JOHN MCLUSKY
FRAMED ORIGINAL PUBLISHED STORY BOARD ART, COMMISSIONED BY IAN FLEMING FOR “DR. NO”, Ca. 1959 UK Daily Express Newspaper
Features James Bond skillfully maneuvering through the tortuous obstacle course within the ventilation system.
Ian Fleming commissioned John McLusky to illustrate a daily comic strip for his James Bond character and stories. In 1958 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 one-of-a-kind published piece.
The original artwork offered here was one of the strips for “Dr. No”, which ran in the 1960’s. This superb 3 panel strip takes place at the moment of James Bond attempt to escape, having managed to get past the electric grate to enter into the tortuous course of the ventilation system. Interested in the ability of the human body to withstand and survive pain, Dr. No forces Bond to navigate his way through an obstacle course constructed in the facility’s ventilation system. He is kept under regular observation, suffering electric shocks, burns and an encounter with large poisonous spiders along the way. (As classic as the movie version of Dr. No is, it totally messed up Bond’s escape through the vents. Instead of a planned obstacle course as in the novel, the movie gives us a nonsensical system of tunnels with various purposes that contradict each other.) The comic strip ran true to Ian Fleming’s novel. 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 very good condition with the expected age toning. *Please note we also have the comic panel which shows the continuation of Bond navigating the ventilation system. The two pieces would look stunning side by side on a wall. Presented in a new silver tone frame, the art was double matted, framed and glazed to a completed size of 23.75″ x 11.25″. The artwork by sight is 17.5″ x 5.25″. The piece has a stunning presence on the wall.
PROVENANCE: Ex. The McLusky estate by descent. The art will be accompanied by a Letter of Provenance from the estate.
FRAMED SIZE: 23.75″ x 11.25″
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BELOW IS A YOU TUBE CLIP OF SEAN CONNERY IN DR. NO PLAYING BOND IN THIS FAMOUS ESCAPE SCENE OF HIM WORKING HIS WAY THROUGH THE DUCTS
