Best artists for Beano characters

[Jonny Whizz]

I thought it would be interesting to see which artists you thought were the best for different Beano characters (at least the ones that have had more than one artist!). I'd also be interested to hear which ones you thought were the worst (if any).

[AndyB]

Running through all the ones I can remember having multiple artists (including irregular ghosts)

Dennis - David Sutherland in 1980s mode (before he was shrunk), and if it has to be the 1990s style Dennis, David Parkin, who made him look best.

Minnie - Jim Petrie in 1970s/80s mode (he substantially simplified when it went colour - remember his multiple tongues?)

Billy and Ball Boy - Malcolm Judge

Roger - Bob Nixon in 1980s mode

Ivy - Bob Nixon

Gnasher and Gnipper - David Sutherland

Bash Street Kids - David Sutherland in his 1970s/80s heyday (notice a theme here?)

Little Plum and Baby Face - Ron Spencer

Nibblers - I'm pretty sure Ron Spencer ghosted John Sherwood a few times - so Ron

Tom Dick and Sally - Keith Reynolds

Biffo - Sid Burgon. Unparalleled.

Fred's Bed - Tom Paterson

Les Pretend - Laura Howell

Ratz - either Laura or Hunt, there's so little to choose between them.

The Germs - could go either way between Vic Neill and Dave Sutherland.

Lord Snooty (the First) and Grandpa - again, could go either way between Bob Nixon and Jimmy Glen. Jimmy was drawing both full time in the late 70s and early 80s.

Calamity James - I'm pretty sure that Tom was ghosted a number of times, and it just wasn't the same, so the incomparable Mr Paterson

Sorry there's no mentions for Nigel and Steve You'll notice I've tended towards the artists and styles of the late 70s/early 80s, with the obvious exceptions of Bob on Roger and Sid Burgon on Biffo. Tom would have got more mentions for his work on Dennis and the Kids if it hadn't been for David Sutherland.

[Peter Gray]

I like Jim's minnie the minx in that period as well..
also David Sutherlands Bash Street kids and Dennis..

I've heard Leo Baxendale and Davy Law were also good..

I like every artist...very hard to choose..

I like the Malcolm Judge Billy Whizz period when it was a title panel of a spinning top..

I like off topic Brian Walkers Smasher best in The Dandy..

as said it is too difficult...I like different artist at different times...

[Digifiend]

I like off topic Brian Walkers Smasher best in The Dandy..

That'll be on topic at the new thread I just started: http://www.comicsuk.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... f=8&t=3033

[Jonny Whizz]

Restricting myself to artists from my time (the earliest issue I have is 2896 from 1998), these are my favourites:

Dennis - Nigel Parkinson (old style) (I've always liked his version)

Minnie - Jim Petrie (though Tom's, Laura's and Ken's takes have all been good)

Roger - Bob Nixon (one of my favourite artists)

Ivy - Bob Nixon

Billy - Vic Neill

Ball Boy - Tom Paterson (he drew a few in 2006)

Calamity James - Tom Paterson (has to be)

The Three Bears - Mike Pearse

Fred's Bed - Tom Paterson (both as reprints and new strips)

Les Pretend - John Sherwood

Ratz - Laura's style is very close to Hunt's so I call this one a draw.

Tim Traveller - Vic Neill

I'm not surprised that Andy has mainly picked versions of the characters from the late '70s/early '80s - this was a great period for the Beano, with a settled line up and many very good strips and artists.

[AndyB]

And much as I like Mike Pearse's style, The Three Bears has to be Bob McGrath!

We'll always tend towards the artists when we first started reading them, unless they are surpassed.

[ComicCrazy]

Running through all the ones I can remember having multiple artists (including irregular ghosts)

Dennis - David Sutherland in 1980s mode (before he was shrunk), and if it has to be the 1990s style Dennis, David Parkin, who made him look best.

Minnie - Jim Petrie in 1970s/80s mode (he substantially simplified when it went colour - remember his multiple tongues?)

Billy and Ball Boy - Malcolm Judge

Roger - Bob Nixon in 1980s mode

Ivy - Bob Nixon

Gnasher and Gnipper - David Sutherland

Bash Street Kids - David Sutherland in his 1970s/80s heyday (notice a theme here?)

Little Plum and Baby Face - Ron Spencer

Nibblers - I'm pretty sure Ron Spencer ghosted John Sherwood a few times - so Ron

Tom Dick and Sally - Keith Reynolds

Biffo - Sid Burgon. Unparalleled.

Fred's Bed - Tom Paterson

Les Pretend - Laura Howell

Ratz - either Laura or Hunt, there's so little to choose between them.

The Germs - could go either way between Vic Neill and Dave Sutherland.

Lord Snooty (the First) and Grandpa - again, could go either way between Bob Nixon and Jimmy Glen. Jimmy was drawing both full time in the late 70s and early 80s.

Calamity James - I'm pretty sure that Tom was ghosted a number of times, and it just wasn't the same, so the incomparable Mr Paterson

Sorry there's no mentions for Nigel and Steve You'll notice I've tended towards the artists and styles of the late 70s/early 80s, with the obvious exceptions of Bob on Roger and Sid Burgon on Biffo. Tom would have got more mentions for his work on Dennis and the Kids if it hadn't been for David Sutherland.

Mines about the same.

[Digifiend]

Ratz - Laura's style is very close to Hunt's so I call this one a draw.

Not surprising. The reason the styles are so similar is because they when Hunt was the artist, a lot of the time it was Laura's inking (all but the first two months in fact, if the dates on Wikipedia are correct). I even thought Laura's first one was drawn by Hunt at first, because of the HE she still puts on the strips (the ones that were drawn by Hunt tend to have both his and Laura's full signatures).

My list:
Dennis: Dave Sutherland's 80s strips, with Tom's pre-3498 style a close second.
Minnie: Ken Harrison is doing a good job of this right now. I actually find Jim Petrie's version better in the annuals than in the comic, but most of the ones I've seen are from the colour era.
Roger: Bob Nixon or Barrie Appleby
Bash Street: DS, no question.
Ratz: tied between both artists.
Ball Boy: Dave Eastbury
Billy Whizz: Trevor Metcalfe (both versions)
Little Plum: Ron Spencer
Fred's Bed: Hunt Emerson
Biffo: Dave Sutherland

[Jonny Whizz]

My all time list:

Dennis - David Sutherland (1980s), followed by NP and David Parkins
Minnie - Jim Petrie (very close, could have been Leo Baxendale or Ken Harrison)
Bash Street - David Sutherland
Roger - Bob Nixon (80s/90s) (tough on Ken Reid perhaps, but Jonah was probably his best Beano work)
Lord Snooty - Bob Nixon
Biffo - Dudley Watkins (honourable mention for Sid Burgon)
Billy - Vic Neill, followed by Mal Judge
Little Plum - Leo Baxendale, but I really liked Hunt Emerson's as well
The Three Bears - Bob McGrath
Ball Boy - Mal Judge
Ivy - Bob Nixon
Gnasher and Gnipper - David Sutherland
Grandpa - Bob Nixon
Baby Face - Ron Spencer
Pansy Potter - Hugh McNeill
Les Pretend - John Sherwood
Calamity James - Tom Paterson
Tim Traveller - Vic Neill
The Germs - Vic Neill
Fred's Bed - Tom Paterson
Ratz - draw between Hunt and Laura

I'm not that familiar with The Nibblers, and I've never seen Tom, Dick and Sally.

[Digifiend]

You didn't buy The Observer with the fascimile Beano 2000 last Sunday then? Tom Dick and Sally were in it. Sally was in it twice in fact, she guested on Baby Face Finlayson's page.

Oh my god! I just Googled it, turns out theres a gay/lesbian dating website at tomdickandsally.com!

[Old Freddy]

My list is:

For Bash Street: Dave sutherland 70's and 80's (Later on, his style began to get more scratchy)

Fred's Bed: Tom Paterson Pre-2009

Dennis the Menace: 1980's version. (I've actually noticed something- in the first week of march 1993, Dave sutherland was drawing dennis in a hybrid of his 1980's look and 1990's look, then the following week his 1990's look was finalised, but then in the next issue, Dennis had his 1980's look again!!!)

Minnie the minx- Jim petrie 70's-80's.

Little Plum- Ron Spencer 70's-80's

Roger the Dodger- Bob Nixon 1980's

Billy Whizz- Vic Niell 1993-1995

Les Pretend- John Sherwood all the way!

The Numskulls- Tom Paterson

[Jonny Whizz]

I agree with you about Vic Neill for Billy, but why the years 1993-1995 especially?

I think Tom Paterson was the best Beano artist for The Numskulls as well, I forgot to mention them on my list.

[Old Freddy]

I chose 1993-1995 because after that, while his style was still very good, I think his billy was often being drawn so that he wasn't going very fast, but before then, the strips had a little more life, and I think that since the colours weren't as bright, it wasn't as if the colour, which was applied to billy whizz while Niell was drawing the strip, was being used carelessly. I think in later years the colour was a bit too bright, and got even brighter when G. hall took over. However, Vic Neill was definitely one of the best billy whizz artists, from when he started drawing him in 1992 to his death in 2000.

I liked Tom paterson's Numskulls because he seemed to be developing a hybrid of his classic style and his Leo baxendale-esque style. He was also doing this on Fiddle O' Diddle in the Dandy. When I say his classic style, I mean the style he used for School Belle from School Fun and Buster in the 1980's.

[Jonny Whizz]

I said that you could do your worst list of artists - here's mine: (not for all characterss, just the ones that have had bad artists)

Dennis - The new version, 3498 and on (drawn by any artist - apologies to NP!)

Minnie - There was a fill in artist a few years back I didn't like, but I don't know his name (wasn't Leslie Reavey).

Roger - Tom Lavery.

Billy - G Hall (enough said).

Ivy - Barrie Appleby; he's drawn a couple, but they weren't that great.

Ball Boy - Again a ghost artist from a few years ago whose name escapes me (about 2003-2004).

Not a very complete list, but they're the ones that immediately spring to my mind.

[Old Freddy]

My least favourites would be:

Dennis: Barrie Appleby (Why why WHY did they use him to do the Dennis promo pictures? Surely Dave S or David P could have done them instead! Barrie Appleby's Dennis is seen on all dennis merchandise and I see his Dennis so much I want to get an AK47 and shoot him!!!!)

Roger: Tom lavery; he tried to copy Nixon but his draughtsmanship was rather poor compared with most Roger artists. I like some of his other stuff though, like Fred the flop from Buzz.

Minnie: I wasn't really a fan of Baxendale's early Minnie where he made her far too lanky.

Billy Whizz: G. Hall; who else?!

Lord Snooty: Ken Harrison; I think Snooty lived up to his name too much when Ken drew him.

Les Pretend: Trevor Metcalfe; I really like Trevor Metcalfe, but this was around the time where he started using a wacom tablet and his work started looking a little bland for my taste. Plus, the stories became less funny after John Sherwood died.

Numskulls: Barry Glennard; I don't mind Barry Glennard, and when he first took over drawing the Numskulls in 2000 he was drawing it fairly well, but by the time he had become the full-time artist his work didn't seem as good to me. In 2006 his work had gone even more down, with Edd having a spherical head (For a while I nicknamed him Football Edd) and Brainy's head had become an upside down cone shape. By 2008 his work was better.

Ivy the Terrible: Barrie Appleby. Like snooty, when Barrie appleby occaisionally stood in for Bob Nixon Ivy lived up to her name too much (in other words, Barrie Appleby's Ivy was quite terrible!)

Ball Boy: Tom Paterson. His style didn't work on Ball Boy. By this time his work had become more tasteless and what's worse, he gave Titch eyes!