JOHN MCLUSKY
FRAMED ORIGINAL PUBLISHED COMIC STRIP ART FOR “IAN FLEMING’S/JAMES BOND, DR. NO”, Ca. 1960 UK Daily Express Newspaper

Features James Bond, Honey Ryder, and The Flame-Thrower -just after Quarrel was burned to his death

Ian Fleming commissioned John McLusky to illustrate a daily comic strip for his James Bond character and stories. In 1958 the original face of James Bond was born and graced the UK Daily Express newspaper as an on-going series while Ian Fleming continued to write his novels. The James Bond daily comic strips, each illustrated by by John McLusky originated in 1958 commencing with Casino Royale. McLusky worked from a story script, provided to him on a sheet of typed paper, outlining each frame. The pieces are rendered in graphite, pen, ink and tone “Zippatone”, which came in sheets in various shades and textures. Lettering on all the panels of comic art was done entirely by hand, with some being hand lettered paste ups. This is an original one-of-a-kind published piece.

The original artwork offered here was one of the strips for “Dr. No”, which ran in the 1960’s. This superb 3 panel strip shows The Flame-Thrower machine artistically presented in the background, with Honey Ryder’s silhouette to the foreground, and James Bond by her side. Both being confronted to surrender just after the Flame-Thrower burned Quarrel to death. Bond had asked Quarrel to boat him to Crab Key. Quarrel feared the island because it was rumoured to contain a dragon and he had known friends who went and were never seen again, but he ultimately agrees to go. They arrive on the island at night, and when they wake up in the morning they meet Honey Ryder, a girl diving for rare shells. The island’s “dragon” turned out to be a machine run on diesel and it drove through the swamp after them. Bond decided to take out the lights while Quarrel took out the drivers. Quarrel couldn’t find an opening in the bush, so he moved forward to the next one and started shooting at the drivers. The “dragon” was too well protected however and Quarrel came to a gruesome end when the flamethrower burned him to death. In this scene both Honey and Bond were confronted to come out and surrender. The Flame-Thrower is shown again in the second panel alongside an incinerated bush, the third panel shows Bond and Honey Ryder.

The art is in excellent condition with the expected age toning.

Presented double matted, framed and glazed to a completed size of 23.75″ x 11.25″. The artwork by sight is 17.5″ x 5.25″.

PROVENANCE: Ex. The McLusky estate by descent

FRAMED SIZE: 23.75″ x 11.25″

Would make a unique gift for a James Bond enthusiast!!

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