See it in Beano No.4152, in shops on Wednesday! 

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Ellis meets The Bash Street Kids!

I'm pleased to say that not one but two of my Ellis's Great Escapes strips will be in the Beano next week! 

This is the first time I've had anything in the comic since my series of Ellis strips ended in December, although they've kept a few in stock since then. I had no idea when they'd be used so it's good that two will be in print next week.

Why now? Well, Ellis the Elephant also makes an appearance in the Dennis and Gnasher strip in that issue (drawn by Nigel Parkinson) so I guess it was the right time. There are also a couple of other Ellis strips in stock but I don't know when they'll be used. 

Ellis even appears on the cover (also drawn by Nigel Parkinson) so this is the issue to look out for when it arrives in the shops next Wednesday, 5th May! 

Cover by Nigel Parkinson.

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Ellis the Elephant has escaped from Beanotown Zoo! The hunt is on in the next issue of the Beano. Will he be found? Well, it gave me a chance to put a few of the Bash Street Kids in the strip anyway. I always like drawing those iconic characters. Leo Baxendale designed them well back in the 1950s, and let's not forget that David Sutherland has been doing a fantastic job on The Bash Street Kids strip since 1962!

See the full story of Ellis's Great Escapes in Beano No.4066, in the shops on Wednesday 30th December! 

I'm not sure how often Ellis will appear after this issue unfortunately, as there will be new stories coming into the Beano (none by me I'm afraid). I've drawn a few more Ellis episodes for the future but I won't know when they'll see print until they're actually published. I'll let you know on this blog whenever my work appears in the comic.

In the meantime, here's the cover of the next issue to look out for, drawn by the Sharp Brothers...

Here's a sneak peek at my Christmas episode of Ellis's Great Escapes! This would have been the final episode but I'm glad to say the strip's had a reprieve to carry on for a while into the New Year. 

I also provided some illustrations of The Bash Street Kids to be used in a board game that's in the issue. It's always fun drawing them!

In fact the whole issue is very Christmassy indeed and it's a bumper 44 page edition plus a pull out calendar poster that's nearly A2 in size. Here's the cover, by Nigel Parkinson...

The issue comes in a cardboard pack that looks like this....

...and it includes a bunch of gifts such as this Gnasher Face Mask! 

This Christmas issue will be on sale for three weeks, so there won't be another Beano until 30th December. Don't leave it too late to buy a copy though as they're likely to sell fast!   

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Here's a preview of my next episode of Ellis's Great Escapes! You can see the full story in the Beano No.4063, on sale Wednesday 25th November! Still only £2.75. 

Here's a little preview of a couple of strips I have in print this week. First off there's another excursion into The Daft Dimension in Doctor Who Magazine No.558. The theme of this issue is 'collectables' so the strip introduces two Doctor Who fans competing with their merchandise. (And if you don't understand the reference to John and Gillian, use your TARDIS to travel back to 1964 and check out TV Comic).

Over in the Beano No.4061 there's a mystery animal in Beanotown Zoo in my Ellis's Great Escapes story. See what happens next when the issue hits the shops!

Beano No.4061 is published on Wednesday 11th November, £2.75.

Doctor Who Magazine No.558 is published on Thursday 12th November, £5.99.

Here's a sneak preview of next week's episode of Ellis's Great Escapes! I've enjoyed doing this series. The premise might seem limited, with Ellis being in his compound every week, but the challenge as a writer / artist is coming up with ways for him to escape by the end of each strip, - and all in five or six panels. 

You can read the full story in Beano No.4060 when it arrives in shops on Wednesday 4th November! Here's the cover by Nigel Parkinson to look out for:

 

Here's a quick glmpse at my next Ellis's Great Escapes strip, which will be in the Halloween edition of the Beano. See the full story and loads of other spooky strips in Beano No.4058, on sale Wednesday 21st October. 

Here's the cover to look out for, drawn by Nigel Parkinson... 

Here's a preview of my contribution to this week's Beano. It's a panel from the latest Ellis's Great Escapes strip (script, art, colouring and sfx lettering by me). The comic will be in the shops on Wednesday 14th October. 

It also includes loads of other strips of course from today's top cartoonists. Here's the cover to look out for by Nigel Parkinson...

I thought you might like to see what this week's Ellis's Great Escapes looked like when I was drawing it. Here's part of a panel during the inking process. As you can see, my pencil roughs are VERY rough and untidy, but I find it's the best way to convey the energy of a drawing from my imagination to the paper. I know which line I'll be inking but I don't think anyone else would! Fortunately Beano artists ink their own work and don't use the factory system that American comics have employed for years. (Although no doubt if one artist was churning out several 20 page comics a month then we would have to use separate inkers and colourists.) 

Below is the finished job, after I'd inked and coloured it, and the lettered, printed version as it appears in the Beano No.4055 out now! Buy your copy to read the full story and loads of other fun strips!

Ellis's Great Escapes is back in The Beano next week. Script, art, and colours by me. Here's a sneak peek at one panel. What's he up to? Find out on Wednesday 23rd September when Beano No.4054 hits the shops! Only £2.75. 

Here's the cover to look out for. Plug and Danny drawn by Nigel Parkinson...