My other blog, LewStringerComics, which is exclusively about my own comic strips past and present, will continue, so I hope most of you will join me over there.
http://lewstringercomics.blogspot.com
Why am I bringing Blimey! to a halt? Well, a number of reasons really. Firstly, after 13 years, I feel I've covered all the comics and strips that I wanted to talk about. "I've done my bit" as it were. My initial incentive in doing this blog was because back then there was so little info about old British comics online so I wanted to balance things out a bit and share what little knowledge I had on the subject from Ally Sloper to last week's Beano.
I was also keen to promote current comics from the great talent that's out there. Unfortunately in recent years I felt that Blimey! went a little off course and became more about previewing upcoming comics than about focusing on the past. Some people got a bit entitled unfortunately, with people I'd never heard of sending me press releases marked For Immediate Release to promote their comics without even a please or thank you. (They went straight into the bin!) I was more than happy to promote 2000AD, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Treasury of British Comics, Commando, Beano, Panini UK, and all the comics created by friends in the industry such as David Leach, Jessica Martin, Rachael Smith, John A. Short etc but not those by complete strangers taking advantage. Plus there's only so many hours in a day and I'd have to be blogging full time to cover everything!
Down the Tubes already reviews / previews lots of new comics in its own superb way, and more in-depth than I do it, so it was a waste of time and effort to just mirror each other's output. (It's not like we're competing for people's income like newspapers do. Blogs are free to produce and free to to read so the number of hits are irrelevant.)
Producing a blog is time consuming, especially researching old comics, scanning pages, etc. (Yes, I know some bloggers simply nick images from other sites but I don't.) As I mentioned on my other blog this hasn't been a good year and I need to focus completely on my career from now on. An hour or two researching, scanning, and writing a post about an old issue of Lion or Radio Fun is a distraction I can no longer afford. Even this post has taken a couple of hours to compose when I should have been working on something else.
I've also noticed that where some are concerned my reputation as a blogger is overshadowing my work as a comic artist. Not that there's anything wrong with blogging but I don't want to be solely defined by it. I've never thought of myself as a "comics historian", just a comics creator who knows a bit about some periods of comics (mainly the 1960s), and I've referred to books by true historians such as Denis Gifford, Ray Moore, Steve Holland and others to learn about earlier decades.
I've really enjoyed creating this blog though and I've appreciated your feedback in the comments. Well, apart from a few trolls and trouble-makers, but they'll come to no good end eventually. The vast majority of you have been a pleasure to converse with and I'm pleased that this little blog has either sparked some nostalgic memory, introduced you to comics you never knew about, or helped to promote your work. My thanks to you for following it over the years.
Blimey! won't be deleted. It'll remain as it is, but simply won't have any new posts added to it. You'll still be able to comment on old posts, and I'll respond.
http://lewstringercomics.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/lewstringercartoonist
...and at my website:
http://www.lewstringer.com
...and on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/lew.stringer/
It's on the lewstringercomics blog where I'll keep you updated about the comics and projects I'm working on such as the brilliant Cor!! Buster Easter Special that's coming next year with a three page Buster and Delbert strip I'm drawing from a script by John Freeman.
 |
| Cover by Neil Googe and Jim Boswell. |
https://downthetubes.net
There's also Steve Holland's Bear Alley blog, for very well researched articles on classic material:
https://bearalley.blogspot.com
Richard Sheaf's Boys Adventure Comics blog:
http://boysadventurecomics.blogspot.com
For the latest news on the Marvel Collectors Editions published by Panini UK the best place is from their official Facebook page:
https://en-gb.facebook.com/MarvelCollectorsEditions/
Likewise, the best place for news about the upcoming Treasury of British Comics collections is here:
https://en-gb.facebook.com/britcomics/
Official site for indie comics publisher Kult Creations:
http://kultcreations.blogspot.com
Official site for indie publisher Time Bomb Comics:
http://timebombcomics.com
Irmantas Povilaika's Kazoop! blog for lots of classics by Ken Reid and others:
http://kazoop.blogspot.com
Phil Boyce's Oink! Blog and Beyond for features on Oink! and other comics of the 1980s and beyond:
http://the-oink-blog.blogspot.com
Peter Gray's Comics and Art blog for classic comics:
http://petergraycartoonsandcomics.blogspot.com
Colin Noble's blog:
https://nothingbutafan.wordpress.com
...and you'll also find links to many other blogs and websites in the right hand sidebar of this blog (if you're reading this on a desktop computer).
For this blog though, this is the end, so I thank you all for your time and interest, wish you a Happy New Year, and hope to see you in 2020 over at
http://lewstringercomics.blogspot.com
- Lew Stringer 31st December 2019.
PS: Remember there are 3,365 entries I've written on this blog over the past 13 years so why not have a look through the archives, plunge into the Comics Time Vortex and re-read some posts from the past!
••••••••••••••••••••
Well done Lew, the blog is a fantastic resource, best to you for the New Year.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Mr Stringer! Thoroughly enjoyed your blog over the years - best wishes for 2020 and beyond!
ReplyDeleteThanks David, and to you too Steve. Happy New Year and here's to fresh beginnings.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for all the work that you’ve put into this blog over the years Lew. I’ve mentioned it before, but as a lover of the design elements of comics as well as the artwork itself, the thing that drew me to the blog in the first place was the very creative masthead (I love the detail of your pencil written name, that mimicked the mark that guaranteed a copy of our favourite comic(s) from the newsagent!).
ReplyDeleteAside from the design, the articles - such as your recent ones on Christmas annual covers and 1969 - have always made for informative and enjoyable posts. So as a (fairly) latecomer to your blog, I’m glad you’re not deleting it so I can search through the early years for articles missed.
Thanks again and Happy New Year to you Lew, here’s to a productive and successful 2020.
A nice sign off Lew! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi Lew
ReplyDeleteI’m sad to learn of the end of the blog as it’s given me so much pleasure over the years. Many thanks for all the good times.
Paul
for some reason, I think it's the right time to sing Good-bye-ee
ReplyDeletelike said, it's been an enjoyable time
As I've got back into comics over the past few years, your website has been fantastic mine of information and entertainment.
ReplyDeleteRarely has a day gone by without me visiting and I'd sincerely like to thank you for sharing your love of comics, something which shines through in your posts.
All the very best for 2020 and beyond.
Thank you, Lew. It's been a great ride.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear of people sending you things without even a please or thank you. That's how some folk can be.
I'm certain I speak for many when we say we are grateful to you. Doubly grateful, in fact, for you showcasing things I'd never heard of.
Stephen Parry
I stopped blogging a long time ago and fully understand...I'm more on facebook these days..
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the effort and time you've put in for all us comic fans...and maybe 2020 will be a good year for you...all the best with your new projects..and thanks again for sooooo many posts to reread..thanks Lew
Happy New Year
loved the last Dandy post so of course will miss it..
Thanks everyone. Much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteSteve, glad you like the title banner. The name above the logo was taken from an old Beano of mine, so that's actually my newsagent's handwriting from the 1960s from when I had my Beano reserved every week.
Thank you for your wonderful blog and your much valued contributions to documenting British comics history. Never undervalue yourself or your writing. It’s been very much appreciated, as is your talent as a comics creator. All the very best. See you in the funny pages!
ReplyDeleteHi, Lew.
ReplyDeleteAll my life (minus the first 4-5 years) I have always loved first reading & then collecting British comics.
And for the majority of my life, I thought I was in a minority of one or two. Sure there was a lot of interest for American comics but I thought not so much for the British.
Then I discovered Comics UK followed by Blimey! in 2008 and realised I was wrong.
So, Lew. A BIG thank you for all the hours of reading your blog over the years. It has been a joy and I hope that the 2020s will be a good decade for you.
Happy New Year.
SID
PS I will still be reading Blimey! and posting comments from time to time.
Thanks Sid, and you too John.
ReplyDeleteI hope people will follow my other blog though as that's still continuing and I'll be posting various strips there that I've done over the past 35 years as well as showcasing future strips.
I thought you might have gone with the title “Great news inside chums” but it is a sad day indeed for (especially ) UK comic fans . Your blog has been a bit of a beacon for UK comics and a lot of fun over the years. I have just realised that I have been following your work in one way or another via fanzines, comics and blogs since the mid 1970s. I’m sure things will pick up work wise for you in 2020 and I will no doubt pop onto your other blog as I do now. Lang may yer lum reek!
ReplyDeleteThe entire world of comics owes you a massive thank you, Lew, for all you've done to promote UK comics on here. And it would be a much sadder prospect of no more posts on Blimey! if it wasn't for the fact that it'll mean more comics from your wondrous pen… So here's to a wonderful 2020 and beyond, and again many, many thanks for all you've done thus far and in the future!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this blog Lew - best wishes for 2020.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your hard work over the years, Lew, and Happy New Decade to you :)
ReplyDeleteA huge thank you, Lew! This blog as been my first go-to for British comics news, and I will miss it, though will continue reading your other blog. I hope that having more time to focus on your comics work will bring more for you to do, and that 2020 has loads of good opportunities for you. Many blessings and many thanks.
ReplyDeleteTotally appreciate and understand your situation. Thank you for all the hard work, already following you elsewhere, and supporting where possible. Its been a joy.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lew. This is a fantastic resource that I'll continue to browse avidly. Best Wishes for 2020.
ReplyDeleteI've learned so much from this blog - thanks for all the work you put into it, Lew, and all the very best to you for 2020 and beyond.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone! And a Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteYou were a bit of a troll and troublemaker yourself sometimes so its a case of pot calling kettle. Save us from the self righteous.
ReplyDeleteGonna miss this, but I'm glad you're keeping it up. Now I can go back and read it from the start.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great run. I enjoy your Daft Dimension and Pup Parade Strips. Especially the Big Eggo Final Strip. Perhaps it might come back for the 85 anniversary in 2023? Who Knows. I have made a blog about British Comics and Doctor Who Stuff which will be ready by 03/01/20. I think it's Working Title is Either Pow, Kerblam or the Vault.
ReplyDeleteThe Legacy of Blimey Continues...
All the best wishes for 2020. Going to read the Daft Dimension in issue 500 now.😊
As someone with a fairly deeper knowledge than the average Joe but a hell of a lot shallower than you're usual audience I never left a comment so breaking cover...
ReplyDeleteI once told Mark Rylance at the stagedoor after seeing Nice Fish (which he wrote and starred in) that he could have ended it with the word 'FIN'.
He stopped and pondered that for a moment then smiled - so the joke landed at least.
This word was one I learned from comics so you can never say they weren't educational and seems appropriate here.
Hopefully you might consider an 'annual' on your other blog?
Damn! I’m too late to say Thank You Lew.
ReplyDeleteNot too late, Christopher. People can still comment at any time. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Animaniac. I don't think it'd work on my other blog as that's just about my own stuff so posting work by others there might confuse potential clients. I'll be blogging about a lot of my own strips though, with background info on the comics I've worked for.
Thanks Tony! Always good to hear from you.
Anonymous, own your s#it and stop projecting it onto me. (There's always one isn't there, folks?)
Hi lew you know that twat will just follow to your blog....& thanks for all the posts over the years guess I followed it since 06/07 can’t remember age a? Always found you upfront & honest on posts best wishes Paul wilding
ReplyDeleteThank you for a great blog Lew. You and Crikey reignited my interest in old British comics. All the best for the future.
ReplyDeleteThanks Paul. Yeah, I just find him amusing now because he's so ineffectual. Thanks for following the blog for so long. I appreciate that.
ReplyDeleteThanks Colin. Glad it encouraged your interest. Best wishes.
I'm truly sorry to see this blog end Lew, but as you say, nothing lasts forever and it's not like the end wasn't signposted.
ReplyDeleteAlthough we're both roughly the same age, the topics covered on your blog revealed we have roughly similar tastes. The blog recounted many items I remember from my own childhood, such as the Joe 90 Sutherlands Spread Dossier featured recently. I shudder to think hot many pots of that stuff I consumed as a kid...
Good luck with the future. WRT the post on your other blog and as one commercial artist to another, I would definitely recommend seeking additional work outside of the comics industry per se: you may find it actually pays better on a per-illustration basis although of course an ongoing strip is better for bringing in a regular income.
Many thanks again for all your efforts,
S.E.E.
Thanks S.E.E. Yes, I did a couple of illustration jobs outside of comics in 2019 and the pay was certainly better than any comic industry rates. We're undervalued in the business and that tends to have a knock on effect where we undervalue ourselves. Hopefully 2020 will bring a balance where I can do work in the comics mainstream as well as other cartoon work.
ReplyDeleteAnother long time follower and occasional commenter here Lew and have to say I will sorely miss it, but completely understand your reasons (and have enjoyed your "farewell lap" as it were so lots of time to get used to the idea). Thanks so much for the care and love taken in each and every post. Hope 2020 is a great one for you and look forward to keeping up with your work on your other blog too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Chris! Best wishes to you too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your hard work blogging Lew - when I started my own blog I quickly realised just how time consuming an individual post could be (and therefore how long it must be taking the like of you & Steve Holland to produce such interesting and well-illustrated blog postings). For better or worse, I can't commit that much time so my own blogging has never look as polished as your blog. Hey ho. Hope 2020 goes well for you and hope to see you at a con. somewhere in 2020. Thanks again for all your efforts on our behalf.
ReplyDeleteThanks Richard. I forgot to add your blog to the list so I'll amend that. Incidentally, I've tried to comment a few times over there but it hasn't worked. Not sure why. All the best for 2020.
ReplyDeletegah! Plenty of spammers leave comments so no idea why you can't - how frustrating :)
ReplyDeleteI will really miss the blimey blog, however you have lest behind a fascinating archive. All the best 2020!!!
ReplyDeleteSomeone's told your rival your blogs ending and he didn't know.
ReplyDeleteRival? Blogs don't have rivals. It's not like we're fighting for sales or shelf space is it? People can read as many blogs as they want for free!
ReplyDeleteThanks Stevie. Hope you'll follow my other blog. I'll be talking about the industry over there as well as showing my work.
Happy New Year to you Mr Stringer, this Blog has been a brilliant source of British Comics History , glad to see you'll be maintaining because like all great comics we can all go back and have another read.
ReplyDeleteJohn Vaughan
Hi Lew, Thank you for all your endeavours here over the years. Both interesting and informative and always suffused with a love for the world of comic art in all its forms.
ReplyDeleteOld school or new school you've always had something worthwhile to say.
All best wishes for your future projects and kindest regards,
Ray
Thanks Ray, for your kind words and also for your inspiring books which proved an essential resource for dates etc.
ReplyDeleteThanks John. No doubt Blogger will collapse one day, but for the time being the blog will remain online.
Thanks for building such an entertaining blog, Lew, and thanks for leaving its contents to an appreciative posterity. Ephemeral as their publishers might often have thought they were, comics were, are and will hopefully remain important cultural artifacts -- touchstones -- as well as fine entertainment.
ReplyDeleteI hope good fortune awaits in 2020 and beyond.
Thanks for producing a consistently enjoyable & informative blog over all these years, somebody called it the go-to & indeed that's what it's always been, invested with all the love and knowledge that only a real fan of all things Comics could muster. Bon chance Mr Stringer, & once again thanks for all the funny looks at the funny books
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for that. I'll still be covering some old comics on my other blog but it'll focus on the work I did for them over the past 37 years, with a bit of background info thrown in.
ReplyDeleteLew, saddened that BLIMEY! isn't going to be updated, but like other posters have said, totally understand why. Thanks for the decision to keep the blog up here though, so it can be read and enjoyed whenever we want. And, as you point out, there is still your other blog to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI'm just an interested 'outsider' with no connection to the comics industry, with an admiration for those working in the field. As somebody that turned 60 last year, I find it wonderful I can find information both about more recent comics, and those of my childhood. And, talking of childhood, thank you again for scanning in the page a while back with my 'question' to Spoofer McGraw in The Sparky back in 1972! It was wonderful to see it again after I had long since lost the original comic back in the 70s.
Best wishes for the future, Lew, and good luck - you've earned it!
Thanks Ian, that's really nice of you. We're the same age and I'm glad to hear you appreciate hearing about recent comics as well as older ones. I know some people are only interested in the comics from the window of their childhood, but to me, we can all enjoy a greater appreciation of the art form by looking at the whole history of comics as one tapestry. Everything is connected, and influenced by what has gone before, just as today's comics will influence future creators.
ReplyDeleteI think the amount of comments here shows how much both you and your blog are appreciated far and wide, Lew. There's so much here that I doubt I'll ever stop finding something new to read even with the blog now at an end. As Richard said above, only in doing our own blogs do we realise how much time and effort goes into one of these posts, so it's completely understandable that you'd want to close off Blimey and concentrate on your own work in 2020. Even with no new content it'll still be the #1 resource for many of us! Happy New Year Lew and thank you for all your help on my own blog too (and thanks for the plug!).
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil!
ReplyDeleteJust to add my voice to those thanking you for all your work. I was able to discover great work I had missed as well as rediscovering many of my favourite artists. I'm glad you're leaving it up for us to continue to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Yes, it'll remain online indefinitely so hopefully new people will be able to discover it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lew for all the years of awakened memories and new comics, always been a treat and I'll follow the other blog and mag articles with interest.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mj!
ReplyDeleteA bit late from me, but thanks for working on Blimey for all of these years.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started collecting comics nearly ten years ago, I was originally intending to cover my reading era. But since discovering this blog, my interest was expanded.
Thank you also for the help on identifying artists on my own blog (back when my knowledge on artists I didn't know about.)
I will continue to visit your own blog.
All the best for 2020.
Bruce.
Thanks Bruce. It's comments like yours that have made it worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteBy gum, Lew, you've earned your rest - and then some!
ReplyDeleteA million thank you's for this wonderful blog - I've loved reading it over the years and sincerely hope it stays online forever, helping future fans with the indispensable information it holds.
I'll be sure to keep an eye on your new blog but for now, thank you again for helping to keep these fantastic comics alive and bringing a smile to many a jaded old fan's chops!
Karlos
Thanks Karlos. That's nice to hear. Even though there's over 3,000 posts there's still a lot I could cover but it was just taking up too much valuable time. I was in my 40s when I started this blog and I'm 61 soon so enough's enough. :D
ReplyDeleteSorry to see you go but thanks for all the great posts
ReplyDeleteThanks, although my other blog is continuing!
ReplyDeleteHi Terry, Sorry that your blogs are ending. I was not a regular visitor to this one but it did cross my path at times and I liked what I saw. Maybe I catch you on Facebook from now on I guess??
ReplyDeleteI think you may have confused me with another grey-bearded blogger! There's no Terry here!
ReplyDeleteWishing you had written more about Spike but hey ho. Good luck and thank you for years of blogging. G
ReplyDeleteYes, I should have covered most DCT adventure comics more but it was down to lack of time in the end. Thanks for your good wishes anyway Gareth.
ReplyDeleteMiss you here, Lew. I keep checking in, hoping against hope, that you've reconsidered...
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, you've been both entertaining and educational for this guy from Chicago (me) who received the Beano, Dandy, Oor Wullie, etc. from my great aunt from Scotland (Dundee) in the 60s and 70s.
Were it not for you I would never have been exposed to the rich history of these Scottish / UK "comics."
Thank you very much for that!
Thank you for reading the blog! I won't be reconsidering I'm afraid as the reasons I packed it in still stand, but my other blog is still updated regularly. http://lewstringercomics.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteMany, many warm and friendly comment except for one lying troll whose still trying to blame you for things he's imagined you did. I'd count that as a good balance and it says it all for 13 years of blogging. Thank you Lew for many years of happy reading.
ReplyDeleteOh there's more than one troll but they're all fruitcakes.
ReplyDeleteThanks, and don't forget to follow my other blog:
http://lewstringercomics.blogspot.com/
Seems my last comment triggered someone who thought I was talking about him/her/they, kind of proving my point really. Ha!
ReplyDelete