LOOK AND LEARN

The great educational paper for boys and girls of the 60s. What has recently been appreciated is the amazing artwork, most in colour. The rights to the entire output has been bought recently and you can subscribe to re-issued collectors editions. #232 saw The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire but there was also Asterix (in a different guise), Jason January, Rob Riley and did I mention The Trigan Empire? Issues before #232 turn up in abundance on eBay UK and are generally inexpensive though tough to get in genuine very high grade. #232-382, #391-752 are Don Lawrence art. The best! Annuals ran from 1962 to 1986.

Rebellion Studios are now reprinting the adventures in softcover volumes. A treat of a read!

Trigan Empire Stories

The first few Trigan Empire adventures weren't given official titles in the comic. Reprint volumes have arbitrarily decided what to call them. See Ranger comic for the first 4 stories.

Victory for the Trigans - Ranger #1 18th Sep 1965 - #20 29th Jan 1966. While this is the title somehow ascribed to this first story I prefer to call it The First Book of Trigo as these are the journals recovered from the crashed spacecraft that are translated to tell the story pf this far away and ancient culture. Very Star Wars!

Crash in the Jungle - Ranger #21 5th Feb 1966 - #23 19th Feb 1966. Ranger was not numbered in the cover but giving these numbers indicates how long a storyline lasted. This story is notable for the introduction of Trigo's nephew, Janno, who proved to be a popular character.

Elekton in Danger - Ranger #24 26th Feb 1966 - #37 28th May 1966. An excellent story that sees the return of the mortal enemies of the Trigans, The Lokans.

Invaders from Gallas - Ranger #38 4th June 1966 -  Look and Learn #237 30th July 1966. The story that crossed over onto Look and Learn when the two titles merged at Look and Learn #232.

The Land of No Return - Look and Learn #238 - 6^th August 1966 - #242 3^rd September 1966. This was the first storyline given an actual title in the comic, mentioned in issue #237 at the foot of the page only!

The Revolt of the Lokans - Look and Learn #243 10th September 1966 - #255 3rd December 1966. Again, the story title is actually given in issue #242 and yet reprint volumes call this episode The Lokan Conspiracy!

War with Hericon - Look and Learn #256 10th December 1966 - #264 4th February 1967. Reprint volumes have given this rather uninspiring title.

Revolution in Zabriz - Look and Learn #265 11th February 1967 - #273 8th April 1967. Again a story title made up by reprint volume editors, not mentioned in the comic.

The Mystery of Rabelli - Look and Learn #274 15th April 1967 - #279 20th May 1967. The title given at the end of the adventure concluding in issue #265.

The Revenge of Darak - Look and Learn #280 27th May 1967 - #290 5th August 1967

The Three Aliens - Look and Learn #291 12th August 1967 - #297 23rd Sep 1967

The Reign of Thara - Look and Learn #298 30th Sep 1967 - #326 3rd February 1968. Called Battle for Trigan City in the Hamlyn reprint book.

The Invasion of Bolus - Look and Learn #317 10th February 1968 - #331 18th May 1968

The Three Princes - Look and Learn #332 25th May 1968 - #362 21st December 1968

Poison from Outer Space - Look and Learn #363 28th December 1968 - #370 15th February 1969

The Lost City - Look and Learn #371 22nd February 1969 - #382 10th May 1969

The Terror of Mount Spyx Look and Learn #383 17th May 1969 #390 5th Jul 1969

(note: this story is Ron Embleton artwork, not Don Lawrence)

False Accusation - Look and Learn #391 12th Jul 1969 #402 27th Sep 1969

The Deadly Formula - Look and Learn #403 4th Oct 1969 - #415 27th Dec 1969

The Red Death - Look and Learn #416 3rd Jan 1970-#424 28th Feb 1970

(unusually the story title given in the comic)

The Puppet Emperor - Look and Learn #425 7th Mar 1970 #438 June 6th 1970

(in my opinion the high point of this series in story and art terms fantastic! This high point continues in the next story too)

The Five Labours of Trigo - Look and Learn #439 13th Jun 1970 - #461 14th Nov 1970

Menace from the Deep - Look and Learn #462 21st Nov 1970 - #473 6th Feb 1971

The Giant Rallus - Look and Learn #474 13th Feb 1971 #480 27th Mar 1971

The City of Jewels - Look and Learn #481 3rd Apr 1971 - #488 22nd May 1971

The Imposter - Look and Learn #489 29th May 1971- #496 17th July 1971

The Duplication Machine - Look and Learn #496 (unusually, a new story begins half way through an issue 1st time!) - #505 18th Sep 1971

Note: format change from #502 glossy covers and smaller size

The Masked Raiders - Look and Learn #506 25th Sep 1971 - #516 4th Dec 1971

The Prisoner of Zerss - Look and Learn 11th Dec 1971 - #526 12th Feb 1972

The Miniature Killers of Zelph - Look and Learn #527 19th Feb 1971- #534 8th Apr 1972

The Hypnotist - Look and Learn #535 15th Apr 1972- (still reading through them! I will let you know...)

(not Don Lawrence art on this story)

Note also: Issues #437 to #462 had a wonderful history of World War One written by Mike Butterworth with double page spread artwork by the great Frank Bellamy. Lovely stuff!