Bear Alley Books

When we publish an index, that isn't the end of the story. I have been researching British comics since the 1980s and the field is so vast that it's a rare week when nothing new is discovered. Ongoing research means that published indexes can sometimes require updating and may contain the occasional error. Hence this page, which I can use to spread corrections and additions and – hopefully – catch any errors before the wrong information becomes too widespread.

HURRICANE & CHAMPION

p.32 Rob o' the Wood. Artwork for story 11 is by Martin Salvador, not Guido Buzzelli. Although Buzzelli did contribute to Thriller Picture Library's Robin Hood issues, none of his stories were reprinted in Hurricane, so his name should also be removed from the creators index on page 44.
p.41 Whacker. The queried source story was not 'La Bulle de Silence' (Spirou 1433-1458) but the earlier 'La Maison d'en face' (1297-1318, 1963). (Thanks to MCT16 for the update.)

LION: KING OF PICTURE STORY PAPERS

p.15 Art: Dudley Wynne.
p.129 Gary Keane's last episode of Paddy Payne was the issue 367, dated 28-02-59, and Joe Colquhoun took over the following week with issue 368, dated 07-03-59.
p.194 The compiler of the Airfix Modellers Club was Kelvin Gosnell, whose name should be added to the list of contributors on page 257.

NOT FORGOTTEN 2009-10

p.25 Giorgio Bellavitis made his first contributions to Albo Uragano, which is misspelled.

Mean Streetmaps

SOLD OUT!

Bear Alley Books is proud to announce the publication of Mean Streetmaps, a collection of essays on crime noir ranging from the origins of hard-boiled writing in the pages of Black Mask, the novels of James M. Cain, W. R. Burnett and Mickey Spillane—and of their British copyists Ben Sarto, 'Griff' and Dail Ambler—to the movies of Joe Eszterhas and David Fincher. This eclectic collection also includes essays on the crime novels and movies of Hollywood's worst director, Edward D. Wood, Len Deighton's Harry Palmer novels, Sexton Blake's infamous nemesis, Zenith the Albino, and a new take on George Orwell's classic essay 'Raffles and Miss Blandish'.

Contents
Some Rats Have Two Legs [Griff]
"Let Me Die in Drag" [Edward D. Wood's crime films and novels]
You the Jury: Joe Eszterhas
Raffles and Richard Allen [George Orwell vs. Skinhead]
The Lady Holds a Gun [Dail Ambler]
Deadline for Crime [Duncan Webb fights the prostitute rackets]
In Self Defence [Pete Costello obscenity case]
Restless Predators [British gangsters]
Mean Streetmaps [Carroll John Daly and the origins of hard-boiled crime]
Waiting for Darkness [W. R. Burnett] (read a brief extracthere)
You the Jury: Mickey Spillane
Twisted Hopes and Crooked Dreams [James M. Cain's Double Indemnity] (read a brief extracthere)
White Hunter, Black Heart [Anthony Skene's Zenith the Albino]
"Ferociously Cool" [Len Deighton's Harry Palmer]
You the Jury: David Fincher
"I Kill 'Em Inch by Inch!" [Ben Sarto]

Reviews

"Given his personal sphere of interest, he is, as to be expected, always interesting and highly informative on the pulp underbrush of crime fiction as cultivated by such names as ‘Griff’, Ben Sarto and Dail Ambler – and if those names mean nothing to you, don’t worry about it; you are not alone. Expanding into more classical noir crime fiction, Holland also pens very decent essays on James M. Cain, Caroll John Daly and Black Mask magazine and first rate ones on W. R. Burnett and Mickey Spillane – of whom you certainly should have heard."—Mike Ripley, Getting Away With Murder, June 2011.

Format
Mean Streetmaps is published in hardback, 240 pages with a full colour dust jacket by Reginald (Heade) Webb.

Publication Date
Published 30 March 2011. Sold out 25 March 2012.

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(* Mean Streetmaps© Steve Holland.)

Hurricane and Champion: The Companion Papers to Valiant

Bear Alley Books is proud to announce an all-new index to these highly collectable British comics. Hurricane and Champion: The Companion Papers to Valiant details the histories of both papers and reveals—some for the first time—the names of many of the creators behind the classic comic strips that filled their pages.

Heavily illustrated throughout, Hurricane and Champion also includes title and creator indexes covering both papers, a gallery of annual covers and has a full-colour cover scanned from original artwork.

In his introduction, Steve Holland describes how Hurricane (1964-65) went through four phases during its lifetime and reveals the many problems faced by Champion (1966) during its brief 15-issue run.

Reviews

"It's no easy feat to produce these accounts and Steve deserves praise for his hard work. The many changes of ownership that befell the Amalgamated Press titles, many finally coming to rest at Egmont (who now own almost every character first published by Fleetway Editions after 1st January 1970), means any documentation listing contributors and sales figures is scant ... Steve has nevertheless assembled a fascinating account of both titles."—John Freeman, Down the Tubes.
"Steve's feature article in this Hurricane and Champion book takes up 25 of its 48 pages and it, like the rest of the book, is heavily illustrated. The book is well worth the money."—Jeremy Briggs, Down the Tubes.
"I can appreciate Hurricane and Champion far more now from a mature perspective, and even though I only have a couple of issues in my collection I found Steve's history of those comics a fascinating read. If I enjoyed it I'm sure that actual fans of those titles will be over the moon with this book."—Lew Stringer, Blimey!.

Format
Hurricane and Champion is published in A4 saddle-stitch format, 48 pages b/w with a full colour cover by Alessandro Biffignandi.

Publication Date
Published 21 March 2011. Available now.

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(* Hurricane and Champion are © IPC Media.)

Eagles Over the Western Front

Volume 1

OUT NOW!

Bear Alley Books is proud to announce the release of Eagles Over the Western Front, the classic story of aerial warfare set during the days of the R.F.C. Created by Mike Butterworth and Bill Lacey and serialised in the pages of Look and Learn in 1971-73, Eagles ran a magnificent 116 episodes. Now, for the first time in thirty years, the complete story will be available in three volumes to be published over the next three months—with two-thirds of the story scanned from surviving original art boards.

Bill Lacey's stunning artwork captures every terrifying moment as Harry Hawkes, the hero of Eagles Over the Western Front, joins the only recently founded Royal Flying Corps and, with only a few weeks training, is sent to France to fly scouting and observation missions over the enemy lines at Ypres.

By the time Harry arrives on the front, the British B.E.2c scouting planes have become "Fokker fodder" thanks to the German development of an interrupter gear that synchronized machine guns with the aircraft's propeller, which allows German pilots to fly their planes straight towards their target, firing through the propeller arc.

Harry eventually joins a squadron flying the Airco DH.2 in the era of aerial dogfights and faces some of his most challenging months as German ace Max Immelmann scores victory after victory against British pilots on his way to earning Germany's highest honour, the Pour le Mérite—the 'Blue Max'.

Author Mike Butterworth is better known for writing 'The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire', but his career began many years before as a scriptwriter and editor for the Amalgamated Press's Sun, where penned dozens of stories featuring historical characters (Billy the Kid, Dick Turpin, Robin Hood) as well as creating 'Max Bravo, the Happy Hussar' and 'Battler Britton'. For Comet he wrote authentic historical dramas as well as creating the science fiction adventurer 'Jet-Ace Logan'. Editorially he created the innovative Playhour Pictures, Valentine and the teenage magazine Honey. A prolific novelist, he wrote crime thrillers, bodice-rippers and historicals under a variety of pen-names.

Bill Lacey's first strips appeared in 1951, although the best of his early work appeared in the pages of Super Detective Library, where he was the original artist for Rick Random and Blackshirt. Lacey's work appeared in dozens of comics in the 1950s and 1960s, including Mickey Mouse Weekly, Cowboy Picture Library, Knockout, Express Weekly, Thriller Picture Library, Princess, Film Fun, Valiant, Buster, Tiger and Lion; during this time his strips ranged from adaptations of western novels such as 'The Covered Wagon' to weird fantasy classics like 'Mytek the Mighty'. In the 1970s he drew extensively for Look and Learn and for a number of D. C. Thomson's boys' papers, Bullet, Crunch and Buddy.

Reviews

"While you would expect a comic strip about a fighter pilot to involve our hero jumping in his plane and flying off to shoot down many of the enemy before returning safely home, in Eagles, especially in the early stories, the reason for our hero not to make it back to base is more often because of mechanical failure of the aircraft he is flying rather than any enemy action against him. As for shooting down the enemy, it is a plot point in at least two of the stories in Volume 1 that Harry has not actually shot down a single German plane despite be considered a good pilot. It all makes for an ongoing story that is interesting in its non-conformity to the expected rules of an aviation comic strip and it certainly makes the reader think about the frailty of the planes that RFC pilots were flying back then without the safety of parachutes...

__"Eagles Over The Western Front Volume 1 makes for an interesting and sometimes thoughtful read without missing out on the excitement or entertainment that one would expect of a good comic strip of its era. With more than half of all the pages in this book and its two sequels being scanned from the original art boards, the artwork quality is as good as it can possibly get and shows that Bear Alley Books can give well established companies, that are also reprinting similar B&W British comic strips from the era, a run for their money."—Jeremy Briggs, Down the Tubes

Format
Eagles Over the Western Front volume 1 is published in A4 saddle-stitch format, 80 pages b/w with a stunning wraparound cover by Graham Coton.

Publication Date
Published on 12 May 2011. Available now.

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(* Eagles Over the Western Front© Look and Learn Ltd.)

Eagles Over the Western Front

Volume 2

OUT NOW!

The second volume of Eagles Over the Western Front picks up the action where volume one left off: 2nd Lieutenant Harry Hawkes is the pilot of an Airco DH2 with a squadron based on the Western Front in France during the early dogfighting days of the First World War. It is 1916 and the early hopes that "it'll all be over by Christmas" have died in the stalemate of barbed wire and churned mud of trench warfare.

Above the trenches, the aerial action continues as Harry and his chums of the Royal Flying Corps risk their lives against the Spandau's of German Fokkers. Max Immelmann may be dead, but the German Imperial Air Force has other 'Aces' like Oswald Boelcke and Baron von Richthofen cutting a swathe through the British and French airmen in the newly developed Albatross D-1. The Allies respond with the Nieuport, the Sopwith Pup and Sopwith Camel to combat this new menace.

But the action isn't all in the air. On the ground, too, Harry risks his life as he gets caught up in the private wars, deserters, impostors, spies and newcomers who seem to have their own agendas in coming to the Front. With tensions running high back at base and Richthofen's 'Flying Circus' turning the skies into a death trap, every flight could be Harry's last...

Bear Alley Books is proud to continue its release of Eagles Over the Western Front, the classic story of aerial action set during the days of the R.F.C. Created by Mike Butterworth and Bill Lacey and serialised in the pages of Look and Learn in 1971-73, Eagles ran a magnificent 116 episodes. Now, for the first time in thirty years, the complete story will be available in three volumes, with two-thirds of the story scanned from surviving original art boards.

Author Mike Butterworth is better known for writing 'The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire', but his career began many years before as a scriptwriter and editor for the Amalgamated Press's Sun, where penned dozens of stories featuring historical characters (Billy the Kid, Dick Turpin, Robin Hood) as well as creating 'Max Bravo, the Happy Hussar' and 'Battler Britton'. For Comet he wrote authentic historical dramas as well as creating the science fiction adventurer 'Jet-Ace Logan'. Editorially he created the innovative Playhour Pictures, Valentine and the teenage magazine Honey. A prolific novelist, he wrote crime thrillers, bodice-rippers and historicals under a variety of pen-names. Volume two's introduction takes a longer look at Butterworth's career.

Bill Lacey's first strips appeared in 1951, although the best of his early work appeared in the pages of Super Detective Library, where he was the original artist for Rick Random and Blackshirt. Lacey's work appeared in dozens of comics in the 1950s and 1960s, including Mickey Mouse Weekly, Cowboy Picture Library, Knockout, Express Weekly, Thriller Picture Library, Princess, Film Fun, Valiant, Buster, Tiger and Lion; during this time his strips ranged from adaptations of western novels such as 'The Covered Wagon' to weird fantasy classics like 'Mytek the Mighty'. In the 1970s he drew extensively for Look and Learn and for a number of D. C. Thomson's boys' papers, Bullet, Crunch and Buddy.

Reviews

"Whatever they are about, Butterworth's stories are fast paced and action packed and never repetitive as our hero's friends and colleagues come and go as he moves between squadrons and the series timeline progresses as he flies the newer and better planes that are being supplied to the RFC against differing German opposition. The story rarely feels confined by the original two pages per week publication rate from Look and Learn and Bill Lacey's artwork remains consistently good with a remarkable amount of detail in each panel ... With a wraparound cover featuring World War One biplane combat by Wilf Hardy, Eagles Over The Western Front Volume 2 continues pilot Harry Hawkes' story and while, forty years on from its creation, its format and pacing are very different to modern comics, it shows just how good weekly British comic strips were be when a skilled writer was teamed with an enthusiastic artist."— Jeremy Briggs, Down the Tubes.

Format
Eagles Over the Western Front volume 2 is published in A4 saddle-stitch format, 84 pages b/w with a stunning wraparound cover by Wilf Hardy.

Publication Date
Published on 7 June 2011. Available now.

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(* Eagles Over the Western Front© Look and Learn Ltd.)

Eagles Over the Western Front

Volume 3

The third volume of Eagles Over the Western Front brings the epic story of Harry Hawkes to a dramatic climax. As our new book opens, Harry and his comrades, Entwistle and Pootle, are piloting Sopwith Camels for a squadron on the Western Front in France in 1917.

Facing them across the 'line' is Manfred von Richthofen—the Red Baron—and his infamous 'Flying Circus' of German fighter aircraft, the Jagdgeschwader 1 squadron. Richthofen would become the highest scoring ace of the Great War, officially credited with some 80 kills.

Harry faces danger from both sides of the line. At the squadron's base there are newcomers like the despicable and arrogant Dave Buller, or Entwistle's younger brother, Algy, a slacker and a thief. And then there's Polly, the parrot, who may hold the key to a German offensive...

What happens when Harry chooses to aid the escape of a German pilot, finds himself chased through the streets of Berlin and lands up in a shell hole in no-man's land with Crown Prince Wilhelm and the Red Baron, will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Bear Alley Books is proud to present the concluding volume of Eagles Over the Western Front, the classic story of aerial action set during the days of the R.F.C. Created by Mike Butterworth and Bill Lacey and serialised in the pages of Look and Learn in 1971-73, Eagles ran a magnificent 116 episodes. Now, for the first time in thirty years, the complete story will be available, with two-thirds of the story scanned from surviving original art boards.

Author Mike Butterworth is better known for writing 'The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire', but his career began many years before as a scriptwriter and editor for the Amalgamated Press's Sun, where penned dozens of stories featuring historical characters (Billy the Kid, Dick Turpin, Robin Hood) as well as creating 'Max Bravo, the Happy Hussar' and 'Battler Britton'. For Comet he wrote authentic historical dramas as well as creating the science fiction adventurer 'Jet-Ace Logan'. Editorially he created the innovative Playhour Pictures, Valentine and the teenage magazine Honey. A prolific novelist, he wrote crime thrillers, bodice-rippers and historicals under a variety of pen-names.

Bill Lacey's first strips appeared in 1951, although the best of his early work appeared in the pages of Super Detective Library, where he was the original artist for Rick Random and Blackshirt. Lacey's work appeared in dozens of comics in the 1950s and 1960s, including Mickey Mouse Weekly, Cowboy Picture Library, Knockout, Express Weekly, Thriller Picture Library, Princess, Film Fun, Valiant, Buster, Tiger and Lion; during this time his strips ranged from adaptations of western novels such as 'The Covered Wagon' to weird fantasy classics like 'Mytek the Mighty'. In the 1970s he drew extensively for Look and Learn and for a number of D. C. Thomson's boys' papers, Bullet, Crunch and Buddy. Volume three's introduction takes a longer look at Lacey's lengthy career.

Reviews

"As with the previous two volumes, Butterworth mixes shorter and longer stories which means that the rhythm of the book never gets predictable while Lacey's artwork remains as clear and as remarkably detailed as before. His depictions of the biplanes are accurate and dynamic while his humour can be seen with his depiction of the invariably hungry Pootle."— Jeremy Briggs, Down the Tubes.

Format
Eagles Over the Western Front volume 3 is published in A4 saddle-stitch format, 84 pages b/w with a stunning wraparound cover by Wilf Hardy.

Publication Date
Published on 25 July 2011.

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(* Eagles Over the Western Front© Look and Learn Ltd.)

You can now buy all three volumes of Eagles Over the Western Front together. If you order now, all three volumes will be shipped as soon as volume three becomes available in a couple of weeks time. For information about the individual volumes, click on the links to the right.

Author Mike Butterworth is better known for writing 'The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire', but his career began many years before as a scriptwriter and editor for the Amalgamated Press's Sun, where penned dozens of stories featuring historical characters (Billy the Kid, Dick Turpin, Robin Hood) as well as creating 'Max Bravo, the Happy Hussar' and 'Battler Britton'. For Comet he wrote authentic historical dramas as well as creating the science fiction adventurer 'Jet-Ace Logan'. Editorially he created the innovative Playhour Pictures, Valentine and the teenage magazine Honey. A prolific novelist, he wrote crime thrillers, bodice-rippers and historicals under a variety of pen-names. More information on Butterworth's career can be found in the introduction to volume two.

Bill Lacey's first strips appeared in 1951, although the best of his early work appeared in the pages of Super Detective Library, where he was the original artist for Rick Random and Blackshirt. Lacey's work appeared in dozens of comics in the 1950s and 1960s, including Mickey Mouse Weekly, Cowboy Picture Library, Knockout, Express Weekly, Thriller Picture Library, Princess, Film Fun, Valiant, Buster, Tiger and Lion; during this time his strips ranged from adaptations of western novels such as 'The Covered Wagon' to weird fantasy classics like 'Mytek the Mighty'. In the 1970s he drew extensively for Look and Learn and for a number of D. C. Thomson's boys' papers, Bullet, Crunch and Buddy. Volume three's introduction takes a look at Lacey's lengthy career.

Publication Date
Available from 25 July 2011.

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(* Eagles Over the Western Front© Look and Learn Ltd.)

The latest publication from Bear Alley Books is our most ambitious yet, a bumper 172 page collection of art and comics by one of Britain's finest historical illustrators. Pages from History contains four classic comic strips, over 100 illustrations and, as a bonus, two episodes of an unpublished strip, all from the masterful pen (and brush) of C. L. Doughty.

Over half the comic strip art and all the illustrations have been scanned from original art boards and, thanks to modern digital printing, these pages have never looked so good. Lettering has been restored and, in the case of one strip, edited pages have also been restored.

The four strips, taken from the pages of Look and Learn, include the often grim tale of "Pott's Progress", the story of Prestor John retold in "The Crusader", the action-packed "A Sword for the Stadtholder" and a story of revenge as Richard Fairfax becomes "The Black Pirate". The book also includes a detailed introduction charting Doughty's career as a comic strip artist and illustrator in the pages of Thriller Picture Library, Sun, Express Weekly, Top Spot, Swift, Lion, Girl, Eagle, Knockout, School Friend, June and other papers. A gallery of over 100 illustrations reveals Doughty's skill as a chronicler of history from portraits of Britain's monarchy to the adventures of explorers, highwaymen and pirates.

Pages from our four comic strips

About the Artist
Cecil Langley Doughty (1913-1985) began his career as an illustrator before the Second World War but returned from service to find many of the pre-War markets gone. Working firstly for The Children's Newspaper and then for Thriller Picture Library, Doughty became best known for his work on literary adaptations and the swashbuckling adventures of Dick Turpin and Robin Hood. His detailed, vigorous artwork was perfect for this kind of storytelling and his talents were made good use of in the pages of Eagle and Express Weekly where he could work in colour.

Doughty became one of the mainstays of childrens' educational magazines, working for Look and Learn, Treasure, Tell Me Why and World of Wonder in the 1960s and 1970s, usually on historical subjects but ranging widely from literature to the wild west.

Format
Pages from History is published in perfect bound format, 176 pages b/w with a stunning colour cover by C. L. Doughty.

Publication Date
Published on 6 February 2012. Available now.

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(* artwork © Look and Learn Ltd.)

Gwyn Evans was one of the most popular authors to write stories featuring Sexton Blake. From his pen flowed two-dozen novels and seventy novelettes featuring the famous detective, each filled with mystery, humour and off-the-wall ideas. Collectors have long-sought his tales of Blake's battles against the Double Four, Mr. Mist, The League of Robin Hood, Miss Death, the Shadow Club and the Onion Men; his Christmas stories were legendary amongst readers and an Xmas yarn from Evans would be a guarantee of a merry, mysterious tale that would entertain and baffle readers at the same time.

But Evans created no characters more remarkable than himself. As a journalist and author, he had a talent that could — and occasionally did — earn him riches and recognition. But his Bohemian lifestyle, a daily round of visiting pubs and parties, meant that earnings were soon spent, deadlines were missed and his typewriter often pawned in order to buy another beer. He relied on tricks to raise cash, revamped old stories into new ones and was a notorious womaniser. At the same time, while some thought him irresponsible, others saw his other side: a carefree spirit, generous and charitable with whatever money he had. "One of the major tragedies of Bohemia," as one friend recorded.

Gwyn Evans: The Lunatic, the Lover and the Poet charts the ups and downs of Evans's career, cut tragically short at the age of 39.

As well as revealing the story of Evans' remarkable life, this volume also includes three short stories—"The Idol of Isis", Evans' first foray into fiction, "Hang It All!", a tale with a twist about how a murderer meets his fate, and "Kensington Cavalcade", a romantic rumination on the naming of a famous London tavern—and two previously unpublished poems.

The book is illustrated with a superb selection of illustrations and book covers from the golden era of "pulp" crime illustration in the 1920s and 1930s. Artists include Leo Bates, Kenneth Brookes, Scott Calder, Tom Cottrell, F. R. Hibbs, F. E. Hiley, E. F. Hiscocks, Arthur Jones, Warwick W. Lendon, Jack Long, G. P. Micklewright, Eric R. Parker, Frank Pashley, Leonard Potts, J. H. Valda and H. G. Wolfe.

Format
Gwyn Evans: The Lunatic, the Lover and the Poet is published in perfect bound format, 92 pages b/w with a stunning colour cover by H. G. Wolfe.

Publication Date
Published on 13 April 2012. Available now.

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In 1938, the Amalgamated Press launched a softcover annual featuring one of the most popular characters they published. Created by Harry Blyth, Sexton Blake's first adventure had appeared in the pages of The Halfpenny Marvel in 1893. A year later, Blake became the regular star of the weekly storypaper Union Jack and, in 1915, star of the long-running Sexton Blake Library. With appearances across the company's wide-range of titles, Blake solved over 3,800 cases, with 150 million words dedicated to his thrilling adventures.

The Sexton Blake Annual brought together some of the most popular authors of the Blake saga. The 1940 annual includes stories by Gwyn Evans, George H. Teed, Rex Hardinge and two stories by Anthony Skene, one entitled 'Zenith the Albino' (guess who features in that one!). This volume also reprints of two early stories, "Sexton Blake — Detective" by Blake's creator, Harold Blyth, and "The Man From Scotland Yard" by Michael Storm (Ernest Sempill), which introduced the character of good-cop-turned-bad George Marsden Plummer.

From the stunning cover by Eric R. Parker to the revelations on the final page, this superb collection will take you back to the golden age of crime and action-packed drama as Sexton Blake battles some of his most dangerous foes.

Format
Sexton Blake Annual 1940 is published in perfect bound format, 164 pages b/w with a stunning colour cover by Eric R. Parker.

Publication Date
Published on 29 June 2012.

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(* artwork © IPC Media.)

In 1948, the London Evening News was looking for a cartoon strip about the curiosities of London in the style of ‘Ripley’s Believe It or Not’. A young artist sent in a few historical drawings with descriptive paragraphs and was invited to call. Asked by the newspaper’s editor whether he knew much about London’s history, 26-year-old Peter Jackson, answered honestly: “Not much!”

But editor Guy Schofield was impressed by the drawings and engaged the artist for a three-week trial run . . . beginning an association with the paper that was to last until the paper folded thirty-one years later.

‘London Is Stranger Than Fiction’ inspired Jackson's life-long fascination with London, its history and its people. The strip revelled in obscure facts about the city, its eccentric inhabitants and forgotten byways. Jackson used his talents as an artist to bring these subjects to life for the entertainment of his readers.

Peter Jackson's London Is Stranger Than Fiction reprints all the strips from two of Jackson's books, London is Stranger Than Fiction and London Explorer, in which Jackson looked at curiosities associated with certain areas of London, from Aldwych to Westminster.

Peter Jackson's London Is Stranger Than Fiction is published in association with Look and Learn, where the Peter Jackson London Collection has recently been completely digitized, with over 20,000 images now available for commercial licensing and print-on-demand. The Collection is also available via The Bridgeman Art Library.

Reviews
"The original books have been highly collectable for many years now, but finally they’ve been republished in a single volume from Bear Alley Books ... for the ridiculously reasonable price of £14.99. Do yourself a favour. Find out where you can see 11 clocks by standing in one position on a London street – they’re great reads." – "A Must Have London Book", Christopher Fowler.

Format
London Is Stranger Than Fiction is published in square, perfect bound format, 92 pages b/w with stunning colour front and rear covers by Peter Jackson.

Publication Date
Published 4 July 2012.

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(* Cover artwork © Look and Learn Ltd.; interior artwork © Associated Newspapers.)

Created by Harry Blyth, Sexton Blake's first adventure appeared in the pages of The Halfpenny Marvel in 1893. A year later, Blake became the regular star of the weekly storypaper Union Jack and, in 1915, star of the long-running Sexton Blake Library. With appearances across the company's wide-range of titles, Blake eventually solved over 3,800 cases, with 150 million words dedicated to his thrilling adventures.

In 1938, the Amalgamated Press launched a softcover annual featuring one of the most popular characters they published. The Sexton Blake Annual brought together some of the most popular authors of the Blake saga. Contributors to this volume include Blake regulars Gwyn Evans, G. H. Teed, Rex Hardinge and John G. Brandon and, as a special treat, the book includes a lengthy 3-part story by Barry Perowne (Philip Atkey), one of only five stories in which Blake crossed swords with master criminal Raffles.

The Sexton Blake Annual 1938 contains 11 stories and is the perfect starting place for newcomers to Blake, or oldcomers who want to relive those thrilling detective adventures of yesteryear.

Format
Sexton Blake Annual 1938 is published in perfect bound format, 164 pages b/w with a stunning colour cover by Arthur Jones.

Publication Date
Published on 1 September 2012.

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(* artwork © IPC Media.)

With a history that now spans three centuries, it is not surprising that the number of creators who have been involved in British comics now number in their thousands. Some are widely known whilst others have not had the spotlight shine on their careers; many artists from Spain, Italy and South America have also contributed to the rich history of our comic strips.

Not Forgotten 2009-10 records the passing of 35 comic strip and cartoon creators, some well-known, some forgotten, yet others better known for their work in other fields. Peter O'Donnell, Tony Hart, John Ryan, Victor de la Fuente, Pepe Gonzalez and John Hicklenton are just a few of the creators whose careers are recorded.

Author Steve Holland says, "The origins of Not Forgotten are a series of pieces written primarily for The Guardian and my Bear Alley blog in 2009 and 2010. I have written obituaries since the 1990s and invariably I begin with a version longer than what is eventually published. I’ve always thought of these as the “Director’s Cut”, a version that would have been submitted had there been no space restrictions — an increasing problem for daily newspapers where the number of pages dedicated to obituaries has been cut in recent years.

"There have also been occasions when it was not possible to write a piece due to other work or because a person’s death only comes to light months, perhaps years, after the event. In these cases, I have been able to martial what notes I had already gathered and put together a piece as it might have appeared at the time."

The artists and writers covered in this volume include Alan Hemus, Tony Hart, Robert Peacock, Jose 'Pepe' Gonzalez, Jose Casanovas Sr., Ron 'Nobby' Clark, Malcolm Douglas, Bernet Toledano, John Donegan, Adrian Kermode, Giorgio Bellavitis, John Ryan, Francisco Hidalgo, Roy Raymonde, Carlos Roume, Ricardo Garijo, Terry Challis, Xavier Musquera, Francis 'Smilby' Wilford-Smith, Geoffrey Bond, Richard Hook, Ian Scott, Bill Ritchie, Virgilio Muzzi, John Hicklenton, Peter O'Donnell, Roy Mitchell, Victor de la Fuente, Ted Rawlings, Fernando Fernandez, E. C. Tubb, Jose Maria Jorge, Les Gibbard and Paddy Morris.

The essays vary in length. This is not a reflection on the contributions that a particular creator may have made, but on the available information. It is a sad fact that many comic creators in the UK work their entire careers without credit or recognition; little is known about them and the full extent of their work may never be known, thanks to a lack of any kind of record of creators’ contributions. Some creators feel no need to step into the spotlight; others are perhaps unaware that there is any interest in their work. Their contributions are still appreciated.

Format
Not Forgotten 2009-10 is published in perfect bound format, 98 pages b/w with a cover designed by Steve Holland & Martin Baines.

Publication Date
Published on 1 October 2012.

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Created by Harry Blyth, Sexton Blake's first adventure appeared in the pages of The Halfpenny Marvel in 1893. A year later, Blake became the regular star of the weekly storypaper Union Jack and, in 1915, star of the long-running Sexton Blake Library. With appearances across the company's wide-range of titles, Blake eventually solved over 3,800 cases, with 150 million words dedicated to his thrilling adventures.

In 1938, the Amalgamated Press launched a softcover annual featuring one of the most popular characters they published. The Sexton Blake Annual brought together some of the most popular authors of the Blake saga. This volume contains stories by Gwyn Evans, George H. Teed, John Hunter, Anthony Parsons, John W. Wheway and others.

The Sexton Blake Annual 1941 contains 10 stories and is the perfect starting place for readers who want to thrill to the action and adventure lurking in the 160 pages behind Eric R. Parker's superb cover.

Reviews
"If you've been meaning to give Sexton Blake's adventures a try, this would be a great place to start. I've seen the actual annuals go on Ebay for three or four hundred bucks, so this is definitely a bargain too." – Singular Point.

Format
Sexton Blake Annual 1941 is published in perfect bound format, 164 pages b/w with a stunning colour cover by Eric R. Parker.

Publication Date
Published on 15 October 2012.

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Please contact me via the e-mail address below the top-left photo.

Created by Harry Blyth, Sexton Blake's first adventure appeared in the pages of The Halfpenny Marvel in 1893. A year later, Blake became the regular star of the weekly storypaper Union Jack and, in 1915, star of the long-running Sexton Blake Library. With appearances across the company's wide-range of titles, Blake eventually solved over 3,800 cases, with 150 million words dedicated to his thrilling adventures.

In 1938, the Amalgamated Press launched a softcover annual featuring one of the most popular characters they published. The Sexton Blake Annual brought together some of the most popular authors of the Blake saga. This volume contains stories by Donald ("Gerald Verner") Stuart, Gwyn Evans, George H. Teed, John Hunter, Anthony Parsons, Rex Hardinge and others.

The Sexton Blake Annual 1942 contains 10 stories and is the perfect starting place for readers who want to thrill to the action and adventure lurking in the pages behind Eric R. Parker's superb cover.

Format
Sexton Blake Annual 1942 is published in perfect bound format, 164 pages b/w with a stunning colour cover by Eric R. Parker.

Publication Date
Published on 30 November 2012.

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Please contact me via the e-mail address below the top-left photo.

Lion King of Picture Story Papers

Bear Alley Books proudly presents the second index in our new series charting the history of British comics. Lion King of Picture Story Papers is a massive, 262-page volume covering the story of one of the most popular titles released in the post-Second World War "silver age" of British comics. Launched in 1952, Lion was Amalgamated Press's answer to Eagle, featuring its own space hero, Captain Condor on its cover.

This was one of the company's first adventure story comics and its twenty-two-year history is the story of British adventure strips in the 1950s and 1960s. Over the years Lion starred some of the most popular characters in British comics, including Robot Archie, Paddy Payne, Karl the Viking, Zip Nolan, The Spider, The Spellbinder, Black Max and Adam Eterno. 290 authors and artists are identified in the index which also covers the Lion Annual, Lion Holiday Special and Lion and Valiant Special Extra.

Heavily illustrated throughout, Lion King of Picture Story Papers includes a lengthy historical introduction, an index to the weekly comic covering comics, text stories and features, contents listings for all 35 Lion Annuals and spin-off annuals, all 17 Lion Holiday Specials and Lion and Valiant Special Extras and includes a title index and creator's index.

Author Steve Holland began writing about British comics over thirty years ago, writing or co-writing a series of indexes between 1990-97. These are now being re-released by Bear Alley Books, thoroughly revised and expanded with a vast amount of new information discovered in the past two decades, alongside a number of previously unpublished indexes. The War Libraries and The Thriller Libraries are already available from Book Palace Books; Hurricane & Champion was published in 2011 by Bear Alley Books.

Reviews

"Steve Holland’s narrative ... gives a detailed account of how the weekly was created and developed; its successes and failures and the editors, writers, artists and strips. Following his narrative, the book features short interviews with the paper’s first editor, Bernard Smith and with Barrie Tomlinson, who worked on Lion early in his career. The book then goes on to catalogue all the strips, text stories and features in the weekly, the annuals and the Summer specials, with publication dates and remarkably full details of writers and artists."—Steve Winders, Down the Tubes.
"It's a great read in itself and has sent me back to the Lion comic to re-read some of my childhood favourites. The pictures are reproduced crystal clearly and even this old man can read the original art ... It's a gorgeous book and if we are snow-bound as the media has been saying for weeks, I have plenty to keep me amused this chilly January weekend!"—Norman Boyd, Frank Bellamy Checklist Blog
"A very nice book...loads to read and reread for reference."—Peter Gray, Peter Gray's Comics
"Fans of classic British comics will be pleased to hear that Steve Holland has revised and expanded his index for Lion comic into an impressive 262 page A4 softback book. Lion, King of Picture Story Papers is published by Bear Alley Books for £25.99 plus £4 postage. Well worth it for fans of the fondly-remembered weekly, as the book features a 100 page history of the comic, profusely illustrated with sharp, clear samples of strips, behind the scenes photographs of the editorial staff, and the index section itself runs to around 160 pages with details of all the strips in the weekly, annuals, and specials. Even if Lion was before your time this is still an absorbing book for anyone with a genuine interest in the history of British comics. It's a great showcase of the outstanding artistic talent that was working in comics back then, with many full page examples of artwork from Joe Colquhoun, Reg Bunn, Leo Baxendale, Don Lawrence and many more. "—Lew Stringer, Blimey! Another Blog About Comics.

Format
Lion King of Picture Story Papers is published in A4 saddle-stitch format, 262 pages b/w with a stunning colour cover by Ron Forbes and a back cover by Mike Western.

Publication Date
Published on 18 January 2013.

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You can order both Treasure Island and King Solomon's Mines together and save on postage & packing.

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We had not built a fire the first night we had stayed there, and it seemed strange that there should be one burning tonight. It was at this moment that a shrill voice broke forth out of the darkness. "Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!" and so forth, without pause. Silver's parrot, Captain Flint! I turned to flee, and ran straight into the arms of Long John Silver!

Here for the first time since it was serialised in the pages of Ranger is one of the finest adaptations of the classic Treasure Island, beautifully painted by John Millar Watt and retold in Robert Louis Stevenson's original language – making it one of the most faithful adaptations and well as one of the most visually stunning.

Author Mike Butterworth is better known for writing 'The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire', but his career began many years before as a scriptwriter and editor for the Amalgamated Press's Sun, where penned dozens of stories featuring historical characters (Billy the Kid, Dick Turpin, Robin Hood) as well as creating 'Max Bravo, the Happy Hussar' and 'Battler Britton'. For Comet he wrote authentic historical dramas as well as creating the science fiction adventurer 'Jet-Ace Logan'. Editorially he created the innovative Playhour Pictures, Valentine and the teenage magazine Honey. A prolific novelist, he wrote crime thrillers, bodice-rippers and historicals under a variety of pen-names.

John Millar Watt was the creator of 'Pop', one of the most popular comic strips of the 1920s and 1930s. Published in the pages of the Daily Sketch and in a series of his own Pop Annuals between 1925 and 1950. The Scottish-born artist had previously worked in advertising and had exhibited at the Royal Academy. After retiring from the Pop strip in 1949, Watt concentrated on advertising and illustration work, to which he added comic strips in the mid-1950s. His richly painted artwork subsequently graced the pages of Princess, Look and Learn, Ranger and Once Upon a Time.

Format
Treasure Island is published in US Letter saddle-stitch format, 44 pages colour with a stunning cover by John Millar Watt.

Publication Date
Published on 15 March 2013.

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On the opposite side of the chamber were some wooden boxes. "There are the diamonds," I cried. Sir Henry held the light over the top box, which had been rendered rotten by time. Smashing my hand through the wood, I drew it out full, not of diamonds, but of gold pieces.

Welcome to H. Rider Haggard's classic novel adapted in full colour by Mike Hubbard, originally serialised in the pages of Ranger and reprinted for the first time! This was a daring attempt to publish the novel in its original language, using Haggard's own words, although abridged, making it one of the most faithful of all adaptations.

Author Mike Butterworth is better known for writing 'The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire', but his career began many years before as a scriptwriter and editor for the Amalgamated Press's Sun, where penned dozens of stories featuring historical characters (Billy the Kid, Dick Turpin, Robin Hood) as well as creating 'Max Bravo, the Happy Hussar' and 'Battler Britton'. For Comet he wrote authentic historical dramas as well as creating the science fiction adventurer 'Jet-Ace Logan'. Editorially he created the innovative Playhour Pictures, Valentine and the teenage magazine Honey. A prolific novelist, he wrote crime thrillers, bodice-rippers and historicals under a variety of pen-names.

Mike Hubbard was born in Ireland of English/Irish parents but grew up in England. He became a prolific illustrator in the 1930s, producing covers and illustrations for The Thriller, Detective Weekly, The Passing Show and Everybody's. Shortly after the war he was introduced to comics through a series of adaptations of the classics in Knockout. He also became the assistant to Norman Pett on the Daily Mirror's 'Jane', which he took over the drawing of between 1948 and 1959. Returning to comics he visualised the delightful 'Jane Bond, Secret Agent' as well as bringing a further series of classics – ranging from King Solomon's Mines to The Secret Garden– back to life.

Format
King Solomon's Mines is published in US Letter saddle-stitch format, 40 pages colour with a stunning cover by Don Lawrence.

Publication Date
Published on 15 March 2013.

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Ranger The National Boys' Magazine is the latest in Bear Alley's series of titles covering the history and contents of some of Britain's most fondly remembered comics. Ranger may not have lasted as long as Lion– our previous title – but it was home to some memorable stories and features, including one of comics' finest creations, 'The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire'.

'Trigan Empire' wasn't the only story in Ranger to feature artwork by Don Lawrence. The book's creators' index includes an astonishing array of famous names, including Frank Hampson, Ron Embleton, John Millar Watt, Mike Hubbard, Jesus Blasco, Colin Merrett, Graham Coton, Francis Marshall, Henry Seabright, Will Nickless and Theo Page. With stories by talents as diverse as Captain W. E. Johns and John Creasey, Ranger was able to offer boys' some of the best reading material on offer, including Richard Armstrong's Carnegie Medal-winning novel Sea Change; its photos, cutaway drawings and heavily illustrated features covered everything from duels in the sky to exploding islands, from James Bond's DB6 to the Mariner Mars expedition.

Compiled by Steve Holland and David Slinn, Ranger: The National Boys' Magazine explores the history and background of the magazine, its contents and its lasting legacy. The book also includes an extensive index to the paper's contents, as well as title and creators' indexes.

To give readers a flavour of the contents, the book also includes the full run of the 'Famous Fighting Aces' feature by Colin Merrett as well as two complete comic strips, 'The Adventures of Macbeth' by Ruggero Giovannini and 'Moby Dick' by Franco Caprioli.

Bear Alley Books has previously published King Solomon's Mines and Treasure Island from the pages of Ranger. Now find out the full story behind this classic of British comics.

Format
Ranger: The National Boys' Magazine is published in A4 perfect-bound format, 162 b/w pages with an iconic cover by Ferdinando Tacconi and a rear cover featuring the work of Don Lawrence and Frank Hampson.

Publication Date
Published on 15 April 2013.

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Bear Alley Books: Corrections and Additions

Mean Streetmaps

Hurricane and Champion Index

Eagles Over the Western Front volume 1

Eagles Over the Western Front Volume 2

Eagles Over the Western Front volume 3

Eagles Over the Western Front - Buy all three volumes

Pages From History, Illustrated by C. L. Doughty

Gwyn Evans: The Lunatic, the Lover and the Poet

Sexton Blake Annual 1940

Peter Jackson's London Is Stranger Than Fiction

Sexton Blake Annual 1938

Not Forgotten 2009-10

Sexton Blake Annual 1941

Sexton Blake Annual 1942

Lion King of Picture Story Papers

Treasure Island & King Solomon's Mines

Treasure Island

King Solomon's Mines

Ranger The National Boys' Magazine