Comic artist David Roach, author of the brilliant Masters of British Comic Art, is on a determined mission to discover the identity of some mystery comic artists – and is asking for your help.
We’ve previously highlighted his welcome project to identify uncredited artists in British comics, there names excised from comics by publishers, in part to prevent them being poached by rivals. This has resulted in some significant leads to give these artists deserved recognition.
Now, David has some more mystery artists that he wants to track and trace – who all created work for DC Thomson’s popular girls title, Romeo, one of the Dundee-based publishers many romance comics.
“In America,anyone working in 1960s and 70s comics has been long identified by now,” David notes, “but not so over here. Let’s give them credit at last!”
If you can help, please comment below, thank you.
This is one of many covers ( and strips) drawn for the DC Thomson comic Romeo in the late 1960s and early 70s drawn by “Tony”, “but I’ve never got to the bottom of exactly who Tony was,” says David.
“Bizarrely an IPC Teen comic editor by the name of Tony Hudson had exactly the same signature – but could he have been moonlighting at DC Thomson for years?
“I hope at some point a family member might recognise a style or signature and come forward.”
UPDATE: Former Commando editor Calum Laird has confirmed this work is by Tony Hudson (via information from an ex-Romeo staffer). “He also did work for Jackie.”
As to Tony Hudson also working for IPC, he notes: “The names being the same could be coincidence, the signatures being identical would be stretching coincidence to breaking point.”
The artist on this Romeo can ver is one who always managed to squeeze his signature in – “R.Hanna”.
This artist “drew some terrific 1970s covers and strips, all with a lovely, textured line,” David notes. “I’ve seen his work in the late 70s too on Blue Jeans, TV Tops and elsewhere… but who was he?”
Here’s an example of a strip by another mystery Romeo artist – this time with a very odd style – who appeared in quite a few late 1950s, early 60s issues of the comic.
“I’m toying with the theory that it could be Jeff Bevan,” David suggests, “before his style fully coalesced into the one we know from Commando, Wizard, Hotspur etc. Any ideas out there?”
David hopes his latest appeal might have similar success to previous call outs.
“It’s an odd state of affairs when it’s easier to identify a Spanish artist than it is a Brit, but that’s so often the case,” he notes.
If you can help David on his quest, please comment below, thank you.
• Buy Masters of British Comic Book Art by David Roach (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
• Check out David’s previous appeals to identify “Mystery Artists” here on downthetubes
• If you’re interested in British girls comics, then two sites – Girls Comics of Yesterday and A Resource on Jinty – are great places to start!
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: British Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Features
The SEQUENT’ULL Interviews: Jemma Webster-Sharp 
In Memoriam: Masters of the Universe and The Phantom artist, Jose María Ortiz Tafalla 
The SEQUENT’ULL Interviews: Lucy Sullivan 
The SEQUENT’ULL Interviews: Shane Melisse