Two New Books from Alan Clark, firmly focused on British Comics “Golden Age”
Comics historian Alan Clark has published two new books about the early days of British comics, and is offering them as a package through his eBay store.
Do note Alan lives in Italy, so although postage is listed as free, the price reflects delivery costs. Despite this, his books sell out rapidly, so if the subject is of interest, get your copies soon here!
Book One: The Comic Papers of C. Arthur Pearson (212 pages)
Founded by Cyril Arthur Pearson, C. Arthur Pearson Ltd. was a prominent British publishing house that operated from 1890 to 1961. The firm was highly regarded for its diverse portfolio, which spanned newspapers, books, and influential periodicals such as Pearson’s Weekly, Home Notes, Pearson’s Magazine, The Royal Magazine, London Opinion, and Men Only. Between 1898 and 1916, the company also made its mark on the newspaper industry, most notably by launching the Daily Express.
While Pearson published only a select few comic and story papers, they represented a high-water mark for the medium. The crown jewel of this collection was undoubtedly The Big Budget. With this exciting, dynamic, and innovative title, Pearson proved that his firm could outpace Alfred Harmsworth’s formidable Amalgamated Press. Instead of following industry trends, The Big Budgetset them, forcing its rivals to emulate its success.
Despite its success and sales, copies of The Big Budget are rextremely rare today, so it’s great to see a number of examples in this book, which provides numerous insightful profiles of comic artists such as Walter Bell, David Low, best known for his cartoons for the Daily Mirror, Charles Genge, Frank Holland, and writers as varied as Edwy Searle Brooks, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, John Russell Fearn, and Moreton Stowe.
A highlight of this book, for me, is a picture led section devoted to the short lived weekly British science fiction magazine SCOOPS, published in 1934, running for just 20 issues. The failure of the magazine contributed to the belief that Britain could not support a science fiction magazine, and it was not until 1937, with Tales of Wonder, that another attempt was made.
Book Two: Photographs & Images of Writer’s, Artists & Editors of 19th and 20th Century British Comic Papers (152 pages)
The most important people in comics are the creators: the artists, writers and editors. To know them simply by the dry details of biographical facts is informative and interesting and provides valuable context. And seeing the faces behind the work adds a vital human connection.
Following on from the previously published, now sold out Photos & Images Book One, Alan delivers another selection of creators in this imaginatively titled Book Two.
The highlight of this book is surely a tribute to Herbert Sydney Foxwell by the surviving Foxwell family, an artist best known for his work on the iconic characters Tiger Tim and, later, the Daily Mail’s Teddy Tail. But there’s plenty more to enjoy, too, with profiles that include a diverse range of comic creators, among them two early female creators, author and editor Flora Klickman and artist Theresa Wilkinson.
Always a pleasure to receive, I’ve only had time to dip into both books for now, but I’m definitely going to enjoy longer reads in coming days. Thoroughly recommended! My thanks to Alan for review copies.
- 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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