Ken Dale

Ken Dale made his debut in the very first issue of Lion back in 1952, a Golden Age launch that immediately signals this character's foundational place in British comics history. Created by Barry Nelson, Ken Dale went on to share those action-packed pages with a colourful cast including Gary Stewart, Burt Travis, Gadgetman, Gimmick-Kid, and The Sludge — company that speaks to the wonderfully eclectic world Lion built across its long run. With around 80 catalogued appearances spanning nearly two decades through Lion and Lion and Eagle, this is a character who endured well beyond the Golden Age buzz of his debut, and collectors will want to note that one of those appearances carries genuine key-issue status. For anyone tracing the rich lineage of IPC's British comics tradition, Ken Dale is exactly the kind of discovery worth making.