Victor Strip in Classics --- finally!

[Kashgar]

The Goalmaker ran in Victor from No 80 (1/9/62) to No 100 (19/1/63) replacing boxing story School for Bashers drawn by Alfredo Marculeta and in turn being replaced by the first series featuring Victor's bucolic footballing sensation Wee bandy drawn by Bert Vandeput.

[grumpy old man]

Has anyone told Coolcol there's a True Life cover story promised for Mays issue?

[colcool007]

No they hadn't but they have now. Will have to ask big brother to pick up that issue at one of the shops in my hometown! Wonder which one they will pick? Ooh, I'll make a guess and reckon that it will be one of Ted Kearon's as they look fab. Or if we're really lucky, one of the Specials ones as they seemed to have great art every time.

[felneymike]

I'm guessing it will be a VC one too, simply because those will be the most extraordinary to tell.

If there was one about the St Nazaire raid i can see it being about that. One of the many incidents from the war that could easily be turned into a Commando comic, handed to somebody who didn't know about it, and after reading it they'd say it was too far-fetched to be realistic!

[colcool007]

That doesn't narrow it down much! Probably more likely to be the Dieppe raid if you're thinking along those lines as I can give you 15 examples of the Dieppe raid and only one of the St Nazaire raid that were produced by Victor. But Morris may surprise us all and use one of the Hornet or Hotspur true stories.

[AndyB]

As far as I know, Jim Richards is still editing Classics from the Comics and the Fun Size Beanos and Dandys.

[colcool007]

Beggar! Apoch-a-low-gies to all as I thought that it was Morris Heggie that was now Keeper Of The Vaults!

[AndyB]

He is - but Morris doesn't create any periodicals (apart from the Beano/Dandy 70 years books) at the moment!

[Digifiend]

Ooh, I'll make a guess and reckon that it will be one of Ted Kearon's as they look fab. Or if we're really lucky, one of the Specials ones as they seemed to have great art every time.

Don't forget it would originally have been in colour but will be printed in black ink only in Classics. So the artwork needs to look good without the colour. That means if details (shadowing, shiny medals, 3D shading, etc) are in colour instead of black, it won't look good.

By "Specials", do you mean the Summer Specials?

[colcool007]

...By "Specials", do you mean the Summer Specials?

I did. Especially as I think that the one in the 1971 Special drawing by Harry Farrugia was one of the best. It was a reprise of "The Man With The Donkey" story of Anzac John Simpson as he rescued his injured comrades at Gallipoli in 1915.

[steelclaw]

The 2 pager from Victor in this months Classics is

From Issue No.15 June 3rd 1961.

The Destroyer from under the sea.

[colcool007]

The 'Tubby' Linton one which was redrawn and script changed slightly as it was republished in issue 548 dated 21 Aug 1971 as Linton of The Turbulent!. I am sure that Kashgar or Phoenix will be along soon and confirm artists for both. I find it interesting that both, to my mind's eye, were rather unusual as the first panel for both was rather striking. Issue 15 had this train being blown six ways from Sunday and issue 548 had the classic picture of looking through a periscope at the sub commander's doomed target.

Issue 15 looks, to my eye, as being drawn by the same artist that did the Wonder Mann stories (but a niggle in my head says I could be wrong) and I am going to stick my neck out and say that it was Keith Shone that drew issue 548.

[Kashgar]

Haven't had a chance to check No 15 yet but your neck is secure Col re No 548 which is indeed the work of Keith Shone.

[Kashgar]

It isn't the Wonder Man artist Col. The artist in question on 'The Destroyer from the Sea' was actually George Heath.
George Heath (1960-1968) had been the adventure strip mainstay of many an Amalgamated Press comic title from the time he drew 'Forest of Fear' in Funny Wonder in 1932 to the final time he drew his most famous detective/superhero strip 'The Falcon' in Radio Fun in 1961.
It was long thought that this had brought an end to George's career until a cache of later work was discovered in the pages of the DCT boy's picture papers (by me if I may blow my own trumpet a little) inc the Victor cover strip above.
Despite his talent in this field George Heath was always a reluctant adventure strip artist and thought working for comics was a decidely second-rate way to make a living. A rather snobbish attitude perhaps but one that can't detract from the quality of work he produced for comic papers for over thirty-five years.

[colcool007]

So what else did George Heath draw? I am looking at the style and feel that I should know of his work, but I am pulling a blank at the moment.