JAMES BOND 007 MAGAZINE | Dr. No Interactive Exhibitors’ Campaign Book

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Original Classics Illustrated Cover

Original ‘Classics’ frame showing Doctor No's hand, and the US ‘DC’ version with his hand removed.

Doctor No comic book logo

The first James Bond comic book for the first James Bond film!

The Doctor No comic book promoted in the UK Exhibitors’ Campaign Book is the original first printing published by Classics Illustrated in 1962, written and illustrated by Norman J. Nodel (1922-2000). However, shortly after this version was published Classics Illustrated ceased publication and DC (Superman National) Comics purchased the artwork and rights and re-published the story when the film Dr. No was released in the United States in 1963, re-packaging it as issue #43 of their ‘SHOWCASE presents’ comic book series (illustrated in full below) with new cover art by Bob Brown (1915-1977).

The DC Comics version also differed from the Classics Illustrated edition in that it was inked in different colours and some of the frames were changed e.g. inexplicably, the illustration that clearly showed the hand of Doctor No holding a caged spider offered to Professor Dent in the ‘Classics’ version was missing in the same frame in the ‘DC’ version, as was the spider on Bond’s body. Also, due to the differing attitude toward race in early Sixties’ America the black Jamaican fisherman Quarrel was re-inked to resemble a Latino type, and in some frames was completely re-drawn so the character no longer resembled the black American actor John Kitzmiller (The first black artiste to win a best acting award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1957).

There were also Classics Illustrated editions of Doctor No published in Greece, Germany and Scandinavia (among others) - all with translated text. Although the US version was racially censored, all editions retained Norman Nodel's artwork but with different choices when the comic was was colour keyed for printing.

These comic adaptations of Dr. No continually command high prices and are highly sought-after by 007 collectors the world over.

ABOVE: (left) Norman J. Nodel's original artwork on the first page of the Classics Illustrated edition of Doctor No with accompanying text explaining that the three blind beggars were Chinese Negroes. (right) In the toned-down US SHOWCASE version the beggars’ skin colour was lightened and reference to their race removed.

ABOVE: Doctor No comic book variations - (1) Original Classics Illustrated frame showing the spider on Bond's body which is missing from the US ‘DC’ edition (2) and only seen on the floor as Bond kills it. (3) Classics Illustrated Greek edition showing original illustration of Quarrel, and (4) the redrawn ‘DC’ version. (5) Another example showing the original drawing of Quarrel seen in the UK and European versions, and (6) and the redrawn US version. Inking choices also varied between the different editions of the comic book.

Classics Illustrated was a comic book series that began in 1941, and featured adaptations of literary classics such as Ivanhoe, The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. American artist Norman Nodel (born Nochem Yeshay in Hampton Roads, Virginia in 1922) was the son of an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi, and began his career as a field artist in the United States Army, drawing military maps during World War II. He later illustrated over 20 titles for Classics Illustrated. As the Classics Illustrated version of Doctor No was an adaptation of the film and not Ian Fleming's 1958 novel, Nodel frequently used Dr. No (1962) publicity stills as reference material for the comic book.

Some stills were slavishly copied to replicate facial expressions and position of characters within the frame; with others used to capture the facial likeness of the actors from the film. The positioning of Dolores Keator as Strangways’ secretary Mary has been faithfully replicated for the comic book. The distinctive facial features of Anthony Dawson as Professor Dent, and Bernard Lee as M were captured with vary degrees of accuracy.

SEE MORE REFERENCE STILLS COMPARED WITH THE FINAL COMIC BOOK VERSION