James Bond was a comic strip that was based on the eponymous, fictional character created by author Ian Fleming. Starting in 1958 and continuing to 1983, it consisted of 52 story arcs that were syndicated in British newspapers, seven of which were initially published abroad.
Publication history
Daily Express strips
In 1957, the Daily Express, a newspaper owned by Lord Beaverbrook, approached Ian Fleming about adapting his James Bond stories as comic strips. Fleming was then reluctant, because he felt the comic strips would lack the quality of his writing, potentially hurting his spy novel series while he was still writing. Fleming wrote:
Art by John McLusky
Regardless, Fleming later agreed, and to aid the Daily Express in illustrating James Bond, Fleming commissioned an artist to sketch whom he believed James Bond to look like. The assigned illustrator, John McLusky, however, felt that Fleming's 007 appeared too "outdated" and "pre-war", and thus changed James Bond to a more rugged and masculine appearance.
The first strip, Casino Royale, was published in 1958. The story was adapted by Anthony Hern, who previously had serialised Diamonds Are Forever and From Russia with Love for the Daily Express. The majority of the early comic strips were adapted by Henry Gammidge (other than the Dr. No adaptation, 1960, by Peter O'Donnell, years before he launched his strip Modesty Blaise). McLusky later would illustrate twelve more James Bond comic strips with partner Gammidge until 1966.
In 1962 the Daily Express abruptly cancelled their agreement with Ian Fleming when Lord Beaverbrook and Fleming disputed the rights to the James Bond short story "The Living Daylights". Fleming had sold the rights to the Sunday Times, a rival newspaper—upsetting Beaverbrook into terminating his business relationship with Fleming. The dispute abruptly ended the comic strip adaptation of Thunderball. Additional panels were added later for its syndication to other newspapers, and to expand and conclude the story. Beaverbrook and Fleming later settled their differences, and the comic strip serial would continue in 1964 with On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
+ Art by John McLuskyTitle Writer Date Serial no.Casino Royale Anthony Hern 7 July 1958 – 13 December 1958 1–138Live and Let Die Henry Gammidge 15 December 1958 – 28 March 1959 139–225Moonraker Henry Gammidge 30 March 1959 – 8 August 1959 226–339Diamonds Are Forever Henry Gammidge 10 August 1959 – 30 January 1960 340–487From Russia, with Love Henry Gammidge 1 February 1960 – 21 May 1960 488–583Dr. No Peter O'Donnell 23 May 1960 – 1 October 1960 584–697Goldfinger Henry Gammidge 3 October 1960 – 1 April 1961 698–849Risico Henry Gammidge 3 April 1961 – 24 June 1961 850–921From a View to a Kill Henry Gammidge 26 June 1961 – 9 September 1961 922–987For Your Eyes Only Henry Gammidge 11 September 1961 – 9 December 1961 988–1065Thunderball Henry Gammidge 11 December 1961 – 10 February 1962 1066–1128On Her Majesty's Secret Service Henry Gammidge 29 June 1964 – 15 May 1965 1–274You Only Live Twice Henry Gammidge 17 May 1965 – 8 January 1966 275–475
Art by Yaroslav Horak
In 1966 Yaroslav Horak replaced John McLusky as the artist for the Daily Express comic strip series and adapted six more Ian Fleming James Bond novels and short stories as well as Kingsley Amis' Colonel Sun with partner Jim Lawrence. The Living Daylights was also republished in the Daily Express after first appearing in the first edition of the Sunday Times magazine on 4 February 1962 and in the American magazine Argosy in June of the same year under the title Berlin Escape.
With the success of The Man with the Golden Gun Horak and Lawrence subsequently went on to write and illustrate twenty original James Bond comic strips for the Daily Express after being granted permission by Ian Fleming's Trust.
+Art by Yaroslav HorakTitle Writer Date Serial no.The Man with the Golden Gun Jim Lawrence 10 January 1966 – 9 September 1966 1–209The Living Daylights Jim Lawrence 12 September 1966 – 12 November 1966 210–263Octopussy Jim Lawrence 14 November 1966 – 27 May 1967 264–428The Hildebrand Rarity Jim Lawrence 29 May 1967 – 16 December 1967 429–602The Spy Who Loved Me Jim Lawrence 18 December 1967 – 3 October 1968 603–815The Harpies Jim Lawrence 10 October 1968 – 23 June 1969 816–1037River of Death Jim Lawrence 24 June 1969 – 29 November 1969 1038–1174Colonel Sun Jim Lawrence 1 December 1969 – 28 August 1970 1175–1393The Golden Ghost Jim Lawrence 21 August 1970 – 16 January 1971 1394–1519Fear Face Jim Lawrence 18 January 1971 – 20 April 1971 1520–1596Double Jeopardy Jim Lawrence 21 April 1971 – 28 August 1971 1597–1708Starfire Jim Lawrence 30 August 1971 – 24 December 1971 1709–1809Trouble Spot Jim Lawrence 28 December 1971 – 10 June 1972 1810–1951Isle of Condors Jim Lawrence 12 June 1972 – 21 October 1972 1952–2065The League of Vampires Jim Lawrence 25 October 1972 – 28 February 1973 2066–2172Die with My Boots On Jim Lawrence 1 March 1973 – 18 June 1973 2173–2256The Girl Machine Jim Lawrence 19 June 1973 – 3 December 1973 2257–2407Beware of Butterflies Jim Lawrence 4 December 1973 – 11 May 1974 2408–2541The Nevsky Nude Jim Lawrence 13 May 1974 – 21 September 1974 2542–2655The Phoenix Project Jim Lawrence 23 September 1974 – 18 February 1975 2656–2780The Black Ruby Caper Jim Lawrence 19 February 1975 – 15 July 1975 2781–2897Till Death Do Us Apart Jim Lawrence 7 July 1975 – 14 October 1975 2898–2983The Torch-Time Affair Jim Lawrence 15 October 1975 – 15 January 1976 2984–3060Hot-Shot Jim Lawrence 16 January 1976 – 1 June 1976 3061–3178Nightbird Jim Lawrence 2 June 1976 – 4 November 1976 3179–3312Ape of Diamonds Jim Lawrence 5 November 1976 – 22 January 1977 3313–3437
Other James Bond comic strips In 1977 the Daily Express discontinued their series of Bond comic strips, although Horak and Lawrence went on to write and illustrate several other James Bond adventures for syndication abroad in Europe, for the Sunday Express (the Sunday edition of the Daily Express), and the Daily Star. Additionally, John McLusky returned to team up with Jim Lawrence for five comic strips. One strip, Doomcrack, featured artwork by Harry North, who at the time worked for MAD Magazine on its film parodies.
The 1983 strip Polestar was abruptly terminated by the Daily Star midway through its run and was not completed, although the complete story did appear in non-UK newspapers and was followed by several more complete serials before the James Bond comic strip officially came to an end.
Title Artist Writer Date Serial no.When the Wizard Awakes Yaroslav Horak Jim Lawrence 30 January 1977 – 22 May 1977 1–54Sea Dragon Yaroslav Horak Jim Lawrence 55–192Death Wing Yaroslav Horak Jim Lawrence 193–354The Xanadu Connection Yaroslav Horak Jim Lawrence 355–468Shark Bait Yaroslav Horak Jim Lawrence 469–636Doomcrack Harry North Jim Lawrence 2 February 1981 – 19 August 1981 1–174The Paradise Plot John McLusky Jim Lawrence 20 August 1981 – 4 June 1982 175–378Deathmask John McLusky Jim Lawrence 7 June 1982 – 2 February 1983 379–552Flittermouse John McLusky Jim Lawrence 9 February 1983 – 20 May 1983 553–624Polestar John McLusky Jim Lawrence 23 May 1983 – 15 July 1983 625–719The Scent of Danger John McLusky Jim Lawrence 720–821Snake Goddess Yaroslav Horak Jim Lawrence 822–893Double Eagle Yaroslav Horak Jim Lawrence 894–965
Titan Books reprints Since first publication in the Daily Express, the comic strip adaptations have been reprinted several times, first by the James Bond 007 International Fan Club in the early 1980s, then annually from 1987 to 1990, by Titan Books company in anthologies, beginning with The Living Daylights to tie-in with the release of the eponymous James Bond film.
First Titan Books series The Living Daylights (June 1987) — includes: The Man with the Golden Gun and The Living Daylights Octopussy (March 1988) — includes: Octopussy and The Hildebrand Rarity The Spy Who Loved Me (June 1989) — includes: The Spy Who Loved Me Casino Royale (July 1990) — includes Casino Royale and Live and Let Die
Second Titan Books series Beginning in 2004, Titan reissued these anthologies in larger, revised editions, and also began reprinting stories that hadn't been featured in the earlier books. With a more frequent publishing schedule than the first series, all 52 stories had been published in seventeen books by March 2010. These volumes include new introductory chapters on the history of the strip and the Bond novels, and most of the books have also included special introductions written by Bond film actors, specifically Caroline Munro (The Spy Who Loved Me), George Lazenby (OHMSS), Shirley Eaton (Goldfinger), Eunice Gayson (Dr. No), Roger Moore (Casino Royale), Maud Adams (Octopussy), Britt Ekland (Colonel Sun), and Richard Kiel (The Golden Ghost). Titan's comic strip reprints were not initially published in the strips' original publication order; this changed as of the release of The Spy Who Loved Me volume.
The Man with the Golden Gun (February 2004) — The Man with the Golden Gun and The Living Daylights Octopussy (May 2004) — Octopussy and The Hildebrand Rarity On Her Majesty's Secret Service (August 2004) — On Her Majesty's Secret Service and You Only Live Twice Goldfinger (November 2004) — Goldfinger, Risico, From a View to a Kill, For Your Eyes Only and Thunderball Casino Royale (February 2005) — Casino Royale, Live and Let Die and Moonraker Dr. No (May 2005) — Diamonds Are Forever, From Russia with Love and Dr. No The Spy Who Loved Me (August 2005) — The Spy Who Loved Me and The Harpies Colonel Sun (December 2005) — River of Death and Colonel Sun The Golden Ghost (April 2006) — The Golden Ghost, Fear Face, Double Jeopardy and Starfire Trouble Spot (September 2006) — Trouble Spot, Isle Of Condors, The League Of Vampires and Die With My Boots On The Phoenix Project (February 2007) — The Phoenix Project, The Black Ruby Caper, Till Death Do Us Part and The Torch-Time Affair Death Wing (July 2007) — Death Wing, Sea Dragon and When The Wizard Awakes Shark Bait (January 2008) — The Xanadu Connection, Shark Bait and Doomcrack The Paradise Plot (June 2008) — The Paradise Plot and Deathmask Polestar (November 2008) — Flittermouse, Polestar, The Scent Of Danger, Snake Goddess and Double Eagle The Girl Machine (July 2009) — The Girl Machine, Beware of Butterflies and The Nevsky Nude Nightbird (March 2010) — Nightbird, Hot-Shot and Ape of Diamonds
The Harpies, included in The Spy Who Loved Me, is the first non-Fleming-based Bond comic strip to be reprinted as well as the first original story. River of Death, in the Colonel Sun collection, is the second original story to be published (Colonel Sun itself being an adaptation of the first post-Fleming Bond novel). The Golden Ghost is the first collection comprising all-original stories.
The collection The Phoenix Project indicates that the July 2007 release was to have been Nightbird, but this was not published as scheduled. The Nightbird collection eventually saw print in March 2010 and is considered the final release in the Titan series as all Daily Express-related strips have now been reprinted.
Third Titan Books series From September 2009 to November 2014 larger volumes called 'Omnibus' editions were released containing more stories in each volume.
The James Bond Omnibus: Volume 001 (September 2009) — Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Moonraker, Diamonds Are Forever, From Russia with Love, Dr. No, Goldfinger, Risico, From a View to a Kill, For Your Eyes Only and Thunderball The James Bond Omnibus: Volume 002 (February 2011) — On Her Majesty's Secret Service, You Only Live Twice, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Living Daylights, Octopussy, The Hildebrand Rarity and The Spy Who Loved Me The James Bond Omnibus: Volume 003 (March 2012) — The Harpies, River of Death, Colonel Sun, The Golden Ghost, Fear Face, Double Jeopardy and Starfire