Happy Birthday Beano Event

By John Freeman on July 12, 2008

As previously mentioned here, Happy Birthday Beano, the official 70th anniversary exhibition will be running in the Tower Building of the University of Dundee from from 18th July to 20th September 2008. The display will include original artwork from the Beano archives with work on show from Dudley D.Watkins, David Law, Leo Baxendale and David Sutherland.

To tie in with the exhibition and act as its official launch Dr Chris Murray, organiser of the successful Dundee Literary Festival Comics Day at the University, has organised an early evening event on Wednesday 30 July.

Beginning at 5:30pm in the university’s D’Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre, there will be short talks by the exhibition’s curator, Matthew Jarron, on The Prehistory of Dundee comics, by Chris himself on The Birth of The Beano and then by comics historian Paul Gravett on The Golden Age of DC Thomson. These will be followed by talks by current Beano artists Laura Howell and Gary Northfield and Beano legend David Sutherland.

The event will then move upstairs to the Lamb Gallery for a wine reception and conclude with a Gallery Talk by Alan Digby, current editor of the Beano, and Morris Heggie, former editor and now DC Thomson archivist.

Entry to all talks is free, but prospective attendees should get in touch with Dr Chris Murray, c.murrayATdundee.ac.uk, to reserve a place. More details are available on his Bebo page.

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “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.