Monday, 3 November 2014
the Beano
The Beano is on sale on Wednesday, and it's the continuation of the story begun in the special Trinity Mirror edition of The Beano given away free on Saturday. Tell all your friends. It's the comic worth the money.
Saturday, 1 November 2014
Another Free BEANO
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
Halloween Part 1
Monday, 13 October 2014
Stories of the Past
Today's date reminds me of something.
Thirty four years ago this very day I decided to take charge of my 'career', which had been going nowhere in a rather dispiriting way for a couple of years. In summer 1979 I'd even taken a local government job, and ended up in August 1980 as head of a department! I was looking at the prospect of a long career in the County council, and even a pension. Either that or get out and do what I wanted to do.
Luckily, my department was merged with two others, and I was offered either redundancy or a three year contract. They must have thought I was crazy, taking the redundancy! It was the magnificent sum of £300 (even in 1980, that was like, nothing,) but I also got my superannuation back, and that amounted to another £300. Now, with £600, I had an idea! I arranged to go to Paris!
It was August 15th 1980, and I remember standing in the Dover Hovercraft Departure Bay reading a newspaper account of John Lennon being seen coming out of a New York recording Studio and him admitting he was working on a new LP- his first for five years. Exciting news of the 39 year old reclusive former Beatle. My friend and I (I thought she was my friend, turned out years later she really wasn't. Enemy might be a truer description. Another story) enjoyed spending time in Paris, living in the Greek quarter, making my £600 last longer than seems feasible. You've seen The Rebel, that's basically what it was like, except I was a 6' 1", 11 stone 20 year old with lots of hair (yes, I was shorter then. Am taller now. Yet another story!)
So, it's now October 13th 1980, and I'm back home, wondering what to do, penniless and with no job. Only one answer- Get into Comics. So, I sat down with six big big sheets of Bristol board (actually 'fake' Bristol board- I was skint) and began drawing. My trip to Paris seemed to have energized me and I turned out some good stuff (relatively). On October 16th, I would bundle up three of the sheets, stuff them into a postal tube and address it to Bob Paynter at IPC, and the other three sheets to Bill Stirton at DC Thomson.
Who knew what the future might bring?
Thirty four years ago this very day I decided to take charge of my 'career', which had been going nowhere in a rather dispiriting way for a couple of years. In summer 1979 I'd even taken a local government job, and ended up in August 1980 as head of a department! I was looking at the prospect of a long career in the County council, and even a pension. Either that or get out and do what I wanted to do.
Luckily, my department was merged with two others, and I was offered either redundancy or a three year contract. They must have thought I was crazy, taking the redundancy! It was the magnificent sum of £300 (even in 1980, that was like, nothing,) but I also got my superannuation back, and that amounted to another £300. Now, with £600, I had an idea! I arranged to go to Paris!
It was August 15th 1980, and I remember standing in the Dover Hovercraft Departure Bay reading a newspaper account of John Lennon being seen coming out of a New York recording Studio and him admitting he was working on a new LP- his first for five years. Exciting news of the 39 year old reclusive former Beatle. My friend and I (I thought she was my friend, turned out years later she really wasn't. Enemy might be a truer description. Another story) enjoyed spending time in Paris, living in the Greek quarter, making my £600 last longer than seems feasible. You've seen The Rebel, that's basically what it was like, except I was a 6' 1", 11 stone 20 year old with lots of hair (yes, I was shorter then. Am taller now. Yet another story!)
So, it's now October 13th 1980, and I'm back home, wondering what to do, penniless and with no job. Only one answer- Get into Comics. So, I sat down with six big big sheets of Bristol board (actually 'fake' Bristol board- I was skint) and began drawing. My trip to Paris seemed to have energized me and I turned out some good stuff (relatively). On October 16th, I would bundle up three of the sheets, stuff them into a postal tube and address it to Bob Paynter at IPC, and the other three sheets to Bill Stirton at DC Thomson.
Who knew what the future might bring?
Friday, 3 October 2014
Sunday, 21 September 2014
New Comic Number One
Rumours that the British Comic Industry is moribund continue to be proven wrong as several brand new comics are due to be published over the next 30 days or so. Here's the first, FUNNY MONSTERS COMIC a splendid little thing by Joe Matthews, available in newsagents in the North West and Midlands next week. Give it a go, looks good. (Don't worry, I'm not involved, I just wanted you to know about it).Read all about it and get a copy here at this link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Funny-Monsters-Comic/713887701981304
Loopy Lee Faces 60
Lee Cornes, the actor, will be celebrating a Big Birthday next month- so let's wish him many happy returns, right away- and I'll be that even if you don't know his name, you'll have enjoyed his work at some time or other.He's probably best known for three TV series he appeared in, Grange Hill, where he was a Chemistry teacher, in the 1990s, and as seedy psychotic Publican Dick Head in the Late great Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson's sitcom Bottom, and as Colin Watkin's boozy pal in the under-rated sitcom Colin's Sandwich, starring another Late great, Mel Smith. There's a slim chance one or two readers will recall The Wow Show, the comedy troupe who broke the rules and then shot the rules, in two radio series and many stage, TV and club appearances. They often ended a club show by liberating the audience into the street and running off into the night- end of show!
The Wow show was Lee Cornes, Steve Frost, Mark Elliot and Mark Arden, who in 2004 asked me to produce this cartoon précis of Lee's life and career!
Visit Lee's own page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/leecornes
Happy Birthday, Lee!Self Portrait. Who's it of?
Here's me. Blue suede shows, as ever, and last year's Dennis-lite jersey. I don't really use an easel and palette but I do draw Dennis The Menace in The Beano. Any guesses what this was drawn for?
Beano Readers Of Several Generations
A few months ago, The Beano published this photo of two Beano readers, one aged 84 and one aged 4. The truth can now be told, the younger one is my Great Niece, Ella, the ever so slightly older one is my Mum, her Great Granny, who, it would seem, no longer feels embarrassment when the neighbours ask what my job is. Hurrah.
The Truth of It Is.... Miranda was Acting!
As there has been some debate over the appreciation shown by my pal Miranda over the publication of her Minnie The Minx appearance in The Beano three weeks ago, in posts on Facebook and Twitter, can I assure all that she knew it was going to be published, was greatly looking forward to it, and not only appreciated it but is proud of it, and the picture of her looking 'shocked' was a posed photo where she was acting as if she was laughing heartily. I thought it was funny and 'pretended' it was a look of surprise or shock. Anyway, to prove it was a gag, here's a picture taken just before that one, and as you can see, she's happy. Now, can we accept it as all posed? Phew.
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