What comics did you buy today?

[paw broon]

Tasty!
There seem to be many fans who collect original art, which is odd to me as I have never had any interest in it. My pal Vince goes to marts mainly for pieces of art, either original or sketches on the day, and signatures and I find it difficult to see beyond the comic itself. It's not that I don't enjoy looking at art, comic art or art gallery art, it's simply that it gives me much greater pleasure to have, for example, a Bill Lacey drawn Blackshirt story than to have an original page by him. Perhaps my lack of taste is coming through
The completeness of that perfect paper package of a well drawn cover which is opened to reveal a well drawn, good story seems just right and sufficient. Anyway, not buying art leaves more of the readies for the comics themselves

[matrix]

Tasty!
There seem to be many fans who collect original art, which is odd to me as I have never had any interest in it. My pal Vince goes to marts mainly for pieces of art, either original or sketches on the day, and signatures and I find it difficult to see beyond the comic itself. It's not that I don't enjoy looking at art, comic art or art gallery art, it's simply that it gives me much greater pleasure to have, for example, a Bill Lacey drawn Blackshirt story than to have an original page by him. Perhaps my lack of taste is coming through
The completeness of that perfect paper package of a well drawn cover which is opened to reveal a well drawn, good story seems just right and sufficient. Anyway, not buying art leaves more of the readies for the comics themselves

I get that Paw, if I had to choose it would be the comics, but I understand that the original artwork would be a natural progression from the comics for some. For instance I have to have all my comics put away, (or they could disappear!) which is good for the comics but when I need a fix, eg daily read or glance through whatever, I have to get them out, where if I had a nice original on the wall you could see it all the time, if that makes sense.
The prices are the main reason I only buy the comics now, although I know Phil has picked up some nice nursery art quite cheap.

I recently picked up a couple of hundred 'Eagle' comics from the mid to late 60s (trying to vary my reading) which I had not seen much of before. Those 63/64 Keith Watson 'Dan Dare' covers are fantastic, so I can see why the originals would command a nice price.
Also as a bonus 'Heros the Spartan' Frank Bellamy, Iron Man, and one I really enjoy is 'Smokeman' Jose Ortiz, and Ron Embleton's 'Johnny Frog', great stuff well worth the price.

[philcom55]

Here's a detail from my Septimus Scott artwork - a seasonal back cover from Jack & Jill dated December 30th 1961. Is that Uncle Ben Matrix? (I don't own any issues from that period myself)



Although I love collecting and reading comics of all types the thing that really appeals to me about original art is the way it remains absolutely unique (something that is almost never true of the published version), as well as being a direct link to the talented human being who created it from a blank sheet of paper over half a century ago!

[matrix]

Yes it is Phil, 'Out and about with Uncle Ben' he started it in mid Sept 61, until mid Jan 62, when Tamblyn Watts took over. I do not have that issue either.

[paw broon]

".........the thing that really appeals to me about original art is the way it remains absolutely unique (something that is almost never true of the published version), as well as being a direct link to the talented human being who created it from a blank sheet of paper over half a century ago!" philcom55

I hadn't thought of it like that and it makes a lot of sense. Thinking further on it, wouldn't it be exciting if there were more galleries like the Cartoon Art Museum, but all over the world, in the way we already have art galleries? Especially if there were to be digital versions of those galleries. For example, many of you might not be able to get to Edinburgh that easily, and it would cost to do so, but you can go online and see many of the art treasures stored by the various excellent galleries in the city. And I can do the same with e.g. The Tate. But it brings up the question of owning that piece of original work, and unless, as on this forum, folk are prepared to let us have a swatch at it, it remains in a private collection for one set of eyes only. Same is true of many pieces of fine art which are squirreled away in private vaults. Good thing, bad thing, or just the way it is?
Going back to philcom55's quote, a comic/strip is a series of drawings which, often in conjunction with word balloons, text blocks or both or none, tells a story in sequential order and as such is a complete thing As opposed to a single panel or page from that story. We are in the world of illustration with the single panel/page and, as such, it is only a part of the whole. And that no matter how rare the original piece of artwork is. Despite "getting" Phil's point, I'm not sure I want to go down the road of starting to collect illos and original pages, and will keep my cash for the comics themselves. I wonder how many of us collect art as well as the comics it comes from.

[paw broon]

Matrix, I'm also a fan of Smokeman. You're so right about the Watson Dare pages, imo. Many years ago I bought a small pile of those very Eagles and they are lovely comics.
A collection of the Smokeman stories would be great and much more preferable to all the war stuff that folk go on about here - only my opinion

[stevezodiac]

Went to Deptford flea market this morning (had pie and mash en route) and came across two boxes of sixties girl's annuals. Bunty, Judy, School Friend, June etc. I picked up a 1964 TV Comic Annual, Judy For Girls 1968, ditto 1967 for £2 each and two Harold Hare's Own Books 1962 and 1963 for a pound each. Those two are landscape shaped like the Black Bob books. They had several Bunty annuals but I find them a bit dull. If they are there next Saturday I might get a few more.

[starscape]

Local charity shop had the second Victor Annual for £2 and War Picture Library Annual 1977, also £2, so got them both. Each in decent condition. There's a whole load of Commandos there too.

[colcool007]

Local charity shop had the second Victor Annual for £2 and War Picture Library Annual1978, also £2, so got them both. Each in decent condition. There's a whole load of Commandos there too.

What age are the Commandos and what's the price?

[Phoenix]

two Harold Hare's Own Books 1962 and 1963 for a pound each. Those two are landscape shaped like the Black Bob books.

Not all the Black Bob books are in landscape format.

[stevezodiac]

I sit corrected (ebaying at the moment with one eye on the football - Vardy has just got his tenth in ten). They had a couple more Harold Hares but the spines were missing. Also a nice Pinky and Perky annual from the early sixties.

Trying to date a Man From UNCLE annual but there are none in the comics uk gallery.

[starscape]

Local charity shop had the second Victor Annual for £2 and War Picture Library Annual1978, also £2, so got them both. Each in decent condition. There's a whole load of Commandos there too.

What age are the Commandos and what's the price?

They're a pound each. Can't quite remember the numbers but I'd say 3-4000 probably. Excellent condition usually. It's the Cancer Research shop.

[paw broon]

I walked past it on Friday and didn't think to go in. Numpty!
Anyway, when my wife and I got back from an excellent but boozy lunch in Edinburgh, there was a parcel waiting for me with some facsimiles of a few pocket libraries, including TPL #38 - Scott cover and Eric Parker art on the story. I haven't been able to find this elsewhere, so at least now I have the chance to read it. Also in the package were facsimiles of 3 Pearson pocket libraries, Emergency-Ward 10 #7; The Buccaneers #6 and Highway Patrol - Double Cross. Those are all photo covers with a particularly nice Dan Tempest pic on The Buccaneers.
These facsimiles are not perhaps the best but they don't have rusty staples and they can be read without the fear of them falling apart. They'll do till the originals turn up. If I can afford them, that is
Just to add, the Black Bob books are landscape apart from the last which is portrait/upright. 1965?

[stevezodiac]

Seeing the name Dan Tempest reminds me of my childhood in the sixties and all those historical shows like Ivanhoe, Sir Francis Drane, William Tell and Robin Hood. Also Hawkeye. They all seemed to be shown at teatime on Saturdays. We only had two channels then but tv seemed to be much better. Now its all reality tv rubbish like bad tattoos and compulsive horders. ITV shows A Touch of Frost on a loop and Dave constantly shows Storage Hunters. I was laughing out loud at Steptoe and Son the other day but that was from the late sixties.

[paw broon]

I loved those "historicals" and was particularly fond of Sword of Freedom. My wife was a big Buccaneers fan. But watching them nowadays isn't a good idea as they seem to have dated badly. There are some episodes available on you tube. A lot of these shows and other tv non- historicals were licensed by Pearsons and the produced pocket library versions of SoF; Buccaneers; William Tell; Murder Bag (which became No Hiding Place); Emergency-Ward 10; Hawkeye; Highway Patrol; Dixon of Dock Green; William Tell; Charlie Chan; OSS; Robin Hood; Sheriff of Cochise. Not necessarily the best drawn comics but very entertaining, although Emergency-Ward 10 leaves a lot to be desired on both the storytelling and the art.