We’ve regularly featured John Patrick Reynolds’s handmade, officially licensed silkscreen prints inspired by various comic favourites, which have been featured on the BBC, in the The Observer and elsewhere.
He’s recently launched some new prints, including a three-version Gnasher experiment, all available here.
They’re are all 26cms x 19cms in size, printed on John’s usual torn-down, all-cotton paper, milled in Somerset.
Based in London, John Patrick Reynolds was the first screenprinter to get permission from DC Thomson, to use images from its archive of British comic characters from The Beano’s Dennis the Menace, The Bash Street Kids and Minnie the Minx to The Dandy’s Desperate Dan and the Sunday Post’s Oor Wullie and The Broons.
All John’s prints are limited editions, and all are numbered in pencil.
He’s also the only screenprinter in the UK to work with French publisher Editions Albert Réné to make screenprints of its characters Asterix, Obelix, Getafix and, of course, Dogmatix.
Check out John’s full range of fantastic posters at thecomicartwebsite.com
“I’ve read comics all my life, since the 1960s, when I practically learned to read with them,” says John. “The Rover was my first love – an adventure comic which was all-text. Every week it held stirring stories about everything from cyclists in the Tour de France to soldiers in the Second World War. The paper it was printed on was uncoated newsprint – I loved the way it felt in my hands. It was also well designed – I loved the way it looked, and loved the pictures.
“Now I’m a screenprinter. I discovered about 15 years ago that comics were a perfect fit for screenprinting. The medium is good at producing flat vivid colour and bold outline – just right for the stylised nature of comics.
“Soon after that, I was lucky enough to be the first screenprinter to gain permission from Britain’s top comic publisher, DC Thomson, to use its fabulous archive of images in my screenprints. So I am the first to produce screenprints of such icons as Dennis the Menace, Minnie the Minx and my old favourite from The Rover (and then The Victor), Alf Tupper, ‘The Tough Of The Track’ – and I’m proud of that.
“All the images – or versions of them – have started life in comics. I present the panels or details of panels to be appreciated in their own right, independently of the stories they spring from and were created for.”
• Check out John’s full range of fantastic posters at thecomicartwebsite.com
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.
Categories: Art and Illustration, British Comics, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Licensing, Magazines, Other Worlds