Barmy News

If you missed your chance to download Barmy Comix No.1 it's still available! Exclusively digital only, Barmy Comix is a 32 page high definition compilation I put together during lockdown two years ago. It features some "best bits" of Combat Colin, Brickman, Derek the Troll and Pedantic Stan, plus a 9 page preview of Combat Colin No.5. 

It should download to any device anywhere in the world. It's best read on a desktop or laptop but you can also access it on a smartphone where you can zoom in on the artwork. 

You can download it from this link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y5IH2SDBlpxbws_nqsndaLkZAgh1inzQ/view

It's free to download but I really would appreciate a donation of £2 when you've read it, or maybe just because you enjoy this blog and my work? You can donate to me via PayPal at this link:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RYE8SASHSWG56

Thanks in advance!

Now, I can tell you there will be a Barmy Comix No.2 at some point. The contents will be different to the first issue and the focus will be on a different character. More news when it's ready! 

 

 

More Daftness up for auction

I've just put another one of my Daft Dimension strips up on eBay. My original art from Doctor Who Magazine No.497. 

This time, after requests, I've made the auction available for international bidders as well as the UK. Using eBay's shipping program, they handle international orders and determine the postage costs to the country it's to be sent to, and notify the buyer how much to pay. 

All bids appreciated. Good luck!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204079406836

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I'm also selling Marvel's FOOM No.10 from 1975. Someone sold one on eBay yestersay for nearly £1000. A few weeks back one sold for over £2000! Why? Because it features the first appearance of the new X-Men, pre-dating Giant-Size X-Men No.1. I've had mine carefully stored away for nearly 40 years so I thought I'd put it up for auction to see how it goes. Here's the link:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204079383371

Biffo: sketch and finished art comparison

I thought you might like to see a comparision of the pencil rough to the finished art on one of my Biffo the Bear strips. Actually this was one of only two that I drew digitally, trying out Clip Studio Paint. (Colours were done in Photoshop though as usual.) 

It turned out OK but I still prefer drawing traditionally, pencil and ink on paper, rather than using a pad and stylus so I'll be sticking to the old methods for now at least. It actually took me far longer to do it digitally, mainly because I was learning on the job, but even so it felt too detatched and unnatural for me personally. I'm pleased with the result but I prefer paper.

You can see the full mini-strip in Beano Annual 2023, out now, along with seven other Biffo strips I did (six of which were done the "old fashioned way").  

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I might not be online much over the next couple of weeks. After Covid and other ailments and setbacks I'm now trying to catch up with work I should have done ages ago, plus a few new bits and bobs to do. Not a lot of ongoing work, but several one-offs for various people. I'm still not feeling 100% and get tired during the day so it's taking more effort than it used to. But... deadlines are looming so if I don't draw I don't get paid and I can't survive. Things haven't been great the past few years so I'm now trying to rebuild my health and my career. 

I will be putting another piece or two of my original art on eBay, (no, not Beano stuff), probably tomorrow (Sunday), so I'll be posting about that soon.

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Blimey! It's SLIMER!

Back in what feels like a lifetime ago now (the 1980s) Marvel UK kept me busy doing comic strips for their range of titles mainly thanks to group editor Richard Starkings. I did Captain Wally and Snail-Man in Spider-Man, Robo-Capers in Transformers, Combat Colin in Action Force (and later Transformers), Macho Man in Secret Wars... and in 1988, Blimey! It's Slimer! in The Real Ghostbusters. 

I didn't draw many episodes of Slimer. I only did 11 in total before bailing out as I was so busy with other material (including my work for Fleetway on Buster). Bambos Georgiou took over the strip and did wonderful work on it. 

In 1989, Marvel UK published a collection of the Slimer strips in a nice A5 landscape format paperback with 68 pages. It was entitled, of course, Blimey! It's Slimer! (Richard Starkings had been inspired by my 1983 comic Blimey! It's Brickman when he came up with the title. It had a ring to it and helped cement the fact that these were British strips not American reprint.)

Over the years I've met some readers who assumed I'd drawn all the book. Far from it. I think the assumption has occurred because the only people credited in the book are writer John Carnell and me, on the first strip. (As you know, I usually write my own material but in the case of the Slimer strip I was only commissioned as an artist.) I always sign my work but in the case of Slimer the signatures were usually removed for some reason. Bambos isn't credited at all!

Anyway, having found the book amongst my stuff the other day (when looking for something else) I thought I'd put the record straight on which pages I did draw: pages 5, 20, 26, 32, 33, 38, 39, 45, 60, 61, and 66. The strips were not reprinted in the order they were originally published which is why it switches between mine and Bambos' strips throughout the book. (They're all self contained stories so it doesn't matter.) The cover was drawn by Brian Williamson.

I don't think John Carnell wrote all the strips. I'm pretty certain John Freeman wrote some too. Perhaps Bambos wrote his own pages but I'm not sure. Colouring was always done in-house by Marvel staff.

Here's a selection of some of the Slimer strips I did. Hope you like them. As always, click / tap on the images to see them full size...

 

 

  

 

 

 

Pretty sure I wrote this one. The Ghostbuster's face was redrawn by another artist.

 

COVER ART BY BRIAN WILLIAMSON.

 

Combat Colin SLAP UP FEED art plus Sea Devils at Buy It Now prices! UPDATE: NOW SOLD!

I've just put a couple of pieces of art on eBay as Buy It Now items. Ideally I'd like them to sell this week before the post strike so I can get them to buyers without delays. There's a Combat Colin strip from 1988 featuring the traditional comic style SLAP UP FEED and a Doctor Who Daft Dimension from earlier this year featuring the Sea Devils! See the listings at this link:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/graphite47/m.html?item=203554298786

UPDATE: Both strips have now sold. Thank you to the buyers! They'll be posted Tuesday morning.

Future conventions?

My plans to get back onto the convention circuit this year didn't quite pan out as hoped. I had to cancel attending Blackpool Comic Con in May because Achilles Tendinitis made my ankle too painful to walk distances, (it's getting better now), cancelled my trip to Comics Salopia in June because of other health issues and a doctor's appointment, came home early from LFCC in London in July because I was ill with something else (turned out to be Covid!), can't get to British Comics Day in Stockport this weekend because of the rail strike, and now ICE2022 is cancelled next month.

However, the few shows I did attend were thoroughly enjoyable and it was heartening to see old friends and meet new people at Lawless (Bristol), Macc-Pow! (Macclesfield) and LFCC (even though I had to cut that one short).  

ICE2022 was going to be my last convention this year so now that's cancelled I've no events lined up for the future at the moment. (Not that I'm blaming Shane Chebsey for having to cancel ICE. I completely understand as I said in my previous post.) 

I won't be seeking out any more shows this year anyway because of financial setbacks and ongoing health issues that need sorting out. (I have work to do now but health issues have slowed me down.) Hopefully if things pick up I'll be invited to some shows next year, although the way things are I'm making no plans just yet.

I've been to numerous conventions since 1979 and after two years hiatus due to the pandemic it was pleasure to catch up with friends in the industry and meet readers this year at the three shows I could get to. A real boost in troubling times. Thank you to everyone who stopped by for a chat or to buy a sketch / comic and to my many friends in the business for laughs and good company. It really meant a lot.

If I am invited to future events that I can attend you'll read about it here first. In the meantime, we'll keep in touch on social media and I wish you the very best for the coming months.

I'm likely to update that banner next year with a new one.

 

ICE draws to a close

I've said it before but I have the greatest respect for anyone who runs a comics event. It's hard work coordinating everything, and an expensive gamble. Most importantly, there'd be no comics community without conventions bringing people together over the years. Friendships, and sometimes relationships, are forged at these events. Life changing experiences. 

It's with great sadness then to hear that Shane Chebsey has announced that this year's ICE (International Comic Expo) is cancelled, and that he's retiring from organising conventions. It was due to take place in Edgbaston, Birmingham, on September 10th.

Yes, it's an almost-last minute decision but don't be hard on Shane. It's not a decision taken lightly and he's obviously greatly disappointed he's had to axe the show. The reasons cited include slow ticket sales and major guests pulling out, as well as some exhibitors cancelling. Shane has already made a loss and the current economic situation has simply made it too much of a risk to continue, both for his finances and for his health.

I've known Shane a long time (thanks to conventions) and consider him a friend. He's always put on great shows and looks after the guests well. There have been lots of laughs and happy memories of ICE events over the years so rather than dwell on the negatives I thought I'd dig out a few photos and personal memories of past ICE conventions in Birmingham to show here...

Launching Brickman Returns at ICE2015 was my first self-published comic in years. Response was fantastic and it sold really well.

 

 

ICE2016 saw me on a panel discussion with Robbie Morrison, Rachael Stott, and Sarah Milman, and there were laughs a plenty. 

It was also great to see Steve Parkhouse and Peter Hogan at ICE2016. I'd known Peter for years but this was the first time I'd met Steve, whose artwork I'd admired for decades.

 ICE2016 was very busy...

At ICE2017 I got to meet Marvel writer Dan Slott again who'd flown over from New York. Always good company. 

As expected, 2017 was another busy year...

ICE2018 was the final one, by which time I'd published a few more comics including Combat Colin and Pedantic Stan... 

It was fun to be on a Beano panel at the 2018 show too, alongside Nigel Parkinson, Laura Howell, and Hunt Emerson...

There wasn't an ICE2019, and sadly the pandemic put the kibosh on shows for 2020 and 2021 but it was hoped it'd return this year. Now that is not to be, but I'm grateful I had the opportunity to be at the shows in the past. It was a real pleasure, and I hope you'll join me in wishing Shane Chebsey all the very best for the future.

Daft Dimension - DWM 581 preview

There's a new issue of Doctor Who Magazine out this week so here's a little preview of one panel from my Daft Dimension strip. Long time followers of my work will recognise the fictitious name of Skegpool, which is a place I've used numerous times in various strips over the past 30 plus years. 

Doctor Who Magazine No.581 will be in shops on Thursday 18th August. Here's the fantastic cover by Oliver Arkinstall-Jones. 

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Secret Life of Teachers

I'm not in the Beano regularly these days unfortunately but I was asked to draw a full page strip for the next issue. The Secret Life of Teachers is written by Nigel Auchterlounie and features a different Bash Street School teacher every week, drawn by a different artist every week. The upcoming one was drawn by me and it appears in Beano No.4149 on sale Wednesday 17th August. Here's a small preview!

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Original Art Auction - ends today!

My latest eBay auction of my original artwork ends this evening (Sunday 14th August). The three pieces all have bids but more bids would be welcome so don't miss out if you're interested. 

There are two Combat Colin strips from the 1980s, and one Daft Dimension (Doctor Who) from 2019. These are likely to be the last Combat Colin strips I auction off for a while as I prefer to hold onto those for future reprints.

Remember, these are my original artworks, black ink on Bristol Board, NOT prints or copies.

You can find the listings by clicking this link. Good luck!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/graphite47/m.html?item=203554298786

The 2023 Annuals are out now!

My order for the Dandy and Beano 2023 Annuals arrived today and once again they're great books for young and old. Each hardback annual has 112 full colour pages packed with brand new strips including many of the usual favourites with art by Laura Howell, Nigel Parkinson, Hunt Emerson, Nigel Aucterlounie, Steve Bright and many more...

...including a few strips by me. For Beano Annual 2023 I've written/drawn 8 Biffo the Bear mini-strips and really enjoyed working on that classic character. Yes, I made sure to put his best pal Buster in there too, meaning that I've now drawn both the D.C. Thomson 'Buster' and the Rebellion (IPC) 'Buster' characters in an official capacity. 

For The Dandy Annual 2023 I've written/drawn 4 full page Keyhole Kate strips, plus 8 Postman Prat mini-strips. Kate is one of the oldest characters in comics, originating from The Dandy No.1 back in 1937. Prat is more modern, and first appeared in the new-look Dandy in 2010. Both are back in all-new stories.

I know a lot of people think annuals weren't published until December years ago but, nope, they've always been published this time of year. Most of the books are given as Christmas presents though so I've made sure to do Christmas episodes of all my strips in these editions.

Each book has a R.R.P. of £9.99. If your local bookshops haven't displayed the annuals yet you can order them directly from the publisher as I did. Here's the link...

https://www.dcthomsonshop.co.uk/books/annuals

Combat Colin and Doctor Who art in this week's auction

I'm selling off some more of my original art. This time, two Combat Colin strips from the 1980s Action Force and Transformers comics published by Marvel UK, and a Daft Dimension strip from the official Doctor Who Magazine from 2019. All bids welcome. 

Just a reminder that these are the actual original strips I drew, in black ink on Bristol Board, not prints or facsimiles.

Auction lasts for a week, ending next Sunday, 14th August.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/graphite47/m.html?item=203554298786

 

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Robo-Rarities

The American publisher IDW have just released a chunky 100 page comic entitled Transformers: Best of the Rarities. Compiled by James Roberts it includes a bunch of Transformers UK strips from the Marvel UK days of the 1980s, a never-before seen Transformers newspaper strip try out that wasn't previously published, and much more, including a Robo-Capers full pager by Simon Furman and myself.

I was the creator and regular writer/artist on Robo-Capers but this one was written by Simon Furman as he wanted to tie it in with some other stuff that was going on in The Transfomers comic at the time. Robo-Capers usually featured robots I'd made up, but now and then I'd be asked to include Transformers characters, such as in this example. 

Transformers fans might hate me saying this but I found drawing Grimlock and Dreadwind a bit of a chore. Their precise geometric shapes were just the opposite to the rounded, bouncy, flexible characters I usually drew. All the same, it made a change of pace and I was pleased with the result. 

The reprint in this comic has been scanned from the original Transformers weekly and the colours have reproduced quite darkly. Here's a close up of the darkest panel that I've lightened a bit...

IDW have reprinted a few Robo-Capers before in their Transformers Classics books. Only the strips that featured Transformers characters of course. Unfortunately IDW don't send out complimentary copies and as I don't own the rights I didn't receive any reprint payment. However, I'd like to give a big thank you to my good friend Chris Ball for getting a copy of this comic and posting it to me.

Transfomers: Best of the Rarities is out now, priced $6.99 (or whatever UK comic shops are charging for it).

BARMY COMIX No.1 is still available to download!

A reminder that my digital comic BARMY COMIX No.1 is still available to download anywhere in the world. Compiled during lockdown two years ago it features 32 pages of selected stories of Combat Colin, Brickman, Derek the Troll and Pedantic Stan INCLUDING a 9 page preview of the yet to be published Combat Colin No.5!

If you're interested you can download it from this link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y5IH2SDBlpxbws_nqsndaLkZAgh1inzQ/view

If you enjoy the comic and would like to make a small donation of £2 I'd be very grateful if you could PayPal me at:
lew.stringer@BTopenworld.com 

(Don't forget the dot between lew and stringer or I won't receive it.) Thanks in advance.

A few pages from Barmy Comix No.1...

 

 

 

 

 

 

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British Comics Fest

I'm sorry to say that due to rail strikes and other factors I won't be at British Comic Fest in Stockport on 20th August, - but other artists such as Nigel Parkinson, Laura Howell, John Jackson, Steve Yeowell and Marc Jackson will be there so I hope you'll go and support it.

https://www.facebook.com/British-Comics-Fest-111335574934820

 

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Classic comic strips from the 1980s

Just a reminder that my comics are still available. Combat Colin Nos.2 and 3, with 40 pages each, reprint my Combat Colin strips from the 1980s. 

 

The Derek the Troll/Rock Solid special has 32 pages and reprints more work on mine from the 1980s. Follow this link to find out more: 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/graphite47/m.html?item=203554298786

 

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Annuals for 2023 available soon!

One of eight Biffo strips I've drawn for Beano Annual 2023.

 

The 2023 Annuals should be out any day now. In past years annuals have been published in July (even though most people buy them as Christmas presents) but this year's Dandy and Beano Annuals were announced to be launched in August.

I have work in both and pre-ordered them ages ago. I'll post previews here as soon as they arrive.