Tom Thug's Noo Yeer'z Rezolooshun (for 1991)

Just time for one last post this year, and for a couple of strips I did many years ago. These were published in Buster dated 29th December 1990, with Tom Thug and The Vampire Brats making their resolutions for 1991. 

Tom Thug has script, art, colouring, and logo design by me (and dialogue lettering by Jack Potter).

The Vampire Brats has script by Roy Davis, art and logo design by me, dialogue lettering by Jack Potter, and colours by the Buster staff. 

Wishing you all a Happy New Year for 2019!

Reflections on 2018

Click or tap on image to see it larger.

Firstly, a big thank you to all of you who have visited this blog over the past 12 months (and in previous years). Your interest in my work means a lot to me and I hope you've enjoyed your visits. 

It's been a steady year, in work and personal life. No huge changes, and thankfully no crisis. It was a great thrill and honour to be asked to create a brand new series of Big Eggo stories for The Beano's 80th anniversary year. Work on Toxic, Doctor Who Magazine, and Epic continued, I revived Derek the Troll for the digital comic Goof!, and I was able to publish three of my own comics; Combat Colin Nos.2 and 3 and Pedantic Stan, The Comics Fan. 

(If you're interested on ordering my comics you can get them exclusively from me:
http://lewstringer.com/page7.htm )

It was also a privilege to be invited to 13 comic cons this year. (It would have been 15 but I had to drop out of two.) Some were new to me, such as the excellent TFNation, STC25, and Nice Comic Con, and some were old favourites such as Macc-Pow!, London Film and Comic Con, and ICE. A good mixture, and varied locations all across England. My thanks to all the organisers for their hard work and hospitality, and to everyone who stopped by my table and/or came to a panel I was on.

My convention dates so far for 2019 are....

MANCHESTER COMIC FEST
27th April 2019
Wythenshawe Forum
www.facebook.com/manchestercomicfest/


To Be Announced:
Saturday 11th May 2019

To Be Announced:
Saturday 18th May 2019

COMICS SALOPIA
1st and 2nd June 2019
Shrewsbury
https://comicssalopia.com

To Be Announced:
22nd June 2019

ICE 2019
Saturday 31st August 2019
Edgbaston Cricket Ground
Birmingham
B5 7QU
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ice-birmingham-2019-tickets-52230273153


To Be Announced:
28th and 29th September 2019

Thanks also to my editors, and to my friends in the comics industry, some I've known for 40 years, some I've only met this year. It's always good to spend time with people who have similar interests and outlooks, as well as being constantly amazed at their talent.

Last but not least, a big thank you to my friends outside of comics, for being good pals and for all the laughs. 

Next year...? I hope I continue to be busy but it's a precarious business and with Brexit on the way who knows what damage it will wreak. If people take a financial hit, comics are the last thing they'll be spending money on. Time will tell.

I do have one new project I'm about to start work on but I can't reveal anything about that yet. I'll post info here in a few months. 

I'll also be selling some of my old Fleetway art on eBay sometime over the next several weeks. 

Beyond that, I'm planning to publish Combat Colin No.4 in April, and No.5 around September. It will now be a six issue series, with possibly a smaller "No.6 and a half" issue to reprint the material that came after the Transformers stories. Again, more news will be posted here as it develops.

Finally, may I wish you all a very Happy New Year! Please keep following this blog for updates, and post your feedback in the comments section below. Best wishes for 2019!

Festive Flashback: CHRISTMAS WITH TOM THUG (1992)

For my final choice of my past Christmas strips, here's Tom Thug again with his festive story from Buster in 1992. Tom had proven to be one of the comic's most popular characters so he was awarded this double-length story for the Christmas edition! 

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and thank you for following this blog! 

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Festive Flashback: BRICKMAN (2005)

Brickman was a character I created for my fanzines in 1979 but appeared from time to time over the years in various publications. In 2005 Richard Starkings asked me to create a new Brickman series for a back-up strip in his prestigious Elephantmen comic for Image. This was the Christmas episode for that year.

One final Christmas strip later today! 

Festive Flashback: PETE AND HIS PIMPLE (1987)

Here's the Pete and his Pimple strip I did for the Christmas issue of Oink! in 1987! I really enjoyed doing this character. Created, written, drawn, lettered by me.

Also that issue, the Tom Thug Christmas fairy! Stick it at the top of your tree! 

Festive Flashback: SNOWMAN IN A BOX (2012)

Here's a page I did that appeared in The Dandy back in 2012. A "Mad Ad" spoofing those adverts you see for expensive tat in the back of magazines. every home should have one! 

Festive Flashback: THE VAMPIRE BRATS (1989)

The Vampire Brats were created by writer Mark Rogers for Buster in 1989 and I was assigned as an artist for the strip to replace Pete and his Pimple. After a few months, Mark sadly took ill and asked me to write the scripts temporarily.

Tragically, Mark never returned to writing as he passed away far too young. Later in the run, Roy Davis replaced me as scriptwriter, but this one from Christmas 1989 is one I wrote, drew, and lettered! 

Festive Flashback: POSTMAN PRAT (2011)

I'm glad I had the chance to work for The Dandy during its final two years. It was a privilege to be involved with a comic that was a favourite of mine as a child. Here's the Postman Prat page I did for the Christmas issue in 2011. Script by David Mason, artwork by me. 

Festive Flashback: ROBO-CAPERS (1986)

Here's my Christmas episode of Robo-Capers that appeared in Marvel UK's Transformers comic 32 years ago in 1986! 

If you'd like to read more about what was in this issue, Phil Boyce has covered it over on his Oink! Blog and Beyond here:
http://the-oink-blog.blogspot.com/2018/12/transformers-93-wrapped-up-robots.html

Festive Flashback: THE DAFT DIMENSION (2016)

You can see the latest Christmas Daft Dimension in the current issue of Doctor Who Magazine on sale now, but here's one I did two years ago! I fancied a go at drawing all 12 Doctors (and the War Doctor), - some worked out better than others but I had fun doing it. Hope you like it! as always, click on the image to see it larger. 

Festive Flashback: TOM THUG (1990)

Here's a Christmas Tom Thug page I did for the festive issue of Buster in 1990!

Festive Flashback: TEAM TOXIC (2008)

If I have time, I'll be posting some of my old Christmas strips on this blog on the run up to Christmas Day. As I've been in comics for 35 years and try to do at least one Christmas strip a year there are a lot to choose from! As I say, it depends on time, but hopefully I'll post two or three (or more) over the next few days.

This one is a Team Toxic strip from Toxic No.130, December 2008. Script and art by me, and back then Lorna Miller was the colourist. Lorna is an artist in her own right and did a great job colouring Team Toxic for the first several years of its run. 

Team Toxic is still running today in Toxic magazine (published every three weeks). These days I colour the strip myself. 

The five Team Toxic characters, and the name 'Team Toxic' are Copyright Egmont.

In the shops now!

As well as The Daft Dimension in Doctor Who Magazine No.533 (mentioned the other day) I also have two other strips in print this week. 

There's Team Toxic in Victory or Defeat in the latest issue of Toxic (No.315) in which the now-powerless Team must somehow defeat an invasion of their greatest villains!

Then there's a new Hygiene High story in Epic No.154, written by Niall Murray, drawn by me, which sees the stinky kids in a school dancing competition! 

Toxic, Epic, and Doctor Who Magazine are all available from newsagents and supermarkets across the UK. 

Thanks, Phil!

My thanks to Phil Boyce for his glowing review of Combat Colin No.3. 

"40 pages of mirth and guaranteed laugh-out-loud moments throughout, it's a bargain at only £3.50 and it brought back many happy memories of reading these strips every week in the pages of Marvel UK's Transformers, after Colin had made the transition from their cancelled Action Force title."

You can read his full review over on his Oink! Blog and Beyond site:
http://the-oink-blog.blogspot.com/2018/12/combat-colin-3-continuing-lewniverse.html

...and if you're intrigued enough to buy a copy you can order one from me here:
http://lewstringer.com/page7.htm

Christmas Doctor Who!

There will be a Christmas episode of Doctor Who after all this year! 

Well, as a comic strip anyway, not on TV. The next issue of Doctor Who Magazine features the regular Daft Dimension strip from me, and this time I decided to have the Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, and Graham celebrating Christmas Day! (There's a snippet from one panel above.)

See the full strip, and more in Doctor Who Magazine No.533, on sale Thursday 13th December!

The current season of Doctor Who concludes tonight on BBC One, and will be off our screens until the special on New Year's Day. 

Derek the Troll and the Christmas GOOF!

The Christmas issue of digital comic Goof! is now available, and I've done a seasonal Derek the Troll episode for it. 

As Derek's adventures are set in pre-history I couldn't do a Christmas story as such of course, but it does feature some festive elements and a winter setting. After all, I couldn't resist putting snow on the logo could I?

You can read more about Goof! on my other blog here:
https://lewstringer.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-christmas-goof-is-here.html

...and you can subscribe to Goof! here:
https://www.goofcomic.co.uk

Christmas Kate!

A last reminder that I have a few pages of Keyhole Kate in The Dandy Annual 2019 and that it's available in the shops now! A perfect Christmas present, as always! Don't wait until the January sales and risk missing it, - it's already discounted in supermarkets, and part of a special offer in WH Smith. 

I love creating new stories for Keyhole Kate, and being the latest in a line of artists who have drawn her adventures over the past 80 years! What's happening to Kate in the panel above? Find out by buying the book! 

Combat Colin original drawing on eBay

If you'd like an original Combat Colin drawing to buy someone for Christmas, or for yourselves, I've just put one on eBay. It's a brand new piece of original art in black ink on sturdy Bristol Board measuring 19cm by 17cm, and is signed.

Bidding runs for seven days, unless someone uses the Buy It Now option to snap it up sooner. 

To find out more, see my eBay page here:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/COMBAT-COLIN-original-artwork-by-Lew-Stringer/202513631742

Good luck if you're bidding! 

Birthday Boil!

Thanks to Phil Boyce of The Oink! Blog for reminding me that this week 32 years ago, Pete and his Pimple began his regular series in Oink! comic. The strip only ran for just under three years but I had a blast creating the character and writing/drawing the series. That's the first episode above...

...and here's a later one, from the Christmas 1986 issue of Oink!...

A mistake at the printers left the speech balloons off the BANG! panel.

Along with Tom Thug, Pete and his Pimple later moved over to Buster when the two comics merged in October 1988. In this episode, from May 1989, I put both characters into one strip...

A particular favourite was this illustration I did for the UKCAC '88 convention booklet. The original art was auctioned off for charity. I wonder where it is now? 

AFTER IMAGE (1978)

It's been 40 years this month since my first self-published comic was launched. Back in 1978 I had started to contribute a few articles and spot illustrations to fanzines and decided to publish my own. The result was After Image, which I have to admit was very crudely drawn as you can see. 

Back then I still hadn't decided which direction to pursue with my artwork; whether to try and aim towards adventure comics or humour titles. Clearly, I wasn't much cop at drawing the human figure or possessing the skills required to draw realistically, and I felt more comfortable drawing humour strips, so that's the path I soon embarked on. 

I'd been creating my own little comics since I was seven years old, but they had just been mini comics drawn in biro and never actually printed or distributed, so the only people who ever saw them were my immediate family. After Image was the first time I'd had multiple copies printed for a public audience.

Reactions were fairly kind, as I recall, but obviously my work wasn't anywhere near professional standard back then. It'd be another five years before I sold my first work to Marvel UK in 1983. 

After Image only ran for three issues, over 12 months. I went on to create other fanzines and stripzines afterwards. These days, although I'm busy with mainstream comics work, I still enjoy putting together my own comics, with Combat Colin No.3 being the latest issue. 

Anyway, without further ado, here's a few sample bits from that first issue of After Image of 40 years ago. Read it while I cringe with embarrassment....

All artwork Copyright © 1978, 2018, Lew Stringer

There are some "jokes" in the Arthur Average strip I definitely wouldn't use now. (The '70s were another time, and I was only 19, - but should have known better.) If you want to read the entire issue, it's available as a free PDF as part of David Hathaway-Price's online archive of old fanzines here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz-VsUjOG2SiUXZBVmJOcGpLTVE/view

New issue of TOXIC out today

After a slight delay, Toxic No.314 arrived in shops today. Another bumper package of toys, cards, stickers, poster, and a Fortnite bonus magazine are bundled with the 40 page issue of Toxic itself. 

There's a new Team Toxic story by me entitled The Opposite Effect... where things happen! If this was a Marvel comic they'd be saying "Nothing will ever be the same again!". It introduces a new bad guy, Negatrev, so I hope you enjoy the story!

Toxic No.314, available from newsagents and supermarkets across the UK. £4.99

This week in EPIC No.153...

There's a new issue of Epic magazine in the shops, and it includes another Hygiene High 2 pager that I drew. Script by Niall Murray. Things get windy for Bean Jean! 

Published by D.C. Thomson, you'll find Epic in newsagents and supermarkets across the UK. 48 page magazine for kids, bagged with a bunch of gifts, for £4.50.

Thanks, Stan!

We can't underestimate the importance that Stan Lee played in the lives of most of us working in comics today. Although I never met him, his stories inspired me as a child, and if it wasn't for Stan and the gang making Marvel Comics the success it did in the 1960s there'd be no comics fandom in the form it is, no direct market, no conventions... and none of us working in comics would even know each other. 

In fact, I wouldn't even be working in comics if there'd been no Marvel Comics to keep me interested after I'd naturally grown out of Beano, Whizzer and Chips etc. The first publisher to accept my work was Marvel Comics, at a point when I'd almost given up after being rejected by other companies.

Here's a photo of me 50 years ago holding a copy of Tales of Suspense No.96 bought from a stall on Blackpool prom, written by Stan Lee. (And yes, they're short trousers, not a skirt. :)) The seeds that inspired me and many others were planted back then. Our lives would have been completely different, and culturally poorer, without him. 

Rest In Peace, Stan. You did good.

Rest In Peace, Stan Lee

A hero and inspiration when I was growing up, the comics of Stan Lee had a massive impact on my life. His stories about selflessness and equality shaped me perceptions. I never met Stan, but I was lucky to work on characters that wouldn't have existed without him. R.I.P. Stan, you were and forever will be, "The Man". 

Tim Shaw lives!

This Thursday, 15th November, sees Doctor Who Magazine No.532 arrive in the shops, and my Daft Dimension strip features the first new "monster" of the new season, - Tim Shaw! (Or T'Zim-Sha to give him his proper name.) 

The issue will also include exclusive interviews, features, reviews, and the second episode of The Warmonger, the new 13th Doctor comic strip by Scott Gray and John Ross. Don't miss it!

Lest we forget

Grab yourselves some daftness!

A reminder that Combat Colin No.3 is now available exclusively from my online shop at http://lewstringer.com/page7.htm

It's 40 pages of daft comedy-action for all ages, collecting strips from 1989/90. Colin and his dozy assistant Semi-Automatic Steve encounter Madprof, The Brain, Bankrobber Man, The Amazing Dave, The Gunge, and many more! 

Also available are the first two issues of Combat Colin, the Derek the Troll / Rock Solid special, and Pedantic Stan, Comics Fan! 

Newsagents don't carry the number of comics they used to but that doesn't mean the British comics industry is dead. Give independent comics your support by buying them directly from the creators! 

Still working on it!

There seems to be a theme running through my life.

I'm not unique in this regard of course. Most people I know in the arts and entertainment fields have had their particular passions since they were small children. You have to follow your dream. If you're lucky, as well as talented, you'll be able to make a living out of it. Professionally, the best thing I ever did was to quit my dead end job in 1980 and focus on what I always wanted to do; create comics! It took a few years to sell my first cartoons but once I did, other editors had confidence in me, and the more work I had, the more I could develop my skills. That was 35 years ago and I've been working ever since.

If you have an ambition, and a realistic ability to pursue it, you have to go for it. Life's too short not to. And when you do make it, be confident but never cocky, because I've seen a few people fail in this business because of their own arrogance. The comic industry is relatively small and doesn't suffer fools gladly. We're all learning every day, and the most important lesson is to be grateful for how lucky we are to be working in a career we love. 

Good luck!

Postman Prat's Firework Fun

Firework themed comics don't happen these days, except... in 2011 a few of us were allowed to do firework stories for The Dandy. Here's Postman Prat in a story written by David Mason, drawn by me.

Have a safe Bonfire Night!