Ian Gray

[NP]

Sad to hear of the sudden death last week of Ian Gray an editor at DC Thomson until 1991-odd, who will appear on Comics Britannia tonight. He was very encouraging to me as a newcomer (as was Bob Paynter at IPC/Fleetway). Watch tonight and see what a character he was. Thanks, Smokie!

[philcom55]

I thought it was a particularly nice touch that they dedicated the programme to him.

- Phil Rushton

[Steve Bright]

Also known as 'The Loon', Ian Gray was one of the most naturally funny people I've ever met. 'Larger than life' doesn't begin to cover it. I was told the very sad news by one of the programmes other contributors, Morris Heggie, last night. Very sad indeed.

[Lew Stringer]

That's a great shame. Never met him but he came across as a great character on tonight's programme.

Lew

[Steve Bright]

I should have mentioned, Ian was the mastermind behind Plug comic for those who like to know these things (chief sub editor, Euan Kerr).

[Muffy]

Plug was a nice comic to read. Cheeky came about the same time too - though Cheeky was the more handsome of the two.

My fave story in 'Plug' was the one about the Romans and Julius ceasar in Northern Britain, where everyone wore flat caps kept whippets and had lots of Black Pudding (>yum< with fried breakfast).
Also remember Antchester United about a football team of ants. All geared for the late 1970s audience.

[philcom55]

Though most people here seem to remember him as an editor Comics Britannia described him as being chiefly a writer; does anyone know what his credits would include? I got the impression that he might have written some early Dennis the Menace strips for example. It always seems a bit unfair the way fans tend to forget the writers when remembering 'Baxendale's Bash Street Kids', 'Reid's Jonah', 'Law's Dennis', etc.

- Phil Rushton

[Steve Bright]

Though most people here seem to remember him as an editor Comics Britannia described him as being chiefly a writer; does anyone know what his credits would include? I got the impression that he might have written some early Dennis the Menace strips for example. It always seems a bit unfair the way fans tend to forget the writers when remembering 'Baxendale's Bash Street Kids', 'Reid's Jonah', 'Law's Dennis', etc.

- Phil Rushton

I guess that may have been his own choice of description, Phil, since his reign as Plug Editor was relatively short (as was Plug itself), and although editorial duties were manifold, the primary and proudest function was to write the scripts for the artists. These duties were rotated periodically, in order to bring fresh ideas to the stories, and I'd imagine Ian Gray would have been responsible for most if not all of the great Beano characters at one point or another. Sometimes a strip's 'golden era' links it with a particular writer, such as Walter Fearn (who I was delighted to see taking part in the programme) and 'Jonah', but I don't know about Ian (perhaps Mr Ed can help). I just recall him as being one of a number of unique characters within the walls of Thomson Towers who were actually more colourful than those they wrote about.

But thank you for highlighting the injustice of the anonymity of the writers, Phil. I'm sure they will appreciate that.

Going back to Plug, the comic was launched in late September, 1977, just two months after I started my working career as office junior in the Beano Office just down the corridor. It was also just one month after Elvis Presley died, and too late to halt the print run of the first few issues containing an Elvis Plugsley character. My own favourite story was Lumpy Gibbon, beautifully drawn by Bob Dewar (I apologise for not knowing who wrote it), but which also contained small parodied jungle characters in the early editions, including Bing Crosby who died in October, '77, and the one that really confirmed the jinx for me, opera singer Maria Callas (don't ask me why she was appearing in a kids' comic) who died in September, '77. All went to press in Plug a matter of days before they died.

I recall vividly, running angrily along the corridor to the Plug Office after reading in the newspaper of October 21st ('77) that half of one of my favourite rock bands, Lynyrd Skynyrd, had been killed in a plane crash in Mississippi...

Thankfully, it wasn't Plug's fault that time. But I'm feeling a little uncomfortable at the moment that Ian Gray's sudden and unexpected death occurred just days before the Comics Britannia programme was aired.

Cue the theme tune for the Twilight Zone.

[mr ed]

A bit more background about Ian 'Smokie' Gray as requested by Steve.

Ian was Chief-sub of Beano for many years during the 60s and 70s. He wrote Dennis, Bash Street and Biffo over a prolonged period and invented several other characters like The McTickles, The Nibblers and Wee Ben Nevis. His main claim to fame would be coming up with the idea for Dennis's dog Gnasher. The story goes that Ian sketched out his vision of the character and Davy Law then added his own touch of genius. Ian also came up with Gnasher's unique breed - an Abyssinnian Wire-haired Tripehound.

He was an entertainer in the Billy Connelly mould - though Ian famously once told Billy when they shared a Folk Club stage at Arbroath to 'forget the patter and stick to banjo playing.'

Smokie's bawdy parody songs were legendary and included such gems as 'The Yellow Dose That Wrecked Us' about the dangers of sexually transmitted disease...all done with a certain rustic charm that not many could get away with.

Ian's funeral is tomorrow and the massive crowd expected is a testament to the affection everyone had for him.

[AndyB]

The Roman Britain strip in Plug was called Eebagoom (or something like that), and made a successful transition to Beezer in its broadsheet days.

I never knew the name of the artist, but he also drew Hungry Horace and Thingummyblob for Sparky.

[mr ed]

Andy,

Albert Holroyd is the artist you're after.

[Lew Stringer]

Andy,

Albert Holroyd is the artist you're after.

Incidentally was he any relation to Brassneck artist Bill Holroyd (who was Ken Reid's brother-in-law I believe)?

Lew

[Steve Bright]

Andy,

Albert Holroyd is the artist you're after.

Not to be confused with the great adventure strip artist, Bill Holroyd. However, they were brothers... or cousins - I forget which. Mr Ed?

[SH]

the first Iv'e heard of this.Very sad news . I was very close to Ian while I worked up in dundee, even stayed at his country home and went to see him do stand up comedy. He really was a larger than life character. Like NP said he was very encouraging to young artists and the storys he would tell about the old days, he was there at DCT in the bax and law days so you can imagine the storys. I really liked him and only wish I'd kept in touch. not that it matters to anyone but me but a little incline to his humour, He used to call my Shammy because I was a window cleaner when I started at DCT and the name stuck , I dont think he ever once called me by real name .

Its very sad my thoughts are with his family and friends.

steve h

[Kashgar]

Bill Holroyd and Albert Holroyd were brothers. Bill being the elder and the more talented. Bill was also the brother-in-law of Ken Reid.