HOW COMIC BOOKS INSPIRED ME

As a young boy, I grew up in a world that had yet to fully embrace the conspicuous consumption mindset that has now powered global economies and individual livelihoods for decades.

As a result, my attentive parents strictly limited television, and whilst I had a copy of The Eagle comic delivered to the door every week, it was one of the few indulgences, they could afford nor would discourage; I was not a great reader back in those days, something which I am pleased to say I did eventually discover to be the most wonderful thing!

But I discovered something magical for me at that time. Almost certainly prompted by my weekly comic, I began drawing my own comic strip stories, where I realised the limitless opportunities to let my imagination run riot. I would sketch in windows (not the Microsoft version!) and develop the storylines, usually involving Thunderbirds-style futuristic cars, and let the story go wherever my mind would take it. I would live in the moment as I was drawing, and once it was finished, that was literally the end, and I would scrap it and start on another!