Original Dan Dare Artists’ Boards

I served my publishing apprenticeship with Eagle publisher Hulton Press. Great fun promoting at schools 'Beware the Red Moon – what does this strange warning really mean?' until the head might tell me off for “exploiting children to commercial advantage”. Also taking the 'Mug of the Month' winners out to tea – usually at the local cinema restaurant. Or driving to Lasham airport to see the Eagle glider. Many innovative promotions helped to introduce and endear Eagle both to readers and parents. Typically the editor Revd. Marcus Morris wore his dog collar preaching from the pulpit at St Pauls Cathedral on the occasion of the Christmas Carol concerts. Eagle was right for its time and age and a pioneer in children’s education and entertainment.

— anon

My memories of the Eagle started at an age of around 10 years old, onward. The Eagle was printed on a lighter, whiter and slightly coated paper, when compared with other weekly comics, such as Dandy or The Beano, which were contemporaries. As a result, the artwork was better reproduced, due the the finer paper, and I enjoyed their centre spreads, which were detailed cross-sections of buildings, aeroplanes and other technical objects. In my later life I commenced my working career in advertising, and that prompted me to recall the whole page picture story each week of ‘Tommy Walls - Special Agent’ on the inside back page, if I remember correctly, which always seemd to conclude with Tommy making the magic ‘Walls’ sign with both thumbs and forefingers, which subtly reflected the sponsorship of Walls ice cream. Clearly a delicate balance, because it didn’t seem to push their product too hard! The stories of Dan Dare and his mate, Digby, in Anastasia on their ongoing saga against the Mekon and the Treens was always a good starter, and was clearly a lead in the future for Flash Gordon and, later, Doctor Who! I was a member of the Eagle Club and proudly wore my little brass badge, to which I recall an additional bar for ‘long service’(?) which I attached to the little loop provided at the base of the badge! Hultons clearly tried to serve the whole of the younger community, with its sister publications Girl and, I believe, Robin focused for the younger ones! As said above, a publication right for its time and treasured by many young readers during the fifties.

— Duncan Tribute

Eagle and Dan Dare were read around the world. I subscribed to Eagle during the 1950s as an 8- to 10-year-old school teacher’s son living in a tiny farming hamlet called Pomborneit North in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. I learned much and could hardly wait to read each episode of distant worlds and fantastic travels.

— Brian McKinlay

My father, Vernon Holding, was Chief Executive of Hulton Press when Marcus Morris first presented the idea of the Eagle becoming a national children’s newspaper derived from the Southport Parish Magazine. After some massive paper breaks, due to the type of paper to which Duncan has referred, the first edition was finally launched to great acclaim. Marcus had assembled an incredible team of writers and artists, which made the paper into something never seen before - Frank Hampson, Alan Stranks (PC 49), Charles Chiltern for the ‘Western’ page, Harris Tweed, Captain Pugwash, the amazing Chad Varrah (founder of the Samaritans) who wrote the ‘back page’, Saul of Tarsus. I became the No. 1 member of the Eagle Club; Janet Morris, Marcus’s eldest daughter, was No. 2. I have the membership card and certificate on the wall of my office. I also have probably the only autographs of Dan Dare and Digby - “To Edward with best wishes from Frank Hampson” with the profiles of DD and Digby painted in colour just above the two magic signatures. Again, as Duncan has rightly said, the Eagle was right for its time – an experiment in imagination and a realisation that young people could be totally absorbed by a ‘comic’ of real quality, which promoted learning at many different levels with being patronising or condescending. Marcus has left a great legacy.

— Edward Holding