My 20th strip! It’s something of a milestone for me. I’m so pleased that I’ve made it this far.

Oh, the fickleness of youth. Maybe there’s hope for poor neglected WW2 after all? Jack didn’t give up his love of WW2 for long did he?

Vandalism

My pal Niall and I really went to town ‘decorating’ our desk in National (primary) School. How on earth did we get away with it? For an entire year – and this would even have been when the school headmaster was teaching 6th class – we scrawled Star Wars and Space 1999 stuff all over it. And guess what? We sat at that same desk all day, all year round. So it was our desk. It was clearly we who were doing it! As the 2 class artists, there could be no doubt as to who was responsible.

Sometimes I wonder if we were operating under some sort of unspoken ‘license’ because we were talented! And when I consider all of the schoolbook defacement – it amazes me how a blind eye was turned to it.

 

school copies/jotters drawn all over with star wars

Above: Early 1978/9 years old: The switch to Star Wars is complete. How did our teachers let us away with this? (large view)

 

Once, our class was instructed to draw the ‘Gates of Paradise’ during religion class (a class in which I took little interest, being a non-believer). What did I do? I drew the attack on the Death Star – from Star Wars – and titled it: The Gates of Hell: X-Wings, TIE Fighters, gun turrets and all. One of these days I’ll find that picture in my archives and share it with you all.

To the headmaster’s credit, he actually complemented the artistic ability which I’d shown – aloud, in front of the entire class.

Decades later, as an adult, I bumped into him – after he’d retired – in the local pub and he kept assuring me, whilst waving his finger: “You’re sitting on a goldmine boy – on a goldmine.” I haven’t found it yet. Maybe I need to be able to find my arse with a flashlight first – then I might find the ‘goldmine’.

 

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Thanks!

 

** Stay Groovy, all you 1970s kids! **

– John White