James Bond 007...the Last...and the First!

Before You Go See the End of an Era...

...Read How the Saga Began...

...in the Doctor No Movie Adaptation!

RIP Patrick Macnee 1922-2015

John Steed

Count Iblis

Imperious Leader

Dr John Watson 

(opposite Roger Moore and Christopher Lee as Sherlock Holmes)

Dr George Waggner

Invisible Jones

Sir John Raleigh

and, on one occasion, Sherlock Holmes

You will be missed

"Sloppy, LA Times, Sloppy!" he sneered as he stroked his cat.

I hate it when "reputable" and "authoritative" sources get things wrong...

The Los Angeles Times is running a number of features about James Bond this week.

This particular one, about previous actors who played Bond has this caption to go with the pic above...

"Roger Moore as the second iteration of James Bond, with Barbara Bach as the beautiful Russian spy Anya in "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977)"

Ironically, a couple of slides later, they have this pic and caption...

George Lazenby protects Big Ben in a publicity shot for "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969).

So a 1969 movie comes after a 1977 film?

For several years, I edited, wrote, and (if there was time in the schedule) designed the licensed movie souvenir books that were sold in theaters.

This sort of inept fact-checking would've had me out of a job the second the licensors saw it.

Captain's Library & Theatre: DOCTOR NO Conclusion

When Last We Left the World's Most Famous Secret Agent (huh?)...

Art by Bob Brown

Investigating the disappearance of two undercover agents in Jamaica, James Bond has discovered links to a mysterious man named "Dr No".

Sneaking onto No's island hideaway on Crab Key, 007 encounters a bikini-clad beachcomber named Honey Ryder, and the two are captured by No's guards...

There was also a text feature about both 007 and his creator, Ian Fleming...

Because Showcase #43 came out months before the movie debuted in America, it sold poorly, and DC didn't bother to exercise their 10-year option to do more James Bond tie-ins!

Ironically, in 1972, DC realized they were about to lose the rights to do 007 comics and considered producing an entire series of one-shot movie adaptations up to, and including, the current film, but Sean Connery's announcement that Diamonds are Forever would be his last film in Bondage (ouch) put the kibosh on those plans!

That's why there were no comic book adaptations from Gold Key or Dell (who were doing comics based on every movie and TV show they could get their hands on) during the height of '60s Bond-mania!

The next 007 movie adaptation would be For Your Eyes Only from Marvel in 1981.

Originally-published in England in 1962 as an issue of Classics Illustrated, it was considered inappropriate for CI's American audience, so the project was turned over to DC Comics, which made some changes in both text and art due to violence and racial content, then published it as part of their anthology series Showcase in early 1963.

Below is a b/w scan of the original British version of the final panel of the story which you can compare with the final page above.

 Now, that's the James Bond we know and love...

Happy 50th, 007!

Here's a an original trailer from 1962...

Captain's Library: DOCTOR NO Part 3

When Last We Left the World's Most Famous Secret Agent (huh?)...

Cover of the original Classics Illustrated edition published in England.

Investigating the deaths of two British undercover agents in Jamaica, James Bond encounters both potential friends (like CIA Agent Felix Leiter and local fisherman Quarrel) and potential foes like Miss Taro and Professor Dent.

What links all these people (living and dead) together?

The secretive Doctor No, whose Crab Key island home is shrouded in mystery and superstition.

Suspecting Miss Taro of deliberately hiding or destroying official records about Dr. No, 007 makes a date with the lovely, yet lethal lass.

Surviving an attempt to run him off the road enroute to Taro's home, Bond overhears her calling for backup, promising to keep him there until another assassin arrives.

007 pretends to call for a cab...

Tomorrow: Meet Doctor No and die!

Originally-published in England in 1962 as an issue of Classics Illustrated, it was considered inappropriate for CI's American audience, so the project was turned over to DC Comics, which made some changes in both text and art due to violence and racial content, then published it as part of their anthology series Showcase in early 1963.
(You'll note it's specifically-stated that Bond only wounds Dent, not kills him, in the DC Comics version!

Below are b/w scans of the original British versions of pages 22-25 which you can compare with the pages above.

NOTE: May be NSFW due to racial stereotypes!

 You'll note that, in a move similar to George Lucas' alteration of the Han Solo-Greedo shootout in Star Wars, the scene is revised to allow Dent to shoot it out with Bond!

(In the movie, Dent's gun is empty!)

DC took it even further, leaving Dent alive, but wounded!

Captain's Library: DOCTOR NO Part 2

When Last We Left the World's Most Famous Secret Agent (huh?)...

Sent to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of a British undercover agent, James Bond is given a ride from the airport by a driver who claims to be sent by the local authorities.
But, a quick phone call reveals the chauffeur is, in fact, an enemy agent!
When confronted with the truth, the driver attacks 007...

That simple phone call will set in motion a series of events that will result in the discovery of vital secrets...as well as several deaths!

Be here tomorrow for more deceit and treachery (along with some violence)!

Originally-published in England in 1962 as an issue of Classics Illustrated, it was considered inappropriate for CI's American audience, so the project was turned over to DC Comics, which made some changes in both text and art due to racial content and (on pages 16-17) a tarantula which was removed from the American version, then published it as part of their anthology series Showcase in early 1963.

Below are b/w scans of the original British versions of pages 12-17 which you can compare with the pages above.

NOTE: May be NSFW due to racial stereotypes! 

Captain's Library: DOCTOR NO Part 1

October 5th is the 50th Anniversary of the World Premiere of Doctor No...

...so here's the comic adaptation of the first movie appearance of Bond, James Bond!

Will James Bond's assignment end before it's begun?

Or will 007 clean this assassin's clock?

Be here tomorrow to discover the answer!

Originally-published in England in 1962 as an issue of Classics Illustrated, it was considered inappropriate for CI's American audience, so the project was turned over to DC Comics, which made some changes in both text and art due to sexual and racial content and published it as part of their anthology series Showcase in early 1963.

Below are b/w scans of the original British versions of pages 1, 3-5 which you can compare with the pages above.

NOTE: May be NSFW due to racial stereotypes!

The scripter of the adaptation is unknown, but the art is by Norman J Nodel.