Spider and Steel Claw - Fleetway Super Library

[Calenture]

I couldn't find the copy of the DC Spectre that I wanted, so here are some covers of The Fleetway Super Library from 1967, if you remember those. The Spider and The Steel Claw appeared usually in The Lion - and for all I know, they probably still do, if it's still going, as British comics don't seem to change much with the years.

The Spider operated from a creepy castle, and sometimes seemed as dubious as the criminals he fought. The Steel Claw was secret agent Louis Crandall, who became invisible when he stuck the fingers of his artificial hand in a light socket (I'd be surprised if they'd get that storyline past Health and Safety regulations, these days).

This site explains that The Spider first appeared in June 1965 in Lion comic, created by Edward Cowan and drawn by Reg Bunns. Jerry Siegel (co-creator of Superman took over the writing until February 1969). The comics aren't signed, and there were certainly a few artists working on the digest sized books. More details here: The Spider.

There was also a Secret Agent Library, and a Front Line Library, all appearing in pairs monthly, totalling 6 books a month. The only date here is the year. I lost issue 1 (Steel Claw) and 2 (Spider) when I loaned them to a friend, and his dad chucked them out.

I still haven't quite forgiven him for that! But I have 10 left.

[fullbreakfast]

Ha, I had vague childhood memories of this Spock-like tosser who flew around in a giant blender fighting crime, and here he is! The Spider, how could I have forgotten??

[pulphack]

british comics don't seem to change much with the years? bloody hell, rog, they're all gone with the exception of the dandy and beano, and 2000AD.

there's a bit about the steel claw on the old board. i'd direct anyone to find the titan book of the first three, ken bulmer written, strips. there's also a spider collection which has some of jerry siegal's UK work in it, i believe. Titan also have a thunderbolt jaxon title which is a 'reimagining' of the character (ugh, horrible term), and an Albion precursor title which collects some Kelly's Eye, Cursitor Doom, and Janus Stark scripts.

the odd thing for me about the Steel Claw (which also ran in Valiant before that was merged with Lion - or was it then other way round?) is that the Bulmer stuff isn't as good as the Tom Tully stuff - there's a great series from the early 70's - the first Return Of The Claw strip - which mixes some quatermass and village of the damned themes with a disillusioned Louis Crandall alking away from the government and only returning because his own idealism is reawoken - strong stuff in a strip aimed at ten year old boys, and all the more odd for coming from a bloke who usually wrote sports strips and is best remembered as the longest running Roy Of The Rovers writer!