Nigel Parkinson CARTOONS

Last Chance To See

2011-12-08T09:15:00.007Z

After 144 pages over the past 15 months, next week's Dandy (the bumper Christmas edition) has the very last Harry Hill's Real-life adventures in TV Land.

Now It Can Be Told, part 2:
It's been hard work, but very enjoyable. I didn't originally intend to write or co-write them all, but it ended up that way, and I must have scripted more than 100 of those pages, and worked out more from brief plots: Sean Baldwin wrote several full scripts and I adapted parts of others into different stories. Duncan Scott wrote half a dozen too. David Quantick supplied three paragraphs, each being a delicious distillation of a daft idea which I gratefully adapted into full stories. I also spoke with Al Murray, Milton Jones, Brenda Gilhoolie and others, including, would you believe it, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson (yes, really!!) who wanted to help but in the end couldn't find the right approach, so a big thank you to Sean and Duncan and David who really got the feel and came through with great ideas! Of course Harry Hill himself was very helpful, and came up with the strapline, 'Real-life Adventures in TV Land' which defined and directed the whole enterprise! He also texted me with the news that he found the first one "insane, hilarious and original" which I elected to take as a compliment.

As I'd never written anything for DC Thomson, let alone Harry Hill before, I had initially hoped someone (a writer perhaps?) would write the scripts, but after writing the first episode myself, the general consensus was that obviously a writer wasn't required as the pictures and my word balloons seemed to work out just fine. So, partly as a 'selling point' and partly to obscure the true credits in case the strips were thought a bit second rate (not having been written by a writer!), I made up the fiction that Harry Hill wrote them and I just drew them, but, dear reader, as we are now at the end of the line, I can exclusively reveal that I wrote most of them as I went along- quite literally, drawing a bit, writing the word balloon- drawing a bit more- changing what I'd done in the word balloon- and so on, until after two or three days real effort, as if by magic, out came a finished two page set. It was really was 'as if by magic' because usually I found it very very difficult to come up with an idea and make it work, let alone pepper it with jokes and such, and many times I felt like giving up, spending hours and hours trying to get one line written right. And struggling to think of a new way to get 'FIIIGGHHTT!' or 'What are the chances of that happening' into the dialogue often seemed beyond my capabilities. Yet somehow I managed to churn out two (or four - or, on one memorable occasion, TWELVE-) pages a week. After investing so much time and energy into them, I was glad that a lot of people seemed to like them, and, although at least one odd little clique of protesters will be delighted to see the end of the strip, I know some readers will be saddened to hear it's all over.

I'd like to thank Harry for his continued enthusiasm and encouragement, and his agents, both past and present, who helped us, particularly his new agent who was very supportive and wanted to extend the franchise to other areas. And I'd like to thank Craig, the Dandy editor, for starting the whole thing off and keeping it going as long as it did.

More Reg and Tony

2011-12-07T21:29:00.002Z

The old NP Time Machine takes us back to 1959 again and more Reg Parlett-drawn Tony Hancock pages from Film Fun. Innit marvellous?!

Highly recommended this week...

2011-12-04T13:46:00.001Z

Yes, it's the next to last Harry Hill of the Year, so don't miss out! The last one is in the Christmas issue, and the next Dandy won't be out until 2012 is upon us, so do yourself a massive favour and pick up The Dandy, and see these Harry Hill escapades, brilliantly written, adequately drawn and wonderfully coloured!

Spidey battles the Comics Code

2011-11-11T09:50:00.004Z

The latest edition of Roy Thomas's excellent 'fanzine' ALTER EGO no. 105 has been published with a fine cover recreation of Spiderman trapped under a great weight of machinery, graphically demonstrating this issues theme, the effect of the Comics Code in the USA in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. The feature has plenty of examples of changes wrought, with stories published BEFORE the code being bowlderized by having guns, fists, knives removed, sweat lessened, skin colour changed (always to white) and wrinkles decreased(!). Even more interesting are stories which couldn't be reprinted without major alterations, in some cases all the dialogue and some pictures completely done anew!

The turning point for the Code, when it's rather draconian oppression was held up for scruitiny, came in 1971 after Marvel comics were asked to do an 'anti-drugs' story by the government. However, the Comics Code forbade the use of and the mention of drugs, so it would be next to impossible to accomplish the request. Stan Lee, editor at Marvel, decided to publish the story, (a rather heavy-handed and glib tale, as it turned out) in a 3 part Spider-man run, WITHOUT the seal of the Comics Code. And, as the world didn't end, the comic still sold, and garnered plenty of positive reaction, the Code was seen to be due a review, which in turn led to it's weakening and eventual termination.

Here are the published cover (top) of one of those Spider-man issues, and a rejected cover rough for the same issue. I guess it was deemed just TOO graphic! Note that the seal of the code is not present on the version that reached the shops, but IS on the rough, clearly done on a photostat of a cover template.

ALTER EGO is a fascinating read, as always, and you feel like you've just done an Open University degree module on the subject once you've digested everything, it's so detailled and backed up with notes, examples, opinions of those involved and direct reportage. That will not appeal to many, I know, but I find it endlessly interesting! Good on yer, Roy!

If it's tomorrow, it's DANDY!

2011-11-08T00:36:00.003Z

Yes, wednesday brings the unutterable joy of a brand new Dandy and a brand new Beano! And in the Dandy, Harry Hill has a go at an elephant joke! How can you resist?!

Support the Beano!

2011-11-05T13:26:00.000Z

Just like these characters do.
Of course there's The Dandy and BeanoMAX too, they deserve your support as well. End of commercial. For today!

Cheers to Harry

2011-11-05T13:17:00.000Z

Well, there have been some difficulties here and there but I'd just like to publicly thank Mr Harry Hill of London for all his help, support and encouragment these last few weeks. He's a great guy and I thought everybody should know! Hopefully, things are now sorted, but whichever way the cookie crumbles, thanks, Harry!

Fireworks day, done best.

2011-11-02T21:03:00.000Z

As imagined in 1964 by the legendary Leo Baxendale, who needs no introduction. A large copy of this has been on the wall of my studio for many years.

Halloween and all that!

2011-10-25T09:26:00.004+01:00

All the usual Dandy artists and writers have been out trick-or-treating and have come up with a nice Halloween issue for you! Jamie Smart's Dan, Lew Stringer's Postman Pat and Andy Fanton's George vs Dragon are all there, as is Harry Hill, or should I say Harry C-Hill! Well, maybe.

Anyway, if that wasn't exciting enough, NEXT week, it's the Fantastic Fireworks Day issue!! Excellent!

Argghh! It's 'Im!

2011-10-19T23:02:00.000+01:00

Yes, look who it is! Jonah's back, in this month's BeanoMAX! Don't ask how, don't ask why, just enjoy the most unlikely return of the year (so far!)

Dandy & Beano days again

2011-10-12T22:50:00.000+01:00

This weeks Dandy is full of the usual hilarious stuff, but has a moody cover shot drawn in a slightly different style by me and coloured by Nika.
This week's Beano has four extra pages and a few surprises.
But the surprises don't end there! Keep reading the Beano and The Dandy and you won't be disappointed!

Don't Forget the Dandy

2011-10-05T21:02:00.000+01:00

I haven't forgotten. Here's a frame from this week's ace Harry Hill strip, coloured by Nika, and somehow enjoyed even by those people who don't like it. Strange but true.

Dudley's Dan

2011-10-04T19:21:00.001+01:00

Here's the original art from the April Fool's issue of The Dandy in 1938. Slick and funny drawing by the legendary Dudley Dexter Watkins, the dynamo of D C Thomson.
Nice, isn't it?

D C Thomson day again

2011-09-28T08:32:00.004+01:00

Today, as every Wednesday, I'll be buying The Beano and The Dandy- honestly, it's what Wednesday is for! The Dandy this week commemorates the natal anniversary of everybody's favourite funnyman, as you can see in Nika's imaginatively coloured birthday cake pic, left. So much heat- so many candles!

Did You Know

a subscription to The Dandy works out at only £1 per issue?!

To the Max!

2011-09-21T21:58:00.005+01:00

Let us not forget the monthly BeanoMAX- here's a taster for the next issue- looks like a good 'un!

Hooray! Dandy Day Today!!

2011-09-20T23:21:00.004+01:00

At last, it's Wednesday, or Dandy day as it's known in some enlightened quarters. And I've done a nice Harry Hill strip which is guaranteed funny. Here's a bit of a preview, but the whole thing, with plenty of other funny stuff too, of course, is on sale now, only £1.50 - or, if you take out a subscription, only £1. Bargain!

And don't forget The Beano! That's out today, too, and believe it or not, that's only £1.50 too! Splendid.

3D Dennis

2011-09-12T11:36:00.001+01:00

I'd forgotten about this!
Apart from the weekly comics, there's a lot to be done- in 2008 I designed this vinyl Dennis the Menace doll. The final product looked quite nice, I thought. And the catapult and peashooter - neat.

Internet Comments

2011-09-12T10:05:00.002+01:00

You know how sometimes comments on Internet forums can have a life of their own, bringing forth absurd, angry rants? The (very) few forums I look at with any regularity are generally pleasant, informative, thoughtful places, but occasionally tempers flare, sometimes for clear reasons.
However, this seemingly innocuous video on YouTube descends pretty quickly into farce, the heat generated is so intense:

"Titanic Video"
There are over 100 pages of comments. Most seem to take umbrage at the word 'video' ("there was no video in those days"), some believe the Titanic was in 1812 (before "colour video, that's why it's black and white!") quite a lot believe the Titanic is just a movie made in the 90s about a fictional ship, some seem to think there's a conspiracy in there somewhere (well, it IS the internet, after all) and these are just some of the more rational comments.
Lovely.

It's just six months till the anniversary of this awful disaster, and the Mersey Maritime Museum are having a big exhibition. Go and see the new Museum of Liverpool while you're there.

Dngerous Dan- what's his story?

2011-09-05T17:49:00.003+01:00

See the Beano Website here

The Beano's secret agent, Dangerous Dan has been running for six weeks now and the Beano website have put up a little article about how it was created. The name I coined and hoped they'd use, Danger Dan, was in homage to Patrick McGoohan's TV show of the 1960s, Danger Man, but the Beano went for their original title, Dangerous Dan.

The Way We Were

2011-09-03T21:54:00.001+01:00

Presented for historical perspective only.
Yes, this sort of thing WAS considered acceptable in 1968.

Back after these adverts

2011-09-03T17:32:00.007+01:00

Over the years I seem to have done quite a few advertising strips that appeared in various comics- here's a handful of them from The Beano. What I found interesting about them was the different styles and approaches needed, and also how to solve the problem of making a static item have a bit of movement or personality. Sad to say, contrary to poular belief, the advertising industry doesn't dish out freebies, so I won't be getting a free ticket to the Olympics- nor did I get a free bottle of 'Nesquik', nor even a free 'Milky way'. It's a hard life.
These were all hand-coloured by me, except for the new Olympics one which was done inhouse by publisher DC Thomson.

In the Beaginning...

2011-09-01T22:37:00.001+01:00

First of all, I started Bea as a 1/3rd of a page strip in the Beano, but within a couple of months, by early 1999, she was a full page star. This is one of the earliest ones, and I felt we'd really got a good distinct personality here- the firth frame, where Bea is critiquing another childs' daub with the words "'at's rubbish!" came out just right.

DANDY Wednesday

2011-08-30T18:58:00.001+01:00

Like every Wednesday, tomorrow is Dandy Wednesday. Here's Harry Hill explaining his superstitions in another comic strip which, as every week, has more jokes per inch than any other comic strip in the world, and that's official, 'cos I've measured them all. So if you need a laugh or several, that's where they are.

Dangerous Dan- That's all for now

2011-08-29T08:17:00.001+01:00

Rolling off the presses as I type this is the final (sixth) episode of The Beano's summer strip, Dangerous Dan - or is it? Reader response, as always, will determine whether he shall return one day- and there's a Readers Poll in next week's issue.
Anyway, looks like he wasn't just daydreaming after all!

Mum fans Special

2011-08-26T11:19:00.006+01:00

The Dandy's famous toddling twosome, Cuddles and Dimples, was originally drawn by Barrie Appleby. When I took over in 2004, I only made one minor change- I made their mum less of a dolly bird and more of a... well, Hot Wife as someone once said.

This is probably her most famous appearance, from 26 May 3007, and, trust me, there IS a reason for the costumes, a really, really good reason. Escapes me for the moment... I was fully expecting someone at DC Thomson to draw in a tasteful coat or something on mum, but to my surprise, they didn't! And I know that one or two people have expressed their fondness for this particular frame.

Oh well, too late now.

Coloured by Ruth.

Dandy Day

2011-08-24T08:39:00.003+01:00

Tell your friends! The Dandy is on sale today, as it is each and every Wednesday. It's big, colourful, funny, packed full of stuff and a bargain too.
So now it's over to you!

Strange World of Gurney Slade

2011-08-19T06:57:00.007+01:00

We old-TV-show enthusiasts often came across the name- The Strange World of Gurney Slade- and heard it spoken of in reverent tones. Described as 'Alice in Wonderland meets The Prisoner' or 'Thurber meets Billy Liar', it sounded too good to be true. The fact that it was last shown in it's one and only repeat run in 1963 only added to it's mystique.
Then in 1992, Frank Muir kindly let us see the first episode. It didn't disappoint! Now, 51 years after it's debut, here it is, complete! And the praise heaped on it was entirely justified. It's both a template and dismantling of British TV of the forthcoming decade, and a fascinating attempt at creating something that could only work on television.
Written by soon-to-be Morecambe and Wise writers Sid Green and Dick Hills and created by and starring Anthony Newley and a cast of dozens that burgeons from week to week, it's sharp, satirical, thoughtful and, yes, funny, and would have worked perfectly in 1967 once everyone else had caught up!
Watch a trailer for the new DVD of it here
Newley wasn't too dismayed by Gurney Slade's lack of success (critics on the whole loved it, but viewers on the whole hated it!) as he teamed up with another writer to do a sort of stage musical of the same kind of idea with Stop the World, I Want to Get Off in 1963, which introduced his most famous and enduring song, What Kind of Fool Am I?
Network have just issued this DVD, just another in the long line of titles they have brought out of hibernation., and as usual, a nice booklet and superb packaging. There's no other DVD company that does such a good job.

There's a Ghost in My House

2011-08-15T17:56:00.013+01:00

I'd been ghosting for The Dandy for a while when I finally got the chance to ghost for The Beano in 1997 thanks to the late Ken Cummings , a young scriptwriter who gave me a try out on those Pocket Size libraries.

A Ghost artist is someone who draws in the style of another cartoonist, and the comics used to be full of us! Here are some of my 'Ghost Jobs' from my early days at The Beano.
1. ROGER THE DODGER
This was my first published work in The Beano! Not too bad, a fair representation of Bob Nixon.

2. TIM TRAVELLER
An obscure strip, and I only ever did one, which I liked doing a lot.

3.MINNIE the MINX
I've ghosted Ken Harrison and Tam Paterson's versions of Minnie, but this one is a fair mimicking of Jim Petrie

4. EVEN STEVEN
An even MORE obscure strip, and again the only time I ever drew it.

5. BASH STREET KIDS
I first drew The Bash Street Kids by mistake in 1984 (long story!) But from 1988 I drew them occasionaly. This one, from April 3rd 1999, was the first one I felt totally happy with, feeling that I'd got a good handle on the late Leo Baxendale/early David
Sutherland feel. As with most of these ghost jobs, the colouring was done in-house at DC Thomson.
6. LES PRETEND
Hand coloured by me, I must have done a dozen 'Fun Size's but only one weekly. It's not a very close match for John Sherwood, but I was busy drawing other strips, most in my own style.

7. THE GERMS with ILL WILL
Again, coloured by me, by hand. I did three of these, and there was going to be a fourth, but somehow wasn't! Again, the style was supposed to be David Sutherland or Vic Neill, but ended up more like me. Not surprising!

Beano, I've got it covered.

2011-08-15T17:32:00.002+01:00

Three more Beano covers from 1999, 2003 and 2004, all hand-coloured by me.

The first one, with the Vampire Dennis image, was, I think my second or third Beano cover, and, as I sometimes did, I had drawn it and coloured it and was just about to cram it into a postal tube when I decided I could improve it. This is that 'improved' cover, but The Beano were sent both and chose one.

The second cover, above, of Dennis and Gnasher snowboarding was a favourite of mine at the time, it was one of those that comes out fast and right and I didn't change anything. Took about an hour (partly because the hand-colouring was made easier as it was set in the snow!)

The third cover, left, is one of the last 'full page' images. I was quite pleased with it as it was again a very fast cover.

Beano Covers

2011-08-13T22:27:00.004+01:00

Ten years ago, I drew a lot of these- Beano covers, featuring Dennis the Menace. This one in particular posed a few problems for me as I tried to plan how to draw it -until I remembered Will Eisner's 'Spirit'- and suddenly, there it was. Nice and simple, bold and graphic.

Hand-coloured by me.

5...4...3...2...1 !

2011-08-13T22:19:00.002+01:00

Back in 1992 I had the great pleasure of working with Alan Fennell on Thunderbirds - and with Keith Page, who re-drew a lot of the faces on this, my first Thunderbirds story! I don't know why, but he did, and here's an example!

What's his name

2011-08-04T22:52:00.008+01:00

Once upon a time, the artist, illustrator or, my preferred term cartoonist, in comics was anonymous. then some weren't. It all depended on the publishers. Some had no problem advertising they had secured the talents of certain pencil and inkpot pushers.
But other publishers seemed to think that the readership preferred to imagine that the entire contents of a comic were by 'The Artist'.
You could see their point- DC Thomson allowed Dudley Watkins to have his name on the front of every Beano because they were proud of him (and he knew it- long story) but didn't allow anyone else (Allan Morely aside) to sign their work, seemingly because if the artist died or retired or - heaven forbid- sought work elsewhere, another illustrator would be needed, and they would have to draw as near as possible in the same style, and that would just be confusing- better not have ANY names at all. Fleetway were the same.
However, Odhams Press were clearly delighted to have obtained Leo Baxendale and allowed him to put his name boldly on every page he drew. Same with City magazines where Frank Bellamy's signature was emblazoned with panache across all his Thunderbiords spreads in TV Century 21.
And, back in those days, it was those two signatures, Baxendale and Bellamy, that impressed me- these drawings were by real people- they'd even signed their name!

When I started out in comics I had two pen names and my actual name, and would attempt to place one or other of them in the work. knowing that DC Thomson would erase them, and tried to hide it- I remember once hiding it in a downpour of rain which was blanked out, and in a patch of long grass, which wasn't spotted and blanked out- but then maybe it wasn't worth putting one's monicker on it if was so well-hidden that nobody had seen it, not even someone looking for it!
Other publishers were fine about it. (In the main!)

In 1998 when back at the Dandy and Beano, I noticed nobody was signing their work, So, getting 'my own strips', Beaginnings and Owen Goal, I put my name on them, knowing that they would be erased.

Except they weren't!

When asked, the editors said they felt the practice of obliterating signatures was a bit old-fashioned. Who couldn't be glad to see David Sutherland, toiling anonymously since 1962 on The Bash Street Kids, put his name on it eventually, as did many others. Nowadays, it's unusual not to see a signature.
Good.
I'm all in favour of putting the writers name on, and so on!

He's New

2011-08-04T10:25:00.001+01:00

Beginning this week The Beano has a new character DANGEROUS DAN, SECRET AGENT, drawn by me. Here he is.

Another bumper Dandy

2011-07-30T22:20:00.003+01:00

Here's a sneaky preview peek at a comic that's not out this week OR even next week, but the week after! These Chris McGee covers are very funny with their 'weekly world News' look, and the comic is stuffed full of the usual unusual stuff.
So, come on, why not take out a subscription, especially if you're in one of those areas where WHSmith has decided not to stock it. Don't make me come down there.

Top Comic Secrets Revealed!

2011-07-25T08:28:00.002+01:00

The late comedian and TV game show host Bob Monkhouse was famous, of course, and rightly so, as a 'human joke machine'. In 1991 he was guest of Honour at a Charity Dinner in Birmingham and made a speech that was hilarious, informative and moving. But mainly hilarious.

And he had a less well-known side in his younger years as a cartoonist- and not just any old cartoonist, but a comic cartoonist! Editor/publisher Mick Anglo (still totally with us in 2011 at the age of 95 I'm happy to say) gave the teenage Bob pretty much free rein but over at DC thomson, young Bob was forced to draw 'house style' when he drew Pansy Potter.
Here's a dedicated postcard he made out for me once, with an extra cartoon on the reverse just to prove it!

Smart and Bright

2011-07-22T22:18:00.000+01:00

How can one comic contain Two such Titanic talents?? Well, click

here to find out!
Steve Bright looks like he's really enjoying drawing this!

Who's this?

2011-07-17T18:57:00.003+01:00

Any ideas?

I know.
And all is revealed!

Kinky Friday

2011-07-07T16:38:00.006+01:00

My Pal Dave Davies of The Kinks is being celebrated on BBC4 next Friday with a big documentary and a big scoop of Kinks TV and live perfromances from 1964 to 1994. I'll be watching, sounds brill!
If you still don't know who he is or why he's the Godfather of Rock,here's a link or two:
Dave Davies on wiki
Kinks All Day and All of the Night 1965
Dave Davies Death of a Clown 1967
Kinks Picture Book 1968

View it here on Dave's website.

The Dandy!

2011-07-04T08:54:00.002+01:00

This week's Dandy is another good 'un! Especially if you like The Antiques Roadshow, Fiona Bruce, or Morris Minors. What a Venn diagram they'd make. And if you're in there, this is the comic for you! Look for Harry channel surfing on the cover. See what we did there?

Harry's got a note from his Mum.

2011-06-26T19:22:00.003+01:00

The Dandy annual 2012 is almost upon us - they're published earlier every year! Eagle-eyed readers will spot there is one character that has been a mainstay of the Dandy over the past nine months that isn't represented- I can confirm there's No Harry Hill in the annual. This isn't because it was prepared before he joined the Dandy line-up, it's due to boring, complicated stuff that's of no interest except it means that he will be absent from the book. But never fear, he's in the weekly (isn't it nice to call The Dandy a weekly again!) and there's plenty of great stuff in the annual, so who's complaining!

Back! Back!!

2011-06-26T19:11:00.000+01:00

Owen Goal! He's BACK in this week's Dandy! Well, for one frame. Seemed the right place for him!

Summer Specials are back!

2011-06-26T11:26:00.001+01:00

Colours Nika, in the style of old seaside postcards

Although sadly only in 'period' form- after the Beano 'compilation', here's another "haven't I seen that before" moment. Yet again those nice people at Men's Health magazine have asked me to come up with a vintage-style Summer Special cover for this year. And this is it. it'll have text on the image (hence the three blank-ish areas) and will most likely be on an inside page. I think it's the August issue, which will be on sale soon, all you Healthy Men.

Bad Publicity?

2011-06-25T19:51:00.023+01:00

Last Year (on my birthday, thanks!) my latest Beano strip came in for a bit of Press attention from the late, unlamentable News of the World and others. When I initially heard the proposed name of the strip, I did have misgivings . . . but I felt we did a good job on it, Alan Digby, who wrote it, me, who drew it and Nika who coloured it, including all those crimson faces and steam the strip required.

Of course, it was all over-hyped and contradictory. How often do the press accuse The Beano and Dandy of being 'too Politically Correct', and here they are lambasting us for being 'defiantly un-politically correct'! Still, never let facts get in the way of a good story.

I appreciated, however, their highlighting the picture of 'Calm Uncle Clive', obviously in paroxsyms of rage, as it was the only 'sight gag' I contributed ( I think) during the brief run of only four strips.

Gone but not forgotten

2011-06-25T19:03:00.005+01:00

Cuddles and Dimples, quite the worst toddlers in the world, are no longer regulars in The Dandy- but they're still around from time to time- this month sees the publication of The Dandy Annual, and here's a typical frame from it. The Dandy annual traditionally features characters from throughout the comics' history, not just it's current incarnation.

Don't Believe It

2011-06-25T18:37:00.001+01:00

I love these signs. Kudos to this shopkeeper, who, opening an 'open 9 till late' store elected to call it '10 till 10'. Why be hidebound by convention, clarity or sanity? Good move.

Drink Up, Kids

2011-06-25T18:33:00.001+01:00

A well-known supermarket which I am obliged to call simply 'Tesco' have decided, it would appear, that children aren't drinking sufficient white wine, so they've very kindly and cleverly jammed a nice big carousel of such alcohol right up against these pre-school comics titles. Well done, Tesco, good brainwashing and excellent social and civic responsibility, first class - where would we be without you?

Gene Colan, into the shadows

2011-06-24T22:17:00.009+01:00

"Gentleman Gene" Colan, as Stan Lee dubbed him in the 1960s, has sadly passed away after a long illness. On the right, a self-portrait of this, the most atmospheric penciller in American comics. His run on several Marvel titles in the 1960s, 70s and 80s is a masterclass in shadow and movement.

At left is original art of the first Marvel Comic I bought for myself- the first one I saw in a shop, and at 10d, a bit expensive in late 1966, but well worth it!

Read more about him on Mark Evanier's always excellent site here

Elton enjoys brief career high as Dandy character

2011-06-20T15:00:00.001+01:00

Harry Hill, in The Dandy this week, in a story mainly written by Sean Baldwin (although I did the bit with Clarkson!) and solely drawn by me. That's it with the shoe gags. read the Dandy, it's what eyes were invented for!

Uh Oh

2011-06-16T22:16:00.003+01:00

A year ago The Beano ran 3 episodes of a strip I drew called 'Uh Oh, Si Co'.
Yeah, not my choice of title.
It got a lot of (negative) attention, and one or two people liked it. Although 3 were published, I had drawn four - and as it's not remotely likely this last one will ever be printed, I thought it would be nice (is that the right word?) to present it here, without word balloons, but the story is fairly clear.

Coloured by Nika.

Harry gets Lucky

2011-06-15T20:24:00.000+01:00

This week's Dandy. Harry Hill, Kylie. All will be explained in exchange for just £1.50. Bargain.

The finger is on the trigger...

2011-06-15T20:13:00.005+01:00

Another unpublished item by Yours Truly (that's me). Back in the early 1990s all-things-Gerry Anderson had a revival, and I was lucky enough to get to work with the legendary Alan Fennell on Thunderbirds, Stingray and Joe 90 comics. I was just about to have this cover on a Captain Scarlet comic when Fleetway noticed he was holding a gun, strictly off limits as it turned out, and, rather than crop it or put a caption across it, they pulled the plug- and, a couple of weeks later, cancelled the comic completely - ah, shame. Anyway, here it is, in public for the first time.

Three Hours and Counting...

2011-06-10T22:52:00.000+01:00

On Saturday 11 June BBC Radio4Extra (DAB or internet or freeview or cable only- I mean it's not on the portable in the kitchen-) has a huge 3 hour special about Our favourite Count, Arthur. So, ears at the ready, and tune in to The man Himself and Laugh along with all of his deranged fans like me.

B.S.K. spells Summer

2011-06-07T09:08:00.004+01:00

As it's summer (supposedly) here are the Bashers on the beach, from a Bash Street Kids Summer Special, back in the hand-coloured-by-me days. So you have to find 6 things beginning with 'K'? I can only see the four I drew, so good luck with that!

Owen Goal

2011-06-05T19:54:00.001+01:00

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I loved drawing Owen Goal in the Dandy between 1998 and who knows when. Probably my favourite-ever strip. Probably because of daft escapades like this!

Comfortably Numb

2011-06-05T19:38:00.000+01:00

From time to time I'm asked to draw other strips, usually to 'ghost' other artists. In 2002 I got to draw The Numskulls and hand-colour it with some nice touches of veins, tissue and flesh- lovely. I like drawing this strip, but it doesn't happen so often. Oh well.

Did I Do that?

2011-06-02T23:51:00.001+01:00

If you'd asked me the day before yesterday if I had ever drawn Korky the Cat other than for a cover illustration, I'd have said "definitely not." But I would have been positively incorrect, because in 2004 I drew this double page spread for a Dandy Holiday Special. Hand coloured by me, too, and, for something I have no recollection of doing, it's not too bad! And look, there's Korky!

Rascals Return

2011-06-02T23:39:00.001+01:00

You'll never guess who I was drawing today. Go on, try. Oh, well if you're going to look at the picture... but yes, it's those terrible toddlers again (and their mum) as seen in this frame, fresh off the drawing board, and presented here as a tantilizing sneak preview of The Dandy Book 2013. Yes 2013!!

This week in The Dandy

2011-05-29T19:52:00.007+01:00

Another of those bigger (44 pages!) issues this week, with a 4 page Harry Hill story that was going to be one of the original batch of six strips way back in October. It didn't make the cut because I couldn't think of a good plot line to hang it all together. (believe it or not I do try to come up with a plot!) Then David Quantick, famous TV writer and Rock critic came up with a corker and voila, a complete tale. If it doesn't make you laugh, then maybe you just don't WANT to laugh.

Tuesday has been cancelled

2011-05-24T07:57:00.001+01:00

I got this SMS text yesterday from T-Mobile: "The 10 days free web'n'walk we gave you for topping up 7 days ago has now expired". Now, I admit I'm not a big mobile phone expert, but I thought I understood what English was. How does 10 days of something only last for 7 days? No matter how I figure it, somehow, somewhere, T-Mobile have taken back 3 days free stuff off me. Any ideas? Is there something I'm not getting (apart from those 3 promised days?) Is it simply that T-Mobile, like most big companies, are charlatans?

Dec and Ant?

2011-05-17T23:41:00.006+01:00

The Dandy have favoured the North East's Best loved comedy twosome with a 'Little' strip- but it's not the first time I've drawn them! 16 years ago (that's got to be wrong?) the real little Ant and Dec's life story (brief though it was at that point in time) was serialized over five nail-biting weeks in the BBC magazine's Fast Forward. But they were so new to the world of TV that we didn't know what to call them and the office tossed a coin and decided they would be 'Dec and Ant'! Oh well, half right.

New one, coloured by Nika, old one, coloured by me. And I did the lettering. The fabulous 1995 script was by Peter Lorraine, the journalist who coined the names 'Posh', 'Ginger;' 'Scary' 'Sporty' and 'Baby' for the Spice Girls. But don't get me started on that!

Another Monster

2011-05-16T00:11:00.002+01:00

This Wednesday, The Dandy has the first of two School Holiday 'Big' issues (yes, those bigger, bendier ones.) Well, fortunately, just before this issue went to press they remembered they wanted a 4 page Harry Hill from me so I was able to pull this happy tale of Bubbles and Balloons out of the bag of ideas that top writer Sean Baldwin has been stuffing scripts into recently! Good for him.
Find out more about Sean Baldwin by clicking HERE

Image: BMW

And for anyone under the age of about 48, yes, that is an actual car that people drove in the streets until around 1962, it really is, unlikely as it seems (and unlikely as it looked).

Still Not Good enough

2011-05-14T20:45:00.009+01:00

Back in the pre-new Dandy days, this was an idea I had. I still think it has legs, but what do I know! Here's how I put it:

"Just a thought about 'keeping' the old characters- each week we could catch up on a comic character, out to pasture now, and see how they're doing, OR what they'd be like as actual people 'in the real world'. We could even do Superman or The Simpsons. [Parody is not copyright infringement! eg "If you'd rather waste your money reading this badly written, horribly drawn rubbish than buying a real, genuine hilarious Simpsons comic, go ahead!"]
Desperate Dan in his Rocking Chair (he's 90), Puss and Boots in therapy, Calamity James in an asylum, Beryl in prison-"

I'm convinced it would work.

Colourists Part 4

2011-05-05T23:32:00.004+01:00

I know how you hate loose ends, so here is the photo presented to me by another of my colourists, who signs her work 'C'. As she's taken time off from colouring to spend time Not Colouring, I probably shouldn't tell you her name. But it does begin with 'C' and this is sort of a photo of her. She hand-coloured Bea and Bea and Ivy towards the end of it's run, and some Cuddles and Dimples and Bash Street, and more than a few Dennis covers for the Beano before he went all animated. So I suppose I can't tell you any more except no-one who met her ever disliked her, and she rides a bicycle. Is that too much?

Dennis Through the years

2011-05-05T23:20:00.002+01:00

In March, about 12 hours before Dennis the Menace celebrated 60 Years of Menacing, I was asked to provide a special strip to be seen only on TV. Here's part of it, and a nice sampling of the evolution of the character from his earliest appearances without the striped jersey, to the 1980s/90s version.

View from Home

2011-05-05T22:18:00.004+01:00

Sure, we've all seen the moon. And we've all seen photos of the earth. But here's a genuine 100% real photo of both the earth and the moon, as taken by NASA's Callisto space craft a little while ago as it journeyed toward Saturn.
Just thought you might like to see it.

Beano MAX 51

2011-05-05T22:07:00.011+01:00

I meant to do this a couple of weeks ago! BeanoMAX issue 51 has an eight page 'Men in Black/Area 51' story featuring Dennis and Gnasher and The Bash Street Kids. That's about it. But nice bit of colouring by Nika, eh?

Oh, and if you think those little jelly bean aliens look familiar, you're right, I cribbed the idea from Mike Noble. Oh well, what comes around goes around.

Where's Harry?

2011-05-04T21:18:00.006+01:00

Well, he's in the Dandy of course, every Wednesday!
But he's also in a 'Where's Harry' page this week (edit: coloured by me on photoshop this once due to circumstances etc), and there are four more coming over the next few weeks too. So, magnifying glasses out, and... Where's Harry?

My Bank Holiday weekend by the Sea

2011-05-03T00:21:00.002+01:00

So it turns out that the Big Day Out in Bournemouth had nothing to do with me except I was there! But I got to meet the lovely Richard Briers who got a sneak preview of an upcoming Bash Street Kids due to the printer needing two weeks worth of Beano rather than one, which he was delighted with, and Dave Davies, yes DAVE DAVIES the guitar legend and writer and singer of Death of a Clown and Susannah's Still Alive, two of my favourite hits from the 1960s! Not to mention You Really Got Me, Waterloo Sunset, Lola., who was as nice a guy as it's possible to meet, friendly, generous, thoughtful and kind. And he's DAVE DAVIES!

So that was my bank Holiday weekend in sunny, sweltering Bournemouth, where I caught up with old pals, made some new ones, [and was glad to do a quick sketch of the lad, just remember I was having an evening off, so it's not Union Standard quality!] So, after the plaque unveiling (nothing to do with me, just having a nice day out!) where Tony Hancock made his first appearance as a 17 year old comic, we all had a terrific dinner of Roast beef, a rather ticklish and full bodied red wine, and a jolly time.

Excitement Mounts!

2011-04-29T20:49:00.002+01:00

Further to my post back
here
No-one having come up with the correct answer, here's a couple of photo clues! Each taken at the end of 1965.
OK, over to you!

Bank Holiday at Brighton

2011-04-29T20:39:00.000+01:00

On the South Coast, Harry has a nice bank Holiday trip to Brighton. You can read all about it in The Dandy, handily on sale next Wednesday.

Stand By For Action!

2011-04-29T20:17:00.005+01:00

At the beginning of 1993 Alan Fennell offered me a dream job- drawing Stingray (adapting a TV episode he'd written thirty years earlier!)
Of course, pretty quickly, the dream turned a bit nightmarish, as, true to form, I already had a pretty full diary but didn't dare turn down such an opportunity. Anyway, rushing to meet deadlines, I struggled by, drawing a whopping ten pages (including these, right and below), inking them and hand-colouring them.The page here (right) was finished at Alan's desk at Fleetway, Calley Emmas, art director, helping out, as I overlaid a sheet of white letratone to help with that foggy look! Alan was getting us sandwiches.

And left is a page I nearly got half right.
I'll say no more. It was fun. Of a nerve wracking kind!

Other chocolates are available

2011-04-20T10:03:00.001+01:00

October 1938. Chocolate's generally unspoken medical benefits revealed in the daily newspapers of the time.

Photo Competition

2011-04-15T22:08:00.008+01:00

I've been excited about this for months! Any idea what these two fine and much-loved gentlemen have in common? And what they're doing here on this blog? And who are they??!
A special toffee to anyone who guesses!

Gimme a Break

2011-04-15T21:59:00.004+01:00

These last two weeks I have been plauged by those unsolicited phonecalls that come at just the wrong moment during the working day (you know, that moment when you have the cap off three pens and are juggling them to get the right line) and leave a little gap before intoning grandly "This is an Important Government Message" or "We are not selling anything".
Well, in the extremely unlikely event that anyone responsible for these calls might read this, let me tell you, I know it's not a Government message and I know you are selling something, so please don't call again, I have no interest in you, your product or your services. I've pressed button 9 and you keep calling. Please don't, because, like most people, I have no interest in anything an anonymous person tries to sell me over the phone. If I want something, I'll go and find it. Thanks.

Zero Gravity

2011-04-15T21:35:00.002+01:00

Another from the reject pile, and another set in space. Originally designed around 1993 as Sidney the Kidney by George Nicholas for a kid's charity (this is true, I'm not making it up!) it flopped, so I rejigged it as Gary Grape, recoloured him green rather than red, and changed all the kidney puns to grape puns (surprisingly, there were a lot of them!) This was drawn by me, coloured by me, and was the first thing I'd used a computer on, actually an Apple Mac, and Photoshop and Quark Xpress. How professional!

What a Wedding

2011-04-15T21:30:00.000+01:00

In October, Russell Brand got married to Katy Perry (I think I've got those names right, my interest in these people is not particularly overwhelming) and had a bit of a strange Indian-style ceremony which included a real-live tiger. Anyway, because photographers were not welcomed, someone had me do this imaginary scene, once again, drawn in a hurry and coloured by me on the computer.

Unseen Dennis

2011-04-15T21:25:00.001+01:00

Unless you live in Scotland and watch BBC tv, you won't have seen this recent appearance of Dennis the Menace with Sally Magnusson. So here it is. Drawn in a sudden rush after hours, coloured in Photoshop by me and sent late at night, and screened on TV less than 24 hours later. How 21st Century.

Don't try this at home

2011-04-15T21:17:00.000+01:00

No matter HOW much you may love Dennis the Menace, I wouldn't advise you go to the lengths this chap did- a tattoo on his leg of the Striped Terror. It's genuine, not a photoshop trick! Anyway, well done, mate, whoever you are, and you know, 'Ow!'

Dandy Next Week

2011-04-15T21:08:00.008+01:00

Colours Nika

The Dandy next week has another Harry Hill story, this time he's joined by some of those TV chefs. There aren't enough of them on TV, are there? Anyway, give it a go, you may enjoy it! I did.

DANDY This Week

2011-03-28T19:27:00.002+01:00

Your weekly Dandy is out in 36 hours or so, with the usual unusual mix of stuff.
Harry Hill is there, but look, he's behind bars for some reason!

The Dandy remains the best £1.50 worth in comics and deserves your full attention.

At least, that's my story!

Am I a Diddyman?

2011-03-26T21:26:00.011Z

In 1965, the biggest star in Britain was Ken Dodd. No, really. He'd been selling out seaside pavilions for some years, and had been a radio star for a while, but by 1965 he'd became a bona fide TV star and, more unlikely, a Number One chart star! Yes, in the same year The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Hollies, The Beach Boys, Sandie Shaw, The Byrds and Manfred Mann were No 1!
In that year he introduced something specially for the children - The Diddymen, a team of Leprachaun-like puppets who worked in the fictional "Jam Butty mines" of Knotty Ash (a real district of Liverpool, Dodd's home town, and, indeed mine.) They were designed by John Geering, who went on to be D C Thomson's Bananaman star artist.

Ken Dodd's saturday tea-time TV show had a spot where kids sent in drawings or poems or jokes to be featured. Yes, LIVE on BBC 1! In either late 1965 or early 1966, I made my TV debut by proxy with a drawing of a proposed new Diddyman character and had my name & address read out. Some time later a new Diddyman appeared - I wonder if it was Nigel Ponsonby-Smythe (above), because that would be sort of neat, wouldn't it?

Ace Ventura

2011-03-24T08:02:00.000Z

Audrey Wong at Fleetway brought me back into comics in 1996 to draw Ace Ventura, Pet Detective (a tie-in with the animated TV series). It was a very pleasant time for me, and looking back on these pages, they're not too bad!

Back in the U.S.S.R

2011-03-22T20:39:00.002Z

On the left, the album everyone knows, Revolver, as issued in 1966 on the Parlophone EMI label. Wasn't it a good one?

Over in the Soviet Union in 1966, there were no Beatles records- that sort of thing was discouraged by the government. For "discouraged" read "outlawed". When Revolver was eventually released in the then-U.S.S.R on LP in 1979, it rather confusingly had a few different songs on it, and more puzzlingly, a different cover. At first glance it looks the same, but the montage of photos is different- and, curiously, the drawing itself is different! Very close, but not the same! Anyway, I'm always glad to see an illustrator get more work, so I'm OK with it.

In the end, the Revolver we all knew in our street was released in the former U.S.S.R on CD with all the right songs and the right cover! Hoorah, a victory for huge Multinationals AND art, music and illustration. Now we can sleep peacefully again.

Double Take

2011-03-22T20:12:00.009Z

Some things change, some things don't change. Different shirt but same colour, different dog, but same breed. That's me in 1970 and me in 2005 with Rex. Funny how you can go 35 years between photo opportunities to find nothing's really changed at all.

Either that dog in pic 1 is HUGE or I've got a lot bigger. Maybe both?

Arthur Again

2011-03-22T20:02:00.001Z

Last evening some of us went over to see Count Arthur Strong make this poster come to life, in one of his biggest gigs ever. A laughter-wracked time was enjoyed by all. He and his co-stars all kindly autographed my poster, and The Count even hinted he may be back on our TV screens before long if all goes to plan. And I can reveal EXCLUSIVELY here that there WILL be a new 6 part Radio series at Christmas, recording begins in October! And it's FREE! Come along, it's 100% hilarious!

DANDY and BEANO DAY tomorrow!!

2011-03-22T11:16:00.002Z

This week's comics are out within hours! Exciting, eh? The Dandy has BANANAMAN on the cover! Hooray! And the Harry Hill strip is one that I was particularly pleased with when I drew it back in the dim dark past of last summer! Nice colours by Nika too. If you've never bought a Dandy before or not bought a 'new' Dandy yet, do yourself a BIG favour and grab one this week! And while you're there, get the Beano too, it's also great!

DENNIS the MENACE is 60

2011-03-16T22:00:00.011Z

Today, Thursday 17 March, is the official birthday of His Most Menacing, Dennis. If you're reading this in America, no, not THAT one, the real one, our Dennis, the Beano one! (although, funnily enough...)

There are plenty of celebrations! The new Beano is stuffed full of pages from the past by the remarkable Davey Law and David Sutherland, and Dennis has been menacing on Sky News and in newspapers, and will be most thoroughly menacing on BBC Scotland TV tonight.

And on Thursday morning (today!) just after 10 am I'll be on Radio Merseyside talking about the stripey one. That's DENNIS the MENACE to you and I, and by the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Dandy day tomorrow!

2011-03-08T08:01:00.001Z

Yes, tomorrow is Dandy day again, and a great issue, in my unbiased, non partisan opinion. The design department have come up with a groovy cover, and the printer has kindly provided both glue AND staples this week! Whatever next!
Anyhow, THE DANDY is the best £1.50 worth since last week, and you are taking a serious risk with the health of your sense of humour if you don't buy one*. Or two, just to make sure!

*Government advice.

Rescued from oblivion!

2011-03-03T20:31:00.012Z

This Beano from October 25th 2002 (left) was my attempt at a homage to the likes of Dick Sprang and Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson, as it's a re-creation of a famous 1940 BATMAN cover of Batman and Robin in a searchlight. But interestingly, it was my second attempt at a cover for this Halloween issue - I had initially drawn this (below) rather eerie picture with spooky smoke and devilish glow but I sort of self-censored myself and thought it was too ghoulish! So, without submitting it, I started again and did the Batman pastiche.

This wan't the first time I'd gone to the trouble of re-drawing something. At least two other Beano covers were drawn more than once (one was another Halloween cover from the year before, and another was Dennis as a judge which I drew from THREE different angles!) They exist as full complete cover illustrations, hand-coloured by me. No idea what to do with them.

The Beano on TV

2011-03-02T22:59:00.000Z

The 'One' show on BBC 1 this Friday night (7pm I believe) features John Sergeant meeting the striped Menace on the eve of his 60th birthday (Dennis's, not John's!) and in support of Comic Relief. I drew some commemorations of this event, as you can see here. There may be more possibly on the 'One' Show. There you will meet the new editor of the Beano, Michael Stirling, or 'Sir' as he is known to us lackeys. Three cheers!

Bellamy's Back!

2011-02-21T23:16:00.006Z

Several hours too late, I've finally found the time to celebrate the return of GARTH in the Daily Mirror. The Mirror alone amongst Britain's dailies has always supported comic strips and it's nice to see it presenting a brand new strip from today, 'Simon's Cat' and a welcome return (in reprint form) of a classic 'Garth' by the legendary Frank Bellamy, the ultimate comic strip stylist. Above is part one, but I won't be doing this every day so if you want to see more, it's the Mirror for you.

And this week...

2011-02-21T20:52:00.005Z

There's been consternation by some commentators on the ol' internet that the Dandy missed an obvious easy method of promotion by not advertising in The Beano. Not sure if Harry's remarks in today's issue will explain why that didn't happen till this week, but who knows. Incidentally, this story was written, drawn and sent off to the Dandy the day before the identity of a mystery TV character was revealed, way back last summer! We had to wait until now to be able to run it!

Celebs in Comics.

2011-02-15T20:04:00.003Z

Back on this page and this page
I showed some pages from the past with TV stars who had wandered into the world of comic strip. Here we have three more, all from Buster in the 1962-5 era.

Left is Benny Hill as drawn by Reg Parlett.
Lower left is Charlie Drake, and I can't quite remember who drew it but it could be Roy Wilson. Excellent brush and penmanship, anyway.
Below is Whacko (Jimmy Edwards) again by Reg Parlett, which was remade in colour in the 1970s and made it in TV Comic that time, drawn by Bill Titcombe.
Let's just enjoy them.

Just Not Good Enough

2011-02-15T10:46:00.000Z

More from the ever-growing, dispiriting and glowering Reject pile. It just gets bigger all the time. This (very) rough was done last year but has sadly gone nowhere. Shame.

Epic Dandy

2011-02-15T08:33:00.003Z

This week's DANDY is epic! Lots of new stuff, and a 12 page Harry Hill adventure that ranges far and near with a huge cast of known and unknown extras! A three-eared joke-hating alien and a back-packing award-winning comedy star are but two of the added attractions and yet they charge only £1 more! Subscribers, however, are exempted from this surcharge! See what you're missing by not subscribing? And by direct debit it's even less costly!
Click here to find out more
These panels are from this week's story, co-written with Sean Baldwin, drawn by me and coloured as usual by 'H.H'.
And next week's Dandy is another epic, so instant subscribing may be the best way to tackle this purcahse too!

Don't Forget to Vote!

2011-02-10T23:16:00.004Z

Like my Harry Hill cartoon strip in the Dandy? Then let the editor know by VOTING for him!! Hooray!! This week's Dandy (the one in the post here with this picture on the cover) has a Reader's poll in it and you don't even need a stamp to post it! Or you can avoid cutting out a page of the comic by filling in the poll online AND VOTING HERE
It may be something you feel able to contribute to? I don't know, just pointing it out. Just don't say I didn't tell you, this is your chance to let them know what you like in the 'new' Dandy.

Tools of the Trade

2011-02-08T12:09:00.037Z

In response to a record number of requests (4) I am prompted to reveal the equipment I use daily.

As far as pencils go, I don't use them much. A pack of 12 HB from Tesco has served me well for about 2 years.

Top: Staedtler pigment liner (black). .02 and .03 usually, sometimes a .05 and a .08 for lettering. I'd like a .1 but they only seem to sell it overseas.

Middle: Pentel Sign Pen A lot of the drawing I do with this, nice thick ink, variable line and a sturdy nib -usually! For some reason, the Pentel sign pen comes in either 'firm' or 'squishy' types but there's no indication which is which on the barrel or the box. (Never leave the cap off like this, though, unless you want to kill it).

Lower: Pilot 'V' Sign Pen Lovely thick black ink and a great line - almost like using a brush.The flexiblity of this one is excellent, just making it the favourite.

So these are the main three pens I use- mainly for speed and efficiency - you don't get a beautiful-looking piece of artwork to hang on the wall like you do with dip-pen and ink and brush, but for turning out the work as fast as possible, avoiding issues like smudging, drying time, bleed time etc, they can't be beat.

Of course the right pens need the right paper and I use bleedproof Layout paper for preference, generally 45 gsm. Nice and thin and smooth and flat. It takes pencil well and these pens are excellent on it. Marker paper is OK too.

These items are available online but if possible I buy from The London Graphic Centre, Covent Garden or Cowling & Wilcox in nearby Broadwick Street, which has the advantage of being the location where in 1966 Peter Cook and John Lennon filmed this swingin' satire!

Dandy News

2011-02-07T19:41:00.003Z

This week's Dandy has new stories like 'Yore!' and 'Boo!' and more, plus tons of regulars and a special 2 page cut-out-and-post Reader's Survey! Harry Hill starts a new career as a Celeb Photographer and meets Postman Prat AND the Queen!! Yes, in the same story!

And then, start saving up because NEXT week's BUMPER Dandy is £2.50 with EXTRA pages and a "free gift"!
And Harry Hill embarks on a twelve-page epic that sees him meeting Dr Who (all of 'em!), Miranda Hart and a joke-hating alien. It's all in a special 'Hooray we're six months into Our New Look' issue. Here's an EXCLUSIVE preview!!

Tallest, Most Art Deco building in New York?

2011-02-04T08:33:00.009Z

Funny you should ask!

Who doesn't love this building? I mean it, who?

This 10 minute BBC short takes us on a tour of New York's tallest building (at least for a few months in 1930 anyway) but unarguably it's most distinctive and appealing.
They don't make 'em like this anymore!

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10 minute BBC short from 1995 takes us into the Chrysler, New York's tallest building for a few months in 1930.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>It's even got a music soundtrack by Duke Ellington. What more could anyone want!

SMASH's Birthday

2011-02-03T20:34:00.002Z

Britain's Brightest Comic it proclaimed, and it was. Almost every week something new would appear to intrigue, thrill, amuse and delight it's audience. And I should know, it was 'my comic' in 1966! This week is the 45th anniversary of it's debut, on the magazine shelf at Greens' newsagents, Queens Drive, where I first saw it and knew it was for me! Leo Baxendale did the first few covers, none finer than this one!