"Spy Stories, stirring them up!"

Here's a page from my National Army Museum commission for their Society gallery a couple of years ago. The gallery was one of the new features of the museum's major refurbishment telling the story of how the army had been portrayed by Society over the years and how these views changed with the times, highlighting movies, posters, souvenir commemorations etc.

My brief was to show how comics had similarly changed over a broad 100 year timeline from the early Victorian story papers and their celebration of 'Boys Own, Death or Glory' type adventures to post World War One paranoias and subsequent 1970's realities creeping into the comics of my youth, changing my art style, layouts etc to match each era's publications.

This is the 'Inter-war' period between the world wars when paranoia and threats of foreign invasions  were rife, contrasting with glorifying stories of WW1 heroes as a way perhaps of maintaining or manipulating moral, depending on your perspectives.

Glorious colours provided by the excellent and adaptable, Matt Soffe.

It was a fun and almost perfect project for me and my interests but with a punishing deadline ahead of the Queen's official opening! 

Still a project I'm particularly proud of and received many fine comments about. The full project was displayed as a comic 'flip book' for permanent display by the Gallery's entrance. I've not visited since covid, but understand there have been further changes made to the galleries so not sure whether it is currently on view or not? 

My own comics are currently only available direct from me - see convention appearances on the right, or from contacting or visiting Scott's Pops & Comics comic shop in Warrington, UK.

Drawing the Charge of the Light Brigade!

Going through my art files I was reminded of this wee sketch I did of the Charge of the Light Brigade as part of my commission a couple of years ago for London's National Army Museum's new 'Society' gallery - art by me, colours by Matt Soffe. 

My long held interest in this subject was borne by a childhood viewing of Tony Richardson's landmark 1968 movie. I was probably 9 or 10 when I spotted a late night television scheduling of the movie and successfully negotiated with my parents to stay up late on a school night to watch it - clearly the sign of a young mind brainwashed by a love of history!

An old sketch of mine of a couple of the brave 600!

Although I retained an interest and have a few books on the Crimea, I'd only ever done a couple of sketches and had never seriously thought about doing something 'comicy' about the period in the same way as I had, and continue to do with the Anglo-Zulu War, so this was the perfect opportunity.

The project brief was to provide a pictorial progression of how 'Society' had depicted the army/military  in popular culture over a 100+ year timeframe, so starting with 1850's story papers, I chose to show a dramatic image from the famous charge, inspired by some of the period paintings of the time, particularly Richard Caton Woodville's dramatic painting, which I had a postcard copy of. 

Caton Woodville's The Relief of the Light Brigade (1854)

Suitably inspired, I started pencilling the action.....

Adding a little detail to better show the chaos of when the Light Brigade finally clashed with the Russian lines, cannons and all! 

Then beginning the inking....

.....and inking some more.....

... until completed, ready for Matt's colours, as shown in the final version at the top of this page.

And here's a little glimpse of the artist by the entrance to the NAM's Society gallery where the final piece was installed as a 'flip book/comic' for all visitors to see!

 

Interestingly enough, the NAM's Society gallery also featured a copy of the same Caton Woodville painting that had sparked my inspiration!

Not sure if I'll return to the subject but it was fun, with a soft spot for this previously unseen colour image of a Crimean-era Highland Soldier, (again coloured by Matt) when the final version remained in black n white, in keeping with the era the periodical presented.