Saturday, October 14, 2023

Today in Comics History, October 14: Happy birthday, Roger Moore!

Born on this day in 1927: cinema's only James Bond, Sir Roger Moore (picture, below, hanging out with his good pal Ben Grimm).


house ad from Fantastic! #45 (IPC UK, 23 December 1967)




Moore also played dandy Beau Maverick on TV's...er, Maverick. A smiling Roger Moore photo greeted you from the comic book's cover. Inside, however, they gave him bright yellow hair!



from Maverick #17 (Dell, November 1961), pencils and inks by Dan Spiegle, letters by Rome Siemen

What? More? Yes, Moore! He was also TV's Simon Templar, the Saint!


from Black Cat (2021 series) #8/20 (Marvel, September 2021), script by Jed MacKay, pencils and inks by C.F. Villa, colors by Brian Reber, letters by Ferran Delgado

Some of the British Saint comics gave the character only a passing visual similarity to the debonair Roger Moore...


...but the UK's TV Tornado had covers that yes, actually DID look like the actor!


The interior art is pretty solid, too, altho' you can see where they've copied publicity photos to make images like this cover and the b/w on the first story page.




from TV Tornado #37 (City Magazines UK, 23 September 1967)

These lovely painted covers from Norway present the dashing side of Roger Moore!


Here's a sharp-looking painted cover from a UK Saint book...and some fighting advice from the Master!



from Roger Moore Adventure Book (Souvenir Press, 1966)

What If...? Roger Moore and Robert Vaughn had a baby?


cover of Secret Agents #2 (Personality, December 1991), painted art by John Ward

By far his most famous role, of course, is in The Cannonball Run the James Bond series! European comics series which had previously depicted Sean Connery in painted art now over mostly went to photos of Moore.


When Moore's 007 was portrayed for the first time in the US, we got the full Marvel Comics treatment!





from James Bond: For Your Eyes Only #1-2 (Marvel, October-November 1981), script by Larry Hama, pencils (and cover) by Howard Chaykin, inks by Vince Colletta, colors by Christie Scheele, letters by Jean Simek

The sequel movie comic was apparently produced in the UK and used the painted poster art and photos for the cover...


cover of Marvel Super Special #26 [Octopussy] (Marcel, 1983), painted art by Dan Goozee

Interior art was by Paul Neary.




from Marvel Super Special #26; script by Steve Moore, pencils and inks by Paul Neary, letters by Annie Halfacree

Stalwart British comic 2000 AD welcomes Bond to fight alongside Judge Dredd and Sláine and Halo Jones and that killer bear!


cover of 2000 AD and Starlord prog 119 (IPC, 30 June 1979)

But don't get too excited by that cover...the only Bond content in that issue is a single-page movie promo. "Photo-packed!"


from 2000 AD and Starlord prog 119

I've said it before and I'll say it again: you're nobody in this business until you're drawn by Mort Drucker.





from "The Spy Who Glubbed Me" in MAD #199 (June 1978), script by Dick DeBartolo, pencils and inks by Mort Drucker

So join me in saluting birthday boy Roger Moore! He may no longer be with us, but I bet he left with a wink and a terrible pun.


from Marvel Super Special #26

Happy birthday, Sir Roger!

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