We’re very sorry to report the passing of comics editor, writer and author Barrie Tomlinson, the genius who not only made TIGER a much-loved weekly sports comic, but who also brought us Roy of the Rovers weekly, cementing the character’s name in football legend, and the modern version of EAGLE, home to a revived Dan Dare and the unforgettable Doomlord, created by Alan Grant and John Wagner.
Jen, Barrie’s daughter, posted the news to Barrie’s social networks to tell fans of his passing
“He loved interacting on X with you all and making the contacts that he has,” she wrote. “He thought of many of you as friends. He asked me to let you know.”
Beyond comics, “He was a wonderful man, husband and step father to my two daughters,” Lisa Tomlinson, his ex-wife, told downthetubes, emphasising her gratitude for sharing a joyous life with him for over twenty years.
“He will be much missed by his step daughters, Emily and Sophie and little grandson Lucas, who absolutely loved playing buses on the sofa with his grandad,” Lisa told us. “You can imagine the fantastical places Barrie dreamt up for them both to visit while steering the ‘bus’ using a plastic plate and changing gears with a wooden spoon.”
A much-appreciated friend to downthetubes, known to close friends such as artist David Sque as “Big Bar” because of his height, Barrie, who turned 88 in February.
A lifelong comics fan, he joined the world of comics in 1961, as a sub editor on Lion. He then moved to Tiger in 1965 and eventually became editor. He launched Roy of the Rovers comic in 1976, and became group editor of the Sport and Adventure Department at IPC magazines, launching Speed comic in 1980 and what’s known as the New Eagle in 1982.
It had long been Barrie’s ambition to bring back the Eagle, but for him it needed to be different and innovative, like the original was in the 1950s. In 1982, along with Editor David Hunt, he realised that ambition, and the result was a comics on good quality paper, a mix of drawn and photo stories, which were hugely poplar in girl’s comics at the time.
There was never a boy’s comic like the New Eagle before, and the format did split opinion with the inclusion of the photo strips. After the initial success of the title, slowly declining sales meant the more expensive photo stories had to be dropped, and it reverted to a traditional format, lasting until 1993.
New EAGLE was followed by Scream in 1984, M.A.S.K. in 1986, the final Fleetway non licensed adventure comic Wildcat in 1988, Ring Raiders in 1989, Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles in 1990 (a fortnightly title, which at one point was selling some 800,000 copies an issue), and Toxic Crusaders in 1992.
“As always Barrie assembled an ace team of artists with Ian Kennedy,, Vanyo, José Ortiz, Joan Boix and Keith Page,” artist David Pugh observed back in 2022, discussing Wildcat. “I was honoured to be given the opportunity to work alongside some of the greatest artists who I grew up with.”
Barrie also created and wrote a large amount of characters, mostly uncredited: characters like Splash Gorton and Johnny Cougar, and many others. He also wrote under the name “D. Horton”, writing strips such as “Death Wish” and “Survivor“, and more, mainly for the Eagle.
“As talented an editor as he was, I think he was underrated as a writer,” notes Hibernia Comics publisher and comic archivist David McDonald. “‘Death Wish’ will probably be best remembered, but ‘Survivor’ in Eagle is a brilliant story, his best in my opinion.”
Circumstances then saw him move on to other work, including the creation of the long-running “Scorer” strip for the Daily Mirror. He wrote the strip with son James, utilising the talents of artists like David Pugh, Barrie Mitchell, John Gillatt, David Sque and Martin Baines, for 22 years, running for some 6500 episodes.
He was also author of Real Roy of the Rovers Stuff!: Roy’s True Story and Comic Book Hero: A Life with Britain’s Strip Legends, associated with Roy of the Rovers for over 25 years, as a sub-editor, editor and group editor from 1969 through to 1989, first as a sub-editor and later editor of Tiger, which featured Roy’s adventures.
Barrie’s success as a shrewd editor with a canny eye for a PR opportunity came decades before digital media, and he often provided useful lessons in content strategy, character development, the importance of feedback, editorial control versus commercialisation, being prepared to “kill your darlings” and much, much more.
His son, James Tomlinson, inspired by his father’s work, would later follow him into comics, initially writing several complete stories for New Eagle‘s “The Amstor Computer” his “first proper writing job“, followed by writing “Roy of the Rovers”, and Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles and other licensed publications, including Wildcat: Loner.
It is testament to the man that, among sharing past covers of comics he worked on with fans, looking forward, for example, to the impending new cricket season, Barrie’s final posts on X included a tribute to goalkeeper Tony Godden and delight at a return to health for pet tortoise, Archie. He genuinely cared about people, and last Christmas he thanked his followers his chats with them had really kept him going in what had been a difficult year.
He will be very much missed, and we wish his family and friends all the very best at this time.
Plans to celebrate 50 years since the launch of Roy of the Rovers comic by the British Football Comic Podcast team have been cancelled following Barrie’s passing, all ticket purchases refunded. However, his family are considering a celebration of his life and work later this year, to take place in the St. Albans where he was born and lived much of his life.
We hope to publish news on this in due course.
Remembering “Big Bar”: Tributes to Barrie Tomlinson
David Hunt, Editor
“It is hard to put into words the loss we feel at the passing of someone who was not only a colleague, but a good friend,” says fellow editor David Hunt. “As a young lad, I first met Barrie Tomlinson in a shared open office at New Fleetway House in Farringdon Street, where the comics Lion and Tiger were produced. Barrie was chief sub-editor on Lion, and I had just been offered the job of junior sub-editor on Tiger. This was way back in the early 1960s, and as the years passed and our careers successfully progressed, I like to think that we not only became firm friends but also stalwarts of the comics’ industry, for which we both always had so much regard.
“Working alongside him was a privilege, but knowing Barrie was something far more special. He brought so much more than talent and creativity to the role – he also brought kindness and, especially, humour. Without question, Barrie was always someone I could rely on. He was my mentor, and I learned so, so much from him. Always sharp, clever, and quick-witted, Barrie’s contribution to comics was simply inspiring.
“But aside from the work front, our personal lives often intertwined, and I recall my late wife and I spending many pleasant and humorous times in the company of Barrie and his partner, Hilary.
“So, so many memories. I recall Barrie doing National Service, and alongside colleague [designer] Doug Church, the two of them would entertain us with tales of their adventures during their two years in the British Army – not especially brave encounters, I’m sure, as Barrie was in the Pay Corps, but always very humorous. I also remember the incredible launch of the New Eagle title and Barrie’s determination to bring it to life again for children of the 1980s.
His PR skills at the time knew no bounds, as he stage-managed this momentous event at the impressive Waldorf Hotel in London … all without costing IPC Magazines a single penny.
“I still have a wedding day card created by Barrie. He was a great fan of the cartoonist Frank Dickens and the excellent ‘Bristow‘ single-strip cartoon, which appeared in the London Evening Standard every day for so many years. Barrie’s Dickens style card featured a picture of New Fleetway House, with silhouettes of work colleagues waving out from the windows to me and my new wife – thanks to Barrie’s brilliance, all immediately recognisable. Often, when situations arose in the office, he would create a Bristow-inspired cartoon that humorously reflected the moment. I think Barrie would have loved and enjoyed a career as a cartoonist.
“I last saw Barrie late in 2025. I made the effort to visit him in his new residence in Saffron Walden, and I’m now so glad that I did. I have to admit I was initially concerned about his physical appearance (and perhaps he was about mine), but there was nothing amiss with his mental capacity, and we spent a very pleasant few hours together reminiscing about the past, especially our careers.
“My sympathies naturally extend to Jennifer and James on the sad loss of their father, and I hope they will take some comfort in Barrie’s talent, friendship, and the impact he had on so many lives – especially my own.”
Artist Barrie Mitchell
Roy of the Rovers artist Barrie Mitchell’s first encounter with Barrie Tomlinson followed a commission on Roy of the Rovers strips for either an annual or a special, when Barrie was editing the weekly comic. He would go on to draw several strips for ROTR.
“It’s very sad,” Barrie tells downthetubes. “I knew he had not been well. The main association with him was with ‘Scorer’ [for the Mirror]. He rang me to ask if I was interested, and of course I jumped on it, and was so glad he picked me. We would talk about it often, from deciding the look of his Gran, a real old East End lady, and to base Dave’s girlfriend on [TV presenter] Anneka Rice, who became really popular. “We swopped ideas about story lines, how far to go with a topless fan: it was enjoyable working with him, and, as I have said before, regret giving it up.
“When Roy folded, he did ask the Mirror if I could return, but they said no, as they did not want to keep changing artists, which was correct, and would not have been fair on John Gillatt, who did a great job on the strip.
“Barrie will always be associated with Roy getting celebrities involved, plenty of story lines and publicity, I will miss his Christmas cards, which kept me up to date with what has happened over the year. He will be remembered.”
Comics Writer Simon Furman
“I was a rookie journalist at IPC when I first met Barrie, with aspirations to get into comics,” Simon Furman, best known now for his work on Transformers, and creator owned projects such as To The Death, recalls. “Barrie saw that in me and he (and Gil Page) had enough faith in my abilities to offer me the sub-editor job on Scream!
“Pretty much everything since has rolled out from that door-opener, and I’ll be forever grateful to Barrie for that opportunity – even if I did get made redundant 10 months or so later (not his doing)!
“Barrie was a consummate professional, and a lovely guy to boot, and I learned so much from him about the art and craft of comics and being a good editor. He will be sorely missed, by me, and everyone who knew/worked with him. RIP.”
Artist Alan Langford
“I worked for Barrie on the short lived comic publication Supernaturals and previously on a couple of stories for his revival of the EAGLE back in the 1980s. That provided employment for artists and writers for a total of twelve years,” Alan Langford recalls. “He and [his wife] Lisa visited us on a couple of occasions over the years and we thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company.
“… As far as editors go Barrie was very much the exception, a genuine gentleman and considerate regarding the problems experienced by the freelance writers and illustrators he employed.”
Roy of the Rovers Artist David Sque
“I was shocked and saddened to hear of Barrie’s passing. He was my hero and we worked together for so many years. RIP ‘Big Bar’. Truly the end of an era! I would love to attend any celebration of his life.”
Artist David Pugh
“Hearing that comics editor, Barrie Tomlinson has gone has left me more than a little empty. He helped make me the comics artist I became, he was one of the great shapers of British comics. I’m so glad that he kept promoting the media until the end. At 88 years that’s quite an achievement, so I thank him for allowing me to become the Dan Dare artist I dreamed of becoming. More especially, it was such an honour that he created ‘Loner’ for me in the excellent Wildcat series.”
Artist Martin Baines
“I always felt it was an honour colouring ‘Scorer, when David Pugh was on holiday. His ability of finding a grammar mistake or spelling error was second to none. The new Eagle which was one of Barrie’s creations was always my favourite comic.”
Artist and Comic Archivist Lew Stringer
“Barrie Tomlinson knew his stuff,” observes comic creator and archivist Lew Stringer. “Turning Tiger into an all-sports comic proved highly successful and paved the way for other IPC comics based around a single theme. Likewise, launching Roy of the Rovers in his own comic and reviving (and modernising) Eagle were also big hits with the target audience.
“I never met Barrie but we interacted on Twitter, as he did with many others, and I was pleased that through social media he knew how admired and respected his work was by his numerous readers.”
Words from some of Barrie’s Many Fans
Mark Towers, Collector, Publisher of the Roy of the Rovers Original Fan Site
“There were many people over the years involved in the Roy story.,” notes comic archivist and art collector Mark Towers, talking to downthetubes. “Barrie was for a long time at the centre of that. From the discussions I had with him a key role he brought to character was in essence bringing it to life. The publicity stunts he arranged. Making Geoff Boycott, Martin Kemp, Bob Wilson and Emlyn Hughes part of the story brought the character to life. Christmas always featured Roy and a key TV character or two (Eric and Ernie spring to mind) and he could get the publicity which meant Roy became part of life.
“As a young boy reading the comics in the mid 1970s you did think he existed somewhere somehow. I would also credit Barrie with the phrase ’Real Roy of the Rovers stuff’ which is now part of footballing language and uttered from time to time by modern day commentators when something magical in a game happens.”
Ian Wheeler, Editor and Author
“The influence that Barrie Tomlinson had on my childhood (and the childhoods of many other comics readers) cannot be over-stated,” notes downthetubes contributor, ComicScene writer and editor Ian Wheeler. “The comics he created, edited and wrote for were amongst the most iconic and influential in the history of the British comics industry. Roy of the Rovers, New Eagle, Scream!, Wildcat… the list goes on. Barrie had an instinctive feel for what the readers enjoyed and he knocked out hit after hit. In particular, in creating the New Eagle with his colleague David Hunt, he perfectly judged what young readers in the early 1980s wanted. The new version of the comic irritated some of the old guard who had enjoyed the original Eagle in the 1950s and quite rightly so. The revamped version was not a relic from the past, but a new title which perfectly judged and reflected the spirit and feel of the 1980s. A mixture of traditional comic strips, innovative photo stories and articles on sport, TV and films proved to be a winning formula.
“I first reached out to Barrie in 2000, when I was preparing to produce a fanzine about the 80s Eagle and its contemporaries called Eagle Flies Again. I wrote to Barrie via the Mirror newspaper (he was writing the highly successful ‘Scorer’ football strip for the paper at the time). I received a very swift and enthusiastic reply from him within a few days. He was delighted to be contacted about his comics career and was only too pleased to help out with the fanzine in any way he could. Over the next few years, he would prove to be a constant source of support and knowledge. He even wrote the editorial for the final issue.
“I would later interview him for magazines such as Infinity and Best of British and he was always very happy to assist. It took over twenty years before I was able to meet him in person, but when he moved up to Yorkshire for a while in the 2020s, we were finally able to meet for a traditional Yorkshire pub lunch.
“I will miss receiving his annual Christmas card and reading about his many comics memories on X. Thank you, Barrie, for your friendship, your counsel and most especially for creating comics which stimulated my imagination and made my childhood a bit brighter than it might otherwise have been.”
Philip Boyce, Comic Archivist and Writer
“Such a lovely gentleman, Barrie was so supportive and helpful of my blog’s coverage of some of my favourite childhood comics,” notes Oink! blog publisher Philip Boyce. “I was so thrilled to speak to him and amazed at the knowledge he had, even with the short-lived licenced comics. His heart went in to every single one and he even sent me some wonderful material related to them. His enthusiasm never waned and he was so giving to all of us fans, even decades after the comics we collected… He’ll be much missed.”
Matthew Richards, co-host of the British Football Comic Podcast
“All of us at the podcast were so very saddened to hear the news,” says British Football Comic Podcast co-host Matthew Richards, who interviewed the legendary editor several times. “We feel so very incredibly fortunate to have had the relationship we had with him these last few years, and to be able to record the shows we did with him was a huge honour for us as fans.
“In all our conversations or email exchanges he was always so giving and gracious, with a very sharp Goon-ish sense of humour! He loved his life in comics and was rightly proud of it, and he was always keen to highlight those contributors who maybe didn’t get the recognition they deserved at the time.
“He was also always so thankful to the thousands of readers who purchased his publications and remembered them with such fondness, such as in his interactions with them over Twitter/X. Rest in peace, dear Barrie.”
Ian Golden, Author and co-host of the British Football Comic Podcast
“Very sad to hear that Barrie Tomlinson, the genius creator of Roy of the Rovers comic, and editor and writer in many others, sadly died yesterday aged 88. In addition to buying his comics as a child and later his memoirs, I was honoured to have then been friends with him later in his life, especially through podcasts. A very sad day for all. My condolences go out to his friends and family. RIP.”
Head downthetubes for…
• Barrie Tomlinson’s X
Discover how much Barrie continued to promote comics, and interact with fans
• In Memoriam: “Billy’s Boots” and “Jet-Ace Logan” Comic Artist John Gillatt
Barrie Tomlinson’s own tribute to his friend and work colleague
• That Day Dan Dare met wrestler “Big Daddy”: the new Eagle launch, 1982
• David Robertson: An Interview with Barrie Tomlinson
Philip Boyce has documented the history of three later titles edited by Barrie…
• The Oink! Blog: Supernaturals
• The Oink! Blog: Ring Raiders
Our thanks to everyone who contributed their memories of Barrie for this feature. All comics and characters © their resepective creators
- 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, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Features, Obituaries, Other Worlds
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