Valkyrie Press
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Comic book publishing |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | Chris Bell |
| Defunct | 1989 |
| Fate | Ceased operations |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Key people | Chris Bell, Fox |
| Products | Redfox, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright |
Valkyrie Press was a UK-based comic book publisher active between 1987 and 1989. The company was known for releasing Redfox, created by artist Fox, and Bryan Talbot's The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, both honored with Eagle Awards. Valkyrie was owned by Chris Bell, who co-wrote Redfox, and managed alongside Fox, with a primary emphasis on adventure and fantasy narratives.
History
Initially launched in 1986 as a subdivision of Harrier Comics, Valkyrie Press compiled the first four issues of Redfox into a trade paperback. By 1987, Chris Bell established Valkyrie as an independent entity to further publish Redfox. The leadership team consisted of Bell, Fox, and professional consultants.
During its time with Harrier, Redfox earned the 1987 Eagle Award for Favourite New Comic. Subsequently, Valkyrie acquired the rights to The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and issued nine installments—six reprints enhanced with additional material and three original issues—followed by a special tenth edition titled ARKeology, which included supplementary articles and character insights. Additionally, Valkyrie published the trade paperback The Adventures of Luther Arkwright Book 2: Transfiguration, financially supported by Serge Boissevain, former publisher of the defunct anthology pssst!.
In 1988, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright secured four Eagle Awards: Favourite Character (UK), Favourite New Comic (UK), Favourite Comic Cover (UK), and Bryan Talbot was recognized as Favourite Artist (UK).
Valkyrie's publications were printed by Wiltshire Ltd. based in Bristol and distributed through Titan Distributors. In 1989, Chris Bell withdrew from publishing to dedicate time to his family. After producing nine issues of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, ten issues of Redfox, and co-publishing several related trade editions, Valkyrie Press discontinued its operations.
Titles published
- The Adventures of Luther Arkwright (9 issues, Oct. 1987–Feb. 1989) plus an additional issue titled ARKeology released in early 1989
- The Adventures of Luther Arkwright Book 2: Transfiguration (Nov. 1987), featuring an introduction by Alan Moore
- Redfox (issues #11–20, Sept. 1987–June 1989) — numbering continued from the Harrier Comics series
- The Book of Redfox (Dec. 1986), co-published with Harrier Comics, compiling Harrier's issues #1–4 along with the story "Fair Exchange" from Swiftsure and Conqueror #9 (Harrier Comics, July 1986)
- Redfox Book II: The Demon Queen (Dec. 1988), also co-published with Harrier Comics, collecting Harrier's issues #5–8
Sources consulted
- Editorials on The Adventures of Luther Arkwright
- Editorials on Redfox