[Crocodilian]

It struck me, seeing the Chilean coal miners emerge from their little rescue capsule, that I'd seen something similar in a comic, long ago.

I'm not sure if its public domain or not, but a small snippet is just too good not to share

[narfstar]

interesting thanks

[josemas]

Was this a comic strip or comic book?  Also who's the artist?

Best

Joe

[paw broon]

Info here:-
http://www.downthetubes.net/features/comics/red_dagger/red_dagger_art_changes.html
The Black Sapper was originally a villain.  Many British strips and comic stories had villains as the main characters.  By the time your illo turns up, he is a hero.  There's more at International Heroes and I'm off to look it up.  I have a few issues of The Hotspur featuring B.S. and even here in the U.K. he's not well known or remembered.  Shame.
Here it is:-
http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/b/blacksap.htm
No,it's not pd.  D.C. Thomson own the rights and guard them jealously.

[josemas]

Thanks for the info Paw.

Best

Joe

[Crocodilian]

Little more info: the artist was Terry Patrick.  His drafting style is wonderful, more old time British book/print illustration than "comic art" (by that I mean it's very close to the engraving style, shading with hatching, no sign of dots or half-toning).

I very much like the style of this particular period (late 1950s). It would have seemed "old fashioned" even then, and differs from American comic conventions in lots of way that make it closer to an illustrated book (note, for example, the typeset rather than hand lettered text and the unusual layout)

The Black Sapper had a very long run, from the '30s or 40s on. He's a bit of a curious villain/hero, hunted by the authorities as a criminal, but a friend to the common man.

Am I mistaken in inferring a slightly political message? The coal miners were famously lefty-socialists, perhaps theres a bit of a message in it?

[narfstar]

wealth of knowledge you guys have is sure enjoyed here

[paw broon]

Here's another Patrick page, this time illustrating Zigimar:-
http://britishcomicart.blogspot.com/search/label/Terry%20Patrick