Dan Dare - operation fireball

It's hard (after all these years) to find new Dan Dare / Eagle publications out there...but I came across this reprint recently... 

A4 sized, colour cover (and colour first 3 pages) with the actual reprint of the (Keith Watson illustrated Dan Dare story) Operation Fireball story in 20 pages (10 episodes) in black & white. 

Operation Fireball ran in Eagle from August-October 1962 (volume 13 issue 33 to issue 42). The story wasn't reprinted in the original Hawk Books series. This slim volume, published anonymously, sought to redress this balance. 

I'd welcome any information on who produced this.

Frank Hampson art

These magnificent Frank Hampson pieces were up for sale recently and I'm just using the blog to record their existence (and hammer price). Sold on 7th October 2025 by auctioneer Sworders in their 'Modern & Contemporary art' auction.

Digby

size is 35.5cm x 25.5cm

Hammer price = £500

Dan Dare

size is 41cm x 29cm

Hammer price = £750

The Mekon

size is 41cm x 29cm
Hammer price = £950

All other mentions of Frank Hampson on the blog can be found here

All other mentions of Dan Dare Hampson on the blog can be here found here

Eaglecon 80 - part 13

It occurs to me that I've not covered anything to do with the very first Eagle comic convention - Eaglecon 80. A recent sale by ace ebay seller phil-comics (here) of one of the awards from Eaglecon 80 (see below) for £155 has inspired me to start looking images.

I looked at some initial images here

We had images about what was on display here

images of the original art that was on display here

the banquet dinner here

from the panels here

Frank Hampson here

Interviews being held here

Keith Watson here

More Keith here

Miscellaneous photos here

photos from a recent ebay sale here

more photos from a recent ebay sale here

and now a further (final?) selection of images relating to the convention

Eaglecon 80 guide to what's on

Eaglecon 80 guide to what's on

Eaglecon 80 guide to what's on

Eaglecon 80 (ordinary) ticket

Eaglecon 80 headed paper

Newsletter #1 from the Eaglecon 80 planners 

Newsletter #2 & #4 from the Eaglecon 80 planners 

Newsletter #1 from the Eaglecon 80 planners 

Eaglecon 80 - part 12

It occurs to me that I've not covered anything to do with the very first Eagle comic convention - Eaglecon 80. A recent sale by ace ebay seller phil-comics (here) of one of the awards from Eaglecon 80 (see below) for £155 has inspired me to start looking images.

I looked at some initial images here

We had images about what was on display here

images of the original art that was on display here

the banquet dinner here

from the panels here

Frank Hampson here

Interviews being held here

Keith Watson here

More Keith here

Miscellaneous photos here

photos from a recent ebay sale here

 

And now a final selection of images from that ebay sale...

Eaglecon 80 - part 10

It occurs to me that I've not covered anything to do with the very first Eagle comic convention - Eaglecon 80. A recent sale by ace ebay seller phil-comics (here) of one of the awards from Eaglecon 80 (see below) for £155 has inspired me to start looking images.

I looked at some initial images here

We had images about what was on display here

images of the original art that was on display here

the banquet dinner here

from the panels here

Frank Hampson here

Interviews being held here

Keith Watson here

More Keith here

All these images are from the late, great Eagle & Dan Dare historian Adrian Perkins.

And now we have

This photo is entitled 'at our first planning meeting' - the chap in the middle is artist Keith Page and I think it's Alan Vince on the left

Charles Evans-Gunther (left); Alan Whitehead (right). Both well-known Eagle fans back in the day.

Keith Watson & Frank Hampson

Greta Tomlinson - Dan Dare artist (and model for Professor Peabody)

Keith Page & Rod 'Spaceship Away' Barzilay

Keith Page again - showing artwork

Peter Hampson

Pip Warwick (left) showing one of his Mekon sculptures to ??

Eaglecon 80 - part 9

It occurs to me that I've not covered anything to do with the very first Eagle comic convention - Eaglecon 80. A recent sale by ace ebay seller phil-comics (here) of one of the awards from Eaglecon 80 (see below) for £155 has inspired me to start looking images.

I looked at some initial images here

We had images about what was on display here

images of the original art that was on display here

the banquet dinner here

from the panels here

Frank Hampson here

Interviews being held here

Keith Watson here

All these images are from the late, great Eagle & Dan Dare historian Adrian Perkins.

And now we have more images of Keith Watson...

Keith Watson and Frank Hampson

Eaglecon 80 - part 8

It occurs to me that I've not covered anything to do with the very first Eagle comic convention - Eaglecon 80. A recent sale by ace ebay seller phil-comics (here) of one of the awards from Eaglecon 80 (see below) for £155 has inspired me to start looking images.

I looked at some initial images here

We had images about what was on display here

images of the original art that was on display here

the banquet dinner here

from the panels here

Frank Hampson here

Interviews being held here

All these images are from the late, great Eagle & Dan Dare historian Adrian Perkins.

And now we have images of Keith Watson...

Keith Watson & Frank Hampson in conversation

Keith Watson & Frank Hampson in conversation

Keith Watson & Frank Hampson in conversation

Eaglecon 80 - part 6

It occurs to me that I've not covered anything to do with the very first Eagle comic convention - Eaglecon 80. A recent sale by ace ebay seller phil-comics (here) of one of the awards from Eaglecon 80 (see below) for £155 has inspired me to start looking images.

I looked at some initial images here

We had images about what was on display here

images of the original art that was on display here

the banquet dinner here

from the panels here

All these images are from the late, great Eagle & Dan Dare historian Adrian Perkins.

And now we have images featuring Frank Hampson

photo restored by Allan Harvey...

photo restored by Allan Harvey...

Frank with the sculpture of the Mekon by Pip Warwick

Frank with Greta Tomlinson

Frank with the fanzine editors (and Fleetway letterer David Gould on the right)

photo restored by Allan Harvey...

David Gould again (with head inclined)