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.