Frank Hampson was the creator and illustrator of Dan Dare, the iconic comic strip which first appeared in the launch issue of the Eagle magazine in April 1950.

Hampson was born in Audenshaw and went to school in nearby Southport, the Lancashire (now Merseyside) seaside town in which he produced Dan Dare and the Eagle. This collection of drawings includes early artwork for the Eagle, including two pieces from the first year of the comicÂ’s production. A student illustration of two men in a cockpit demonstrates the drama, life-drawing skills and focus on technology that later made the Dan Dare sci-fi stories so popular. From 1964 Hampson worked as an illustrator for Ladybird childrenÂ’s books and this collection also includes an example of his work for the series.

Provenance

By descent from the artist to his son Peter Hampson


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