Before 007 Became a Movie Icon, He Was Already a Comic-Strip Hero
Titan Comics brings back the earliest James Bond newspaper adventures in a new collection featuring seven classic Ian Fleming adaptations and the original artwork of John McLusky.
When we think of James Bond, the images that usually come to mind are cinematic: Aston Martins, exotic locations, secret gadgets, glamorous espionage and an unmistakable 007 walking into danger with complete confidence.
But James Bond’s journey from literary hero to global pop-culture icon did not begin with Dr. No.
Before Sean Connery introduced 007 to movie audiences in 1962, Bond had already made the leap from Ian Fleming’s novels to the world of comics.
Now, Titan Comics is bringing that fascinating piece of Bond history back into the spotlight.
The James Bond comic strip that came before the movies
Titan Comics’ Ian Fleming’s James Bond Signature Comic Strip Collection Vol. 1 collects the first seven full-length James Bond newspaper comic-strip adventures.
These strips originally appeared in the Daily Express between July 1958 and May 1961, meaning they belong to a period when Bond was still primarily known as Ian Fleming’s literary secret agent.
The first Bond film, Dr. No, would not arrive until 1962.
That makes these stories particularly important. They aren’t adaptations of the films. They are adaptations of Fleming’s original novels, created when the cinematic Bond universe did not yet exist.
In other words, this is 007 before Bond became ‘Bond’ as we know him today.
Seven classic Fleming stories in comic-strip form
The new collection brings together seven adventures:
- Casino Royale
- Live and Let Die
- Moonraker
- Diamonds Are Forever
- From Russia with Love
- Dr. No
- Goldfinger
These stories cover the formative years of the newspaper strip and offer readers a fascinating opportunity to see how Fleming’s prose was translated into a visual storytelling format.
For modern readers accustomed to decades of Bond movies, comics and video games, these strips provide a glimpse at a much earlier version of 007.
John McLusky: the artist who helped define comic-strip Bond
One of the biggest attractions of the collection is the work of John McLusky.
McLusky illustrated these early Bond strips, creating one of the first enduring visual interpretations of Fleming’s secret agent.
His Bond existed before audiences had a cinematic version to compare him with.
That makes the artwork historically fascinating.
McLusky wasn’t drawing a character based on Sean Connery, Roger Moore or Daniel Craig. His visual interpretation emerged directly from Fleming’s literary creation.
And Titan’s collection goes a step further.
Alongside the newspaper strips, the hardcover includes an extensive gallery of scanned original artwork from the McLusky archive, selected by his family.
For collectors and comic art enthusiasts, that could be one of the book’s biggest attractions.
From novels to newspapers to cinema
The history of these strips becomes even more interesting when viewed as part of Bond’s larger evolution.
Ian Fleming published Casino Royale in 1953.
Five years later, James Bond appeared in newspaper comic strips.
Then, in 1962, Dr. No brought 007 to the cinema.
That gives us an extraordinary pop-culture progression:
Novel → Newspaper Comic Strip → Cinema
The comic strip therefore sits at a fascinating crossroads in Bond history.
It represents the period when James Bond was moving beyond the printed page and beginning to develop the visual identity that would eventually make him one of the world’s biggest entertainment characters.
These aren’t movie tie-ins
This distinction is worth emphasising.
Today’s audiences often encounter Bond comics as extensions of the movie franchise or as modern reinterpretations of 007.
These early strips are something different.
They are direct comic-strip adaptations of Ian Fleming’s literary adventures, created before the film franchise had established its own visual language.
So when you read McLusky’s Bond, you’re not looking at a comic-book version of Sean Connery’s 007.
You’re looking at one of the earliest attempts to answer a fascinating question:
What does James Bond actually look like?
A collector’s time capsule
Titan’s new hardcover isn’t simply another Bond reprint.
It is effectively a time capsule from the earliest years of 007’s multimedia evolution.
The collection brings together three years of newspaper adventures in one volume, while the inclusion of McLusky’s archival artwork adds another layer for collectors interested in the craft behind the strips.
The book is listed at 296 pages and is being published as a hardcover. Titan’s current catalogue lists it as Ian Fleming’s James Bond Signature Comic Strip Collection Vol. 1.
Interestingly, the release date currently appears to be in flux. The Ian Fleming official site announced the collection for 8 September 2026, and its current book listing still carries that date. Titan’s own current catalogue, however, lists 23 February 2027.
For now, collectors should check the publisher’s listing before placing an order.
Classic Newspaper Strips
For casual Bond fans, this might simply look like another classic 007 release. For comicbook historians, however, it is considerably more interesting.
These strips capture James Bond at a unique moment in his history, after Fleming had established him as a literary character but before cinema transformed him into a worldwide phenomenon.
They also remind us that the relationship between comics and popular culture has often worked in both directions.
Sometimes comics adapt movies.
Sometimes movies adapt comics.
And sometimes, as in the case of James Bond, the comic strip becomes part of the journey between the two.
More than six decades later, Titan Comics is giving readers an opportunity to experience that journey again.
Comics Byte Take
Ian Fleming’s James Bond Signature Comic Strip Collection Vol. 1 looks like an especially worthwhile release for Bond enthusiasts, classic comic-strip collectors and anyone interested in the history of popular culture.
- Seven Fleming stories.
- John McLusky’s early visual interpretation of 007.
- Original newspaper material from 1958–1961.
- And archival artwork from the McLusky collection.
That’s not merely nostalgia. It’s a glimpse at James Bond before James Bond became a cinematic institution.
And perhaps that’s the most exciting thing about this collection.
Before the Aston Martin.
Before the gun barrel sequence.
Before Sean Connery.
Before 007 became a movie legend!
“James Bond was already living one strip at a time in the pages of the Daily Express.”
Book Details
Title: Ian Fleming’s James Bond Signature Comic Strip Collection Vol. 1
Publisher: Titan Comics
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 296
Artist: John McLusky
Writers: Henry Gammidge, Anthony Hern and Peter O’Donnell
Stories: Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Moonraker, Diamonds Are Forever, From Russia with Love, Dr. No and Goldfinger
Original strip period: July 1958 – May 1961
ISBN: 9781806180578
Release date currently listed as September 8, 2026 by the Ian Fleming official site and February 23, 2027 by Titan Comics; this may reflect a change in publication scheduling.
And perhaps the best way to leave this journey through Bond’s earliest comic-book adventures is with the words that have become synonymous with 007:
“Bond. James Bond.”
A simple introduction, but one that, from the pages of Fleming’s novels to the Daily Express comic strips and eventually the silver screen, became one of the most iconic introductions in pop culture history. Byte – Comics Byte!! Cheers!
Image Credits: Titan Comics, The James Bond Dossier
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