EXTRACTS: Illustrators issue 29 © 2019 The Book Palace (96 PAGES in Full edition)

54 produced by the Amalgamated Press, containing twelve large pages superbly printed in photogravure, four of which were in full colour. The very title, Happy Days , seems to sum up the British comic scene of the thirties and Roy Wilson’s particular contribution to it. His front-page work on Happy Days is perhaps his finest hour. Wilson’s reputation grew by leaps and bounds. Editors clamoured for his work and, whenever a new comic was started, it was invariably Wilson’s work that was given pride of place. He was emulated and imitated but never equaled. By the end of the 1930s, his reputation was assured and he was the most respected and sought-after artist working for British comics. The advent of the Second World War had an immediate effect on British comics and many of the great weeklies were discontinued. Wilson was now too old to be called up and, despite the publishing difficulties during and after the War, he continued to be fully employed, working for comics such as Tip Top, Jingles and the newly launched Radio Fun. In 1947, he also began to submit drawings to Woman’s Own magazine, contributing a weekly children’s painting competition. For this new area of work, Wilson created the character of a baby dragon called ‘The Dragamuffin’ and followed that ‘Happy Andy and His Playful Pets’ was one of Wilson’s jolliest and sunniest strips. It appeared on the front page of Tip Top from 1939 until 1948 and was a strip for which Wilson always had a deep affection. ABOVE: Happy Andy and His Pals , pen and ink on board, detail of third panel which was re-done for the final printed version. BELOW: Happy Andy and his Pals as it appeared in print (and in colour) in Tip Top and Butterfly on 16 May, 1942.