ACTION annual 1979 - SPINBALL complete 8 pg. story - BRIAN BOLLAND art - JUDGE DREDD /BATMAN / KILLING JOKE

I have a complete 8 page story Brian Bolland drew in Spring 1978, for the ACTION annual 1979  ( pages 49-56, the central colour strip in the annual! ) released September 1978 ( they were dated a year ahead as they were designed as Xmas gifts )

Action weekly was the precursor to 2000ad. It was a weekely comic like 2000ad, and was at the forefront of British comics. It was a comic designed to shock, and had lots of Clockwork orange style graphic violence, with a JAWS homage called 'Hookjaw'.

Brian drew this 'SpinBall' strip, a comics' take on the popular ROLLER BALL movie starring James Cann.

 

Brian was commissioned to do this story through his art agent at the time, which then led to his getting asked to draw Judge Dredd for the then brand new 2000ad comic. It was typical to try new artists out in Annual stories, as you could give them a one off story. They were so pleased with Brian's results, they made it the star story in the annual ( they always had one strip in colour, as a 'treat', in this case, Brian's story ).   I am friends with his original agent who got him this work, and he relayed me the sequence of events.

 

This strip represents Brian's emergence into the mainstream of UK publishing, which led to him becoming a huge star, especially in the USA.

It is rare to find any of Brian's early work, let alone a complete story, and one significant to his development. Some of the figure work is really fantastic, with the sorts of villainous faces he used both in 2000ad, and on his famous Forbidden Planet art.

 

 

Art is all in good condition, never displayed. All original lettering and titles.

 

 

As a set - £ 15,000.00 ( pounds )