Monday, February 7, 2011

Larry Horak


Yaroslav “Larry” Horak was born in Habin, Manchuria in 1927 and moved to Australia when the Japanese invaded Manchuria in 1931. Most people probably know him from his stint on the James Bond comic strip for London’s Daily Express. On Dec 22 1957 he began drawing Captain Fortune for the Sydney Sun-Herald in the Rip Kirby style. Captain Fortune ran until 1962 when Horak moved to London where he shared a flat with Peter O'Donnell who was doingModesty Blaise for the Daily Express. The character was based on the hit TV show Captain Fortune which featured puppets and clowns. Horak and his writer kept the look of the TV captain, and his chimpanzee, but focused more on an adult reading audience.
The Sun-Herald was the joint Sunday edition of sister dailies The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun.
The Sun folded in the 80s but the SMH and the Sun-Herald continue.

Below is a strip from 23 March 1958 and a close-up from the first strip 22 Dec 1957. More can be seen HERE. Also see HERE and HERE.





2 comments:

  1. The strip appears to have ended mid-story (July 8, 1962).

    The first 54 strips are numbered S462 (12/22/1957) through S515 (12/28/1958), without dates. Starting with the next strip, 01/04/1959, the strips are dated, but no longer numbered.


    Episode Guide

    12/22/1957-05/25/1958 [Doc Buda and X-ite Metal]
    06/01/1958-10/26/1958 [Kobar the Usurper]
    11/02/1958-03/29/1959 [Colonel Boone the Smuggler]
    04/05/1959-08/23/1959 [Samuto the Pearl Hunter]
    08/30/1959-01/24/1960 [The Marvel Twins and the Frenzy Machine]
    01/31/1960-07/03/1960 [The Search for Kay Reynolds]
    07/10/1960-12/04/1960 [G.G. Bogg and the Shrine of Ragapoa]
    12/11/1960-05/14/1961 [Thy Pygmies and the Oil Well]
    05/21/1961-10/15/1961 [Armand Lafitte and the Sea Hunt]
    10/22/1961-03/18/1962 [General Kor and the Rebels]
    03/25/1961-07/08/1962 [Tranquil Island] unfinished

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