WATKIN'S FINAL COMIC PAGE................

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

It is well-known that comics legend DUDLEY D. WATKINS departed this mortal coil while producing artwork at his BROUGHTY FERRY home. Equally legendary is the fact that this half-finished page was removed from his desk, and subsequently completed............which indicates that it was probably published. Whether this controversial act is viewed as either a loyal tribute or shameful using from a cut-throat industry, there can be no denying that locating this final page is of genuine interest to comics buffs................can anyone out there identify this swansong from the great artist? Most reports suggest it was a 'BIFFO' page, though other sources cite it was 'DESPERATE DAN'. The comics genius died on AUGUST 20, 1969, and apparantly, he had some assistance with his artwork [others done mechanical tasks like filling-in blacks, etc...] in his later years to increase his output...............this is a mystery hopefully someone can shed some light on.[/i]

[colcool007]

I always understood that his final page was a Broons story, but that's probably wishful thinking.

[Steve Bright]

I'm almost certain it was a Biffo. I was ten when he died, eight years before I began my working life as the junior in The Beano office. One of the first of many stories I was told by the staff was of the time the news of Dudley's death broke, and the Beano Editor arrived at the office in the morning to relay the tragic news to the staff, along the lines of, "Dudley Watkins has died at his drawing board. Who's going to ink in Biffo?"

Now, there may be an element of Chinese Whispers about that anecdote, but I saw no reason to doubt it at the time. I cannot recall if I was told the answer to the dilemma either, but I would guess that the immediate and first choice would have been David Sutherland. Whether he'd have accepted the rather macabre challenge is another matter.

Having given it occasional thought over the years when the tale of Dudley's death has arisen, my own mind on how i would have reacted to such a request has varied. Currently, I think I'd have considered it a great honour, and would have executed the task with due respect and care...and not a little nervousness.

Mind you, I've made more than a few spectacularly bad decisions in my life.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

I have been giving this subject further thought, and have come to the conclusion that only ONE person knows for sure who completed WATKIN'S final piece..........namely, the artist who undertook the task. It may well be that the person in question has sworn to secrecy [in loyalty to D. C. THOMSON].............if this is the case, we may never find out. Iam well aware that this subject is the proverbial 'hot potato', but i feel that enough water has passed under the bridge [almost four decades] and that no-one should be offended in 2007 by this matter.[/b]

[Kashgar]

I'm having to work off the top of my head here as I haven't got the issue to hand but the strip Watkins was working on when he died was actually a Desperate Dan which was tidied up and published in an issue of the Dandy in Oct 1969. I'll check out the relevant issue but from memory the strip has something to do with a fruit tree growing in Dan's garden. As far as I can remember there is very little evidence of the strip having been added to by anyone else but it is certainly the strip that was on Dudley's desk when he died as Mrs Watkins herself told me so.
When Dudley died in August 1969 Sunday Post Fun section editor Roy Paterson had the most immediate problem as, in contrast with his other regular strips, Dudley never really created a backlog of the either the Broons or Oor Wullie and Roy Paterson had only two completed sets of each in reserve. His solution was to just reprint earlier DDW work.
As for his other regular strips, Desperate Dan, Biffo, Mickey the Monkey, Ginger and Tom Thumb, all had a backlog of several month's strips to be published. Give me a couple of days and I'll check my records and give the precise details of what happened to his other regular work after he passed away.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

I sincerely appreciate your patience and obvious wide-ranging knowledge on this matter, kashgar........apart from losing the great D.D.W., Thomson also suffered the blow of the passing of DAVEY LAW in 1970, the following year............i was very young at the time, but i could tell that something was amiss at the 'BEANO' ,------some qualities were suddenly lacking, and at the age of 8 i used to yearn for 'the old days'!

[Kashgar]

I'm almost certain it was a Biffo. I was ten when he died, eight years before I began my working life as the junior in The Beano office. One of the first of many stories I was told by the staff was of the time the news of Dudley's death broke, and the Beano Editor arrived at the office in the morning to relay the tragic news to the staff, along the lines of, "Dudley Watkins has died at his drawing board. Who's going to ink in Biffo?"

Now, there may be an element of Chinese Whispers about that anecdote, but I saw no reason to doubt it at the time. I cannot recall if I was told the answer to the dilemma either, but I would guess that the immediate and first choice would have been David Sutherland. Whether he'd have accepted the rather macabre challenge is another matter.

Having given it occasional thought over the years when the tale of Dudley's death has arisen, my own mind on how i would have reacted to such a request has varied. Currently, I think I'd have considered it a great honour, and would have executed the task with due respect and care...and not a little nervousness.

Mind you, I've made more than a few spectacularly bad decisions in my life.

More than Chinese whispers I think Steve as, despite it not being on his desk at the time of his death, Dudley did indeed leave a Biffo strip unfinished when he died, although unfinished may be overstating the case a little as, if you look at the finished article, (the strip was published in Beano No 1423 (25/10/69)) the only obvious non-Watkins addition is Buster's facial expression and, from the little extra there is, I would say it is impossible to say who was drafted in to finish the job even though Dave Sutherland would be the obvious choice given that he took over drawing the Biffo strip, full time, the following week.

[keithrobson]

I can certainly remember the death of Dudley being announced in the Thomson art dept, and shortly afterwards being given a half-finished Tom Thumb page to ink in.
I also understand that Denis McLoughlin was working on a Commando when he ended his life, and that the pages were retrieved by Thomson for someone else to complete the story.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

intruiging stuff.......even a half-finished WATKINS page of artwork has some historical interest, but finishing final pages of legendary artists certainly sounds like their style!

[rossmac]

Kashgar- Just wondering if you were able to remember which Dandy it was that published DDW final (Dan) strip?? You mentioned Oct 1969, and I have a couple of issues from Oct 1969. None of them seem to feature fruit trees though, but it'd still be interesting to know if I have a Dandy with the last DDW strip in it (doesn't look like it though...second last maybe? )

And the Dan reprints that followed- from what era did they come from- was it long enough prior that people wouldn't remember them? Is there any way to tell when they were originally published, and were any re-reprinted? Also, who did new Dan strips between then and KHH taking over? I know Chrlie Grigg did quite a few, but was it just him, and were they only in the Annuals, or ever in the comic too? And do you know what date KHH started?

Can you tell I'm interested in D.Dan history?

Ross

[Kashgar]

Hi Rossmac,
Watkins last weekly Desperate Dan (the pear tree) Dandy No 1454(4/10/69)
First Ken Harrison weekly strip No 2149(29/1/83)
In the intervening 13 years (apart from 23 Charlie Grigg strips and 1 Bill Holroyd) all strips published were Watkins' reprints taken from the period 1960-1969 leading to some strips being reprinted twice within that time.