Reviving the Troll

I started work on drawing the new Derek the Troll series today. It's going to appear exclusively in the new digital comic Goof! that will be launched at this year's Macc-Pow! convention on Saturday 23rd June. From that day onwards you'll be able to access the new monthly comic online on your phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. Goof! will be an anthology comic featuring lots of single page strips from various cartoonists. The Derek series will be an ongoing serial with self contained chapters under the story title of Derek the Troll and the Quest for the Magic Whatsit!

Sign up for Goof! here:
http://www.goofcomic.co.uk

It feels good to be working on new Derek the Troll stories. He was one of the first characters I created for professional publications, way back in the mid 1980s for Games Workshops' Warlock and White Dwarf magazines. Even though I only produced a dozen pages or so back then, the character has been fondly remembered by many over the years. 

A few years ago I published a compilation of all the Derek strips (along with the complete Rock Solid, Space Hero, another early character of mine) in Derek the Troll No.1. It recently went to a second printing and you can buy copies from my webshop:
http://lewstringer.com/page7.htm

Before Macc-Pow! I have a few other conventions coming up, and one of them is this Saturday, 26th May, when I'll be a guest at Wigan Comic Con! I'll be bringing along my comics and doing sketches on request so I hope you can join us! More details here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/652224921633407

Timeless journey

As I said in my previous post, today is the fifth anniversary of my mum's passing. I know she wouldn't want me to wallow, so after drawing a Big Eggo strip this morning I set off on a good long walk this afternoon of about five miles.

I love the peaceful timelessness of areas like this, with just the enjoyable tweeting of birds breaking the silence. The acres of farmland around here have changed very little since the days when my granddad worked on the land 100 years ago, and it was comforting to think he would have gazed upon similar landscapes back then. 

Back to the drawing board tomorrow!

In remembrance of my Mam

It's been five years today since my mum passed away. Always in my thoughts. I'll always treasure her kindness and selflessness and the moral support she gave me. A good, gentle woman who deserved more happiness in her life than that which fate dealt her.

You can read more about her here if you're so inclined:
http://lewstringercomics.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/my-mam-1925-2013.html

I'll be having a quiet day of reflection today.

Coming this Wednesday...

I have two strips in print this coming week. On Wednesday 23rd May, Toxic No.306 sees Team Toxic enter a gateway to another world. Unfortunately for them it's the world of the Eye-Bots! Yes, it's a sequel to the previous issue's story, with the Eye-Bot that Doc Shock tricked now out for revenge! 

That same day sees Beano No.3936, which includes another Big Eggo strip! This time, Big Eggo hides out in a school. What happens next? Find out on Wednesday!

Combat Colin No.3 news update

My thanks to everyone who's bought a copy of the first two issues of Combat Colin (which are still available here). My initial plan was to bring out No.3 in mid-May, but due to commitments on my other strips, and fighting off a virus, that won't be possible now. 

So... the new plan is to publish Combat Colin No.3 in late June to mid-July. I'll be starting on it soon, so that should be achievable. This issue may include one or two special back up features, which I'll keep under wraps for now. 

I will of course be posting exclusive updates about the comic on this blog and on my Facebook page: 
https://en-gb.facebook.com/lewstringercartoonist/

In the meantime, above is a preview of the first strip in issue 3, which introduces Headline Howard, ace reporter for the Wednesday Wart! Originally published in The Transformers No.226, back in July 1989.

Upcoming conventions

Here's the complete list of the rest of the conventions I'll be attending this year. Hope to see you at some of them!

WIGAN COMIC CON

Saturday 26th May 2018

https://www.facebook.com/WigancomicconNWCCEvents/

STC25

Sunday 3rd June 2018

Fab Café, Manchester

https://www.facebook.com/stconline/

WYTHENSHAWE COMIC CON,

South Manchester

9th June 2018

https://www.facebook.com/wythenshawecomiccon/

MACC-POW! No.3

Saturday 23rd June 2018

Macclesfield.

http://maccpow.co.uk

LONDON FILM AND COMIC CON

27th - 29th July 2018

Olympia, London

https://www.londonfilmandcomiccon.com

TF NATION

17th, 18th, 19th August 2018.

Metropole Hotel,

NEC,

Birmingham

https://tfnation.com/2018/

NICE 2018

1st/2nd September 2018

Bedford Corn Exchange,

Bedford

https://nicecon.co.uk

ICE 2018

Saturday 15th September

Birmingham.

https://internationlcomicexpo.wordpress.com

TFNation for August!

As most of you know, Combat Colin originally appeared as a back-up strip in Marvel's Transformers comics of the 1980s. I'm pleased to say it's just been announced that I'll be one of the guests at TF Nation, a Transformers convention, that takes place over the weekend of August 17th to 19th at the Hilton Metropole hotel, Birmingham. 

You can find out more details, buy tickets, and see who the other guests are, at the wonderfully slick TFNation website:

https://tfnation.com/2018/