Remember The Swots and the Blots?

I've written the introduction for a fantastic new book that reprints a classic humour strip from my childhood. The Swots and Blots is a 180 page volume collecting all of Leo Baxendale's work on the strip from 1969 to 1971 when it was in Smash! weekly. 

Although The Swots and the Blots had been in Smash! since issue 1 in 1966 it was drawn by other artists for the first three years. With this book, publisher Irmantas Povilaika has selected the strips from the point where Leo Baxendale took over writing and drawing the series, - and needless to say with Leo at the helm it reached new heights of hilarity and absurdist comedy. (No exaggeration. This was genuinely one of the funniest strips in British comics.)

The Swots and Blots is published under official licence from Rebellion and in very limited quantities, - so order quickly if you want one. The hardback edition is limited to 150 numbered copies (and comes with a free colour print) while the softback edition is limited to just 50 copies. The printing and reproduction is excellent. My photos here don't do it justice. The inks are solid black.

The book is only available directly by post from the publisher in Lithuania at this link:

https://www.kazoop-comics-shop.com/

...and if you don't have the other books that Irmantas has published, you can purchase those there too.

The Magic of MACC POW 2026! Convention Report

It's been a while since I write a detailed personal convention report of the sort that used to appear in fanzines, and I know that these days it's all about brevity but here we go anyway. Hope you enjoy it...

This year marked 11 years since the Macc Pow Comic Art Festival began and it was the best yet! Each year, organisers Marc Jackson and his wife Jane manage to improve on the previous one, and this time it was packed with goodness!

Although there were small connected workshops and the like taking place on days either side of the main event, most of the guests were there for Saturday 27th June, so it was an early start for me that morning, up at 4.30am and on the train to Macclesfield at 6.30. 

Arriving at Macclesfield 90 minutes later, I was met by Tristan Maddocks, friend of the organisers, who drove me to the Town Hall well in time to set up for the show. Greeted by Marc and Jane at the venue, I was one of the first to arrive and soon set up my table.   

By the time everyone else had arrived it was time for the traditional group shot of guests as we gathered on the stairs. The Mayor of Macclesfield gave a postive speech about comics to open the show and we were ready for the day to begin.

Group shot photo by Tristan Maddocks.

My table was situated between those of Rachael Smith and Sean Phillips, both good friends of mine and very successful comics creators in their chosen fields. Not too far away were other longtime friends such as David Leach, Laura Howell, Roger Langridge, Kev Sutherland, Gary Northfield, Sonia Leong and many more. As ever there was a friendly, upbeat vibe to the proceedings as we chatted to each other and to the visitors, some of whom were also familiar faces.

Cartoonist Dicky Howett and writer Tim Quinn.

It was very nice to see the great Dicky Howett again after several years, reuinited with his good pal and colleague Tim Quinn. You'll remember that Tim and Dicky worked together on many comic strips over the years at IPC, Marvel UK, and beyond. 

Dicky's wife, with Tim Quinn, Dicky Howett, me, Rachael Smith, and David Leach.

Macc-Pow is a very family friendly event, totally dedicated to comics, with more of an emphasis on humour strips than other shows. Not that our friends of the more realistic comics are forgotten, with people such as Charlie Adlard, Michael Lark, and the aforementioned Sean Phillips in attendance.  

For the third year running, Macc-Pow launched another issue of Goof, the 24 page full colour humour comic edited and published by Marc Jackson with all new content by Tor Freeman, Hilary Barta, David Leach, Rachael Smith, Jim Medway and many more (including a spoof Dracula strip from me). You can buy a copy from this link:

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

GOOF No.3, cover by Marc Jackson.

 

Part of my page for GOOF No.3

The festival concluded with a musical number about how cool comics are, written by star guest James Kochalka and performed by him and a group of children on banjos! Not something you see every day! The kids did really well. 

Usually, I'm only at Macc-Pow for a day, but this year had a special event scheduled in the evening so Marc had generously booked a b&b for a few of us to stay over. This went down well with us as it gave us time to relax, wind down and have something to eat before...

...we set off to the local cinema for the world premire of the Oink! film Pigs, Puns, and Plops! Running to 25 minutes, this great documentary by Claire Bend and Rob Reed of Bread and Butter Films, featured some interviews that Claire and Rob conducted at last year's Macc-Pow, plus other interviewees that have been added since. Telling the story of the cult comic that celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, the documentary included interviews with contributors Patrick Gallagher, David Leach, Charlie Brooker, Jeremy Banx, and myself, plus those the comic inspired such as Laura Howell, Jamie Smart, Marc Jackson, and Oink! blogger and historian Phil Boyce. 

After the screening, Alex Fitch of the radio show Panel Borders conducted a brief Q&A session with Claire, Rob, Patrick, David, and myself. The film was well received by those in attendance and it's hoped that some TV company will pick it up at some point in the future. Claire and Rob have done a great job. It was a pleasant surprise to meet Patrick Gallagher again after 40 years, the surviving editor and one of the key people behind Oink! (he designed the distinctive Oink! logo, to mention just one of his many accomplishments). 

Me, David Leach, Laura Howell, Marc Jackson, and Ché Michaels in the pub.

After the cinema it was back to the pub for several of us to relax and chat for a while. Then Marc Jackson took Laura Howell, David Leach, and myself for a tour of his town centre art studio Room for Comics, which often hosts drawing classes for local children. we were very impressed with the studio and Marc's enthusiasm. He does a hell of a lot for Macclesfield promoting comics to a new generation and spreading the word about the artform. 

 

Room For Comics, the studio interior.

Marc Jackson, David Leach, Laura Howell in Room for Comics.

In fact, I was impressed by Macclesfield in general, with its many independent businesses. This isn't a town that's followed the usual spiral into having nothing but identical High Streets and corporate brands. It has its own identity. 

 

After such a busy day it was time to turn in, but it had been a very pleasant experience and had cheered me up no end. The next morning was the monthly Treacle Market full of independent stallholders but the previous day was telling on me by then due to having a chronic illness (the usual crash after a hectic day) so unfortunately I skipped the market and caught a direct train home. Although tired, I felt content and happy that Macc-Pow had been another success, filled with positivity of friendship and like minds. My thanks to Marc and Jane for the invite, to Claire and Rob for the movie, and to friends too numerous to mention for the company. Long may it continue!

- Lew Stringer, July 2026.

 

https://maccpow.co.uk/ 

The latest Daft Dimension preview

Here's a clipping from my latest Daft Dimension comic strip featuring The Fugitive Doctor. You can see the full version on Doctor Who Magazine No.631 which is in shops now!

More info about this issue on the Panini website here:

https://doctorwhomagazine.com/

GOOF No.3! OINK DOCUMENTARY! MACC-POW! It's all happening next weekend!

On Saturday 27th June it'll be time for the annual Macc Pow Comic Art Festival at Macclesfield Town Hall again, and that means a gathering of comic artists from far and wide! 

Not only will you be able to meet a bunch of us at the event but organiser Marc Jackson will also be launching Goof No.3 at the show, packed with brand new strips by people such as Tor Freeman, Rachael Smith, David Leach, myself, and many more! Yes, an all new humour comic in print, in full colour, and awaiting your eyeballs! 

 

And there's more! In the evening there will be the premiere screening of the new Oink! documentary film Pigs, Plops and Puns, produced by filmmakers Claire Bend and Rob Reed of Bread and Butter Films. 

It's all going on in Macclesfield next weekend! Here's the website link:

https://maccpow.co.uk/ 

 

Art auction ending soon. Tom Thug! Rasher! Postman Prat!

Last reminder that my current art auction ends on the evening of Sunday 21st June. All bids welcome or, if you want to make sure the Rasher and Postman Prat strips are yours you can use the Buy It Now option. 

Note: As soon as anyone bids on those items, the buy in now option will automatically vanish. That price is only an option before any bids are made. 

Response has been very quiet recently for some reason so if you have any questions, please ask by posting a comment below.

Good luck! Here's the link:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?sid=graphite47

BUSTER! DANDY! BEANO! Orignal artwork up for grabs

It's been a while since I listed some of my original artwork for sale so here we go with three items I hope will be of interest. Auctions end next Sunday, 21st June (unless you choose to grab two of them that have a Buy It Now option). 

First up is my original art for a Rasher strip that I did for the Beano back in 2013. Co-stars Pug (of the Bash Street Dogs) and Gnasher! More info at this link:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/206346822205?itmmeta=01KV3VR6EB9AP2T1AW96VFHP0H&hash=item300b3aa23d:g:HZcAAeSwyadqLuY8 

 

Next, there's a Postman Prat strip I drew for The Dandy Annual 2023! More info and detailed photos here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/206346839809?itmmeta=01KV3VR6EC66HDS278GB9ZBME6&hash=item300b3ae701:g:c~kAAeSw0olqLuX- 

Lastly, a Tom Thug page from way back that I did for Buster in 1993! Tom Thug 2099! A unique item imagining Tom in the future! 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/206346844605?itmmeta=01KV3VR6ECVWYP6APJV9HPWNQQ&hash=item300b3af9bd:g:fCkAAeSw0QpqLuZ4

 

All bids and purchases very much appreciated! Good luck!

 

"The moment has been prepared for"

Yes, you've all heard the news by now. Doctor Who is off the air... but for how long? As the Fourth Doctor said in his final scene many years ago, "It's the end... but the moment has been prepared for"! 

While some pundits and podcasters are running around saying the series itself is cancelled, that's not strictly true. The 2026 Christmas Special is cancelled, the Bad Wolf production company are out, but the BBC are putting the series out to tender with the hope that it will be resurrected at some point. That may not be for a few years as it'll take time to assemble new contracts, a new direction, cast and crew, etc but we'll see.

However, Doctor Who the brand will carry on in the form of the Big Finish audio adventures, the upcoming Circuit Breaker multi-platform adventure, and of course the long running Doctor Who Magazine.  

 

Yes, I have a vested interest in Doctor Who Magazine because I contribute my Daft Dimension strip to it every month, but I genuinely think it's a great magazine and always has been since it began in 1979. It's the perfect place for fans to read background info, interviews, and reviews, plus it has an ongoing Doctor Who comic strip, - the longest running TV tie in strip in comics history (as it originated in TV Comic back in 1964). 

Maybe I'm being too optimistic but it's an increasingly harsh world and being pessimistic all the time does no one any good. Doctor Who will return... one day! Meanwhile, keep supporting the magazine!

Yikes! Look who's back!

Oh no! It's that bloomin' Hitler! On the Moon in the year 2627 and disrupting the wedding of Copper Scarlet and The Error! It's all happening in the latest episode of Sgt. Shouty of the Moon Force, in The77 No.12, available to order now from their website at this link...

https://the77comic.bigcartel.com/product/the77-comic-no12 

This latest issue includes all new content by various creators plus a choice of covers by Clint Langley or Hal Laren! (Both artists have strips inside the comic too.) 

 

Covers by Clint Langley and Hal Laren.

While Sgt.Shouty is aimed at a teen audience, some of the other strips in The77 are definitely for adults only. 

Cover by Mike Perkins.

 

Also from The77 Publications is Lawless No.1, featuring the strips produced for Lawless Comic Cons. Written by Steve Bull with contributions from a wide variety of artists including Mick McMahon, Steven Austin, Hunt Emerson, Mike Collins, Mike Perkins, Liam Sharp, myself and many more! All profits from this comic will go to Prostate Cancer UK. Order it from this link:

https://the77comic.bigcartel.com/product/lawless-a-48-page-comic-by-steve-bull

Art by me with colours by Darren Stephens.

 

 

Comics! Grab 'em while you can!

Quantities of my comics are running low and I won't be able to reprint them for a while. Some have already sold out but the ones shown here are currently available in print. (Plus three digital only comics not shown.) Take a look at my shop for more info on each one and if you order any comics I'll post them within a week. https://ko-fi.com/lewstringer/shop

Catching up...

 

I haven't blogged for over a week so here's a quick catch up. The image above is a preview of part of a page I've done for the indie comic Goof No.3. An anthology of new strips that will be launched at the Macc-Pow Comic Art Festival on June 27th at Macclesfield Town Hall. Presumably it'll be available by mail order afterwards from Marc Jackson the editor. (I'll post a link here in a new post when that happens.)

*****

I'll be posting a preview of the next Sgt Shouty strip when The77 No.12 is available to order in few days. Kickstarter backers will be receiving their issues soon. 

*****

At the moment I'm working on ideas for the next Daft Dimension strip for Doctor Who Magazine. I'm also writing an introduction for a book that someone is publishing that will collect a classic humour strip not seen in decades! I'm sworn to secrecy for now but all will be revealed soon. 

*****

Speaking of another classic humour strip, the publisher of The Collected Cloak (by Mike Higgs) informs me that Diamond UK will be handling its distribution to UK comic shops. However, bearing in mind that many UK comic shops have little or no interest in humour strips (especially vintage British humour strips) it's essential that you place an order with your local comic shop to ensure you get a copy. There's no point in assuming it'll be in stock otherwise. The Collected Cloak will be solicited in the August listings, for publication later this year, so August is when you need to ask your comic shop to order you a copy. (I'll post more info when I receive it regarding price etc.) 

The Cloak by Mike Higgs

 

There's a new issue of DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE out today!

Doctor Who Magazine No.630 is in the shops now so here's a glimpse of part of my Daft Dimension comic strip that you'll find inside.

Something for your Doctor Who fix until the show returns, the current mag has 84 packed pages of news, interviews and features. Find out more at the mag's official website at this link:

https://doctorwhomagazine.com/ 

 

 

Tom Thug celebrates Buster's 35th Anniversary (1995)

I was looking through some old copies of Buster the other day and even by 1995 the long running publication was still a very good comic. Full of wild comedy action from the likes of Jimmy Henson, Bert Hill, Jack Oliver, Mark Bennington and many more. OK, it had become a fortnightly comic by then, and some reprints were appearing inside, but it was still a lively fun comic that easily held its own against rivals like the Beano.  

I was a regular contributor on Buster from 1988 to 1996 (with reprints of my Tom Thug strips following until the final issue in 1999). The issue we're looking at today is the 35th Anniversary issue, dated 26th May 1995. Sadly, this would be Buster's last significant birthday as the comic would end before it reached its 40th. 

Editor Allen Cummings was always open to ideas and we had a good working relationship. He really was a great editor. (He's retired now but still enjoying his football.) I suggested that my Tom Thug strip that week could include a bunch of guest stars from the comic's past, and he was happy to oblige. Characters such as Faceache, Big Chief Pow-Wow, Elmer, Thundercap, Tin Teacher, and even mighty Galaxus made a cameo appearance. 

This page was a pleasure to write and draw. Admittedly, you could probably see the "Birthday BASH" punchline coming a mile off, but hopefully the sense of occasion made up for it. 

Further on in the comic I also designed an advert for the next issue, which would begin a multi-part pull-out booklet reprinting classic strips from over the 35 years. I designed that too, and I'll post more about that another time.

 

A Book of Nonsense

As you know, I've been interested in the history of comics since I was a child, so whenever there's a new book published on the subject I'll grab it. Therefore I had no hesitation in buying The Great British Comic Riot, a softback allegedly full of info about UK comics of the 1980s. I knew it was Print On Demand, and only available through Amazon, so I wasn't expecting a definitive work. Sadly, it even fell far short of that!

I won't sugar coat this. It's the most inaccurate book about comics I've ever read. 

There are mistakes on almost every page, attributing the wrong strips to the wrong comics, gushing about characters that never existed, and basically fabricating things that never happened. How could an author make such errors? Quite easy, when the "author" is so obviously A.I.

Amongst the chaos that claims Whoopee merged with Nutty (two different companies), that Buster comic ended up being called Buster and Friends, and inventing a "popular" 1985 humour comic called The Joker, it even finds a way to print misinformation about me. 

Claims I wrote two books about the life and work of Tom Paterson. Nope. Total fabrication.

 

Claims I was influenced by Viz to create Tom Thug and that Tom moved from Oink! to The Beano "rubbing shoulders with Dennis and Walter". Nope. I wasn't even aware of Viz when I created Tom, and he moved to Buster, not The Beano. 

The misinformation about me is only mild but I wanted to nip it in the bud before others use it as research. Taking it into context of the entire book being wrong, it's a publication to avoid. Sadly, the A.I. "writes" with such assertive confidence that some will think this volume is an accurate account of British comics history. Nothing could be further from the truth!

If you want to read more about how bad this book is, hop over to John Freeman's Down the Tubes blog where he's posted about it at this link:

https://downthetubes.net/caveat-emptor-the-great-british-comic-riot/ 

In short, give the book a big swerve and save your money! 

(To be fair to Amazon, they did refund me when I complained about the book. However, they still have it listed for sale. I hope no one else is fooled into buying it. Support REAL writers and REAL well researched books on comics history! Kick A.I. into the bin!)

 

Team Toxic in Holiday Horror

As the sun's blazing on this Bank Holiday weekend I thought I'd post an appropriate Team Toxic story that I did back in 2005 for Toxic magazine No.46.

As long time followers will know, Toxic magazine (no relation to the '90s Toxic comic) has been running since 2002 and I produced Team Toxic strips for about 16 years of that run. (These days they occasionally use reprints of my old strips, but of course Egmont don't pay a reprint fee.)

The story is set in Skegpool, which I created as a fictional coastal resort in many of my strips, dating back to Combat Colin. Team Toxic face the Sand Witch, one of the recurring villains I created for the series. (The Team Toxic characters were designed by John Rushby who drew the first 13 or so episodes.) The colours on the strip are by the talented Lorna Miller who was the fantastic colourist on these early episodes. 

Anyway, it's a scorcher out there so I hope you can find some shade to read this blog! 

 

OINK! The Documentary is coming!

Last year at Macc Pow, myself and others were interviewed for a new documentary about Oink! comic, and now, to celebrate the comic's 40th Anniversary, Oink! The Documentary will have its premiere showing at this year's Macc Pow Comic Art Festival. 

Here are the details from the press release...

***OiNK! THE DOCUMENTARY***

WORLD PREMiERE on Saturday 27th June, 8pm at Cinemac Macclesfield

Join us for The WORLD PREMIERE of a new documentary by CLAIRE BEND and ROB REED looking at the creation, life and legacy of the hugely influential, cult British comic OiNK! Hosted by Cinemac Macclesfield, Macclesfield’s independent cinema

Featuring interviews with key creators involved, and lifelong fans, this documentary delves deep into the pig-pen and covers you in sensational swill! Post screening there will be a Q&A and drinks with the filmmakers and contributors from the film hosted by Alex Fitch from AWESOME PODCAST.

We hope to see you there folks!

Saturday 27th June

Cinemac Macclesfield

FREE TICKETS ON THE DOOR – NO PRE-BOOKING

8.00–9.30pm

Cert PG