James Bond (comic strip)

Starting in 1958 and continuing to 1983, James Bond, the fictional character created by author Ian Fleming, appeared in a comic strip that consisted of 52 story arcs that were syndicated in British newspapers, seven of which were initially published abroad.

Daily Express strips

Art by John McLusky

Ian Fleming's commissioned impression of James Bond.
John McLusky's rendition of James Bond.

In 1957, the Daily Express, a newspaper owned by Lord Beaverbrook, approached Ian Fleming about adapting his James Bond stories as comic strips. Fleming was then reluctant, because he felt the comic strips would lack the quality of his writing, potentially hurting his spy novel series while he was still writing. To wit, Fleming wrote:

"The Express are desperately anxious to turn James Bond into a strip cartoon. I have grave doubts about the desirability of this ... Unless the standard of these books is maintained they will lose their point, and, I think, there I am in grave danger that inflation will spoil not only the readership, but also become something of a death-watch beetle inside the author. A tendency to write still further down might result. The author would see this happening, and disgust with the operation might creep in."

Regardless, Fleming later agreed, and the first strip Casino Royale was published in 1958. The story was adapted by Anthony Hern, who previously had serialised Diamonds Are Forever and From Russia with Love for the Daily Express. The illustrations were by John McLusky, who later would illustrate twelve more James Bond comic strips with his partner Henry Gammidge until 1966.

The opening panel to Casino Royale. Illustration by John McLusky.

To aid the Daily Express in illustrating James Bond, Ian Fleming commissioned an artist to sketch whom he believed James Bond to look like. John McLusky, however, felt that Fleming's 007 appeared too "outdated" and "pre-war", and thus changed James Bond to a more rugged and masculine appearance.

The majority of the early comic strips were adapted by Henry Gammidge; however, the Dr. No adaptation was by Peter O'Donnell, years before he launched his legendary strip Modesty Blaise.

In 1962 the Daily Express abruptly cancelled their agreement with Ian Fleming when Lord Beaverbrook and Fleming disputed the rights to the James Bond short story "The Living Daylights". Fleming had sold the rights to the Sunday Times, a rival newspaper — upsetting Beaverbrook into terminating his business relationship with Fleming. The dispute abruptly ended the comic strip adaptation of Thunderball. Actually, Thunderball never was finished; however, additional panels were added later for its syndication to other newspapers, and to expand and conclude the story. Beaverbrook and Fleming later settled their differences, and the comic strip serial would continue in 1964 with On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Art by John McLusky
Title Writer Date Serial no.
Casino Royale Anthony Hern July 7, 1958 - December 13, 1958 1-138
Live and Let Die Henry Gammidge December 15, 1958 - March 28, 1959 139-225
Moonraker Henry Gammidge March 30, 1959 - August 8, 1959 226-339
Diamonds Are Forever Henry Gammidge August 10, 1959 - January 30, 1960 340-487
From Russia with Love Henry Gammidge February 1, 1960 - May 21, 1960 488-583
Dr. No Peter O'Donnell May 23, 1960 - October 1, 1960 584-697
Goldfinger Henry Gammidge October 3, 1960 - April 1, 1961 698-849
Risico Henry Gammidge April 3, 1961 - June 24, 1961 850-921
From a View to a Kill Henry Gammidge June 26, 1961 - September 9, 1961 922-987
For Your Eyes Only Henry Gammidge September 11, 1961 - December 9, 1961 988-1065
Thunderball Henry Gammidge December 11, 1961 - February 10, 1962 1066–1128
On Her Majesty's Secret Service Henry Gammidge June 29, 1964 - May 15, 1965 1-274
You Only Live Twice Henry Gammidge May 17, 1965 - January 8, 1966 275-475

Art by Yaroslav Horak

Yaroslav Horak's rendition of James Bond.

In 1966 Yaroslav Horak replaced John McLusky as the artist for the Daily Express comic strip series and adapted six more Ian Fleming James Bond novels and short stories as well as Kingsley Amis' Colonel Sun with partner Jim Lawrence. The Living Daylights was also republished in the Daily Express after first appearing in the first edition of the Sunday Times magazine on February 4, 1962 and in the American magazine Argosy in June of the same year under the title "Berlin Escape."

With the success of The Man with the Golden Gun Horak and Lawrence subsequently went on to write and illustrate twenty original James Bond comic strips for the Daily Express after being granted permission by Ian Fleming's Trust.

Art by Yaroslav Horak
Title Writer Date Serial no.
The Man with the Golden Gun Jim Lawrence January 10, 1966 - September 9, 1966 1-209
The Living Daylights Jim Lawrence September 12, 1966 - November 12, 1966 210-263
Octopussy Jim Lawrence November 14, 1966 - May 27, 1967 264-428
The Hildebrand Rarity Jim Lawrence May 29, 1967 - December 16, 1967 429-602
The Spy Who Loved Me Jim Lawrence December 18, 1967 - October 3, 1968 603-815
The Harpies Jim Lawrence October 10, 1968 - June 23, 1969 816-1037
River of Death Jim Lawrence June 24, 1969 - November 29, 1969 1038–1174
Colonel Sun Jim Lawrence December 1, 1969 - August 28, 1970 1175–1393
The Golden Ghost Jim Lawrence August 21, 1970 - January 16, 1971 1394–1519
Fear Face Jim Lawrence January 18, 1971 - April 20, 1971 1520–1596
Double Jeopardy Jim Lawrence April 21, 1971 - August 28, 1971 1597–1708
Starfire Jim Lawrence August 30, 1971 - December 24, 1971 1709–1809
Trouble Spot Jim Lawrence December 28, 1971 - June 10, 1972 1810–1951
Isle of Condors Jim Lawrence June 12, 1972 - October 21, 1972 1952–2065
The League of Vampires Jim Lawrence October 25, 1972 - February 28, 1973 2066–2172
Die with My Boots On Jim Lawrence March 1, 1973 - June 18, 1973 2173–2256
The Girl Machine Jim Lawrence June 19, 1973 - December 3, 1973 2257–2407
Beware of Butterflies Jim Lawrence December 4, 1973 - May 11, 1974 2408–2541
The Nevsky Nude Jim Lawrence May 13, 1974 - September 21, 1974 2542–2655
The Phoenix Project Jim Lawrence September 23, 1974 - February 18, 1975 2656–2780
The Black Ruby Caper Jim Lawrence February 19, 1975 - July 15, 1975 2781–2897
Till Death Do Us Apart Jim Lawrence July 7, 1975 - October 14, 1975 2898-2983
The Torch-Time Affair Jim Lawrence October 15, 1975 - January 15, 1976 2984-3060
Hot-Shot Jim Lawrence January 16, 1976 - June 1, 1976 3061-3178
Nightbird Jim Lawrence June 2, 1976 - November 4, 1976 3179-3312
Ape of Diamonds Jim Lawrence November 5, 1976 - January 22, 1977 3313-3437

Other James Bond comic strips

In 1977 the Daily Express discontinued their series of Bond comic strips, although Horak and Lawrence went on to write and illustrate several other James Bond adventures for syndication abroad in Europe, for the Sunday Express (the Sunday edition of the Daily Express), and the Daily Star. Additionally, John McLusky returned to team up with Jim Lawrence for five comic strips. One strip, Doomcrack, is unusual in that it featured artwork by Harry North, who at the time worked for MAD Magazine on its film parodies.

The 1983 strip Polestar was abruptly terminated by the Daily Star midway through its run and was not completed, although the complete story did appear in non-UK newspapers and was followed by several more complete serials before the James Bond comic strip officially came to an end.

Title Artist Writer Date Serial no.
When the Wizard Awakes Yaroslav Horak Jim Lawrence January 30, 1977 - May 22, 1977 1-54
Sea Dragon Yaroslav Horak Jim Lawrence
1977
 55-192
Death Wing Yaroslav Horak Jim Lawrence
1977-1978
 193-354
The Xanadu Connection Yaroslav Horak Jim Lawrence
1978
 355-468
Shark Bait Yaroslav Horak Jim Lawrence
1978-1979
 469-636
Doomcrack Harry North Jim Lawrence February 2, 1981 - August 19, 1981 1-174
The Paradise Plot John McLusky Jim Lawrence August 20, 1981 - June 4, 1982 175-378
Deathmask John McLusky Jim Lawrence June 7, 1982 - February 2, 1983 379-552
Flittermouse John McLusky Jim Lawrence February 9, 1983 - May 20, 1983 553-624
Polestar John McLusky Jim Lawrence May 23, 1983 - July 15, 1983 625-719
The Scent of Danger John McLusky Jim Lawrence
1983
 720-821
Snake Goddess Yaroslav Horak Jim Lawrence
1983-1984
 822-893
Double Eagle Yaroslav Horak Jim Lawrence
1984
 894-965

Titan Books reprints

Since first publication in the Daily Express, the comic strip adaptations have been reprinted several times. First by the James Bond 007 International Fan Club, in the early 1980s. Then annually, from 1987 to 1990, by the British Titan Books company in anthologies, beginning with The Living Daylights to tie-in with the release of the eponymous James Bond film.

First Titan Books series

Second Titan Books series

Beginning in 2004, Titan reissued these anthologies in larger, revised editions, and also began reprinting stories that hadn't been featured in the earlier books. With a more frequent publishing schedule than the first series, all 52 stories had been published in seventeen books by March 2010. These volumes include new introductory chapters on the history of the strip and the Bond novels, and most of the books have also included special introductions written by Bond film actors, specifically Caroline Munro (The Spy Who Loved Me), George Lazenby (OHMSS), Shirley Eaton (Goldfinger), Eunice Gayson (Dr. No), Roger Moore (Casino Royale), Maud Adams (Octopussy), Britt Ekland (Colonel Sun), and Richard Kiel (The Golden Ghost). Titan's comic strip reprints were not initially published in the strips' original publication order; this changed as of the release of The Spy Who Loved Me volume.

The Harpies, included in The Spy Who Loved Me, is the first non-Fleming-based Bond comic strip to be reprinted as well as the first original story. River of Death, in the Colonel Sun collection, is the second original story to be published (Colonel Sun itself being an adaptation of the first post-Fleming Bond novel). The Golden Ghost is the first collection comprising all-original stories.

The collection The Phoenix Project indicates that the July 2007 release was to have been Nightbird, but this was not published as scheduled. The Nightbird collection eventually saw print in March 2010 and is considered the final release in the Titan series as all Daily Express-related strips have now been reprinted.

Third Titan Books series

From September 2009 to November 2014 larger volumes called 'Omnibus' editions were released containing more stories in each volume than before.

See also

External links

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