D. C. Eyles

Derek Charles Eyles was a British illustrator and comics artist, born in North Finchley, London, in 1902, the son of painter Charles Eyles. He began his career in the 1920s and 1930s, producing color plates and black-and-white illustrations for boys' annuals, story papers like *Wild West Weekly*, and novels including an edition of Jack London's *White Fang*. After World War II, editor Leonard Matthews brought him to Amalgamated Press, where Eyles launched the adventure strip "The Phantom Sheriff" in *The Knockout* in 1947, a character he had previously illustrated in prose. Known for his exceptional skill with horses, he became a go-to artist for western heroes such as Wild Bill Hickok, Kit Carson, and Buffalo Bill, as well as historical figures like Robin Hood and Dick Turpin. His work appeared in *The Comet*, *Thriller Picture Library*, *Cowboy Comics Library*, and *Swift*, among others. In the 1960s, he shifted to nursery comics like *Treasure* and girls' titles such as *Tina*. As westerns faded in the 1970s, Eyles struggled to find work; suffering from diabetes, he died in December 1974 after a failed operation.