Pause for thought?

I hated war comics when I was a kid, mainly because so many of them seemed to glorify it with the wider consequences rarely shown. Combat Colin was initially devised as a spoof of that type of macho nonsense, but over time I was able to develop it into other directions. The latest issue (Combat Colin No.2) reprints a story from 1988 that touched upon man's damage to the environment. A bit preachy perhaps, but I was grateful to Marvel for letting me do stories like this. It's possible to do a story full of pratfalls and puns and still include a message to hopefully give the readers pause for thought.

Combat Colin No.2. Available now exclusively from my online shop:
http://lewstringer.com/page7.htm

Combat Colin is ©Copyright Lew Stringer

SICK SQUID is back!

Here's an advance preview of my next Team Toxic strip, which sees the return of beach baddie Sick Squid! What's the tentacled terror up to this time? Find out in Toxic No.302 when it goes on sale this coming Wednesday, 28th February!

Combat Colin in transit

I've posted a stack of Combat Colin comics today, with another pile (below) to go in the post in the morning. All of you who have ordered issue 2 so far should receive them on Saturday or Monday. Thanks for a great response! 

If you're interested in buying copies, they're available from my website:
http://lewstringer.com/page7.htm

Derek the Troll sells out!

KFC may have run out of chicken, but the big story the media missed is that I've run out of Derek the Troll comics! The comic I published in 2016 has sold out, but not to worry! I'll soon be arranging for a second printing and it'll be available from my online shop when it's ready. 

COMBAT COLIN No.2 is here!

Hot off the press comes Combat Colin No.2, the second in a six-issue mini-series reprinting my Combat Colin strips from the 1980s and early 1990s!

As with the first issue, No.2 has 40 pages comprising of full colour covers and black and white interiors. This issue starts with the ones when The Transformers and Action Force merged into one comic, and features almost 70 half page strips running from February 1988 to July 1989. 

You'll see Combat Colin and his sidekick Semi-Automatic Steve encounter villains such as Madprof and Mr.Magno for the first time, plus the return of the evil Aunt Arctic of the Antarctic, the secret of the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot, the introduction of the Giggly Sisters and much more!

Combat Colin was a character I created for Marvel UK back in 1987 and became a popular back-up strip in their comics. When The Transformers comic ended in 1991 and Marvel clearly had no plans to revive Combat Colin, I enquired about copyright and Marvel agreed to return the rights to me. Most of the strips have been scanned directly from my original artwork, and I've added dates to the foot of every strip so you know where and when it first appeared.

Available to buy now exclusively from me at my online shop:
http://lewstringer.com/page7.htm

Bath Comic-Con, - 17th March

The first convention you'll find me at this year will be Bath Comic-Con that takes place at Bath Pavilion on Saturday 17th March. I'll be bringing along my comics, including the latest, Combat Colin No.2, so I hope to see some of you there! I'm looking forward to catching up with my fellow guests, including Graham Bleathman, who I've known since the days when we started out doing fanzines in the late 1970s!

For more info on the event, visit their Facebook page here:
https://en-gb.facebook.com/bathcon/

For tickets, visit here:
https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Bath/Bath-Pavilion/Bath-Comic-Con-presented-by-Creed-Conventions/13001515/

Second chance for sketches!

My thanks to those of you who bid on some of my sketches last week. I'll be posting out the art to the winners over the next couple of days. A handful of the sketches didn't receive any bids so I'm putting those on eBay again for another week. Here's the link if you're interested:
www.ebay.co.uk/sch/graphite47/m.html

Back in the Beano!

I'm pleased to announce that I'll be back in the Beano from the issue that goes on sale on 7th March, writing and drawing a new series. It's only a mini-strip, and I can't say what it is yet, but it's an established strip I haven't drawn before. 

I'm happy to be back in the UK's longest-running comic in this its 80th year! More news soon!

Sketches up for auction!

 A couple of years ago I drew several never-before-seen characters for the "Sketch a day" concept. They were shown online, on this very blog for one place, but never published in print. I've now put the original artwork for 17 of the drawings on eBay, so if you're interested, please take a look:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/graphite47

Each drawing is on A5 size paper, 200gsm weight, in black ink. Light blue pencil construction lines are visible on most on them. 

Monsters! Oddballs! Even a vicar. All life is there. Thanks in advance for any bids! Good luck!

Combat Proof!

My printer sent me the print proof of Combat Colin No.2 yesterday. That's a one-off copy to check that everything's ok, - and it was, so I've asked him to proceed with the print run. 

My thanks for your patience. I was originally hoping to get issue 2 out last November but mainstream comics work had to take priority. It'll be out soon though! Watch this space for future announcements!

In print this week...

Thanks for visiting my blog! If you're interested in seeing my current work, the strips I have in print this week are...

Toxic No.301: Team Toxic in Rocket Rumble! Enemy spy Antimatter Hari returns, and only Team Toxic can stop her from sabotaging the new Mayor's space project. On sale Wednesday 7th February.

Epic No.142: Hygiene High. The stinkiest kids in school have a music lesson! Script by Niall Murray, art by me. On ale Wednesday 7th February.

Doctor Who Magazine No.522: The Daft Dimension. Mutant Daleks! On sale Thursday 8th February.