The origunal story ran in a magazine called 'Strip' - as two pages every two weeks. I wanted the 'title' to run as a banner above the artwork ( European style ). But the editors of Marvel UK demanded that it be in the regulation top right hand corner, which always screws with the artwork! So, when it was reprinted as a 'collected edition', there were unfortunate gaps in the artwork up in that top right corner of every other page.

But, despite the editorial constraints, I managed to produce some nice images.

John Wagner ( Yes. His name gets mentioned a lot! ) and Alan Grant had experienced some problems with launching this venture. They'd tried another 'famous' artist, who shall remain namelss as I can't remember who it was. And come up not so much 'blank' as sour.

So, in desperation (?), they turned to me.

I'd done my own fairy-story called 'Grain' many years previously. So I was well 'up for it' - to use a colloquialism.

I developed a lot as a painter during this series. That was down to one thing - my contact with the great Don Lawrence. I used to go regularly to work alongside him in his home studio. There I could watch him work magic with paint!! And hope to learn a little just by the contact.

He didn't actually try to 'teach' me anything. He said we were too different as artists. He saw everything three dimensionally, whereas I saw it as shape and design.

But I think you will see from the pages below that I gained a lot from him.

They are a selection of 'before Lawrence' and 'during'. Long may his memory live on.