Comics UK

Picked up some nice libraries being 'Top Secret' 1 with the cool roller coaster cover, plus a 'Lion' 'Captain Condor The Frightened Planet' which I guess is a reprint but nice story, plus a 'Chiller pocket Library' 'The Colby Curse'.

Just a couple of questions were the Top Secret stories reprints? Also does anyone have any info on the Chillers? I've seen the covers and numbers, but who worked on them? Can't find any info. Nice story, more adult content though, scantily clad that sort of thing!!

At the last London Comic Mart a seller had some printers proofs of Picture Library art - I think they were all Wild West PL. Nice landscape card with two pages on each. He was selling them pretty cheaply and had dozens.

Chiller, or rather, Pocket Chiller Library, featured Italian reprints. The series was published by Top Sellers - see earlier posts in this subject. The series ran for at least 105 issues because I have #105; "Beyond Death".
Top Secret doesn't seem to be listed in the British guide. Odd. I'm sure they were Italian reprints also. There were a number of pocket library titles from a number of publishers that featured european reprints, e.g. Scotland Yard; Secret Service; Sabre Thriller Library; Tales of Terror; Private Eye; Undercover; another Secret Service; Gemini; Satan - the list goes on. Rader/Wonderman, Top Three also featured Italian reprints. so, along with our home produced choice, these others made for a big choice of wee comics.

Top Secret Picture Library was published by IPC in the 1970s, mostly featuring Special Agent John Havoc. I'm not sure if the stories were foreign reprints, though many seem to have been drawn by European or South American artists so it's quite possible. As far as I'm aware the series lasted for about 40 issues.

I LOVE the Top Secret Libraries. I have built up a good run over the years, The holiday special are especially good value!
No reprints as far as I know, European artist were the norm at IPC in the seventies.

OOOOOPS, I was getting confused over Top Secret. For some reason I thought it was a '60's comic from somebody like Micron. But no. Hence my being a numpty and writing about foreign reprints

paw broon wrote:OOOOOPS, I was getting confused over Top Secret. For some reason I thought it was a '60's comic from somebody like Micron. But no. Hence my being a numpty and writing about foreign reprints

That's normally my job to be dazed and confused!

Just having a look at the 'Pocket Chiller library' comics again they really do have some nice covers and interior art, so thought some may like to see a few examples. I know Paw and other members have some but for those that have not.

The scans don't really do them justice, but the interiors really are fine examples of black and white art.

I think they ran for 136/137 issues Paw.

Just for the record where were they reprinted from?

More Chiller interiors.

Artists anyone?

Thanks matrix. Lovely to see more examples of Pocket Chiller, but I have no idea on the artists, except that most of the stories were Italian reprints. Also, I didn't realise the title ran for so long. Top Sellers did this one.
A couple of the other "horror" pocket libraries were Tales of Terror by Famepress, and Nightmare Suspense Picture Library by MV Publications. I think, but can't be sure, that both titles featured Italian reprints also. Both titles had only shortish runs and I supect both Famepress and MV were in some way connected. Although the art in the Tales of Terror stories is not of the same quality as that in Nightmare or Pocket Chiller.

I'm not sure it's him but that middle one has a touch of the Dave Gibbons about it.

You're right, Robbie. The middle, left hand page, 2nd. panel with the bloke's face, does look a bit Gibbonsish. Perhaps Colin could take a look at it, eh?

Ian Gibson drew at least one Pocket Chiller Library (The Bat), so they do seem to have commissioned new British art. It certainly seems possible that Dave Gibbons might have drawn for Pocket Chiller Library, then, plus I agree with Paw and Robbie that the middle art above looks very Gibbons, though I also see some Kevin O'Neil in the way the woman's drawn.

The style of the first pair of pages posted above reminds me of an artist lled Recreo, who drew for Charlton in the seventies. A list of credits at http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?N ... ER%2c+JOSE includes work for UK publishers, so it could well be him.

I think I've got an issue with Ian Gibson artwork, though I'm pretty sure he spent some time working for a European agency so it could still be a foreign reprint (off hand I can't recall much new work being commissioned by Thorpe & Porter/Top Sellers). On the other hand I do agree that some of that art looks like very early Dave Gibbons.

The scan below is from 'The Bat'.

Just for the record and on closer observation, issues 1 and 2 were published by Alex White & co Ltd, James st, London. Then from issue three the publisher was Top Sellers.

The first twenty six issues were printed in Italy after that from issue twenty seven they were printed in Spain.

When they started printing in Spain the cover artwork (to me anyway) looks better and the interior artwork changed, the panel layout, full pages, jumping out of panels, etc.
So is it possible that the first twenty six issues were Italian reprints with the balance new work? Completely subjective of course and only based on about fifty something issues.