The Making of the Dan Dare Pilot of the Future Pop-Up Book 1953

Woodsy,

Even though the Dan Dare - Pilot of the Future Pop-Up Book from 1953 has been well covered on the Blog before, this piece of information the seller of my example forwarded to me might be of interest. 

Here's a slightly edited version of his written account from 2021 about a close relative who worked on the book:

"Roy Jones Blatchford was a photo lithographer at Purnell's the printers in Paulton, Somerset. He started work at Purnell's in 1948 aged 20 as an apprentice photo lithographer and worked his way up to becoming a chief lithographer. He designed the illustrations for printing and the pop-up designs. My understanding is he worked out how the cardboard would need to be printed, then folded and cut and helped the printers set up the print run. This was a very rare skill as it meant he had to think in 3 dimensions, but arrange printing and cutting in 2 dimensions.

When the printers did a new print run, a copy of the books printed were kept back and safely stored as examples. When Mr. Blatchford was made redundant, he saved the books from disposal as the print works soon closed down. His favourite work was to design the layout of pop-up books."

Photos accompanied here with another Dan Dare book with the same provenance, Dan Dare's Space Annual 1963.

Arto

Helsinki Base

Terranova47's Frank Collins Space Pirates Strip

In the OKAY ADVENTURE ANNUAL, this space story is illustrated by Dan Dare artist Harold Johns:

SPACE PIRATES by Frank Collins.

Terranova47

USA

Terranova47's OKAY Adventure Annual

Hello Woodsy

Further to the Boardman published books from 1954 I also have the OKAY ADVENTURE ANNUAL with works gathered from a number of sources, one story in particular is space related and illustrated by Dan Dare artist Harold Johns; SPACE PIRATES by Frank Collins (watch this Space).

It also contains an Iron Man story that predates the Marvel creation.

Here also is my reissued Pyro x-200 from the late 90's.

Terranova47

USA

DIGBY: Aunt Anastasia Comes to Stay

 Courtesy of Terranova47

BARBIE ASTRONAUT: SPACE PILOT OF THE FUTURE

Terranova47 sent me this neat picture back in 2020 during the Pandemic.

Two icons: his Dan Dare and the then new Barbie Astronaut!

Have you got icons together as well readers?

Merit Film Projector Film Library including Dan Dare Down Under

I saw this on auction and was intrigued by it's film slides.

I saved the pics.

Among the strips are two Dan Dare.

It looks an old set and us so appealing.

Is this a projector set you know readers?

TERRANOVA47'S STRIP IN SPACESHIP AWAY #65

Hello Woodsy

The latest issue of Spaceship Away, issue 65 is available.

It contains a humorous strip written by me and drawn by Dave Windett.

Once again it is best understood if the reader is knowledgeable of the Dan Dare stories from 1950-1959.

Still here it is for the handful of readers that know the characters.

Terranova47

USA

TERRANOVA47: WORKING WITH ARTISTS

Having been in art school with future illustrators and having commissioned work over the years as a Graphic Designer for various projects I had to think about your question: what is it like to work with an artist?

In the case of the Godzilla art and story I storyboarded from a rough draft of the plot, where I wanted spot illustrations of a talking head and where I wanted a full page illustration. 

With artist Carmen Cerra it was nice that he worked in traditional materials. He liked to do both loose line art with a pen and tight drawings with pen and wash. He would also do brush and ink illustrations. Each style was a different rate as the calculation is on the time it takes. A brush and ink drawing might take just minutes, a detailed drawing an hour or more.

For reference Carmen was familiar with the Wind in the Willows characters, I sent him recent photos of Miles as he was nearly three years older than in the first book and photos of a Thames Skiff which he would not be familiar with.

Things are so much faster than when I was working, email has eliminated weeks of production time wasted waiting for snail mail. Carmen sent scans of pencil layouts for approval, then created the finished art. He scanned them, emailed them and mailed the original art to me. Having worked freelance myself the delay in receiving a cheque after 30 days or more was always a hassle. Now I can send instant PAYPAL payment, something I was never the beneficiary of.

Carmen as unusual in that he is an American familiar with British story books and artists. He recently illustrated a sequel to Winnie the Poo in the original style once the original copyright to the character had expired.

For the first Mileosaurus story I wanted a Beano style illustrator so went to PeoplePerHour.com which is mostly British artists available to hire Freelance. The rates are very competitive and the artists very talented. They are also young and have grown up drawing with computer programs rather than pen and ink. For me it was a new learning experience as colours and size could quickly be altered which in the past would be expensive changes to make as new art had to be drawn.

You blogged the first story I did for Spaceship Away [2023] with Dan Dare and Dennis the Menace. 

A second story was just published in the latest issue, 64.

Artist Dave Windett was found through PeoplePerHour in the UK. I again story boarded the page, sent dialog and reference pictures to Dave and he did the rest. The editor made many changes in colours which would have been prohibitive in traditional art but simple in software based drawings.

This story is for fans of the original Dan Dare stories from 1950-59. The punchline is in knowing the reference of who the Deputy Prime Minister is.

I quote from the HAYNES Space Fleet Operations Manual for the Deputy's father:

Dr Blasco. A brilliant scientist who discovered a way to stabilise and use monatomic hydrogen as a rocket fuel. He designed the Valiant battlecraft for the run to Saturn, but had his own power agenda. Secretly in league with Rootha forces on Saturn, on his return he planned to take over the Earth. Foiled at the last moment, he lost his life when his space helmet came off in a struggle aboard the Kroopak command craft.

So the Deputy Prime Minister is the son of a megalomaniac that wanted to enslave Earth but whose plans were thwarted by Dan Dare..

Terranova47

NYC

DAN DARE'S FAB SALVAGE CRAFT

 This 2000 AD Annual 1980 was part of a large lot of books that came my way last month.

I was never a 2000 AD reader but I now appreciate the effort and following of the comic that emerged in the decaying end of the Seventies.

Browsing through I was attracted to the reds of Dan Dare.

When Bam! What is that ship!*?

There was more at the end too!

I don't know about you but I think the artist has possibly taken inspiration from two sources we know well.

FAB1

and the Triang SpaceX Salvage Craft

Merging them together you get something like this.

What do you think readers? 

DAN DARE AND EARTH'S GREATEST MENACE: TERRANOVA47'S COMIC STRIP!

I have always had a love for the comic strip Dan Dare from it's origins in the 1950's.

I'm not alone in this and 20 years ago other fans started a magazine called SPACESHIP AWAY which licensed the rights to produce new Dan Dare material based on the original version of Dare.

This publication includes science articles on space, reprinting old science fiction comic strips, new art by original artists and new humour strips.

This summer with Issue 60 proclaiming 20 years of being published I decided to become a contributor, not just a reader.

Here is my two page contribution for the latest issue, art by Dave Windett

For readers not familiar with the UK's Dennis the Menace, he first appeared in BEANO a weekly children's humour comic in 1952. At almost the same time and unrelated, a comic strip with the same name began in the US.

While having the same name, the boys had far different behavior characteristics. The US one is an angel compared to the UK one whose early adventures often ended with a 'slippering' from his father.

My five year old grandson looks like the US one on the left, but acts like the UK one on the right.

I don't think this is the Best of Both Worlds.

Earth's Greatest Menace and Dennis the Menace art by Dave Windett.

Spaceship Away is published three times a year we have produced strips for next years first two and are about to start a third. Hopefully blog readers will find this one enjoyable and possibly can suggest who is Earth's Greatest Menace?

Terranova47

NYC

USA

JOE DARE

Hello Woodsy

In your search for 3.75" GI Joe's should you come across 'Major ?' - I don't remember his name - but years ago I converted him to Dan Dare!

Terranova47

USA