Comics UK

With all the positive changes happening in the Beano recently would love to see the above with more pages in the Beano, not at the expense of any current artists but just to add more diversity to the comic. I know Jamie & Lew have been doing puzzle pages but would love to see them doing some strips. Andy recently showed a picture he had done of Smudge and it looked great. Jamie doing the 3 Bears would be cool & would love to see Lew back with something new....

Andy's in the Beano too - he's the writer on Little Plum. I agree that all three artists you mention deserve more work. But the trouble is, the comic is packed to the rafters as it is, even with two former two-pagers knocked down to one page.

Who is left of the 'old guard' on the Beano------I assume Dave Sutherland and Ken Harrison contribute----as well as Barrie Appleby. Anyone else from 'before the Digital Age'?

Excuse me being so out of touch, but every time I look through the comic, the identity changes a lot with lots of different artist on view.

Maybe this will happen moreso now, with so many artists looking for work in a very shrunken market.

It could be argued that the failure of the Dandy means styles such as Smart are more niche than mainstream. I dont know enough about it, if that is the case, but it must weigh on the minds of the top of DCT.

ISPYSHHHGUY wrote:Who is left of the 'old guard' on the Beano------I assume Dave Sutherland and Ken Harrison contribute----as well as Barrie Appleby. Anyone else from 'before the Digital Age'?

Excuse me being so out of touch, but every time I look through the comic, the identity changes a lot with lots of different artist on view.

Maybe this will happen moreso now, with so many artists looking for work in a very shrunken market.

Ken's seemingly gone (maybe he retired?). Nigel Parkinson has taken over Minnie and also draws Dennis. Dave does still draw Bash Street. Nick Brennan is out as well, because Wilbur Dawbarn took over his Billy Whizz strip. However, digital Dandy has Nick doing new Blinky artwork. Barry Glennard is still doing Numskulls, but it and Minnie have both lost a page. Barrie Appleby does Gnasher's Bite and Roger the Dodger.

ISPYSHHHGUY wrote:Who is left of the 'old guard' on the Beano------I assume Dave Sutherland and Ken Harrison contribute----as well as Barrie Appleby. Anyone else from 'before the Digital Age'?

Most of the current Beano artists have been working in comics for a long time, Rab, but if you're asking about artists who were on The Beano when you were younger then, yes, most have retired or sadly passed on by now.

Why not buy a copy? It's only £2 and you might like it.

Thanks, guys! I really should buy it, Lew---and I do look at through it every other week---I was impressed by the recent cover with the novelty cut-out lettering around the BEANO title.

Digifiend wrote:Ken's seemingly gone (maybe he retired?).

Wouldn't Ken be in more of a semi retirement as isn't he supposed to be drawing Desperate Dan in the next Dandy Annual?

Yeah, but doing what, 3 strips, is far less than 50. And Jim Petrie did that Fatty Fudge strip, so being retired from the weekly deadline work doesn't always mean they stop completely.

David Mostyn's still working occassionally too, isn't he? He had that new Strange Hill thing in the last ever Dandy (unless I'm mistaken).

Digifiend wrote:Yeah, but doing what, 3 strips, is far less than 50. And Jim Petrie did that Fatty Fudge strip, so being retired from the weekly deadline work doesn't always mean they stop completely.

As I think has been mentioned before, we're all freelancers, so 'retirement' in the traditional sense doesn't apply usually. Reg Parlett was still drawing at 90. Most comic artists carry on beyond retirement age, if health and/or circumstances allow. Sometimes it's a necessity, as very few people get rich in this business, and there's no redundancy pay or anything like that of course.

Given all that, some people might think we're mad to do this for a living. Of course we are! Comics would be pretty boring otherwise.

'Old comic artists never die...they just fade away!'

- Phil R.

Being a comics artist, cartoonist or writer sure beats most jobs, though, Lew; other jobs may pay better but most people have no real interest in the work they are doing and are in it for money security only---I know by their attitude. I have relatives who are tradesmen who are financially a lot better off than me, but they openly admit they hate their jobs.

Those who find jobs that are desirable and also pay well are very rare and are probably all the musicians, actors, etc who make it, but even their profession is very hard to crack, with just a minority making it big.

ISPYSHHHGUY wrote:Being a comics artist, cartoonist or writer sure beats most jobs, though, Lew; other jobs may pay better but most people have no real interest in the work they are doing and are in it for money security only---I know by their attitude.

You clearly have talent as an artist, Rab, and of course, as you imply, money isn't everything, but could you please let us know in which comics, newspapers or magazines your strips do regularly appear.

I flog cartoons to tailored customers around the world, Phoenix--usually for companies in advertising---I do a lot of logos for the sides of vans and stuff, T-shirt designs, that sort of thing.

New work comes in every day and I have to bid against other artists-----I usually get an OK response, though.

I stopped applying to comics as the openings are too small these days.

Thanks for the compliment, I appreciate it. I was the youngest cartoonist on D C T's books in the 80s-----John Geering couldn't believe how young I looked, the only time we met------but my drawings were too crude and undeveloped at that time to attain success.

Now I can draw OK, there's little or no comics work to pursue!


However, the work I do get paid for isn't really all that different in approach to what the BEANO lads and lasses are putting out: here's a recent website frame from a strip I done for Christmas: I just work for different markets, but I do get paid for strips: