Comics UK

Well, Rab! I'm concocting a script -based on an idea of yours way back in the "I. SPY VILLIANS" thread!

Rab and I, as huge I. Spy fans would always have the characters best interests at heart, but the Thomsons people seemed so `sniffy` I did wonder if they thought we might be undercover men for `Viz` (Only `half` joking here!) It certainly got to me somewhat all the nitpicking!

Thankfully, Rab is more sanguine than me about this!

In recent years, I have negociated compiling articles for `Record Collector` and `Guinness Hit Singles/Albums` concerns! Yes! there were debates re content and format, but nothing so soul wearing as Thomsons people were on the `Crikey` project! So I know I can accommodate what I believe are reasonable requests/requirements! Not on this occassion, sad to say!

LEW! I would certainly pay £300 for another Sparky No1 . . . . and then I'd sell it to Mon-Ell for £500!!

alanultron5 wrote: In recent years, I have negociated compiling articles for `Record Collector` and `Guinness Hit Singles/Albums` concerns! Yes! there were debates re content and format, but nothing so soul wearing as Thomsons people were on the `Crikey` project! So I know I can accommodate what I believe are reasonable requests/requirements! Not on this occassion, sad to say!

Fair enough, but, correct me if I'm wrong, you don't have any prior experience writing comics do you? I'm sure you appreciate it's a completely different skill to writing articles.

Admittedly I don't know what Thomsons asked you to change but I imagine you'd get a similar reaction if you approached Marvel and wanted to write your own Spider-Man story, or if you approached the BBC to do a Doctor Who script. Companies are protective of their properties, particularly in how they appear outside of the comics that they have control over. The fact you're a huge fan of I Spy is neither here nor there. It's whether you can do THEIR character they way THEY want it that matters.

They [DCT] liked some aspects of the script I done, Lew, and suggested I 'rework' it. I would rather have started a new story from scratch, as I feel a lot of the spontanaeity is often lost going over the same ground again and again....probably a compromize between discipline and spontanaeity is the best way, again, as I normally belt out ideas pretty quickly, it probably would have been more fun to start a new story.


I've been busy on my own stuff obviously, so it's not like I've been doing nothing cartoonwise. I must admit, I definately prefer doing my own self-created strips/stuff from scratch.

I far prefer chart related articles due to them bieng in the main, Factual! Comic strips are obviously suited to `artistic` souls such as Lew and Rab! Yeah! Glad its a profession I won't be troubling! Horses for courses!

Mind you! I will do me own "I. Spy" script-on `Word` for me own amusement, and send Rab a copy!

"OH!!" It's all gone quiet on this thread! Has everyone gone? LEW STRINGER!! LEW!! Are you about LEW! LEW!! I need a good argument! LEW!! ANYONE!! Come in!!

alanultron5 wrote: I need a good argument! LEW!! ANYONE!! Come in!!

Shan't!

OH SAUSAGES!!

IT WAS 45 YEARS ago today...




-----that I SPY first appeared in print, in SPARKY COMIC, issue dated Feb 1, 1969. Most times I bought the comic was on a Saturday morn, however I seem to have a memory of getting it on a Friday sometimes early on.



Criminally, I never caught the first few instalments, and only discovered the character several issues later......it took me quite literally decades to look through the early 'missing' episodes, but they are all present and correct now.

I do have a very vague memory of the 'Flip the Frog' free gift however----presumably I caught sight of the advertisement for it in another Thomson comic.

alanultron5 wrote: ↑

17 Feb 2009, 16:06

Concerning who actually wrote the "I Spy" episodes, I should like to foreward three Ex Sparky staff who might have been responsible.

These are

(1) Gordon Cook.

(2) Mike Baird.

(3) Pete Clark.

It was Pete! It was Pete!

Nice to have you here Gordon. Do you do social media as well?