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Ray Mundo Futcast interviews Roy of the Rovers Editor Barrie Tomlinson “Live from Melchester”

By John Freeman on February 20, 2025

The latest Ray Mundo Futcast has a smashing interview with former Roy of the Rovers editor Barrie Tomlinson this week.

“Barrie Tomlinson joins me from a place I couldn’t even find on the map!” says podcast host Ray. “He claims to have just spent time with Roy and has the latest from the man himself.”

*Barrie was also the brains behind the Daily Mirror football strip, “Scorer”*

Barrie Tomlinson, right, chatting with writer Tom Tully – one of the few photos available of the legendary writer – sort of inventing VAR in the Roy of the Rovers story. “It might not have been at this editorial chat at King’s Reach Tower but it would have been at a similar meeting,” Barrie recalls

Barrie Tomlinson, author of Real Roy of the Rovers Stuff!: Roy’s True Story and Comic Book Hero: A Life with Britain’s Strip Legends, was associated with Roy of the Rovers for over 25 years, first as a sub-editor and later editor of Tiger, which featured Roy’s adventures. He was responsible for launching Roy of the Rovers as a separate comic in 1976, then went on to be group editor of all the boys’ comics published by IPC Magazines. Titles he worked on also include SPEED and the revival of Eagle.

It’s a fun chat, author and editor Barrie sharing some fun Roy of the Rovers stuff, as ever!

• Ray Mundo Futcast: 216: Roy of the Rovers Editor Barrie Live from Melchester is available on Apple Podcasts | PocketCast | Spotify | Also on Amazon Music and more

Travel the world of football with Ray’s international and multilingual podcast!

• Follow Barrie Tomlinson on X for any enquiries, or just for a chat about the good old days

About the Author
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John Freeman

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.