Captain Condor, Lion's answer to Eagle's Dan Dare. Certainly a less sophisticated character, but still an entertaining read for many kids in the 1950's who enjoyed simple straightforward sci-fi adventure, and were probably more used to seeing Flash Gordon serials at the local cinema.
Condor was created by Frank S. Pepper, probably better known as the creator of Tiger's, Roy of The Rovers, using the pseudonym Stewart Colwyn.
When Lion comic was launched in 23 February 1952, Captain Condor was the headline strip, and the during the fifties, the Lion annuals featured a Condor space scene from the related strip inside .
The original comic strips were drawn by Ron Forbes, who presumably also did these early Condor annual covers.
The initial Captain Condor story had the heroic space pilot unjustly imprisoned, and leading a resistance against the 'Dictator of The Planets'! (I wonder if Terry Nation remembered reading the odd fifties copy of the Lion when he came up with Blake's Seven!)
Following The Dictator's defeat, Condor reverted to a more traditional space hero on space patrol.
Ron Forbes left the strip in 1957, replaced by Neville Wilson who redesigned the character. Other artists who contributed to the strip were Geoff Campion, Reg Bunn (best known for Lion's, The Spider), Keith Watson (Dan Dare), and Brian Lewis (Jet-Ace Logan)
Captain Condor's original run lasted 14 years, until February 1966.
Stunning covers! The late Fifties were a golden age. Such fabulous vehicle designs. Thanks Scoop.
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