ABOUT RANGER COMIC
Ranger, published by Fleetway, ran for 40 un-numbered issues before joining
'Look and Learn'. It included 'The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire' and
'Space Cadet'. Believe it or not, an 'Asterix' strip was also used,
translated
into English and partly rewritten. The Gauls became Ancient Brits.
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BY A HAIR’S BREADTH
In this country we have gates at level crossings and when a train is due these are always closed. On the Continent the level crossing gates are often more like poles, and drop down from above instead of swinging across. Imagine then how the driver of a crack diesel express on the Berlin line felt, when he saw a red sports car hurtling towards the gates (which were already dropping) without slackening speed.
The car, driven by Max Schmidt, was taking part in a road race, and Schmidt was clearly taking a chance on getting across. Schmidt did not reduce speed at all. The low-slung sports car shot under the level crossing poles with inches to spare between it and the oncoming express.
HOW DO WE KNOW THIS IS HAMPSON?
Because you’ll find his signature in tiny capital letters on the lower left hand of the picture, running parallel with the railway lines, beneath the edge of the ballast.
HOW WAS THE IDEA RESURRECETED?
In mid 1965 Fleetway began to put together a new comic ‘Ranger’ - launched 18th September. They went back to the vaults and found this art, which was used in Issue No.1 in a feature ghosted for David Nixon titled ‘Railway Days and Ways’. In subsequent weeks a series of similar one-off railway stories appeared, illustrated by regular Fleetway artists. You might think Frank was invited to contribute to ‘Ranger’, but since Leonard Matthews was
editorial controller it’s not likely. |
