In Memoriam: Artist, Comic Writer and Photographer Jim Dallas, aka “Photogael”

Comic creator Stephen White pays tribute to Scottish artist Jim Dallas, who produced work in a variety of mediums, including photography, video, music and the written word.

A proud Scot and campaigner, he “loved making things, creating experiments and looking after people.” He was appointed One Stop Shop Coordinator at Dundee Volunteer and Voluntary Action just last year.

Jim, who acknowledged the late Crawford Cumming as a mentor last year, recently recalled how he was given an Agfa 110 camera one Christmas as a child, just like the James Bond spy camera. “I ended up as a professional photographer and had five sessions with Sean Connery including Freedom of Edinburgh.”

Remembering Jim, by Stephen White

The world lost a very special person: my dear old pal, Jim Dallas.

I worked on my very first published cartoon strips with Jim: “The City Of Dreams”, which appeared in The Big Issue in 1995. Jim wrote four of these stories, and we published them anonymously as the Spacemen.

Below is one of the stories, that shows his unique perspective on the world and his amazing sense of humour.

“The City Of Dreams” By the Spacemen aka Jim Dallas and Stephen White, for The Big Issue
“The City Of Dreams” By the Spacemen aka Jim Dallas and Stephen White, for The Big Issue


Jim was also a first-rate photographer (we met when he was photographer for Dundee City Council, and I joined the graphic design team as an illustrator), a demon on the guitar…and would give you a pretty decent game of backgammon, too.

My thoughts are with all his family. Going to miss you loads, buddy.

Stephen White

Jim Dallas, photographer, artist, musician, born 2nd September 1959, died 31st August 2023 | Jim’s website is at photogael.com

“If you want a Photograph get a Photographer,” photographer Jim Dallas suggested back in 2018
“If you want a Photograph get a Photographer,” photographer Jim Dallas aka Photogael suggested back in 2018
Bosnian Refugee Camp, 1992. Photo by Jim Dallas aka Photogael
Bosnian Refugee Camp, 1992. Photo by Jim Dallas aka Photogael
Eas Fors Waterfall Isle of Mull, photo by Jim Dallas, taken in 2019. “Not for the feint hearted,” he commented
Eas Fors Waterfall Isle of Mull, photo by Jim Dallas, taken in 2019. “Not for the feint hearted,” he commented
One of Jim’s photographs of the late Sean Connery. “I was very lucky to have photographed him five times,” Jim himself recalled following the actor’s passing in 2020. “Once as Official Photographer when he got the Freedom of the City and I had dinner with the other guests. Another time on a visit to Milestone House as the only photographer in the building. 
“The other times were for the SNP. I spent forty minutes, just me and him in a room. That was incredible privilege. We are both from Fountainbridge and we both done the milk. He called me an anarchist in a hotel lift with Alex Salmond and Mike Russell.”
One of Jim’s photographs of the late Sean Connery. “I was very lucky to have photographed him five times,” Jim himself recalled following the actor’s passing in 2020. “Once as Official Photographer when he got the Freedom of the City and I had dinner with the other guests. Another time on a visit to Milestone House as the only photographer in the building.
“The other times were for the SNP. I spent forty minutes, just me and him in a room. That was incredible privilege. We are both from Fountainbridge and we both done the milk. He called me an anarchist in a hotel lift with Alex Salmond and Mike Russell.”
Sir Robert Grieve. Photo by Jim Dallas
Sir Robert Grieve. Photo by Jim Dallas
One of Jim’s many beautiful natural world photographs, this posted in 2020. “Sometimes you just see it,” he wrote, “a moment in time.”
One of Jim’s many beautiful natural world photographs, this posted in 2020. “Sometimes you just see it,” he wrote, “a moment in time.”

Jim’s website is at photogael.com



Categories: Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Features, Obituaries

Tags: , , , ,

Discover more from downthetubes.net

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

×