First Sale of the Garry Leach Comic Collection at London Comic Mart next weekend
Book Palace Books have announced an initial sale of comics owned by 2000AD artist Garry Leach, who died in 2022, at the London Comic Mart next weekend, Sunday 16th August 2026.
The Garry Leach Comic Collection – Part 1 sale includes DC and Marvel Silver Age Titles, and some Pre Comics Code treasures.
The collection has been priced to recirculate Garry’s comics to fans and collectors.
The Illustration Art Gallery, part of Book Palace Books, notes Garry Leach (19th September 1954 – 26th March 2022) was a British comics artist, editor and publisher, who began his career working for 2000AD, occasionally credited as ‘Rex’, drawing on series such as “Dan Dare” and “M.A.C.H. 1.” He later worked on the series “The V.C.s.”
He joined Dez Skinn’s company, Quality Communications, in 1981, where he worked as art director and was the first artist on Alan Moore’s revival of Marvelman in Warrior. His work on Marvelman proved highly popular but due to his slow pace of working, he left art duties to be replaced by Alan Davis. For Davis’ first few stories Leach worked as inker, to allow Davis to settle into the strip. Leach’s work on Marvelman remained the prototype, as Davis has insisted that “my ‘style’ on the series was simply a bargain-basement attempt to imitate what Garry had done”.
Leach and Alan Moore also created “Warpsmith” for Warrior together, a character that featured in its own strip and eventually became a supporting character in Marvelman.
With Dave Elliott, Leach set up Atomeka Press in 1988. Their first title was the anthology title, A1, which included new Warpsmith material by Moore and Leach. After Atomeka and A1 finished in the mid-1990s, Leach worked mainly in advertising, but returned to comics in the late 1990s as John McCrea’s inker on Hitman. In 1999 he won the Eisner Award for ‘Best Single Issue/Single Story’ for Hitman #34: “Of Thee I Sing”, with Garth Ennis and John McCrea.
He also drew the first issue of Warren Ellis’s series Global Frequency, and designed many of that title’s characters. He continued to contribute inking work to 2000AD, including on “Future Shocks” with Rufus Dayglo.
Leach also illustrated cards for the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering.
He returned to publishing and restarted Atomeka Press with Dave Elliott, relaunching A1, which included new work by Leach. The A1 Sketchbook was released in late 2004, containing four Miracleman-related pin-ups (although the pin-ups were not explicitly said to be Miracleman, for possible legal reasons). A variant of the sketchbook was produced, featuring a Miracleman front cover and Kid Miracleman back cover by Leach.
The London Comic Mart takes place at the Royal National Hotel, at 38-51 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0DG. Lids will come off boxes at 11.00am, so get an early bird ticket!
London Comic Mart is a long established and hugely popular event that’s been running for over 30 years in one form or another. If you’re looking for rare comics or exciting new ones we have a huge range of items available from over 120 traders stalls. Comic Mart is not just about the comics however, as there are many other treasures to be found.
• The London Comic Mart 11.00am – 4.00pm, Sunday 16th August 2026, Royal National Hotel, 38-51 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0DG. Ticket Prices: Early Entry: £5 from 11.00 am to 12 noon | Standard Entry: £1 from 12 noon to 2.00 pm | Late Entry: Free 2.00 to 4.00 pm | Web: londoncomicmart.co.uk
Thanks to Paul Gravett for the heads up
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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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