See you at NICE 2018 this weekend!

The next destination on my 2018 convention calendar is Nice Comic Con at the Bedford Corn Exchange on September 1st and 2nd. As you can see from the impressive guest list above, it's going to be good, - and it's 100% dedicated to comics! 

So, if you love comics, or you're one of those who claims there are no longer any proper comic cons around, come along and join us! You'll find all the info including ticket prices here:
https://nicecon.co.uk

Preview: The final Big Eggo strip!

My run on Big Eggo ends next week. I've really enjoyed doing the strip over the past six months and grew quite attached to it. What an honour to create new stories featuring the Beano's oldest character and original cover star! 

The last episode is an emotional roller coaster of sorts. Here's a preview advert I've designed for it. I hope you'll pick up Beano No.3950 on Wednesday to see how the story ends. (And if you do, please - post no spoilers! Thanks.)

My current work, out now...

Hello and welcome to new readers I met at TFNation last week. For those of you who asked what I was up to these days, here's a brief rundown of the strips I have in print this week. Firstly, Big Eggo (above) uses a drone to try and find his missing egg in The Beano No.3949, on sale now!

Also out now is Epic magazine No.150, where the class of Hygiene High visit a radio station and cause chaos! Written by Niall Murray, drawn by me.

On sale from Thursday 23rd August is Doctor Who Magazine No.529, which features another Daft Dimension strip by me focusing on those daft Daleks! 

...and still on sale from last week is Toxic magazine No.310 featuring Team Toxic. Here's a photo of the issue alongside my original art...

The Dandy Annual 2019 is available to buy now from online sellers and should be in the shops any time now. I wrote and drew several Keyhole Kate pages for the book...

All of the above are available from newsagents and supermarkets (or bookshops in the case of the annual). If you like digital comics, I contribute a brand new Derek the Troll page to Goof! comic every month, and you can subscribe to that here:
https://www.goofcomic.co.uk

There's also a number of my self-published comics available to buy directly from me. These reprint classic stories of mine from decades ago! More info here...
http://lewstringer.com/page7.htm

TFNation 2018

I had a brilliant weekend at TFNation 2018, the largest Transformers con in Europe. My thanks to Billy Edwards and his team for the invite and for the great hospitality. 

It took place at the Hilton Metropole, Birmingham. Last time I was there was in 1979 at my very first comics con as a fan. I slept in the all-night cinema back then. This time my accommodation was somewhat more comfortable...

A truly fantastic and memorable show. You can read more about it on my other blog here:
https://lewstringer.blogspot.com/2018/08/tf-nation-2018-fantastic-event.html

Update on Combat Colin issue 3

If you follow this blog regularly you'll know that I'm self-publishing occasional Combat Colin comics, reprinting the series I originally did for Marvel UK from 1987 to 1991. The first two issues are already out, and I had planned to publish No.3 in May. 

However, I'm sure you'll understand that my mainstream comics work has to take priority, so I've been busy on The Beano, Toxic, Epic, Dandy Annual, and Doctor Who Magazine. Plus I had a much-needed holiday for the first time in years, which I hope you won't begrudge me, and I've been travelling to various comic cons up and down the UK. 

All this has meant that Combat Colin No.3 had to go on the back burner for a while. Hopefully I'll have time to crack on with it next week, scanning all the pages from my original art, drawing a new cover, etc. I estimate that it'll now be published sometime in September but I'll keep you notified. 

The original plan was to do three issues this year, but it'll now be two. (Including No.2 which came out earlier this year.) Issues 4 and 5 will be published next year. 

I hope you understand, and I thank you for your patience and support so far. I'm looking forward to Combat Colin No.3 appearing just as much as you are, because it reaches the period where the strip really came into its own, with recurring support characters, ongoing sub-plots, and wilder and dafter adventures! More news soon!

In the meantime, if you don't have the first two issues, you can buy them directly from me here:
http://lewstringer.com/page7.htm

Keyhole Kate 2019

Just another reminder that Keyhole Kate is back again in The Dandy Annual 2019, which is out now from online sellers and maybe even from some High Street shops! (If shops haven't put them out yet they should be on the shelves in September.)

Kate will be back again next year too, as I'm writing/drawing new episodes for the 2020 Dandy Annual! 

A short preview

There's always been a tradition for British humour comics to be a bit irreverent and, well, cheeky, and I like to carry on that tradition. The next issue of Toxic sees Kid Zombie buy a new pair of shorts that have a mind of their own! His pals in Team Toxic aren't impressed! See what happens in Toxic No.310, on sale Wednesday 15th August from all good newsagents and supermarkets!  

Lord Snooty returns

Next week's Big Eggo strip features a vintage guest star who, like Big Eggo, also debuted in The Beano No.1 in 1938. Yes, it's Lord Snooty, back for one week only. 

I wrote/drew an ongoing Lord Snooty series for the Beano a few years ago and as this is the Beano's 80th anniversary year I couldn't let it pass without bringing the character back for a brief appearance. The editors approved, so here he is. 

See Big Eggo and Lord Snooty together in Beano No.3948, on sale Wednesday 15th August!

PEDANTIC STAN, - Ready to order!

Pedantic Stan, The Comics Fan, which launched at the London Film and Comic Con the other week is now available for everyone. You can order it directly from my online shop here:
http://lewstringer.com/page7.htm

Pedantic Stan is the creation of John Freeman and Lew Stringer and the strip ran in Speakeasy magazine in 1990/91. All of the strips are collected in this comic, along with a special one done for the UKCAC 1990 convention book. 

Pedantic Stan reflects the comic fan of the times, in that he's a superhero-obsessed fanboy with a bulging rucksack full of back issues and a wants list a mile long. (May be a slight exaggeration for comic effect.) The early scripts were written by John Freeman and drawn by me, and I took over as writer/artist after a few months. 

16 page A5 size landscape comic. £2 plus £1 p + p. 

Latest Eggo preview

This week's Big Eggo strip in the Beano was written by Nigel Auchterlounie when I had the 'flu a while back. Thanks for stepping in, Nigel! (Normal service resumes next week with me on script and art.) Has Eggo found his egg at last? Find out in Beano No.3947, out now!

Latest Derek the Troll preview!

After the issue zero launch edition last month, the all-new online humour comic Goof! publishes No.1 this Saturday, 4th August! Packed with brand new material by a variety of contributors, and includes a new episode of Derek the Troll by me.

A subscription to Goof! costs just £12 for 12 monthly issues, - only a pound a comic for around 30 pages of all-new material. - And you don't even have to leave the house to get a copy. It'll be there every month to read on your tablet, desktop computer, etc. 

For more info, see the Goof! website...
https://www.goofcomic.co.uk