Ron Embleton: Biggles vs Dr. Zanchu

  
Ronald Sydney Embleton (6 October 1930 – 13 February 1988) was a British comics artist and illustrator whose work was much admired by fans and editors alike. David Ashford and Norman Wright, writing in Book and Magazine Collector (March 2002) note that "his work for such diverse periodicals as Express Weeky, TV Century 21, Princess, Boy's World and Look and Learn have earned him the respect of every practitioner in the field and the gratitude of all of us who admire the art of the comic strip." (Wikipedia)
Biggles vs Dr. Zanchu was published in TV EXPRESS WEEKLY 1960. We show the French version of the comic.

RON EMBLETON

Biggles in the Jungle illustrated by Terence Cuneo and Alfred Sindall

Terence Cuneo (1907–1996) was an English painter famous for his scenes of railways, horses, ceremonies, and military action.
He was most famous for his passion for engineering subjects, particularly locomotives and the railway as a whole, not to mention his wide range of specialist military works. In fact Terence painted an enormous range of other subjects from big game in Africa to landscapes in Europe. Further success was achieved in his regimental commissions and battle scenes as well as portraits, which include Her Majesty the Queen and Field Marshal Montgomery. (Cuneo Society Website)

Terence Cuneo

 His father was Cyrus Cuneo, his mother Nell née Tenison. They were both established artists who had met in Paris whilst studying under Whistler. Terence's uncles, Rinaldo and Egisto, were also a well-known artists, based in San Francisco.

***

 Deutsche Ausgabe , Verlag Hallwag Bern, 1957

mit den Illustrationen von Alfred Sindall

Alfred Sindall and Howard Leigh, two illustrators of Biggles Books

In den Fünfzigerjahren verlegte der Verlag Hallwag Bern eine Serie von Biggels-Büchern, verfasst von Captain W.E. Johns. Sie waren bei den Buben sehr beliebt. Warum das englische Biggles bei den deutschen Ausgaben zu Biggels umgewandelt wurde, kann ich eigentlich nicht nachvollziehen. Hallwag übernahm mehr oder weniger die Ausstattung der Bände, in der sie bei Oxford University Press von Geoffrey Cumberlege erschienen waren: Schutzumschlag mit immer dem gleichen Bild von Biggles in Fliegerausrüstung und den Illustrationen von Alfred Sindall. Es muss aber bemerkt werden, dass der Name des Illustrators in den deutschen Ausgaben wieder einmal unter den Tisch gefallen ist.

English Editions

Alfred William Sindall was born in Camberwell, London, on 21 March 1900, son of William Cadman Sindall, a banker's clerk, and his wife Emily. He married Elsie M. Harvey in Greenwich in 1922. From at least 1935 he illustrated books, including some in the Biggles series by W. E. Johns. He drew the daily strips Paul Temple (1951-54) in the London Evening News, and Tug Transom (1954-69, written by Peter O'Donnell in the Daily Sketch. He drew for Girl in the 1950s, including "Royal Margaret” (1952). He died in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, in the first quarter of 1973. 

Nachfolgend zeigen wir die Illustrationen von  Alfred Sindall für die deutsche Ausgabe von BIGGELS UND DER SCHWARZE ELEFANT (englischer Titel: Biggles and the Black Rider). Es sei an dieser Stelle angemerkt, dass der Verlag Hallwag keines der zahlreichen, spannenden Kriegsabenteuer von Biggles - mag sein aus pazifistischen Gründen - herausgab.

 Deutsche Ausgabe Hallwag Bern

Die Erstausgaben der englischen Biggles-Ausgaben, die bei Hodder & Stoughton erschienen, sind natürlich für das Auge des Betrachters viel spektakulärer, insofern viele Ausgaben farbige Illustrationen oder oft ein farbiges Frontispiz, nebst schwarz-weissen Illustrationen, enthalten. Zudem sind diese Ausgaben mit einem farbigen Schutzumschlag versehen. Wir zeigen hier die Illustrationen zu Biggles and the Black Raider illustriert von Leslie Stead. Diese Ausgabe erschien 1953.

Leslie Stead was born Leslie Leonard Stead on 15th December 1899 in West Norwood and died on 20th June 1966 in Norbury. During the First World War he served as a Private in the Kings Royal Rifles. He married Beatrice Durrell in 1925. It is said that Leslie Stead based Biggles’ face upon his own.

Many aviation collectors and dealers will have encountered Howard Leigh’s work in postcard, book, magazine, boys paper, or art-print form, perhaps without giving a second thought to his name! Leigh was one of the finest aviation artists of the 1930’s. Today he is best remembered as the illustrator of the earliest ‘Biggles’ books by W E Johns. However he made a wider contribution to aviation art during the inter-war period. Since his death, his work has been somewhat neglected by collectors including the postcard fraternity. Certainly his artistic talents are deserving of more attention. 

Ginger throttled back, making a close study of the area for the best landing place.

Pointing in the direction of the scrub Mishu said one word, "Cetezulu".

...He could no longer see anything except dark grey mist tearing past.

Ginger stood in a conspicuous position and waved...

The black elephant himself.

Bertie and Algy slewed the machine around.

In the bright orange glare of the torch a barbaric picture took shape.

There were many tracks, he said.