TREASURY OF BRITISH COMICS WEEK! As part of our themed mini-event this week we’re rounding up some of our previous coverage of the Treasury of British Comics reprint range today at Broken Frontier. From heroics on the football pitch, to mad scientists and their monstrous creations, through to the wickedly funny imagination of Ken Reid, the line is a cross-genre treat of classic comics material. Check out all the links to reviews below and then head over to the Treasury of British Comics store for print/digital editions here…
Bella at the Bar Book One
Jenny McDade (W), John Armstrong (A)
Originally published in Tammy
Bella Barlow is a young orphan with ambitions to be a world-class gymnast. She has the talent, but is hampered by her cruel Uncle Jed and Aunt Gert who constantly exploit her for their own selfish gains.
While cleaning windows for her uncle’s business, Bella comes across an exclusive school with a great gymnastics programme. A kind teacher named Miss Mortimer would happily accept her, but the young athlete faces great opposition from her guardians and the horrible snobbery of the school’s headmistress. Will Bella ever get to pursue her dream of gymnastic stardom?
“A genuine classic” – read the Broken Frontier review here
Death Wish Vol. 1
Barrie Tomlinson (W), Vanyo (A)
Originally published in Speed
Blake Edmonds had it all – fame, money, looks… and then the world-famous F1 driver suffered a terrible accident which left him hideously disfigured.
Fashioning a mask to hide his terrible visage, Edmonds has taken on a new career as a stuntman, flirting with death on a regular basis. Mashing together the 70s F1 popularity wave with a macabre, uncanny horror and visceral action, Death Wish was a hit across the nation.
“Bleakly compelling” – read the Broken Frontier review here
The Dracula File
Gerry Finley-Day, Simon Furman (W), Eric Bradbury (A)
Originally published in Scream!
Fleeing vampire hunters from behind the Iron Curtain, Count Dracula returns to Great Britain with an unquenchable thirst for blood! Unable to accept that the supernatural defector has slipped through his fingers, Romanian KGB officer Stakis decides to defy his disbelieving superiors and destroy the unholy horror that has plagued the world for centuries. Will 1980s London become the Count’s permanent, new feeding ground?
“A good old-fashioned piece of escapist comfort reading” – Read the Broken Frontier review here
Fran of the Floods
Alan Davidson (W), Phil Gascoine (A)
Originally published in Jinty
Due to increased climate change the sun melts the ice caps, causing an onslaught of never ending rain. As Fran Scott’s town begins to disappear underwater and, after losing her parents in the chaos, she decides to seek out her sister June in Scotland. But as society begins to crumble around her, Fran must overcome a vast array of dangers, including disease, wild animals, marauding gangs of vicious thugs and most bizarre of all, the self-proclaimed King of Glasgow!
“A collection with an unexpected and vital topicality” – read the Broken Frontier review here
Invasion! 1984
Alan Grant and John Wagner (W), Eric Bradbury (A)
Originally published in Battle
The world is on fire – is humanity doomed? Invasion 1984 is John Wagner, Alan Grant and Eric Bradbury’s classic dystopian alien invasion story from the pages of Battle!
Skeletal-looking alien warriors have invaded the Earth, bringing many large cities like London to the brink of total destruction in this British comics’ take on War of the Worlds! Never reprinted outside the original newsstand magazine Battle Picture Weekly, a legendary comic that influenced a generation of creators including Preacher writer Garth Ennis. The story of pluck in the face of alien invasion as combat collides with cosmic terror!
“A solemn sermon on the devastating consequences of war” – read the Broken Frontier review here
Jinty Vol. 1
Pat Mills and Malcolm Shaw (W), Guy Peeters (A)
Originally published in Jinty
Land of No Tears -Whilst undergoing surgery on her lame leg, Cassy Shaw is transported into a dystopian future in which people with genetic defects are regarded as second class citizens. Unable to accept such objectionable discrimination, Cassy attempts to rally her peers (the Gamma girls) into beating the Alpha girls in several sporting events. Can she win the Golden Girl award and prove herself an equal
The Human Zoo – Twin sisters Shona and Jenny are kidnapped along with their classmates by a superior race of telepathic aliens. Brought back to the aliens’ home planet, Shona and some other human captives are kept in cages where they are treated and displayed like animals, while Jenny is sold to another owner. Will the twins ever be able to reunite and escape to Earth?
“Still as contemporary in theme as anything from [the current] YA shelves” – Read the Broken Frontier review here
Ken Reid’s Creepy Creations
Ken Reid with Reg Parlett and Robert Nixon (A)
Originally published in Shiver and Shake
The 10th March 1973 saw the first issue of Shiver and Shake released on the newsstands in Great Britain. Like its stablemate Whizzer and Chips, it was two comics in one, with Shiver mainly consisting of horror-themed comedy strips. On the back page of the comic, readers were treated to ‘A crazy “Monster Piece” for you to cut out and collect!’, and thus the Creepy Creations were born!
That first gloriously gruesome entry from Ken Reid was titled ‘The One-Eyed Wonk of Wigan’. Readers were invited to send in their sketches for further instalments. Winners would receive a pound note for their work and see their creation brought to full-colour life by various Shiver and Shake artists (mainly by Reid).
“The kind of book that is timeless in its appeal” – read the Broken Frontier review here
Ken Reid’s World-Wide Weirdies Vol. 1
Ken Reid (W/A)
Originally published in Whoopee!!
Beautiful and bizarre illustration collection from the legendary British cartoonist (ir)responsible for Faceache released to coincide with the holidays!
World Wide Weirdies collects the almost weekly run of Reid’s beautifully bizarre illustrations from IPC’s Whoopee! and Shiver and Shake. Usually displayed in colour on the back cover, they are among the most striking images to have appeared in British comics!
“An absolute must-own!” – read the Broken Frontier review here
Marney the Fox
Scott Goodall (W), John Stokes (A)
Originally published in Buster
When his mother is killed and his siblings taken by a farmer, Marney the fox cub finds himself left all alone in the beautiful yet deadly Devon countryside. From dodging blood-thirsty humans to encountering an array of wild animals, Marney must rely on all of his strength and cunning to survive.
“An absolute gem of UK comics craft” – read the Broken Frontier review here
Read an interview with artist John Stokes here
Misty Vol. 1-3
Pat Mills, Malcolm Shaw (W), Shirley Bellwood, John Armstrong, Brian Delaney, Mario Capaldi, John Richardson, Eduardo Feito, Jordi Badia Romero (A)
Originally published in Misty
The first three numbered volumes of collected serials from the cult supernatural girls comic of the late 1970s and early ’80s featuring The Four Faces of Eve, Moonchild, The Sentinels, End of the Line and Wolf Girl.
“Misty is one of the great cult publications of British comics history” – read the Broken Frontier review here
Misty Presents the Jordi Badía Romero Collection
Jordi Badia Romero (W/A)
Originally published in Misty
Catalan artist Jordi Badía Romero – also known as Jorge, started his career in the early 1950s, illustrating Spanish romance and adventure stories alongside his brother, Enrique Badía Romero (artist on Modesty Blaise and Axa). Within a decade he would find work with UK publisher Fleetway, where he made a huge contribution, flourishing in the 1970s on titles such as Pink and Misty. As Jorge B. Gálvez he went on to work on several short stories for the American horror-comic Creepy, before moving onto Tarzan in the 1980s.
One of the unsung masters of British horror comics, this book celebrates his timeless talent and showcases the impact his work had on the readers of Misty. This exquisite collection is a must have for fans of great comic book art.
“A celebration of one man’s artistic vision” – read the Broken Frontier review here
Roy of the Rovers: The Best of the 1970s (The Tiger Years)
Tom Tully (W), Yvonne Hutton, David Sque (A)
Originally published in Tiger
The seventies was a very turbulent time in Britain. Following on from the optimism of the sixties, the country faced a decade of strikes and power cuts. Luckily for the fans of Melchester Rovers, Roy Race and his loyal time mates provided great moments of glory for their fans, starting with European Cup final win in 1973 in the year that the club celebrated its 50th anniversary.
It was the decade in which footballers became real superstars a time when Melchester goalkeeper Charlie Carter had to choose between staying at the club or perusing a burgeoning career as a pop singer. And it was a period when Roy Race truly cemented himself as the heart, soul and brain of the club by taking on the role of player manager.
“A warm hug of gentle pleasure” – read the Broken Frontier review here
The Thirteenth Floor Vol. 1
John Wagner and Alan Grant (W), José Ortiz (A)
Originally published in Scream! and Eagle
Maxwell Tower is a state-of-the art tower block: a bold, experimental council tenement, run by an A.I. called Max. As building superintendent, Max’s primary function is the welfare of his tenants, a duty which he takes very very seriously. If anyone threatens his precious residents or the building itself, they can expect a visit to the thirteenth floor… A place where nightmare and reality become one!
“A darkly comedic and bleak farce” – read the Broken Frontier review here
Von Hoffman’s Invasion Book One
Tom Tully (W), Eric Bradbury (A)
Originally published in Jet and Buster
After spending twenty-five years in prison following World War II the evil Nazi genius, Dr Von Hoffman, has sworn revenge against Britain. Having perfected a gas that allows him to enlarge and control all manner of creatures, Von Hoffman has embarked on his one-man invasion. Now every church fete, army camp and national monument is in dire threat! The only thing that stands in his way are the plucky young brothers Barry and Joey Drake…
“An engagingly mad story” – read the Broken Frontier review here
Wildcat: Turbo Jones
Barrie Tomlinson (W) Ian Kennedy, John Sanders and Vanyo (A)
Originally Published in Wildcat
Predicting the destruction of our planet, Turbo Jones, Professor of Earth History, built a colony ship to search the stars for a new home. Now on board “The Wildcat” with his trusty crew, they have finally found a planet suitable for a colony. Four exploration teams are sent to the surface to scout…
Turbo Jones and his exploration party are soon captured and caught in a conflict between two alien races. His ingenuity saved him from the destruction of the Earth, but can it save him from the invading Arglon’s dinosaur army?
“An enjoyable romp through one of the less remembered corners of the IPC universe…” – read the Broken Frontier review here
