Artithmeric 9 Issue #1

You know when you have one of those meetings. Serendipity. An infinitesimal moment in time when all the dots connect. Everything makes sense. It all adds up. Artithmeric. Let me tell you a story. I have always loved comics. The combination of the written word and the created image. Crafted by hand and mind. Created. I remember my first Beano. Dennis the Menace was a legend. The Bash Street Kids, Minnie the Minx and Gnasher. Slowly but surely, I evolved – Herge, Morris and Goscinny and of course, Goscinny and Uderzo were the staples of my childhood. Not a night would pass without Tintin, Lucky Luke or Asterix being a bedtime companion. As happens to all of us, I got older – not much, just a bit – I discovered 2000 AD and Judge Dredd, the Silver Surfer, the Angel Gang, Hershey and PSI ops and, 4 who can ever forget, Slaine? I could carry on naming the incredible number of 2000AD characters, artists and authors who greatly influenced my take on comics. Marvel and DC, although popularist, produced some amazing stuff. Comics were what every child collected and cherished. I was one of them. Printed, tangible, touchy-feely comics are dying. Everything has gone digital. So I say - bollocks to that. I come back to serendipity. Steve and I first met in London, in Leadenhall market, introduced by a mutual friend. Apparently, he thought we might get LETTER THINGS HAVE CHANGED BUT