Dan Dare art conundrum

[A.Cow]

Out of idle curiosity, I was scanning through various sites which had original Massimo Belardinelli art for sale.  Not that I can afford it, but it sure is purdy to look at.

I came across this on Art Droids:



I was comparing it to the original prog and realised it's an amalgum of two different pages.

Now I know lots of stuff was re-formatted for the US Quality reprints, but I though that the early Belardinelli stories had never been reprinted?

Can someone explain this to my tiny brain?  It hurts.

[hippynumber1]

It was drawn as you see it in the picture. Editorial at the time, for whatever reason, decided it would look better (?) over two pages. Simple as that!

[Jim_Campbell]

Well, that lettering clearly belongs on a different page. I've no idea how it's come to be attached to this one, but it bears no relation to what's being shown in the art and the placements are entirely random. Plus, no tails (which were often added to the art with white-out and black pen) only the balloons themselves, which were done on adhesive-backed paper and stuck onto the art.

The physical board itself doesn't show any signs of tampering — I wonder if the balloons detached themselves from their original page and attached themselves to the back of another page whilst in a stack, before getting stuck to this one by some accident...

(Unless those ARE the original balloon placements, in which case they're just bizarre.)

Cheers

Jim

[A.Cow]

It was drawn as you see it in the picture. Editorial at the time, for whatever reason, decided it would look better (?) over two pages. Simple as that!

Thanks!  Explains a lot.  It's fascinating comparing the original and published versions, looking at the spots where they've had to add extra detail.

(Unless those ARE the original balloon placements, in which case they're just bizarre.)

Checked -- the speech balloons come from the previous prog, so your detached/re-stuck theory sounds spot-on.

[Skullmo]

How much is this page again?

[hippynumber1]

Too much! 

[Spikes]

(Unless those ARE the original balloon placements, in which case they're just bizarre.)

Checked -- the speech balloons come from the previous prog, so your detached/re-stuck theory sounds spot-on.

Yes, speech balloons have a habit of becoming detached - either completely, or heading that way.
Not especially common, but it happens enough. And given the age of some of these art pages, to be expected I guess.

[Skullmo]

Too much! 

I disagree! You are effectively getting 2 pages for the price of one here, 3 if you count the speech from the other episode! And if you are getting 3 pages i think it is appropriately priced

[hippynumber1]

Seeing as you put it like that - bargain!

[Skullmo]

I prefer this page with the wrong dialogue - it is a bit like a John Smith Dan Dare!

[hippynumber1]

The only Dan Dare written by John Smith? Super-rare, double the price!

[Skullmo]

Double the actual price? Or double the price it should be therefore making it 1/3 off?

[hippynumber1]

It's like a financial Gordian Knot!

[Spikes]

The page should pay for it's self.
Just find the guy who has the page with the speech balloons missing, and you're laughing.

[A.Cow]

The only Dan Dare written by John Smith? Super-rare, double the price!

The words are far too short, and they make some sense -- must be a fake John Smith.

Fake John Smith Dan Dare?  Even rarer!  Quadruple the price!!