Illustrators

This alphabetical listing represents only a small selection of the illustrators who worked on Look and Learn and the associated magazines. Click on the buttons to see more images by each artist.

Marco Polo by Severino Baraldi

Severino Baraldi (1930- ). Italian artist who contributed dozens of historical illustrations to Look and Learn and World of Knowledge in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Born on 10 December 1930 in Sermide, Baraldi entertained customers of the local barber with chalk pavement drawings. He began working as a carpenter but continued to draw cartoons for the local newspaper before moving to Milan where he worked for an advertising agency while attending the Scuola d’Arte Castello di Milano. After producing two volumes of Bible illustrations for Il Messaggero di Sant’Antonio, Baraldi began illustrating educational books and books for boys and contributing to many magazines. In the early 1960s he adapted the Odyssey (Ulisse) and Peer Gynt (Ciuffo Biondo) for children. As well as his seven-year association with Look and Learn, he was associated with the Italian weekly Famiglia Cristiana and his historical illustrations also became popular in Greece and Japan. In 1994, he produced over 100 illustrations for La Bibbia: storie dell’antico e del nuovo te which was translated around the world (in Britain as The Bible for Children). In all, Baraldi has contributed to over 220 books and produced over 7,500 illustrations. He retired a few years ago.

Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities
by Ralph Bruce

Ralph Bruce (na). British artist who contributed to The Children’s Newspaper and Look and Learn. He was one of the artists, alongside Graham Coton, who provided large illustrations for the cover of The Children’s Newspaper in the early 1960s. He was also a paperback coverartist and later contributed illustrations to a number of books published by Beckenham-based Patterson Blick, including Ancient Egypt (1970) and Football (1970).

Graham Coton (1926-2003). Graham Coton was one of Look and Learn’s leading artists in the late 1960s and 1970s. Coton’s love of cars, planes and anything that involved action and speed made him the perfect choice for a wide range of features. Born in Woolwich on 1 November 1926, Coton was trained at Shooter’s Hill School where he achieved the highest marks for Art the school had ever seen. He entered Goldsmith’s College School of Art but his education was interrupted when he volunteered for the RAF in 1944. He returned to Goldsmith’s but was “obliged to leave early and earn a living quickly,” and submitted samples to Amalgamated Press which earned him a job illustrating ‘Kit Carson’ on Cowboy Comics in 1950.

Pearl Harbour by Graham Coton

Over the next twenty years, Coton produced strips for Knockout (including the long-running ‘Space Family Rollinson’), Thriller Comics, Comet, Super Detective Library, Tiger, Express Weekly, War Picture Library, Film Fun, Valiant, Lion and TV Century 21. He also had a long association with Air Ace Picture Library and became one of the leading cover artists for the library group. In later life, Coton was able to concentrate on painting, subsidised by advertising work and book jackets. He lived in Hastings, East Sussex, where he died in the autumn of 2003.

Woodpecker by R. B. Davis

R(eginald) B(en) Davis (1907-1998). A regular illustrator of nature subjects and animals for Look and Learn and Treasure. Some of his Look and Learn illustrations were collected in Animal Partnerships by Maurice Burton (1969). Born on 10 December 1907, Davis was a commercial artist before the Second World War working for Byron Studios. After the war he became a regular artist for School Friend, drawing the adventures of castaway schoolgirl ‘Jill Crusoe’. Amongst his other strips for the same paper were ‘Jon of the Jungle’, ‘Kay of Cedar Creek’, ‘Phantom Ballerina’ and ‘Penny of Maywood Stables’. Davis was also a regular cover artist for Schoolgirls’ Picture Library from its debut in June 1957 and later illustrated text stories for Girls’ Crystal in the early 1960s. From 1962 he concentrated on colour illustration work and only occasionally returned to comic strips. In the 1970s he concentrated on illustrating wildlife books. Davis lived in Liphook, Hampshire, where he died in late 1998, aged 90.

Hammurabi by Neville Dear

Neville Dear (na). Prolific artist for Look and Learn, illustrating a wide variety of historical subjects and various series including ‘Disasters That Shook the World’ (1963), ‘By the Rivers of Babylon’ (1964), ‘They Made Headlines’ (1964), ‘Epic Stories of the Iron Road’ (1965) and others. In 1949, Dear and two other students from the Royal College of Art were commissioned to decorate the walls of the children’s section of the Chelsea Public Library. In the 1950s he began producing illustrations for William Collins, including work for Collins’ Magazine, Collins Boys’ Annual and books, including Showell Styles’ ‘Tiger Patrol’ series. As well as his magazine illustrations for Look and Learn, Ranger, Argosy, Picture Post and others, Dear also worked for Oxford University Press, Wheaton, Hodder & Stoughton, Corgi, and Eyre Methuen. With others he illustrated The Hamlyn Bible for Children (1974) and he was a regular illustrator for Reader’s Digest’s condensed books.

Tamerlane The Terrible by C. L. Doughty

C(ecil) L(angley) Doughty (1913-1985). Doughty was one of the most prolific and successful historical illustrators on Look and Learn, his work appearing over the full twenty year history of the magazine. In early issues he contributed colour cut-away diagrams of famous buildings such as Hampton Court and Windsor Castle before switching to illustrating articles ranging from ‘They Made Music’ to ‘Famous Faces from Famous Books’. Born in Withernsea, Yorkshire, on 7 November 1913, Doughty was trained at Battersea Polytechnic and began drawing comic strips in 1948, his first strip, featuring ‘Buffalo Bill’, appearing in Knockout. After drawing the detective series ‘Terry Brent’ for School Friend, he began specialising in historical strips, his best work featuring Robin Hood and Dick Turpin in the 1950s. When Look and Learn came to an end, Doughty continued to paint landscapes until his death, on 26 October 1985, aged 71.

The Kaiser by Gerry A. Embleton

Gerry A. Embleton (1941- ). When 21-year-old artist Gerry Embleton began contributing centre-page illustrations to Look and Learn in 1962, he was already an 11-year veteran of the comic industry, his artistic career having begun at the age of nine inking pages for his older brother, Ron (qv). He worked with Ron regularly throughout the 1950s, inking ‘Strongbow the Mohawk’ for Zip and colouring ‘Wulf the Briton’ for Express Weekly. His first solo work, an illustration, was published in Mickey Mouse Weekly when he was 14 and he began working freelance at the age of 15. Some of his best early work appeared in Zip, where he took over the ‘Strongbow the Mighty’ strip in 1958, and Cowboy Picture Library where he drew Davy Crockett, Kit Carson and Kansas Kid (1959-62). From 1961, he became better known for colour strips, producing fill-in episodes of ‘Riders of the Range’ for Eagle and taking over ‘Colonel Pinto’ for TV Express. Embleton contributed strips to Boys’ World, Robin, Tiger and illustrations to Look and Learn in the 1960s, although his best-known work was ‘Stingray’ for TV Century 21 (1966-67). In the 1970s, Embleton concentrated on illustrating books and became noted for the historical accuracy of his military illustrations, although he also illustrated fairy tales and histories of the American West. He briefly returned to comics to draw ‘Dan Dare’ for the revived Eagle in 1982. In 1988, he co-founded Tima Machine AG, a company based in Switzerland involved in creating life-size historical figures for museums and exhibitions. Embleton wrote and photographed The Medieval Soldier: 15th Century Campaign Life Recreated in Colour Photographs (1994).

Jack London by Ron Embleton

Ron(ald Sydney) Embleton (1930-1988). Meticulous artist whose work appeared in Look and Learn for many years. His best work included the colour rear cover feature, ‘The Bath Road’, dozens of covers and the historical series ‘Roger’s Rangers’. Born in London on 6 October 1930, Embleton began drawing as a young boy, submitting a cartoon to the News of the World at the age of 9 and, at 12, winning a national poster competition. At 17 he earned himself a place in a commercial studio but soon left to work freelance, drawing comic strips for many of the small publishers who sprang up shortly after the war. He was soon drawing for the major publishers. His most fondly remembered strips include ‘Strongbow the Mighty’ in Mickey Mouse Weekly, ‘Wulf the Briton’ in Express Weekly, ‘Wrath of the Gods’ in Boys’ World, ‘Johnny Frog’ in Eagle and ‘Stingray’ in TV Century 21. Embleton also provided the illustrations that appeared in the title credits for the Captain Scarlet TV series, and dozens of paintings for prints and newspaper strips. Embleton died on 13 February 1988 at the age of 57.

King Henry V by Dan Escott

Dan Escott (1928-1987). Escott wrote and drew many features which played to his strength and interest in heraldry and medieval history. He was a regular contributor to the ‘From Then Till Now’ feature in Look and Learn as well as creating back cover series on flags of the world, national symbols of Britain, and the Guilds of London amongst many others. Escott was born in Surrey on 3 December 1928. He studied at Croydon School of Art where he first came in contact with the subject of heraldry. Discovering that he had a flair for heraldic illustration, he joined the College of Arms as a trainee heraldic painter, developing a strong, bold style which stood him well when he began producing illustrations for advertising, books and magazines. Escott later emigrated to Australia where he worked for the Australian Geographic. He died in Sydney on 7 May 1987, aged 58.

Murder by Oliver Frey

Oliver Frey (na). Prolific artist in Look and Learn in the 1970s, usually assigned to full-colour double-page spreads for series like ‘The Oregon Trail’ in 1976. Born in Switzerland, Frey was a fan of Eagle and Look and Learn as a boy. He studied film at the London School of Film Technique and began drawing comic strips to support himself, working for Fleetway’s War and Battle picture libraries. After briefly running a film company in Switzerland, Frey returned to the UK and worked as a full-time comic strip artist and illustrator, working on two of his favourite boyhood comic strips, ‘The Trigan Empire’ and ‘Dan Dare’. With his brother, Franco, he was a co-founder of Newsfield Publications, providing hundreds of covers and illustrations for their many computer and horror magazines. He later co-founded Thalamus Publishing.


 

Air rescue by Wilf Hardy

Wilf(red) Hardy (na). Began working for Treasure in its early days after working as a commercial artist. Some of his earliest illustrations were designed to help youngsters understand subjects ranging from building a motorway to the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. Hardy became one of the mainstays of Fleetway’s educational titles, working for Look and Learn, Ranger, Speed & Power and World of Knowledge. His best known series was the long running ‘Into the Blue’ which helped establish him as an aviation artist of renown, an area he has continued working in - nowadays in oil and other media - for posters and private commissions. Producing the series ‘Into the Blue’ in Ranger and Look and Learn for some years helped Hardy develop an ability to depict aircraft of every description, from the days of stick and string to futuristic zeppelins. Hardy often picked the subject matter himself, although the text was usually editorially written, and designed the layouts for his pages. ‘Hardy’s Drawing Board’ was a popular feature in later issues of Look and Learn. Hardy is a member of the Guild of Aviation Artists.

Michaelangelo Painting the Sistine Chapel
by Jack Hayes

Jack Hayes (na). Artist who contributed a number of superb illustrations to The Bible Story. Almost nothing is known about Hayes’ career. His known works include the illustrations for The New Oxford Illustrated Bible (Oxford University Press, n.d.), Flags of the World by I. O. Evans (Hamlyn, 1970). In the early 1970s he illustrated paperback covers for Corgi and Fontana on titles as wide-ranging as The Long Wait and Kiss Me, Deadly by Mickey Spillane (both 1970), Too Few For Drums by R. F. Delderfield and Only the Valiant. Great Legends of the West by Charles Marquis Warren (both 1972) and The Gallows Herd by Maureen Peters and Steamboat Gothic by Frances Parkinson Keyes (both 1973).

Factory chimneys
by Andrew Howat

Andrew Howat (na) . Artist who contributed a wide variety of work to Look and Learn. In the late 1970s, he was one of the main artists providing features on the rear cover, including the miscellaneous strip ‘Strange Facts’ and episodes of the ‘Land of Legend’ and ‘Crowning Glory’ series. Born in Hale, Cheshire, Howat studied life drawing, anatomy and painting at Manchester School of Art. He moved to London where he worked at a commercial studio before linking up with fellow artists Bob Robins and Gordon Davidson to produce illustrations for magazines and books. The trio often signed their work ‘RDH’. Howat later worked for various London advertising agencies as well as freelancing as a designer of greetings cards. He continues to design cards featuring landscapes and views of London as well as to paint landscapes in watercolour and pastel around London and Hertfordshire. One of his paintings of the Palace of Westminster was used as a Christmas card by the House of Commons in 1999. He currently lives in north London.
 

Celtic warriors by Peter Jackson

Peter (Charles Geoffrey) Jackson (1922-2003). Jackson, perhaps above all others, exemplifies the skill of the Look and Learn artists. His knowledge of the history of London and his talent for illustrating it was honed through newspaper strips for the Evening News such as ‘London Is Stranger Than Fiction’, ‘London Explorer’ and ‘Somewhere to Go’. He was amongst the first artists invited to contribute to Look and Learn and his centre page spread for the first issue, a birds-eye view of the Houses of Parliament surrounded by vignettes depicting various memorable images from their history set the tone for the paper. Jackson also provided Look and Learn with its first back cover feature, ‘The Dover Road’, followed by many others. Over the years Jackson illustrated dozens of series, including a memorable history of British civilisation for Look and Learn’s youthful companion, Treasure. Jackson, born in Brighton on 4 March 1922, began his career adapting classics into comic strips for newspapers in the late 1940s. This led to his long association with the Evening News. His collection of maps, prints and artefacts from all ages of London formed the basis of a number of books, including London: 2000 Years of a City and Its People, The History of London in Maps and Walks in Old London. Jackson was chairman of the London Topographical Society, a founder member and chairman of the Ephemera Society and was to have been the recipient of an OBE. The announcement of this honour arrived a day after his death on 2 May 2003, aged 81.

The Phantom of the Opera
by Jack Keay

Jack [John] (Edwin) Keay (1907-1999). Artist who contributed a variety of illustrations and covers to Look and Learn. Whe he signed his work, it was usually as “Jack Keay”. Jack Keay was born in King’s Norton, Worcestershire, on 10 May 1907. Little is known about Keay’s career, but he was a popular book cover artist who worked for Pan, Panther, Hutchinson, Fontana and Four Square in the 1957-62 period. Keay illustrated a number of books in the 1970s and 1980s, including The Change of Life by Muriel E. Landau (1971), Gunfighters of the Wild West by Eric Inglefield (1978), American Civil War by Philip Clark (1988), American War of Independence by Philip Clark (1988) and Viking Explorers by Rupert Matthews (1989). He died in Hounslow, London, in 1999, aged 92. Jack Keay is not to be mistaken for John R. Keay (qv) who also contributed to Look and Learn.

Harold Lloyd by John Keay

John (R.) Keay (na). Artist who contributed to the ‘This Made Headlines’ and ‘Dateline’ series which appeared on the inside front cover of Look and Learn in the late 1970s. Keay had a highly distinctive style, achieving an unusual smoothness of texture in his illustrations, both in colour and black and white. He usually signed his pictures “Keay”. Keay was represented by John Martin & Artists and also illustrated books, including Kings of Israel by David Kent (1981). John Keay is not to be mistaken for Jack Keay (qv) who also contributed to Look and Learn.

Samaria falling to the Assyrians
by Don Lawrence

Giant Toad by Kenneth Lilly

Kenneth (Norman) Lilly (1929-1996). Wildlife artist who contributed many illustrations and covers to Look and Learn and Treasure, his notable series including Maxwell Knight’s ‘This Month in the Country’ (1967) and Ken Denham’s series on ‘Animal Families’ (1968). Lilly was also a regular illustrator of books in the 1970s and 1980s and was especially noted for his studies of birds, although he turned his brush to most forms of wildlife. Some of the best illustrations can be found in Kenneth Lilly’s Animals (1988). As well as books, Lilly also illustrated a set of stamps entitled ‘Friends of the Earth’, released in 1986. Lilly, who was born on 30 December 1929, lived in Devon, where he died in 1996, aged 66.

 

Ned Kelly by Barrie R. Linklater

Barrie R. Linklater (1931- ). Contributed illustrations to Look and Learn’s adaptation of H G Wells’ ‘The First Men in the Moon’ in 1963 and later, in 1967, began producing covers and illustrations on a semi-regular basis. Linklater studied at Woolwich Polytechnic School of Art and began his artistic career working in a London studio but left for Australia where he worked as a freelance for four years. Returning to London, Linklater forged a reputation as a portrait artist and subsequently as an equestrian artist, his first commission in the latter area coming from HRH the Duke of Edinburgh during a sitting for a portrait in 1975. Equestrian work has since been commissioned by Her Majesty The Queen and the City of London amongst many others. In all he has 13 paintings in the Royal Collection and his work has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery. Linklater lives and works in Berkshire.


 

Natives and Captain Cook
by Angus McBride

Angus McBride (1931-2007). Artist who contributed heavily to The Bible Story and Look and Learn, often signing his work ‘McB’. Angus McBride became one of Look and Learn’s most popular artists, usually working in colour, his work taking in the regular series: ‘From Then Till Now’, rear cover features (‘Famous Rivers’), illustrations for serial stories (‘Smith, Pickpocket’) and features (‘Mankind in the Making’, ‘How the News Broke’, ‘Great Events in the World’s History’, etc.). McBride was educated at Canterbury Cathedral Choir School and taught himself illustration. At the age of 16 he joined an advertising agency, his career interrupted by National Service two years later. He subsequently emigrated to South Africa where he was to work for the next ten years. He returned to England in 1961 and freelanced for various magazines, specialising in historical illustrations. In the 1970s he began producing illustrations for Osprey, who specialise in military books, and over a period of three decades has produced over 90 titles. His artwork was recently celebrated in the volume Warriors and Warlords: The Art of Angus McBride (2002). He died in Ireland on 15 May 2007, aged 76. You can read a tribute to Angus McBride in our blog.

Zulu warrior by James E. McConnell

James E(dwin) McConnell (1903-1995). Artist Jas. E. McConnell (as he usually signed his work) was one of the more prolific of Look and Learn’s cover artists in its early years, although he also provided illustrations for such series as ‘The Golden Age of Greece’ (1962) and episodes of ‘What Really Happened?’ and ‘The World’s Thinkers’. Born in Durham on 13 July 1903, McConnell began working for a local block maker at the age of 18, later moving to London to attend St. Martin’s School. He went freelance in 1933 and became a hugely prolific book cover artist. He is best remembered for his Western covers which appeared on dozens of paperbacks in the 1950s and 1960s, although he had a far broader range, producing everything from animal studies to historical scenes. McConnell eventually retired to Godalming, Surrey, where he died on 4 May 1995.
 

Richard II by Fortunino Matania

Fortunino Matania (1881-1963). Artist Fortunino Matania was a favourite of Look and Learn’s creator Leonard Matthews, who re-used many pieces of Matania artwork in his new paper. Matania, Italian by birth but based in London, also created new artwork for the magazine and had begun painting a series entitled ‘A Pageant of Kings’ when he died on 8 February 1963. Matania was born in Naples on 16 April 1881, the son of a well-known artist. His talent for artwork showed at an early age and he had his first work exhibited at Naples Academy at the age of eleven. He established himself as an illustrator of renown through the pages of Illustration Francaise before being invited to cover the 1902 coronation of Edward VII for The Graphic. He covered many royal events over the years for The Sphere and was one of the finest war artists of the Great War. His work was exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy and Royal Institute and his skills were widely used by advertisers. Many of his originals were destroyed during the Blitz.

The Borrowers by Philip Mendoza

(Montague) Philip Mendoza (1898-1973). Mendoza was an illustrator with an adaptable style that served him well for many years drawing everything from covers for thriller novels to cute animal strips in nursery papers. For Treasure, Mendoza produced delicate, amusing illustrations for most of the early serial stories, ‘The Borrowers’, ‘The Wind in the Willows’ and ‘The Water Babies’ amongst them. Born in Hackney on 14 October 1898, Mendoza began his career as a pavement artist at the age of 14. His talent was prodigious and he later became a popular poster designer, advertising artist, newspaper strip artist, political cartoonist and painter, exhibiting at the Royal Academy in 1939. In 1951, he began working for Amalgamated Press and other comic strip publishers, usually drawing westerns and adventure series; his talent for illustrating tales for young children became evident when he began working for Playhour Pictures in 1954. Some of his most enduring characters were ‘Gulliver Guinea Pig’ and ‘Katie Country Mouse’. He continued to draw for nursery comics until his death in 1973.

 

Murder of Louis, Duke of Orleans
by Pat Nicolle

Pat(rick) Nicolle (1907-1995). Artist. Contributed to The Bible Story, Look and Learn and Treasure.  Nicolle’s expertise on medieval history, his eye for detail and his willingness to spend many hours researching his subjects helped make him one of the finest and longest-serving artists to grace the pages of Look and Learn, his association lasting the full twenty years it ran. From cut-away centre spreads of ancient buildings and the history of armour to the comic strip ‘Sir Nigel’, Nicolle never failed to impress. Born in Hampstead, London, on 15 November 1907, Nicolle was educated in Birmingham and London. Artistic talent was in the family (his older brother Jack was also an illustrator). After working in the book trade for some years he began freelancing illustrations for catalogues, magazines and books. He returned to illustration after serving for six years with the Royal Engineers and was spotted by Leonard Matthews, who invited him to draw comic strips for Amalgamated Press, his first appearing in 1950. Over the next decade he drew ‘Robin Hood’, ‘The Three Musketeers’, ‘Ivanhoe’, ‘The Prisoner of Zenda’, ‘Under the Golden Dragon’ (later reprinted in Eagle as ‘The Last of the Saxon Kings’), and his longest-running strip, featuring Ginger Tom, a young squire, which ran for nearly four years in Knockout (1956-60). Nicolle, who was a founder member of the Arms and Armour Society, retired when Look and Learn folded. He died in November 1996, aged 87.

Hibernation by David Nockels

David Nockels (na).  Artist who contributed wildlife illustrations to Look and Learn in around 1967. David Nockels contributed illustrations to many books on animals and nature for Young World Productions, Muller, Hamlyn, Heinemann, Bodley Head, Salamandar and Ward Lock between 1967 and 1979. In 1980 he began working for Methuen Children’s Books and wrote and illustrated a series of pop-up books entitled ‘Animals in Action’ (1981) as well as two children’s story books, Hungry Little Chimpanzee and Little Lost Duckling, both published in 1982. Nockels also wrote and illustrated the ‘Naughty Pets Board Book’ series for Deans International (1985).

Cartouche made up of people
by Nadir Quinto

Nadir Quinto (1918-1994). Italian artist who produced many delightful full colour adaptations of fairy tale stories and illustrations for Treasure. For some years he also drew the fantasy ‘Princess Marigold’, Treasure’s popular back cover strip. Born in Milan on 26 November 1918, Quinto studied architecture and spent two years at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera. He began producing illustrations and episodes of ‘L’Arciere Nero’ in the late 1930s but his career was interrupted in 1940 when he was called up to serve in the Italian army. After fighting with the Partisans, Quinto returned to illustration working for dozens of Italian magazines. His work began appearing in the UK via Studio Creazioni D’Ami in 1956, his early stories appearing in Thriller Comics Library, Playhour and Tiny Tots. His delightful illustrations continued to appear in Treasure until 1967, although he continued to work for other British papers - World of Wonder, Once Upon a Time, Princess, Tell Me Why and Bobo Bunny - until 1973. Quinto’s work continued to appear in Italy and, in 1977, he began a long association with Il Giornalino which was to last until his death in Milan on 15 March 1994.
 

Samson's Revenge by Clive Uptton

Clive Upt[t]on (1911-2006). A prolific contributor both to Look and Learn and Treasure, Clive Uptton was one of the main artists for the latter, producing many front and back as well as many Bible illustrations. Born in Islington, London, on 12 March 1911, Clive Upton was educated at Brentwood Grammar School, Essex, and Southend Art School before attending Central Art School, London, and, later, Heatherley’s. He began contributing illustrations professionally at the age of 19, before graduating. When he noticed that another artist named Upton was illustrating stories for the Evening Standard, he changed his name, adding a second ‘t’, so that their work would not be confused. From his studio in Cheapside, Uptton contributed illustrations to most of the major magazines of the day. He also produced advertising illustrations for a variety of clients, dust jackets for books, illustrations for instructional pamphlets and worked as a political cartoonist for the Daily Sketch and Sunday Graphic (1940-42). After the war he had a varied career as an illustrator for magazines and books, and as a painter of both landscapes and portraits. Uptton lived in west London where he died on 11 February 2006, shortly before his 95th birthday.

The Fall of William the Conqueror
by John Millar Watt

John Millar Watt (1895-1975). One of the mainstays in the early years of Look and Learn, Millar Watt often provided full-page colour paintings to illustrate the work of famous authors as well as illustrating some of the paper’s most prestigious features (‘The Story of Egypt’, ‘The Story of France’), religious subjects (‘The Holy Land Today’, ‘The Christmas Story’), serial stories (‘Twenty Years After’ by Alexandre Dumas) and numerous covers. John Millar Watt was born in Gourock on the Clyde on 14 October 1895, and grew up in Ilford, Essex, where he first showed his artistic promise by filling his school exercise books with doodles. After working for an advertising agency and studying art at evening classes and the Slade School he became a leading poster artist, supplementing his wages by drawing cartoons and illustrations for newspapers. In 1921, he created the four-panel strip ‘Pop’ for the Daily Sketch which was to run until continuously until 1960. A ‘Pop Annual’ appeared between 1925 and 1950 and the strip was one of the few British strips to be successfully syndicated to American newspapers. Millar Watt retired from the strip in 1949 in order to concentrate on advertising and illustration work. He had begun drawing for the Amalgamated Press in the mid-1950s, notably producing covers for the company’s Robin Hood adventures published in Thriller Comics Library. As well as his work for Look and Learn, he also contributed to Ranger (adapting Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Treasure Island’), The Bible Story, Princess (adapting ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’) and features for Once Upon a Time. Watt died on 13 December 1975 at the age of 80.

Wee Willie Winkie visits Venice
by John Worsley

John (Godfrey Bernard) Worsley (1919-2000). Worsley was the long-time artist on Treasure’s world-spanning serial, ‘Wee Willie Winkie’, illustrating over 300 weekly episodes. Even before this mammoth enterprise, Worsley was already well known to the comic buying public as the artist of the Eagle’s ‘Adventures of P.C.49’ between 1951 and 1957. Apart from his artistic endeavours, Worsley was also famous for his wartime exploits, immortalised in the movie Albert R.N. Born in Liverpool on 16 February 1919, Worsley grew up in Kenya, returning to England in 1928. He won a scholarship to Brighton College and used a small legacy to finance his entry into Goldsmiths’ College. The war intervened and Worsley joined the Navy Reserve. As the youngest war artist in the Mediterranean, Worsley was in the thick of the action when Allied forces landed in Italy. In 1943, he was amongst a rescue party sent to establish a base on Lussin Piccola. The team were captured by Germans and Worsley became a P.O.W. A daring and celebrated escape attempt was made by a fellow prisoner, Lieut. Mewes, with Worsley’s aid. In order to fool his captors into thinking that they had a full complement of prisoners, Worsley created a dummy out of papier mache with golf balls for eyes. For four days, ‘Albert’, as the dummy was nicknamed, stood in for Mewes until he was recaptured. The ruse was eventually rumbled when a second escape attempt ended in the rapid capture of the escapee and the guards realised they had too many prisoners. Repatriated in 1945, Worsley produced portraits of many high-ranking officers of the Admiralty, worked as an illustrator and advertising strip artist. In later years he produced commissioned paintings for Esso, colour illustrations for television to accompany readings of children’s stories, and worked as a sketch artist for the police from the late 1960s onwards. In the 1980s he served as President of the Royal Society of Marine Artists. His wartime sketches were collected in John Worsley’s War, co-written with Kenneth Giggal. Worsley died on 3 October 2000, aged 81.