Anything You Can Do I Can Better: Talking ‘Vanessa From Venus Vs. Spellbinder’ With David Roach And Emily Roach

One alien and one alchemist enter the ring. Who will come out victorious? Find out in “Vanessa From Venus Vs Spellbinder,” a new story by David Roach for The Treasury of British Comics Annual 2026. With colors by Emily Roach and letters by Jonathan Stevenson, here’s what David and Emily had to share about the epic crossover:

Rachel Bellwoar: For this story, were you given the prompt to write a crossover between “Vanessa From Venus” and “Spellbinder” or did you choose those strips and, if it’s the latter, why those two?

David Roach: My editor Keith [Richardson] rang to ask if I’d like to draw a team up strip for the Annual, so I had a think about possible stars, and suggested Vanessa from Venus meeting Cat Girl, just because I love the classic old girls comics. Keith felt we needed someone the predominately male readership would know, so since Vanessa had magical seeming powers it struck that the Spellbinder would be a good match for her.

Keith loved the idea and gave it the go-ahead, but though we initially thought of bringing in a writer it struck me that since I’d probably have to explain who the characters were (particularly Vanessa) it might be easier for me to write it myself. Amazingly Keith agreed, and the rest is history.

Bellwoar: “Vanessa From Venus” originally ran in the British girls’ comic anthology June, whereas “Spellbinder” was part of the boys’ comic anthology Lion and Eagle. Was there a rivalry between the two magazines when they were first being released or was it all marketing, since they shared a publisher?

D. Roach: There was no rivalry at all, the comics had different editors and creative staff (for the most part) and I suspect very little contact at all between them. The Boys’ and girls’ divisions were largely separate back, catering to what they saw as entirely different readerships.

Bellwoar: In reimagining these stories, did you want to move them to modern times or did you want to keep the late ’60s/early ’70s aesthetics?

D. Roach: I adore the ’70s, it’s very much my era and have always loved the culture and fashions so, yes, my work on the strip is absolutely rooted in that era. That said, the fashions are mostly non-specific so it could be pretty, much any era from the ’60s to today, and there’s no technology on show to date it. I think the girl’s comics had a timeless feel to them which I wanted to continue.

Emily Roach: I can’t claim that the ’70s were my era, but I do share his love for it – albeit from more of a distance. I knew from the get-go that I wanted the strip to have a warm, nostalgic palette, but as the story veered more and more into the absurd, that was harder to maintain. It’s tricky to make neon green aliens and hot-pink magic spells look retro! But I think that contrast was serendipitous. It’s Spellbinder and Vanessa, brought into the 21st century.

Bellwoar: I especially like that Vanessa hasn’t ditched her Venusian clothes just because she’s on Earth. What was it like coming up with your take on her character design? 

D. Roach: There were two runs of her series and in her first, short run she did in fact wear this costume throughout the story. I kept pretty close to the look artists Colin Merrett and Cecil Orr created back then because it was just so groovy! In her second series she mostly appeared in civies, which didn’t seem anything like as much fun.

E. Roach: I, on the other hand, had the fun task of totally inventing her colour palette. I wanted her to visually contrast yet still compliment Candy, so they had the feel of a well-established comic duo. Batman and Robin for girls who like fashion, in other words. I also drew on the retro-futurism aesthetic of the 1960’s and comics like Jetta, which seemed to favour bold primary colours. In fact, her alien identity itself is hinted at through sartorial codes – who on earth would wear that much yellow? Surely only an extraterrestrial!

Bellwoar: David and Emily, am I right in thinking you’re related? What’s it like to get to work together and collaborate on this story? 

E. Roach: Indeed so. Working with one’s parent as a colourist is a unique experience because you can get real-time feedback and ensure your work aligns with the illustrator’s vision. It’s quite handy and allows you to take more risks and share ideas more freely. I have no trouble telling him when I’m sure I have the better idea – and vice versa. Mixing work and family can, in fact, work!

Bellwoar: Vanessa and Slyvestor Turville (or the Spellbinder) may be the title characters but I’m curious about their human counterparts. Is there anything you can share about Candy and Tom?

D. Roach: They were so much fun to write for, not only to give our main protagonists someone to talk to, but also as constantly exasperated, fun characters in their own right. Tom was very much a co-star in the Spellbinder strips, but Candy wasn’t given much of a personality originally, so I tried to make her a more rounded figure for her 21st Century revival. The ’60s and ’70s boys comics stayed well clear of any romance in their strips, but I felt it could be fun to have Tom becoming smitten with Candy, bringing in a different dimension that would not have been allowed back then. It’s all very innocent though!

Bewlloar: Looking at some of Geoff Campion’s original art for “Spellbinder,” Sylvestor can appear quite intimidating. Was his bark ever as bad as his bite, because I love some of the more comical spells he casts in this tale?

Roach: He softened considerably over time, as comic characters often do. I loved the chance to write some comically crabby dialogue, with all sorts of ancient oath making. I guess my natural inclination was just to have fun, much as the old strip had.

I certainly gained even more admiration for Geoff Campion’s wonderful artwork; he really was a great talent who could draw absolutely anything. I must admit I would dearly love to do more strips with Vanessa and Sylvester in the future.

Bellwoar: I hope that gets to happen! Thanks for agreeing to this interview, David and Emily.

The Treasury of British Comics Annual 2026 goes on sale November 12th.