Sci-Fi Collectables
By Jack Tempest

Dan Dare, described as the 'Space Pilot of the Future', was born in a corrugated iron shed in the Lancashire coastal resort of Southport. Curiously he was in his late forties or early fifties at the time of his birth - the kind of thing that can only happen in the world of make-believe! Dan might well have been born as a kind of galactic vicar serving as a heroic military chaplain. Or as Dorothy Dare, a tough lady crime buster. These were early suggestions for a suitable character for the proposed strip story. Thankfully, these ideas were eventually shelved in favour of a gentlemanly space pilot operating in the year we are presently enjoying - 2000 anno Domini!

Colonel Dan Dare, his full title, was given the mannerisms of a typical World War II Royal Air Force pilot. His creators were Manchester born Frank Hampson, who was destined to become one of our most talented cartoon artists, and the Reverend Marcus Morris of St James' Parish Church, Birkdale, near Southport. Frank's father, Robert, was a Manchester policeman originally dwelling in Audenshaw, on the city's outskirts. In 1918 the Hampson family moved across the Pennine border into Lancashire and settled in the village of Crossens, near Churchtown, just north of Southport. Frank was only a few months old at this time. Still with the Police Force, Robert Hampson found himself with a beat that took him by St James' Parish Church. He had no idea of the way this church would, in years to come, affect his son's future! It was here that the Reverend Marcus Morris eventually was to arrive and take over as a forward-looking vicar - some 24 years later! Once settled in, Marcus Morris began to take a good look at what the church needed. He felt that the development of a Parish Magazine was essential.

So parishioners soon found themselves paying sixpence to enjoy the new church publication that Marcus had named 'The Anvil'. Realising that illustrations would give his magazine more impact he sought the advice of local newspaper journalists about finding a suitable artist, and it was suggested that a visit to the then new Southport School of Art would be a good idea. It was, and there he came across a student named Frank Hampson. Frank liked the idea and accepted the job. The two of them were to get on quite well together. The Reverend Marcus was obviously keen on magazine production and was paying publication costs - as well as Frank - out of his own pocket. Monetary problems increased to the point where something would have to be done about it!

When World War II came to an end Marcus and Frank were dismayed at the number of mindless horror comics that began to be imported from America. They decided that there was room for a superior British magazine. Existing British comics offered no real competition to the transatlantic invaders and something needed to be done about the situation! The duo got down to work and produced black-and-white proofs of their proposed publication, had a few copies run off on the presses of the local newspaper, and then coloured them by hand! These mock-ups were then taken around various magazine publishing concerns.

They were very lucky to find interest in their venture from the Hulton Press, famous for its nationally renowned illustrated weekly 'Picture Post'. Their new magazine Marcus and Frank had named the 'Eagle'. It was first published on the 14th April 1950 with Marcus as Editor, and was an immediate success. The magazine's leading character, Colonel Dan Dare, made his first public appearance on the magazine's colourful cover. Each episode was to follow suit, with its continuance in black-and-white overleaf. The publication's success eventually led to the hiring of more illustrators to assist Frank, and to a move to larger offices found in an old glass-roofed bakery in Churchtown. Other pages of the 'Eagle' contained cartoon strips of 'The Adventures of PC 49', then a popular police BBC radio series; 'Seth and Shorty - Cowboys'; 'Skippy the Kangaroo' in colour; 'Captain Pugwash'; 'Rob Conway', and 'The Great Adventurer', a coloured religious strip cartoon.

There were also several stories in text, including 'Lash Lonergan's Quest' and 'Plot against the World'. Only the cover pages, front and back, plus the central spread appeared in colour. Colour printing was still expensive, so the rest of the magazine was in blackand-white print. A coloured cover helped attract readers to buy the 'Eagle', but so did the adventures of the publication's Dan Dare character. Dan and his adventures were undoubtedly the main attraction and played a leading part in raising the magazine's circulation to over one million! Today there are 'Eagle' collectors - as well as Dan Dare collectors - most of them being loyal to the memory of both!

Not many 'superheroes' have been born this side of the Atlantic - never mind North of Watford! All the other main 'goody' characters of the Dan Dare stories have similarly been meticulously supplied with their own personal background information by Frank Hampson - place of birth, family details, where they were educated, careers, hobbies, and so on. Both Dan and his accomplice Digby were credited with Lancashire origins - Dan was supposed to hail from Audenshaw, near Manchester (Frank Hampton's actual place of birth), whilst Digby was credited with having been born in Wigan! What other sci-fi character would, like Digby, use Northern English expressions such as 'Nay' and 'Nobbut' in their speech bubbles?

The adventures of these two Lancashire lads led them into conflict with a series of interplanetary enemies, in the traditional manner of such sci-fi fantasy tales. Their 'deadliest foes' being the Treen race that inhabited North Venus, led by that green ET lookalike, the terrible Mekon. There were, of course, many more 'baddies' to sort out including the warlords of Phantos, locust space pirates, and the Saturnians. Gentleman Dan actually had a lady friend, in the form of the charming Professor Peabody. Dan stood no nonsense from his enemies but always remained fair-minded. His favourite weapon was a gas-gun simply because it disabled dangerous opponents without killing them!

Many collectors exist and search the toy fairs regularly for anything to do with the 'Eagle' and Dan Dare associated memorabilia. John Fallon, of Sutton Coldfield, is an 'Eagle' and Dan Dare enthusiast whose swapmeet stall is usually well packed with such memorabilia. Toy fair trader Jim Stevenson, from Mansfield, often has examples among his stock and Bob Armstrong, of Whitley Bay, includes Dan Dare figures amongst the white metal range of miniature characters he produces. Many stalls are likely to feature such collectables amongst their stock. Dan Dare card games and 'Dan Dares Race in Space' board game often turn up at the toy swapmeets and collectors' fairs. There is an 'Eagle Society' for enthusiasts and details may be had from Keith Howard, 25A Station Road, Harrow, Middlesex. An SAE would, no doubt, be appreciated!

Article reprinted with the permission of ‘Collectables’ Magazine.