Coming Soon: Mark Bennington’s “Masters of the Loonyverse”

By John Freeman on November 12, 2024

Following up on the release of his first book, Salty Jack the Fishing Smack, earlier this year, former Buster comic cartoonist Mark Bennington has announced the impending arrival of his second, Masters of the Loonyverse.

Be ready for what “Sir John Itchybum” has described as “A classic celebration of puerile, er, pure poetry. Here’s an example…

BELLY BUTTONS
Never unfasten your belly button
All your innards fly off in a whizz
If you give a big cough
your bum will fall off
And your kidneys explode with a fizz.

Mark Max Bennington is a creator of characters and comic strips published prolifically in many top British comic titles since 1983. Down the years, he’s entertained several generations of comic readers with his quirky, original off-beat humour for titles such as Buster, Whizzer and Chips, Roy of the Rovers and The Beano.

Salty Jack the Fishing Smack (Mark Bennington, 2024)

Inspired by his hometown of Grimsby and its historical status as a fishing port, Mark created Salty Jack the Fishing Smack, a cheeky trawler with some fishy tales, and the first book, Crouching Tiger Prawn Hidden Halibut, a 100-page collection of short stories is available to buy here. The cheek is not just on the cod!

"Judge Dudd" created by Mark Bennington, first appeared in Buster back in 1986, and a special strip, and an interview with Mark, features in the new Zarjaz anthology — *“Judge Dudd” created by Mark Bennington, first appeared in* Buster back in 1986, and a special strip, and an interview with Mark, features in the new Zarjaz anthology

Mark’s recent projects also include his football strip, “Rover of the Roys”, appearing in Sector 13 titles from Peter Duncan, with proceeds going to NHS charities; and the revival of “Judge Dudd” for the revived 2000AD-inspired comic zine, Zarjaz.

All this despite two heart attacks and a stroke in the same day. Just as he was completing his first book, as recounted to the Grimsby Telegraph!

61-year-old Mark wants as many children as possible to read his books, which combine wacky humour and meaningful morals.

Speaking to the Grimsby Telegraph, Mark said: “I’m a freelance illustrator and cartoonist and I’ve been going since 1983, but I’ve always wanted to try and go over into books. I’m pretty good at children’s stories and things like that, I’ve always been full of ideas. I used to work for top comics so it’s a simple transition from comics into book form. I do the illustrations as well so it just seemed like the right thing to do.”

• Crouching Tiger Prawn Hidden Halibut, a 100-page collection of short stories is available to buy here

• Follow Mark Bennington on Facebook

About the Author
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John Freeman

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.