Every comic book cartoonist has to start somewhere.
That seems obvious but let me explain.
The printed or online comic page you read didn't start out as a finished page of artwork, or as a script, or an idea, or even a blank page- it started many years previously when some kid first saw someone else's comic page and thought "this looks like the job for me!"
For me, it began in 1962.
Everyone has a mum and a dad, and in 1962 I was lucky enough to be living with them. My mum was (is still, in 2016!) the sort of person who likes to have a tidy house and thinks any printed matter older than about two months that isn't a book is by definition trash. This caused many a sticky moment in the 1962-1974 era where my comics hiding places were discovered and consigned to the garbage. One particular event that stands out was in 1973 when I managed to salvage ten issues of Smash! from summer 1966 that I'd until then hidden successful in the shed literally as they were being handed over to the dustman. But they were unique, really. Of all the comics I bought (or had bought for me) in the Sixties, apart from those few Smash! comics, I only managed to keep three. Three (3). Yes, you read that right, not 3,000, not 300, just 3. One was a TV21 from August 1966, one was a POW! from early 1968 and one was Smash! no.3 which I practically carried with me everywhere from the day I got it in early 1966. I still have it (tattered and torn and trimmed though it is) and two more pristine copies. It's the comic I'm always trying to surpass.
My dad though, was a born browser. He'd have loved the internet and cable TV. He loved magazines, newspapers, books... he read voraciously and indiscriminately. I'm just like him. He introduced me to periodical publishing. At Christmas time 1962 I was reading my Jack and Jill nursery comic and he pointed out something that would change my life. "See where it says "December 29th 1962" on the cover? Next week it will say 1963!" Wow! You mean, there will be another one next week? And... hold on... does that mean... CAN that mean... ANOTHER one the week after? And... wait... gasp... one EVERY WEEK???! That was the moment I wanted a comic every week. It would lead me, 18 months later, to discover a new comic- "WHAM!", which I immediately graduated to, and which eventually led to SMASH!. I would have collected it every week and saved it if it had been possible.
But, as I had my comics chucked away all the time, I took to drawing my own. It was more a matter of trying to recreate what I'd recently enjoyed rather than do my own thing. It took me until 1966 before I realized I could draw new stuff. I could create something no-one else had read. Something that was mine! Of course, being paper, these were all thrown away too. I have 5 drawings of mine from before 1971.
My Dennis The Menace in this week's Beano didn't start when you read it. It didn't start when I drew it, or when Nigel Auchterlounie wrote the script, or when I started drawing Dennis in 1997 or when I started in comics in 1980, it all really began for me in 1962. A few years ago, at the one Comic Con I was a guest at before 2015, I was greeted by a DC Thomson editor who told a fan "Here's the man who will draw you a sketch of Dennis!" I took the paper, and a pen, and, still standing up, drew a 10 second picture of Dennis. The editor said "If it only takes you 10 seconds to draw Dennis, we're paying you too much!" To which I replied "You're paying me for the 40 years of drawing that led up to me being able to do it in 10 seconds!" I don't see drawing comics as a week by week thing- I started drawing in 1962 and I'm still drawing now. It's all one big project.
Everyone who draws comics began somewhere. And they began by emulating or recreating or restyling the comics they were reading. So it began for me on Christmas Day 1962 (Best present: Hanna-Barbera Chocolate 3D model characters set; Worst present Hanna-Barbera Chocolate 3D model characters set, half eaten by my sister and rewrapped. Huck, Yogi, Pixie and Dixie and Mr Jinks all standing there, smiling, with no backs to them, just teeth marks.)
You can read Part 1 of 'Secrets of the Comic Biz'
right here
In the last 22 months, me and Nika have done 22 Comic Cons or other events where our company 
Normally at Comic Cons we spend most of the day heads down, drawing, meeting Con-goers and sometimes doing presentations, interviews and masterclasses in drawing. Here, we did all that and more! The cartoon class was a spectacular success, everyone there did a great job and intently followed what I demonstrated, going on to create new drawings of their own! I must admit our two shows were both great, and I, modestly, was very entertaining in my way, as was Nika in her way. You can see our different ways above.
I have decided to go ahead and spill some beans after years of being considerate and generous. I'm going to get a bit real on here. Soon!
Another overseas Comic Con for me and Nika on December 17/18! Thessaloniki, in Greece! Come along, even if you're not Greek!
Me and Nika will be appearing at the big MCM London Comic Con at Excel in docklands Friday afternoon 28 October, Saturday 29 October all day, Sunday 30 October up till about 4, and I'll be doing a big Beano Talk on the Friday at 2.30. 
The revamped Beano hits the shops right about now. We feel we've got it just about right. It won't shock old readers. It won't annoy newer readers. It will attract brand new readers. All the favourites will be there at some time or another, and right from the start there's Dennis The Menace and Gnasher, Minnie The Minx, Roger The Dodger, The Bash Street Kids, Billy Whizz, Calamity James, Tricky Dicky, etc etc. There will be a long 4 page story every week featuring a different character or characters. First up, of course, is Dennis The Menace.
A busy day in Manchester today at the MCM Comic Con. Apart from meeting a lot of nice people, I did an interview and a bit of a masterclass at 1030 and then a completely unexpected talk with slides at 1300! Still, I managed to fill the allotted time with me talking so a good day! I wonder what I'll be doing tomorrow?!
Every comic book cartoonist has to start somewhere. 
This time last year me and Nika were returning from our second-ever Comic Con, organized by the guys from Black Hearted Press (they're not as evil as they sound from that name!) Today, we're travelling back after the last Glasgow Con to be organized by Sha Nazir (he's gone on to even more great Comics projects, don't worry!) So, as we look forward to at least a couple of hours kip, here are some pics of Glasgow, starting with thanks to Kid Robson, Laura from The Beano, Scott and Brian The Menace!
From time to time I'm asked to come up with a few different ideas, one of which will hopefully be selected to follow through to a finished item. Back in 2013 when The Beano was approaching it's 75 year, I did a few cover designs for the landmark birthday issue. This was one that wasn't used. As you can see it's VERY rough, just a doodle. Interesting idea, ALL the many Beano characters over the years were supposed to be bursting out of a Birthday present package with '75' wrapping paper. There's the Iron Fish even! Anyway, it wasn't selected, but here it is, another casualty from the reject pile.
Sixty five years ago this week Dennis The Menace arrived. To be more precise, Dennis The Menaces arrived. Because, in one of those odd little moments of coincidence, there were two of them. One in America and one in Britain. 
The British one of course, is the one I have some knowledge of (I know what he gets up to in next week's Beano folks, you won't want to miss it!) And he appeared in this eye catching window display at the DC Thomson offices in Fleet Street London in a homage to the rebellious Jamie Reid and 1976.
We did Cardiff! Met some great people, Nika practiced her sharp-shooting (long story, see pic), met up with fellow Beano cartoonist Lew Stringer (see pic) and enjoyed another Showmasters weekend, thanks Cassandra!
It's 65 years this week since Dennis The Menace first appeared in The Beano! 
To celebrate, I was asked to create (and recreate and create again after which they did some of their own creating- it was a long job!) seven images of the little stripey rebel through the past seven decades, as they may have been drawn by the Dennis Artist of the era- 1950s, Elvis in the style of Davy Law, 1960s, Moon Landing by Davy Law, 1970s, Punk by David Sutherland, 1980s, Berlin Wall by David Sutherland, 1990s, Harry Potter by David Parkins, 2000s Banksy by me and 2010s Olympics also by me. 
There's an opportunity to win signed (by me, again) prints of the full set here:
2016 is already shaping up to be a vintage year.
