It was a very busy time for me this week 29 years ago! I had three pages in the issue of Buster dated 10th August 1991, (which was published 3rd August.... remember that back then comics were dated for the following weekend after publication).
First up, Tom Thug on 'Oliday was the strip on page three. Every year during the school holidays I'd do a six-week story with Tom on his holidays. (Usually Blackpool as I recall, as is the case here.) Note the old sea wall, which has since been replaced by a smarter looking seafront.
Next, The Vampire Brats was my other regular Buster strip. Initially written by Mark Rogers, then by me, but by this period the scripts were by Roy Davis with me on art. Roy's method of writing was to rough everything out on an A3 sheet in biro (as he was an artist himself). It was then up to the artist, such as myself, to interpret it as they wished. I chose to give the Lion Tamer a wildly exaggerated reaction in panel 7.
Writers never had a credit in Buster but on some strips I added Roy's initials next to my signature because I felt that all contribitors should be credited! If I'd known who'd be lettering it I'd have added that too. In this case it was Jack Potter (who also lettered the Tom Thug strip shown here).
Finally, Specky Hector's History of Comics reached its 10th and final part. I did everything on this; script, art (apart from the Turtles panels), lettering, colouring, layout. Specky Hector was a character I'd created for Oink! and used a couple of times there, so I thought he'd be an ideal character to host this series of articles for Buster. Editor Allen Cummings agreed and these History features appeared about once a month. A reprint of Specky's first strip will appear in the forthcoming Battle Special, newly digitally remastered and coloured by me.
So... that was a glimpse at my work for Buster back in 1991. Great times and a very busy decade! Were you a Buster reader? Post your memories about those days below!
Remember also that Buster is back, in the latest Cor!! Buster Easter Special, still available to order by post from Rebellion's website at this link:
"Crowds of people too numerous to draw" made me laugh!
ReplyDeleteThanks Leo. It was one way to meet a deadline. 😂
ReplyDeletenice work.. I feel it's a kinda odd choice to use a much later period turtle panels.. but would make more sense.
ReplyDeleteIs it too late to comment on the error in Vampire Brats? the Brother calling the sister 'Brother' in panel 4 ^_^
The complete run of Specky Hector’s History of Comics would work so well as the basis for a book.
ReplyDeleteSpecky was only 10 pages so it'd need a lot of expansion but it'd be a good way to present a book. Time consuming though!
ReplyDeleteRyan, I didn't know anything about the Turtles so I just chose panels from the latest comic at the time I think. Not keen on the characters at all but I felt they should be mentioned as their comic was a big seller for Fleetway at the time.
Yeah, Jack had the tail of the speech balloon pointing to the wrong character unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteMakes sense.
ReplyDeleteand I agree with the bit that Specky would be an interesting way to present a book but would take a lot of time.. hell, take a look at Scott McCloud fantastic 'Understanding comics' . erm. comic.. 200+ pages of book in the form of a comic..
Loved the Tom Thug strip. I’d stopped reading Buster around a decade earlier but he’d have fitted into that era’s Buster like a dream!
ReplyDeleteGood idea to use the ‘real time’ method of following his six week holiday during the actual school holiday period too. Apart from the Christmas/Easter and Bonfire Night/Halloween editions I don’t recall this technique (over a sustained period) being used much, if at all, when I read comics as a kid.
That's right. Strips like The Bash Street Kids still seemed to be set in school during the summer, as I recall. I think they did move it outside school some years though, and certainly are now, to reflect the fact that most kids aren't at school during the pandemic.
ReplyDeleteI've always aimed to make my strips reflect the time at which they'll be published, even if it's just subtle things like having characters wear scarves in some winter strips or showing leaves blowing off trees in Autumn stories. I'm pleased to see that more strips do that these days.