Charlie of the Chimps

A change of style for Joe Colquhoun. Not particularly PC, but valid, non-the-less as a snapshot of the attitudes of the time. From Lion, 19th June 1965.

Captain Winston Bulldog

I kind've ummed and ahhed about this one. Way back in the day (the early 80s) I had delusions of becoming a comics artist (As you do). I became involved with a young writer/artist named Jason Cobley. Over the years I drew a few adventures of this character which appeared in the Small Press comic Bulldog Adventure Magazine (BAM), which ran from 1993-2005. A while back Jason published a rather spiffing collection of Bulldog stories which, I may add, is still available to purchase.  The other day I was looking for some comics to put up on this blog when I came across a pile of BAMs. Flicking through them I was quite surprised at the amount of my work that had appeared in the magazine. Most of it was not reprinted in the aforementioned book. I'm still pleased with some of the work I did and I'm debating whether to put up some of it here as part of this article. It is sorta/kinda British comics even if it's not in the traditional sense. This is my blog, but do I use it as a platform to inflict my 'art' on you? Is it a valid addition? I shall mull it over...

     

Bulldog lives on an alternative earth where humans, animals and vegetables have evolved at the same time. So, as well as the aforementioned Winston Bulldog you have walking/talking carrots and potatoes. Take this and mix in a bit of Ealing films, Battle and Warlord; The Magnificent Men in Their Flying machines, the Goons and Coronation Street. A little eccentric and quite British in character.

The Black Knight

John Stokes provides some nice line work.  Always value for money. I see a little bit of Frank Bellamy in the rendering of 'the stranger' in the final panel of page 3. From Hulk Comic, March 28th 1979.

The first part of this storyline has been reprinted in The Lion and the Spider.

Wulf the Briton

Another strip I'd love to see reprinted. From TV Express, August 27th 1960. Art by Ron Embleton.
Here's a link to some more Wulf strips. 

A Cowboy Story

Here's a Frank Bellamy oddity from Bert Fegg's Nasty Book for Boys and Girls circa 1974.

I wish someone like Titan Books would release a collection of his Heros the Spartan work.

Here's a link to the Frank Bellamy Checklist site.

The Black Sapper

Some colour Ian Kennedy art this time from 1982.
I always wondered about the Sapper's mental state. He spends his life deep underground, encased in a metal 'worm', dressed in a skintight (leather/latex?) suit. He spends a heck of a lot of time down there-in the depths. On his own. Fiddling about... Like some goateed, mutant mole, shuffling, snuffling and grubbing, down there in the dark. "It's so not natural Albert. And that Dolmann geezer is knocked in the head too. All alone, by him self-talking to them there dolls."

Ahem, moving along....

The Story of the Guards

It's interesting to look at Pat Nicolle's art. He didn't always fill shadows with pure black. He'd leave bits of white showing through. From Lion dated 5th November ("Remember, remember the 5th of November...") 1966.

The Silver Colt

I love Ian Kennedy's work. It's so clean and clear and easy to 'read'. One of my favourite artists. From Lion dated 12th June 1965.

All About Science

Some more colour Brian Lewis goodness. This is a series that appeared in All About Science magazine in 1974. Here's a link to the rest of the collection.

Janus Stark

Art by Francisco Fuentes Man from Smash dated 27th September 1969. I love the way he draws jungle scenery. I remember his Union Jack Jackson strips for Warlord.
If you can read Spanish then go to this site for more info about Spanish comic artists. Or you can try your luck with Google's translation into 'Ingrish'.

Professor Branestawm

Another slight deviation: WHeath Robinson circa 1933. Lovely stuff. Not exactly British comics: just comically British... More info here.

The Pick of Punch 1944

World War Two humour. Amazing how people find humour even in adversity. My hat goes off to those ladies and gents who lived through those times.

Fireball XL5

Balloon heads. Ron Turner's trying to draw the characters with big heads like their puppet counterparts in the TV show, but subconsciously he's fighting against it. From the Fireball XL5 annual 1967.

Jeff Hawke

Pre-digital Brian Bolland. Titan Books circa 1986.

Paddy Payne

Ah, Joe Colquhoun: your art is making the sexy time with my eyeballs.
Ahem...

Illustrations from a text story in the Lion annual 1962.

The Spellbinder

Geoff Campion art from Lion dated 22nd July 1972.

Sylvester Turville: a kind've cut-price Dumbledore, but with a hangover and dog-ends thrown in.

Space Ace

I always enjoy looking at Ron Turner's sci-fi work. His future was always SO shiny. This example is from Lone Star, 'Vol 4, No.2' which I think is from the early 1950's, but I may be wrong...

More RS here, here and me old web site here.