The Changing Face of Eagle ...
This page is an attempt to show how Eagle changed the face it showed to the world. The layout, design and artwork are in themselves microcosms of their time - following 15 years of Eagle takes you from the crowded heavy 50s [tho in its time it was supposed to be a model of all that was bright and glowing] to the jazzy early 60s.

This design is the 'classic' Eagle. It has the great scarlet block in the left hand top corner, with the right hand bloack being filled by the leading Dan Dare frame. Sometimes this frame would spill out or even take over the whole page. And the frames in the bottom part are so well done, that this page must be an all time great.

The 'classic' design carried on for the next 10 years with minor modifications [see the block on the homepage], until 1960, when Frank Hampson had gone. This is the first issue of the revamp. Now we have a Bellamy page, with changes to the uniforms etc in Dan Dare that many purists still refuse to accept. I have said elsewhere that if Bellamy had gone solo and enthusiastically into Dan Dare, he could have triumphed.
The design is typical of the period, much less baroque than than the 50s, but without the 60s excesses.
But also less inspiring.

The 1960 design lasted for a few years, but in the last part of the Harley/Cornwell Dan Dare, the front page began being encroached on. Then we have this. It's not quite typical, but is the first of the new style - even more 60s. Despite the colour frame on the front, Dan Dare is now in the inside - in b&w, and drawn by Keith Watson. Here he was to produce his best artwork.

And in 1963 Dan comes back to the front - and stays a main feature, tho in various odd formats. There is usually a big front frame. Keith had Eric Eden to help colouring.

After this, Eagle went to a variety of formats, and near the end was desperately juggling layouts to stem the flow of readers ... but without success. The saddest thing to see was Dan Dare reprints - Rogue Planet - on the front page from time to time, but with Frank's signature removed, and without the slightest acknowledgement or payment to a man who was now tired, ill, and burned out. On the right is the front page of the last ever issue of the original Eagle. There are a lot of ironies here - but at least Eagle started with Frank Hampson's artwork ... and finished with it.