ORIGINAL ART: David and Garth x3

Eagle 21 March 1959 (Vol:10:12)

 This time Compal Auctions have a lovely non-faded piece of Bellamy colour artwork and three Garth strips. here's the usual (edited by me) blurb from Compal:

The Compalcomics November auction is open. The catalogue is open
Click here to visit thesaleroom.com You can also browse auction lots and print a fax or mail bidding form at Compalcomics Click here to visit Compalcomics
Postal and fax bids need to be with us by FRIDAY 18 NOVEMBER and we will enter them on your behalf in thesaleroom.com/Comic Book Auctions website closing on Sunday 20 Nov from 2 pm.

DAVID THE SHEPHERD KING

So first we have a lovely "David the Shepherd King" page from the back cover of Eagle (21 March 1959). It's described like this:

David, The Shepherd King original back cover artwork by Frank Bellamy for The Eagle (1959) Vol. 10, No. 12. The Philistine hordes march on Jerusalem but David hides his warriors in the outlying forest setting a trap to ensnare the invaders. Years later, King David's son, Absalom plots treachery against his father. The 'Shepherd King' title header and top LH panel of Young David with explanatory text are laser colour additions to complete the look of the artwork. Pelikan inks on board. 17 x 22 ins

I ought to mention the comic was called "Eagle", not "The Eagle" - a mistake I have been hauled over the coals about!  I wonder if the second explanatory text on the third row might also be added later as well as the first one on the first row. The crowd scene with David leading the people of Israel in bringing the Ark of the Covenant is the usual brilliant Bellamy crowd panel. It will be interesting to see if the estimate of £1,500-£2,500 is close or not.

GARTH: THE ANGELS OF HELL'S GAP

Garth: The Angels of Hell's Gap J80

Then we have two strips from one of Bellamy's beloved Western strips. The first J80 has a lovely last panel where Bellamy does his trademark swirls and here indicates the outline of the mountain - gorgeous. It's described like this:

Garth: 'The Angels of Hell's Gap' original artwork (1975) drawn and signed by Frank Bellamy for the D. Mirror 8-4-'75. Indian ink on board. 21 x 7 ins

It has an opening bid of £220 and an estimate of £240-£280.

GARTH: THE ANGELS OF HELL'S GAP

Garth: The Angels of Hell's Gap J100

The second one is the penultimate strip from the same story - J100. Garth is a guest of a film director who is making a movie on the American Civil War in the exact location where it happened. Although the story doesn't spend much time on the Civil War it's obvious Bellamy loved the subject of the West. Again this is the stuff that drew me, later than I should have, to appreciate Bellamy's sense of design: the border on panel one; the use of those swirls in panel two to show Garth returning from his time-travelling!

The estimate is the same as the one above as well as the starting bid:

Garth: 'The Angels of Hell's Gap' original artwork (1975) drawn and signed by Frank Bellamy for the D. Mirror 1-5-'75. Indian ink on board. 21 x 7 ins

GARTH: THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

Garth: The Beautiful People K58

The last Bellamy original artwork in this auction is from "The Beautiful People" - episode K58.

Garth: 'The Beautiful People' original artwork (1976) drawn and signed by Frank Bellamy for the D. Mirror 9-3-'76. Indian ink on board. 21 x 7 ins

This seems to be considered more valuable as the opening bid is £230 with the auctioneer's estimate at £250 - £300

A lovely solid piece with the three separate panels with lots of those Bellamy swirls. The story is about Garth helping a friend who "has a string of international modellling agencies and worldwide pop group interests" but Mr Zamos, a criminal is messing up Garth's friend's idyll on Ikonos!

That's it.  I'll update the spreadsheet as usual after the auction. Happy Bidding!

AUCTION SUMMARY

DAVID THE SHEPHERD KING
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £1360
ENDING PRICE:£1640
END DATE: Sunday 20 November 2022

GARTH: THE ANGELS OF HELL'S GAP (J80)
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £220
ENDING PRICE:£270
END DATE: Sunday 20 November 2022

GARTH: THE ANGELS OF HELL'S GAP (J100)
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £220
ENDING PRICE:£340
END DATE: Sunday 20 November 2022
 

GARTH: THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (K58)
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £240
ENDING PRICE:£340
END DATE: Sunday 20 November 2022

ORIGINAL ART: Heros the Spartan - faded

"Heros the Spartan" Eagle Vol.16:12 (20 March 1965)

 This is just a quick entry to record the sale of a "Heros the Spartan". This escaped my alerts in 2019 and therefore I didn't get to see it until now.

Drewatts Online sold it for the reserve price of £130 (and the estimate was £150) in November 2019. Their description was accurate in parts:

Description
Double page format, circa 1962/63, framed and glazed pen, ink and tinted comic page, Episode 4 for The Eagle, lettering with corrections, signed, image 39 by 63 cm, framed and glazed with cropped mount detailing details of publication, 55 by 77.5 centimeters (2).

Status report
Fading in the sunlight, colors now very muted, unexamined outside the frame.

Boy oh boy is it faded! It has almost become an interesting outline of the blacks that Bellamy used! The date is completely wrong. It's from the fourth and last story Bellamy drew in the comic (there was one more Heros in the Eagle Annual) "The Slave Army" and it is indeed episode 4 of that story.

Want to see HOW faded it is:

"Heros the Spartan" Eagle Vol.16:12 (20 March 1965)

Faded original

You're welcome! Such a shame it has been allowed to get that faded! That central panel is just gorgeous and so memorable. And just in case anyone thinks Bellamy used "white-out", contrary to what's been said, that's the balloon letterer's mess!

ORIGINAL ART: Too many to mention but I will!

 

Eagle 22 November 1957 (Vol. 8:47)

The Compalcomics auction have some tremendous Bellamy original art this time. The hi-res images I have below have been grabbed from Thesaleroom where you can bid and see live bids too.

HAPPY WARRIOR (Churchill)

Lot 44 is a rare page from "The Happy Warrior", the story of Winston Churchill the first living person to appear in the biographical strip on the back page of Eagle. Bellamy must have had a lot of worries representing this national hero, but eventually was told Churchill approved. This is episode 8 (as Bellamy has written on the board) and appears to have preserved very well. Whoever gets it - please - do not put it in sunlight! The story ran for a year form October 1957 to September 1958.

The lot is described as:

Eagle/Happy Warrior original artwork drawn and painted by Frank Bellamy for The Eagle Vol 8 No 47 (1957). During the second Indian War at the battle of Omdurman on 2 September 1898, a young Lieutenant, Winston Churchill, with 350 men of the 21st Lancers charged what they thought were an army of 700 Dervishes. Churchill later wrote 'A deep crease in the ground - a dry watercourse - a khor, appeared where all had seemed smooth, level, plain; and from it there sprang, with a suddenness of a pantomime effect and a high-pitched yell, a dense white mass of 2000 tribesmen and a score of horsemen with bright flags who rose as if by magic from the earth...' Bright Pelikan inks on board. 21 x 16 ins.

Boy's World 28 March 1964

 BRETT MILLION AND THE GHOST WORLD

The 17th part of this single story from Boy' World (28 March 1964 Vol 2:13) is the next item in the auction. This was a story Bellamy drew as a one-off (there were 21 parts to the story), taking over from "C F Eidlestein" as artist on this strip, who was better known by his real name Frank Langford. The story's premise was similar to the later published Star Trek episode "Wink of an eye" Besides an illustration for a text story this is the only work Bellamy did for Boy's World. To read more about this short-lived comic you cannot do better than Steve Holland's "Boy's World: Ticket to adventure".

Anyway, the lot (#67) is described thus:

Boy's World/Brett Million and the Ghost World original artwork (1963) drawn and painted by Frank Bellamy for Boy's World Vol. 2 No 13, 1963 [sic]. Brett is captured and suddenly teleported by the Aliens as his amplifier runs dangerously low… Bright Pelikan inks on board. 20 x 15 ins 

Eagle 17 November 1962 (Vol. 13:46)

HEROS THE SPARTAN

Heros the Spartan original double-page artwork (1962) painted and signed by Frank Bellamy. For The Eagle Vol. 13 No 46. Taken prisoner to the mountain Palace of Gold, inhabited by the priests of the pagan god, Diom, Heros and his cohort survivors are forced to fight duels against the wild, animal-like savages called the Magus... Bright Pelikan inks on board, 28 x 20 ins. The Heros title lettering and rectangular text boxes are laser colour editions to complete the look of the artwork and may be removed if required. *This is the final board of Heros artwork in the recent run offered for auction.

Comparing this original art to the comic it's hard to tell if this is faded (which wouldn't surprise me) but I can see the blues in it. However Malcolm does mention  the title lettering and text boxes have been added so who knows. It's full of action and comes from the first story of Heros - "The Island of Darkness" which ran for four months over 1962/1963

Lots #102, 104 and 109 are all Garth strips. The first comes from "The Wolfman of Ausensee" (F162) and shows Garth worried about Gloria as she stands on a ledge, for the film crew.  I remember as a teenager trying to copy how Bellamy drew rocks and mountains.

Garth: The Wolfman of Ausensee" G162

Garth: 'The Wolfman of Ausensee' original artwork (1972) drawn by Frank Bellamy for the D. Mirror 8.7.'72. Indian ink on board. 21 x 7 ins

The second is from the story "The Women of Galba" (G84) and has some lovely Bellamy 'swirls' as I call them. These are the things that attracted me to Bellamy's 70s work - his design sense. In an alternate universe I think I'm a graphic designer rather than a retired Librarian! 

Garth: The Women of Galba (G84)

Garth 'Women of Galba' original artwork (1973) drawn by Frank Bellamy for the D. Mirror 7.4.'73. Indian ink on board. 21 x 7 ins

The third is from the story "The Mask of Atacama" (G225) and again we see those Bellamy 'swirls' shading the dark sky in the third panel. Garth is off stage at this point in the story but nevertheless a lovely piece of classic Frank Bellamy artwork.

Garth: The Mask of Atacama (G225)

Garth: 'The Mask of Atacama' original artwork (1973) drawn and signed by Frank Bellamy for the D. Mirror 21.9.'73. Indian ink on board. 21 x 7 in

That's a lot of gorgeous Frank Bellamy artwork coming to light. Best of luck with any you go for.  I'll update the spreadsheet as usual after the auction. Happy Bidding!

AUCTION SUMMARY

HAPPY WARRIOR

WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £900 (Estimate: £1000-£1500
ENDING PRICE:£2,450
END DATE: Sunday 28 August 2022

BRETT MILLION AND THE GHOST WORLD

WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £1080 (Estimate: £1200-£1600)
ENDING PRICE:£2,250
END DATE: Sunday 28 August 2022
 
HEROS THE SPARTAN 

WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £4050 (Estimate: £4500-£5000)
ENDING PRICE:£3,800
END DATE: Sunday 28 August 2022

GARTH: The Wolfman of Ausensee

WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £200 (Estimate: £220-£260)
ENDING PRICE:£280
END DATE: Sunday 28 August 2022

GARTH: The Women of Galba

WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £230 (Estimate: £250-£300)
ENDING PRICE:£170
END DATE: Sunday 28 August 2022

GARTH: The Mask of Atacama

WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £230 (Estimate: £250-£300)
ENDING PRICE:£240

END DATE: Sunday 28 August 2022

ORIGINAL ART: Garth - a quick article

Garth: K125

Garth: K125

Garth: K125

My daughter is getting married so I'm in a hurry but wanted to let you know that Darryl Jones of Silver Acre Comics (who has been on ebay for years - and I've happily purchased from him) has  a Garth up for auction.

It's strip number K125 from the story "The Spanish Lady" which ran in the Daily Mirror originally from 17 March 1976 - 7 July 1976 - K65-K160

The starting bid is £299 and he has a minimal description so here's some subsequent strips for your pleasure

K125 - K129 Garth: "The Spanish Lady"

 

AUCTION SUMMARY

GARTH: Spanish Lady
WHERE?: eBay: silver-acre
STARTING BID: £299
ENDING PRICE:£0 - No bids
END DATE: 21 July 2022

More Original Art for auction! Garth, Robin Hood and Heros, oh my!

Eagle 10 Nov 1962, Vol:13:45

The Compalcomics auction just gone live features loads of Frank Bellamy original artwork - all captured here for your delight! It's mirrored on Thesaleroom where you can bid and see live bids too. I've placed the direct links to Bellamy's wonderful artwork below.

That's enough of the technicalities. Let's get to the artwork....

HEROS THE SPARTAN: Eagle 10 November 1962 (Vol. 13:45)

The image at the top of this article shows the 4th episode of the first "Heros" story. the colours are very vibrant and it seems the piece has not been displayed and allowed to fade and the presence of the lettering in such perfect condition is explained in the blurb below. The estimate is £4,500-£5,000. 

It is described as:

Heros the Spartan original double-page artwork (1962) painted and signed by Frank Bellamy for The Eagle Vol. 13 No 45 centrespread, 10 November 1962. Caesar has sent Heros, with a hundred men, to conquer the mysterious Island of Darkness. But Heros's cohort is ambushed by animal-like warriors. Luckily the survivors reach a stockade, built by previous ill-fated legions. That night, from the mountainside, an awesome figure taunts Heros and his men to battle ... Pelikan inks on board, 28 x 20 ins. The Heros the Spartan title lettering and square text boxes are laser colour editions to complete the look of the artwork and may be removed if required.

There are loads of Garth strips in this auction, but the most exciting, for its historical significance is this one:

GARTH: Sundance - E164

Garth: Sundance - E164

This is the third episode of Garth that Bellamy drew. I've used it in previous blogs to illustrate how Allard added pieces to the early Garth strips after Bellamy took over. Technically it should be credited to Bellamy and John Allard as the latter added the trees in the third panel and the Letraset on the soldier's trousers. It's described as:

Garth original artwork by John Allard for the Daily Mirror 14 July 1971. Two light bends to the board, not breaking the ink. Indian ink on board. 21 x 7 ins

The estimate is £100-£150 but i suspect might be greater than that as Sundance does not come up that often.

GARTH: Freak out to fear - H182+H214

Garth: Freak out to Fear - H182 and H214

"Freak Out To Fear" ran in the Daily Mirror originally from 6 June 1974 - 27 September 1974 - H132-H227 and these two strips show strong figure compositions in a small space. The auction is estimated to reach £450-£500 which seems reasonable to me for two original Garths, these days. It's described thus:

Garth: 'Freak Out to Fear' (1974) two original artworks drawn and signed by Frank Bellamy for the D. Mirror, 6.8.'74 and 12.9.'74. Indian ink on board. 21 x 7 ins (2)

GARTH: The Angels of Hell's Gap - J35

Garth: The Angels of Hell's Gap - J35

Bellamy's Western Garth strips are always popular and this one is estimated to reach  £250-£300 which seems reasonable too. 

Garth: 'The Angels of Hell's Gap' (1975) original artwork drawn and signed by Frank Bellamy for the D. Mirror 13.2.'75. Indian ink on board. 21 x 7 ins

GARTH: The Bubble Man- J278

Garth: The Bubble Man - J278

This strip has a bevy of beautiful ladies which tends to bump up prices, but there's no nudity here, so who knows. The estimate is £250-£300 (and at the time of writing this is the first of the Garths in this sale to get a bid) so let's see what happens. I love the devices like the shading in the first panel and the way Bellamy portrays the building in panel 2

Garth: 'The Bubble Man' (1975) original artwork drawn and signed by Frank Bellamy for the D. Mirror 25.11.'75. Indian ink on board. 21 x 7 ins

GARTH: The Spanish Lady - K136+K160

Garth: The Spanish Lady - K136 + K160

"The Spanish Lady" is a story that is fondly remembered by Garth fans, as Garth (as John Carey) travels in Elizabethan times and with Sir Francis Drake tackles a Spanish galleon with - you guessed it - a Spanish lady aboard, with whom he has his dalliance! One of the strips offered is the last strip of the story which ran 17 March 1976 - 7 July 1976 - K65-K160. These are estimated to sell at £450-£500, but I wonder! Bellamy passed away on 5 July 1976 and began the next story's artwork - there being a lead time between completing the artwork and its publication.

Garth: 'The Spanish Lady' (1976) two original artworks drawn and signed by Frank Bellamy for the D. Mirror No K 136 (undated) and 7.7.'76. Indian ink on board. 21 x 7 ins (2)

Lastly we have an unusual piece in a series that does not come up often.

ROBIN HOOD: Swift Vol3:41 (13 Oct 1956)

Swift 13 Oct 1956 (Vol:3:41 p.2)

If you haven't seen Book Palace's reprints of "Robin Hood" (and "King Arthur" - and I should mention immodestly, my "Art of Frank Bellamy" with loads of artwork and my bio of Bellamy's work and life), then hop along there. 

But back to the above "Robin Hood". Malcolm describes this lovely piece:

Robin Hood original artwork (1956) by Frank Bellamy for Swift Vol. 3, No 41 pg 2 (1956). Black ink and wash on board. 18 x 14 ins

I'd say a bit more. Pause for a moment and gaze at that first panel - the servant is in the shade (a lovely ink wash)  and perspective is shown by the light in which the Normans stand compared to him. The second panel shows intricate brickwork and Bellamy could   have made it much simpler for himself, but gloriously didn't! And in the last panel I'm reminded of dioramas with the foreground cut out and an image placed behind it. Did he really have to add the bird scattering its way through the forest? Beautiful and dedicated work.

For your pleasure and because. like me, I'm sure you want to know what led to this page and what happens next, I give you.....

You might also be interested in this lot of assorted books and fanzines

I'll update the spreadsheet as usual after the auction. Happy Bidding!

AUCTION SUMMARY

HEROS THE SPARTAN
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £4000
ENDING PRICE:£4350
END DATE: Sunday 29 May 2022

GARTH: Sundance 
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £90
ENDING PRICE:£290
END DATE: Sunday 29 May 2022
 
GARTH: Freak out to fear (2 epsiodes)
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £400
ENDING PRICE:£560
END DATE: Sunday 29 May 2022

GARTH: The Angels of Hell's Gap
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £230
ENDING PRICE:£240
END DATE: Sunday 29 May 2022

GARTH: The Bubble Man
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £230
ENDING PRICE:£340
END DATE: Sunday 29 May 2022

GARTH: The Spanish Lady (2 episodes)
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £400
ENDING PRICE:£840
END DATE: Sunday 29 May 2022

ROBIN HOOD
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £320
ENDING PRICE:£470
END DATE: Sunday 29 May 2022

ORIGINAL ART: Heros and a lot of Garth

'Heros the Spartan' Eagle Vol.16:24 (12 June 1965)

That lovely piece of art is in the latest auction from Compal. It's going for an opening bid £4,050 with an auctioneer's estimate of £4,500 - £5,000!

Let's get the basics out the way. as usual I've listed these below and will update the prices here and on my spreadsheet. The listings are at both Compalcomics and TheSaleroom

HEROS THE SPARTAN (Eagle Vol. 16:24)

This episode comes from the last story that Bellamy drew of Heros the Spartan, in the comic, "The Slave Army". As Malcolm Philips states on the auction page, the block printing has been added - presumably because some was falling off with age and the collector wanted to show it complete:

Heros the Spartan original double-page artwork (1965) painted and signed by Frank Bellamy. From The Eagle Vol. 16, No 24 centre spread, 1965. Matoumin rescues Heros from his prison to help plot revenge on El Raschid but they are caught in El Raschid's trap, Matoumin is stabbed to death and Heros condemned to die in the arena at the hands of his own men... Pelikan inks on board. 28 x 20 ins. The Heros the Spartan title lettering and square text boxes are laser colour editions to complete the look of the artwork and may be removed if required

A scan from the comic

It's lovely to be able to see the original with those expressive faces Bellamy drew. The more I look at Heros, the more it grows on me, especially after realising how dark the comic reproductions were.

GARTH: The Wolfman of Ausensee - F150 and F190

Garth: The Wolfman of Ausensee

These two wonderful episodes from my - I suspect - favourite of Bellamy's Garths have a starting bid of opening bid £400 and an auctioneer's estimate of £450-£550

Garth's 'Wolfman of Ausensee' two original artworks (1972) by Frank Bellamy for The D. Mirror 24.6.'72 and 14.8.'72. Indian ink on board. 21 x 7 ins (2)

I don't think the photo is as clear as it could be as it makes the whole thing look faded but that it very unlikely.  usually the boards behind the ink 'brown' with age before the blacks go. Anyway, if any millionaires out there fancy rewarding me for all my hard work....!

GARTH: The Wreckers - H15 and H35

Garth: The Wreckers

The opening bid £450 seems reasonable to me for two originals - the auctioneer's estimate
is £500-£600 - and which include Garth's disappearing / reappearing girlfriend Andromeda

Garth: 'The Wreckers'. Two original artworks (1974) drawn and signed by Frank Bellamy for The D. Mirror 18.1.'74 and 11.2.'74. Indian ink on board. 21 x 7 ins (2)

GARTH:  The Doomsmen - J131

Garth: The Doomsmen

I always have a look at each image to see what they're like and the design here is lovely. We have Bellamy cross-hatching and 'vignettes' to highlight the action.

Bidding starts at £230 and the lot is described:

Garth: 'Doomsmen'. Original artwork (1975) drawn and signed by Frank Bellamy for the D. Mirror 6.6.'75. Indian ink on board. 21 x 7 ins

GARTH: The Bubble Man - J269

Garth: The Bubble Man

Lastly we have another Garth strip, this time from the Bubble Man story. Bellamy was always good at devising aliens and these moth/ant like creatures are great. Bidding starts at £230 and has already started. It's described thus:

Garth: 'Bubble Man'. Original artwork (1975) drawn and signed by Frank Bellamy for the D. Mirror 14.11.'76. Indian ink on board. 21 x 7 ins

AUCTION SUMMARY
HEROS THE SPARTAN
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £4,050
ENDING PRICE: £4,150
END DATE: Sunday 27 February 2022

GARTH: The Wolfman of Ausensee - F150 and F190
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £450
ENDING PRICE: £700
END DATE: Sunday 27 February 2022

GARTH: The Wreckers H15 and H35
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £450
ENDING PRICE: £540
END DATE: Sunday 27 February 2022

GARTH:  The Doomsmen - J131
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £230
ENDING PRICE: £310
END DATE: Sunday 27 February 2022

GARTH: The Bubble Man - J269
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £230
ENDING PRICE: £390
END DATE: Sunday 27 February 2022

ORIGINAL ART: Heros the Spartan, Garth and 2 portraits

'Heros the Spartan' Eagle Vol.16:16 (17 Apr 1965)

GET READY! We have a lot of Frank Bellamy in the latest auction from Compalcomics. The listings are at both Compalcomics and TheSaleroom but for your ease, I have highlighted the Frank Bellamy original art sales below (and to store them for the future!)

Let's start with the headliner, but to be honest there are a few jewels to be had here!

HEROS THE SPARTAN (Eagle Vol. 16:16)

One of few double page spreads that come up at all - and the last one fetched over £7,000 in August 2019. This one comes from Eagle (Volume 16 No. 16 dated 17 April 1965) and as you can see Bellamy has written "Episode 8" on the bottom in his lovely formal writing. It's from the story from 27 February 1965 - 24 July 1965, "The Slave Army" written by Tom Tully. 

The auction description states:

Heros the Spartan original double-page artwork (1965) painted and signed by Frank Bellamy. From the Eagle Vol. 16: No 16 centre spread 1965. Zathran, the Commander of the Black Guard and Heros are tied together in a duel of death…. Pelikan inks on board. 28 x 20 ins. [The 'Heros the Spartan' title and the square text boxes are laser colour additions to complete the look of the artwork and may be removed if required.]

My emboldening. The estimate is £4,500-£5,500 and the starting bid £4,100.

2 PORTRAITS

2 charcoal portraits

The next is an unusual one - a pair of portraits. These were up for auction previously in November 2019 and 'passed' at £230 but this time are offered at the lower starting price of £80 with a reserve. The estimate is £90-£120 which I think is much more realistic. Unfortunately since I first posted the details in 2019 no further information has come forward. This is the auction description:

Frank Bellamy (1940s). Two original charcoal sketches, both signed in capitals 'Frank A Bellamy' probably of his parents. 9 x 12 and 10 x 14 ins (2 sketches)

David Jackson has suggested these might be Bellamy's sister (Eva) and her husband (Stanley Viccars), (who is depicted in the last frame of the the Churchill life story "The Happy Warrior" in Eagle Vol.9 No.24).

Stanley Viccars in "The Happy Warrior"

GARTH: The Women of Galba - G52

Garth: The Women of Galba G52

The first Garth strip offered this time is from "The Women of Galba" story which ran in the Daily Mirror  (27 December 1972 - 10 April 1973 #F304-G86), showing Garth and Narissa about to cross the rope bridge. 

Garth: 'The Women of Galba' original artwork by Frank Bellamy for the D. Mirror 1 March 1973. Indian ink on board. 21 x 17 ins

GARTH: The Mask of Atacama - G201 and G206

Garth: The Mask of Atacama G201 + G206

Some solid drawing and shading in that inimitable Bellamy fashion. Just look at the last panel bottom right!

Garth: 'The Mask of Atacama' two original artworks drawn and signed by Frank Bellamy for the D. Mirror 24/30 August 1973. Indian ink on board. 21 x 17 ins (2)

 

GARTH:  The Mask of Atacama - Garth-G237

Garth: The Mask of Atacama G237

This single strip from the same story "The Mask of Atacama", which originally ran in the Daily Mirror (13 July 1973 - 25 October 1973 - #G165-G254), sees a strength in Bellamy's artwork. That portrait and shadowing with Bellamy 'swirls' is lovely.

Garth: 'The Mask of Atacama' original artwork drawn and signed by Frank Bellamy for the D. Mirror 5 October 1973. Indian ink on board. 21 x 17 ins

GARTH: The Angels of Hell's Gap - J47 - J48

Garth: The Angels of Hell's Gap - J47 + J48

Here we have two consecutive strips from one of the three Westerns that Bellamy drew in his run on the Garth strip. I love his Western work, there's such a freedom in it, perhaps because he was so confident in that genre and loved Western films, quoting Sergio Leon's movies as inspiration. His favourite film was the 1972 "The Culpepper Cattle Company" which has such a sepia look throughout the film and the dirt shows everywhere. Anyway back to this auction:

Garth: 'Angels of Hell's Gap' two consecutive original artworks by Frank Bellamy for the D. Mirror 27/28 February 1975. 21 x 17 ins (2)

I'll update winning bids below when the auctions are done and add the data to the sales spreadsheet

AUCTION SUMMARY
HEROS THE SPARTAN
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £4,100
ENDING PRICE: £4,100
END DATE: Sunday 21 November 2021

2 PORTRAITS
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £80
ENDING PRICE: PASSED
END DATE: Sunday 21 November 2021

GARTH: The Women of Galba - G52
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £230
ENDING PRICE: PASSED
END DATE: Sunday 21 November 2021

GARTH: The Mask of Atacama - Garth-G201 and G206
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £450
ENDING PRICE: £450
END DATE: Sunday 21 November 2021

GARTH:  The Mask of Atacama - Garth-G237
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £230
ENDING PRICE: £230
END DATE: Sunday 21 November 2021

GARTH: The Angels of Hell's Gap - J47 - J48
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £450
ENDING PRICE: PASSED
END DATE: Sunday 21 November 2021

ORIGINAL ART: Thunderbirds from TV21 #206 and some statistics

"Thunderbirds" page 1 from TV21#206

Phil-Comics has more than 18,000 positive feedbacks on eBay (and no negatives!) and has been selling comic related materials since 2000. I have sold some stuff through him and found him to be nothing but polite, efficient and an all-round nice guy. He often has obscure British material, such as advertising flyers for annuals, free gifts (which sell so well these days - why did I throw all mine on a bonfire?!?).

Anyway, you don't come here for my charming repartee. Phil is selling an original board on eBay which we have seen come up for auction before, back in 2011 when it sold for just £550. I've said something about the change in colour from original art to printed version (but can't add anything to what I said then).

Here's Phil's description of the piece: 

Thunderbirds Original Artwork (FRANK BELLAMY) for TV21 comic #206 (1968)

A wonderful single page of original artwork, drawn and painted by Frank Bellamy, for TV21 comic #206 - Dec 28 1968. It appeared on page 11 and was the first page of the strip in this edition, but Part 4 in the overall story.

The art board measures 47 x 37.5 (18.5 x 14.75 inches) and is rigid, so will be posted flat.

Vibrant colours and incredibly crisp lines, this is a joy to behold. A few very small brown spots (of paint?) have somehow landed on the page at some stage in its 53 year life, but don't detract and are hardly noticeable. There's also a 2 inch brown line of the same substance to the right edge, which is more noticeable but only slightly goes across 1/2 inch of one panel edge. A bump / scuff to the lower corners but artwork unscathed.

Frank Bellamy's work is highly sought-after and this is the first time we have bought a page of his original artwork to market.

UK buyers - This will be posted flat between several sheets of  sturdy cardboard (and quite possibly in a large box to really protect it) and sent by Special Delivery. Cost £14.95.

I suspect those "very small brown spots" have appeared in the last 10 years as the image from Comic Book Auctions didn't show them back in 2011, and if I had been the buyer then, and discovered they weren't on the image, I would have kicked up a fuss. [UPDATE: The spots ARE visible back in 2011]. It will be interesting to see what this reaches with a the staring bid is £1,250. 

Out of interest, I thought I'd look at statistics for the single Thunderbirds pages that I have recorded in the spreadsheet - you can all play along if you like. 

The average price - where I have data - of a single Thunderbirds board (remember they were double page spreads until TV21 #141) was an amazing £1,544! Bear in mind this is over 17 years when I could, and did record data. So we need to look at outliers and maybe median prices. 

The lowest price was in 2008 (TV21 #146) £404.95

The highest price was in  2018 (TV21 #90) £4,550.00

So you can see, just as with some of the Government statistics, you really do need to ask some questions about how things are counted. 

The median price over those years (and where recorded) is £1,080

I haven't done the mode (most commonly recurring amount) as it means nothing here at all!

If you want to see the pages, just click on the links under the dates on the spreadsheet

Lastly I've added all of Phil's images below and there are some nice close-ups.

AUCTION SUMMARY

THUNDERBIRDS TV21#206
WHERE?:phil-comics on ebay
STARTING BID: £1,250
ENDING PRICE: £1,250
No of bids: 1
END DATE: 30 May 2021