DAN DARE Art Day!

[Mister Trent]

I currently have several deals in the pipeline, but new in today is a historic piece of art for collectors of 'classic' UK comic-strips . . .

 

The page two artwork from (the strip's creator) Frank Hampson's last-ever DAN DARE episode:

 

 

I saw this particular piece of artwork on CAF. As I already possess the corresponding page one original (each weekly episode comprising of two painted pages), I always had it at the back of my mind that it would be wonderful to be able to re-unite both corresponding halves at some future point.

 

To my delight, the owner recently agreed to sell the page to me!

 

To most Americans, DAN DARE is largely unknown. The original strip (created in 1950) is widely acknowledged to be the UK's best known comic-strip series. In the early days, noted Science-Fiction author Arthur C. Clarke was a consultant . . . and noted fans of the strip include Brian May (QUEEN guitarist), Elton John and American strip-illustrator Al Williamson (who owns some originals).

 

I need to get a better scan of the art (I'm using the former owner's CAF image), but here's a look at the corresponding page one for the episode (which also served as the comic-book's cover):

 

[SignatureSelect]

That is awesome. I don't know much about Dan Dare except he is the big british character and Frank Hampson art is hard to come by.

[shiverbones]

really pretty pages! I know nothing about him, but those are gorgeous!

[Mister Trent]

really pretty pages! I know nothing about him, but those are gorgeous!

 

Thanks.

 

The originals are actually quite small; illustrated at 'same size' (as the printed page). I'm amazed that Hampson and his studio managed to cram-in such finely rendered detail within the small size of the panels.

 

Here's a couple of enlarged scans, together with the actual measurments of the original artworks:

 

 

Original art size of the panel is 5.5" x 5"

 

 

Original art size . . . 3" x 6"

[Mister Trent]

Here's an interesting link:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7376571.stm

 

 

 

[Mighty Hal]

Very fun link. Thanks.

 

I won't be collecting any Dan Dare O.A. (even if I could find it; even if I could afford it) because Dan and I didn't grow up together and I don't know the character. But this is great stuff.

[Mister Trent]

Very fun link. Thanks.

 

I won't be collecting any Dan Dare O.A. (even if I could find it; even if I could afford it) because Dan and I didn't grow up together and I don't know the character. But this is great stuff.

 

I didn't discover the character until the latter half of the 1980s . . . but then again I didn't grow up reading EC comics.

 

To me, quality work is timeless . . . and will always find new audiences.

 

My era of nostalgia is the 1960s, but I've always been open to new discoveries, whether the past, the present, or what lies ahead.