Reg Parlett on 'Bewitched Belinda' for Whizzer and Chips

[Raven]

I'd like to get a copy of the "Comic Art of Reg Partlett" at some stage. Saw an old (supposedly) signed copy on Abe books if anyone's after one.

I've got a signed copy of that - Golden Fun Publishing did sell signed copies of it when it came out. It's well worth getting, with lots of his work from the 1920s through to Buster in 1984 accompanied by good, informative text.

My favourites are his 70s creepy and rich vs. poor strips: Hire a Horror, Rent-a-Ghost Ltd., Harry's Haunted House, Evil Eye, Creepy Car, The Mummy's Curse, Ivor Lott and Tony Broke, etc. and these are well represented. Lots of old TV Fun/Film Fun-type stuff, too, from when he drew the strips of stars like Benny Hill, Bernard Bresslaw and Tony Hancock and Sid James.

Consternation Street is a very nice one, too, from mid-Sixties Buster.

[AndyB]

He marked his 80th birthday by being given a script to have Buster present him with a big birthday cake on the cover (front to back) of that week's Buster. The back page featured him surrounded by many of his well-known Buster characters, but, characteristically, no autograph.

I'm pretty sure Peter has it on his site.

[Peter Gray]

Here are some early sketches







all from the comic art book...a great book as well.......can't find at the moment the real comic...But heres the black and white version in full.

On my website I just show the tribute to Reg in Big comic special issue.

[Peter Gray]

a tiny bit


Joker stories also had lots of characters and depth...this made Carol and I laugh this morning.

[Matthew]

Thanks Raven, Andy and Peter. Nice to know the book comes recommended with good text and development sketches as in those scans.

I think the sketches are part of what brings a book like that to life and gives a "behind the scenes" view of the artist's working methods. Always great to see fresh, off-the-cuff drawings from a great draughtsman anyway.

[Peter Gray]

another very good story idea...

great drawing of fog...and that last creature...

[Matthew]

Reg? Shiver and Shake Annual 1985.

[AndyB]

It might be Joe McCaffrey, who drew endless piles of Mustapha Million strips, cloning Reg.

[Matthew]

Aha! The plot thickens. Lovely work anyway I think.

[tolworthy]

It might be Joe McCaffrey, who drew endless piles of Mustapha Million strips, cloning Reg.

That's a relief. I am no Parlett expert (though would happily become one!) so take this with a pinch of salt, but as soon as I saw that horse I was shocked. RP's work stands out because he NEVER (to my limited knowledge) drew a character that looked wooden, or looked the same in two frames running. That is what mere mortal artists have to do, not our Reg.

[Peter Gray]

Just like Big comic used to do heres how it all began...also the father absense is explained..
17th Nov 1979

[Peter Gray]

Its nice how the next episodes follow on...

[tolworthy]

That's really interesting. Thanks! A definite Harry Potter thing here - an ongoing story of magical folk trying to live in the muggle world. Complete with close friends and mysterious family history. I wish the dramatic, ongoing side could have been expanded.

I'd love to know who wrote which stories. These early stories seem so different to the later ones, but maybe I'm reading too much into it?

It's interesting to see the dark side of her mother, yet later we see that really she is vulnerable (short of money and unsure of herself). The mother's nasty side is interesting - maybe we dont know the whole story? Maybe her desire to live among 'normals' is a reflection of a darker side of the magical world? And I note that Belinda was a lot less kind and gentle, and less inclined to think before she acted in those early stories. Definite character development there.

It seems to me that this series had enormous potential.

[Peter Gray]

Anyone know which comic this came from...can't find my comic art of Reg Parlett at the moment..it was reprinted in Cor!!

http://petergraycartoonsandcomics.blogs ... n-cor.html

I've done a new post on Reg..showing his work from Cor!! thanks to spy for the images..

What I think
Reg Parlett must be the Dudley D.Watkins of Fleetway..he is amazing!

[Raven]

Anyone know which comic this came from...can't find my comic art of Reg Parlett at the moment..it was reprinted in Cor!!

Originally in Buster, I think.

There's lots of great Reg Parlett work in early Cor!! His full colour double page spreads of The Toffs and the Toughs in Knockout from around the same period are very nice, too.