Eagle

Eagle issue 1, 1950, cover art by Frank Hampson

Eagle was a weekly comic that ran from 1950 to 1969. Its best-known features were Dan Dare and Captain Pugwash.

History

The comic was conceived as a wholesome counterpoint to imported American comics, which creator Reverend Marcus Morris had railed against in a Sunday Dispatch piece entitled "Comics that bring Horror into the Nursery".

Morris and local artist Frank Hampson hit on the idea of creating a more moral strip for the Sunday Empire' titled Lex Christian, about an adventurous parson in the slums of London. However, these plans were derailed by the death of the paper's editor, and the two creators instead decided to publish a complete comic book. Hiring a team of artists and writers from Southport they put together a dummy issue; this was picked up by Hulton Press and Eagle arrived on 14 April 1950.

The comic was a great success and, one year after its debut, spawned a sister title aimed at girls, titled simply Girl (Robin, for younger kids, came in 1953, and final tie-in Swift popped up in 1954).

1957 saw the publication hit some turbulence, with Hampson submitting his resignation only to withdraw it again and Hulton ending its once-popular newspaper Picture Post. The company was looking for a buyer, and in 1959 found one in Odhams Press.

Morris left the publication in October that year. In 1960, following arrival of new editor Clifford Makins, the comic was redesigned, and in 1961 Odhams was taken over, the change in management resulting in Makins and Captain Pugwash creator John Ryan leaving.

Around this time changes on the comic resulted in a drop in sales. Sister title Swift was cancelled and merged into Eagle, as did Boys' World, a Longacre Press title that ran from 1963 to 1964. In 1965 Bob Bartholomew became editor and expressed plans to take the comic back to its glory days. But it was not to be, and in 1969 Eagle merged into its rival, Lion.

The title was revived in 1982.

Features

Amongst the features that ran in Eagle were...

Adventure

• "The Adventure Club" by J. Jefferson Farjeon and Dudley Pout (1952-53)
• "The Beast of Loch Craggon", illustrated by John McLusky (1962-64)
• "Blackbow the Cheyenne", written by Ted Cowan and illustrated by Victor de la Fuente, Frank Humphris, Don Lawrence
• "Can You Catch a Crook?'" illustrated by Victor de la Fuente, Paul Trevillion
• "Castle Sinister"
• "Dan Dare", by Frank Hampson and others, 1950-1969
• "Danger Unlimited", illustrated by Martin Aitchison, 1962-63
• "The Devil's Henchmen", illustrated by Frank Humphris
• "For Bravery", written by Geoffrey Bond and illustrated by Cyril Holloway
• "Fraser of Africa", written by George Beardmore and illustrated by Frank Bellamy, 1960-61
• "The Guinea Pig", written by Willie Patterson, Tom Tully, David Motton, Bob Bartholomew, Frederick Smith, Alfred Wallace, illustrated by Colin Andrew, Gerald Haylock, Brian Lewis
• "Heros the Spartan", written by Tom Tully, illustrated by Frank Bellamy, Luis Bermejo, 1962-64
• "Home of the Wanderers", illustrated by Brian Lewis
• "The Iron Man", illustrated by Gerry Embleton, Martin Salvador
• "Jack O'Lantern", written by George Beardmore and illustrated by Robert Ayton and C. L. Doughty, 1950-1959
• "Johnny Frog", illustrated by Ron Embleton
• "Knights of the Road", written by Don Freeman and illustrated by Gerald Haylock, 1960-62
• "The Last of the Saxon Kings"
• "Luck of the Legion", written by Geoffrey Bond and illustrated by Martin Aitchison, 1952-1961
• "Mann of Battle", illustrated by Brian Lewis
• "Mark Question"
• "Marvel of MI5", written by David Cameron and illustrated by Paddy Nevin
• "P.C. 49", written by Alan Stranks and illustrated by John Worsley (1950-)
• "Riders of the Range", written by Charles Chilton and illustrated by Jack Daniel, Angus Scott, Frank Humphris, Giorgio Bellavitis, Brian Lewis, Ferdinando Tacconi 1950-62
• "Rob Conway" (first appeared 1950)
• "Skippy the Kangaroo" (first appeared 1950)
• "Sky Buccaneers", illustrated by José Ortiz
• "Smokeman", written by Ted Cowan and illustrated by José Ortiz
• "Speed Mann in H-Bomb Attack!"
• "Storm Nelson", illustrated by Richard Jennings and Giorgio Bellavitis
• "Tommy Walls", illustrated by Frank Hampson, Harold Johns, John Worsley, Richard Jennings
• "UFO Agent", written by Ted Cowan and illustrated by Paul Trevillion, José Ortiz
• "What's His Name?", illustrated by Dudley Pout
• "Wild of the West!"

Humour

• "Blunderbirds"
• "Captain Pugwash" by John Ryan, 1950-51
• "Chicko", illustrated by Norman Thelwell
• "Cornelius Dimworthy"
• "Dimworthy and Co"
• "Harris Tweed" by John Ryan, 1950-62
• "Professor Puff and his dog Wuff"
• "Waldorf & Cecil"

Literary adaptations

• "The Lost World", illustrated by Martin Aitchison
• "Hornblower R. N.", illustrated by Martin Aitchison

Biography

• "Alfred the Great", illustrated by Norman Williams
• "The Baden-Powell Story", written by Geoffrey Bond (as Alan Jason) and illustrated by Norman Williams, 1954
• "The Golden Man" (Sir Walter Raleigh), written by Marcus Morris and Guy Daniel and illustrated by Robert Ayton, 1961
• "The Great Sailor" (Horatio Nelson), illustrated by Norman Williams and Robert Ayton, 1957
• "The Happy Warrior" (Winston Churchill), written by Clifford Makins and illustrated by Frank Bellamy, 1957-58
• "Lincoln of America" , written by Geoffrey Bond (as Alan Jason) and illustrated by Norman Williams, 1955
• "Montgomery of Alamein", written by Clifford Makins and illustrated by Frank Bellamy, 1962
• "The Travels of Marco Polo", written by Chad Varah and illustrated by Frank Bellamy
• "The True Story of St. Vincent de Paul", written by R. B. Saxe and illustrated by Norman Williams

Bible stories

• "The Great Adventurer" (St. Paul), written by Chad Varah and illustrated by Frank Hampson and Norman Williams
• "Mark, The Youngest Disciple" written by Chad Varah and illustrated by Giorgio Bellavitis
• "The Road of Courage" (the life of Christ), written by Marcus Morris and Guy Daniel and illustrated by Frank Hampson and Joan Porter
• "The Shepherd King" (King David), written by Clifford Makins and illustrated by Frank Bellamy

Prose serials

• "The Three J's" by Peter Ling, illustrated by Peter Kay

Reprints

• The Adventures of Tintin (only ran King Ottokar's Sceptre)

By volume

• Volume (14 April 1950 - 6 April 1950)

External links

• Eagle Times, website of the Eagle Society

Online reference

• Eagle on Wikipedia
• Eagle at the Comic Book DB