In the latest episode of the Mega City Book Club, Scottish comic creator Jonny Cannon returns to talk to host Eamonn Clarke about his love for Frank Bellamy‘s inking techniques which he used to great effect on the long running Daily Mirror newspaper strip, Garth.
“I had a great time talking with Eamonn about the Garth newspaper strip,” says Jonny. “Bellamy’s work in particular is fantastic.”
For those unfamiliar, “Garth” was a comic strip in the British newspaper Daily Mirror that ran from 1943 until 1997, when it was unceremoniously cancelled, reportedly for being ”out of step” with the newspaper’s audience, but in reality, in all probability, yet another cost cutting measure by the publisher of the day that, like many others, failed to recognise newspaper strips as part of a title’s Unique Selling Point.
Widely syndicated in English-speaking countries, where it is stil popular, “Garth” followed the exploits of the title character, an immensely strong hero who battled various villains throughout the world, on different planets and, thanks to a unique form of time travel, in different eras.
Mega City Book Club is a podcast about collected editions of the British comic 2000AD published by Rebellion. Each episode host Eamonn Clarke is joined by a different guest to discuss a 2000AD book of their choice.
The long running Mega City Book Club has recently covered titles such as When Judges Go Bad with Giles Wright, Batman Dylan Dog with Tony Esmond, 40 Years of Scream! with Stephen Last, and Roy of the Rovers with David Nolan.
• Mega City Book Club Episode 277: Garth – also available to listen here on the Apple podcast service | Android
• Check out Norman Boyd’s Frank Bellamy Checklist Website and Blog; Paul Holder’s Frank Bellamy website and the Down the Tubes resource on Garth
• The brilliant illustrators The Art of Frank Bellamy Special is still available at Book Palace and Bud Plant
• The Mega City Book Club is online at megacitybookclub.blogspot.com
You can find a list of all the upcoming books on the Facebook page, follow the podcast on Instagram, Threads, Mastodon, and BlueSky. And email me comments and suggestions to MCBCpodcast@gmail.com
• Find Jonny’s own inky noodlings at CannonHillComics on Big Cartel and follow him on Instagram and Threads.
Music used in this episode is Circuit Breaker by the artist Robodub.
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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.
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