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Showing posts with label Leonard Matthews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leonard Matthews. Show all posts

10 December 2025

Mr William Pulley of Fleetway House

A long time ago (here to be precise) I shared a copy of my guide to Fleetway House. It showed a couple of stern looking doormen guarding the building. Well now we can name at least one Fleetway doormen!

He was William Pulley and according to this ebay listing he was a former tram driver who was retiring. The full description says...

Wonderful original big card signed by a large number of staff from Fleetway House, London – home of many of Britain’s best-loved comics and magazines. Dated 1963, the year Fleetway was absorbed into IPC Magazines.

The card was presented to retiring doorman William Pulley (who was a tram driver before becoming their doorman) and contains numerous signatures from editorial, design, and office staff – including that of Leonard Matthews (see second pic), one of the most important figures in the history of British comics. Matthews served as editorial director and played a key role in shaping legendary titles such as EagleLionGirlLook and LearnTiger, and Buster. Included as well, are two press photos of Pulley - the larger one has a Fleetway House Amalgamated Press ink stamp on the reverse. He's a stern looking chap :-)

I'd welcome the identification of any other signatures. Do shout if you spot any good ones that you can link to comic creators

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27 May 2020

new from Book Palace books - part 1

Book Palace books have announced some new reprint volumes - here are the details of the first 2 books...

Glorious collection of four complete swashbuckling stories

The Scottish Chiefs
Thriller Picture Library #58 published March 1954
Art by Reg Bunn, cover art by Sep Scott
based on the book by Jane Porter

Under the Golden Dragon: The Story of the Norman Conquest
Thriller Picture Library #132 published May 1954
Art by Patrick Nicolle, cover art by WR Calvert
Written by Michael Butterworth

The Picture of Dorian Grey
Thriller Picture Library #148 published November 1956
Art by Robert Forrest, cover art by Sep Scott
Written by Leonard Matthews, after the novel by Oscar Wilde

The Three Musketeers and the Prince of Peril
Thriller Picture Library #183 published August 1957
Art by John Millar Watt, cover art by Enrico de Seta
Written by Leonard Matthews and G Allman, after the novel by Alexandre Dumas

Authors: Michael Butterworth, Leonard Matthews, G Allman, Jane Porter
Artists: Reg Bunn, Patrick Nicolle, Robert Forrest, John Millar Watt
Publisher: Book Palace Books, due late 2020
Number of pages: 272
Format: Flexi Cover; Black & White illustrations
Size: 6" x 8" (165mm x 215mm)
ISBN: 9781913548049


Next volume is...


Complete stories featuring the exhilarating piratical art of Philip Mendoza, Reg Bunn, Robert Forrest and John Millar Watt.

More details to follow.

Artists: Philip Mendoza, Reg Bunn, Robert Forrest, John Millar Watt
Publisher: Book Palace Books, due Summer 2020
Number of pages: 272
Format: Flexi Cover; Black & White illustrations
Size: 6" x 8" (165mm x 215mm)
ISBN: 9781907081910