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Reader CHRIS B - in response to a previous post - was recently asking about artist ROBERT NIXON's artwork on Oor WULLIE and The BROONS. Robert could draw anything, but somehow, to me, his style - wonderful as it was - didn't quite fit the The SUNDAY POST's iconic strips. When DUDLEY DEXTER WATKINS was drawing the pages, though they were comic enough, I always felt they belonged more in the category of humorous illustration than outright cartoons.
Nixon's style was a bit more cartoony in the classic sense, and therefore not a perfect match for the long-established look that preceded him. Which is not to say that his style was bad - it was just a tad out of sync with what readers were used to and expecting.
However, Watkins is a hard act to follow (as was Nixon in 99% of his output). I'd go so far as to say that the only artist ever to come close to Watkins (if not actually equal him, in fact) is KEN H. HARRISON, who drew Wullie and the Broons back in the late '80s and '90s.
Anyway, I can't find any Broons by Nixon in a cursory browse through my library, but, here - for Chris B (and anyone who's interested) - are some panels of Bob Nixon's Oor Wullie from the 1995 book (published in '94). I couldn't scan the full page without cracking the spine, so hopefully these examples will suffice in giving you a taste of his take on the character.
