Oink! number 1 was released 3rd May 1986 and ran for 68 issues plus two books and three holiday specials. 

The Oink! offices were based in Manchester and Chris became good friends with one of the editors, Patrick Gallagher, who invited Chris on board. The first Frank page appeared in number 16 issued November 1986 and would continue to the final issue of November 1988.

Photomontage

handwritten text on acetate

Oink!

Oink! was quite an anarchic comic, with no strict rules to follow Chris was left to his own devices to come up with scripts and layouts. The only rule was to have the artwork ready for the printers deadline. It is not easy to come up with an idea and then get that idea onto paper especially with fortnightly deadlines. This is difficult for a full time artist, more so if you are a full time musician and performer as well. Many a time Chris would come home after a concert drawing into the early hours to finish a page to meet a deadline.

In the world of comic artwork the traditional method is to write a script, create a layout then pencil the images. Once the artist is happy with the pencil lines they are then inked. After inking the colouring takes place. Finally the lettering is added. With American comics each process is usually done by a different artist each using their preferred pencils, pens and brushes selected from years of honing their craft.

Now if Frank Sidebottom was asked to create a comic page what would his preferred medium be? Of course it had to be felt tip pens which would also be used for the colouring. For the lettering he would use his very own font.

In the history of comics I can’t find another artist who used felt tip pens.

Franks page would use many different styles including comic strip, photostory, Fantastic showbiz gossip, games, cut out models, or even a feature relating to the theme of that particular issue.At first glance the artwork looks very naive but this is deliberately so, all done in the style that is Frank Sidebottom.

On many of Franks pages there was a hotline telephone number to call about prizes, competitions etc. This turned out to be his actual home telephone number so Chris would receive hundreds of calls a week. The request was always to speak to Frank. Chris would usually say Frank was out as he was only Frank when he put the head on. Many times though Frank was ready to answer the telephone to the delight of callers. Chris’ children have said that when he was wearing the head and in Frank mode they knew never to ask for dad because he wouldn’t respond.

art page

finished page

Timperley Bike Race game

First comic strip style page

 

see Pumpkinhead gallery page for more

Closer inspection reveals a deceptively detailed style. A lot of care and craft went into the artwork even down to the signature dots and stars scattered about. Knowing Chris he would have spent ages anguishing over the details. Each page would be created larger than the printed page, usually 1.5 times bigger. Some weeks the lettering was done directly onto the paper, other times an acetate overlay was used. At the beginning Chris was not a professional cartoonist yet by the end of Oink! he had created a lasting body of work.