You can’t talk about comic art with motorcycles and not mention Judge Dredd. ‘Old Stoney Face’ Joe Dredd maintained law in the massive Mega City One riding his Lawmaster. He was Police, Judge and Jury all and kept a semblance of order with a harsh hand.

One of the outstanding pieces graphically was the story Inferno; loosely based on the movie Rollerball (the sublime 1975 version NOT the 2002 one!). A future sport being a mix of Football, Basketball, Baseball, Speedway, MotoCross, Kung-Fu based in an arena of cinders with jetpacker flyers and a healthy dollop of ultraviolence thrown in. Artie Gruber being one classic character. Massimo Belardinellis bikes were sumptuous choppers with outlandish engineering and cool riders with harpoon-line powergloves. Sadly the plug was pulled due to the overly violent nature of of the action.

Back in the late seventies I read the then new comic 2000AD ~ fantastic and violent stories of the near future. Classic artwork by the likes of Pino, Ezquerra, Bolland and Belardinelli graced the pages. I would devour these stories again and again until the pages were threadbare. I would then draw the action scenes and allow the oft featured bikes to soak in to my subconscious. One early story M.A.C.H. 1 centered around a character called John Probe, with superhuman strengths (man activated by compu-puncture hyperpower! `~ “Six Million Dollar Man”?)  Many of his stories involved bikers on the top models at the time, as well as a few fantastical ones.  

Enjoy the art…. beginning with Probe gunning the throttle of a Benelli Sei.

Another early story involved the invasion of Britain by some ficticious Eastern Block country called Volga; it took the rough edged resistance leader, Bill Savage, a lorry driver armed with his shotgun and working class quips to save the day. However the Volgs were armed with fast sportsbikes equiped with machine guns.

A classic fall season peanuts where CB wins out with a slow bike and persistence, as well as a pumpkin helmet. His prize? 5 Free haircuts, in true Charlie Brown style he admits that his father is a barber and we see that his bonce is thinly covered as it is.

Great Illustrations from a contributor to Classic Bike Guide: Louise Limb. Loose fluid style with a healthy dose of speed give life to her motorcycle images. http://www.louiselimb.com/portfolio/classicbikes/001.htm

The nearly three quarter century domination of british motorcycle makes was populated by notable brands whose names evoked the ideal of two-wheeled transport.

Ariel (1902-1970) ~ “Spirit of the Air”

Vincent (1928-1959) ~  from Latin vincere, “to conquer” – Vincent Black Lightning: ’nuff said!

Velocette (1904-1971) ~ a french sounding but british through and through manufacturer finished their models with the evocative Venom and Viper.

Norton (1898-1975) ~ the quiff off the N and the swoosh of it’s scarf like tail as well as the tilted o’s create a name of speed.

B.S.A. Birmingham Small Arms (1910-1973) ~ Rifle and Bicycle makers made some of the best bikes of the 20th Century; a winged B adds a sense of flight.