Comics UK

This can be literally true.
Sometimes book covers don't help when it comes to searching for comic strip stories.The following two books I nearly missed a few years ago.The bland cover art gives no indication of the inner art.Some inside pages
Second book

The first book looks like a general information book and the second book doesn't look like a lot of thought as gone into the cover art.
The early Eagle annuals were also boring with just the Eagle logo on the front ,These were also disappointing inside with the downsizing from the large format Eagle comic.

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The Trigan Empire is quite famous among comic fans and I had that book up until a couple of years ago when I sold it on ebay.

stevezodiac wrote:The Trigan Empire is quite famous among comic fans and I had that book up until a couple of years ago when I sold it on ebay.

When I picked up this book a few years ago I hadn't heard of the Trigan Empire that's why I nearly missed it.I'm aware since then that it is quite well known.

Both strips are from Ranger, and continued in Look and Learn. "Space Cadet" only lasted two years, so it's not as well-know as "Trigan", but Geoff Campion in full colour in outer space is irresistible. I will have to complete my collection some day.

Yes. Geoff Campion's wonderful Space Cadet tends to be unfairly overshadowed by the better-known Trigan Empire. His full-colour artwork for 'Custer' in early issues of Jag was pretty outstanding too (I've got an original page somewhere).

Incidentally, I think the 'Space Wars' book also reproduced some cover artwork from a number of Fleetway's Science Fiction picture libraries.

Enjoyable books both. Got them when they first come out and still have them today.

My late aunt and uncle got me that Trigan Empire for Christmas when it first came out. It may have been that book that originally alerted me to the quality of UK comics.

Earl.

Both Hamlyn and W H Smiths put out a lot of very good books on film and comic History during the 80s especially: at decent prices.

I do agree that their policy of using inapt art direction on many of the covers of their books done little to reflect the usually good contents inside the actual books.

Sticking a huge spaceship of the cover of a science fiction book no matter what was inside was the style of that time. I blame Chris Foss and Star Wars.

suebutcher wrote:Sticking a huge spaceship of the cover of a science fiction book no matter what was inside was the style of that time. I blame Chris Foss and Star Wars.

The resemblance of the Trigan book cover to the beginning of Star Wars is there to see and this idea has been used at the start of a number of B movies but this paticularly book cover I have difficulty even accepting that it looks like a spaceship,it's more a pen and ruler diagram of joined up cylinders :

abacus wrote:I have difficulty even accepting that it looks like a spaceship, it's more a pen and ruler diagram of joined up cylinders :

What makes you so sure it's a spaceship, abacus? Those side flaps look terribly flimsy. I think it is a hungry, four-eyed animal travelling at speed towards us. You need to make an immediate evasive manoeuvre because those flaps are surely for trapping and storing prey.

Phoenix wrote:

abacus wrote:I have difficulty even accepting that it looks like a spaceship, it's more a pen and ruler diagram of joined up cylinders :

What makes you so sure it's a spaceship, abacus? Those side flaps look terribly flimsy. I think it is a hungry, four-eyed animal travelling at speed towards us. You need to make an immediate evasive manoeuvre because those flaps are surely for trapping and storing prey.

Ah! Now you have explained it I can see it.I know you are a writer Phoenix and drawing art is not your forte but did someone ask you to draw this particular cover ?If so ,it's OK for a first attempt.

abacus wrote:Ah! Now you have explained it I can see it.I know you are a writer Phoenix and drawing art is not your forte but did someone ask you to draw this particular cover ?If so ,it's OK for a first attempt.

No, abacus, I have to hold my hands up and acknowledge that I did not draw that dog. My Art teacher at school, Mr Rickaby, was excellent when demonstrating, for example, the ways that Turner used curves in the construction of a specific painting to obtain the effects he was trying to achieve. However, he was considerably less successful when it soon appeared that he was expecting rather more of me than I was capable of providing, or indeed willing, as frankly I was considerably more interested in my imaginary football leagues. As a result, my head was rarely in his classroom, and for some reason he was not willing to judge my work as better than 40%, and that was only in the exams when I did make a bit of an effort.

I wasn't above making use of other people's artwork for my own ends though when the need arose. See below for the front cover of a six-page programme for a Shoot game against one of my friends. The match was ten minutes each way, but it took me a lot longer than that to produce the programme. Unfortunately I can't remember where exactly I borrowed the artwork from, but it will almost certainly have been a match programme produced by some team or other. It's not as if I didn't have a lot because at the time I used to write directly to clubs to ask for a copy of one of their recent programmes, and they would send me one by return of post free of charge. How else would I have been able to add to my collection those from clubs such as Grimsby Town, East Fife, Bristol Rovers, Barrow, and Heart Of Midlothian (as they used to be called)? They were lovely days. Where have they all gone?

Reading this post I got a cheap copy of the space wars book, I have had a copy of the Trigan book since it came out And have read it a number of times due to the classic art and story. Just read the space cadet story's whilst the family watched X factor, I never read Ranger as a child it was too expensive for my pocket money so first time seen the space cadet strip, found it ok not in the Trigan empire league , I'm pleased I read it and the book cost less than £2

Bethanys grandad wrote:Reading this post I got a cheap copy of the space wars book, I have had a copy of the Trigan book since it came out And have read it a number of times due to the classic art and story. Just read the space cadet story's whilst the family watched X factor, I never read Ranger as a child it was too expensive for my pocket money so first time seen the space cadet strip, found it ok not in the Trigan empire league , I'm pleased I read it and the book cost less than £2

I like Space Cadet more for it's art than the story though as you said it's OK.To me a good story is one I remember long after I have finished the comic.Like the Dinotopia books[not comics] fantastic/outstanding art but the writing falls short.
There are books like H.G.Well's Time Machine where I can still recall some of the lines I read and to me that is proof of great writing.Memorable comics with great art and story I must admit I don't come across that often
but I have found a few over the years.