Does a Swift Comic Index exist?

[standby4action]

The title says it all....does anyone have a listing of all the features and stories in Swift? I'm particularly interested in Raymond Sheppard's contributions, so here to start things off is a cutting that his daughter has kept for 50+ years! Unfortunately the date is not attached but Sheppard passed away in 1958. I know he illustrated Tammy the sheepdog but have no dates - except 1957. Thanks for any help


Making a model Christmas crib by Raymond Sheppard from SWIFT comic by standby4action, on Flickr

[philcom55]

I'm not aware of any existing Swift index, but it would certainly be useful. One problem with the handful of issues I own is the fact that a lot of the strips seemed to be drawn by a number of rotating artists: The Red Rider, for instance, looks almost like Frank Bellamy at one point only to morph into the frankly lackluster John Canning a few weeks later!

In the same way I'm doubtful that Raymond Sheppard could have been responsible for some of the the earlier, rather crude, episodes of 'Tammy the Sheepdog' - though the later stories (particularly the ones which shared the top half of Swift's centrespread with Sheppard's wildlife series such as 'Animals and Their Young' and 'British Birds and Their Nests') are much more in his style. Here's an example from August 31st 1957 that should appeal to all 'Black Bob' fans like Peter Gray.





For what it's worth Sheppard's work was still being published in the issue dated 19th April 1958.

- Phil Rushton

[standby4action]

Just catching up after a rotten ill Christmas. Thanks for the reply Phil, I suspected there wasn't one but good to get some sort of confirmation Perhaps I need to make a trip to the British Library is in order to track down Sheppard's Swift work

Regarding your comment

One problem with the handful of issues I own is the fact that a lot of the strips seemed to be drawn by a number of rotating artists: The Red Rider, for instance, looks almost like Frank Bellamy at one point only to morph into the frankly lackluster John Canning a few weeks later!

I totally agree. In my short piece (click on the NOTE on the right) about FB's illustrating Paul English, I thought the same. Lots of artists at that time appear to have had a 'house style' for want of a better expression thus making it hard to identify individuals. And when it comes to the Walt Disney Mickey Mouse Weekly 'Living Desert'colour stuff ....

[Peter Gray]

Just watched white fang the flim today on Channel 5 so this strip is right up my street so thanks for the examples...phil;0)