ACROSS THE AGES

Upon reading a second hand copy of John Russell Fearn’s 1952 paperback novel ACROSS THE AGES as by “Vargo Statten” as a teenager, Philip Harbottle was so gripped by the story that he was inspired to adapt it in a drawing book as a hand drawn, inked and coloured comic strip. ACROSS THE AGES tells the epic story of Jeffrey Collins, who discovers the secret of longevity, and eventually becomes a ruthless dictator of Earth and the entire solar system. A tragic love story, it ranges across five thousand years, describing space travel and interplanetary wars, treachery and intrigue. Initially the adaptation was done purely for Harbottle’s own enjoyment, but as it neared completion it fired his ambition to become a professional strip cartoon artist, illustrating the best stories of John Russell Fearn. But just before he completed it, Fearn died before seeing it and giving his permission. The work remained in limbo for sixty years, unseen and unpublished. Until now!