Peter Gray's Comics and Art

http://www.dundee.ac.uk/archives/thecollections/comiccollections/

http://www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/exhibitions/comics/petrie/

Also a museum exhibition of Jim's work..
Wish I could go...too far away for me Dundee... :(

 Very powerful image...a nice feature in the book...Churchill by  Iain Kennedy





Thanks Keith Robson for the names at facebook

 Beano 24th May 1997
Looks a bit like the Sparky office that last panel...


I'm glad Jim saw my website and blog posts on his work and it was nice chatting by email to him...I love his work its so animated and full of action...also brilliant expressions...he has left an amazing amout of comic work to enjoy for all time...Thanks Jim...God bless your family and frineds at this sad time.

Thanks Jim it made my year!!:)

Get the Christmas Beano today..

Jim still got it..


See vase in first panel in gold letters..
Peter Gray

title panel changed..But notice the name in the second panel..:0)


Beryl the Peril with Minnie the minx 1981 annual

Jim never signed his Minnie the minx page except the last one he did in 2001...But he has sneaked it in this 60's reprint strip..

Again brilliant action and movement..check out panel 5 of Minnie collecting grub quickly..great visual!! Today's comic artists can learn from Jim..



From the same annual...Heres that name again.I wonder if that is what Jim Petrie looked like in the 60's? :)

Ken Reid also used to add his name to shop fronts in say Roger the Dodger so its at least nice of DC Thomson to let the artist name appear in the strip in a subtile way..mind you in the Power comics (Pow!, Smash! Wham! etc..) most artists were free to sign there strip in the 60's...though some artists didn't?

The Beano 3rd June 1961
Here is the first one. I'm sure Jim had ghosted a few Minnies before But this is when it became weekly in The Beano..which amazingly Jim drew for 2000 issues!! up to 2001! What a brilliant artist....see a reprint of 1966 Minnie in todays Beano and just be in awe...also Jim is coming out of retirement one more time(hopefully more;) ) to draw a Fatty Fudge page which is of course a character from Minnie.

Lets have a closer look at this in more detail..
Jim is obviously a good letterer as he does many variations on the titles through the years..
I love the figure work throughout he knows how to put the body in different angles. The pose of Minnie in the head dress a real 3D postion..very solid looking..strong.
In the totem pole there looks like Wilfred!
Its fun seeing how times have changed e.g the light bulb being used for the shaver socket!!
Again the Dad in the chair is shown in two panels in different ways..nothing is flat!
Love the gag of the bird using pan pipes!!:)
Another note is that Minnie isn't in every panel and somtimes hidden a bit with just a face or hat showing..lots of variations...
As noted before every expression is different in each panel..
A good use of the rake in the last panel to break up the foreground and background..

What a beginning!!

It made it to the cover and back page in colour..


The first one Jackpot number 1
5th May 1979

As you can see Jim puts so much energy into his work...what a great character for him to play with..its almost bouncing off the walls..and that lower lip covering his nose in a huge sulk is so memorable!!!
Heres some great images I've found looking through...must do this with another top artist Ian Knox sometime..

The Beano recently had an angry character...though sadly short lived...see Nigel's blog..
http://nigelparkinsoncartoons.blogspot.com/2011/06/year-ago-on-my-birthday-thanks-my.html

p.s.
I will get round one day to put up the World Wide Werdies..I havn't forgotten..just have to be in the mood as it will take a lot of sorting out..

17th July 1971 Sparky

Heres a gem and you can see on there backs there names..
one is Al?

The other is Ian whc must be Ian Gray
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2007/sep/20/guardianobituaries.pressandpublishing

Can't see who is the bowler hatted character? Come on someone must know a Beano worker who wore a bowler hat...:)

Jim is great at capturing time movement..he would of beena good Billy Whizz artist..
He sure is great at drawing energy..

Beano Dec 23rd 1978

Back from my holiday from Portland..so not as many blog posts this Month..
I've took with me my 1977/78 Beano's and marvelled at the artists talents what great craftmanships..
This one stood out look how Jim has captured so many different expressions of Minnie..two different looks in each panel..
Jim must of used a mirror..
loved the tongue of Minnie used in a fun way...also the rapid nod side to side of the head on the top of the page 2...also what fun to see them all as turkeys!!
All artists including me should try and copy some of these expressions...
Jim really made each panel different and the characters..

Beano 1968 23rd Nov


Look at this wonderful panel...blinking at the top then eyes looking downwards..what a clever originla use of falling down a manhole gag..


Two different perspectives...a nice mirror image..
Also nice touch of the father doing his shoe lace by leaning on the dustbin...
we don't see G.P.O signs now!
Love the Dad squashed up in a over the top way nose peeping out..
also the over the top leap of rage...no eyes seen as its also a great low angle used on both panels..





Also nice the follow on....you could see this in a animation...

Hope the newer artists in The Dandy study past comic artists like Jim..to get new ideas for there own comic character...

Another point is how Jim draws hands...they are really good and different each time..

Jack Clayton


Terry Bave


Nick Baker


Mike Lacey


Jim Petrie



Robert Nixon


Terry Bave


Frank Mc Diarmid


Joe McCaffrey


Sid Burgon


Robert Nixon

Inspired by Lews blog on his Easter comic cover theme I'd thought I would just focus on one issue. Whoopee and Cheeky 1981.
This is how comics celebrated Easter and its great...whether its egg rolling, winning huge Easter eggs, Easter parades, Easter Fairs, Easter egg hunt,Going to the seaside and visiting Aunties recieving Easter presents. Also Easter bonnets are featured in the Cheeky story and of course the Baker boy is carrying hot cross buns!!
As you can see Easter can cover many topics..

Changed wording to my own thoughts-
The Beano and Dandy today should celebrate Easter more in there comics....
To give The Beano a little credit at least the Dennis story was on the topic of April Fools day..

http://lewstringer.blogspot.com/2010/04/easter-comics-of-past.html


In the issue was a toothpaste advert!!!...after all that chocolate me thinks...:)