Beano boost

Here's a panel from my latest Rasher strip that's in today's Beano. I've enjoyed drawing the fat pig over the three series it's run but I sent off my final one this week. Yes, Rasher's having a rest, and the last one will appear in June. 

All is not doom and gloom though. I'm still doing another mini-strip for the weekly, and hopefully that will be starting soon. Also, I have a lot of pages to write and draw for next year's annuals. The first scripts have been approved and I'll be drawing The Smasher tomorrow for The Dandy Annual 2016.

On a wider scale, I was pleased to read that thanks to the recent free special issue in the Mail on Sunday, The Beano's sales have increased 25%! It's also gained 1,400 new subscribers. Proof that if more kids are aware of the comic, more will buy it! Never Be Without A Beano!

Tom Thug's Easter: Buster 1992

Detail from original art. 

'Appy Easter, as Tom Thug might say. Here's the Easter Tom Thug strip I did from Buster comic of 22 years ago this week...

...and if you're interested in buying the actual original artwork for that page, I have it up for auction on eBay right now:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOM-THUG-EASTER-STORY-ORIGINAL-ART-from-BUSTER-comic-1992-Lew-Stringer-/201076746557?pt=UK_Books_comics_Magazines_UK_Comics_ET&hash=item2ed11ba93d

Happy bidding, and Happy Easter!

At last, a Toxic Annual!

I didn't want to mention it until the publisher broke the news but now that the book is on Amazon I can tell you that there will be a Toxic Annual out later this year. Although Toxic magazine has been published regularly since 2002, there has never been an annual before! 

I've written and drawn a brand new 4 page Team Toxic strip for the book, featuring the Team up against Techno Troll (above) and Butt-Face!

More info about Toxic Annual 2015 on my other blog:
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-toxic-annual-is-coming.html

Original Viz artwork

There's just one piece of my artwork on eBay this weekend, but it's a special festive illustration I did several years ago for a Christmas issue of Viz. It features various Viz characters. In fact it's the only time I've drawn some of them, such as Roger Mellie, Gilbert Ratchett, Nobby's Piles, Fat Slags, etc. 

Remember, Viz is for adults only so the cartoon is a bit rude in places! Don't bid if you're easily offended or a child. And if you are a child, what are you doing with an eBay account you fraud? Off to the draughty step with no jam butties and a ban on your Z-Box, (or however naughty kids are dealt with these days). 

If you are interested in bidding on this illustration, here's where to go:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ORIGINAL-ARTWORK-FOR-VIZ-COMIC-No-141-CHRISTMAS-THEME-Signed-/201072866513?pt=UK_Books_comics_Magazines_UK_Comics_ET&hash=item2ed0e074d1

Good luck! Auction ends on Sunday.

Behold... Fartacus!

Kids who like gross humour in comics (which is a lot, according to sales figures) will hopefully enjoy the debut of a new baddie in my Team Toxic strip this week. Fartacus is his name, and his deadly bottom-burps have made him the champion of the arena on Planet Stinky!

It all begins when Bog, Team Toxic's resident living poo, is abducted by a UFO to fight in the galactic farting games. Don't miss Slave of Planet Stinky in Toxic No.236, on sale now! 40 pages of features and fun plus gifts for just £2.99. (Although check your receipts as the WH Smith I bought mine from rang up £3.99 on the til until I challenged them about it. They blamed the barcode.)  

Rasher Returns

After being absent for the last two issues, my Rasher mini-strip returns to The Beano today. I'm not sure why it skipped a couple of issues. Replaced by an ad? Squeezed out by Beano fun-power overload? Anyway, the pig is back! Hopefully he'll stick around now until the end of his run.

The latest issue of Britain's longest-running comic, The Beano, is out now. £2.00.   

Looking ahead

Work on the comic annuals has always been done way in advance due to various scheduling reasons including printing. All the strips for the 2015 dated annuals were completed last summer, even though they won't be out until July to September of this year. 

Today, I was commissioned to produce a bunch of pages for the Dandy Annual 2016 and three for the Beano Annual 2016. Yes, 2016 cover dates, - books that won't be in the shops until late summer next year! Stories that many readers won't actually see until Christmas Day 2015, if they have the annuals as Christmas presents. 

I won't reveal any more at present as I've yet to write the scripts, then they have to be approved before I set to work drawing them. However, it's shaping up to be a very busy time over the next six weeks so if I don't get the chance to update my two blogs very often you'll know why. I'm sure you're as pleased as I am to hear that although the weekly Dandy was axed in 2012, the annual still survives.

In the meantime, above is a quick glimpse of Smasher, back in the next Dandy Annual!