John McLusky
Encyclopedia
John McLusky is a former comics artist
best known as the original artist of the comic strip
featuring Ian Fleming
's James Bond.
McLusky began illustrating the comic strip adaptation of James Bond for the Daily Express
. From 1958 to 1966, McLusky adapted 13 of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels or short stories. His depiction of James Bond may have inspired the casting of Sean Connery
as the first film James Bond.
After Yaroslav Horak
had taken over the James Bond strip, McLusky drew Secret Agent 13 for Fleetway
. For the magazine TV Comic
McLusky illustrated several strips over 15 years, notably Look and Learn
and strip adaptations for Laurel & Hardy, and the Pink Panther. In 1982 McLusky returned to illustrate the James Bond strip, collaborating with writer Jim Lawrence to illustrate 4 new original James Bond stories.
John McLusky continued other work throughout his career – including substitute teaching and work as a puppeteer on Bournemouth pier. He continued this other work because at one stage he had almost lost the ability to speak due to his isolation from other human beings.
Throughout his life he kept correspondence from various acquaintances – including Stan Laurel
and his student The Castigator Poet Clare Washbrook.
Comics artist
A comics artist is an artist working within the comics medium on comic strips, comic books or graphic novels. The term may refer to any number of artists who contribute to produce a work in the comics form, from those who oversee all aspects of the work to those who contribute only a part.-Comic...
best known as the original artist of the comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
featuring Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
's James Bond.
Biography
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
. From 1958 to 1966, McLusky adapted 13 of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels or short stories. His depiction of James Bond may have inspired the casting of Sean Connery
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
as the first film James Bond.
After Yaroslav Horak
Yaroslav Horak
Yaroslav Horak is a Russian born, Australian based illustrator and comics artist, best known for his work on the newspaper comic strip, James Bond.-Biography:...
had taken over the James Bond strip, McLusky drew Secret Agent 13 for Fleetway
Fleetway
Fleetway, also known as Fleetway Publications and Fleetway Editions, was a UK publishing company which mainly produced comic magazines. For a time owned by IPC Media, they are now a division of Egmont Publishing....
. For the magazine TV Comic
TV Comic
TV Comic was a British comic book published weekly between November 9, 1951 and June 29, 1984 for 1,697 issues. With its bright, eye-catching covers, it featured stories based on television shows running at the time of publication. The first issue had 8 pages and had Muffin the Mule on the cover....
McLusky illustrated several strips over 15 years, notably Look and Learn
Look and Learn
Look and Learn was a British weekly educational magazine for children published by Fleetway Publications Ltd from 1962 until 1982. It contained educational text articles that covered a wide variety of topics from volcanoes to the Loch Ness Monster; a long running science fiction comic strip, The...
and strip adaptations for Laurel & Hardy, and the Pink Panther. In 1982 McLusky returned to illustrate the James Bond strip, collaborating with writer Jim Lawrence to illustrate 4 new original James Bond stories.
John McLusky continued other work throughout his career – including substitute teaching and work as a puppeteer on Bournemouth pier. He continued this other work because at one stage he had almost lost the ability to speak due to his isolation from other human beings.
Throughout his life he kept correspondence from various acquaintances – including Stan Laurel
Stan Laurel
Arthur Stanley "Stan" Jefferson , better known as Stan Laurel, was an English comic actor, writer and film director, famous as the first half of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy. His film acting career stretched between 1917 and 1951 and included a starring role in the Academy Award winning film...
and his student The Castigator Poet Clare Washbrook.
James Bond strips
| Title | Writer | Date | Serial no. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casino Royale | Anthony Hern | July 7, 1958 – December 13, 1958 | 1-138 |
| Live and Let Die | Henry Gammidge Henry Gammidge Henry Gammidge was a writer of the James Bond comic strip that appeared in Daily Express newspaper and syndicated worldwide. Gammidge adapted Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, which were then drawn by illustrator John McLusky. Gammidge worked on eleven stories, which were published from 15 December... |
December 15, 1958 – March 28, 1959 | 139-225 |
| Moonraker | Henry Gammidge | March 30, 1959 – August 8, 1959 | 226-339 |
| Diamonds Are Forever | Henry Gammidge | August 10, 1959 – January 30, 1960 | 340-487 |
| From Russia with Love | Henry Gammidge | February 1, 1960 – May 21, 1960 | 488-583 |
| Dr. No | Peter O'Donnell Peter O'Donnell Peter O'Donnell was a British writer of mysteries and of comic strips, best known as the creator of Modesty Blaise, a female action hero/undercover trouble-shooter/enforcer... |
May 23, 1960 – October 1, 1960 | 584-697 |
| Goldfinger | Henry Gammidge | October 3, 1960 – April 1, 1961 | 698-849 |
| Risico | Henry Gammidge | April 3, 1961 – June 24, 1961 | 850-921 |
| From a View to a Kill | Henry Gammidge | June 26, 1961 – September 9, 1961 | 922-987 |
| For Your Eyes Only | Henry Gammidge | September 11, 1961 – December 9, 1961 | 988-1065 |
| Thunderball | Henry Gammidge | December 11, 1961 – February 10, 1962 | 1066–1128 |
| On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Henry Gammidge | June 29, 1964 – May 15, 1965 | 1-274 |
| You Only Live Twice | Henry Gammidge | May 17, 1965 – January 8, 1966 | 275-475 |
Other work
- Deathmask (1982–1983)
- Flittermouse (1983)
- Polestar (1983)
- The Scent Of Danger
External links
- John McLusky biography on Lambiek Comiclopedia
- John McLusky's artwork