The life and work of award-winning comic book artist and creative genius Jim Baikie has been on show at The Orkney Museum this summer, running until the end of September.
Jim Baikie (1940-2017), who lived in Orkney, is perhaps best remembered for his work as an award-winning comic book artist. During his long and highly regarded career, he worked for many comic book publishers, like 2000AD, DC Comics and Marvel Comics.
But his story is not limited to his artwork. He was also a writer of science fiction, as well as an illustrator and talented musician, rubbing shoulders with acts such as The Kinks, Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones.
This isn’t the first time Jim’s work has been on display at the Museum: there was a retrospective back in 2020, reviewsed here by fellow artist Tony O’Donnell, too, but the family felt always felt that a bigger, longer show was needed, and that’s just what is on offer.
It’s grand to hear his work is still being celebrated, and Tony has noted this new exhibition features much of Jim’s early work.
This exhibition looks at the many aspects of Jim’s life, from his birth at Boathouse, Crockness in Hoy in 1940, his ‘Boy Entrant’ in the RAF and his life in London in the Swinging Sixties, where he jammed with rock legends, and worked for the comic genius Spike Milligan.
Jim’s family notes that while they were putting the exhibition together at Orkney Museum they found all sorts of sketches, drawings and random pieces – undated, and unrelated in some cases to comics he was working on.
Jim Baikie was born during a time when Orkney was experiencing air-raids aimed at the Royal Naval base at Scapa Flow and in following years would find comic books thrown overboard from the battleships that were anchored nearby, or, as he described them, “freebies in the ebb-tide”. And there started a life long fascination with illustration.
Well into his success in the comic world, Jim bumped into someone he’d not seen since his youth during a visit to a local shop.
“I came across someone in Stenness post office, and he said, ‘the last time we met you were over in Hoy, aged seven, drawing cowboys’ and he said ‘what are you doing now,’ and I said ‘drawing cowboys.’ ”
Jim was a giant in his chosen career, yet he encouraged up-and-coming young artists.
“There is an argument that we’re in such a small industry, where there is not much work going about, that if you encourage a youngster, you are encouraging competition for yourself. But I can’t get into that kind of thinking.”
Jim was too much of a gentleman to harbour such thoughts.
The Orkney Museum in Kirkwall tells the story of Orkney, from the Stone Age, to the Picts and Vikings, right through to the present day.
The Museum’s collection is of international importance and it has a changing temporary exhibition programme. The archaeology collection, which includes artefacts and environmental material from all periods of Orkney’s prehistoric and early medieval past, is recognised as being nationally significant.
• The Orkney Museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10.30am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-5.00pm. Admission is free
More information about Orkney Museum here online | Orkney Islands Council is also on Facebook
• The Life And Times Of Orkney Artist Jim Baikie by Tom Muir
Head downthetubes for…
• Read the downthetubes tribute to Jim Baikie by John Freeman
• Jim Baikie – An Appreciation by Alan Moore
• Jim Baikie: A Stripography (and some Musical Notes) – on downthetubes
• Comics and Graphic Novels with art by Jim Baikie available on AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
• Read Tony O’Donnell’s review of the 2020 exhibition “The Life and Times of Orkney artist Jim Baikie”
The Orkney Museum also published an extensive three-part guide to the 2020 exhibition you can read online
• The Life and Times of Orkney artist Jim Baikie: Part 1
• The Life and Times of Orkney artist Jim Baikie: Part 2
• The Life and Times of Orkney artist Jim Baikie: Part 3
With thanks to Frank Plowright, and Lew Stringer for the Wally Wood info
- 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: 2000AD, British Comics, Comics, downthetubes News, Events, Exhibitions
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