JOHN MCLUSKY
ORIGINAL IAN FLEMING COMMISSIONED PUBLISHED STORY BOARD ART FOR “JAMES BOND’S, LIVE AND LET DIE”, Ca. 1958 UK Daily Express Newspaper
“And Suddenly, Beyond the Cavern, was my Enemy, Mr. Big”
Features James Bond in a superb 3 panel strip which takes place at the start of the famous Cavern Scene with Mr. Big. The actual ‘book’ portrays Bond’s entrance differently from the Hollywood movie. The art offered here was commissioned by Fleming long before the movie and Bond still makes his grand entrance to meet Mr. Big in the Cavern.
Ian Fleming commissioned John McLusky to illustrate a daily comic strip for his James Bond character and stories. In 1959 the original face of James Bond was born and graced the UK Daily Express newspaper as an on-going series while Ian Fleming continued to write his novels. The James Bond daily comic strips, each illustrated by by John McLusky originated in 1958 commencing with Casino Royale. McLusky worked from a story script, provided to him on a sheet of typed paper, outlining each frame. The pieces are rendered in graphite, pen, ink and tone “Zippatone”, which came in sheets in various shades and textures. Lettering on all the panels of comic art was done entirely by hand, with some being hand lettered paste ups. This is an original published piece.
This superb 3 panel strip takes place at the start of the famous final Cavern Scene in which Bond enters to destroy Mr. Big’s operations (along with the villain). In the movie Bond enters with Solitaire, however the original art commissioned by Fleming follows the book and Bond was captured. “As I Swam under the surface of the cave below Mr. Big’s HQ, I was grabbed by two men …And suddenly beyond the Cavern was my enemy Mr. Big”. In the last panel Bond spots Mr. Big. This would be the entrance to the final cavern scene and the start of the lead up to the ending of the book. See how this scene is presented in the movie at the bottom of the listing in the you tube video.
Condition: The art is in excellent condition with the expected age toning, slight stains to outer margins. Unframed. The artwork by sight is 18.5″ x 5.25″. Large high-resolution images available upon request.
PROVENANCE: Ex. The McLusky estate by descent. The art will be accompanied by a Letter of Provenance from the estate.
THE SCENE WHEN BOND MEETS MR. BIG IN THE CAVERN IS PORTRAYED SLIGHTLY DIFFERNTLY IN THE MOVIE THAN THE BOOK (THE ARTWORK FOLLOWS THE ACTUAL BOOK AS IT WAS COMMISSIONED BY IAN FLEMING), HOWEVER THE MOVIE SCENE OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE CAVERN IS BELOW:
