“We’re the Sweeney son, and we haven’t had any dinner!” The Brown Watson Sweeney Annual 1977

Considering that ‘The Sweeney’ was a comparatively violent police show Brown Watson took the slightly strange decision to produce a children’s ‘Sweeney’ annual.

‘The Sweeney’ was a British television police drama featuring Detective Inspector Jack Regan (John Thaw) and Detective Sergeant George Carter (Dennis Waterman), two members of Scotland Yard’s Flying Squad, an elite branch of the British police force, specialising in combating armed robbery and violent crime within the Metropolitan Police area of London.

The programme title derives from Cockney rhyming slang, in which the expression Sweeney Todd rhymes with (and stands for) 'Flying Squad', in the slang used by London's criminal underworld.

The Sweeney Annual has three strips lavishly illustrated by Brian Lewis in his gothic style that is often associated with his time on House of Hammer. At the same time Lewis’ artwork on these three strips wouldn’t look of place in Countdown or Look-In, two other titles that his artwork graced.

The Sweeny Annual [1977] (Brown Watson):
‘The Hyena in London’ 6p [Brian Lewis] - art
‘Boy Wonder’ 6p [Brian Lewis] - art
‘Right Time, Wrong Place’ 4p [Brian Lewis] – art

‘The Hyena in London’ p1 [Brian Lewis] – art

‘Boy Wonder’ p1 [Brian Lewis] – art

‘Right Time, Wrong Place’ 4p [Brian Lewis] – art







Many thanks to my old mate Mark Bromage for lending me this very splendid annual. Any chance of a trade?

A Gigantic Grammatical Mistake by Grandreams! Fantastic Four Annual 1980

The Fantastic Four Annual 1980 from Grandreams has the usual reprints one expects from a Marvel UK annual:

Reprint from Giant-Size Fantastic Four #4 (Marvel) [Feb 1975]: 21p ‘Madrox the Multiple Man’ (Featuring: The Fantastic Four) Len Wein/Chris Claremont (Script) John Buscema (Pencils) Chic Stone & Joe Sinnott (Inks)

Reprint from Fantastic Four #28 (Marvel) [Jul 1964]: 23p ‘We Have to Fight the X-Men’ (Featuring: The Fantastic Four) Stan Lee (Script) Jack Kirby (Pencils) Chic Stone (Inks)

However the annual contains some original Marvel UK material. Sporting a cover, possibly by Paul Neary, and two stories illustrated by an uncredited David Lloyd, easily recognisable due to his brilliant shadowy and evocative style: ‘A Shade to Dangerous’ and ‘The Rescue’. I’m uncertain as to the writer of the stories but wait up ‘True Believer’ is that a grammatical mistake I see?

'A Shade to Dangerous' 5p (Featuring: The Fantastic Four) text story [David Lloyd] (illustrations)


'The Rescue' 6p (Featuring: The Fantastic Four) text story [David Lloyd] (illustrations)

T&P

Thorpe & Porter were another British publisher of magazines, comic books (mainly re-printed material) and pulp fiction. The first re-printed comic book was Bible Illustrated which ran for eight issues and was probably a repackaging of Picture Stories from the Bible an EC book. Thorpe & Porter are perhaps best known for re-publishing Dell’s Four Color series and Classics Illustrated in the UK. So successful was the Classics Illustrated title that T&P, beginning in 1951, reprinted over 150 of the titles issued in the US by Gilberton. The British Classics Illustrated proved so popular that T&P commissioned new material when Gilberton discontinued the line.

Many reprints of American comics became T&P’s specialality. Romance comics Young Love, Young Bride and Young Romance all had runs of a couple of years. Western comics like Wild Bill Hickcock, Tomahawk and Kid Colt enjoyed sustained popularity in the mid 50’s. Other titles included Mystery in Space, Forbidden Worlds and Blackhawk.

It’s something of a joy for collectors such as myself to pick up a T&P book. There’s always a wealth of reprinted material to be found from the Golden/Silver or Bronze ages and always at a reasonable price.

From the Four-Color Craic vaults these 68 page Kid Colts contain a wealth of material:

Kid Colt Outlaw #34 (T&P)
Reprints: Kid Colt Outlaw #70 (Marvel) [Mar 1957]:
Cover: John Severin
L-326 ‘Marked for Capture’ 5p (Featuring: Kid Colt) Keller - art
L-282 ‘Desperate Hour’ 5p (Featuring: Kid Colt) Keller - art
L-491 ‘Out of Bounds’ 5p (Featuring: Kid Colt) Keller - art
G-265 ‘The Luckiest Cowboy’ 1.67p text
L-337 ‘The Last Round Up’ 5p Keller (art)
L-379 He Stands in the Shadow 4p [Romita] - art
Reprints: Western Comics #60 (DC) [Nov/Dec 1956]:
‘Surprise Deputy’ 6p (Featuring: Pow-Wow Smith) [Herron] - script, [Infantino]/[Giella] - art
Indian Tribal Names 1.5p
Coyote Dance 1.5p
‘The Man Who Imitated Nighthawk’ 5.66p (Featuring: Nighthawk) [Fox] - script, [Kane]/[Sachs] - art
‘The Riddle of the Rodeo Robbery’ 6p (Featuring: Rodeo Rick) [Fox] - script, [Grandenetti] - art
‘The Racing Bandit’ 5.66p (Featuring: Wyoming Kid) [Fox] - script, [Sherman] - art
Reprint from: Prize Comics Western #113 (v14 #4) (Prize) [Sep 1955]:
‘Mississippi Card Sharps’ 15p (Featuring: American Eagle) [Severin] - art
‘Iron Shirt’ 6p (Featuring: American Eagle) [Williamson] – art

Splash page from p1 ‘Mississippi Card Sharps’ (Featuring: American Eagle) [John Severin] - art Prize Comics Western #113 (v14 #4) (Prize) (Sep 1955)

Kid Colt Outlaw #47 (T&P)
Reprints: Kid Colt Outlaw #81 (Marvel) [Nov 1958]:
Cover: Joe Maneely
T-32 ‘Jailbreak’ 6p (Featuring: Kid Colt Outlaw) Lee – script, Keller – art
T-31 ‘The Brute of Copper County’ 8p (Featuring: Kid Colt) Lee – script, Keller – art
O-112 ‘The Man Who Couldn’t Quit’ 4p Woodbridge – art
G-868 ‘Sheep Run’ 2p text
T-43 ‘The Coward’ 5p (Featuring: Kid Colt) Lee – script, Maneely – art. Notes: Joe Maneely’s last full story before his untimely death.
Reprint from: Unknown Atlas/Marvel Western title:
F-444 ‘Ghost Town’ 6p (Featuring: Outlaw Kid) Wildey – art
Reprint from: Unknown Atlas/Marvel Western title:
F-401 ‘Death Battle’ 6p (Featuring: Outlaw Kid) Wildey – art
Reprint from: Wyatt Earp #5 (Marvel) [Jul 1956]:
C-519 ‘Paid in Full’ 2p text
Reprint from: Unknown Atlas/Marvel Western title:
F-357 ‘Preacher-Man’ 5p Berg – art
Reprints from: Outlaw Kid #3 (Marvel) [Jan 1955]:
6p Untitled (Featuring: Black Rider) Wildey – art
F-106 ‘Hostage’ 6p (Featuring: Black Rider) Wildey – art
Reprint from: Unknown Lone Rider (Farrell):
‘The Black Saddle’ 8p (Featuring: Lone Rider) ? – art

Splash page from p1 T-43 ‘The Coward’ (Featuring: Kid Colt) Stan Lee – script, Joe Maneely – art. Notes: Joe Maneely’s last full story before his untimely death. Kid Colt Outlaw #81 (Marvel) [Nov 1958]

Kid Colt Outlaw #51 (T&P)
Reprints: Kid Colt Outlaw #47 (Marvel) [Apr 1955]:
Cover: Joe Maneely
D-871 6p Untitled featuring Kid Colt Outlaw Keller – art
D-876 6p Untitled featuring Kid Colt Outlaw Keller – art
Reprint from: Unknown Atlas/Marvel Western title
‘A Dog Will always Know’ 1p text
Reprint from: Unknown Atlas/Marvel Western title:
5p Untitled featuring Black Rider De Loprino – art
Reprint from: Unknown Atlas/Marvel Western title:
6p Untitled featuring: Kid Colt Keller – art
Reprint from: Unknown Atlas/Marvel Western title:
K-551 ‘When the Wild Bunch Rides’ 7p Lee – script, Maneely – art
Reprint from: Rawhide Kid #3 (Marvel) [Jul 1955]:
‘The Search’ 2p text
Reprint from: Wyatt Earp #28 (Marvel) [Apr 1960]:
T-660 ‘Every Gun Against Him’ 5p Lee – script, Wildey – art
Reprints from: The Texas Kid #2 (Marvel) [Mar 1951]:
7820 ‘Doom in the Desert’ 7p (Featuring: Texas Kid) 7p Maneely – art
SL-5470 ‘Gallows Bait’ 2p text
7818 ‘The Necktie Party’ 5p (Featuring: Texas Kid) Maneely – art

Splash page from p1 K-551 ‘When the Wild Bunch Rides’ Joe Maneely - art Kid Colt Outlaw #51 (T&P)

Panel from p6 K-551 ‘When the Wild Bunch Rides’ Joe Maneely - art Kid Colt Outlaw #51 (T&P)

Kid Colt Outlaw #53 (T&P)
Reprints: Kid Colt Outlaw #85 (Marvel) [Jul 1959]:
Cover: [Jack Kirby]/[Christopher Rule]
T-265 ‘The Waco Gang Strikes’ 8p (Featuring: Kid Colt) Lee – script, Keller/[Klein] – art
T-289 ‘Siege at the Circle-X’ 5p (Featuring: Kid Colt) Lee – script, Keller/[Klein] – art
J-663 ‘Duty Trail’ 2p text Maneely – illustration
O-73 ‘Redmen on the Rampage’ 5p (Featuring: Texas Kid) Sinnott – a
T-288 ‘The Deputy Says Draw’ 5p (Featuring: Kid Colt) Lee – script, Keller/[Klein] – art
Reprints from: Gunsmoke Western #52 (Marvel) [May 1959]:
T-238 ‘The Day the Kid Gave Up’ 7p (Featuring: Kid Colt) Lee – script, Keller/[Rule] – art
J-453 ‘The Stranger’ 2p text
O-116 ‘Range War’ 5p (Featuring: The Texas Kid) Sinnott – a
O-4 ‘Return of the Boise Kid’ 5p Davis – art
Reprint from: Outlaw Kid #5 (Marvel) [May 1955]:
‘Arizona Lawman’ 2p text
Reprints from: Western Comics #70 (DC) [Jul/Aug 1958]:
‘The Mystery of the Bearded Prospector’ 6p (Featuring: Wyoming Kid) [Fox] – script, [Sherman] – art
‘Strange Indian Beliefs’ 1p
Reprints from: The Texas Kid #2 (Marvel) [Mar 1951]:
7821 ‘Phantom of Massacre Gulch’ 6p (Featuring: Texas Kid) 6p Maneely – art
7892 ‘The Promise’ 4p ? – art

Splash page from Gunsmoke Western #52 (Marvel) [May 1959] p1T-238 ‘The Day the Kid Gave Up’ (Featuring: Kid Colt) Lee – script, Jack Keller/[Christopher Rule] – art

Splash page from Gunsmoke Western #52 (Marvel) [May 1959] p1 O-4 ‘Return of the Boise Kid’ Jack Davis – art

Splash page from The Texas Kid #2 (Marvel) [Mar 1951] p1 7821 ‘Phantom of Massacre Gulch’ (Featuring: Texas Kid) 6p Joe Maneely – art

Kid Colt Outlaw #54 (T&P)
Reprints cover from Wild Western #23 (Marvel) (Aug 1952) by Sol Brodsky? Texas Kid and The Arizona Kid are labelled as The Nighthawk and Johnny Thunder. None of the contents from Wild Western #23 are reprinted.
Reprint from: Unknown Atlas/Marvel Western title:
7474 ‘Red Men on the Warpath’ 9p (Featuring: Kid Colt) [Maneely] – art
Reprint from: Unknown Atlas/Marvel Western title:
7478 ‘Sheriff of Roaring Gap’ 5p (Featuring: Kid Colt) [Maneely] – art
Reprint from: Kid Colt Outlaw #17 (Marvel) [Nov 1951]:
7476 ‘’Trapped by the Posse’ 5p (Featuring: Kid Colt) ? – art
Reprint from: Kid Colt Outlaw #10 (Marvel) [Jul 1950]:
7475 ‘The Whip Strikes’ 8p (Featuring: Kid Colt) ? – art
Reprints from: All-Star Western #104 (DC) [Dec-Jan 1958/59]:
‘The Surprise Sheriff of Rocky City’ 10p (Featuring: Trigger Twins) [Kanigher] – script, [Infantino] – art
Colorful Western Creeks 1p ? – art
‘Double Cross at Double Creek’ (Featuring: Foley of the Fighting 5^th) [Broome] – script, [Sherman] – art
Hitching Post 1p letters
‘The Gauntlet of Thunder’ 8p (Featuring: Johnny Thunder) [Kanigher] – script, [Kane] – art

Splash page from All-Star Western #104 (DC) [Dec-Jan 1958/59] p1 ‘The Surprise Sheriff of Rocky City’ (Featuring: Trigger Twins) [Carmine Infantino] – art

Splash page from All-Star Western #104 (DC) [Dec-Jan 1958/59] p1 ‘The Gauntlet of Thunder’ (Featuring: Johnny Thunder) [Gil Kane] – art

Kid Colt Outlaw #57 (T&P)
Reprints: Kid Colt Outlaw #87 (Marvel) [Nov 1959]:
Cover: [Jack Kirby]/[George Klein]
T-408 ‘Give Me Your Guns’ 7p (Featuring: Kid Colt) Lee – script, Keller/[Klein] – art
O-316 6p Untitled featuring Gunsmoke Kid Davis – art
T-431 ‘Fury at the Circle-R’ 5p (Featuring: Kid Colt) Lee – script, Keller/[Klein] – art
J-655 ‘The Slacker’ 2p text, Maneely – illustration
T-425 ‘The Mark of the Outlaw’ 5p (Featuring: Kid Colt) Lee – script, Keller/[Klein] – art
Reprints from: Western Comics #75 (DC) [Mar/Jun 1959]:
‘Menace of the Magic Arrows’ 11.67p (Featuring: Pow-Wow Smith) [Fox] – script, [Infantino] – art
‘Strange Indian Beliefs’ 1p
Hitching Post 1p letters
‘The Strange Signs at Saddle Rock’ 5.67p (Featuring: Wyoming Kid) [Fox] – script, [Kane]/[Sachs] – art Reprint from: All-Star Western #106 (DC) [Apr/May 1959]
‘Trap at the Flaming Outpost’ 9.67p [Featuring: Johnny Thunder] [Kanigher] – script, [Kane]/[Giacoia] – art

Splash page from Kid Colt Outlaw #87 (Marvel) [Nov 1959] p1 O-316 Untitled featuring Gunsmoke Kid Davis – art

Splash page from All-Star Western #106 (DC) [Apr/May 1959] p1 ‘Trap at the Flaming Outpost’ 9.67p [Featuring: Johnny Thunder] [Kanigher] – script, [Gil Kane]/[Frank Giacoia] – art

Miller Time

L. Miller & Son, Ltd. was a British publisher of magazines, comic books and pulp fiction. Between the 1940s and 1966, the firm published British editions of many American comic books. Probably best known for recreating Golden Age Captain Marvel as Marvelman in 1953 in order to avoid cancellation of their 'Marvel' titles after America's Fawcett Publications capitulated to National Periodicals (DC Comics).

Marvelman #185 (L. Miller & Son) [vol 3] [2 Mar 1957]
Cover: Mick Anglo/Mick Anglo Studios
Marvelman News 1p letters
'Marvelman and the King of the West' 10p (Featuring: Marvelman) Mick Anglo/Mick Anglo Studios - scipt/art
Marvelman Quiz 1p
'Marvelman and the Foam Fanatic' 5p (Featuring: Marvelman) Mick Anglo/Mick Anglo Studios - scipt/art
Young Joey 1p Denis Gifford - script/art
'Marvelman and the Uranium Grab' 5p (Featuring: Marvelman) Mick Anglo/Mick Anglo Studios - scipt/art
The Friendly Soul 1p Denis Gifford - script/art
Flip and Flop 1p Denis Gifford - script/art

From Marvelman #185 (L. Miller & Son) [vol 3] [2 Mar 1957] p1 'Marvelman and the Foam Fanatic' Mick Anglo/Mick Anglo Studios - art

Panels from Marvelman #185 (L. Miller & Son) [vol 3] [2 Mar 1957] p2 'Marvelman and the Foam Fanatic' Mick Anglo/Mick Anglo Studios - art

Marvelman #188 (L. Miller & Son) [vol 3] [22 Mar 1957]
Cover: Mick Anglo/Mick Anglo Studios Marvelman News 1p letters
'Marvelman and the Leaning Tower of Texas' 10p (Featuring: Marvelman) Mick Anglo/Mick Anglo Studios - scipt/art
Young Joey 1p Denis Gifford - script/art
Marvelman Quiz 1p
'Marvelman and the River of Time' 10p (Featuring: Marvelman) Mick Anglo/Mick Anglo Studios - scipt/art
Flip and Flop 1p Denis Gifford - script/art
Marvelman Special Quiz 1p

From Marvelman #188 (L. Miller & Son) [vol 3] [22 Mar 1957] p20 'Marvelman and the Leaning Tower of Texas' Mick Anglo/Mick Anglo Studios - scipt/art

Panels from Marvelman #188 (L. Miller & Son) [vol 3] [22 Mar 1957] p2 'Marvelman and the Leaning Tower of Texas' Mick Anglo/Mick Anglo Studios - scipt/art

Gunsmoke Western #21 (L. Miller & Son)
Reprints: Gunsmoke Western #53 (Marvel) [Jul 1959]
Cover: [Jack Kirby]/[Sol Brodsky]
T-316 ‘The Mark of the Coward’ (Featuring: Kid Colt) 6p Lee (script), Keller/[Klein] (art)
T-310 ‘Doc Halliday, Most Dangerous Gunman in the West’ (Featuring: Wyatt Earp) 7p Lee (script), Ayers (art)
K-523 ‘Six-Gun Shy’ 2p text
O-245 ‘One Bullet Left’ (Featuring: Ringo Kid) Maneely (art)
O-48 ‘Desperado’ 5p Ayers (art)

From Gunsmoke Western #21 (L. Miller & Son) p1 ‘One Bullet Left’ (Ringo Kid) Joe Maneely - art

Gunsmoke Western #23 (L. Miller & Son)
Selected reprints: Gunsmoke Western #55 (Marvel) [Nov1959] Cover: Joe Maneely O-271 ‘Hired Gun’ (Featuring: Gunsmoke Kid) 6p Davis (art) T-456 ‘The Man from Morgan Mesa’ (Featuring: Wyatt Earp) 6p Lee (script), Ayers (art) K-162 ‘Mustang Maverick’ 2p text, Maneely (spot illustration)
T-458 ‘Gun-Fight at Grogan’s Gap’ 5p Lee (art) Baker (art)

From Gunsmoke Western #23 (L. Miller & Son) p1 ‘Hired Gun’ (Featuring: Gunsmoke Kid) Jack Davis - art

Wyatt Earp #10 (L. Miller & Son)
Reprints: Wyatt Earp #8 (Marvel) [Jan 1957]
Cover: Joe Maneely
K-733 ‘Gun Duel at Abiline’ (Featuring: Wyatt Earp) 5p Maurer (art) Notes: Historical figure James Butler ‘Wild Bill’ Hickok (1837 – 1876) appears.
F-766 ‘Empty Canteens’ 2p text
K-878 ‘Navaho Uprising’ (Featuring: Wyatt Earp) 5p Maurer (art)
K-900 ‘The Warning’ (Featuring: Wyatt Earp) 4p Maurer (art)
L-27 ‘Gunslinger’ 4p Lee (script), Ayers (art)
K-817 ‘Bushwhack at Badman Pass’ (Featuring: Wyatt Earp) 5p Maurer (art)

From Wyatt Earp #10 (L. Miller & Son) p1 'Gun Duel at Abiline’ (Featuring: Wyatt Earp) Norman Maurer – art

Wyatt Earp #41 (L. Miller & Son) Selected reprints: Wyatt Earp #25 (Marvel) [Oct 1959] Cover: [Jack Kirby]/[Christopher Rule]
T-398 ‘Face to Face With the Gunfighter’ (Featuring: Wyatt Earp) 5p Lee (script), Ayers (art)
K-374 ‘Warpath’ 2p text
O-228 Untitled featuring: The Gunsmoke Kid 7p Davis (art)
T-397 ‘The Terrible Revenge of Wyatt Earp’ (Featuring: Wyatt Earp) 5p Lee (script), Ayers (art)

From Wyatt Earp #41 (L. Miller & Son) p1 Untitled featuring: The Gunsmoke Kid Jack Davis - art

Make Mine Marvel UK!!!

Besides Four-Color Craic I blog and post scans on Facebook and the Facebook group: ‘Make Mine Marvel UK!!!’. I’m an Officer of the group and I'm proud to be a ‘Fearless Front-Facer and Real Fanatic One’.

‘Make Mine Marvel UK!!!’ is a group for fans of Marvel’s UK division. Fans can discuss their favourite titles from the Marvel UK beginnings in 1972 through to 1995 when Panini obtained the Marvel UK license to today’s releases from Panini.

Marvel Comics set up a British division in 1972 to publish a line of comics reprinting their early American material. The first comic to be introduced was, The Mighty World of Marvel in October 1972.

In addition to reprinting the American material, the UK series produced a number of original covers. Here's a sample from the Four-Color Craic collection but you can find more original UK material at the 'Make Mine Marvel UK!!!' Facebook group:

Mighty World of Marvel #22 [3 Mar 1973]
Cover: [Jim Starlin]
Mighty World of Marvel #38 [23 Jun 1973]
Cover: [Rich Buckler]

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #84 [21 Sep 1974]
Cover: Unknown member of the Marvel UK Bullpen

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #85 [28 Sep 1974]
Cover: Unknown member of the Marvel UK Bullpen

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #84 [21 Sep 1974] & #85 [28 Sep 1974]
Reprints Amazing Spider-Man #72 [May 1969] 20p ‘Rocked by the Shocker’ John Buscema (plot/layouts) Stan Lee (script) John Romita Sr/Jim Mooney (art)

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #93 [23 Nov 1974]
Cover: [Gil Kane] (possible inks by Frank Giacoia)

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #94 [30 Nov 1974]
Cover: [Gil Kane] (possible inks by Frank Giacoia)

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #93 [23 Nov 1974] & #94 [30 Nov 1974]
Reprints Amazing Spider-Man #77 [Oct 1969] 20p ‘In the Blaze of Battle’ John Buscema (plot/layouts) Stan Lee (script) Jim Mooney (art)

Marvel UK turned Killraven into Apeslayer. True story. Because Marvel UK where reprinting the successful Planet of the Apes on a weekly basis, they quickly ran out of new stories to publish.

Marvel UK’s solution was to take the series Killraven, which depicted a freedom fighter who fought Martians in a post-apocalyptic alternative future, and changed the Martians to Apes and Killraven to ‘Apeslayer’.

Planet of the Apes #23 [29 Mar 1975]
1^st appearance of the Apeslayer (Killraven)
Cover: possibly Mike Esposito

Planet of the Apes #28 [10 May 1975]
Cover: Herb Trimpe/[Altered by Marvel UK Bullpen]

The Avengers and the Savage Sword of Conan #109 [18 Oct 1975]
Cover: Unknown member/members of the Marvel UK Bullpen

Fury #6 [20 Apr 1977]
Cover: Carlos Ezquerra

Fury #14 [15 Jun 1977]
Cover: Carlos Ezquerra

Other than the covers no original material had yet been produced but by the mid 1970’s Marvel UK decided to create the first Marvel hero aimed specifically at the British market: Captain Britain. Captain Britain was created by Chris Claremont and Herb Trimpe.

Captain Britain #1 [13 Oct 1976]
1st appearance and origin of Captain Britain
Cover: [Larry Lieber]/[Frank Giacoia]
8p ‘The Origin of Captain Britain’ Chris Claremont (script), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Fred Kida (inks), Marie Severin (colors), Irving Watanabe (letters).

Captain Britain #2 [20 Oct 1976]
Cover: [Larry Lieber]

The Avengers Treasury Edition [1982]
Cover: [Dave Gibbons]

Captain Britain #1 [vol II Jan 1985]
Cover: [Alan Davis]

Transformers #133 [3 Oct 1987]
Cover: Dave Gibbons

For more detailed information on Marvel UK visit the Wikipedia entry here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_UK

Mike Western 1925 - 2008

Mike Western one of Britain’s greatest comics artists died on Tuesday, 13 May, aged 83.

Comics historian Steve Holland has a more detailed and informative history of Mike Western’s work on his blog Bear Alley and I have more links at the end of this post by others but I just wanted to pay tribute to Mike in my own way with a visit to the Four-Color Craic vaults:

Mike had a long spell as cover artist on Valiant, 13 years and with over 500 covers to be precise beginning in 1962.

Valiant and TV21 cover [5 Feb 1972]

In 1964 Mike began drawing 'The Wild Wonders' for the Valiant. Written by Tom Tully ‘The Wild Wonders’ was a story about two feral or “wild” boys, Rick and Charlie Wild, brought up by animals on a remote island, discovered the boys soon proved to be brilliant athletes.

'The Wild Wonders' (p1) Valiant and TV21 [16 Dec 1972]

One of my favorite Mike Western co-creations was ‘The Leopard from Lime Street’. Another co-creation with Tom Tully ‘The Leopard from Lime Street’ was one of the Buster’s longest running strips [1976 – 1985].

Buster and Monster Fun cover [9 Jun 1979]

Very much in the spirit of Spider-Man ‘The Leopard from Lime Street’ was about young Billy Farmer who lived with his Aunt Joan and Uncle Charlie. He was scratched by a radioactive leopard called 'Sheba' while taking photos at the local zoo for the school magazine, and gained leopard-like strength, speed, reflexes, and tree-climbing abilities.

'The Leopard from Lime Street' (p3) Buster and Monster Fun [12 May 1979]

Mike’s finest work was probably in the pages of Battle Picture Weekly on strips: ‘The Team That Went To War’ [1976], 'Darkie's Mob' [1976 – 77], 'The Sarge' [1966 – 78] and 'HMS Nightshade' [1979]. Mike’s work became grittier in style for the darker tones of the Battle Picture Weekly war storylines. My personal favourites being ‘Darkies Mob’ and ‘The Sarge’.

'The Team That Went To War' (p1) Battle [8 May 1976]

Battle and Valiant cover [8 Jan 1977]

'Darkies Mob' (p1) Battle and Valiant [11 Dec 1978]

'H.M.S. Nightshade' (p1) Battle Action [10 Feb 1979]

'The Sarge' (p3) Battle and Valiant [20 Aug 1977]

Battle and Valiant cover [27 Aug 1977]

Battle Action cover [18 May 1978]

'The Sarge' (p1) Battle Action [18 May 1978]

Steve Holland's obituary to Mike Western can be found here:
http://bearalley.blogspot.com/2008/05/mike-western-1925-2008.html and there are more tributes here: http://www.downthetubes.net/features/tributes/mike_western_tribute.html http://hipsterdad.livejournal.com/326293.html
http://www.brokenfrontier.com/lowdown/details.php?id=1345