Michael's comic book work?

[Anonymous]

I have a question for Michael regarding his work for Amalgamated Press comics in the early 1960's in the UK. One of the artists who drew many of the strips written by Michael (Don Lawrence) died very recently. I wondered if Michael had ever met Don at any time and what he thought of his interpretations of his script?

Peter Hansen
Vancouver, Canada

[Michael Moorcock]

I knew Don pretty well and liked him a great deal. I'd been acquainted with him since the Mick Anglo days -- Miller and Sons and Westworld (who did Tarzan Adventures) had close links. I loved doing colour work with Don, who had a fine hand with a watercolour brush. And using that lovely gravure which Look and Learn and Bible Story had was a joy.
I don't remember everything I did with Don. Some Karl the Vikings, including a Lion Annual colour set, Constantine, the First Christian Emperor, for Bible Story and Alexander the Great for Look and Learn.
I also did some Olac the Gladiators with Don. If memory serves Don did some Tarzan covers, but copying Hogarth from the interior of the comic
as requested. Contrary to legend, I didn't do any Trigan Empire with him. At least, as far as I remember! I did a lot of work for Look and Learn, though, and I know he illustrated a fair bit of what I did. Same with Bible Story. I didn't keep copies of any of that stuff, so am bad at
remembering, even if shown stuff. I'm not always sure I wrote it. I worked with the Embletons and a number of other very fine artists. I
was going to work with Frank Hampson, but Frank had problems and the project never came off. Worked with Bellamy, too. I've been lucky in that through most of my comic work I've been able to choose the artist partner, just as I work with Walter Simonson now.