Comics UK

Does anyone know if Hunt has taken an extended break from his Beano duties or if he's parted ways with DC Thomson all together?

Seems like weeks since one of his strips has graced the pages of the Beano.

If it's just that he's busy with other things right now does anyone know what those other things might be? Aside from Fortean Times and Fiesta work of course...

He draws Ratz, which last appeared two weeks ago. Probably just on holiday.

Digifiend wrote:He draws Ratz, which last appeared two weeks ago.

Ratz last appeared this week but it was done by Laura Howell not Hunt.

Digifiend wrote:Probably just on holiday.

Maybe so but the last time one of his strips appeared was 8 weeks ago (No 3528, dated April 3rd).

Anyone know for sure if he's going to do any more work for the Beano?

Page 14 issue 3533 May 8th 2010 is a Hunt Emerson Ratz strip. Unsigned, but it says Ratz 151 at the bottom and Laura doesn't do that.

Digifiend wrote:Page 14 issue 3533 May 8th 2010 is a Hunt Emerson Ratz strip. Unsigned, but it says Ratz 151 at the bottom and Laura doesn't do that.

Ah, good point, making it only 3 weeks since Hunt's last strip not 8 - so more of a hiatus than an absence then hopefully...

I've a notion that Laura's current run of Minnie may be another collaboration with Hunt.

OK, seems like a good time for some record-set-straightening...

Hunt's still doing Ratz, there are about four episodes lined up at the moment that haven't been published (one of them by me, but that's still only an occasional thing). I'm not sure why their appearance has been so sporadic lately, but if you notice it's been the same with Johnny Bean. I guess it's the fact that there isn't room for all the rotating strips to appear in any one issue, and Freddie Fear, Super School etc have been at the fore recently. It seems to go in cycles.

Andy, Hunt's had nothing whatsoever to do with the two Minnie episodes I've done!

Rory, as to what Hunt's been doing lately, he's involved (as a consultant/tutor, not actually drawing or writing) with an ambitious social-awareness comic project in Kenya called Shuujaz FM. Check it out (although only some of it is in English):

http://www.shujaaz.fm

Cheers for that Laura, very glad Hunt's still producing work for the Beano. Had a look at the Shuujaz FM site, interesting stuff. Not much in English as you say but (likely thanks to Hunt's expert guidance) it doesn't matter - the pictures tell the stories perfectly. I shouldn't be surprised given that he's produced at least one comic that I know of that has no dialogue in it whatsoever! A "silent comic" so to speak...

Sorry, Laura, got confused by the HE in the corner of one of them!

AndyB wrote:Sorry, Laura, got confused by the HE in the corner of one of them!

Errr... really?? I don't think there is!

AndyB wrote:Sorry, Laura, got confused by the HE in the corner of one of them!

It's LH, not HE. I think you must've been reading it upside down.

Rory, I assume you're a subscriber, and was referring to the issue which came out in the shops today (with the Ratman storyline) - hence my mention of Ratz last appearing two (now three) weeks ago instead of this week.

Still think the tail on the H makes it look like HE... sorry...

Digifiend wrote:Rory, I assume you're a subscriber, and was referring to the issue which came out in the shops today (with the Ratman storyline)

Yup.

I hate to think how many issues have passed now since the last strip Hunt did for the Beano. Does anyone know if he's on an extended break from the mag? He's still working for Fortean Times, but I miss my weekly fix of Emerson-fuelled Beano-style insanity.

Well Ratz seems to have got the axe, and I get the feeling Hunt was squeezed out in favour of newer talent. It's unfortunate, but there's only so many pages in the comic!