British Golden Age Comics

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Samuel Assael aka John Spencer

"John Spencer" was the pseudonym of Samuel Assael (born 1920), who set up his London-based publishing company in 1947.

Initially Spencer's output consisted of pulp magazines, mainly in the science fiction genre (with titles like Futuristic Science Stories, Tales of Tomorrow *and Wonders of the Spaceways). However, with the decline of the pulp magazine and rise of the paperback, Spencer switched to paperback publishing in the mid-1950s. He used a number of imprints, including "John Spencer", "Cobra" and "Badger", but the last of these has become the best known. The Badger Books imprint was discontinued in 1967 although Spencer continued to produce a small number of books (often reprints) until the late 1970s.

In common with other "pulp" or mass-market publishers of the time, Badger Books focused on quantity rather than quality. A new title in each of the major genres appeared each month, generally written to tight deadlines by low-paid authors. One of the most remarkable facts about Badger Books is that much of its outputs was produced by just two authors (using a range of house names and other pseudonyms): John Glasby (over 300 novels and short stories) and Lionel Fanthorpe (over 200 novels and stories).

The bulk of Badger Books' output fell into five genres as follows:

Westerns, published as "Lariat Westerns" (LW-1 to LW-77) and "Blazing Westerns" (BW-1 to B-60). Many of these novels appeared under the house name "Chuck Adams", which was used by John Glasby and others. At least two of the Chuck Adams books, and several of the other western titles, were written by E. C. Tubb, who later became better known as a science fiction author.

War stories (WW-1 to WW-163). Generally set during the Second World War, most of these novels were written by John Glasby using a wide range of pseudonyms.
Romance novels (RS-1 to RS-40). The bulk of these were written by John Glasby under the pseudonym of D. K. Jennings.

Supernatural tales (SN-1 to SN-109). Most of these books were written by Lionel Fanthorpe under a variety of pseudonyms. Unlike the other series (which are all novels), the SN books started out as anthologies of short stories. Novels started to appear as "Supernatural Specials" with issues 29, 32 and 35, and then all the even-numbered issues from SN-40 onwards.

Science Fiction (SF-1 to SF-118). Like the SN series, the SF books were mainly written by Lionel Fanthorpe, with a few contributions by John Glasby and others. Several of these books appeared under the house name of "John E. Muller", which was used by both Fanthorpe and Glasby.

In addition to these five main genres, there were several other short-lived series such as Crime stories (CS-1 to CS-13) and Spy stories (SP-1 to SP-6). The latter books, dating from 1965 to 1967, were intended to "cash-in" on the then-current James Bond craze. All six of the Spy books were written by John Glasby under the pseudonym of Manning K. Robertson.


 References

Debbie Cross, Down the Badger Hole: R. Lionel Fanthorpe: the Badger years. Wrigley Cross, Portland 1995.

Terry Hooper,The Secret Worlds Of  Samuel Assael,Comic Bits no.7,2004,including notes from an interview.

John Armstrong 1923-2018

John Armstrong in 2003 photo (c) Jenni Scott

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


John Armstrong is a British comics artist, best-known for his work in Misty and Tammy, for which he drew the long-running strip Bella. Other strips he has drawn include The Secret Gymnast in Bunty.

Although one of the few acknowledged artistic pupils at his infant, junior and secondary schools, John Armstrong's first proper art lessons were whilst serving in the Army, in the Far East. "To keep us occupied, art lessons were started in a deserted palace outside Rangoon; local people in ethnic dress posed for us," he recalled in 2003. "I still have portraits of Burmese and Indian women, and West African and Indian soldiers.

On leaving the army, this course and its artwork steered John to art school in Middlesbrough’s Constantine College. In five years he passed Intermediate Arts and Crafts and gained National Diplomas in Design in both painting and illustration – making me more qualified than any of the staff.

On the Principal’s advice he next did a year in Teacher Training College. The students used to take the bus to various schools for teaching practice. "Two characters who sold toy bows and arrows in the local market boarded the same bus and expressed their amazement that an aspiring teacher was always reading a comic," John recalls. "In those days “educationists” regarded comics as a subversive element.

"On teaching practice I’d amuse the kids by drawing Tarzan a la Hogarth on the blackboard. The kids got to like me and would beg, “Don’t be a teacher, sir!” With this excellent advice and with my art school specimens I got my first job in a Newcastle Ad Agency, meeting with commercial artists for the first time – a daunting experience. I was astonished by the skill of the head layout artist who would simulate a brochure – photos, lettering, typesetting – all by hand using pencils, inks and water colour so that it looked exactly like the eventual printed article. Art schools knew nothing about such expertise."

After a year there John headed south and pounded the streets of London with a heavy folder filled with art school work. Using an A-Z and a Writers and Artists Year Book he visited about 40 studios, publishers and agents and eventually got a job in a studio opposite St. Paul’s Cathedral and soon got his first freelance commission from Putnams Education Department for a poetry book. Quite a lot of school book work followed.

Armstrong acquired an agent in London's Holborn one year later and soon got his first comics job, a ballet story for Girl's Crystal. It was girls comics from then on.

John regards his most notable stories as the strips he drew for IPC: Cherry and the Children, which ran for five years, and Bella, which covered 10 years in Tammy. Bella was, it appears, the only character to get her own book at IPC.

John later worked on the girls title Misty, work he saw as a relief from trying to draw thousands of gymnastic poses without repeating himself. Misty was a success despite – or because of – its horror story content aimed at young girls.

After the demise of Tammy and Misty, John drew the comics version of the popular children’s school drama Grange Hill for a new magazine, BEEB for about a year. he then began working for DC Thomson, doing colour work for the first time on several annuals and for Bunty covers – plus some horse stories, his original passion.

In recent years John has provided artwork for ice rink pantomimes while gradually reviving his oil painting skills, mainly doing portraits of skating friends.

(Details taken from biography supplied for the Raptus 2003 convention in Norway.)

DENIS McLOUGHLIN

Found this old Comic Bits tribute to Denis on the soon to be defunct Britcomics

The "One-man art department"

It is a great loss to those of us who remember the Gold and Silver Ages of British comics

When a true master of his art passes on.It is even sadder when that loss Is through anything other than natural causes.

I had been in contact with denis regarding an interview for Comic Bits 5 and he had promised to answer written questions sent to him as soon as he could. I needed to contact him regarding photographs but attempts to speak to him by phone failed.

Then I received a phone call,not from Denis but a mutual contact. Denis was dead. Apparently he had committed suicide by shooting himself, Rather than wait,I decided to run this tribute to Denis.

Born on the 15th April,1918,in Bolton,Lancashire [where he was still living at the time of his death]. As a youngster,Denis was always interested in drawing and was greatly influenced by films,pulp magazines,American comic books and,like many others,by Alex ["FLASH GORDON"] Raymond. While a teenager in the 1930s he began to collect the American TRUE DETECTIVE style magazines and pulps.

At 14,Denis attended the Bolton School of Art [now the Bolton College of Art] but left the same year to start work with the Ward & Copley Art Studios in Manchester. Denis continued at the Studio until January,1940,when lack of incoming business resulted in the 22 year old becoming unemployed -but not for long.

Illustrations drawn for catalogues and newspaper advertisements saw Denis earning around 10/- [that’s ten shillings] a week.

Denis received his call up for military service in March,1940,and served with the 101st Light Ant-aircraft [Ack-Ack] and Anti-Tank Regiment [later,1st Armoured Brigade]. Rhino insignia painted on regimental vehicles,some 37 variously sized murals in military buildings and officers portraits at 5/- a time made him the unofficial regimental painter which made Army life a lot easier!

Wells,Gardner,Darton & Co. [London] offered Denis work painting book covers at five pounds a time and the first was for Frank Gruber’s NAVY COLT in 1943. When the company ran out of work they recommended him to T.V. Boardman;they had no work so passed him along to Australian owned Kangaroo Books.

Denis painted a few paperback covers for Kangaroo but his main work was writing and drawing cartoon gag books which earned him eighteen pounds each. He produced the first,LAUGHTER FOR THE HOME FRONT,by himself but soon collared his brother Colin,then 18 years old [b. 2/11/23],in to write and this partnership lasted well into the 1950s. The cartoon gag books they produced were:NEW LAUGHS FOR ALL,LAUGH WHILE YOU WORK,YOU’VE HAD IT and THIS IS IT.

It was while working for Kangaroo that Denis produced his first comic strip loosely based on the last stand of General George A. Custer for an un-numbered/un-dated issue of LIGHTNING COMIC. The strip was based on his rather vague memories of the Errol Flynn movie THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON. If you are one of those completists who wants date of issue,etc.,then you are unlucky. All we know is that the strip appeared in an issue between 1943 to January,1946!!

Following his demob in January,1946,Denis took up a three year book cover contract with T. V. Boardman [more in a future issue on this company]. In 1947,however,Boardman Snr. Decided that the ban of imported comics left a gap his company could fill and McLoughlin was soon in the thick of it. Denis’ contribution to Boardman’s output led the late comic historian Denis Gifford to call him:"Boardman’s one-man art department"!

Boardman produced two types of publications;the cheap rotogravure comics and the more lavish comic annuals.

The 3d [or thrupenny] comics began in February,1948 and titles changed with each issue though the numbering throughout the series was consistent! Denis and Colin filled in the first seven issues with with the adventures of detective Roy Carson and adventurer and SF hero SWIFT MORGAN,alternately. The eighth issue saw the addition of the Swiss originated strip BUFFALO BILL but this was still re-packaged by Denis - who later drew BUFFALO BILL strips. Quality Comics BLACKHAWK and Eisner’s THE SPIRIT were added to the rotation of titles with Denis,of course,still re-packaging.

In late 1948 Denis partially withdrew from the cheaper comics following the introduction of the Christmas annuals under Boardman’s Popular Press line. [To those overseas Readers who don’t know it should be pointed out that comic annuals were hardbound collections of strips,puzzles and other features that amounted to page counts of 130-150+pp.] BUFFALO BILL’S WILD WEST ANNUAL was one of the most popular running fourteen years from 1948 - 1961 and offered a mix of US Quality comics reprints and original UK material by Denis and Colin.

After the first BUFFALO BILL’S WILD WEST ANNUAL,Denis had total creative control and each annual took over six months to produce. As the work progressed over the years so did Denis’s style and the annuals are regarded as some of the best Western material in comics history.

Denis also had complete creative control over the Adventure series of annuals. Covers rarely had anything to do with their contents which tended to be much more US originated material. ADVENTURE ANNUAL 1950 and NEW SPACEWAYS COMIC ANNUAL 1,1955,featured ROY CARSON and SWIFT MORGAN stories.

Excepting BUFFALO BILL’S WILD WEST ANNUAL,by the late 1950s Boardman comics were no more but Denis continued to produce book covers for Boardman up until 1967 when the company finally went belly-up -and as the British Silver Age of comics was in full bloom.

Denis helped produce four further Western annuals for Purnell Publishing,THE DAKOTAS ANNUAL 1963 and 1964 and GUNSMOKE ANNUAL [based on the TV series] 1965 and 1966.

In 1967,Denis began working for IPC and drew "SABER",

a jungle adventure series and "BIG HIT SWIFT" a cricket strip for TIGER,even though he apparently detested cricket! From 20th March to 21st October,1971,he drew the brilliant "FURY’S FAMILY" for LION.

Pursuing his passion,Denis took two years off to compile his encyclopaedia of the American Wild West titled WILD AND WOOLLY [Doubleday,1974]. Despite the promises,once the book was completed no further work came from IPC - a very familiar story.

In 1974,however,D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd,gave Denis comic work. Denis contributed to all of the DCT adventure comic titles such as WIZARD,CRUNCH,BUDDY,VICTOR,BULLET and SCOOP. In October,1977,WIZARD and BULLET featured five McLoughlin strips between them!

In 1983,Denis drew two western features for LOOK AND LEARN before beginning an eighteen year stint on Thomson’s Pocket Picture Library monthly war series,COMMANDO [each with 64pp] and produced about one a month.

In case you are interested,the Boardman annuals had record sales of over 250,000 copies each year. 

In addition Denis produced around 1000 paperback covers [including the stylised text on each one], Like Dudley Watkins,Denis is still fondly remembered by fans and his work much talked about though whether anyone will actually come up with a final tally of how many thousands of pages he actually produced during his life-time I don’t know.

Denis was married,in 1948,to Dorothy Bain,however,she passed away in 1996. To date I have been unable to track down Colin.

At 84 years old,Denis was working 6 days-a-week and shows that age is no barrier to a comic artist/writer of quality.

Denis will be much missed.

Ernest Shaw 21/1/1891 - 22/2/1986

From Lambiek: http://www.lambiek.net/home.htm



British cartoonist, writer, illustrator and game creator Ernest, or "Ern", Shaw was born in Hull. He studied art by copying the comics of Tom Browne and taking a correspondence course with Percy V. Bradshaw's Press Art School. He sold his first cartoon to Puck in 1910. After this, he did freelance work for his local weekly newspaper, The Hull & Yorkshire Times. He joined the staff as a general artist, drew sports cartoons and made caricatures of celebrities. He also worked as a sports and political cartoonist at the Hull Daily Mail.

Shaw volunteered for war service in the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1914, and drew cartoons for the service magazine, The Ration. His sketches of details of operations on wounded soldiers as performed by surgeon Major J. L. Joyce were printed in The Lancet. After demobilization, Shaw went to London and started as a sports cartoonist for All Sports (1919).

Shaw was very attracted by the American newspaper strips 'Mutt and Jeff' (by Bud Fisher) and 'Bringing Up Father' (by George McManus), so he decided to develop himself in this genre. He began with 'Clarence' and 'Cyril the Sporty Scout' in Sports Fun in 1922, and 'First Aid Freddie'.

His big break came when he took over a full-page weekly composite cartoon, 'The Gay Goblins' for Family Journal, upon the sudden death of its creator, Lewis Higgins. He continued the comic from 1926 until the last issue. Shaw drew a strip which ran even longer than 'The Gay Goblins': 'Mr. and Mrs. Dillwater'. This weekly comic appeared in Answers magazine from 1923 to 1948.

Other strips by Shaw were 'Hector' in Wireless (192?), 'Sandy' in People's Journal (193?) and 'Dr. Gnome of Gnomansland', which ran for 21 years in Woman's Illustrated. Since the 1940s, Shaw concentrated on the youth market and created 'The Dingbats', whose exploits appeared in titles and annuals like Candy, Lollipops, Look & Learn, Rocket, Silver Star Fun Comic and Ton's of Fun. In 1981, he received the Ally Sloper Award from the Association of British Comic Enthusiasts for his career of more than 70 years.

End of the British Comic Book Archives

I have been having Twitter as well as email discussions with Yahoo over the last year re. problems on the groups.

I pointed out that it seemed they were trying to drive off users -including users who were in business. Repeatedly, the last time was just over a week ago,

Yahoo assured me that groups were safe.

Today I got the closure notification

Over 5000 images, MANY files and more are now to be deleted.

Yahoo appears to be blocking the use of Yahoo downloader so after 5 hours of constant trying I give up.

The Britcomic Book Archives are gone.

AGAIN the internet has proven that it is a false facility for social or history groups.

Everything I built up on this group from 2004 is now to go.

Nothing I can do to rescue any of it.

British Golden Age Comic Books

Sadly, yet again, Yahoo groups is not working. over 200 albums and almost 5000 images (some most people have never seen before) and....cannot see them.

Whether Yahoo is trying to drive out owners and groups so it can shut the whole thing down...well, a lot of us guess that is what is going on since THEIR advertising appears but not OUR images. Need to find a way to download everything...

But, the British Golden Age Comic Books page on Face Book is at least working. So if you are interested or have questions just Google the name and look for this:

Ron Roy -The Rubber Boy

from the 1951 Film Fun Annual

Bill Boyd in The Bandit in Black

The 1951 annual, published before Christmas 1950, had 94 pages and featured Old Mother Reilly, Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy and only one adventure story -obviously reprinted from an earlier comic and you'll notice there are no speech balloons. If new material was included then that meant paying an artist, however, reprint a strip -artist already in so the annuals tended to be all company profit.

Still no luck tracking down the artist but if anyone knows -let ME know!

Enjoy

Pat Peril, The Tornado and Robert Alan Monkhouse

A re-post from 2004, 2010, 2013 and 2015 -much cribbed from by others on the net -you KNOW who!

 Back in 2004, the final print version of Comic Bits was published.  It was a rather sad issue as it contained tributes to three comic creators I held a great esteem for -Joe Ahern, Art Wetherell and Bob Monkhouse. 

It says something that, despite there being a printed tribute to Monkhouse in CB  and a repost to CBO, I actually had a lot of negative responses -some very negative.  Such as "in this Hooper claims, if we believe him, that the TV entertainer Bob Monkhouse once drew comics!" also "...he (Hooper) seems to mix up comic books with comedians and claims that Bob Monkhouse once drew comics"

This was even repeated on comic forums in the UK.

What sort of ass do you have to be to attack someone over an actual documented fact?

But that's what passes for 'comic fandom'.

It's also interesting that so many people ripped off the Comic Bits and CBO posting!"



But this is a posting about Bob Monkhouse and some of his comic work (I say "some" because it is strongly rumoured -Monkhouse did not deny it when asked- that he drew "one or two" humour strips in the 1960s "to keep his hand in").


Of course, the one thing people keep referring to, they seem rather limited in knowledge, is that Monkhouse once drew "giant penises".

 Robert Alan "Bob" Monkhouse was born on the 1st June, 1928 in Beckenham, Kent.  He was educated at Goring Hall School, in Worthing and later Dulwich College where he was to be expelled for allegedly throwing toilet rolls from a clock tower.  

But it was while at Dulwich that he met another comic and movie/radio fan who Mionkhouse began a writing and art partnership with -Denis Gifford.  Gifford and Monkhouse remained life-long friends and while Gifford's collection crammed every space in his Synenham, London, home, Monkhouse had special rooms built.

At Dulwich, and later, Monkhouse began to write scripts for publications such as...deep breath...

 Mickey Mouse Weekly (1940), All Fun Comic (1946-1948) All Star Comic (1946), Amazing Comics (1949)  Bimbo Goes To The Moon (1946)  Sam The Salesman (Comic Adventures 1946), Ivor Dimwit (Crash Comics, 1948), Luke The Lumberjack (Funny Tuppenny 1947), Beanbrain (Jolly Arrow, 1948), Fun And Games (Jolly Chuckles 1948), Western Roundup (Jolly Cowboy, 1948), Pat Peril (Modern Comics, 1949), Tornado and Stuporman (Oh Boy! Comics, 1948),  Dippy The Duke and also Stanley The Student (Okay Comics,1947), Scampy (Super Jolly Roger, 1949), The Beano, The Dandy,  Hotspur, Wizard, Adventure and various strips for The Ripping Comic (1948),  Smasher Comics (1947),  Super Star (1949) and The Winner Comic (1947-1948).

Above: Monkhouse wrote and contributed to The Smasher


I feel far less depressed about my writing for Eros Comix when I think that Monkhouse wrote, amongst many other things, well over 100 Harlem Hotspots erotic novelettes! 

 Possibly the two best known Monkhouse comics are Pat Peril and The Tornado.  Having written that I realise that Pat Peril is rarely mentioned whereas The Tornado is because of that one specific issue by Monkhouse -who did not draw all the books.
 

Damn colour paper comics! Because of paper and ink rationing until the 1960s, publishers took what they got and if you get a sharply printed copy you are lucky in the extreme! 



Monkhouse, as most people who ever saw or heard him knows, loved to use word-play.  Apparently there are more than a few double entendre in his strip-work.

Which brings us to...The Growth!





When I wrote and drew a story in Black Tower Adventure in which Golden Age (UK) heroes faced The Growth  I sent a pre-publication copy along to Denis Gifford as well as a copy to be passed on to Monkhouse.  Apparently he really liked it.   According to Denis "Bob looks back at things like this and wonders how on earth they were accepted let alone what he was thinking!"

So, this is the issue.  The Growth is a giant fungus.  Nothing else. Cue cover....


 

Another thing that many miss is that Monkhouse used the pseudonym "Ramon" for some comic work.  And the give-away, really, is that Pat Peril is credited to "Bob Monkhouse, creator of The Tornado!"                        

But Monkhouse probably realised that comic books was not going to earn him a living and in 1948, after he completed his National Service in the Royal Air Force,  he actually got a contract with the BBC in a very cheeky and totally Monkhouse way.  His unwitting RAF group captain signed a letter ( Monkhouse had written)  that told  the BBC he was a war hero and that the corporation should give him an audition!

It paid off. 

 


But before establishing himself as a successful writer and comedian, Monkhouse had appeared on stage in London, first as Aladdin in a stage show of the same name written by S. J. Perelman and Cole Porter.  The radio career blossomed and Monkhouse went on to have a major career on television and then dipped into movies such as The Secret People (1952), Carry On Sergeant (1958), Dentist in the Chair (1960) followed by  Dentist on the Job (1961),  A Weekend with Lulu (1962), She'll Have to Go (1962), Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) -I'm not kidding!- , The Bliss of Mrs Blossom (1968) and, of course, Simon, Simon (1970).

Stand-up comedy continued but he was also known as a singer and appeared in the first London production of the musical The Boys from Syracuse (Antipholus of Syracuse) in 1963 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, which was alongside that other famous British comedian Ronnie Corbett.

 There were the shows that made Monkhouse a household name from his own chat show to his legendary quiz and panel shows -The Golden Shot (1967-74), Bob's Full House , Celebrity Squares, Family Fortunes and others.

Initially, I had persuaded (as if he needed persuading!) Denis Gifford to contribute to Comic Bits and there was even the idea of a new Gifford Streamline short story but, sadly, he passed away in 2000.  It was hoped a contribution between Monkhouse and Gifford could follow on from their 1999 collaboration a two-part radio show A Hundred Laughs for a Ha'penny, a history of comic papers.

Monkhouse was also very open about his prostate cancer which he knew was killing him. But he always remained openly humorous and never lost that cheeky glint in the eye.  This was evident in the fact that he filmed sequences for an advertising campaign for the Male Cancer Awareness Week.

On the12th June, 2007, Monkhouse posthumously appeared on British TV in an advertisement promoting awareness of prostate cancer.  By using computer animation techniques, Bob Monkhouse was seen in a graveyard next to his own grave (he was actually cremated)  and talking seriously about the disease but this was interspersed with humorous asides to another camera  such as "What killed me kills one man per hour in Britain. That's even more than my wife's cooking."  Monkhouse ended by saying that: "As a comedian, I've died many deaths. Prostate cancer, I don't recommend. I'd have paid good money to stay out of here. What's it worth to you?" He then turned and began walking away from his grave and disappearing.

Oddly, there were a lot of complaints that this was all in "bad taste"!!  I think that Monkhouse would have a belly-laugh over that.  Dead and still causing controversy -by trying to help!

Bob Monkhouse passed away from prostate cancer on the 29th December, 2003. His wife, Jackie, passed away on the 29th March, 2008.

I take a very  deep bow over this article to Denis Gifford  and Alan Clark -founding fathers of UK Comic Book History!

 ____________________________________________________________________________

Denis had created  three of the earliest British Golden Age  superheroes -Mr Muscle for Dynamic Comics (1945), Streamline, whose  tag-line proclaimed him "The speediest fighter in the world" and co-created with Monkhouse for Streamline Comics(1947) as well as Tiger-Man, debuting in Ray Regan #1)

Black Tower Gold -Single Volumes or Ultimate Collection!

For the first time in 60 years some of the lost gems of the British Golden Age of Comics are reprinted! Scanned and cleaned to the best standard possible -see The Phantom Raider,Ace Hart,Secrets Of The Super Sargasso Sea,Phantom Maid,Electrogirl,Skybolt Kid,Wonder Boy,Dene Vernon,Professor Atom and many,many others! Its fun and action all the way -The British Golden Age shines through!

Some  of what is in volume 1!

Please visit the online storehttp://www.lulu.com/spotlight/hoopercomicsuk?searchTerms=black+tower+gold+

Or if you prefer one great big dose collecting all of the above:

The Ultimate British Comics Gold Collection

 

Ed. Terry Hooper-ScharfA4405 pagesBlack & WhitePrice: £25.00Ships in 3-5 business days. http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/the-ultimate-british-comics-gold-collection/paperback/product-22041282.html

Combining volumes 1-6 (still available as individual issues but that works out far more expensive) of the BT Golden Age British Comics Collections (minus adverts) this is the ultimate for any Golden Age collector or historian or just plain comic lover.
Features....Ace HartTNT TomElectrogirl Wonderman The Phantom RaiderCaptain Comet Acro MaidPhantom MaidDene VernonThe Iron BoyThe Boy FishProfessor AtomThe TornadoPowermanWonder BoySlicksureMasterman Dane JerrusAlfieTiny TodMaxwell The Mighty Back From The DeadZeno At The Earth's CoreColonel MastiffAlly SloperSuper InjunSuper Porker  (oo-er, no, Madam, ooh),Tiger ManKing Of The CloudsCaptain Comet and MANY others!
Plus text features defining The Ages OF British Comics (Platignum, Gold, Silver), the artist William A. Ward and more.

If you knew nothing about British comics of the Platinum, Golden and Silver Ages then once you buy and read this book you'll be a goddam omic intellectual dinosaur! Yipes!

All in that beautiful Iron Warrior cover exclusively drawn for Black Tower by that meta-gargantuoso talented Ben R. Dilworth!