Sunday 9 October 2016

RIP-ROARING RE-POST: NOT JUST A LETTERER...


'Homage' to the cover of IRON MAN #150.  Hand drawn, no tracing, graph
paper, or projectors involved.  Characters copyright MARVEL COMICS

It's not generally known, but although I was primarily a lettering artist throughout my 15 year career in comics, my original ambition was to be an adventure comic strip artist.  I started lettering simply to get my size 9s in the door, but when I saw that I could earn more as a letterer than as an artist (on account of being faster at the former than the latter), I stuck mainly with the lettering.

However, I did a bit of drawing as well, adding to panels when re-sizing IPC comic libraries, and doing occasional spot illos when the opportunity presented itself.  I also worked as a restoration artist on some MARVEL MASTERWORK volumes, re-inking and even re-creating JACK KIRBY art, which was a huge thrill for me.

However, my frank and forthright views on this blog on the current state of the British comics 'industry' (hah!) has brought me in for criticism from some quarters, with a few disgruntled individuals dismissing me as "only a letterer" and a "Kirby tracer".  Thing is, I got my first paying gig as a cartoonist when I was still at school, and have produced artwork for publication (for which I was paid) since even before (during and after) I started freelancing for the likes of IPC/FLEETWAY, MARVEL COMICS (and others).

So here are a few examples of pencil and ink artwork ranging from my teenage years right up to adulthood.  Quite a few are professional pieces I was paid for, some were freebies for people I know, and the remainder were done simply for my own amusement.  I've shown them all before on the blog at various times, but it can't hurt to remind people that I'm certainly more than "only a letterer".  Funny how some people who work in comics mistakenly imagine that it's the only legitimate outlet for an artist's work, eh?

Pencil caricature (using my pseudonym) done as a gift for someone


"If you don't like a certain cartoonist's version of DESPERATE DAN, then why
not try drawing it yourself?"
someone dared me. So I did!  Characters copyright
D.C. THOMSON & Co., Ltd

B&W copy of a colour ad for a local restaurant.  I was going
to be paid £100 for it, but decided against it in the end

2000 A.D. pin-up.  I was paid for it, but don't know if it was ever
published.  Characters copyright REBELLION PUBLISHING

One of the lettering samples that got me the promise of work from
IPC.  Pencils by me, characters copyright MARVEL COMICS 




Set of four cartoon illustrations for equestrian events programme

Cartoon illustration for local business

Acrylic ink illustration of a friend's son

Pencil caricature done as a gift for someone

Parody of AMAZING FANTASY #15 splash page

Cartoon strip for local business

Proposed strip (at the request of BOB PAYNTER) for OINK! while at the preparation
stage.  Never got any feedback, but a similar character appeared a few months later

WILLIAM HARTNELL 'DOCTOR' figure and TARDIS drawn
in 1983, background completed 30 years later, in 2013

Acrylic ink portrait done as a gift for someone after much
badgering.  Yeah, you can see my heart wasn't really in it

Ink drawing done as a gift for someone.  Characters copyright KING
FEATURES SYNDICATE, Inc

Newspaper ad drawn as a teenager for local business

Photocopy of pencil drawing done for my own amusement around 1981


Instruction leaflet done for local business's delivery drivers

Newspaper ad for Glasgow hairdressers


Acrylic ink caricature done as a gift for someone

Logo for The ILLUSTRATED COMIC JOURNAL

Drawing done as a gift for someone


Pair of flyers for local business

Proposed logo for Glasgow Con.  Don't know if it was used or not


Cartoons for two camping posters done in my late teens/early 20s

Logo for local business

Acrylic ink caricature done as a gift for someone

Quick caricature done as a gift for someone



Fun & Activity booklet produced for local business

Acrylic ink caricature done as a gift for someone

Unfinished pencil caricature


Comic strip drawn for The BOOTS NEWS when I was 17

Pencil drawing done as a teenager

Unpublished strip for local paper.  Others were published though


Cartoon strip drawn for my own amusement


Character copyright DC COMICS

And finally - a couple of JK pages of artwork I inked.  The FF one appeared in an issue
 of The JACK KIRBY Collector.  Characters copyright MARVEL COMICS  

8 comments:

Phil S said...

Very good!

Kid said...

As bad as that, eh?

Anonymous said...

Very interesting. You used that Jinksy Jill strip in a caption competition a couple of years ago - and after all our efforts you decided to use your own caption in the end !!

Kid said...

Very interesting. You've reminded me of that fact at least twice now, CJ. I picked mine 'cos I thought it was the funniest. You were offered the same prize that you'd have received if I'd picked your submission as the winner - but you knocked it back. Hold a grudge much?

Anonymous said...

No, of course not. I didn't remember mentioning it before :D

Kid said...

Then you obviously remember saying that my artwork was absolutely amazing and that I'm immensely talented, which is why you didn't repeat yourself in that respect, eh? (Hey, I'm not shy about nudging people in the direction I want them to go.)

Graham said...

Great stuff, Kid! Absolutely amazing and immensely talented. :)

Kid said...

Finally! Someone who knows talent when he sees it. Ta much G.



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