David Sutherland
- Peter Gray
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Re: David Sutherland
good points Phil Rushton
you are right about the different approaches...also Leo didn't mind drawing lots of kids rather than just the nine..I of course loves his busy pages..
My favourite Beano cover by David..loved the eyes having colour..a nice painted effect..
I remember the ship one with the cannon balls f;ying around everywhere which was from 1962 and was shown on here and I was sure it was by David Sutherland But Nigel P put me straight and said it was Leo...it was one of the red and black and white two pages ones..so it can be tricky to tell sometimes..
you are right about the different approaches...also Leo didn't mind drawing lots of kids rather than just the nine..I of course loves his busy pages..
My favourite Beano cover by David..loved the eyes having colour..a nice painted effect..
I remember the ship one with the cannon balls f;ying around everywhere which was from 1962 and was shown on here and I was sure it was by David Sutherland But Nigel P put me straight and said it was Leo...it was one of the red and black and white two pages ones..so it can be tricky to tell sometimes..
Re: David Sutherland
Thank you all for your thoughts and knowledge and wonderful art samples. I had intended to add more scans of my own, but I don't think I have anything that can match what has been shared so far.
The Great Flood Of London is superb.
I grew up with the 1980's Dennis and I love that robust era of the Menace too.
Peter just beat me to it in pointing out that Sutherland taking over the Bash Street Kids seems to coincide with the number of pupils in class IIb shrinking suddenly. Maybe the parents of the other kids moved away to get their darlings away from Danny & co.'s baleful influence.
DS's 1970s annual covers are great. 1975 is a special favourite.
Yes, in those early Bash Street Kids episodes Mr Sutherland inserted so many wonderful incidental sight gags, just like Baxendale, Paterson, and Geering at their best. Witness in one of the strips above the Headmaster secretly using Teacher's tears to water a plant. I wonder how many of these were in the original scripts.
One of my favourite comic books ever was and is the Bash Street Kids book 1982 (the second one) which was my first glimpse at reprints of that glorious era of the strip. Those strips repay rereading and rereading and gazing at in wonder. The fact that there is only one Leo Baxendale (my favourite UK comics artist too) doesn't lessen Mr Sutherland's achievement.
It took me a while as a kid to figure out if those strips were drawn by the same artist as the ones appearing in my weekly 1980's Beano. I was surprised when I found out they were.
It's maybe poor form to link to something only to disagree with it, but I vehemently disagree with this writers assessment of David Sutherland (or of David Law, for that matter):
http://www.paulmorris.co.uk/beano/artis ... erland.htm
Particularly this phrase: "Whether David Sutherland ever had a distinctive style of his own I may never know."
His work of the 80's and onwards is definitely in his own distinctive style. As the writer himself admits, the Bash Street Kids and Dennis the Menace no longer looked like they were drawn by two different people. In other words, they no longer looked like they were drawn by Baxendale and Law, they both looked like they were drawn by David Sutherland. Just because his style evolved from Baxendale/Law pastiches, and just because it's not a style the writer admires, doesn't make it any less distinctive in the end. And once you're aware of his style, it's easy to spot the similarities in one of his Billy the Cat strips.
How about a complete list of his strips then?
Danny on a Dolphin
The Cannonball Crackshots
The Great Flood Of London
The Bash Street Kids
Lester's Little Circus
General Jumbo
Billy the Cat
Biffo the Bear
Dennis the Menace
Gnasher's Tale/Gnasher and Gnipper
Rasher
The Germs
Korky the Cat
Bradley Bedsock (was that his name?)
Fred's Bed
Any more? And were they all for The Beano except Korky and Bradley?
Long live the Great David Sutherland!
The Great Flood Of London is superb.
I grew up with the 1980's Dennis and I love that robust era of the Menace too.
Peter just beat me to it in pointing out that Sutherland taking over the Bash Street Kids seems to coincide with the number of pupils in class IIb shrinking suddenly. Maybe the parents of the other kids moved away to get their darlings away from Danny & co.'s baleful influence.
DS's 1970s annual covers are great. 1975 is a special favourite.
Yes, in those early Bash Street Kids episodes Mr Sutherland inserted so many wonderful incidental sight gags, just like Baxendale, Paterson, and Geering at their best. Witness in one of the strips above the Headmaster secretly using Teacher's tears to water a plant. I wonder how many of these were in the original scripts.
One of my favourite comic books ever was and is the Bash Street Kids book 1982 (the second one) which was my first glimpse at reprints of that glorious era of the strip. Those strips repay rereading and rereading and gazing at in wonder. The fact that there is only one Leo Baxendale (my favourite UK comics artist too) doesn't lessen Mr Sutherland's achievement.
It took me a while as a kid to figure out if those strips were drawn by the same artist as the ones appearing in my weekly 1980's Beano. I was surprised when I found out they were.
It's maybe poor form to link to something only to disagree with it, but I vehemently disagree with this writers assessment of David Sutherland (or of David Law, for that matter):
http://www.paulmorris.co.uk/beano/artis ... erland.htm
Particularly this phrase: "Whether David Sutherland ever had a distinctive style of his own I may never know."
His work of the 80's and onwards is definitely in his own distinctive style. As the writer himself admits, the Bash Street Kids and Dennis the Menace no longer looked like they were drawn by two different people. In other words, they no longer looked like they were drawn by Baxendale and Law, they both looked like they were drawn by David Sutherland. Just because his style evolved from Baxendale/Law pastiches, and just because it's not a style the writer admires, doesn't make it any less distinctive in the end. And once you're aware of his style, it's easy to spot the similarities in one of his Billy the Cat strips.
How about a complete list of his strips then?
Danny on a Dolphin
The Cannonball Crackshots
The Great Flood Of London
The Bash Street Kids
Lester's Little Circus
General Jumbo
Billy the Cat
Biffo the Bear
Dennis the Menace
Gnasher's Tale/Gnasher and Gnipper
Rasher
The Germs
Korky the Cat
Bradley Bedsock (was that his name?)
Fred's Bed
Any more? And were they all for The Beano except Korky and Bradley?
Long live the Great David Sutherland!
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My artwork: http://www.iancockburn.co.uk
My artwork: http://www.iancockburn.co.uk
- Peter Gray
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Re: David Sutherland
This is the one I thought was by David Sutherland in 1962..its by Leo..it can be very difficult to tell apart sometimes..shows the high standards of David..
What a great title panel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- swirlythingy
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Re: David Sutherland
I'm probably late to the party here, but I just realised (and don't think anyone else has pointed out yet) that this means he'll have been drawing the strip for half a century in four months' time.philcom55 wrote:Dave's first full Bash Street story appeared in the Beano dated 4th August 1962
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Re: David Sutherland
On the diminishing numbers of Class IIB I think it's worth pointing out that Leo was originally influenced by the terrifying hordes of children that were forever lying in wait to ambush unsuspecting adults in the cartoons of Giles (seen here on the cover of the 1957 collection).
The point about these urchins is that they always appeared endless and interchangeable, like waves of old-style 'redskins' bearing down on defenceless settlers in the American West.
While Leo did introduce most of the named characters, Dave Sutherland went even further in humanizing the Kids by showing each member of the class as a recognizable, sympathetic individual (an approach that the text stories printed in The Wizard had also taken). In time it even became possible to care about Teacher himself.
- Phil Rushton
The point about these urchins is that they always appeared endless and interchangeable, like waves of old-style 'redskins' bearing down on defenceless settlers in the American West.
While Leo did introduce most of the named characters, Dave Sutherland went even further in humanizing the Kids by showing each member of the class as a recognizable, sympathetic individual (an approach that the text stories printed in The Wizard had also taken). In time it even became possible to care about Teacher himself.
- Phil Rushton
- swirlythingy
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Re: David Sutherland
Actually, Leo Baxendale himself claims credit for the reduction in class size:
While we're at it, here it is out of the horse's mouth on the subject of whether Cramond "handed Baxendale his notice" in 1962 or not:One of the first Bash Street stories had them visiting an army display in the local park - and I had them defeating the British army and carrying off the heavy weaponry. In the background, you could see the kids shelling Bash Street School - a whole rabble army of Bash Street kids. I realised then that I would need to get rid of most of them - bring them down to a small group so that they could get close to the readers. That was when they first got their names: Plug, Smiffy, Wilfred and the rest.
In 1962, I just blew up like an old boiler, and walked out.
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Re: David Sutherland
His subsequent Beezer work (which I assume was just the Banana Bunch) must've been either stockpile, reprint, or freelance then.
Re: David Sutherland
He was always freelance, and did new stuff for the Beezer from then on: The Banana Bunch and The Gobbles, plus some annual work; he was also offered strips in Topper and Dandy which didn't inspire him and he didn't want to do. It was when he asked to return to The Beano after about eighteen months, and was told he'd never work for the title again, that he looked for work with other companies instead of Thomson.Digifiend wrote:His subsequent Beezer work (which I assume was just the Banana Bunch) must've been either stockpile, reprint, or freelance then.
- Tin Can Tommy
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Re: David Sutherland
According to the History of the Beano he also drew the shortlived Oscar Knight - Child Actor from 1992-1993.dishes wrote:
How about a complete list of his strips then?
Danny on a Dolphin
The Cannonball Crackshots
The Great Flood Of London
The Bash Street Kids
Lester's Little Circus
General Jumbo
Billy the Cat
Biffo the Bear
Dennis the Menace
Gnasher's Tale/Gnasher and Gnipper
Rasher
The Germs
Korky the Cat
Bradley Bedsock (was that his name?)
Fred's Bed
Any more? And were they all for The Beano except Korky and Bradley?
Long live the Great David Sutherland!
- Jonny Whizz
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Re: David Sutherland
Regarding the various strips David has drawn, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned he did the second version of Jak in the early 2000s (not sure about dates in the comic, but his version did appear in the 2002-2005 Dandy Annuals - after that it was Wayne Thompson's version). He also drew The Nibblers and The Three Bears in the 2012 Beano Annual, though I'm far as I'm aware he hasn't drawn either in the weekly comic.
I agree with dishes in saying that David shouldn't be criticised for lacking a distinctive style of his own - as you said, his later work was very much in his own style, particularly on Dennis the Menace. I'd say that the influence of Leo Baxendale on Tom Paterson's work is more pronounced that than of any artist on Sutherland's style from the 1980s onwards, yet I certainly wouldn't accuse Tom of lacking a distinctive style.
I agree with dishes in saying that David shouldn't be criticised for lacking a distinctive style of his own - as you said, his later work was very much in his own style, particularly on Dennis the Menace. I'd say that the influence of Leo Baxendale on Tom Paterson's work is more pronounced that than of any artist on Sutherland's style from the 1980s onwards, yet I certainly wouldn't accuse Tom of lacking a distinctive style.
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Re: David Sutherland
Dave also drew 'Oscar Knight - Child Actor' which was then reprinted in The BeanoMAX very early on - I'll try and find some scans.
He's also fairly recently began drawing the illustrations for BeanoMAX text story, 'Evil Edgar'. He also supplied the illustrations for a one-off 'Willy Nilly' (Originally from "The Beezer and Topper") text story which appeared in the issue before the debut of 'Evil Edgar'.
Dave also drew the one-panel gag, 'Creature Features' for the Dandy Book 2001. (What a weird annual that was!)
Not only that but he also drew the covers and splash pages of the Beezer Annual 2003. I can't remember if any of his stuff actually featured inside - but I don't think it did.
I think that's all. Of course, he also drew the 'At Home with the BSK' mini-strips for the Summer Specials but I guess they count as 'The Bash Street Kids'.
He's also fairly recently began drawing the illustrations for BeanoMAX text story, 'Evil Edgar'. He also supplied the illustrations for a one-off 'Willy Nilly' (Originally from "The Beezer and Topper") text story which appeared in the issue before the debut of 'Evil Edgar'.
Dave also drew the one-panel gag, 'Creature Features' for the Dandy Book 2001. (What a weird annual that was!)
Not only that but he also drew the covers and splash pages of the Beezer Annual 2003. I can't remember if any of his stuff actually featured inside - but I don't think it did.
I think that's all. Of course, he also drew the 'At Home with the BSK' mini-strips for the Summer Specials but I guess they count as 'The Bash Street Kids'.
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Re: David Sutherland
Jak II would've been in the Dandy around 2001-2003. Jak and Todd debuted in the 2004 Dandy revamp.
- Peter Gray
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Re: David Sutherland
http://www.oocities.org/pjgdavidsutherland/
Heres my signature of David...I do like his work a lot..
Another great title panel!!!
My era of Dennis and great stuff it was too..and also loved his Bash Street kids..
Re: David Sutherland
A very nice selection of Dave's work Peter. You must be very proud of the signed self-portrait - do you know who the other people are based on? His appearance certainly has altered since this representation of the Bash Street Artist was printed in 1966!
I really hope you get to meet him in person some day.
- Phil Rushton
I really hope you get to meet him in person some day.
- Phil Rushton
- Peter Gray
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Re: David Sutherland
I'm hoping my wife will come round to the idea of a holiday in Scotland..
Frank McDiarmid the Roger the Dodger artist..striped T shirt
Malcolm Judges the old gent saying its revolting..
Jim Petrie the moustache gent
striped shirt going down John Geering
Haw Haw man is Gordon Bell
Its from the 1986 Beano summer special..
editor Euan Kerr
Frank McDiarmid the Roger the Dodger artist..striped T shirt
Malcolm Judges the old gent saying its revolting..
Jim Petrie the moustache gent
striped shirt going down John Geering
Haw Haw man is Gordon Bell
Its from the 1986 Beano summer special..
editor Euan Kerr