Valkyrie Press begin in 1986 as an imprint of Harrier Comics,[6] established to collect the first four issues of Redfox (which had been published by Harrier) in a trade paperback.[7]
Redfox co-writer Chris Bell launched Valkyrie as a standalone publisher in 1987, initially solely to continue publishing Redfox.[8] As Bell described it, "the board of Valkyrie Press, which is [a] ... limited company, consists of five people: one solicitor...; one accountant...; one company secretary and transport manager...; one Chairman [Fox]...; and me."[1]
Redfox won the 1987 Eagle Award for Favourite New Comic[9] (reflecting its run with Harrier).
The company then took on The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, publishing nine issues — the first six of which were reprinted from Near Myths #1-5 (Galaxy Media, 1978–1980) & pssst! #2-10 (Never–Artpool, 1982) with extra pages; [10] and the last three with all-new material; followed, at readers' request, by a tenth issue, entitled ARKeology, containing articles about the history and production of the comic and some extended back story and character information.[11] During this period, Valkyrie also published the trade paperbackThe Adventures of Luther Arkwright Book 2: Transfiguration, the money for printing of which was put up by Serge Boissevain, publisher of the cancelled pssst! anthology.[8]
Valkyrie's The Adventures of Luther Arkwright won four 1988 Eagle Awards — for Favourite Character (UK), Favourite New Comic (UK), and Favourite Comic Cover (UK) (for The Adventures of Luther Arkwright #1); with Talbot winning the Eagle for Favourite Artist (UK).[12]
In 1989, Bell announced her retirement from publishing as she wanted to focus on raising a family.[13][4] After publishing all nine issues of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and the last ten issues of Redfox (as well as co-publishing two Redfox trade paperbacks and the Luther Arkwright TPB), Valkyrie Press ended its publishing operations.[14]
Redfox (10 issues [issues #11–20], Sept. 1987–June 1989) — numbering continued from Harrier Comics series
The Book of Redfox (Dec. 1986), co-published with Harrier Comics, ISBN1-870217-00-4 — collects Harrier issues #1–4 as well as the story "Fair Exchange," by Martin Lock, Fox, and Carl Cropley, from Swiftsure and Conqueror #9 (Harrier Comics, July 1986)
Redfox Book II: The Demon Queen (Dec. 1988), co-published with Harrier Comics, ISBN1-870217-01-2 — collects Harrier issues #5–8
^ abBell, "Arkeology," ARKeology: "Serge Boissevain ... has been waiting for the complete Adventures for about ten years now, patiently encouraging Bryan, publishing the first Book, putting up the money for the second...; without him, Bryan might well never have managed to make time to complete Luther."
^Previous Winners: 1987 at the Eagle Awards website, archived at The Wayback Machine. (Retrieved 22 September 2018.)
