Sunday 17 May 2020

ALL CHANGE ON FRANK BELLAMY'S BIRTHDAY

*******UPDATE******* 
 Frank Bellamy's gracious Daughter-in-Law. Tessa Bellamy has politely reminded me Frank's birthday is 21 May. Having moved so much data across to Blogger and having had so many technical difficulties, I think I went completely daft and said it was on the 17 May!

Sorry for any confusion!

Frank Bellamy was born on Monday 21 May 1917. He would have been 103 this Thursday 21 May 2020


Today I say "www.frankbellamy.co.uk is dead! Long live www.frankbellamy.co.uk!"
The old site looked like this in 2007 when I first published  my checklist of Bellamy's work:

Soon after the launch, the second email (if I remember correctly) I received was along the lines of "An FB site with no pictures. What a joke!". Well, despite the "encouragement", I didn't give up immediately but realised I would have to update people about additions and corrections to the checklist and thus was born the blog (with the address of frankbellamy.blogspot.com). As blogging grew I realised that my concerns about copyright seemed odd as everyone everywhere in the blogging world was publishing whole series of images and all I wanted to do was some images. Back then when searching Google there was little on the images results page for Bellamy, but now...well!

As time went on I preferred working on the blog (and having some HTML knowledge helped me line images up properly and figure out why white space appeared in strange places). Then Wordpress grew and content management systems seemed so much easier to use. I was bored with the old website and despite having the forethought to use CSS to create the theme, so I could easily switch the look, the CSS language changed (as did HTML). I hated updating the site as it looked so old - much like the image above!

I retired in 2019 and wondered what to do. I seriously looked at getting the site hosted elsewhere and using Wordpress. But the annual bill for FB.co.uk was increasing and I did not want to beg for money. The majority of hits on the site were 'robots' crawling for search engines and other reasons.

Radio Times (24 November 1973 - 30 November 1973)
I cut my copy from our family RT!

The programme listing
I think my wife, in conversation about this, might have said "no-one but you is really interested in such a list" and also talking to a hard-core Bellamy fan who said in passing "haven't looked at the blog either in ages, really should" I realised it was time!

Then came the lockdown. Corona Virus spread and we were in lockdown.

Now was decision time. A moment of inspiration came to me when talking to my wonderful wife! "I could just put the checklist on the blog page", I innocently said. THEN I realised what I'd said. "Page" was the operative word. See that tab at the top of this page (if on a PC or Mac not mobile!) for FB Art - Sales  and Auctions" - that's a 'page' not a 'post' - like a "sticky" page, it's there always.

So allow me to announce the new website https://www.frankbellamy.co.uk here.
Ditch any links you have to Blogspot - they will work but due to a technical issue you'll be told:

Warning over insecure site

This has annoyed a lot of bloggers who have no insecure content and also are, like myself hosted by Blogger / Google!  If you do see this, let me assure you, it's safe on my site! If I find references in my blog and pages to that address I'm changing them to the new address. But it's easier for me to tell you to use https://www.frankbellamy.co.uk
Got the message - use this address and you see the blog by default and then can use the Checklist index if you want to!

Here's what the mobile view looks like - the first "Home" shows the tab - for the "Sales and Auctions". The 2nd "Home" shows the Checklist pages. You'll find links from there to places on the blog I've published images already (and some new ones I haven't shouted about). Looks odd but now I've done the bulk of the work, I can concentrate on the appearance etc. I have about 90% of what was on the old website on here now. You won't notice anything but for my satisfaction I'll finish that off and then carry on!


Always happy to receive feedback (in fact need it to carry on!) at the usual address (look under my picture on this page)

By the way, the reason for showing the images above is that I see the Radio Times have dug out some of the Bellamy related materials including some of the photo shoot at Bellamy's home.



Friday 15 May 2020

ORIGINAL ART: Garth and Thunderbirds

TV21 #176 "Thunderbirds" page 2

STOP - don't gloss over the image. Just hesitate for a moment. Enlarge the image. Sit and look. What design! What colours! What artistry!

This "Thunderbirds" episode from TV21 #176 is on Compal's auction this month. What a lovingly preserved piece. The colours look like they did the day Frank Bellamy delivered this to the TV21 offices! I've put this and the first page - as printed - below for you to read and compare but to be honest the printing did well. The bidding is going to be high as it's already started at £1,080! Don't worry, you won't be bidding against me!

As usual Malcolm Phillips, whom I'm yet to meet, runs Compal Auctions and puts a catalogue on his website (and after the sale a very helpful review) and also uses The Saleroom for the auction itself which ends Sunday 7 June.

THUNDERBIRDS: TV21 #176 page 2

Malcolm Phillips describes it thus:
Thunderbirds original artwork (1968) drawn, painted and signed by Frank Bellamy for TV21 No 176. Two marathon runners are kidnapped by Lavan Morgan. Scott Tracy tracks them down to the Atlas Mountains in North Africa… and is also captured. Under pain of death they must race to retrieve the long lost pirate gold before the volcano explodes. Bright Pelikan inks on board. 15 x 18 ins
As promised here are the published pages from TV21 published 52 years ago - where has the time gone - half a century?!
"Thunderbirds" TV21 #176 page 10

"Thunderbirds" TV21 #176 page 11

 GARTH: The Doomsmen - 3 consecutive episodes

Garth: The Doomsmen -episodes J149-J151
The Garth story "The Doomsmen" ran in the Daily Mirror from 3 May 1975 - 15 August 1975 #(J102-J191) and these three pieces - unusual to see consecutive strips for sale - show the dynamism of Frank Bellamy's art. Imagine having to create these strips 6 every week in such a small space!

The auction description:
Garth: The Doomsmen. 3 original consecutive artworks (1976) drawn and signed by Frank Bellamy for the Daily Mirror 27-30th June 1976. Indian ink on board. 21 x 7 ins (x3)
I think the 'fade' on the top strip is likely to be the flash from the camera as I have never seen an original Garth fade.

 




AUCTION SUMMARY

THUNDERBIRDS
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £1080
ENDING PRICE: £1900
END DATE: Sunday 7 June 2020

GARTH: The Doomsmen 3 consecutive episodes
WHERE?: Compal/Saleroom
STARTING BID: £640
ENDING PRICE: £820
END DATE: Sunday 7 June 2020

Thursday 23 April 2020

Frank Bellamy and Kettering Leader and Guardian (PART TWO)

I've previously written about the Kettering Leader and Guardian and thought I'd show you all the images I've collected from it...so far! Lockdown means no British Library visits unfortunately but it does mean more time in your garden! Me? In MY garden? They call me 'Black-finger Boyd'!

All these images are from the Kettering Leader and Guardian 1947 and some of the gags work still in the 21st century; some don't. And do not sue me if these tips don't work for you!

 14 March 1947 p8   

21 March 1947 p.12

28 March 1947 p.14

4 April 1947 p.5

18 April 1947 p.12

25 April 1947 p.5

2 May 1947 p.15

9 May 1947 p.5

16 May 1947 p.5

23 May 1947 p.5

30 May 1947 p.15

6 June 1947 p12

13 June 1947 p.12
20 June 1947 p.12

27 June 1947 p.12

4 July 1947 p.12

11 July 1947 p.12

18 July 1947 p.12

25 July 1947 p.5   

1 August 1947 p.5

8 August 1947 p.5

15 August 1947 p.5

22 August 1947 p.2

29 August 1947 p.5


5 September 1947 p.5

12 September 1947 p.2   

19 September 1947 p.11

26 September 1947 p.2

3 October 1947 p.7

10 October 1947 p.5

24 October 1947 p.12

31 October 1947 p.5

 7 November 1947 p.12   

14 November 1947 p.5

21 November 1947 p.2

28 November 1947 p.2

5 December 1947 p.2

12 December 1947 p.2

26 December 1947 p.9
Lastly here's one of the gardening columns not drawn by Bellamy and published immediately before him coming on board
11 April 1947