Do you ever wonder how British comic characters might appear in another language? German, for example? Well, wonder no more about “Pedantic Stan, The Comics Fan“, the creation of myself, John Freeman, and cartoonist Lew Stringer – because now we know!
For those wondering what on Earth I’m on about, “Pedantic Stan, The Comics Fan” was created back by Lew Stringer and I in the days of the British comics fandom of the 1980s, when our community was very different and far less diverse than it is today. If I recall correctly, the strip, published in the comics magazine Speakeasy, sprang from a story of Alan (“You Don’t Have to Vote for me Every Year”) Moore literally being followed everywhere by fans at conventions. He was even pursued into the toilet at one UK Comic Art Convention for his autograph. (It was this kind of behaviour that led him to stop attending them).
I wrote some of the early strips, but Lew continued it after I had to focus my time on my editorial work at Marvel UK, and contact between us wasn’t as easy as it is today when it came to “script conferences”! Lew published a collection of the strips, last reprinted in 2023, which has completely sold out.
Since the 1980s no new “Pedantic Stan” strips had been created, partly because the obnoxious little twirrup was killed off, not that death has meant much in many comics down the decades! A few years back now, Lew and I contributed a new Pedantic Stan strip to The Most Important Comic Book on Earth: Stories to Save the World, a collection of comics from the global creative agency Rewriting Earth, published by DK, literally resurrecting him, which has just published in hardback in Germany, as Der wichtigste Comic der Welt. Geschichten zur Rettung des Planeten.
There, “Pedantic Stan” appears as, well, “Stan, The Pendantischen Comic-Fan“, which is, admittedly, not that much different, but now you know, so consider yourself “educated”!
(The Oxford English Dictionary notes the earliest evidence for pedant is from before 1586, in the writing of Sir Philip Sidney, author and courtier. While the origin of the world is debated, it may come from the Latin paedagogans (teacher) or Greek paidagōgos (child-leader). The latter in the case of “Pedantic Stan” seems appropriate…).
The Most Important Comic Book On Earth is a global collaboration for planetary change, bringing together a diverse team of 300 leading environmentalists, artists, authors, actors, filmmakers, musicians, and more to present over 120 stories to save the world.
Whether it’s inspirational tales from celebrity names such as Cara Delevingne and Andy Serkis, hilarious webcomics from War and Peas and Ricky Gervais, artworks by leading illustrators David Mack and Tula Lotay, calls to action from activists George Monbiot and the late Jane Goodall, or powerful stories by Brian Azzarello and Amy Chu, each of the comics in this anthology will support projects and organisations fighting to save the planet and Rewrite Extinction.
Rewriting Earth is a UK-based non-profit organization that creates compelling content, such as films, comics, and campaigns, to raise awareness about climate change and biodiversity loss. Their goal is to bypass the often overwhelming scientific data by using creative storytelling to connect with people on an emotional level, motivating them to take action. The organization, formerly known as Rewriting Extinction, unites various creators, scientists, and activists to make environmental issues more accessible to the public
• Head to Lew Stringer Comics for more information on his work | You can buy his comics here
Special thanks to Paul Goodenough who co-ordinated this amazing project for organising a comp copy of the German edition
- 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, British Comics - Collections, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
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