The77 No.6 is coming!

I understand that the sixth issue of The77 should be out very soon, and on its way to backers. I've seen a PDF preview and it looks great! Some very nice artwork inside as the anthology goes from strength to strength! 

My strip, Sgt.Shouty of the Moon Force, reaches the end of its first story arc in this issue. Can space war be averted? Is Earth doomed? Find out in The77 No.6.

If you missed your chance to back the Kickstarter, fear not! You can still pre-order the comic from The77 shop and they'll post it to you when it's available. Here's the link:

https://the77comic.bigcartel.com/products

Back issues are also available. Collect the set!

Cover by Ian Stopforth.

The Shrewsbury Comics Trail is on!

Photo by JAMES FLETCHER.

I'm pleased I can finally share this! The Shrewsbury Comics Trail was launched today and I'm proud to be one of the nine artists who were commissioned to contribute artwork for the Trail, based on a script by John Wagner. Artists on the other boards are: Charlie Adlard, Doug Braithwaite, Sonia Leong, Rachael Smith, Al Davison, Hannah Berry, Mike Perkins, and Jimmy Broxton. 

The nine boards tell the story of Shrewsbury Town, with my piece being about The Dingle area. As it's famous for its flower show I thought I'd make it bright and colourful and use flowers to separate the various scenes I was asked to draw.

Photo by SARAH PRINCE

All the art has been enlarged to billboard size and situated in various parts of Shrewsbury, with my board in the Dingle. If you're in Shrewsbury or visiting the town, check them out!

For more info visit their Facebook page...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/215274830414109

...and their website:

https://comicssalopia.com/
 

Comics on their way!

My thanks to all of you who have ordered copies of my Combat Colin comics. I sent off another stack today, and that's all orders fulfilled now. This batch should arrive tomorrow or Friday, hoping that all areas are functioning normally despite post office staff shortages related to Covid. 

If any of you are still interested in my comics (and I presume that's why you're here) there are still plenty of copies of Combat Colin Nos.2 and 3 left. Either as a double pack or separately. 

Here's the eBay link...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203526559034 

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Summer DWM Preview

Here's a sneak peek at part of a panel from my next Daft Dimension strip for Doctor Who Magazine. You can see the full story in issue No.567 that goes on sale this Thursday, 22nd July!

Here's the cover to look out for. As you can see, the issue has a summer theme, and even manages to get Blackpool Tower on the front page.

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Combat Colin Dispatched!

My thanks to those of you who have ordered Combat Colin Nos.2 and 3 over the last few days. Most orders are on their way to you now, and the rest will be posted tomorrow. 

In case you missed my previous post, I've made those comics available again for those who missed them when I published them a few years ago. Each issue has 40 pages, collecting the Combat Colin strips I did for The Transformers comic over 30 years ago. Although the strips were originally published by Marvel, I now own the rights to publish them in my own comics. 

You can buy both back issues (brand new and unread) for £10.50 (inc. post and packing) or separately for £6 (inc. post and packing). 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203526559034 

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COMBAT COLIN issues 2 and 3 are available again!

Published a few years ago, I've just put issues 2 and 3 of COMBAT COLIN for sale on eBay. They are in brand new unread condition, and both signed by me (Lew Stringer).

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203526559034

Each comic has 40 pages including covers. Black and white interiors with full colour covers on quality paper. Collecting the Combat Colin strips I did for Marvel UK's TRANSFORMERS comics in the late 1980s.

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.

No.2 has 40 pages packed with classic Combat Colin strips from the late 1980s. This issue starts with the ones when The Transformers and Action Force merged into one comic, and features over 70 half page strips running from February 1988 to well into 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 No.3 is another 40 page issue. It reprints all the Combat Colin strips that originally appeared in Marvel UK's Transformers comic from July 1989 to February 1990.
 

This issue reaches the era of Combat Colin stories where the strip really hit its stride, becoming even more fantastic in its themes with battles against monsters and aliens. It sees the introduction of The Gunge, The Brain, The Amazing Dave, and more, explains how the Atomic Underpants work, sees Colin trapped in The Place of No Return, and ends with an adventure on Mars! Fast-paced daft adventures for all ages.

The comics will be bagged and boarded and packaged in a card backed envelope for protection.

Each issue is also available separately. 

Issue 2:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203526562513

Issue 3:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203526563899

In 2019 Combat Colin won best Small Press / Independent comic in the Comic Scene Awards.

Shouty News

I've completed episode six of Sgt.Shouty of The Moon Force and sent it off to the editors at The77. There's a tiny clipping of it above. This chapter concludes the current story arc and it'll appear in The77 No.6, out soon!

If you haven't tried The77 yet it's an all-new award winning anthology comic that's packed with strips from new creators as well as established names. Each issue runs to 60 pages or more and my Sgt.Shouty strip takes up a page in every issue so far. (Plus I did a variant wraparound cover for issue 4.)

Back issues are available from The77 webshop at this link...

https://the77comic.bigcartel.com/products

For the rest of this week I'll be working on more material for The Dandy and Beano Annuals for 2023 (out in August of 2022)! Next week I'll be drawing a non-comics project that I've had on the back burner for a while that needs to be finished. 

I recently did illustrations for a couple of one-off projects that I can't show you yet, but will reveal more later when I'm allowed to. 

I hope you're all keeping well, and will continue to sensibly mask up and social distance regardless of what the buffoon in No.10 tells us to do.

Remembering The Dark Newt!

Facebook reminded me today that it's been nine years since The Dark Newt first appeared in The Dandy weekly. Although I've worked on classic charcters for that comic like The Smasher and Keyhole Kate, or had characters created by editors for me to work on (Kid Cops and Postman Prat) this was the only character I created entirely myself for The Dandy. I'm quite proud of that, although The Dark Newt only ran for six weeks. Still, it's part of Dandy history and that can't be changed. 

 

 

 

The Dark Newt ran in The Dandy from issue No.3590 to 3595 in 2012.

The Dark Newt episode 3 from The Dandy No.3592.

Double Combat

Just a heads up that in a few days time (or next week) I'll be sorting out how many issues of Combat Colin Nos.2 and 3 I have left and putting some up for sale on eBay as a double pack. 

I know most of you already have them when I published them a few years ago, but some of you weren't aware of them at that time so this will give you an opportunity to buy them. Hopefully they'll be of interest to those of you who recently purchased issue 1 (which is now sold out).

I'll post the link in a new post as soon as I've sorted out the stock. They're all in new, unread condition.

Kickstart The77 No.6

Just a reminder that the Kickstarter for The77 issue 6 ends in a few days (July 10th). It's already exceeded its target but more backers would be appreciated, - plus you can choose your various stretch goals if you wish.

I'm working on chapter six of Sgt.Shouty of the Moon Force for the issue which will bring the current story arc to a conclusion, so don't miss it! Support independent comics in the UK!

Find out more about the contents and how to pledge at this link....
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/the77comic/the77-comic-issue-6 

 

Combat Colin sells out

The remaining stock of Combat Colin No.1 that I put on eBay yesterday has now SOLD OUT in 23 hours. Thanks for your enthusiastic response! They'll be posted out tomorrow.

I'm not sure if I'll do a third printing yet. If I do it won't be until next year at the earliest. My intention is to clear out the remaining stock of the issues I have, then focus on publishing issue 5 (which may be a giant sized finale). I'm making no long term plans in the current situation though so I'm taking things one day at a time. There'll be more news about it when plans are more certain. 

 

Last few left: COMBAT COLIN No.1

Four years ago today I launched Combat Colin No.1 at Macc-Pow! 2017. I've published a few more since and *hopefully* issue 5 will finally appear later this year. BUT... to celebrate today being the comic's anniversary I'm selling the last few remaining copies I have of issue 1 on eBay. Here's the link...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203510087287

Combat Colin No.1 features 40 pages and collects the entire run of Combat Colin strips that were published in Action Force in 1987/88.

Originally published by Marvel UK, the Combat Colin strip ran from 1987 to 1991 and featured the comedy adventures of gormless-but-heroic Colin and his assistant Semi-Automatic Steve battling robots, monsters, alien warlords, and anyone threatening the peace of Wallytown and neighbouring Skegpool. Marvel UK returned all rights to the character to me, and I've since featured Combat Colin in various comics over the years. 

The stories in issue one show the development of the strip from its early half-page gag strip beginnings to its evolution to full page serialised stories. You'll see Combat Colin encounter his first foe, Doctor Nasty, and other villains such as Aunt Arctic of the Antarctic! Colin's adventures take him from his back garden to the pyramids of Egypt and beyond, and this is just the beginning! 

The strips are scanned from the original artwork, where available, or from the actual comics. Although originally published in colour (with colours added by the Marvel UK staff) the collected strips appear in black and white (or greyscale for the pages scanned from the colour comics).

With David Leach at MACC-POW! in 2017. Photo by Irene Lea.