Battle Picture Library - Special Issue

1980s. 5½"x7". cover price 70p
196 pages, softcover. B&W contents.
Ron Phillips / Argus Press

Painted cover (uncredited).

Contents:

..3 Nothing To Lose w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited). r: War Picture Library (Fleetway) #263 (05 Oct 1964).

..4 Chapter 1: Death In The Night
.15 Chapter 2: Message From Hell
.32 Chapter 3: Captain 'X'

.59 Pack Of Thieves w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited). r: War Picture Library (Fleetway) #263 (05 Oct 1964).

.67 The Phantom Sergeant w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited). r: War Picture Library (Fleetway) #249 (06 Jul 1964).

.68 Chapter 1: Footsteps In The Dark
.80 Chapter 2: The Take-Over
.96 Chapter 3: The Crooked Compass

123 Standing Orders w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited). r: War Picture Library (Fleetway) #249 (06 Jul 1964).

131 Battle-Scarred w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited). r: War Picture Library (Fleetway) #912 (07 Jan 1974).

132 Chapter 1: Enemy Onslaught
146 Chapter 2: Battle Of The Bridges
165 Chapter 3: Cast Of victory
181 Chapter 4: Final Thrust

196 Notable Events Of The Second World War The Doolittle Raid text feature (uncredited).

Western Library Holiday Special 1989

1989. 5½"x7". £1.00
196 pages, softcover. B&W contents.
Ron Phillips / Odhams Distribution

Painted cover (uncredited).

Contents:

..3 The Feud w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited). r: ?
.67 Desperado w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited). r: ?
.68 Chapter 1: The Posse
.75 Chapter 2: Outlaws' Hideout
.96 Chapter 3: Gun-Trail To Lennox
118 Chapter 4: Frank-Lawman!
131 Crooked Deal w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited). r: ?
132 Chapter 1: Lynching Party
149 Chapter 2: Danger Trail
176 Chapter 3: Stampede
182 Chapter 4: Russell Loses Out

Commando #4499

26 May 2012. 5½"x7". £1.50
68 pages, B&W contents.
D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.

Painted cover by Benet.

Contents:

2 Experimental: Consolidated XP4Y1 a: Ian Kennedy.
3 Hunting Mussolini w: Alan Hebden. a: Benet.

The Convict Commandos - Jelly Jakes, Titch Mooney, Smiler Dawson - and their commander Guy Tenby had been given another job. This time they were to hunt down Mussolini in his hide-out. Easier said than done when they weren't the only ones doing the same thing.
Guy, as usual, had a plan... but it wasn't supposed to include Jelly hanging from the undercarriage of an airborne Fiesler Storch!

War Picture Monthly #7

1991. 5⅛"x7". £1.00
180 pages, softcover. B&W contents.
Fleetway Publications

Painted cover.

..3 Warrior Breed title page
..5 Warrior Breed w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
.61 Grounded! title page
.63 Grounded! w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
119 Vendetta title page
121 Vendetta w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
180 Also On Sale Now in-house advertisement.

The Saga Of Darren Shan Vol.2: The Vampire's Assistant

Collection (2009). 5"x7¾". £5.99
196 pages. B&W contents.
HarperCollins Children's Books

Cover by Hitoshi Shirayama / Bay Bridge Studio

Contents:

Note: Read from right to left.

..3 Title Page a: Takahiro Arai.
..4 Summary / Contents

..5 Chapter 5: The Life Of A Vampire w: Darren Shan. Translated by Stephen Paul. a: Takahiro Arai. r: ? (Shogakukan, Inc.)

.23 Chapter 6: To Cirque Du Freak w: Darren Shan. Translated by Stephen Paul. a: Takahiro Arai. r: ? (Shogakukan, Inc.)

.43 Chapter 7: Friend Number Two w: Darren Shan. Translated by Stephen Paul. a: Takahiro Arai. r: ? (Shogakukan, Inc.)

.61 Chapter 8: Mr. Tiny w: Darren Shan. Translated by Stephen Paul. a: Takahiro Arai. r: ? (Shogakukan, Inc.)

.79 Chapter 9: A Tiny Urge To Kill w: Darren Shan. Translated by Stephen Paul. a: Takahiro Arai. r: ? (Shogakukan, Inc.)

.97 Chapter 10: A Condition For Sam w: Darren Shan. Translated by Stephen Paul. a: Takahiro Arai. r: ? (Shogakukan, Inc.)

115 Chapter 11: A False Confession w: Darren Shan. Translated by Stephen Paul. a: Takahiro Arai. r: ? (Shogakukan, Inc.)

133 Chapter 12: The Last Night w: Darren Shan. Translated by Stephen Paul. a: Takahiro Arai. r: ? (Shogakukan, Inc.)

155 Chapter 13: Blood And Spirit w: Darren Shan. Translated by Stephen Paul. a: Takahiro Arai. r: ? (Shogakukan, Inc.)

173 Chapter 14: Together With Sam w: Darren Shan. Translated by Stephen Paul. a: Takahiro Arai. r: ? (Shogakukan, Inc.)

191 Illustration a: Takahiro Arai.

192 A Quick Guide To The Story w: Darren Shan. Translated by Stephen Paul. a: Takahiro Arai. r: ? (Shogakukan, Inc.)

Cowboy Picture Library #456

1962. 5¼"x7". cover price 1/
68 pages. B&W contents.
Fleetway Publications, Ltd.

Contents:

.2 Battle Picture Library in-house advertisement
.3 The Fighting Blues And The Greys w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
.4 Chapter 1: His First Battle
23 Chapter 2: The March To Atlanta
43 Chapter 3: Jonesboro
67 Also On Sale Now in-house advertisement

With a distinctive and memorable cover, this issue starts off well and manages to deliver on the promise it makes in fine form. The civil war era stories tend towards the melodramatic when handled poorly, yet here everything plays into the building confrontation magnificently - there are some magnificently realized panels, utilizing chiaroscuro, maps, and extraordinary detail. One of the highlights of the series.

BJ And The Bear Annual 1982

Annual (1982). 7¾"x11¼". £2.25.
64 pages, hardcover. B&W, color and tone art.
Grandreams, Ltd.

ISBN-10: 0862270324

Based on the US television series starring Greg Evigan.

Photo cover.

Contents:

.2 Photo endpaper
.4 Wheels Of Fear w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
12 The Greg Evigan File filmography
14 C.B. ? - That's A Big Ten-Four! glossary
17 Photo pin-up
18 Feud For Thought text story (uncredited).
24 Photo pin-up
25 Full-Color Photo pin-up
26 B.J. Interview - Part 1 Greg Evigan interview
30 The Insiders text story (uncredited)
36 B.J. Interview - Part 2 Greg Evigan interview
40 Full-Color Photo pin-up
41 Photo pin-up
42 Bear's Monkey Business text feature
45 Photo pin-up
46 Greg Evigan photo feature
47 Diner For Two w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
55 Photo pin-up
56 Phantom Of The Freeway w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).

There is some interesting material gathered for this annual, though the overall feel is somewhat slapdash - the heavy use of tone on the comic strips, the ridiculous cropping of the photo on page 55, numerous instances where the artwork slips into caricature. The inconsistent art and poor editing aside, what this annual captures is a moment in time when everyone was looking at film for cues to the next big hit. A shameless rip-off of Clint Eastwood's Every Which Way But Loose, BJ And The Bear would not become a cultural touchstone in the same way as The Dukes Of Hazzard, and this is one of the few pieces of tie-in memorabilia I have come across.