The First Appearance of James Bond in an American Comic Book

Tonight Turner Classic Movies begins their spotlight on James Bond with the very first James Bond movie, Dr. No (1962). What only the most ardent 007 fans might not realise is that there was a comic book adaptation of the film. What is more, this comic book adaptation would be published in the United States, making it the first comic book in the United States to feature James Bond.

Of course, James Bond had appeared in comic strips long before he appeared in movies. In 1957 the Daily Express struck an agreement with Ian Fleming to adapt his novels as comic strips. The James Bond comic strip then began on July 7 1958 with an adaptation of Casino Royale. While James Bond comic strips emerged in the late Fifties, it would not be until the early Sixties that a James Bond comic book was published, and then it was primarily because of the movie Dr. No.

It would be the British edition of Classics Illustrated that would finally bring James Bond to comic books. Classics Illustrated was a comic book series that began in 1941 as Classic Comics. Its name would be changed to Classics Illustrated in 1947. Classics Illustrated was conceived by Albert Kanter as a means of introducing children to classic literature. The series proved so successful that it soon expanded to other countries, including the United Kingdom in 1951.

With the feature film Dr. No set to come out, it was then that the British edition of Classics Illustrated adapted Dr. No for #158A in December 1962. In many ways Dr. No would seem an odd fit for Classics Illustrated. At the time Ian Fleming's work was not counted as "classic literature," and the comic book was actually an adaptation of the screen treatment rather than the novel itself. Of course, given comic books were regarded as children's literature in Britain at the time (as they were in the United States as well), the sex and violence in Dr. No was toned down considerably. Regardless, it would be in Classics Illustrated that James Bond made his first appearance in a comic book.

While Dr. No was considered suitable for inclusion in Classics Illustrated in the United Kingdom, this was not the case in the United States. In the United States Classics Illustrated was often bought by libraries and schools, who found the comic book series an easy way to introduce young readers to such works as Ivanhoe and The Count of Monte Cristo. Gilberton Company Inc., the publisher of Classic Illustrated, figured that American libraries and schools probably would not be receptive to an adaptation of Dr. No. It was then that Gilberton Company Inc. licensed the adaptation to National Periodical Publications, then known informally (and now officially) as DC Comics. The contract with DC Comics included a ten year option for an ongoing James Bond comic books series for a small fee

At the time DC Comics was publishing a try-out anthology book called Showcase, a title which had introduced both the Silver Age Flash and the Silver Age Green Lantern. The adaptation of Dr. No appeared in Showcase no 43, March-April 1963. Here it must be pointed out that DC Comics made some changes to the adaptation. All Asian and black characters were coloured as if they were Caucasian. Regardless, the adaptation of Dr. No that appeared in Showcase #43 was unique for DC Comics. At that point not only did the company rarely adapt films for comic books, but almost all of their material originated in house.

Unfortunately for DC Comics, they chose a poor time to publish a James Bond comic book in the United States. In late 1962 and early 1963 James Bond did not have the name recognition that he would later have. While adults may well have been aware of the character due to President John F. Kennedy being a fan of the series, young readers may well have not recognised the character at all. It would be another four months after Showcase no. 43 had hit newsstands before Dr. No would be released in the United States (keep in mind that comic books were traditionally released a few months before their cover date). For that reason Showcase no. 43 sold poorly and a regular James Bond series did not emerge at DC Comics at the time.

Of course, while James Bond had little name recognition among the youth of the United States in 1963, he would become a veritable phenomenon in short order. Surprisingly, even though they had a ten year option on the character, DC Comics never exercised it during the Sixties, even as the Bond movies were raking in money at the box office. It was not until early 1972, when their ten year option was nearing its end, that DC Comics considered doing a regular James Bond series. Ultimately, DC Comics decided against the idea as Sean Connery, following Diamonds Are Forever (1971), had announced that he would not be playing Bond again. Sean Connery's decision then put the future of the character in some doubt.

James Bond would not again appear in an American comic book again until Marvel Comics adapted the movie For Your Eyes Only in 1981. Marvel would also adapt Octopussy in their larger, black and white magazine format in 1983. In 1989 Eclipse Comics adapted the movie Licence to Kill. Since then James Bond comic books have appeared on a somewhat regular basis in the United States, with such companies as Dark Horse, Topp Comics, and Dynamite Entertainment publishing 007 related titles. Of course, it all started in the most unexpected of places, an issue of Classics Illustrated in the United Kingdom, a title dedicated to adapting works of classic literature.