Today started with Channel 5 turning up...

First thing this morning, Channel 5 turned up and set up a huge hot arc light and asked me to 'just act natural' while taping me for their feature on the 75th anniversary of The Beano. Channel 5's Ruth Liptrot went over to the Beanotown exhibition at Southbank, London at the same time, while I made her into a Beano character.

 So that's what I did today.

 

Looking For Leeds

Been a busy week!

On Wednesday, that Beano cake couldn't eat itself you know; on Thursday, secret, and then on both Friday and Saturday Ruth and I wowed the many Dennis The Menace fans of Yorkshire with our many appearances at the CBBC Big Event with our demonstrations of how to draw Dennis, Gnasher and their chums- the most popular of who, by far, is Pie-Face. By FAR.

So here I am in the middle of drawing Pie Face on Friday (it was hot in that tent!) and amusing he vast crowd with my hilarious and witty banter.

"Anyone here from Leeds?"

Wednesday Was Beano Day

Last Wednesday was a big Beano day - the Beano's 75th anniversary was celebrated by some of publisher DC Thomson's finest sipping champagne and gorging on tempting foods - and also some of us freelancers- here you can see me, with Mark, Beano designer, and Gary Northfield and Laura Howell, famed cartoonists, clearly trapped in a cage of some sort and held for future deadline insurance.
And then I was trundled out to meet and greet some Beano fans too and sign stuff as if I was someone who should be signing autographs. I met a lot of nice people, like John, Gary, Claire, Elaine and Mike from The Beano (I already knew Craig, Craig, Iain and Gordon well), the lovely Claire, top designer from Doc Marten's boots, and the titanic twosome, fellow cartoonists Wilbur Dawburn and Alexander Matthews, and Paul Palmer and Kev F Sutherland, who I already knew, top blokes all. I'm sure I've missed out about a dozen people who I met, but I've just done what felt like a Tour Of Britain drawing Dennis The Menace and there are this week's deadlines to meet too and now a TV appearance to have a haircut for so goodnight for now.

Drawing Dennis The Fast Way

Want to see how a Dennis The Menace page is drawn? No sooner asked than answered:
Last week I was very artistically filmed by Glen Milner, documentary filmmaker, drawing a new page. See it HERE






I don't actually do a page in 1.40... a little artistic licence here...

This is the week!

The week of the 75th anniversary of The Beano comic.

This Wednesday's star-studded special issue is extra big and extra fun, with lots of surprises.
And, the same day, comes the first issue of the new Dennis The Menace and Gnasher Megazine!
As you may guess, I've drawn a few pages for both, but you should have a look at them anyway.

And, looking at this official 75th emblem (left), I suddenly realized the other day that, yes, I drew that, too.

On Friday and Saturday I'll be in Leeds at the CBBC event, showing how Dennis The Menace is drawn. I'd better find out.

Blink and it's the Count

Now that Count Arthur Strong is on TV, of course he's going to be more famous and we early adopters are going to have to get used to everyone knowing who we're talking about. But allow me to put one bit of lazy journalism to rest here and now. Count Arthur is not based on Harry Worth indeed, he's nothing like him! But there is one 1960s character that provided the germ of an idea which led to the Count: 



According to the man behind the Count, Steve Delaney, "...people often ask me what Arthur is based on, then they say "It's Harry Worth isn't it? Which it isn't! But one of the influences behind it from when I was a kid is, and memories of it still make me laugh today, ' Colonel Blink - The Short Sighted Gink', from the Beezer. I remember he lived with his auntie and often mistook her for a lamp post. Ah! Happy days."

And if you remember Colonel Blink, you'll see exactly what he means! Arf! Arf! So now you know!

Advice From The Big Guy

It was just this morning, in London! I only wanted a brief word- he is Neal Adams, after all, yes, Neal Adams of Batman, X Men, Deadman fame- but we ended up having quite a chat about certain topics- (if you know Neal Adams, you'll probably know what that means)- and he capped his advice with the words "Tell them Neal Adams says so!" Which is what I will definitely do when the time is right! Thanks Neal!


(PS. I said to him "promise me you won't stop drawing?" To which he replied "I'm not going to." So That's OK!)

Countdown to the Count on BBC2

Well it's finally here! On BBC2 on Monday night at 8.30pm! COUNT ARTHUR STRONG! Here's a quick snap I took after the recording of one of these shows at Pinewood back in February. Under the monitor in the blue sweatshirt is Graham Linehan the director, and next to him in the trilby hat, Count Arthur himself.
Now Count Arthur Strong is a very funny act, but be warned, when he first started on BBC Radio in 2005, not everyone 'got' it. His show was pretty much loved or loathed, and the loathers were in the majority, about 70/30. Since then, a great many 'loathers' have suddenly found themselves to be 'lovers' and the numbers are now about 80/20 in his favour.
You can't please everyone, and fortunately, Count Arthur doesn't try! But anyone finding themselves shouting "What a load of rubbish!" at the TV this Monday may well find they won't want to miss an episode later on. Count Arthur is like that. I've introduced a lot of people to The Count, and they've thanked me for it! I even defended him on air against one of those 'loathers' back on BBC 7 days.
So, bring it on, Count Arthur, I can take it!

More Menacing On the Way

How much Dennis The Menace can you take?? Not only is he in The Beano weekly, he has his own "megazine" from this month, and now, he's back on CBBC next week! And The Beano is 75 years old at the end of the month! Phew!