Friday 24 May 2013

1985: EAGLE PICTURE LIBRARY COVER GALLERY (IPC)

I've already posted the house ads for this short-lived EAGLE spin-off so here's a nearly complete (I don't have issue 11) cover gallery.

As I mentioned last time, this digest-sized PICTURE LIBRARY series (a late entry into the Fleetway range) actually had naff-all to do with the core weekly and pulled its contents from the Fleetway/ IPC back catalogue.  Back in 1985 I could instantly spot this was a stinker.  Not only was it a classic case of passing-off but the reprints seemed incredibly dated.  Perhaps the IPC powers-that-be thought these would appeal to an older audience who remembered them the first time 'round.

It obviously didn't work as the title was canned after the 14th issue.  That's even less impressive than it sounds as two issues, published simultaneously, appeared monthly.

Picture Libraries are a niche collectable within the pantheon of geek media and seldom turn up anywhere other than specialist dealers (and - of course - online), making tracking down copies a challenge.  I also suspect that circulation was pretty low at this point as the rest of the comics business was firmly in decline.

** UPDATE 4 JUNE 2013: Completely by chance, I stumbled across the missing issue (11) at the weekend so I've added it to the gallery below.**


















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