beatles - just to name a few for around £200 at the time. He couldn't afford this and on the bottom of the letter he gave me he said it was one of his biggest regrets .......

I'm happy to have stumbled on your web page and can finally share the story with someone

In its frame

The Sinatra, Beatles piece is one I have not yet shared - it's the Sunday Times (Colour) Magazine (5th October 1969) " A young artist dreams of success. But will he make it?" written by Robert Lacey.

I've asked Chloe about the other pieces her Grandad bought and she's kindly supplied a list most of which are known already, but I'll report back in due course.


So what is this piece of art? I have absolutely no record of it beyond the fact Alan Davis showed it on his website a while ago.  I decided to ask the two Davids about this and firstly David Slinn replied to me:

 "The attached Frank Bellamy artwork, though certainly unusual, may have been intended to be positioned to the left of a column of text, perhaps on a contents page. This would account for Frank having worked to a precise edge, and not simply included a bleed to be cropped at a production stage. However, what’s rather intriguing is the – decidedly, “un-FB-like” (uncorrected) – tiny seep from the cast shadow on the character’s throat. Nonetheless, a perfect example, of Frank’s unique instinctive design sense."

That 'seep' is so minute I missed it!

David Jackson agreed that:

I think your theory fits about why the 'Mexican Bandit' art is the way it is to accommodate text or other page layout. Thinking about it, it's even odd that the face isn't itself square-on and divided exactly in half down the middle, rather than as it is, turned away. As it is I'd have been tempted to frame it up against the picture mount/frame, leaving all the blank space to the left.

Good point David! I felt the "non-squared off" look was to make him lean away from the 'wall'.

I can say with certainty it was produced before August 1975 as that was approximately when the Bellamys moved from Morden back to Kettering (and the back of the board shows the Morden address) . Another mystery waiting to be solved - many thanks to Chloe for her kindness!

Frank Bellamy and How to be a Barrister

My regular correspondent David Slinn wrote to me about the Eagle comic series in which Frank Bellamy did one episode. I realised I had never mentioned it, so for your delight...!


Eagle Vol. 9:52, (27 December 1958) has a page in colour on the inside back page (the top half having the adventures of Mr. Therm, the British Gas symbol) and on the lower half, " He wants to be a... Barrister". I don't have all the Eagles published but looking quickly I can see this was a sporadic series. 

Eagle Vol. 9:52, (27 December 1958)

In Volume 9:45 "He wants to be a motor mechanic" was followed in Volume 9:46 by "He wants to be a laundry worker" illustrated by an unknown artist. As it was now getting towards Christmas 1958, I suspect the editor decided that space should go to advertisers and the number of pages was bigger too. This was until Bellamy's episode in Volume 9:52, then there are no more. However the Eagle adverts featuring many titles with the Eagle imprint show a title called I want to be...: an Eagle Book of Careers (3/6d). Ian & Sharon Hartas' excellent site show a cover of this as well as listing the contents.

And just for Anthony W. here's the cover and also the equivalent solicitor section ("Barrister" is in the index pointing here)  from this booklet

So the original 47 Eagle comic versions were so different, I felt I'd list them, here so if you have a mind to collect them all...!

1. Carpenter - Vol.7:4, 27 January 1956
2. Policeman - Vol.7:5, 3 February 1956
3. Architect - Vol.7:6, 10 February 1956
4. Engine Driver - Vol.7:7, 17 February 1956
5. Chemist - Vol.7:8, 24 February 1956
6. Forester - Vol.7:9, 2 March 1956
7. Solicitor - Vol.7:10, 9 March 1956
8. Merchant Seaman (1) - Vol.7:12, 23 March 1956
9. Merchant Seaman (2) - Vol.7:13, 30 March 1956
10. Commercial Artist - Vol.7:14, 6 April 1956
11. Tile-Fixer - Vol.7:15, 13 April 1956
12. Compositor - Vol.7:16, 20 April 1956
13. Plasterer - Vol.7:17, 27 April 1956
14. Book-binder - Vol.7:18, 4 May 1956
15. Bricklayer - Vol.7:19, 11 May 1956
16. Doctor - Vol.7:20, 18 May 1956
17. Plumber - Vol.7:21, 25 May 1956
18. Miner - Vol.7:22, 1 June 1956
19. Civil Engineer - Vol.7:23, 8 June 1956
20. Mechanical Engineer - Vol.7:24, 15 June 1956
21. Electrical Engineer - Vol.7:25, 22 June 1956
22. Fireman - Vol.7:26, 29 June 1956
23. Farm Worker - Vol.7:29, 20 July 1956
24. Accountant - Vol.7:32, 10 August 1956
25. Dentist - Vol.7:38, 21 September 1956
26. Surveyor - Vol.7:40, 5 October 1956
27. Chef - Vol.7:44, 2 November 1956
28. Veterinary Surgeon - Vol.7:46, 16 November 1956
29. Blacksmith - Vol.7:47, 23 November 1956
30. Civil Pilot - Vol.7:49, 7 December 1956
31. Radio and T.V. Service Engineer - Vol.7:50, 14 December 1956
32. Poultry Keeper - Vol.7:51, 21 December 1956
33. Postman - Vol.7:52, 28 December 1956
34. Foundry Worker - Vol.8:1, 4 January 1957
35. Archaeologist - Vol.8:5, 1 February 1957
36. Missionary - Vol.8:6, 8 February 1957
37. Jockey - Vol.8:12, 22 March 1957
38. Astronomer - Vol.8:13, 29 March 1957
39. Games Master - Vol.8:16, 19 April 1957
40. Air Steward - Vol.8:17, 26 April 1957
41. Display Man - Vol.9:5, 31 January 1958
42. Atomic Energy Engineer - Vol.9:8, 21 February 1958
43. Motor Mechanic - Vol.9:45, 8 November 1958
44. Laundry Worker - Vol.9:46, 15 November 1958
45. Barrister - Vol.9:52, 27 December 1958 - see above
46. Trawlerman - Vol.10:9, 28 February 1959
47. Stockbroker - Vol.10:16, 18 April 1959

Original Art: Garth on Heritage - Garth: The Spanish Lady (K89)

K89 episode of  "Garth: The Spanish Lady" Drawn by Frank Bellamy

The latest strip by Frank Bellamy that appears on Heritage comes again from "Garth: The Spanish Lady" story. My spreadsheet (here) tells me that these episodes sell for approximately £220-£250 but that all depends on what's in them! I love the ships in this one but especially the clouds done in that brilliant Bellamy "swirl". In case you're wondering Garth has time-travelled to the Elizabethan age and is called Carey - thus the mention in the opening panel.

And reading on to the next panel, we presume the 'gentleman' in the crew has gone as there is no mention of him!

K90 & K91 Garth: The Spanish Lady

Heritage describe this piece:

Frank Bellamy Garth #K89 Daily Comic Strip Original Art dated 4-14-74 (Daily Mirror, 1974). Frank Bellamy drew the exquisite fantasy/time-travel strip, Garth, from 1971 until his death in 1976. This daily, from the story arc "The Beast of Ultor", was done in ink over graphite on Bristol board [sic], and has an image area of 20.5" x 5.25". Aside from some light edge toning, the condition is Excellent. From the Ethan Roberts Estate Collection. 

AUCTION SUMMARY
WHERE?: Heritage Sunday Internet Comics Auction #121745
SELLER:Heritage
LOT #11014
STARTING BID:$
ENDING PRICE:$382.40 (incl. Buyer's Premium) = £291.82
NO. OF BIDS:5

END DATE: 5 November 2017