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The cover was painted by Geoffrey Eyles (1906-1965). The son of Suffolk artist Charles Eyles, he grew up and remained in Hertfordshire. His work included the Round the World series for the University Press as well as covers such as this one for Frederick Warne and Co. Another of Charles' sons, Derek Charles, was also an illustrator, providing cover paintings and illustrations for boys' annuals like his brother, and later working on comic strips for the Amalgamated Press.
This 1954 edition of Down to the Ships in the Sea (love that title!) has a credit for Robert Crowther as the designer. I haven't been able to find out anything about him or whether he was the actual artist on the cover. I really like the simple colour palette used and find the whole cover simple but eye-catching.
1937. L'Empereur des Scaphandriers (The Emperor of Divers). We're used to seeing divers fighting off sharks and octopuses so this cover is a nice variation on that theme.
Maurice d'Escrignelles was a pseudonym for prolific science fiction author Maurice Limat. The cover is by cartoonist and illustrator Henri Armengol (1884-1944). He provided illustrations for a number of humorous publications as well as illustrating tarot cards, posters and sheet music. He had a long association with publishers Ferenczi et Fils throughout the 1920s and 30s. Sadly he fell ill in the 1940s and was destitute when he died aged just 60 years old.
This next piece is from the Eagle Annual for 1967 (published 1966). This one's got a giant squid and a shark!
What do you think? Did it ever happen? You can find the answer at the bottom of this post.
Books like this next one were a common sight during the first half of the 20th century, full of exciting tales for their young readers.
The cover was painted by Geoffrey Eyles (1906-1965). The son of Suffolk artist Charles Eyles, he grew up and remained in Hertfordshire. His work included the Round the World series for the University Press as well as covers such as this one for Frederick Warne and Co. Another of Charles' sons, Derek Charles, was also an illustrator, providing cover paintings and illustrations for boys' annuals like his brother, and later working on comic strips for the Amalgamated Press.
The Beezer 1956.
Cartoon by Tom Bannister (1923-?). Born in Lancashire, he studied at Norwich Art School from 1946-48, following his service in World War 2. In 1952 he entered an art competition for D.C. Thomson and, although he didn't win, they kept his name on file. As 1955 drew to a close, he was asked to draw Pop, Dick and Harry for their new weekly comic, The Beezer, which began publication in January 1956. The strip was popular enough to usurp original cover star Ginger from issue 34 onwards. The trio held this coveted spot for five years before moving to the back page.
From 1958 he also drew Colonel Blink - the Short-Sighted Gink. Both strips often showcased his talents at drawing physical comedy and he also enjoyed employing the "dropped horizon" favoured by his favourite fellow artist, David (Dennis the Menace) Law. In 1960 he began working for The Beezer's sister paper, The Topper, initially drawing the misadventures of the inept Mexican bandit Figaro. This was followed by Desert Island Dick in 1964, and Tiny - the World's Biggest Dog in 1968. At this point he was drawing five strips every week for the tabloid-sized comics, with four of the being full pages (Desert Island Dick was a third of a page).
His later work included Nero and Zero for Buzz and Al Change for the Topper. After 25 years on the strip he drew his final Pop, Dick and Harry in 1981 when the Beezer was reduced in size. Various factors reduced his workload until his final Colonel Blink strip appeared in 1987, by which point he was approaching retirement. (Information taken from a 1988 article by comics historian Ray Moore)
At the time of writing this I've been unable to ascertain whether or not Tom is still with us.
1954. Oh look, it's a pesky giant octopus! Artist unknown I'm afraid.
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