Vintage comic art for sale from 1960 to 1995!

Art by Richard Elson.

There are some unusual and rare pieces of British comic art in my auctions this week that should hopefully appeal to various collectors.

From 1985 there's one of my earliest characters, Snailman, in a complete strip from Marvel UK's Spider-Man No.648. This is liklely to be the last Snailman strip I'll be selling so if you're interested please bid. Here's the link:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205480143411?itmmeta=01JV325EHYRMDY8MAFS3A2XPW1&hash=item2fd7922a33:g:6SQAAOSw8jVoIMyS

From 1995 here's a very collectable page of Richard Elson's artwork from Sonic the Comic No.64, written by me. It features Sonic and his team plus Commander Brutus, a villain I created who proved to be very popular with the readers. Here's the link...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205480187789?itmmeta=01JV325EHYJ72MQPY7P60QR13H&hash=item2fd792d78d:g:tGsAAOSwHZ9oINMk

Art by Richard Elson

From my collection of comic art here's a page by the late Jimmy Hansen of the popular Ricky Rainbow character from Buster back in 1990. A chance to own a great page by Jimmy, one of the best humour artists of the day.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205480146406?itmmeta=01JV325EHYJ1B7A4GKYEHERK04&hash=item2fd79235e6:g:rccAAOSwNFNoIM20

Art by Jimmy Hansen

Art by Jimmy Hansen.

Finally, something really special. The original artwork of part of a Billy Bunter story that appeared in Knockout comic way back in 1960! Drawn by the wonderful Albert Pease, one of the greatest UK humour artists of the 20th Century. It's very rare to see Mr.Pease's work up for sale. I'm hoping there'll be a lot of interest from British comics afficianados for this one!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205480164898?itmmeta=01JV325EHY1DMVTH1PJ1TG85R0&hash=item2fd7927e22:g:H6sAAOSwCC1oIM9U

Art by Albert Pease.

 

The auctions end on the evening of Sunday 18th May. All bids greatly appreciated. Wishing you all the very best of luck!

Here's the link to the whole listings:

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

 

Art by Albert Pease

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The77 Repackaged

If you missed the early issues of The77 a few years ago you'll be pleased to hear they've been repackaged into new 32 page editions.

The contents have been revamped somewhat, trimmed down to selected strips and the addition of Ian Gibson's Lifeboat serial. My Sgt.Shouty series has survived the revamp and appears in the back of every issue. 

The77 was launched in 2020 as an all new anthology comic showcasing new talent as well as established creators. It won the Comic Scene Award for Best Indepedent Comic in 2024. 

Sgt.Shouty of the Moon Force is a brand new character I created for the comic; a sci-fi spoof set in the distant future. What is Sgt.Shouty? Is he friend or foe? Hero or halfwit? You decide as the story unfolds. 

The first four revised issues of The77 are available from participating comic shops or you can order them directly from this link:

https://the77comic.bigcartel.com/product/the77-retail-editions-1-4-bundle 

 

...and for regular readers, The77 No.11 is currently looking for backers. The Kickstarter is here:

 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/the77comic/the-77-issue-11

 

 

 

Latest Combat Update

 

I've recently been paginating the next issue of Combat Colin (No.6) and working out the full contents. It'll reprint the remaining stories from The Transformers from the early 1990s plus some strips that followed. It'll have at least 44 pages including covers, possibly 48 depending on the length of back up features. It's still early days so, as yet, there's no firm publication date. Hopefully sometime this summer.

Most contents of previous issues have been scanned from the original art that Marvel UK let me have back after they had published it. However, most of the later pages of original art were missing from the Marvel art cabinet when I went to collect them, which means I'll have to scan directly from the comics themselves. As the comics were in full colour this means those pages will reproduce in greyscale. (This also happened with some pages in issue 5, you may have noticed.)

What happened to my original artwork from those later issues? Misplaced? Thrown away by accident? Who knows? It's been over 30 years so they're long gone.

Anyway, here's a sneak peek at the story that will lead off issue 6, the first page of One of Our Gigglies Is Missing! Ironic that the rest of that story is also missing! as I said though, I'll scan the missing pages from the comics and I'll do my best to make them look good for the new printing. 

If you need to catch up with issues 3 to 5 you'll find them in my shop at this link:

https://ko-fi.com/lewstringer/shop

©2025 Lew Stringer

Last chance to own this VIZ artwork

The auction on the original artwork of a Felix and his Amazing Underpants page ends soon! I don't have many of my Viz pages left so don't miss out if you've always wanted to own one. 

This is the one where Felix and his pants go rogue! Bizarre British comedy at its daftest!

Bidding ends on Sunday 27th April at 9pm. Good luck! 

More info here:

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

Preview: Doctor Who Magazine 616

There's a new issue of Doctor Who Magazine out this Thursday so here's a preview of part of my latest Daft Dimension comic strip that you'll find within its pages. 

The issue also contains previews of three upcoming episodes of Doctor Who, plus interviews, reviews, and much more! 

Here's the cover to look out for. Doctor Who Magazine No.616, on sale Thursday 24th April!  

 More info:

https://www.panini.co.uk/shp_gbr_en/doctor-who-magazine-616-gbdrw616-uk02.html

 

 

 

 

Underpants for sale

 

In this week's auctions I'm selling my original artwork of a complete full page Felix and His Amazing Underpants strip! I drew it back in 2009 for Viz No.187. It's the one where Felix's underpants are involved in a political scandal. (There's a sentence no one has ever written before.)

As you can see, I drew it in two sections as the original is so large. (It's always best to draw pages bigger than published size.) 

I freelanced for Viz regularly for about 20 years and this is one of the very few Viz pages I have left, so if you ever wanted a page of original Viz artwork, now's your chance!

The auction ends on Sunday 27th April at 9pm. Good luck with your bids!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205436305191?itmmeta=01JSCCQB8GWFDXNKKCBHHWFM4X&hash=item2fd4f53f27:g:RSEAAOSwopdoBQQf

LUX

I've just watched Lux, today's episode of Doctor Who. I thought it was fantastic but I know it'll divide fandom. Still, it'd be a dull world if we all liked the same things wouldn't it? One thing's for sure; it's an episode that will be remembered!

I think it's great that after 60 years Doctor Who continues to experiment and try new things. As you may already know, Lux is the episode that features Mr Ring-A-Ding and it was a privilege to draw a full page one-off strip featuring the character that exclusively appears in the current issue of Doctor Who Magazine! The next issue of DWM is out on Thursday, so if you haven't bought No.615 yet, time is running out! 

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Brickman Begins has SOLD OUT

Remember when the Brickman Begins book sold out, then I found a few more in a box? Well, they're all sold now too! Published in 2005 it's been a steady seller the last few years but now they're all gone! (Except for a couple I'm keeping for myself.)

Will I ever reprint the material within? I dunno. Everything depends on my health these days, so it's not on my radar. My main focus is on getting Combat Colin No.6 out this summer if possible.

A big thank you to all of you who bought Brickman Begins over the years. Hope you enjoyed its 152 packed pages! 

I still have other comics available so check out my KoFi page here:

https://ko-fi.com/lewstringer/shop 

 

Original artwork from VIZ for sale

Back in 1991 Viz comic produced a summer special for kids called The Pathetic Sharks Bumper Special. I drew most of the pages for it and the original art has all been all sold to collectors now except for this three page story. 

Albert O'Balsam and his Magic Hats is an unusual one because I drew it over tight layouts by top artist Roger Langdridge. (In fact Roger's version was completed art but Viz strangely felt his detailed rendering didn't suit the style they wanted. A great shame! So mine was basically a Vizified redraw on the lightbox from stats of Roger's art.)

Anyroad up... I'm currently selling my original pages as one complete item in this week's art auction. Story by Chris Donald, art by me based on work by Roger Langridge. A rare item! 

The auction ends on Sunday 13th April (this coming Sunday) and all bids are appreciated! Here's the link...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205404666079?itmmeta=01JRFTJG6HPG0DR0MCH7GC6M22&hash=item2fd31278df:g:Hg0AAOSwM5Vn9Wpj 

40th Robo-versary!

The very first Robo-Capers from this week in 1985

 

I've just been reminded by Transformers collector Graham Thomson on Bluesky that it's 40 years since my Robo-Capers strips began appearing in Marvel UK's Transformers comic! In fact it was my first ongoing strip for a mainstream comic, thanks to editor Shiela Cranna accepting them.

I had a great deal of enjoyment creating new robots every week; the sillier the better! I know the strip is still fondly remembered by readers of the comic. I can't do a Robo-Capers comic collection because Marvel hold the rights (even though it's unlikely they'll ever reprint it) but I've posted the early ones in previous blog posts here:

https://lewstringercomics.blogspot.com/2019/07/robo-capers-early-strips.html

...and here:

https://lewstringercomics.blogspot.com/2024/01/robo-capers-part-2.html 

...and I'll post some more later this week!

Original comic art from the 1980s!

In this week's eBay auction I'm offering two items of my original artwork from the early days of my career. The first one is a really early strip; the second episode of Snailman, a character I created for Marvel UK's Spider-Man comic in 1985. Snailman was the first ongoing character I created for a mainstream comic. I'm holding onto the first episode for sentimental reasons so this is the earliest one you'll be able to buy. Bidding ends on Monday 7th April.

Here's the link:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205388955922?itmmeta=01JQXQQ7R2PWSQ7D5C5CX7W4FX&hash=item2fd222c112:g:dhcAAOSwAA9n6ogg

The other page is a unique Pete and his Pimple story I did for Oink! No.52 back in 1988. Know Your Spot is a special feature I did that only appeared in that issue. "A helpful guide to identifying your acne affliction"! Impress your house guests by having this mounted on your wall! Bidding ends on Sunday 6th April.

Here's the link:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205391170004?itmmeta=01JQXQQ7R24FPSM6YFVDCJ0A0N&hash=item2fd24489d4:g:iD0AAOSwvzln7A46

And for any Thunderbirds fans, I'm also selling this Thunderbirds Sticker Book from the 1960s... Bidding ends on Sunday 6th April.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205391220320?itmmeta=01JQXQQ7R2J7GXQB7GCPK7ZX67&hash=item2fd2454e60:g:V8oAAOSwKBFn7Bko

All bids appreciated as always. Good luck!

Meet Mr. Ring-A-Ding in the latest Doctor Who Magazine!

I had to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement when I was commissioned for this one, and my art had to be approved by the BBC, but now it's published I can talk about it!

Mr Ring-A-Ding is a character who'll appear in episode two of the forthcoming new series of Doctor Who. Jason Quinn, the editor of Doctor Who Magazine felt it'd be a nice idea to have a page in the latest issue based on the character, in the same way that TV Comic etc featured strips based on tv cartoons. 

So... Jason wrote a script for a Mr Ring-A-Ding comic strip, I drew it (based on character designs the BBC sent me), and it's in print today in Doctor Who Magazine No.615.

I wanted it to look a little different to my regular Daft Dimension strip in DWM so instead of hand lettering I used a dialogue font I'd created a while back that looked a bit like an old comic font. I chose not to give the speech balloons any borders so it'd look sort of similar to the old Gold Key comics of 60 years ago. For the same reason, I decided to leave the colours flat without shading. 

I hope it works OK and readers enjoy this unusual one-off. 

The magazine also includes another Daft Dimension mini-strip by me, this time bringing back the Zarbi, still worried about their public image problem. 

There's a wealth of other material in the mag too of course; interviews, news, reviews, previews of the first three episodes of the new series, and lots more, plus it's bagged with extra items!

Doctor Who Magazine No.615. In shops now!

https://doctorwhomagazine.com/doctor-who-magazine/doctor-who-magazine-615/

Doctor Who returns to BBC One on Saturday 12th April. The episode featuring Mr Ring-A-Ding will be shown on 19th April. 

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Just to clarify...

My thanks to all of you who wished me well in my semi-retirement. The messages on social media were much appreciated. I just want to clarify something though; several people thought I was retiring from comics altogether and walking away from my career. Not so! I'm simply scaling back to focus on publishing my own comics (such as Combat Colin). I'll also be continuing with The Daft Dimension every month in Doctor Who Magazine.

I suppose it was my fault for writing such a long post the other day for people to wade through.

So in short: I'm still self-employed, I'm still paying my taxes, but now I'm 66 and entitled to my State Pension it means I won't have the stress of deadlines all the time so I can work when I feel like it. 

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42 Years of Freelancing Fun... but now, the end?

My thanks to those of you who sent me birthday wishes yesterday, and now a little announcement. As I'm now 66 and eligible for my pension I've decided I'll be retiring from working for mainstream comics.

Frankly, work has been in short supply for the last few years and the financial stress it's caused hasn't been good for my physical or mental health, especially as I have hypertension, diabetes and incurable leukemia to deal with so I feel it's time to step back and take things easier as I do get more fatigued these days.

However... comics are still my passion and there's no "off switch" to creativity so in reality it'll be semi-retirement. I'll still be contributing my Daft Dimension mini strip to Doctor Who Magazine every month for as long as they want me, and I have some loose ends to tie up such as some overdue commissions, a strip for The Dandy Annual 2027 and some work for The77 and suchlike.

My main focus after that though, apart from relaxing and getting things in order, will be my self-published comics. I want to get the final issue of Combat Colin out this summer and hopefully some other comics after that. I won't be taking on any more commissions as yet, but I'll continue to sell my old artwork to collectors via eBay to help pay the bills etc.

I've had 42 happy years freelancing in the comics industry and now I'll simply be focusing on my own comics and creations and publishing those in my own time as it suits me. 

I'll also be attending comic cons if I'm fit and able to, as I don't want to lose touch with the many good friends I've made in comics over the past four decades! Although that depends on when treatment starts for my CLL.  

Thanks for reading this long post (if you've reached the end) and thanks for following my work over the years!

Above is a graphic showing all the professional comics (that I can recall) contributing to since 1983. (PLus a load of small press comics not listed.) That's a lot of ink! Click on the graphic to see it larger.

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Buy before postage goes up!

A reminder that postage rates are set to rise again in April and I'll have to reflect that in the prices in my online shop. If there are any comics of mine you're interested in, order before April to ensure you get them at current postage rates. (Obviously this won't affect the three digital comics Tough Guy, Barmy Tales, or Derek the Troll.)

Here's the link...

https://ko-fi.com/lewstringer/shop

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It's TED THE TED! (1987)

 

Who remembers Ted the Ted? Not many I'd guess, because I created this character as a one-off way back in 1987 for Oink! No.29 and he never appeared again.

As you may know, Oink! featured a mixture of ongoing charcters and some only intended to last one issue, and Ted the Ted's Top Tips for Trendy Teddy Boys was one of the latter. It's always been one of my favourites though, especially his meek reaction to being clobbered by a handbag (see panel above). But now it's time to "Let It Go" as the song says, and it's currently in my auction this week!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205361844062?itmmeta=01JPTJ36BKWRMM213QABRQR7SM&hash=item2fd0850f5e:g:hYMAAOSwfcVn2bX3

Click to enlarge to make it more readable.

I'm also selling a more recent piece; a complete Daft Dimension strip featuring the 13th Doctor, and it has a Christmas theme! It was published in Doctor Who Magazine No.533 in December 2018.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205361839756?itmmeta=01JPTJ36BK8H08FC8CDZFA5HH9&hash=item2fd084fe8c:g:zzkAAOSw2Lln2bRl

The auctions on both of these items end this Sunday night, 23rd March. All bids appreciated! 

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

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The Smasher (2015)

It always felt a privilege being assigned to create new stories of the classic comic characters I'd read as a child. One such character being The Smasher, a strip that was drawn by Hugh Morren in the 1960s. Other artists had drawn him in subsequent decades including the great Brian Walker, and several years ago I was asked to create new Smasher stories for The Dandy Annual.

Here's a two pager I did for The Dandy Annual 2016, that I drew in 2015. Script, art and lettering by me, and I also did the logo which I digitally remastered from one of the 1960s Smasher logos. 

The Smasher was basically The Dandy's answer to Dennis the Menace, but I redesigned his appearance a little. Always favouring sci-fi, I came up with Smasher fantasising about a situation that enabled me to include aliens and a giant robot that I thought would lend some visual impact to the pages. I hope the readers enjoyed it. 

Click / tap on the image above to see it at a much larger, readable size.

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74 years of Menacing

Today marks the 74th Anniversary of Dennis the Menace's first appearance in the Beano! I don't think I've ever drawn a Dennis strip but I have drawn him many times as a guest star in other Beano strips (such as Rasher) and in a few activity pages. 

Here's an activity page I was particulartly pleased with. The script was written by someone at the Beano but I drew it, designed it, and lettered the whole page. (Lettering was done using Tim Sale Lower, a Comicraft font that the Beano were using a lot at the time. https://www.comicbookfonts.com/Tim-Sale-Lower-font-p/bl025i.htm ) 

I did this page for an issue back in 2012 so it was 13 years ago now but I thought I'd post it here in case you missed it.  

Before anyone asks, no, I'm not in the Beano these days. I enjoyed my years with the comic though. One of the highlights of my career.

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Full guest list revealed for MACC-POW 2025

This morning, cartoonist and event organiser Marc Jackson revealed the full guest list for Macc-Pow 2025 and it features comics creators with a diverse variety of styles. A true representation of the UK comic scene, PLUS top tier guests from American comics Tom Scioli and Michael Lark! 

You'll find us all at Macclesfield Town Hall on Saturday June 28th! The show runs from 10am to 4pm and it's free entry!

This year Macc-Pow celebrates its 10th Anniversary and it's been my privilege to be a guest at every show. I'm really looking forward to being there again.

Here's the link:

https://maccpow.co.uk/ 

 

Viz! Daleks! Marvel UK and more in this week's art auction

I've put more of my original artwork up for auction for collectors to obtain. This week there's a Suicidal Syd page from Viz comic from 2009, a Macho Man strip I did for Marvel UK's Secret Wars comic back in 1986, a Captain Scarlet parody written by Kev F and drawn by me from the 1990s, a Daft Dimension strip from Doctor Who Magazine featuring Daleks... PLUS a page by the late great Jimmy Hansen that he drew in 1990 for Buster comic featuring the popular Ricky Rainbow character.

All original hand drawn artwork produced for the comics. Not facsimilies, not prints. 

The auctions end on Sunday night (March 16th). All bids are much appreciated. 

Here's the link...

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

Suicidal Syd from VIZ (2009). One of the last Viz pages I have left.

Superghero parody Macho Man, created for Marvel UK in 1986.

Captain Scarlet spoofed as a theatrical luvvie! (1990s)

A recent Dalek strip I did for Doctor Who Magazine (2025)

Stunning artwork drawn by JIMMY HANSEN for Buster (1990)

On the Tel-Lee

The documentary The Life and Death of Christopher Lee that I drew a sequence for was repeated on Sky Arts last night. (Originally broadcast on 24th October 2024.) I'd done my drawings in full colour but they chose to broadcast them in black and white, presumably because my bit was set in the 1940s. A nice programme to be part of though!

 

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Original OINK! artwork! Auction ends soon!

 

Only a short time to go to bid on the original artwork of a Pete and his Pimple story I drew for Oink! in 1988. Both pages of this complete story are in the auction as one lot. Bidding ends on Sunday 9th March at 9pm UK time. Good luck!

Here's the link where you can see more images in close up:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205328204156?itmmeta=01JNVCX6ZFRWF0SRZZNQ7ZKZDG&hash=item2fce83c17c:g:hIYAAOSwWO5nxJDW

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Pits of Peril!

The latest issue of Toxic (No.401) reprints the Team Toxic story Pits of Peril that I did for issue 288 of the magazine back in 2017. Eight years is long enough for a new generation of readers who won't have read the story before.

Speaking of pits, as I've mentioned before, one of the pitfalls in working for mainstream comic publishers is they don't pay reprint fees, or even tell contributors when the material is being re-used. But I knew that when I started out so it's too late to complain now. I'm just happy that a new generation will get to see those stories. (I wish they'd reprint the serials in order though, but thankfully most episodes were self contained.)