Comics UK

When I viewed the recent (highly entertaining) full strip about the island folk who spared the blushes of the home country, I noticed that from the 5th June 1971 issue the art changed. From the heavy lines and depth of image (a bit of the Spanish school?), we now had the rather odd art of the DC Thomson football strips like "Gorgeous Gus" and "Wee Bandy".

Firstly, I thought that DC Thomson artists were generally faithful to their employer (so why therefore move over to IPC); and second, why such an obvious change?

Does someone know the inside story?

Also, having read these DC Thomson football strips in Victor in the 60s, I am very curious about the illustrator who produced this quirky art!

The artist in question was Bert Vandeput. He was very much the D C Thomson football artist of the 1960's and early 1970's but he was a freelance and his work did turn up elsewhere. In fact before he did any work for Thomsons he drew a good few strips for 'Tiger'in the 1950's including a decent run as the 'Roy of the Rovers' artist. He also drew part of the sci-fi strip 'Brians Brain' in the early issues of 'Smash' if memory serves. He died in 1973.

Many thanks - much appreciated

Kashgar wrote:He also drew part of the sci-fi strip 'Brians Brain' in the early issues of 'Smash' if memory serves. He died in 1973.

It must have been the early Brian's Brain episodes he drew, as Barrie Mitchell took over later.

Lew

Hi Lew,
Hope you are keeping well. Bert Vandeput did the first series of 'Brian's Brain' in Smash Nos 1-15. Barrie Mitchell did the second in Nos 93-162. Regards, Ray.