Reflections on 2025

It's time for my usual round up of the year with selected photos of the past 12 months. It's been a quieter year due to only doing two conventions (but both very enjoyable - Macc Pow! and the London Comic Festival). 

 

This was also the year I semi-retired from comics. Due to being more fatigued I struggle more with deadlines at times, and I was also tired of pursuing publishers who were no longer interested so it was time to face reality and make a change. Instead, I decided to focus on my own characters and my monthly strip for Doctor Who Magazine, plus selling my old pages to collectors. 

 

I managed to get away for a couple of short holidays to Blackpool, and a very enjoyable night locally seeing Jasper Carrott's act, plus a few local walks on the green route.

 

It was good to catch up with those of you that I did see this year. Hopefully I'll make it to more comic cons in 2026, health permitting. Thank you to my pals for your friendship and support, and a Happy New Year to you all!

 

Compliments of the Season

I know this has been a troubled year for many of us but here's wishing you all a Happy Christmas and Good Health and Good Fortune for the New Year. My thanks to all of you who bought my comics and artwork this year, and for the friendship and support of good pals. 

 

Fright Christmas!

Meet my new character SNOWMAN OF THE YARD! The world's coolest detective is just one of the stories in issue 5 of the horror comic THIS COMIC IS HAUNTED - available to order now from this link...
https://the77comic.bigcartel.com/product/this-comic-is-haunted-5

 

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Thank You

All parcels are now posted and the artworks from my recent auctions are on their way to the winning bidders. Thank you to everyone who bought pages from me this year (and to all of you who placed bids).Thanks also to everyone who bought comics from my KoFi shop. 

Posted Special Delivery these parcels should arrive tomorrow.

 

I'll be listing more artwork on eBay next year, all being well.

 

 

Christmas art auction ends TONIGHT!

The clock is ticking and the auctions on these pages of my original comic art will end this evening (Sunday 14th). Last auction from me this year. Click on the link to see what's on offer and good luck! 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?item=203554298786&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562&_ssn=graphite47 

BASH STREET! CHRISTMAS DALEKS! and MORE! It's the final art auction of the year!

I've listed five items this week on my eBay page and they will be the last ones I'm selling for this year. In order to get them shipped well in time for Christmas (and to beat the Royal Mail delays) bidding will end on Sunday 14th December and, once they're paid for, will be posted the next day.

You'll find the listings here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?item=203554298786&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562&_ssn=graphite47

I've selected some nice pages of my original art that I think you'll like. As many of you have asked me to sell my Beano artwork here's a full pager featuring The Bash Street Kids...

...plus a strip featuring Rasher (with cameos by Wilfrid, Toots, and Lord Snooty)...

Then there's a Christmas Daft Dimension from Doctor Who Magazine with Daleks celebrating the festivities...

...a full colour Vampire Brats page from the 1993 Buster and Monster Fun Holiday Special...

...and Tom Thug's Noo Yeer Resolooshun, a special story with Tom Thug from the New Year issue of Buster that heralded 1991...

As always, this is all original hand drawn artwork, not prints, not facsimiles, not pages torn from comics. These are the originals drawn for publication. Check out the link at the top of this post to see close up photos of each page.

All bids appreciated! Good luck!

Beano and Doctor Who art for sale

My latest art auction ends this Sunday (7th December) and it features two pieces of original comic art that should appeal to collectors. 

People have been asking me to sell my Beano artwork so let's see how this goes. A full page Roger the Dodger puzzle page that I drew for Beano No.3954 back in 2018!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205892147667?itmmeta=01KBQQJEENC9YRKHV9PPA984XN&hash=item2ff020d9d3:g:-hcAAeSw7EFpL0E1

Next, as Doctor Who art is often snapped up, here's one of my Daft Dimension strips that features no less than three Doctors plus Clara! Published in Doctor Who Magazine No.593 in 2023...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205892164637?itmmeta=01KBQQJEEP4PYQFXBK5JS23GDG&hash=item2ff0211c1d:g:CYMAAeSw2VFpL0MZ

 

Remember that these are my original, hand drawn pages, not prints, not pages torn from comics, not facsimiles. (I have to say that because there are several sellers who do pretend such things are originals!) 

All bids appreciated and best of luck! 

DWM 624 Preview: Christmas under the Sea

The Christmas issue of the official Doctor Who Magazine is out this Thursday and as it focuses on the Sea Devils for the upcoming mini series The War Between the Land and the Sea what better opportunity to do Christmas With The Sea Devils in my latest Daft Dimension strip? 

"Sea" the full strip plus lots, lots more including an article on the long history of Doctor Who Annuals in the jam packed Doctor Who Magazine No.624 on sale December 4th. 

 

 

Snowman Of The Yard!

©2025 Lew Stringer

 

Meet my brand new character, Detective Sergeant Snowman of Scotland Yard...or Snowman of the Yard to be succinct. You'll find him in the pages of the horror comic anthology This Comic Is Haunted No.5. The Kickstarter ends imminently so if you're quick you can still pledge! 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1315926000/this-comic-is-haunted-issue-5

(IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Kickstarter has now ended but you can still pledge at the moment.)

Grab a BRICKMAN comic for Christmas!

Just as a reminder in case you missed the posts a few months ago, this year I published Brickman No.1, the first of a three issue mini-series that will collect the best of Brickman strips of the past. 

Issue 1 is a reprint of the Brickman special that Harrier Comics published way back in 1986, and includes guest pages by Dave Gibbons, Kevin O'Neill, Mike Higgs, Mike Collins and Mark Farmer. 

The story was also included in the Brickman Begins digest-sized trade paperback published by Active Images 20 years ago,but this is the first time it's appeared full size since 1986 (and on nice silk finish paper too).

I still have quite a few left so if you want to experience the crazy world of the Daft Knight and his adventures in Guffon City (yes, it's a Batman parody) order a copy today and I'll get it in the post...

https://ko-fi.com/lewstringer/shop 

 

Combat Colin No.2 SOLD OUT

As mentioned in my previous post, the other day I found five unsold issues of Combat Colin No.2 from 2018. You were quick to respond and they've now all sold and are on their way to the buyers, so thank you all. (Thanks also to the person who ordered my other comics too, and now has a package of Combat Colin 2 to 5 plus Brickman No.1 winging its way to them). 

As it stands at the moment, the following comics of mine are all still available:

Brickman No.1

Combat Colin Nos.3, 4, and 5

Fanzine Funnies No.1

All printed on good quality paper with nice sharp reproduction.

Plus, if you like digital comics, the following comics are available to download as PDFs:

Barmy Comix No.1

Derek the Troll No.1

Tough Guy and Scruffy No.1

All of my comics are only available from me, not in shops, and this is the link where you'll find them:

https://ko-fi.com/lewstringer/shop 

FOUND! Combat Colin No.2 - but be quick if you want one!

I thought I'd sold out of Combat Colin No.2 but I've just found five unsold issues! This 40 page comic reprints the Combat Colin strips from Transformers Nos.153 to 225 (1988/89).

Limited amount available and priced to reflect this. Available from my online shop at this link:

https://ko-fi.com/s/281dedd997

EDIT: NOW SOLD OUT! Thank you for your support.

Sonic The Comic - Re-Illustated!

Back in the 1990s I was a writer for several years on Fleetway's Sonic The Comic, creating new adventures for Sonic the Hedgehog including coming up with new villains and co-stars. It was a very popular comic at the time, with a loyal fanbase, and now some of those skilled fans are creating their own Sonic adventures. 

The latest publication, Sonic The Comic Reillustrated No.5, came as a pleasant surprise as the issue is a tribute to my career! Almost 50 of those talented artists have re-illustrated a story I wrote in their own styles. It features the origin of Shortfuse the Cybernik, a character of mine that was a favourite with the readers, and now they've reimagined the saga for this edition. 

Each panel of the ten page story is drawn by a different artist and they've all done a fantastic job! 

The back of the issue includes a feature on various characters I created, plus fan art and a letters page with reader's memories of my STC strips. 

I was totally stunned by this warm, heartfelt tribute and it really means a great deal to me that they've invested their time and talents. It's a very slick and professional production too! My thanks to the editors Angelbless and Kathy Murdoch and each and every contributor! 

You can download a copy of Sonic The Comic Reillustated No.5 yourselves entirely free at this link:

https://stcr.nevira.net/stcr05.html 

 

Postman Prat and The Smasher - Original Art available again

Now listed at a cheaper starting price, the original artwork for two of my Dandy strips are in my auctions again this week. 

There's a Smasher strip from The Dandy Annual 2017 and a Postman Prat strip from The Dandy Annual 2023. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?item=203554298786&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562&_ssn=graphite47

I've also lowered the postage cost on these as I'll be sending them Tracked 24 instead of Special Delivery. Postage rates have risen to stupid prices this year and sadly I have to reflect that in my sales. When I sell more expensive pages I'll use Special Delivery again as cheaper rates don't cover losses over a certain amount. (Fortunately no pages have gone astray but it's good to be covered for any eventuality.)

Anyway, good luck with your bids! 

PEDANTIC STAN goes international!

Back in 2021, writer John Freeman and I had the honour of reviving our Pedantic Stan character for The Most Important Comic Book on Earth: Stories to Save the World! Don't worry, that's not hyperbole. It was the actual name of the book!

An anthology masterminded by Paul Goodenough of Rewriting Earth (formerly Rewriting Extinction) to help raise awareness of our environment, the 344 page book gathered together new contributions from comics creators, musicians, writers, celebrities, and of course envirinmentalists, all contributing for free, to get the message across in an accessable and engaging way. 

Well, now there's a German edition too, with all the stories translated maintaining the same high standard design of the English edition, plus this time it has a larger page size and is in hardback! It really is an impressive production.

 

Only problem was, I'd killed off Pedantic Stan in his previous story, so for this new one-off, John wrote a script where Stan returned as a zombie! His thirst for comics luring him from the grave.

Our story The Return of Pedantic Stan the Comics Fan has become Die Rückkeur von Stan, Dem Pedantischen Comic-Fan! The character will probably be brand new for most German readers as Stan had only previously appeared in the UK fanzine Speakasy in the 1990s and my self-published Pedantic Stan collection a few years ago but I hope they enjoy his page. 

 

The Most Important Comic Book on Earth contains a multitude of stories from a vast number of people and is still available, dead cheap at only £7.99, from Amazon. (But ask your local comic shop or bookshop if they have it in stock first. Support them before checking Amazon.)

The German edition, Der Wichtigste Comic Der Welt is avaialble at this link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/wichtigste-Comic-Geschichten-Rettung-Planeten/dp/3741638250 

More info at John Freeman's comic blog, Down The Tubes, which is always worth following for regularly updated comics news:

https://downthetubes.net/pedantic-stan-the-comics-fan-hops-over-the-english-channel-to-germany/

With thanks to Paul Goodenough for sending me a complimentary copy of the hefty German edition.

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Christmas Preview

 ...and here it is. Literally a preview of the word 'Christmas'. 

Just a teaser for my next Daft Dimension strip that you'll find in the Christmas issue of Doctor Who Magazine in a few weeks! More info soon!

Anonymous Comment Option Disabled!

I know some of you don't have Google accounts and prefer to comment anonymously but unfortunately some people have been abusing that option again in order to troll and post "wind up" comments. 

I've disabled the anonymous option in the past but reinstated it later. However, enough is enough. The option to post anonymously is now disabled permanently.

Genuine readers are always welcome of course, and much appreciated. Those who abused the system can sling their hook elsewhere.

The Best Laid Plans...

I had big plans for retiring from mainstream comics. I was going to publish more of my own comics, getting back to the roots of what I first enjoyed. After a few setbacks due to health and finances, my latest plan was to get Brickman No.2 out this month, followed by Combat Colin No.6 (the final issue) early next year, and Brickman No.3 (his last issue) in mid-2026. Plus a special or two. 

Well, I'm afraid things aren't running smoothly these days. I should know by now not to announce any plans until I've actually got the comics ready to sell. I get more fatigued now (due to CLL as mentioned several times before) and have fallen behind with everything.

I really can't say when my next comics will be published as I still haven't made a start on scanning the pages or drawing the covers yet. No one is more annoyed about this than me, I assure you.

So... all I can say is I'll announce them when they're ready, health and finances permitting. I'm sorry I can't be more specific or upbeat about it but life isn't very upbeat these days.

Meanwhile, I need to focus on my strips for Doctor Who Magazine and This Comic Is Haunted at the moment. I'll update when I have a definite schedule on my comics.

My art auctions will continue and you'll find the listings at this link:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?item=203554298786&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562&_ssn=graphite47

Dandy and Doctor Who artwork for sale

I'm selling my original artwork from The Dandy Annual and Doctor Who Magazine! Auctions end this coming Sunday (16th Nov). All bids appreciated.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?item=203554298786&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562&_ssn=graphite47

There's a mini strip of The Smasher from The Dandy Annual 2017, a Postman Prat strip from The Dandy Annual 2023, and a full page Keyhole Kate from The Dandy Annual 2019 plus a Daft Dimension comic strip I did for Doctor Who Magazine No.484 back in 2015. 

All original hand drawn artwork, not prints or facsimiles. Good luck with your bids!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Art Auction ends soon!

 

Only a short time to go before the end of my latest auction of my orginal comic art. Bidding ends on Sunday evening (9th Nov).

What's up for grabs...

A Keyhole Kate page (The Dandy Annual 2019).

A Tom Thug page (Buster 1994).

A Vampire Brats page (Buster, around 1990).

Muesli Man (superhero spoof from Oink! 1987).

The Daft Dimension (Doctor Who Magazine 2025). 

Huge A2 size spread from Know How! magazine (2002).

An A4 size comic strip advert I did for Nostalgia and Comics (1985).

All original hand drawn art, not prints, not facsimiles. 

Good luck with your bids! Here's the link..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?item=203554298786&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562&_ssn=graphite47

New DAFT DIMENSION strip in DWM today

Doctor Who Magazine No.623 is out today, and there's a new Daft Dimension strip by me in there along with loads of features and interviews by other contributors. Available from WH Smiths, TG Jones, Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys, comic shops etc.

Here's the website for more info:

https://doctorwhomagazine.com/

ORIGINAL COMIC ART UP FOR SALE!

I'm selling more of my original comic art, with pages ranging from 1985 to the present day including a Keyhole Kate page from The Dandy Annual and pages from Buster and Oink! 

See each link for more photos of each page including close ups of panels.

I haven't sold any of my Dandy artwork before but needs must so here we go! This is a complete Keyhole Kate page I did for The Dandy Annual 2019...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205822338653?itmmeta=01K97GPMCY22QKBXGC7C82CV2M&hash=item2febf7a65d:g:SvUAAeSwQuJpB6Qu 

 

Next, an unusual one-off strip I did for Oink! No.19 back in 1987. Muesli Man, the health-nut superhero!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205822317590?itmmeta=01K97GPMCZ1FWKE9YAHJHBXWKG&hash=item2febf75416:g:0TEAAeSwc1dpB6Dk 

Far more recent is the current Daft Dimension comic strip from Doctor Who Magazine No.622 featuring Daleks!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205822343809?itmmeta=01K97GPMCZM7D4Z5TB0VK4J97B&hash=item2febf7ba81:g:XyUAAeSwbMFpB6VJ

Back in time 40 years for a real rarity; artwork for a full page advert I drew for Birmingham's Nostalgia and Comics shop, written by the shop's owner Phil Clarke! This was done for a convention programme...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205822332711?itmmeta=01K97GPMCY0QQBV376V9JEG6XH&hash=item2febf78f27:g:b2UAAeSwV6NpB6LH

Back to 1994 now for a Tom Thug on 'Oliday page I did for Buster comic...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205822288076?itmmeta=01K97GPMCYDD2MV6BD1EBZ61C6&hash=item2febf6e0cc:g:sLwAAeSwG8dpB52O

 

...and from around 1990, a Vampire Brats page also from Buster comic...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205822300490?itmmeta=01K97GPMCYP93C4XK8YB9HJYMC&hash=item2febf7114a:g:QVsAAeSwQm1pB55f

Finally, a huge A2 sized spread I drew for the first issue of Know How! magazine back in 2002...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205822308328?itmmeta=01K97GPMCZ75AM4TMKR3CMYH67&hash=item2febf72fe8:g:HRgAAeSwdjNpB59s

Here's the link to see all the artwork as a list...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?item=203554298786&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562&_ssn=graphite47

 

Auctions end on Sunday 9th November. All bids very much apprecated! Best of luck!