Dozens of examples of original Ogri cartoon strips, penned by acclaimed illustrator Paul Sample, will be auctioned next Wednesday 27th January in Shrewsbury, reports Alastair Walker.

Sample, aged 62, recently moved and hasn’t room to store his large archive of original artwork, which covers 35 years worth of Ogri strips. The cartoon biker with the famous winged helmet, Norvin cafe racer and hopeless mate called Malcolm, was inspired by the Marvel Comics supeheroes of the 60s. Ogri made his debut in Bike magazine, started by Mark Williams back in 1971 and also appeared in Back Street Heroes magazine.

“The Ogri strips were about everyday life in general, not just about a biker,” said Sample, whose ambition is to one day see Ogri made into an animated film, “and I picked up loads of ideas from overheard conversations for the strips.”

Also in the sale are Sample’s artwork for various book covers, posters for Radio 2 and a collection of original Dan Dare strips from the 1950s.

All the Ogri artwork pieces are signed by Sample himself and Halls Auctioneers have placed estimates of between £120-£180 per item. Viewing is possible from Monday 25th January onwards, and the auction starts at 11am on Wednesday 27th January at Halls’ Shrewsbury showroom.