RIP-ROARING RE-POST: NOT JUST A LETTERER... ~ Comics Live Updates

'Homage' to cover of IRON MAN #150. Hand drawn, no tracing or graph
paper or projectors involved. Characters copyright MARVEL COMICS

It's not generally known, but although I was primarily a lettering

artist throughout my 15 year career in comics, my original ambition

was to be an adventure comic strip artist. I started lettering simply

to get my size 9s in the door, but when I saw that I could earn more

as a letterer than as an artist (on account of being faster at the

former than the latter), I stuck mainly with the lettering.

However, I did a bit of drawing as well, adding to panels when

re-sizing IPC comic libraries, and doing occasional spot illos when

the opportunity presented itself. I also worked as a restoration artist

on some MARVEL MASTERWORK volumes, re-inking and even

re-creating JACK KIRBY art, which was a huge thrill for me.

However, my frank and forthright views on this blog on the

state of the British comics 'industry' (hah!) has brought me in for

criticism from some quarters, with a few disgruntled individuals dis-

missing me as "only a letterer" and a "Kirby tracer". Thing is, I got

my first paying gig as a cartoonist when I was still at school, and have

produced artwork for publication (for which I was paid) since even

before (during and after) I started freelancing for IPC/FLEET-

WAY, MARVEL COMICS (and others).

So here are a few examples of my artwork ranging from my

teenage years right up to adulthood. Quite a few are professional

pieces I was paid for, some were freebies for people I know, and the

remainder were done for my own amusement. I've shown them all

before at various times, but it can't hurt to remind people that I'm

certainly more than "only a letterer". Funny how some people

who work in comics mistakenly imagine that it's the only

legitimate outlet for an artist's work, eh?

"If you don't like a certain cartoonist's version of DESPERATE
DAN, then why not try drawing it yourself?" someone dared me.
So I did! Characters copyright D.C. THOMSON & Co., Ltd

B&W copy of colour ad for a local restaurant. I was going
to be paid £100 for it, but decided against it in the end

2000 A.D. pin-up. I was paid for it, but don't know
if it was ever published. Characters copyright
REBELLION PUBLISHING

One of the lettering samples which got me the promise of work from
IPC. Pencils by me. Characters copyright MARVEL COMICS

Set of four cartoons (sans captions) for Equestrian event programme

Cartoon illustration for local business

Acrylic ink caricature of a friend's son

Pencil caricature done as a gift for someone

Parody of AMAZING FANTASY #15 splash page

Cartoon strip for local business

Proposed strip (at the request of BOB PAYNTER) for OINK!
comic while at the preparation stage. Never got any feedback,
but a similar character appeared a few months later