EXTRACTS: Illustrators Crime Comics Special © 2020 Book Palace Books (144 pages in full edition)

24 needed to fulfill those briefs, and as Sean says, “It was Ken who introduced me to brush inking, before that I was probably using a biro”. Sean’s talents were sharpened over the next two years, and he eventually found himself working on some of Houghton’s briefs. The work would be assigned to Sean for pencilling, and then Houghton would take each page and add ink. Much of it was for DC Thomson ’s line of girls’ comics, it wasn’t as immediately glamorous as working for DC or Marvel , but it was an excellent training ground, and the lessons Sean learned were to stand him in good stead throughout his career. Sean was in the enviable position of drawing for comics whilst still at school, and as he went from school to undertake an Art Foundation course at Lowestoft Polytechnic, he started working directly for clients via Ken Houghton’s agent Artright in Fleet Street. His responsibilities would often involve drawing, lettering and colouring the comics, all skills which he had imbibed from his mentor. Sadly Ken Houghton had been forced into an early retirement, had relocated to Wales and, unknown to Sean, had succumbed to lung © D C Thomson Ltd 2020 CAPTIONS: Early work for DC Thomson was centred around girls’ comics. The work would be sourced from Houghton who would assign the pencilling to Sean while Houghton would add the inking. FACING PAGE: Sean’s work was impressive enough for the DC Thomson editors to commission covers from him. As in this example from March 1988.