Arnside’s coffee hub Moochin’ About is hosting a series of events featuring musicians, artists, authors and poets and their line-up includes comics editor, writer and raconteur Tim Quinn, making an appearance at the Cumbrian cafe on Sunday 15th March 2020.

Tim Quinn, aged 16, in a dressing room at Blackpool Tower Circus. Photo courtesy Tim Quinn

Born in Liverpool in 1953, Tim’s career began at 16 as a clown at Blackpool Tower Circus. He worked as a TV scriptwriter for a time (on the BBC’s The Good Old Days) before breaking into comics. He worked for both DC Thomson and IPC at various times as a writer, editor and artist on titles that included Beano, Bunty, Dandy, Jackie, Sparky, Topper, Buster, Whoopee! and Whizzer and Chips.

Dicky Howett and Tim Quinn. Photo courtesy Tim Quinn

Also an editor at Marvel UK during his long and wonderfully varied career, as well as editing titles such as The Exploits of Spider-Man and co-creating the long-running “Doctor Who?” strip for Doctor Who Magazine, he and artist Dicky Howett were responsible for the various humour strips based on Earth 33 1/3 which ran in several Marvel UK’s titles in the early 1980s.

These included “The Fairly Amazing Spider-Hound”, “The Fantastic 400”, “Whacker’s World”, “Hulk the Menace”, “Jet Lagg”, “Flickers”, “Bullpen Bedlam”, “The Concise History of the Galaxy” and “I Was Adolf’s Double”.

Tim has also worked for Marvel in the United States, working directly with the legendary Stan Lee, and has worked for several newspapers.

The day Alice Cooper turned up at Marvel UK. His first question? “Where’s the John?” Photo courtesy Tim Quinn

If you’ve never heard Tim give a talk before, then you’re in for a treat. From his early days of working at Blackpool Tower Circus through to his times as an editor, where management decision making has to be heard to be believed when it comes to the crazy, bizarre and, often, asinine, Tim regularly regales his audiences with fascinating and very funny stories.

As well as comics, he’s also worked in the music business, and has plenty of tales to tell of encounters with Alice Cooper, Brian May, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and the odd Beatle!

Tim Quinn with two Whtefield Primary wonders in Liverpool, about to create with “Liverpool Heartbeat Magazine”. Coming slightly late but soon in early March 2020

His recent work as an editor and publisher, raising money for good causes and encouraging children’s creativity, deserves wider recognition.

Tim will be reading out Stan’s Lee’s final piece of work at the event, written especially for the children of the world.

Located on the fringes of the Lake District, in the idyllic Cumbrian village of Arnside, Moochin’ About is a Persian-inspired Jazz Cafe & Espresso Bar, a lively extension to the activities of the eponymous record label launched in 2011 by producer, musician and DJ Jason Lee Lazell.

A small space, as well as serving products from locally sourced companies, exclusive to Arnside, the bar sells a great range of Jazz, Blues and World music Vinyl, supplied by some of the finest labels in the UK. These include London based labels, Honest Jons Records, Soul Jazz, Sterns and various labels distributed by  PIAS.

• Places for Tim Quinn’s and other events st Moochin’ About are limited and quickly sell out- if you would like to join us for this event please email the team via iman@moochinabout.com

• Moochin’ About – the record label and Persian cafe – is online at moochinabout.com | Facebook

• Tim Quinn is online at mightyquinnmanagement.com| Buy his biography Argh! here from Miwk Publishing

With thanks to Barrie Marshall

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. Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Star Trek Explorer (previously known as Star Trek 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.

Categories: Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events

Tags: Alice Cooper, Arnside, downthetubes News, Marvel UK, Moochin’ About, Tim Quinn