THE LION ROARS AGAIN AND THE EAGLE SOARS ONCE MORE...

Copyright REBELLION

Well - sort of.  Above is what was a rather beat up copy of the first combined issue of LION & EAGLE from 1969 that I got via ebay back in November.  The seller hadn't noticed 4 missing pages when he listed it, and I didn't notice right away when I received it, as they'd been carefully removed and their absence wasn't immediately obvious.  The seller gave me a full refund and let me keep the issue once I pointed out the fault, and Crivens reader Hucky supplied scans of the missing pages so that I could restore the comic to its full complement of stories.

As I don't have the original absent pages to measure the image sizes, I had to estimate them based on the ones that remain, which aren't all the same ratio so there's no guarantee that the replaced pages are exact matches for the originals.  (I'd guess that they're pretty close though.)  Also, printing on both sides of the same sheet of paper so that the images are 100% back-to-back is difficult to do with any precision, so I had to settle for the art being more in the middle of the page, resulting in the margin near the spine being wider, and the margin on the outer edge being slightly narrower than the surviving pages.

I used FILMOPLAST P90 PLUS (supplied by reader Hackney Steve) to reinforce the cover's spine, and to attach the replacement pages to the other halves from which they'd been separated, and although not perfect, it's a fairly neat, now-complete readable copy of this collectors' item from the '60s.  Incidentally, the tape is less apparent then it appears in the photos - there's something about the camera's flash that makes it seem more obvious in places than it actually is.  Eventually, I'll track down a better condition copy, but mending this one was a fulfilling exercise and saves it from being thrown into the bin.

So I've rescued it from oblivion and feel very proud of myself.  Don't be shy about telling me how how gifted I am in the comments section.  All lies to that effect will be gratefully received.  

Posted in: Cartoons