10 Feb
2011

Posted in: Blog, Words
By Fanton    4 Comments

Our Survey Says…

THOSE OF you who picked up the latest issue of The Dandy (which you ALL should have done, as it is truly excellent) will have noticed a two-page survey nestled in among the comic, asking all sorts of questions about the weekly and what the readers want to see in it.

One of the questions asks you (yes, YOU!) to vote for your five favourite comic strips in The Dandy since it relaunched back in October last year, one of those being my very own George vs Dragon, which ended its recent run two weeks ago.

So! If you enjoyed the antics of the numskull knight and the devious dragon, do please consider it making one of your five choices and maybe then they shall return for more medieval mayhem! MAYBE!

You can vote using the form in the comic, or for those internet-savvy souls among you there is an online version available as well. Furthermore, one lucky respondent will win an iPod touch for their troubles, while ten more lucky beggars will bag themselves free Dandys for six months (personally I think that’s the better of the two prizes!)  At the very least, you shall earn my humble thanks, so you CANNOT LOSE! Unless you hate thanks.

Talking of voting, the prestigious Eagle Awards are coming up, and currently nominations are being sought for them. Some kind souls have already nominated me for this and that, so if you also think I deserve any nods, or that George vs Dragon does, or The Dandy as a whole, head over to the nominations section and let your thoughts be known! You don’t have to nominate in all categories, so don’t fret if your comic experience doesn’t stretch too far! Huzzah!

Thank you, chums!

- Fanton.

3 Jan
2011

Posted in: Blog, Words
By Fanton    15 Comments

Something Old, Something New

SO HERE we are, three days into the futuristic space-year of 2011! Who knows what will happen over the next twelve months? Perhaps we’ll end the year surfing the internet using nothing but THOUGHT, while eating moon-cakes in our futuristic hover-houses, above the atmosphere.

Or maybe it’ll be pretty much like it is now, but we’ll all be a year older.

I can predict one thing coming your way in 2011, however, by gazing into my crystal ball, and by reading my emails. Mostly the email-reading thing, actually. I don’t own a crystal ball.

Anyhoo: this year will see the return of a classic Dandy character, given a new lease of life via my own two hands. Yes, ladies and gentlemen and boys and girls, The Dandy team have kindly let me run wild with one of their older characters, which is both a JOY and also SLIGHTLY TERRIFYING, in case you all think I’ve ruined said character and chase me out of the comic with flaming pitchforks.

Who is it? That, alas, I cannot say right now, as I am sworn to secrecy on pain of DEATH (or at least a very firm telling-off) but I shall give you these minor clues:

1. It is NOT Desperate Dan, Korky the Cat or Bananaman, all of whom have already been successfully reworked by Jamie Smart, Phil Corbett and Wayne Thompson, respectively.

2. It is NOT Biffo the Bear, Dennis the Menace or The Numskulls, as they are all BEANO characters.

3. NO MORE CLUES!

Feel free to speculate away, of course – therein lies some of the fun!

Mwah-hahahaha!

- Fanton.

(Image taken from The Dandy Comic Library No.88, © DC Thomson & Co.)

20 Aug
2010

Posted in: Blog, Pictures
By Fanton    22 Comments

Always Keep A Dandy Handy…

EXCITING news, comic fans!

My comic strip George vs Dragon, which reworks the Saint George and the Dragon tale as a slapstick, Wile E. Coyote-esque farce,  will be appearing in the The Dandy comic in the not-too-distant-future! YIPPEEEEEE!

For the uninitiated, The Dandy is Britain’s longest-running children’s comic, having started publication waaaaaaay back in pre-war Britain, in 1937. Since then, it has become a fixture of many kids’ childhoods, giving rise to iconic character such as Desperate Dan, and Korky the Cat.

I’m thrilled to get the opportunity to work for the comic, as not only is it a very well-known and prestigious title, but it’s also one of the (many) comics I read loads when growing up, and from which I learnt a great deal about cartooning and writing short, simple, funny comic strips. I can vividly recall pouring over those comic pages, teaching myself to draw and wishing I could do the same. To be one of the guys now DOING the comics is pretty much a dream come true, and I feel very lucky indeed. And excited. AND NERVOUS.

Keep checking this very blog for further updates, and be sure to tell everyone you know to keep a Dandy handy when the strip sees publication!

Ta-ta!

- Fanton.