EXTRACTS: Pirates! Illustrators Special Edition © 2020 The Book Palace (128 PAGES in Full edition)

12 II: To Sweep the Spanish Main Unlike America, Britain was very late in fully embracing the adventure strip. During the early part of the 20th century, comics were for the most part very juvenile both visually and in their content: the panels were always identically- sized and mostly seen from the same vantage point. The mould was altered mainly thanks to one man. In 1948, Leonard Matthews, the new editor of the Amalgamated Press’ comic, Knockout , set about breaking down the old style of picture strips, giving his artists a greater freedom and encouraging them to ex‐ periment with a more cinematic approach to their work. The other good news, as far as readers of this volume are concerned, is that Matthews had grown up reading Chums and he knew his pirates. In the issue of Knockout dated October 30th, 1948, there appeared the following : “The editor takes pride in announcing that next week he will present a new picture story entitled: ‘Captain Flame’. This is a story of a gallant adventurer who was pledged to cleanse the SpanishMain of piracy! It is told to you by Sep‐ timus E. Scott, R.I., the world famous artist, whose works have been exhibited in the Royal Academy. Tell your parents—tell your schoolteachers! For the very first time, Mr. Scott enters the realm of the picture story. You must not miss his truly magnificent pictures! Watch out for Captain Flame!” The first all-action classic pirate picture story had arrived! The first Captain Flame serial, scripted by Matthews himself, must rank among the finest of all pirate strips. Lasting nineteen weeks, this serial told the tale of a young aristo‐ cratic boy, Michael Flame, who is thrown overboard and swept ashore onto a desert island after his ship is attacked by pirates. He vows vengeance for the death of his family: “Let every pirate on the SpanishMain beware!” Fortunately for youngMichael he is not alone on the island and a marooned count educates him—particularly in the art of the sword. This comes in handy when, fifteen years later, a band of pirates, looking for somewhere to bury their treasure, arrive on the island; Michael challenges their chief to a duel, wins and becomes their captain. In this first serial we’re introduced to Captain Flame’s two companions who are to be with him in all seven serials: Fat Louis the cook and, most original of creations, a swashbuckling female pirate known solely as ‘The Moth’. This nubile young woman—dressed always in a simple white blouse and black Ber‐ muda shorts—is a dab hand with the bullwhip. She is able to whip the pistol out of a villainous rogue’s hand at ten paces. These three comrades along with the myriad of evil pirates they encounter on their voyages are all drawn with great understanding of character and body language by Sep E. Scott ( illustrators 13 ). LEFT: Various adaptations for Thriller Comics Library, during the 1950s, of popular Rafael Sabatini pirate novels. FACING PAGE LEFT: Original artwork for the cover of Thriller Comics No. 13 without the awful colour, featuring Captain Flame by Septimus Scott. FACING PAGE RIGHT AND BOTTOM: ‘Captain Flame’ was an original title drawn by Septimus E. Scott, first for Knockout from 1948 to 1953 (from which this panel comes), and later reprinted in Thriller Comics Library.