Comics UK

But do you know if Lew Stringer, a very good comic artist, works for DC Thomson nowadays? He draws three strips, Super School, Postman Prat and Kid Cops. It says on wikipedia he's a freelancer. This seem's out of date information.

You answered your own question.

Yes, Lew does still draw for D.C. Thomson. I think freelance means he works from home and draws for multiple publishers (he also draws for Toxic and Viz amongst others), rather than having a job as a staff artist with just one. There used to be more staff artists, but I'm not sure if there are any active staff artists at D.C.T. now - Jimmy Glen and Dave Gudgeon are the last two I'm aware of.

Jonny Whizz wrote:Yes, Lew does still draw for D.C. Thomson. I think freelance means he works from home and draws for multiple publishers (he also draws for Toxic and Viz amongst others), rather than having a job as a staff artist with just one. There used to be more staff artists, but I'm not sure if there are any active staff artists at D.C.T. now - Jimmy Glen and Dave Gudgeon are the last two I'm aware of.

I know he draws for them, but i was asking does he get paid But, thanks all the same!

yanobandy wrote:

Jonny Whizz wrote:Yes, Lew does still draw for D.C. Thomson. I think freelance means he works from home and draws for multiple publishers (he also draws for Toxic and Viz amongst others), rather than having a job as a staff artist with just one. There used to be more staff artists, but I'm not sure if there are any active staff artists at D.C.T. now - Jimmy Glen and Dave Gudgeon are the last two I'm aware of.

I know he draws for them, but i was asking does he get paid But, thanks all the same!

Yes, everyone who contributes to mainstream comics are paid for their work. It's how we make a living. Freelance means being free to work for whoever we choose to. It's like being a paid assassin but with pens instead of guns.

I've always been freelance, for 28 years. I don't think any of the current Dandy/Beano artists are on staff these days.

Hope that helps. For more info, see my website at http://www.lewstringer.com

If my earlier reply seems a bit odd, it's because when I posted it, the bit about being freelance wasn't there (my post is a minute before his edit), so it looked to me like he was simply asking "does he work for DC Thomson" despite mentioning three strips which are in publications currently on sale (Postman Prat in Dandy, Kid Cops in Dandy Annual, and Super School in BeanoMAX), which meant that he already knew the answer was yes. yanobandy's post makes more sense now.

Lew Stringer wrote:Yes, everyone who contributes to mainstream comics are paid for their work. It's how we make a living.

Well, some lucky artists make a living...lesser talents also have a day job to support the doodling...

Jonny Whizz wrote:There used to be more staff artists, but I'm not sure if there are any active staff artists at D.C.T. now - Jimmy Glen and Dave Gudgeon are the last two I'm aware of.

Isn't David Sutherland still a staff artist, or has he gone freelance? I haven't seen his work outside of DC Thomson comics, but then again I rarely buy non-DC Thomson comics.

I stand to be corrected, but while Dave may have been a staff artist in the past for all I know, he is in his late 70s and certainly is not staff now

I don't know whether DCT still employ any staff artists at all, or simply get everything done by freelancers, including pocket cartoons etc. I suspect the latter.

With regard to taking out feature pages from the Dandy and replacing them with new strips, yes, of course this would be a wonderful thing. However, as I have pointed out many times before, budgets are tight and if they could afford to buy more original artwork, they would already be doing it.

I've just thought of something. Dave didn't sign his work until a few years ago. I wouldn't be surprised if he started using his DS signature when he became a part-time freelancer instead of a full-time staff artist.

Right, i've taken two Dandys, this week's one, and issue 3233 from November 2003. I'm looking through all of the pages in each issue and see which old ones and new ones should stay in the comic. This week;s cover v Old cover Old cover (just!) Jokes v Bad Max Bad Max Contents v Bad Max Bad Max Harry Hill v Dandy days in beanotown Harry Hill Mr Meecher v Dandy Days in beanotown Mr Meecher George vs Dragon v Dandy days in beanotown (again!) George vs Dragon Celeb Page v DDIB DDIB Shorts v DDIB DDIB Pre-skool Prime-minister v Advert Pre-skool prime minister Competition v Advert Advert (just!) Rocky's Horror Show v Ollie Fliptrik Ollie Fliptrik RHS v Advert Advert Bananaman v Ollie Fliptrik Bananaman Bananaman v Advert Bananaman My Own Genie v Dandy Club Dandy Club Puzzle v Blinky Blinky Shorts v Blinky Shorts Mailbag v Advert Advert Korky v Advert Korky Advert v Cuddles and Dimples Advert Postman Prat v Cuddles and Dimples Postman PratAdvert v Cuddles and Dimples Advert The Bogies v Advert The Bogies Advert v Winker Watson Winker Watson Nuke Noodle v Winker Watson Nuke Noodle Puzzle v Pinky's Crackpot Circus Puzzle Shorts v Advert Advert Desperate Dan v Eddie Potter Desperate Dan Next week v Eddie Potter EP Celebrix v Advert Celebrix. So: Old Cover Bad Max Bad Max Harry Hill Mr Meecher George vs Dragon DDIB Pre-skool Prime minister Advert Korky Cuddles and Dimples CAD CAD The Bogies Winker Watson Nuke Noodle Puzzle Advert Desperate Dan Eddie Potter Celebrix. I'm going to write that down. No i'm not going to write that down, because for some stupid reason i didnt put some strips down im going to flipping cry ah well maybee l8er!

yanobandy wrote:Right, i've taken two Dandys, this week's one, and issue 3233 from November 2003. I'm looking through all of the pages in each issue and see which old ones and new ones should stay in the comic. This week;s cover v Old cover Old cover (just!) Jokes v Bad Max Bad Max Contents v Bad Max Bad...

This forum isn't as readable as it once was...I keep clicking on 'view new posts' and finding half a dozen resurrected by yanobandy with a pointless comment attached.

Exercise a little restraint, yanob...

-MikeD- wrote:

yanobandy wrote:Right, i've taken two Dandys, this week's one, and issue 3233 from November 2003. I'm looking through all of the pages in each issue and see which old ones and new ones should stay in the comic. This week;s cover v Old cover Old cover (just!) Jokes v Bad Max Bad Max Contents v Bad Max Bad...

This forum isn't as readable as it once was...I keep clicking on 'view new posts' and finding half a dozen resurrected by yanobandy with a pointless comment attached.

Exercise a little restraint, yanob...

That's no way to go around things, you should tell me what strips should stay and should go out of the dandy.

-MikeD- wrote:Exercise a little restraint, yanob...

Yeah, 0 to 60 in.........well, faster than a Lamborghini or a Ferrari anyway. And at those speeds you don't get much time to think of anything substantial to say either!!

TRANSLATION OF YANOBANDY'S ORIGINAL POST:

This week's cover v Old cover - Old cover (just!)
Jokes v Bad Max - Bad Max
Contents v Bad Max - Bad Max
Harry Hill v Dandy Days in Beanotown - Harry Hill
Mr Meecher v Dandy Days in Beanotown - Mr Meecher
George vs Dragon v Dandy Days in Beanotown - George vs Dragon
Celeb Page v Dandy Days in Beanotown - Dandy Days in Beanotown
Shorts v Dandy Days in Beanotown - Shorts #1
Pre-Skool Prime Minister v Advert - Pre-Skool Prime Minister
Competition v Advert - Advert (just!)
Rocky's Horror Show v Ollie Fliptrik - Ollie Fliptrik
Rocky's Horror Show v Ollie Fliptrik- Ollie Fliptrik
Bananaman v Advert - Bananaman
Bananaman v Advert - Bananaman
My Own Genie v Dandy Club - Dandy Club
Puzzle v Blinky - Blinky
Shorts v Blinky - Shorts #2
Mailbag v Advert - Advert
Korky v Advert - Korky
Advert v Cuddles and Dimples - Cuddles and Dimples
Postman Prat v Cuddles and Dimples - Cuddles and Dimples (aw, pity!)
Advert v Cuddles and Dimples - Cuddles and Dimples
The Bogies v Advert - The Bogies
Advert v Winker Watson - Winker Watson
Nuke Noodle v Winker Watson - Nuke Noodle
Puzzle v Pinky's Crackpot Circus - Puzzle
Shorts v Advert - Advert
Desperate Dan v Eddie Potter - Desperate Dan
Next Week v Eddie Potter - Eddie Potter
Celebrix v Advert - Celebrix

Yanobandy's preferred contents is...

PG 1: Old Cover
PG 2: Bad Max - Steve Bright
PG 4: Harry Hill's Real Life Adventures in TV Land - Nigel Parkinson
PG 6: Mr Meecher, the Uncool Teacher - Will Dawbarn
PG 7: George VS Dragon - Andy Fanton
PG 8: Dandy Days in Beanotown - Steve Bright
PG 9: Shorts #1 - Karl Dixon, Paul Palmer, Stu Munro, Nick Brennan
PG 10: Pre-Skool Prime Minister - Jamie Smart
PG 11: Advert
PG 12: Ollie Fliptrik - Karl Dixon
PG 14: Bananaman - Wayne Thompson
PG 16: Dandy Club
PG 18: Blinky - Nick Brennan
PG 19: Shorts #2 - Karl Dixon, Wayne Thompson, Andy Fanton, Steve Beckett
PG 20: Advert
PG 21: Korky the Cat - Phil Corbett
PG 22: Cuddles and Dimples - Barrie Appleby
PG 25: The Bogies - Nigel Auchterlounie
PG 26: Winker Watson - Terry Bave/Stephen White (Whoever drew it in that particular issue)
PG 27: Nuke Noodle - Alexander Matthews
PG 28: Puzzle - Nik Holmes
PG 29: Advert
PG 30: Desperate Dan - Jamie Smart
PG 31: Eddie Potter/Strange Hill School - David Mostyn
PG 32: Back Page: Celebrix - Nik Holmes

Not done to be mean, but just so people can understand. Make sure you put a new page on a new line to prevent confusion.

_________________________________________________________________

If I were to pick my own version out of the two issues content, here's my answer:

This week's cover v Old cover - This Week's cover
Jokes v Bad Max - Bad Max
Contents v Bad Max - Contents
Harry Hill v Dandy Days in Beanotown - Dandy Days in Beanotown
Mr Meecher v Dandy Days in Beanotown - Mr Meecher
George vs Dragon v Dandy Days in Beanotown - George vs Dragon
Celeb Page v Dandy Days in Beanotown - Dandy Days in Beantown
Shorts v Dandy Days in Beanotown - Shorts #1
Pre-Skool Prime Minister v Advert - Pre-Skool Prime Minister
Competition v Advert - Competition
Rocky's Horror Show v Ollie Fliptrik - Rocky's Horror Show
Rocky's Horror Show v Ollie Fliptrik- Ollie Fliptrik
Bananaman v Advert - Bananaman
Bananaman v Advert - Bananaman
My Own Genie v Dandy Club - My Own Genie
Puzzle v Blinky - Blinky
Shorts v Blinky - Shorts #2
Mailbag v Advert - Mailbag
Korky v Advert - Korky
Advert v Cuddles and Dimples - Cuddles and Dimples (I doubt a 1 page C&D would be possible! But still.)
Postman Prat v Cuddles and Dimples - Postman Prat
Advert v Cuddles and Dimples - Advert
The Bogies v Advert - The Bogies
Advert v Winker Watson - Winker Watson
Nuke Noodle v Winker Watson - Nuke Noodle
Puzzle v Pinky's Crackpot Circus - Pinky's Crackpot Circus
Shorts v Advert - Shorts #3
Desperate Dan v Eddie Potter - Desperate Dan
Next Week v Eddie Potter - Next Week
Celebrix v Advert - Celebrix

My preferred version:

PG 1: This week's cover
PG 2: Bad Max - Steve Bright
PG 3: Contents
PG 4: Dandy Days in Beanotown - Steve Bright
PG 6: Mr Meecher, the Uncool Teacher - Will Dawbarn
PG 7: George VS Dragon - Andy Fanton
PG 8: Dandy Days in Beanotown - Steve Bright (This won't work here seperated from the rest of the strip, but oh well! Better than celebs!)
PG 9: Shorts #1 - Karl Dixon, Paul Palmer, Stu Munro, Nick Brennan
PG 10: Pre-Skool Prime Minister - Jamie Smart
PG 11: Competition
PG 12: Rocky's Horror Show - Will Dawbarn
PG 13: Ollie Fliptrick - Karl Dixon
PG 14: Bananaman - Wayne Thompson
PG 16: My Own Genie - Jamie Smart
PG 18: Blinky - Nick Brennan
PG 19: Shorts #2 - Karl Dixon, Wayne Thompson, Andy Fanton, Steve Beckett
PG 20: Mailbag
PG 21: Korky the Cat - Phil Corbett
PG 22: Cuddles and Dimples - Barrie Appleby
PG 23: Postman Prat - Lew Stringer
PG 24: Advert
PG 25: The Bogies - Nigel Auchterlounie
PG 26: Winker Watson (Whoever drew it in that particular issue)
PG 27: Nuke Noodle - Alexander Matthews
PG 28: Pinky's Crackpot Circus - Nick Brennan
PG 29: Shorts #3 - Karl Dixon, Nigel Auchterlounie, Nik Holmes, Garry Davies
PG 30: Desperate Dan - Jamie Smart
PG 31: Next Week
PG 32: Celebrix - Nik Holmes