WHOOPEE - IT'S GRAN'S GANG...

Copyright REBELLION

Sometime near the end of 1985 or the beginning of '86 (yes, Annuals really were prepared that far in advance), I was down in London on one of my regular weekly visits to what was then IPC's (almost) skyscraper headquarters, KING'S REACH TOWER, when Humour Group Editor BOB PAYNTER handed me an unfinished page of pencilled artwork and asked me if I'd like to complete it.

Apparently it was a try-out page by an artist, who'd declined to finish it when asked for some alterations, but Bob didn't want to waste it.  After 30 years, it's difficult to recall precisely, but I think I drew two panels, finished off some bits 'n' bobs in others, and then inked it.  The inks are a bit heavy, but it's not too bad overall.

This was a good Annual for me, because I lettered 38 pages, which, at around a tenner each, wasn't bad for what amounted to a couple of days' work.  (And that didn't include my regular jobs for 2000 A.D. and other IPC weeklies and Annuals.)

So, the page isn't all mine, but there's enough of me in it to justify showing it to you on this here blog.  The strip had started life as 6 MILLION DOLLAR GRAN, was then retitled ROBOT GRANNY, and finally became GRAN'S GANG, for reasons that I have absolutely no clue about, so don't ask me.