Eagle (British comics) Riders of the Range and P.C. 49 helped ensure a weekly circulation of almost a million copies, but it was the adventures of Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future, which most captivated readers. Created by Hampson—now a full-time staff artist with his own team—Dan Dare was the UK's first science-fiction comic strip of any significance. Readers were thrilled by the square-jawed British spaceman's weekly exploits, and his struggles with The Mekon. While Morris (who by now had resigned from St James) edited the magazine from Hulton's premises at Shoe Lane in London, the comic was created in a converted bakery
Frank S. Pepper Comet", as John Morion. For "The Children's Newspaper", he wrote the adventures of twins "Bill and Jill", starting in 1948. In 1952 AP launched "Lion", a weekly adventure comic designed to compete with Hulton Press' "Eagle", for which Pepper wrote the cover feature "Captain Condor", a space hero created to rival "Eagle"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s "Dan Dare", for twelve years. He also created the cover feature for AP's sports comic "Tiger", in 1953: editor Derek Birnage requested a more realistic football series than "Danny of the Dazzlers", and Pepper gave him "Roy of the Rovers", illustrated by Joe Colquhoun, who took over writing