When Eagle first appeared the main comic strips were 'Dan Dare - Pilot of the Future' by Frank Hampson, 'P.C.49' by Alan Stranks and Stroum Gould and 'Rob Conway', 'Tommy Walls' and 'The Great Adventurer' by Frank Hampson.

A copy of issue 1 in near mint condition would be worth around £250 today.

In April 1969 Eagle joined up with Lion comic.

In the Bibliography section you can see a number 1 edition of the new series of Eagle from 1982 with the free "Space Spinner" that came with it.

My god what a trip down memory lane, just hearing the names of Johnny Red and Charlies war, brings back a flood of good memories. I read eagle and can remmeber how much the comic was improved after these stories joined it, Charlies war was just so beautifully accurate and since I am now a pilot, Johnny Red obiously appealed. Great stuff, I think I will dig up my old eagles and have another read, haven't touched them for years.... - David Walker

There were two comics called The Eagle. The first ran for 991 issues from 14th April 1950 to 26th April 1969. The second was launched in 1982. Dan Dare was the only thing both comics had in common. Alastair Crompton wrote a biography of Frank Hampson called The Man Who Drew Tomorrow. It includes some photographs of Frank Hampson's team which were used as the bases for the artwork in the strips. Sadly Frank Hampson made very little money from Dan Dare and rarely got the credit he deserved. - Clive Huggett

What I remeber best about the Eagle was the sectioned and labelled drawing published each week of a British technological triumph. I can not swear to this but I think the same drawing was used every week it was only the numbered lables that changed. so the same drawing would represent HMS Arc Royal, A Calder Hall Nuclear Power Station or the De Havilland Comet. It was just that number 22 would change from Main deck aft hoist to control rod actuator to cabin pressurising unit.

I agree the art work of Frank hampson was brilliant looking back on it. at the time I wondered why he sometimes chose to paint Dare and Digby in shades of purple. Incidentally for dan Dare fans everywhere it's shown on channel 5 on Saturday mornings. - John

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