The Ballad of Pete and his Pimple

One of the enjoyable things about working for Oink! comic was its flexibility and openness to ideas. Here's a Pete and his Pimple half pager I did for issue 29 (back in 1987) which, to suit the music theme of the issue, had its dialogue done as a spoof of the lyrics to 'Yesterday'. I was quite pleased with the result and also that I could get away with such a downbeat ending in a children's comic.

As the early issues of Oink! had high production values and were printed on glossy paper it allowed the artists to render the strips a bit more lavishly than the limitations of the newsprint comics. This strip was embellished with a grey wash and black crayon. Click on the image to see it larger.

This is scanned from the original artwork, and if you'd like to own it I have it up for auction this week along with a few other pieces on eBay. (Click here.) Bidding ends on Sunday 23rd June. Good luck!

The Smasher returns

The Smasher is back in The Dandy Annual 2014, and here's a sneak preview of one of the three pages featuring the character that I've done for the book. The Smasher originated in The Dandy in 1957 as, I suppose, their answer to The Beano's Dennis the Menace. For many years The Smasher was illustrated by Hugh Morren, and later by Brian Walker. I wrote and drew three Smasher strips for last year's annual (and one for the final issue of The Dandy in December 2012) and was pleased to be asked to provide three more for this year's book.

If the logo looks familiar it's because I scanned it from a 1960s Dandy, cleaned up the scan, reduced it a little, and re-coloured it. D.C. Thomson have created some excellent, and timeless, logo designs over the years so it was ideal. 

The Dandy Annual 2014 will be published in just a few short weeks time, in early July. You can pre-order it now from Amazon.  

Latest Beano...

This week's issue of The Beano sees Rasher meet Ball Boy, a character who's been in the comic for a number of years now. I'm enjoying doing the Rasher strips as it gives me the opportunity to occasionally draw other Beano stars. If the strip runs long enough perhaps I'll get around to giving Big Eggo a cameo in it one day. 

This is a special issue of The Beano, as you may have seen in the press and on the news today. Yes, it's the one that features Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall meeting Beano characters. In fact, they met them in real life too, - and what did Dennis do? More details on the blog of Nigel Parkinson, who draws Dennis the Menace these days: 
http://nigelparkinsoncartoons.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/what-menace.html

On sale now!

  

Back to the drawing board

As regular readers of this blog will know, my mum sadly passed away three weeks ago after a stroke/fall. (Full story here.) The last several weeks have been the worst time of my life, and the grief will never completely fade of course. However, now that the funeral is over and I've finished clearing out mum's bungalow and the keys have been handed back to the council I have time to return to the drawing board again. 

Today I drew a Rasher strip (there it is in an early stage above) which should appear in The Beano in a few weeks. Tomorrow, another Rasher strip to catch up, then it'll be on with more You've Been Pranked pages (also for The Beano), an illustration job for a client, the return of a classic character for another client, and several pages for The Dandy Annual 2015. Having not earned anything for five weeks (except for that eBay sale) I need to really get moving again. 

I'd like to publicly thank the editors at D.C. Thomson, Aces Weekly, and Viz comic for being so understanding in allowing me time to grieve and sort the practical things out that one has to do when someone passes away. (I have no other family, so I had a lot to do.) Thanks folks for your professionalism and sincere compassion. 

I'd also like to thank my close friends in Nuneaton, Sue B, Nige, Mo, Mandy, Mark, Joanne, Al, Sue T, Gary G, Gary R, Linda, Andy, Josie, and all for their incredible support during these dark days, and to my many friends online and elsewhere (Lise, David L, Nigel, Mike C, Mike H, Angi, Debbie & Robbie and many more) for all their words of encouragement and sympathy. From the practical help of hospital trips or moving furniture, to simple messages of condolence, I assure you it's all helped to get me through this and has brought me great comfort. 

Fantasy Express and the early career of Alan Moore

Back in the late seventies and early eighties comic fanzines were plentiful and I self-published several of my own such as Metamorph, After Image and Fantasy Express. In February 1983 issue 5 of Fantasy Express featured a lengthy interview with Alan Moore, who was then fast becoming a rising star due to his work on Captain Britain and Marvelman. 

This was either the first or second interview that Alan had given, and considering that I only printed 150 to 200 copies of Fantasy Express this is very rare indeed. Recently I found an unread copy in excellent condition and it's currently up for auction on eBay. White pages, no rusty staples or other defects. Looks brand new. Exclusive cover by Alan Davis.

If you're interested, you'll find the listing here which also gives you more details about the contents. Bidding ends tomorrow (Sunday 9th June). Good luck!

It's Biffo!

Believe it or not the 2014 cover-dated annuals will start appearing in bookshops from next month. For The Beano Annual 2014 I've drawn a classic character that I've never done before, - Biffo the Bear! This two page strip was fun to do and I hope I did a good job on the character. Decide for yourselves in July when the book hits the shops. You can pre-order it now from Amazon.

I've also drawn six pages for The Dandy Annual 2014. Which characters? I'll reveal more at a later date. 

My Mam, 1925 - 2013

Mam and me, Blackpool 1967.

My apologies for not updating this blog for a couple of weeks. As some of you know, the last few years I've been dividing my time between work and caring for my mum who was housebound with arthritis and spondylosis. She was able to look after herself to an extent, and tried to be as independent as possible, but I'd help with meals, shopping, sorting out bills etc and generally keeping her company.

Sadly, on May 9th, when taking some shopping to her bungalow, I found her lying in the kitchen, having suffered a very nasty fall, possibly after a stroke. The original prognosis at the hospital was bad. The neurosurgeon said the damage to her brain was too severe and only gave her 24 hours to live. Mum did show some sign of improvement though, and there was hope for a couple of days, but, as was originally feared, it became clear she would not recover.

The hospital staff at Universitry Hospital, Walsgrave, were excellent. They made mum as comfortable as possible and were very sympathetic. Knowing each day could be her last, I stayed by her bedside as long as I could. The accident had put mum into a state of semi-consciousness, like she was half awake, so I don't know if her mind was in the present or wherever, but she did recognise me and tried to smile a couple of times when she saw me. I just sat beside her, talking to her of better, happier, days, of the pets we had, and the many holidays in Blackpool. And telling her how much she'd meant to me over the years. The good thing was she wasn't in any pain, and just looked comfortable and sleepy. 

Recent photo, 2013.

Mum fought bravely and survived for 11 days. I was with her 24/7 towards the end, as the staff had moved her to a side room and gave me a mattress and sheets so I could stay overnight. She passed away at 00.45am on Tuesday 21st May, very quietly and peacefully, with me holding her hand.

My mum's life had often been one of hardship and sorrow, but she dealt with it well, and never gave in. She was genuinely a good, kind person, supporting and devoted to her family throughout her life. She liked to be independent and kept herself to herself.  She was a very fair-minded person and tolerant of all people. As she always said, “There are good and bad in all races. Take each person as you find them.”

Mum had always been encouraging and supportive of me throughout my career, and earlier, when I used to draw my own comics as a child. I used to show her every comic strip I had published (except for the rude stuff like Viz) and she read every one, always looking for my signature afterwards. We often used to talk about times gone by, and she told me a lot about her life before I was born. She had decent moral values, and she was young at heart too, with a good sense of humour. Basically she was not only the best mum I could have wished for, she was my best friend too.

I have no family left now, so I have to adjust to a new normal life. Grief comes in waves, but hopefully, once the funeral is over, and I've cleared her council bungalow, I'll be back at the drawing board. 

Olive Stringer, 5th June 1925 - 21st May 2013. Rest in Peace now Mam. No more worries or stress.