82 replies to this topic

[zencat]

Hey gang. Here's a brief (and probably incomplete) history of 007 comics and graphic novels, chock full of cover pics, including the "banned" GoldenEye #2 cover. Enjoy.

When Bond Battled Dinosaurs
A Brief History of 007 Comics & Graphic Novels

[Qwerty]

Loved it zencat. Hope to see more of these comic articles personally.

Sweet covers.

[zencat]

Loved it zencat. Hope to see more of these comic articles personally.

Thanks, but I think we covered it all in one article. Bond comic books have been few and far between.

[TheSaint]

They probably don't count but, there was also the 3 issue "Secret Agents" series put out by Personality Comics that were unauthorized biographies on Connery, Moore, and Dalton, written(except for the Connery issue) & illustrated by yours truly.

[Mazinkaiser]

Loved it zencat. Hope to see more of these comic articles personally.

Sweet covers.

Ditto. I didn't realize how many of them I own. Paul Gulacy's art on Serpent's Tooth is phenomenal.

[zencat]

They probably don't count but, there was also the 3 issue "Secret Agents" series put out by Personality Comics that were unauthorized biographies on Connery, Moore, and Dalton, written(except for the Connery issue) & illustrated by yours truly.

Yeah, I didn't include those because I didn't consider them "James Bond" comics...but very cool that you're the mastermind behind these. A must for any Bond comic collection to be sure.

I also didn't include the very long running Swedish (or is it Norwegian?) comic magazine "James Bond" because I don't really know much about these (the copies I have are tucked away in storage). Are the Bond stories in these just reprints of the Daily Express strips? This mag did have some very cool covers.

[DLibrasnow]

An excellent article zencat. Much appreciated.

[zencat]

Thanks, man.

I'm actually going to dig all these out of storage and re-read them. Get my (adult) Bond lit fix that way.

For those interested in the illustrated 007, I would recommend seeking out 'OO7' Magazine #34 (Connery from Goldfinger on cover) for a much more complete history of Bond comics with loads and load of pics.

[Qwerty]

They probably don't count but, there was also the 3 issue "Secret Agents" series put out by Personality Comics that were unauthorized biographies on Connery, Moore, and Dalton, written(except for the Connery issue) & illustrated by yours truly.

Sweet. Didn't know that.

[TheSaint]

They probably don't count but, there was also the 3 issue "Secret Agents" series put out by Personality Comics that were unauthorized biographies on Connery, Moore, and Dalton, written(except for the Connery issue) & illustrated by yours truly.

Sweet. Didn't know that.

Yeah-my small claim to fame in the Bond community.

[Number Six]

Very cool, Saint...I have the Dalton issue, I think.

Also, perhaps worth mentioning, since we're speaking of Moench/Gulacy, is their seminal run on Master of Kung Fu in the early 1970s, which featured a character named Clive Reston, son of you-know-who.

How was James Bond Jr. 007's nephew, when Bond was an only child? And why call him...Jr.?

--Eric

Edited by Number Six, 20 May 2005 - 06:57 AM.

[Genrewriter]

Very cool article, zencat. Of the ones you mentioned, I only have the Octopussy comic. It's pretty cool.

[stromberg]

Great work, as usual, John.

Minor correction from my side: the AVTAK comic was not only published in Sweden.
There is a version in German, looking similar to the Swedish one (exept for the words, of course):
Not sure, but I think it exists in French as well. Has there really never been an English version? Funny...

On the Personality Comics: there was an article in the latest German Fan Club mag (Dossier NullNullSieben) which I highly enjoyed. Don't be too shy, TheSaint, don't forget to mention that you also did the privately published Brosnan and Lazenby one (the second one written by CBn's own doublenoughtspy)

[doublenoughtspy]

Thanks for the plug Stromberg. Yes, I wrote and produced both the Brosnan bio comic and the Lazenby bio comic, with artwork done by TheSaint.

I'm proud to say that I got Lazenby's approval for the contents, and got to show him a proof of the comic at the LA convention.

At the NY Goldeneye convention, TheSaint gave Pierce Brosnan the original artwork of the centerfold of the comic.

We are kicking around the idea of doing a graphic novel incorporating all 5 actors bio comics - and/or doing one of Ian Fleming.

[DLibrasnow]

How was James Bond Jr. 007's nephew, when Bond was an only child? And why call him...Jr.?
--Eric

I always assumed that Bond had married and that the character was the son of an in-law.

[Mister Asterix]

How was James Bond Jr. 007's nephew, when Bond was an only child? And why call him...Jr.?
--Eric

I always assumed that Bond had married and that the character was the son of an in-law.

Then why would he be named Bond?

[DLibrasnow]

Good point Evan. I had never thought about that.

[Mister Asterix]

Good point Evan. I had never thought about that.

[mra]Maybe it

[clinkeroo]

Good point Evan. I had never thought about that.

Maybe it’s just a code name.

Um...er...maybe he married someone named "Bond." Yeah, I'm reaching, I know.

[zencat]

Minor correction from my side: the AVTAK comic was not only published in Sweden.
There is a version in German, looking similar to the Swedish one (exept for the words, of course):
Not sure, but I think it exists in French as well. Has there really never been an English version? Funny...

Thanks Stromberg, corrections made.

Yes, no english AVTAK nor TLD.

[Tanger]

For those who are interested in learning more about the Bond Comics, I suggest you check out this site:

http://home9.inet.tele.dk/oreskov/

[Gri007]

Some of you may recall me starting a new thread about a televised James Bond series that would be based on th original comic strips and graphic novels that are discussed in this thread. Thanks to Zencat this is the first time I have acctually read any plot synopsis of the Bond graphic novels. looking at the length (3issues etc,etc) I think they would probably be more suitable in film form thean TV form. Or may be not suitable at all. Bond fighting Dinosause. Is this Bond Vs Jurassic Park or what. Ok Young Bond in Silverfin, was a bit touchy at first, but Bond in prehistoric times. hey? It may not beprehistoric times, because I havn't read any of the graphic novels. but still dinosaures and Bond doesn't seem to go well. I do like the illustration of Bond being tortured with leeches. very effective.

[zencat]

For those who are interested in learning more about the Bond Comics, I suggest you check out this site:

http://home9.inet.tele.dk/oreskov/

Terrific site! Thanks for the link, Tanger.

[Turn]

Thanks for another fine article, Zencat. Out of curiosity, any particular personal favorites out of these?

I have most of the titles mentioned. Some of the later ones, especially Serphent

[zencat]

Very interesting info there about Marvel trying and failing to get the Bond rights in the 70s, Turn. I also remember these B&W magazine comics. Dracula was my favorite (was that called Tomb of Dracula?).

As to a favorite Bond graphic novel, I read them as they came out and I really don't remember them that well. It was always so far between issues. Doing this article has made me want to dig them out and give them all a re-read. I'm sure a favorite will emerge.

[Red Grant]

Some of you  may recall me starting a new thread about a televised James Bond series that would be based on th original comic strips and graphic novels that are discussed in this thread. ....

There was actually a TV programme using Horak's artwork for THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS as the basis for a short animated film. I only saw the show once on UK TV many years ago (80's??) and I have never seen or heard of it since. If memory serves it was in colour but was done very well...sort of in the style of the Batman animated series.

Anyone else remember this?

[David Schofield]

[quote name='Red Grant' date='21 May 2005 - 12:04'][quote name='Gri007' date='20 May 2005 - 21:11']Some of you

[zencat]

[quote name='Red Grant' date='21 May 2005 - 05:04'][quote name='Gri007' date='20 May 2005 - 21:11']Some of you

[B007GLE]

Wish I could see that HOrak Bond cartoon also.

John great article. I always wondered why the last 2 issues of Silent Armageddon failed to see print. (You would think they would have figured that out before printing issues 1 and 2. Also why did n't they just change the character's name to something like Goldfinger Jr. or Larrgo Jr. instead?)

My favorite Bond comic was Serpent's Tooth. It has everythign that I would have hated in a Bond movie (dinosaurs etc.but in a comic it worked.)

I'd love to see more Bond comics even the company who gets the right integrating Bond into their "universe". How fun would it be to see Bond and Batman team up against Ra's Al Ghul? Or Bond and Cpatain America teaming up with Cap fidning Bon'ds moral's abysmal but resepcting his ability?

[zencat]

Thanks, B007GLE.

I just finished re-reading Permission To Die. Pretty good. I liked the female characters, especially the buckskin wearing American Bond Girl in Part 3. Not that she did much, I just like that she wore buckskin and carried a rifle. Very "Americian."

It struck me that this author must really be into classic Universal monsters. We have 2 references to Dracula, a henchman called The Wolf who kills with silver bullets, and a villain who is the Phantom of the Opera reduxe (right down to the tux, mask, and organ). Hey, I'm a big Universal monsters fan myself, but it did feel like a bit of an oddball mix. Still, I loved seeing Bond get the ASP, the Apache helicopter action (GREAT end to that chase), and several other parts. So:

Now it's onto Serpents Tooth.