Ron Embleton's 'Hawkeye'

First piece from new contributor Lance Cawkwell from Galloping Major wargames. Excellent stuff.

Here are a couple of line illustrations taken from a 1959 Hawkeye Annual I spotted when passing a second-hand book stall in London a few years ago. From a distance the style of the cover illustration caught my attention, closer inspection confirming that it was some of the early work of my boyhood hero illustrator, Ron Embleton. I remembered the TV series it was based on, but had not previously seen this book, first becoming aware of Ron’s work for “Look and Learn” several years later, which to my delight often featured the French & Indian War and related subjects.

Although the subject matter and treatment of Ron’s illustrations for the Hawkeye book reflect the nostalgic charm of a late 50s young target market publication, the connections to the superb colour work he would produce for “Look & Learn” and other publications are clearly there. Ron Embleton was one of the all time greats in my opinion, and a source of inspiration.

Lance Cawkwell
Galloping Major Wargames