ex-Eagle artists on show in Ladybird exhibition (2)

The work of a number of ex-Eagle artists can be seen at a new exhibition which has just opened at Reading Museum

The second ex-Eagle artist to be featured is a highly prolific contributor to the series, Martin Aitchison. Martin drew a number of strips for Eagle - the best known would probably be 'Luck of the legion' but he also drew 'Hornblower' and 'the Lost World' - two literary adaptations.

His work here is from the books 'Boys & Girls' and 'Things we like'...

Here's one of Martin's covers for Eagle Times (showing the 'Luck of the Legion' gang plus at least one very recognisable dictator trussed up like a Christmas turkey), this is from the Winter 1993 issue of Eagle Times, volume 6, issue 4.

Here are 2 unpublished  illustrations he drew as reference material for the strip 'Justin Tyme' ; one of Justin and one of his local pub...

The Eagle Society dinner in 1996 featured as its star guests the Luck of the Legion team - writer Geoffrey Bond (left) and artist Martin Aitchison (centre).

They were also persuaded to sign books for society members...

Another of Martin's paintings, this was also turned into a centrespread illustration for Eagle Times (as it featured CS Forester's character Lieutenant Hownblower - whose adventures he also illustrated in Eagle).

More details of the Eagle Society can be found here

http://eagle-times.blogspot.co.uk/

ABC film review - November 1952

Here's Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson posing on the front cover of the November 1952 issue of 'ABC film review' - if you look closely you'll see that they both appear to be wearing the same shade of lipstick!

The Luck of the Legions strip is written by the usual eagle creative team of Geoffrey Bond and Martin Aitchison (who only died very recently http://boysadventurecomics.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/in-memoriam-2-martin-aitchison.html)

A strip from Girl - script by Valerie Hastings, art by Bernard Greenbaum. Valerie Hastings wrote two Girl 'spin off' novels - Wendy & Jinx and the Dutch stamp mystery; and Wendy & Jinx and the missing scientist

And here's Richard Attenborough on the back page in a shot from "Father's doing fine" - a rollicking technicolour comedy no less!

ABC film review - September 1952

From September 1952...

Luck of the legion by the classic team of Geoffrey Bond and Martin Aitchison (who only died recently...http://downthetubes.net/?p=34936)

In memoriam (2) - Martin Aitchison

Martin Aitchison died (aged 96) on 22nd October 2016. Martin will be best remembered for his work with the publisher Ladybird and his work for the original Eagle magazine in the 1950s, particularly his work illustrating the 'Luck of the legion' series of stories written by Geoffrey Bond.


Fulsome tributes have already appeared elsewhere on the web (see below)
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/nov/10/martin-aitchison-obituary


http://downthetubes.net/?p=34936


http://britainisnocountryforoldmen.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/britain-is-no-longer-country-for-and_29.html


so I just thought I would add some new images to the mix...


Here's one of Martin's covers for Eagle Times (showing the 'Luck of the Legion' gang plus at least one very recognisable dictator trussed up like a Christmas turkey), this is from the Winter 1993 issue of Eagle Times, volume 6, issue 4.

The Down the Tubes tribute mentions his work on the strip 'Justin Tyme' - here are 2 unpublished  illustrations he drew as reference material for the strip; one of Justin and one of his local pub

The Eagle Society dinner in 1996 featured as its star guests the Luck of the Legion team - writer Geoffrey Bond (left) and artist Martin Aitchison (centre).

They were also persuaded to sign books for society members

Another of Martin's paintings, this was also turned into a centrespread illustration for Eagle Times (as it featured CS Forester's character Lieutenant Hownblower - whose adventures he also illustrated in Eagle).

More details of the Eagle Society can be found here
http://eagle-times.blogspot.co.uk/