The latest Phil-Comics auction starts to close later today, with bidding fierce on rare British comics and a huge range original art, including “Judge Dredd” art by Patrick Goddard, and rare comics associated merchandise, too.
In total, the 285 listings end from 5.30pm today, Sunday 30th and Mon 31st August, and you may well find several items of interest.
“There’s a really varied selection of original artwork, bound volumes from the IPC and DC Thomson archives,” notes auctioneer Phil Shrimpton, “comics with free gifts, individual comics in high grade plus a small selection of 1960s American comics.”
Here are just some of the “hot” items on offer…
Browse the latest Phil-Comics vintage comic auction catalogue here
2000AD Judge Dredd Original Comic Artwork for Episode 2, for Prog 1959 (2015) by Patrick Goddard
The “Judge Dredd” story “The Beating” appeared in 2000AD Progs 1958-1960
Beano Comic Artwork Dennis the Menace circa 2000s Library Fun-Size by Mark Morgan
An original page of artwork, believed to be Beano Fun-Size by Mark Morgan, who has signed it to the outside lower left corner of the panel.
Beano Comic Artwork from Beano No. 3300 (2005) featuring Dennis the Menace and Lord Snooty by Kev F Sutherland
An original page of comic artwork by artist Kev F. Sutherland, published in Beano No. 3300 (cover dated 15th October 2005), the appearance identified by collector Stuart Jay
Browse the latest Phil-Comics vintage comic auction catalogue here
Boxatrix Original Comic Artwork Quackers comic c1997-1999 Brian Walker Quiz Kids
Brian Walker enjoyed a very rewarding and impressive 50 year career as a cartoonist and illustrator, drawing some 5400 pages in that time. He contributed hugely to British comics, working for both IPC and DC Thomson. His work for IPC included “Scream Inn” in Whoopee, “Three Story Stan” and “Wizards Anonymous” in Shiver and Shake and “Boxatricks” in Buster, amongst others. For DC Thomson he drew “Smasher” in The Dandy, “I Spy” for Sparky, “Spike” in Spike and “Pop, Dick and Harry” in The Beezer. In the early 2000s he drew “Johnny Fartpants” for Viz, as well as creating the character and strip “Goldfish Boy” for that comic.
Buster and Monster Fun Holiday Special 1983 Freaky Farm Original Comic Artwork – Artist Unknown
“Freaky Farm” originated in Monster Fun comic and later transferred into Buster, when the two titles merged in 1976, with art often drawn by Jim Watson, but the creator of this page is unidentified
Buster “It’s A Nice Life” Original Artwork, probably by Reg Parlett, circa 1980s, dated “11th June”
A full page strip of artwork for the “It’s a Nice Life” strip published in Buster sometime in the 1980s. It looks like the work of Reg Partlett, best known, perhaps, for his work on “Billy Bunter”, or at least someone capable of ghosting his work to a high standard. A date at the bottom says June 11 and it was on Page 9, so likely easily checked if you have a run of Buster comics from that decade.
School Fun + Buster Comic Artwork “B. Ware – Caretaker” IPC 1980s by Steve Bright
An original page of caricature style artwork, signed by artist Steve Bright. Steve himslef has this to say about the art…
“So… this is ‘B.Ware – Caretaker‘. He first appeared in IPC’s new comic ‘School Fun’ back in its October 15th launch issue, 1983. The comic lasted for only 33 issues, before merging with Buster in ’84, and I think I continued to draw it for another 3-4 years after that. He wasn’t my creation and I didn’t write any of the scripts, despite my previous six years as a DC Thomson comics sub editor. But the character designs, for what they were worth, were all mine. ‘B’ (can’t recall if we ever found out what it stood for) was basically a nasty piece of work, who loved his job as a school jannie (as we call them up here in Scotland), but hated the kids who delighted in increasing his workload on a weekly basis.” … “he was my first ‘original’ IPC character in terms of his appearance, so I was quite proud he had a decent run.” … “I don’t recall exactly when or why I drew the image in question, but it would almost certainly have been the result of a request forwarded to me from IPC.”
“We love the image and mentioned to Steve that,” enthuse Phil Shrimpton. “At first glance to us, he looks like a cross between Bruce Forsyth and Teacher from The Bash Street Kids. Indeed Steve confirmed that Teacher was almost certainly an influence in creating B.Ware – Caretaker.”
Moonbirds Weekly Colour Newspaper Strip M29 by Mike Higgs (1980s, Signed)
An original page of comic artwork, drawn by Mike Higgs. “Moonbirds” was a colour weekly page, separate from the regular daily newspaper strip, syndicated to odd magazines in Europe which is why the English dialogue was on an overlay so that each country could easily put their own translations in place.
Go Commando…
Just a few of the Commando comics published by DC Thomson in 1968 on offer in this auction.
There are plenty of TV Century 21, TV Comic, WHAM and other good runs of British comics in the auction, too.
Comics With Free Gifts
Free Gift issues in this auction include the first three issues of Champion, published by IPC in 1966. Click the images for larger pictures
Merchandise Items
A rarely seen animation cel acetate for the Dennis and GnasherTV Series produced by the BBC in 1996 from the DC Thomson Archive, from Series 1 Episode 13, “The Day TV Was Banned”, which aired on 9th July 1996 and guest starred Ken Dodd. Prior to Phil-Comics sales of these animation cels, no others have ever been offered for sale as all have remained in the Archive until now.
This item has officially come from surplus material held by the DC Thomson Archive.
Dennis and Gnasherwas first broadcast on the BBC from 2nd April 1996 until 7th May 1998. Re-runs aired on CBBC until Jan 2007. The series was produced by Collingwood O’Hare Productions and DC Thomson, in association with BBC Television, and largely written by Tony Collingwood. Two series were made with 13 episodes in each, making a total of 26 episodes, running for 25 minutes each. The series focussed on Dennis the Menace and Gnasher, with voiceovers from voice actors and features the likes of Dennis’ Mum and Dad, Granny, Curly, Pie-Face, Walter the Softy, Foo Foo amongst other smaller part characters based on the famous comic strip in The Beano.
Browse the latest Phil-Comics vintage comic auction catalogue here
- About the Author
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who MagazineandOverkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
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