Sunday 31 May 2015

Early Marvel work

Over on my Blimey! blog I've been posting about Marvel UK's great 1983 comic The Daredevils. As I mentioned there, it was the first comic I sold any professional work to, so I thought I'd show those early cartoons over here on my art blog.

Encouraged by Alan Moore, who was always helpful to people trying to break into the business, I sent a batch of cartoons to The Daredevils editor Bernie Jaye. Fortunately Bernie liked them, and began running them in the comic from issue 7 (July 1983). There's that first one above. Here's the rest...

From The Daredevils No.8 (August 1983)...

From The Daredevils No.9 (September 1983)... 

From The Daredevils No.10 (October 1983)...

My slot in issue 11 was replaced with an announcement saying that The Daredevils was merging into The Mighty World of Marvel. My cartoons continued in the merged comic for a few issues, albeit on an irregular basis. 

From MWOM No.8 (January 1984)...

From MWOM No.9 (February 1984)...

From MWOM No.13 (June 1984)...

From MWOM No.15 (August 1984). This one was inspired by the 'Marvel Work-In' at one of the Westminster Comic Marts around that time. The caricatures of Alan Moore and Alan Davis show why I'm a cartoonist and not a caricaturist. 

Of course, looking at them now I can see how crude my style was in those early days of my career. However I'll always be grateful to editor Bernie Jaye for giving me my first break, and to Alan Moore for the encouragement.

After that run of cartoons ended, new editor Chris Gill didn't commission any more but my work for Marvel UK continued on other comics, creating strips such as Captain Wally, Snail-Man, Robo-Capers, Macho Man, and of course Combat Colin

You can read more about The Daredevils comic here:
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/the-daredevils-1983.html

...and here:
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/the-daredevils-posters.html

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