Bill Ritchie

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simonmackie
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Re: Bill Ritchie

Post by simonmackie »

Reaaly gutted to hear of the passing away of this great cartoonist. He had a unique and totally sweet style. More about him here on the Beezer Blog http://thebeezersgoldenyears.blogspot.c ... -25th.html

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colcool007
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Re: Bill Ritchie

Post by colcool007 »

I am saddened to see this great artist passing. With a few pen strokes, he created characters that will stay with me until I join him in the great comic club in the sky.

Our thoughts are with his family as we know how hard it can be to lose someone.
I started to say something sensible but my parents took over my brain!

Kashgar
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Re: Bill Ritchie

Post by Kashgar »

In the current issue of D C Thomson's in-house mag 'The Argus' the front and back inside covers are devoted to photos taken at the Thomson art dept dinners held in 1960 and 1961 and Bill is prominent in both. A great comic artist in his own right and a great fan of the work of others he will be much missed. When time allows I'll try to list his early and still largely overlooked work for the Thomson boys' papers here as a small personal tribute.

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Peter Gray
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Re: Bill Ritchie

Post by Peter Gray »

I would love to see Clumsy Claude from the late 50's Beano comic.only ever seen one frame from a text story in the Beano book..

look forward to seeing your list Kashgar..

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Digifiend
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Re: Bill Ritchie

Post by Digifiend »

Peter Gray wrote:I would love to see Clumsy Claude from the late 50's Beano comic.only ever seen one frame from a text story in the Beano book..
Mention that on beanotown.com and maybe they'll offer it as a download?

AndyB
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Re: Bill Ritchie

Post by AndyB »

Bear Alley has an obit. Very good.

Raven
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Re: Bill Ritchie

Post by Raven »

Many of my favourite D. C. Thomson characters from childhood; the pages I'd turn to first and the ones I hold the most nostalgic affection for now, were so often Bill Ritchie's: Hungry Hoss, Dicky Burd, the Twitz from the Ritz ... (and Pip the penguin from Bimbo was so sweet!) I thought Barney Bulldog's front covers were always much more fun than Biffo and Korky's.

Always such charming artwork with a built-in cheer-you-up factor. I think Bill's work is very firmly and deservedly ingrained in the minds of several generations of comic fans.

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Digifiend
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Re: Bill Ritchie

Post by Digifiend »

AndyB wrote:Bear Alley has an obit. Very good.
http://bearalley.blogspot.com/2010/01/b ... -2010.html

Kashgar
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Re: Bill Ritchie

Post by Kashgar »

Bill and the Beezer

Bill was proud of the fact that he was the only comic artist to have had his work published in every issue and every related publication of the Beezer. Every weekly issue (including the combined Beezer & Topper), every annual and every summer special devoted to the comic carried an example of Bill's work.
Here is a brief list of what that work consisted of

Charlie Chick 1-33
Baby Crockett 34-1809 Beezer & Topper 1-153
Wooly West 196-218
Smiffy 577-1685
Dicky Burd 684-853 1158-1181
Hairy Dan Football Fan 854-1307
Hungry Hoss 1315-1650
Pam (Positively a Menace) 1686-1744
Scratcher 1759-1809 B&T 6

Beezer & Topper

Gnatasha 3-152
On the News 58-148
Madverts 117-123

He also did a lot of feature art and one off strips for the Beezer Books and Summer Specials.

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philcom55
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Re: Bill Ritchie

Post by philcom55 »

Here are two of Bill's longest-running characters, Toots and Haggis, dancing together in happier times on the occasion of Bunty's 1500th edition in 1986, while various past stars (including the Balloon of Doom and Flopear! ) and Thomson staffers (such as the editor giving a 'thumbs up' sign from the doorway) look on approvingly. (Offhand I can't remember if it's been posted here before)

Image

- Phil Rushton

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ISPYSHHHGUY
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Re: Bill Ritchie

Post by ISPYSHHHGUY »

can anyone on here name the caricatured Thomson staffers? I instantly recognized the sinister 'BALLOONS of DOOM' character: thanks for sharing this image, Phil.

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stevezodiac
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Re: Bill Ritchie

Post by stevezodiac »

That's one piece of news I never wanted to hear. I loved his art and looked forward to his cartoons in the Weekly News recently. He had a nice friendly style which reflected the sort of man he was. Just looking at any page of his work made you happy. Thankfully he was so prolific that we'll be seeing a lot of his work for the first time for many years to come as we enlarge our collections.

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Peter Gray
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Re: Bill Ritchie

Post by Peter Gray »

What was Charlie Chick 1-33 about?.a chicken?
UPDATE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Just looked at my first Beezer book which has a few pages missing But there it is Charlie Chick it is a baby Chick..so maybe they thought they could get more ideas and a longer run with an actual Baby..Baby Crockett..boy did that work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love the picture of The Bunty characters...I think you put it up before..But Bill did other ones like this for other Birthday issues for Bunty so it could have been another picture you put up before..

STARBOY
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Re: Bill Ritchie

Post by STARBOY »

So sorry to hear of Bill Ritchies passing, he was a giant among the artist in the golden age of UK comics with his great work on the Beezer, Sparky etc (Baby Crocket of course and the legendary Smiffy) and a massive artist in the Scottish newspaper the "Glasow Weekly News" (later the "Weekly News "aimed at a more UK wide audience but always a Glasgow paper IMHO ehre he will be fondly remembered among the general population here) - Had so much fun as a kid from his work, loved Smiffy, Baby C', Bulldog and the Moonsters - a true legend, thanks for all the great times Bill.

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Digifiend
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Re: Bill Ritchie

Post by Digifiend »

Never knew the Weekly News was originally a Glasgow paper. I always assumed it was Dundee, since that's where DCT is based.

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