Comics UK

Same idea as what Jonny Whizz posted in the Beano sub-forum. Which artists do you think were the best for different Dandy characters (the ones with multiple artists anyway)? And which were the worst (if any).

I don't bother with the Dandy anymore but from memory...

Desperate Dan - I prefer Ken Harrison to Dudley Watkins. Much easier on the eye, always easy to follow and my kids prefer Ken Harrison to Watkins as well which is probably more important. Heresy perhaps, but it's the way we feel. I can't stand the current version of Dan.
Korky the Cat - I never liked any version of Korky really but my daughter liked Robert Nixon's Korky, especially when he had nephews. I's probably go for Charles Grigg's original version.
Bananaman - John Geering, especially in the Nutty. I liked Steve Bright's work on it as well. What little I've seen of the current Bananaman (don't know who's drawing it) I don't like at all.
Cuddles & Dimples - Nigel Parkinson.
Winker Watson - Eric Roberts. Steven White looked like he could have been excellent but his style and quality varied from week to week.
Jak - David Sutherland's version was far more interesting and fun than the current version. Did somebody do it before David Sutherland? I can't remember.
Beryl the Peril - Robert Nixon. Steve Bright's work in David Law's style was good too. But I loathed Karl Dixon's Beryl.

No doubt I've forgotten lots.

Jimmy Hansen did Jak Mk1. I prefer Wayne Thompson.

Dan - Ken, 1990s version (after he settled - basically up to and including the Little Bear era), with Charlie Grigg as an alternate.

Korky - Charles Grigg or Bob Nixon, not sure which

Beryl - John Dallas (even though John's version never appeared in the Dandy)

Blinky - Nick Brennan (in preference to the original young Blinky by George Martin et al)

Winker Watson - Eric Roberts

Dirty Dick - Eric Roberts

Bananaman - John Geering. Both Steve and Tom Paterson did versions very pleasing to the eye and true to the original style.

Cuddles and Dimples - Barrie Appleby

Bully Beef - Jimmy Hughes

Smasher - Hugh Morren towards the end of his career - the 1980s strips are a lot more rounded than the 1950s and 1960s. Brian Walker was very good, though!

Keyhole Kate - Sid Burgon

Can't comment on the Jocks and the Geordies, because I haven't seen Steve's version yet!

RamblingSid wrote:Korky the Cat - I never liked any version of Korky really but my daughter liked Robert Nixon's Korky, especially when he had nephews. I's probably go for Charles Grigg's original version.
Bananaman - John Geering, especially in the Nutty. I liked Steve Bright's work on it as well. What little I've seen of the current Bananaman (don't know who's drawing it) I don't like at all.

James Crighton drew Korky before Grigg. Bananaman's current artist is Chris McGhie.

My own list:
Korky - Robert Nixon
Desperate Dan - Ken Harrison
Winker Watson - Eric Roberts, the only others to do it as good are Terry Bave and Ken Harrison (who aped Eric's style perfectly in the 2009 annual).
Jak - Wayne Thompson, DS was OK, I don't like the first version at all.
Beryl - Bob Nixon
Bananaman - has to be John Geering. Dandy era, I've not seen enough of his Nutty work, especially from before the TV show.

AndyB wrote:Can't comment on the Jocks and the Geordies, because I haven't seen Steve's version yet!

I thought they only ever had one artist?

I'd say (from someone who's seen most (though not all!) of his Dandy strips in Classics from the Comics):

Desperate Dan - Dudley Watkins

Bananaman - John Geering

Korky - Bob Nixon

Beryl - not strictly Dandy, but I think John Dallas' version was best

For most of the other strips I'm only really familiar with one artist's version, for example Wayne Thompson's Jak and NP's Cuddles and Dimples. I think it's a bit harder doing it for the Dandy than the Beano, which has had more long running strips that have inevitably led to artist changes. Many Dandy strips, even ones that are well remembered, had relatively short runs in the comic.

Sweeny Toddler has to be Tom Paterson he really owns that character..
Odd Ball Terry Bave
Frankie Stein Robert Nixon that will wind people up..But Robert did a great job on the character in Whoopee.worth looking at again..
Gums I like John Geerings version..

I think we all like artists from our childhood..I'm sure if I saw more comics from the 60's if I could afford it...I'd have a more balanced view..
But give Roberts Frankie a chance thats all

I did like The Beano stars having there own page numbers...
early 80's.....wasn't keen on mixing up the characters myself..

Peter Gray wrote:Sweeny Toddler has to be Tom Paterson he really owns that character..
Odd Ball Terry Bave
Frankie Stein Robert Nixon that will wind people up..But Robert did a great job on the character in Whoopee.worth looking at again..
Gums I like John Geerings version..

I think we all like artists from our childhood..I'm sure if I saw more comics from the 60's if I could afford it...I'd have a more balanced view..
But give Roberts Frankie a chance thats all

I did like The Beano stars having there own page numbers...
early 80's.....wasn't keen on mixing up the characters myself..

This is the Dandy forum. I meant Dandy characters.

Digifiend wrote:

AndyB wrote:Can't comment on the Jocks and the Geordies, because I haven't seen Steve's version yet!

I thought they only ever had one artist?

In the normal run, that was perfectly true, but I read here that Steve Bright did a one-off ghosting Jimmy Hughes some years ago to mark something or other.

Desperate Dan: I'd Say either Dudley Watkins or Charlie Grigg (although the latter never did it in the weekly)

Korky: Charlie Grigg

Bananaman: John Geering. Steve Brights was OK, C. McGhie is 50/50, while I hated Tom Paterson's.

Cuddles & Dimples- Barrie Appleby

Bully Beef & Chips- Sid Burgon

Winker Watson- Terry Bave; Eric Roberts comes a very close second while Steven White's is just plain crap

Hyde & Shriek- Tom paterson 1992-3

Growing Paynes- Trevor Metcalfe (Steve bright did some very good stand-in work though)

I like Ken Reid's and Robert nixons Frankie Stein..after looking again at one at Lews blog..

I got it wrong I'd thought it was on the main discussions forum..not The Dandy..sorry..

Here's my two-penneth:

Desperate Dan: Dudley Watkins. Though I did like Ken Harrison's version (especially Little Bear ), it was all the details that Dudley put into the strip that clinches it for me.

Korky the Cat: Charles Grigg. To me, it is the definitive Korky artist (and I loved Bamforth Post Cards too). Saying that, the artist who drew him in the last Summer Special (and who drew Banaman in this fortnight's issue) is good.

Winker Watson: Eric Roberts. Didn't he play the Master in the 1996 Doctor Who movie?

Bully Beef and Chips: Jimmy Hughes (pre-Beefy Haircut). Excuse my ignorance but is he the same artist who drew the Jocks and the Georgies?

Cuddles and Dimples: Nigel Parkinson. I am in love with the mother. (Hmmm! Little Bear and C&D's mum. Does that make me a bit of a letch?)

Bananaman: John Geering.

Brassneck: Bill Holroyd.

Saying all that, I did like how DCT were not scared to give their characters to other artists to draw in their own styles (e.g. Desperate Dan).

SID wrote:Winker Watson: Eric Roberts. Didn't he play the Master in the 1996 Doctor Who movie?

Bully Beef and Chips: Jimmy Hughes (pre-Beefy Haircut). Excuse my ignorance but is he the same artist who drew the Jocks and the Georgies?

Good one, the DW reference. AndyB already said in this thread that Jimmy Hughes did draw the Jocks and the Geordies.

Digifiend wrote:

SID wrote:Winker Watson: Eric Roberts. Didn't he play the Master in the 1996 Doctor Who movie?

Bully Beef and Chips: Jimmy Hughes (pre-Beefy Haircut). Excuse my ignorance but is he the same artist who drew the Jocks and the Georgies?

Good one, the DW reference. AndyB already said in this thread that Jimmy Hughes did draw the Jocks and the Geordies.

My Goof as I also did a little research and then forgot to remove the statement.

What about Corporal Clott? Who drew it in the 60s and 70s? Looks like the Dennis artist, very nice style. it always made me laugh when the Colonel was stretchered off most weeks.

stevezodiac wrote:What about Corporal Clott? Who drew it in the 60s and 70s? Looks like the Dennis artist, very nice style. it always made me laugh when the Colonel was stretchered off most weeks.

Yes Davy Law drew it in the Sixties, and after he died Jimmy Hughes took over.

Lew