Comics UK

I dunno, maybe I'm just getting old, but I don't think many of the current DC Thomson artists are as good as their predecessors. I've got to say I think Nick Brennan, who draws Blinky, Sneaker, Pinky's Crackpot Circus and Crazy for Daisy is bloody awful. All his characters are big lumpy messes....YUK!

Originally posted by Old Moaner on the old forum on 31/1/2006

Ihave to agree that I'm not keen on a lot of the artists styles I ve seen in the FDandy recently (not a regular buyer just look at my girlfriends sisters kids comic now and then) but I actually think Nick Brennans art is ok sorta VIZ like, I can see why folk might not like it tho - not keen onthe Korky Cat Jak styles the artists are using , then again I'm not 7 years old and I'm sure ht ekids that read the Dandy love them.

Originally posted by Paul McScotty on the old forum on 31/1/2006

To some extent, I agree with you. I thought it was okay for Pete's Pipes, but after that all his strips seem to all look the same. Karl Dixon is my least favourite - I used to love Beryl The Peril, but thanks to his twinning her with Olly it has been ruined. No longer my fave story. Nixon was the best artist for Beryl. But he is sadly not with us anymore. To do a drawing of Dixon's Beryl it takes about 1 minute, including all the backgroundss e.t.c, Nixon's took longer. Derek The Sheep is not drawn good at all, but at least it is original and funny. There seems to be a trend for artists who can't copying other characters at the moment. We have Kef F's dreadful Bash Street Kids, then there's that one (can't remember his name, the Colin The Vet artist) who has doing some Dennis The Menace in the annual- there was one time when artists could copy other styles perfectly. We have Wayne' s terrible Billy The Whizz. I was pleased that the Dennis The Menace annual had some new tories from Dave Sutherland - he is one of the best. My Own Genie - art not good at all. It seems anyone can be a cartoonist these days.

Originally posted by Young Moaner on the old forum on 31/1/2006

Most of the styles you mention are deceptively simple but there's a good understanding of comedy behind it. As for the artist who does Colin the Vet; he's brilliant. There's more skill in his linework than you might think, and his colour work is top notch. Comics aren't always about how many lines are in each picture.

By the way, if you want to be picky, there have never been strips called "Pete's Pipes" or "Billy the Whizz".

If anyone can be a cartoonist, why aren't you one?

Originally posted by Realist on the old forum on 31/1/2006

I don?t think Nick Brennan, Gary Northfield, Jamie Smart, Kev F and Karl Dixon deserve that kind of criticism. I like the diverse drawing styles in the Dandy and the Beano. Times move on and the Beano can?t keep to the old school style old drawing, just look at what?s on the likes of CBBC or CITV nowadays, can you imagine animation in the style of Dudley Watkins or someone being used today? Of course not. Simplicity in style is increasing, I think demonstrated by the slight change in style of Desperate Dan. Bold colours, clean lines, and decent scripts, enhanced by some artists who write their own, such as Gary and Jamie ? they freshen up the comics because it?s a style the DCT staff don?t usually write in ? just look at My Own Genie and Derek the Sheep, immensely popular characters and written by the artists themselves who aren?t in an office co-editing a weekly comic and who aren?t in an office co-editing a weekly comic for a year at a time.

If it wasn?t for people like them the Dandy would have been cancelled and the Beano merely surviving on it?s own status, not for the fact Kids buy it because it?s funny. Nick Brennan is a prolific cartoonist, I barely remember the Dandy being more than 2 weeks without his work in the past 7 years (I think?). Karl Dixon I?ve warmed to a lot, his style at first didn?t impress me as much as say Ken Harrison or Steve Bright?s, but I seriously believe he?s an almost modern day David Law. Same kind of sketchy look and he?s drawing two legendary comic characters. Whether Ollie can be considered legendary is open to debate but he?s more in tune with kids today then Dennis the Menace is. And I think Kev F?s extended stories are great, it?s nice to see characters in styles other than what I?m usually expecting to see them in. What?s the point of drawing characters in a style that?s not your own? I?d want to give them my own little twist if I were to draw someone elses. Duncan Scott ? prime example.

Originally posted by Sheldon on the old forum on 31/1/2006

who is Duncan scott what does he do? is he the koky the cat artist?

Originally posted by Anonymous on the old forum on 31/1/2006

I agree with Sheldon. We live in a multi-media world now and The Dandy is reflecting the modern cartoon styles. Personally, I think The Dandy is the freshest it's been since the Sixties.

Comics have always reflected the world around them. The style of Tom Browne, who influenced the likes of Roy Wilson and Reg Parlett, and became the "traditional British humour style" was itself influenced by the slapstick and costumes of the music hall comedians. (Look at the early films of Charlie Chaplin: all the ingredients of the "traditional" humour strip, right down to the posture and body language).

Today, kids watch cartoons that use more abstract and varied styles, and Dandy and Beano are, in part, reflecting that. I'd rather see one artist doing his own thing than ten more Bob Nixon copy-cats.

Originally posted by Lew Stringer on the old forum on 31/1/2006

Nah, Colin the Vet artist. Out of curiousity who is the new Korky artist?

Originally posted by Sheldon on the old forum on 31/1/2006

also does any1 now who draws the comic idol stories are they all new artists?

Originally posted by Anonymous on the old forum on 31/1/2006

Duncan Scott draws Mia starr. 2 to go.

Originally posted by Bananafan on the old forum on 31/1/2006

Steve Horrocks draws Sam, and newcomer Kelly Dyson draws Nicky Nutjob. Bad news is Kev F is back next week.

One thing I'd observe however is that the old artists are aging. Trevor Metcalfe is 67 (wow!), David Sutherland and Ken Harrison must be a few years either side, all having started in the 1960s, and Barrie Appleby, who I first know of from the mid-1970s, can't be that much younger (Terror TV and Pongalongapongo).

I love the different zaninesses of Nick Brennan and Karl Dixon, and Derek the Sheep is always a highlight. The only one of the new artists I don't really like is Tony O'Donnell, and he would do better on a different strip without having to ghost Bob Nixon.

Originally posted by AndyB on the old forum on 1/2/2006

Tony O"Donnell was originally an artist of adventure comics. (He did some DCT work but I regret I can't remember which strips right now). With the decline of the boy's adventure comic he's reinvented himself a little as a humour artist. One is always at a disadvantage when ghosting another's style but Tony does a good professional job on Ivy.

Regarding your other comments, yes, sadly time flies by all too fast. However, bear in mind that Reg Parlett was still drawing for Buster in his eighties so let's hope those artists have another few decades ahead of them yet!

Originally posted by Lew Stringer on the old forum on 1/2/2006

I emailed Thomsons, asking why David can't draw dennis anymore, and he replied saying "Dave can't put much more pressure on, as he is now well into his late 70's" WOW!!!!

Originally posted by Bananafan on the old forum on 2/2/2006

I must say, I don't really like the way brennan's style went downhill recently. I mean, Peter Piper and Blinky were drawn great at first, but within a few years his style loosened up, and the strips were less funny. In 2006, Nick Brennan distorted Blinky so much he's barely recognisable.

Karl dixon isn't that bad. I admit his style is wacky, but not particularly rushed, just wacky.

I really like Duncan Scott. Has he ever drawn in any adult comics, and when did he start drawing? Anyone know?

For my least fave comic artists, I think Jimmy Hansen does a rather unsuitable job for Dennis. While Dennis is drawn relatively OK, him, his parents and the Colonel seem to be the only characters drawn good. Gnasher looks far too distorted, Walter is an elvis impersonator, Sgt. Slipper looks Goofy and Bea looks Fat and ugly. (Her disappearence in the main dennis strip is a blessing!)

When Peter Davidson first started drawing Oor Wullie in the late 1980's/early 1990's, I must say I thought his style was a bit rubbish, and there wasn't really much life to the work and barely anyone opened their mouths.

I must say, when I was younger I HAAAAATTTTTTEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDD Bob Dewar, but I reckon is style was good in the 1980's, just when he started drawing Joe King he sorta 'lost it'.

Tom lavery wasn't very good at drawing Rodger the Dodger, he looked too wierd between 1973 and 1976. I wasn't too keen on Frank McDairmid either. He was alright though.

I'm not a fan of Wayne Thompson. I liked his Billy Whizz at first when he was drawing it like Mal Judge (those strips are some of my favourites), but his style declined sharply and worryingly, to the point where it looked slapdash and rushed. I honestly thought at the time that I could have done a better job (I was 10 at the time!). I've never liked anything else he's done.

I think Nick Brennan wasn't a bad artist, but by 2006 his work was poor. The characters looked distorted. I don't think the colouring helped either - the very bright colours used by that time made his work look a lot worse in my view.