COMIC EXPO BRISTOL is coming!

Bristol is well known in the industry for hosting comics conventions and next Saturday Comic Expo Bristol takes place in the city! 

Organised by Mike Allwood, the one day event will be at the Doubletree By Hilton hotel only a short walk from Bristol Temple Meads station.

I'll be there along with other guests that include Alan Davis, Liam Sharp, Mike Collins, Graham Bleathman, Paul Grist and many more! 

I'll be bringing along my comics to sell plus drawing skertches on request, so come to Bristol and join us for a day dedicated to comics!

Here's the link to the website for tickets and more info...

https://comicexpobristol.my-online.store/

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Vintage comics in this weekend's auction

For various reasons it's time to downsize my collection so this Sunday (1st October) sees the auction conclude on these highly collectable items! Check out the links below for more details and photos...

A complete set of Vulcan comics from 1975 (national UK edition). 28 issues in total, most in excellent condition, plus the free gift from issue 2. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204474618939?hash=item2f9ba3143b:g:08AAAOSwjRNlECNW 

 

Four issues of Fleetway's Stupendous Super Library books in excellent, unread condition from 1967. Features the Steel Claw and The Spider!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204474862877?hash=item2f9ba6cd1d:g:yb4AAOSw2rplEGzc 

 

The convention booklet of the UKCAC 1986 comic con, featuring brand new artwork by Kevin O'Neill, Brian Bolland, Alan Davis and more! Excellent condition as new because this was a spare copy I had.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204474710656?hash=item2f9ba47a80:g:BiQAAOSw7BllEETC

 

The above three listings end on Sunday 1st October (yes, this Sunday), but the following one ends on Wednesday 4th October... an issue of The Topper from 1973, complete with its free gift!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204478183374?hash=item2f9bd977ce:g:B3gAAOSw0q5lFDPM

 

Good luck with your bids!

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Online Art Auction At The Panel Gallery Starts Today!

The Bedford Comic Con (aka NICE) was one of the best conventions I've ever attended so it was a pleasure to contribute a drawing for their art auction to raise money for next year's event.

I chose to draw Howard the Duck (above) as I'd never drawn him before and I felt it was a humour character most comic fans will have heard of. There are fifty pieces of art in the auction altogether by an impressive array of talent that includes Aneke, DaNi, Mike Collins, Alan Davis, Ryan Brown, Dylan Teague, Anna Morozova and many more. 

Most items start at 99p and the auction, curated by Jeff Chahal, begins today and runs until 22nd October. In order to bid you'll need to register at The Panel Gallery (which is free and only takes a few seconds) and then you're good to go.

Here's the link to The Panel Gallery where you can view all the art on offer. Good luck with your bids!

https://thepanelgallery.com/live-auctions/

Above: Just a handful of the many pages in the auction. Catwoman by Aneke, Zatanna by DaNi, Hulk by Ryan Brown, Inhumans by Mike Collins, Batman by Guillermo Ortego, Conan by Esad Ribic.

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Bash Street Flashback

It's been five years since I drew this page for the Beano. I've done lots of regular work for the Beano over the years but this was one of the few times I got to draw the Bash Street Kids, and one of my favourite pieces I've ever done. I hope I can work for the comic again one day.

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Material from the UKCAC86 Convention Booklet

UKCAC, the United Kingdom Comic Art Conventions of the 1980s and '90s were usually the only comic cons that took place in Britain back then. Which meant that practically everyone working in comics would be there if they could, along with everyone involved in comics fandom.

They were great days, and those shows (which took place in central London) were part of a vibrant time for the UK comics industry. 2000AD, Viz, Warrior, Deadline, Marvel UK, Knockabout, Escape... it was an incredibly creative era and very exciting to be part of that fresh new wave of UK comics.

Those annual UKCAC shows wwre organised by Frank Plowright, Hassan Yusuf, and Andrew Littlefield, and they also produced a chunky convention booklet for attendees. The booklets would be full of brand new art contributed by the attending artists, and the original pieces would be auctioned off at the end of the show for charity.

At the top of this post is the page I drew for the UKCAC'86 booklet, back when Oink! had just started.

I also contributed a little strip for the Convention Etiquette page. As we know, the scene in this strip did actually happen to Alan Moore at a UKCAC show and has been recounted many times. I've forgotten when it took place but presumably it must have been in 1985 which is why I drew this strip the following year...

I'll never sell those booklets as they're part of very happy memories for me, however I have a spare copy of the 1986 one so I've put that on eBay this week. It contains new art by Alan Davis, Kevin O/Neill, Bryan Talbot, Brian Bolland and many more, including the strip above! 

Here's the link:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204474710656?hash=item2f9ba47a80:g:BiQAAOSw7BllEETC

While we're at it, here's another page from the UKCAC'86 booklet. An advert I was commissioned to design, advertising a new comic shop in Birmingham; Shadowland. Sadly the shop didn't survive for long, but at the time it was part of that giddy, optimistic time in British comics history. 

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Sunday Auction Ending Soon

This week's Sunday auction ends soon. Original comic art plus two vintage highly collectable comics on offer. With bills to pay all bids are appreciated! Thanks.

Here's the link...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?item=203554298786&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562&_ssn=graphite47

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CHRISTMAS WITH COMBAT COLIN! (1988)

I don't often sell my Christmas pages but I've put my original art up for sale of the 1988 Combat Colin Christmas page which is quite a collectable piece. There's even the traditional snow on the logo! 

All bids appreciated! You can see more photos at this link:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204470099141?hash=item2f9b5e1cc5:g:ffkAAOSwVK5lCzbT 

PLUS... If any of you are toy collectors you might be interested in an original 1960s Dinky Toys' Captain Scarlet Spectrum Patrol Car I'm selling. It's in excellent condition. I've had it since a child and always looked after my toys but now it's time to let it go. More info here...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204470122673?hash=item2f9b5e78b1:g:Y2sAAOSwJD5lCzvH 

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FANZINE FUNNIES - The comic for fans of The Prisoner (and anyone else who likes funny comics)

Apparently it was 40 years ago yesterday when Channel 4 began repeating the run of The Prisoner TV show, the enigmatic and allegorical series that fans are still discussing today.

Being ancient, I saw the series on its original run in 1967/68, and again in the 1970s when it was first repeated. Anyway, the reason I'm mentioning it here is that my Fanzine Funnies comic is still available to buy. Fanzine Funnies collects all the satirical comic strips I did for Prisoner fanzines years ago, mainly Rogue Rover and Alistair Sadgitt AKA Mumbler Six.

 

Fanzine Funnies sold out of its initial print run of 100 copies within 24 hours of release, so I immediately had another 100 printed. There are still some left if you wanted to nab one quickly! 

Even if you're not a fan of The Prisoner I hope you'll get a kick out of it. Printed on quality paper with a matt laminated cover it's only available from my eBay page at this link...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204426107364?hash=item2f98bed9e4:g:G18AAOSwC8JkzNzG

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Original artwork from the 1980s/90s up for auction

I've added a few new items to my eBay listing this week, including original comic art you may be interested in.

First off, there's a page from Oink! No.33 entitled The Weightlifter. This full colour page was written by Graham Exton (of Sweeny Toddler fame) and drawn by me. The art is from the year 1987 and you can see more info and photos at this link:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204466011706?hash=item2f9b1fbe3a:g:sPUAAOSwNqxlB1OB 

 

Secondly, a Tom Thug's Skooldayz full pager from Buster (January 1989). Tom once again receiving the just desserts of his bad behaviour (as should always be the case in a Tom Thug story). You can see more about it here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204465861747?hash=item2f9b1d7473:g:UOcAAOSw4T9lBzc~ 

 

Thirdly, although I thought I'd sold all my Robo-Capers strips I found this very early one from 1985 that appeared in Marvel's Transformers comic. Find out more about it at this link:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204465506886?hash=item2f9b180a46:g:dJkAAOSwG15lBuUu 

 

Last but not least, something that should interest all fans of Sonic the Comic! One of the original pages to the story The Monster Wakes that appeared in Sonic the Comic No.94 back in 1997. Script by me, art by Rob Corona, colours by Andy Pritchard, lettering by Tom Frame. Features Shortfuse the Cybernik and the Freedom Fighters vs a dragon. See more at this link:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204465873917?hash=item2f9b1da3fd:g:IZ8AAOSwG2plBzhC 

 

PLUS... I'm selling a couple of highly collectable first issue comics from the 1960s. Iron Man No.1 (1968) by Stan Lee and Gene Colan...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204465940091?hash=item2f9b1ea67b:g:QkAAAOSwtgJlB0Uu 

 

...and the first Fleetway Super Library digest-sized book featuring The Steel Claw from 1967...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204465926832?hash=item2f9b1e72b0:g:GFAAAOSwiRllB0Gf 

 

All items in great condition! All bids welcome! Auctions end on Sunday 24th September.

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Comics! Comics! Comics!

Just a reminder that I still have some of my self-published comics in stock and you can buy them exclusively from me at this link...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?item=203554298786&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562&_ssn=graphite47 

There's Combat Colin Nos.3 and 4, the Pedantic Stan special, and my latest, Fanzine Funnies, all collecting comic strips I did in the 1990s. 

Limited edition print runs and not available in shops! Grab 'em while you can! 

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Preview: Doctor Who Magazine No.595

Doctor Who Magazine No.595 (fast approaching issue 600!) will be in newsagents, comic shops, and supermarkets from this Thursday, 14th September. The cover feature is the return of companion Mel Bush to the show (played by Bonnie Langford) and I've also included her in my Daft Dimension strip.

If you have any difficulty finding the mag you can order it directly from Panini UK at this link:

https://doctorwhomagazine.com/ 

 

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ZOWIE! New comic for a good cause

Tim Quinn and Liverpool Heartbeat have produced a new 24 page comic entitled Zowie! The physical comic is given to patients at Manchester Children's Hospital, hopefully to cheer up the kids and transport their minds to a place of fun and imagination.

Several comics creators were asked to volunteer some material for the comic and I submitted a two page Tough Guy and Scruffy strip, which had previously appeared in Triffik! comic over 30 years ago. 

Other contributors include Nigel Parkinson, Steve Parkhouse, Russ Leach, Dicky Howett and more providing previously-published strips. 

The print edition of Zowie! is only for the kids in hospital, but if you want a digital version for free you can find it at this link:

https://www.liverpoolheartbeat.co.uk/read-now-the-magazines 

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Comic Con Updates

I've been a guest at five enjoyable comics conventions this year, and there are three more to go!

SATURDAY OCTOBER 7th:

COMIC EXPO BRISTOL

More info:  

https://comicexpobristol.my-online.store/

SUNDAY 29th OCTOBER:

BURY COMIC CON

More info: 

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100071495297146

...and a new announcement...

SATURDAY 11th NOVEMBER / SUNDAY 12th NOVEMBER:

LONDON COMIC CON WINTER

More info:

https://londoncomicconwinter.com/ 

 

 ...and after London that'll be it for me for 2023, but I already have two shows lined up for 2024. More info on those in the months to come.

I hope to see some of you at the above conventions. Comic cons are fun, informal events for pros and fans to meet each other so I hope you'll support them.

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The complete BRICKMAN saga PLUS new original art - up for auction

A new listing from me on eBay; the complete Brickman package PLUS a brand new original sketch by me. Auction ends next Monday (11th Sept). All bids appreciated.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204450873057?hash=item2f9a38bee1:g:uLkAAOSwbN1k9isH

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Bedford Comic Con was AWESOME!

I'm back from Bedford Comic Con (aka NICE) and what a fantastic weekend! Thanks to Jeff Chahal, Bub Chahal and family for organising such a great celebration of comics and for being a brilliant host, looking after all the guests. A truly nice convention. So good to catch up with friends Mike and Bernadette Collins, Aneke, DaNi, Pete Doherty, Alan Davis, David Hine, Dylan Teague, Dave Elliott, Ryan Brown, Sean Phillips, Mark Buckingham, Ben Cullis, and many more too numerous to list. 

 

NICE is a genuine comics celebration organised by genuine comics fans, focusing on comic art and the friendship and cameraderie within the comics community. Many thanks to those who bought comics, sketches, and art!

Wish I'd taken far more photos but here are those I do have....

 

Awesome artist Anya Morozova at her table.

Top class artists Dylan Teague and Ben Oliver.

From Athens, friend and fantastic artist DaNi.

Comics and storyboard artist Mike Collins, a friend for 40 years!

On a panel remembering the late Garry Leach.

Mike Collins, Alan Davis, me, David Hine, Chris Thompson, Dave Elliott.

The convention hall on Saturday morning.

Great to see artist Peter Doherty again.

On our way for a slap-up feed!

A multitide of comics creators having a slap-up feed.

(Above image is a screen grab from a video clip by Vikki Lee.)
 

Con sketch of The Pathetic Sharks!