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Eagle 1950 issue 1 front page

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,[1] which creator Reverend Marcus Morris had railed against in a Sunday Dispatch piece entitled "Comics that bring Horror into the Nursery".[2]

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.[3]

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).[4]

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.[5]

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.[6]

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.[7] In 1965 Bob Bartholomew became editor and expressed plans to take the comic back to its glory days.[8] But it was not to be, and in 1969 Eagle merged into its rival, Lion.[9]

The title was revived in 1982.

Features[]

Amongst the features that ran in Eagle were...

Adventure[]

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[]

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[]

Prose serials[]

Reprints[]

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

By volume[]

  • Volume (14 April 1950 - 6 April 1950)

References[]

  1. Kibble-White, Graham (2005). Ultimate Book of British Comics. London: Alison & Busby. p.112. ISBN 0-74908-211-9
  2. Kibble-White, Graham (2005). Ultimate Book of British Comics. London: Alison & Busby. p.113. ISBN 0-74908-211-9
  3. Kibble-White, Graham (2005). Ultimate Book of British Comics. London: Alison & Busby. p.113. ISBN 0-74908-211-9
  4. Kibble-White, Graham (2005). Ultimate Book of British Comics. London: Alison & Busby. p.114. ISBN 0-74908-211-9
  5. Kibble-White, Graham (2005). Ultimate Book of British Comics. London: Alison & Busby. p.115. ISBN 0-74908-211-9
  6. Kibble-White, Graham (2005). Ultimate Book of British Comics. London: Alison & Busby. p.116. ISBN 0-74908-211-9
  7. Kibble-White, Graham (2005). Ultimate Book of British Comics. London: Alison & Busby. p.117. ISBN 0-74908-211-9
  8. Kibble-White, Graham (2005). Ultimate Book of British Comics. London: Alison & Busby. p.117. ISBN 0-74908-211-9
  9. Kibble-White, Graham (2005). Ultimate Book of British Comics. London: Alison & Busby. p.118. ISBN 0-74908-211-9
  10. John McLusky on Lambiek Comiclopedia
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Frank Humphris on Lambiek Comiclopedia
  12. Don Lawrence on Lambiek Comiclopedia
  13. The Guinea Pig at International Hero
  14. The Iron Man at International Hero
  15. Smokeman at International Hero
  16. Tommy Walls at International Hero

External links[]

Online reference[]

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