Schedule for STC25

Here's the schedule of the starting times of events for STC25, the celebration of 25 years since the debut of Sonic the Comic. It takes place at the Fab Cafe in Manchester on Sunday 3rd June. If you're interested, there are only a few tickets left, (strictly no admission on the door) so please enquire at the Facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/stconline/

In print this week...

On Wednesday 30th May, Beano No.3937 arrives in the shops, full of the usual fun. There's a new Big Eggo story in there by me, with Terry Tuff hot on the trail of the escaped ostrich. 

Then, the next day, on Thursday 31st May, Doctor Who Magazine No.526 is published, packed with features includiung an interview with actor/singer/comics creator Jessica Martin, currently appearing in Shirleymander at the Playground Theatre, London. Plus there's another Daft Dimension strip from me, and it's one of the daftest yet...

Support British comics! Don't miss these two publications this week! 

Next destination: STC25 on June 3rd

It's a busy summer for conventions and the next event I'll be at will be this coming Sunday, 3rd June, at STC25, - a celebration of Sonic the Comic!

Back in the 1990s I was a regular writer on Sonic the Comic, scripting many of the stories featuring Tails, Amy, and Sonic the Hedgehog himself. I also created supporting characters such as Tekno the Canary and Shortfuse the Cybernik, and villains such as Commander Brutus and Metamorphia. 

STC25 will be my first Sonic-themed event, and other guests will include Richard Elson, Nigel Kitching, Carl Flint, Nigel Dobbyn and Feran Rodriguez Sanchez. It takes place at the Fab Cafe, Manchester, and tickets are very limited and must be purchased in advance. (No on-the-door ticket sales.) If you're interested in attending, contact the organiser via their Facebook page at this link:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1996449803730588/

Back from Wigan!

Wigan Comic Con was a well organised event! I've posted a few photos and thoughts about the day over on my Blimey! blog at the following link...

https://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/photos-from-wigan-comic-con-2018.html

Reviving the Troll

I started work on drawing the new Derek the Troll series today. It's going to appear exclusively in the new digital comic Goof! that will be launched at this year's Macc-Pow! convention on Saturday 23rd June. From that day onwards you'll be able to access the new monthly comic online on your phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. Goof! will be an anthology comic featuring lots of single page strips from various cartoonists. The Derek series will be an ongoing serial with self contained chapters under the story title of Derek the Troll and the Quest for the Magic Whatsit!

Sign up for Goof! here:
http://www.goofcomic.co.uk

It feels good to be working on new Derek the Troll stories. He was one of the first characters I created for professional publications, way back in the mid 1980s for Games Workshops' Warlock and White Dwarf magazines. Even though I only produced a dozen pages or so back then, the character has been fondly remembered by many over the years. 

A few years ago I published a compilation of all the Derek strips (along with the complete Rock Solid, Space Hero, another early character of mine) in Derek the Troll No.1. It recently went to a second printing and you can buy copies from my webshop:
http://lewstringer.com/page7.htm

Before Macc-Pow! I have a few other conventions coming up, and one of them is this Saturday, 26th May, when I'll be a guest at Wigan Comic Con! I'll be bringing along my comics and doing sketches on request so I hope you can join us! More details here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/652224921633407

Timeless journey

As I said in my previous post, today is the fifth anniversary of my mum's passing. I know she wouldn't want me to wallow, so after drawing a Big Eggo strip this morning I set off on a good long walk this afternoon of about five miles.

I love the peaceful timelessness of areas like this, with just the enjoyable tweeting of birds breaking the silence. The acres of farmland around here have changed very little since the days when my granddad worked on the land 100 years ago, and it was comforting to think he would have gazed upon similar landscapes back then. 

Back to the drawing board tomorrow!

In remembrance of my Mam

It's been five years today since my mum passed away. Always in my thoughts. I'll always treasure her kindness and selflessness and the moral support she gave me. A good, gentle woman who deserved more happiness in her life than that which fate dealt her.

You can read more about her here if you're so inclined:
http://lewstringercomics.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/my-mam-1925-2013.html

I'll be having a quiet day of reflection today.