In case you hadn’t realised it yet, we’re big fans of David Leach Conquers The Universe, now collected, and the bonkers work of David Leach in general here at downthetubes. Perhaps this is down to the fact that David is also the creator of Psycho Gran, and we have long suspected she could possibly be real, and could, at any moment, turn up on our doorstep. More likely, though it’s down to how much we’ve enjoyed David’s work across several decades now, including recent projects like Monolith: An Ace Odyssey.
(And our enjoyment of this project is absolutely nothing to do with the fact that David cannily plastered a previous downthetubes review quote across the collection cover, honest!)
Even more likely, as both past reviewers here and elsewhere have long recognised, David Leach Conquers The Universe is simply tremendous fun, breaking the fourth wall with a fictional mix (at least, we hope it’s fictional) of the struggles of an aspiring cartoonist with the ludicrous demands he, well – save the universe. Yes, exactly wot it says on the tin.
Now the first series has been collected – and David tells us there is a second in the works, as if he wasn’t busy enough! – it’s great to see how this story evolved over the 25 years it has taken to come to fruition, moving from black and white to full colour storytelling.
Despite the long gestation period, DLCTU holds together really well; David’s cartoon style may have changed, and is far more assured over time, but the core story is consistently strong and enormously funny.
If you’ve enjoyed the antics of characters trying to break free from their creators, in Animal Man, for example, DLCTU takes that idea, beats it up, and takes it for a wicked day out.
There are plenty of “fourth wall” gags for the comics connoisseur, the sort of fun you’d expect from a creator who’s day job is, and has been, editing comics, for many years. But these don’t prevent the casual reader from enjoying a humour-packed yarn, with plenty of the visceral action we have seen in David’s other work along the way, too.
When DLCTU #4 arrived here in the downthetubes dungeon, I described it as a “self effacing, hilarious gem of an indie comic, full of the creator’s acerbic humour”, and urged folk to buy it. That can be applied to the collection, in spades, and I strongly urge you to track a copy down, too – because it’s great!
Now, who IS that knocking on the front door?
John Freeman
David Leach Conquers The Universe is available from David Leach wherever he’s doing a show; or enquire direct via davidleach2000@yahoo.com for cost in your country; and from Dead Universe Comics, 5 Bourbon St, Aylesbury HP20 2PZ
More Mind-Melting David Leach Goodness!
Reviews of previous issues David Leach Conquers the Universe…
• Read Tony Esmond’s review of David Leach Conquers the Universe #1 here on downthetubes
• Read Dave King’s review of David Leach Conquers the Universe #2 here on downthetubes
• Read Peter Duncan’s review of David Leach Conquers the Universe #3 here on downthetubes
• Read Philip Boyce’s review of David Leach Conquers the Universe #3 on the OiNK blog
• Read Philip Boyce’s review of David Leach Conquers the Universe #4 here on downthetubes
• Lew Stringer: David Leach Conquers the Universe So You Don’t have To
Meet David Leach… (not literally)
Currently employed as Senior Creative Editor at Titan Comics, David Leach‘s career as a cartoonist, writer and editor spans over 35 years. He started out working as British animator Bob Godfrey’s ‘ghost artist’ drawing “Henry’s Cat” comic strips, aged 23. He created his most popular character, Psycho Gran, in 1987 for the much-loved kids’ comic, Oink. He also worked for Whizzer & Chips, Gas, Brain Damage, UT, Casper, Action Man, and LEGO Adventures.
David’s work in the cult British 1990 comic, Toxic! (where he co-created “The Driver”, and created “The Dinner Ladies From Hell”) led to him writing and drawing The Toxic Crusaders (issue #8) for Marvel US.
During his career he has written and edited newspaper comic strips of Ren & Stimpy, Spider-Man and Wallace and Gromit for a variety of newspapers including The Sun, The News of the World, The Sunday Times, The Saturday Telegraph, and he’s also written for Private Eye.
At Titan, his editor credits include the publisher’s Blade Runner series, Conan the Barbarian, Dan Dare, the Phantom of the Opera graphic novel, Rivers of London: Monday, V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic, ExtraOrdinary and Lavie Tidhar’s Adler.
In addition to David Leach Conquers the Universe, recent creator owned projects include MONOLITH, a collection of some of the movies that the Monolith from Stanley Kubrick’s science fiction classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey auditioned for – but didn’t get!
Outside of comics, in 2014, David won Channel Four’s Come Dine With Me.
He also writes a blog “GOING TO THE CINEMA SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO” which, er…
• Follow David on Facebook or X @davidleach2000
• David Leach’s Psycho Gran is also available through AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
- About the Author
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, British Comics - Collections, Comics, downthetubes News, Features, Reviews
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