Like an ambassador offering us some cheap but delicious chocolate treats, Alan Clark is spoiling us with a double helping of new books covering the Silver Age of British comics (1950-69).
If you have seen any of his previous publications, you'll know the drill by now. Each volume contains a wealth of illustration, interspersed with brief essays on comics, editors and artists, with the occasional side-step into history (in this instance, the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth).
The two volumes run to an astonishing 620 pages, with Eagle the starting point and chapters on Lion, Tiger, Comet, etc., Gerald G. Swan and some of the 'pirate' publishers, Len Miller, Marvelman, picture libraries, girls' comics, Denis McLoughlin, the end of Fleetway ... we then move into volume two for DC Thomson, Leo Baxendale and the Power Comics, romance comics, TV comics, Valiant and other Fleetway and non-Fleetway titles of the Sixties, more pocket libraries, Classics Illustrated, Alan Class, Thorpe & Porter, World Distributors and Atlas. Phew!
If you're thinking "Well, I know about [name your subject of expertise]." It's unlikely that you'll have the broad knowledge and images on display here. I'm a collector of forty-five years and there were nice surprises dotted throughout both books. My favourite image has to be a stand for Gerald Swan at a trade fair, which I think should finally put a stop to the notion that Swan was a minor publisher. I still class him as one of the wartime pirate publishers, but his output was huge over a period of twenty or so years.
There's also a photo of Eric Roberts, Joan Whitford and Reg Bunn. I know from years of research that photos of creators are like gold dust, and Alan has gathered together more than anyone, especially of Golden Age creators.
As with all of Alan's books, these are published in limited numbers, which makes them pricey, but I'd recommend them nevertheless. Get 'em while you can. They're available as a pair via eBay, priced £40.
Comic Papers of the Silver Age 1950-1969 Book One by Alan Clark.
Alan Clark, January 2025, 310pp, unpriced.
Comic Papers of the Silver Age 1950-1969 Book Two by Alan Clark.
Alan Clark, January 2025, 310pp, unpriced.
Must be sold out. Used the link, nothing for sale.
ReplyDeleteYes, it looks like the last copy went at 7.21 am this morning.
ReplyDelete