Comics UK

Fantastic Phil. I 'll post a new search tomorrow. In the meantime, some frames from "Mike 's mini-men" can be found here for those who wish to remember what it looked like.

All right, the first strip is called "The haunted ship". Plenty of workers had perished during the construction of the ship Cassandra as well as many passengers when it crashed during its first trip. It was repaired and renamed Sibylle but the ghost of the original captain is said to haunt it. The story is 20 pages in total, and it seems to me that the original printing must have been in 2-page episodes, which were then modified for the whole story to be reprinted in an annual or something.

The second story is called "The flying fortress" which was located in the Carpathian. It belonged to Doctor Scourge who wanted to use it to rule the world (what else is new). His ambitions were put to stop by two brave students though. The story is 28 pages in total, and again it seems that the original printing must have been in 2-page episodes. I hope these sound familiar to some members of the forum...

'The Flying Fortress' originally appeared in Lion & Thunder during 1973, written by Frank Pepper and drawn by Giorgio Trevisan; it was later reprinted as a complete story in the 1978 Action Annual.

I'm not quite so sure about 'The Haunted Ship' but the artist looks like Colin Merrett and I have a feeling it might have appeared in Look & Learn.

Your right about "The Haunted Ship" being from Look and Learn Phil, and funnily enough, it was also reprinted in an Action Annual, the 1982 one.

Thanks again to both of you for the info. Apparently they reprinted the Action annuals' "elongated" versions. One last search for now, and I promise I won 't bother you for the next few weeks. The strip is called "Emperor of crime" where the aforementioned emperor is a Nero Cortez, and the young copper that 's after him is named Mike Hazard (no relation to the other famous comic character Johnny Hazard). Most likely a Lion story as well...

Ramirez

Nero Cortez, Emperor Of Crime appeared in Valiant's Book Of Sexton Blake in 1968 where it was 15 pages long, though I'm sure I've seen it elsewhere, possibly in an Action Annual in the late seventies.

I'm certain it was a condensed reprint of a serial, possibly from Valiant, with the name changed.

Yes. It originally appeared in Valiant as 'The Big Shot' in 1963. Art by Harry Winslade I think.

Certainly Harry Winslade, Phil.

Well done lads. I 'll resume my search after a couple of weeks...

OK, a few weeks have passed so I 'm back with a couple of questions. There was a short lived strip in Victor named "Alfredo the great" (8 episodes in total) about an illusionist that ended up to be president in a south american country. The art style looks a bit like Doug Maxted but I can 't be certain. I hope someone can confirm the artist 's name...

Also, there was another strip called "Spectacular adventures of Wiley Banks" or something similar sounding, about a kid that could envision himself as various shorts of dynamic person to get himself out of harm 's way, just by rubbing his glasses. Does anyone know the original full name of the strip and the magazine it came from?

ramirez wrote:OK, a few weeks have passed so I 'm back with a couple of questions. There was a short lived strip in Victor named "Alfredo the great" (8 episodes in total) about an illusionist that ended up to be president in a south american country. The art style looks a bit like Doug Maxted but I can 't be certain. I hope someone can confirm the artist 's name...

Also, there was another strip called "Spectacular adventures of Wiley Banks" or something similar sounding, about a kid that could envision himself as various shorts of dynamic person to get himself out of harm 's way, just by rubbing his glasses. Does anyone know the original full name of the strip and the magazine it came from?

Alfredo The Great is illustrated by C D Bagnall and ran from issue 708 (14/09/1974) to 715 (02/11/1974).

The Spectacular Adventures of Willie Bunk ran in Whizzer and Chips from the first issue (dated 18th October 1969) until the issue dated 26th December 1970. The use of "spectacular" in the title is a play on "spectacles" (glasses - apologies if I'm stating the obvious!). As you can see, they used coloured ink to indicate things seen from Willie's point of view. Don't know the artist I'm afraid.

Well, I say you 're both spectacular...

One more since we 're at it. This strip is called "The long walk of chief Joseph", although it could also tranlate as "The long ride" or something. It 's 12 pages long & it 's about the Nez Perce indians and their chief Joseph (obviously). Any ideas where it might come from and the artist?

My first thought on seeing the artwork was that it looks like Matt Marriot's Tony Weare. I know he did some work for Look and Learn and as this is based on a true story it might have come from there. Just a guess - I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than me will be along shortly!

To my eyes, the art on "The long walk of chief Joseph", looks like it's by Argentinian artist Arturo Del Castillo, who specialised in westerns, including Dan Dakota in Ranger and then Look And Learn

Unfortunately, I've no idea where this story first appeared, or even if it's British.