Look-in artist Arthur Ranson signed my guestbook a while back, and
having got in touch with him, he kindly agreed to answer some questions for me, and although
you can see some of these answers in a blog on his website, we decided the best thing was
to do a longer interview specifically for this site. Arthur started in Look-in in 1972, first with covers before moving on to strips including Potty Time, Worzel, Buck Rogers, Sapphire and Steel and Danger Mouse. I started right back at the beginning...
Tell me a bit about what influenced you to become an artist, and what you
read when you were young.
This is a true story. Age four, a wartime evacuee, in reception class Miss Skillycorn admired my
drawing of her spectacles. I knew then I wanted to be an artist. Early reading was Beano, Dandy,
Knockout, Film Fun, later text only ‘comics’ Hotspur, Adventure and Rover. Eagle when that appeared.
Joined the public library as early as I could. Books I remember, Richmal Crompton,
Edgar Rice Burroughs, a long run on stories of animals from their viewpoint. Someone
gave me some 1930’s children’s albums, heroic tales with great colour illustrations, loved those.
What were you doing before (working for Look-in)?
Went to South -East Essex County Technical School, Dagenham. Drew my own comic, derivative of Superman/Captain Marvel. Confiscated by teacher curious to read it. Later was an apprentice stamp
and bank-note designer at Waterlows Security Printers, which included day release to do part-time at
South-East- Essex County Technical College and School of Art, Dagenham. When the five year apprenticeship finished I did three years at South-West Essex County Technical College and School of
Art, Wathamstow. Ending with National Diploma in Painting and Printmaking, I wanted to be a painter.
What I did become was a Dagenham secondary school art teacher for a year. Moved to Grays, Essex.
Was a lettering artist in a cardboard box factory. Later moved to Peckham, London. Had a couple of
unlikely jobs ( tea sack shifter, colour mixer) , then a place as studio assistant in small central London commercial art studio. Moved to Wandsworth. (see Potty Time map of southern England
train route) Stuff happened. I became freelance. I odd did bits for odd people. A 60p per drawing 1000
page colour-it book was a highlight. I did illustrations for advertising agencies, All-Bran I remember,
and men’s mags Knave and Fiesta. Some for Look and Learn too.
How did you come to meet Colin Shelbourn ?
Touting around looking for work I called in at Look-in offices and met Colin who was then the art editor.
I did a cover. (No.32 from 1972 - Stewpot on a Chopper bike.) The Super-flop strip came from my happening to be
in the office when Bryan Lewis had just abruptly left, landing them with a artist-less strip. I piped up to
say “I could do that”. Editor Colin Shelbourn was willing to give me a trial. The first page took me a week
as I tore up the first (how many?) attempts. It wasn’t as easy as in my innocence I had imagined.
Who did you get on well with at Look-in?
After our visit to Liverpool to research The Beatles, Angus Allan and I became regular drinking chums.
Angus lived within walking distance of my place and would drop round. I guess we did talk about work
but it often turned into a pub crawl, Angus moving to France probably saved me from liver damage.
Bill Titcombe and I got on later and I am still in touch with him. I met up with Harry North a few
times then he moved to New York.
What did you enjoy working on?
For sheer fun Danger Mouse. Was never more conscious, through my infant daughter and her friends,
of having an audience of children and I liked that. Also put lots of private and personal jokes into it.
The Beatles I remember as being a development of my use of line-work and I found that satisfying.
having got in touch with him, he kindly agreed to answer some questions for me, and although
you can see some of these answers in a blog on his website, we decided the best thing was
to do a longer interview specifically for this site. Arthur started in Look-in in 1972, first with covers before moving on to strips including Potty Time, Worzel, Buck Rogers, Sapphire and Steel and Danger Mouse. I started right back at the beginning...
Tell me a bit about what influenced you to become an artist, and what you
read when you were young.
This is a true story. Age four, a wartime evacuee, in reception class Miss Skillycorn admired my
drawing of her spectacles. I knew then I wanted to be an artist. Early reading was Beano, Dandy,
Knockout, Film Fun, later text only ‘comics’ Hotspur, Adventure and Rover. Eagle when that appeared.
Joined the public library as early as I could. Books I remember, Richmal Crompton,
Edgar Rice Burroughs, a long run on stories of animals from their viewpoint. Someone
gave me some 1930’s children’s albums, heroic tales with great colour illustrations, loved those.
What were you doing before (working for Look-in)?
Went to South -East Essex County Technical School, Dagenham. Drew my own comic, derivative of Superman/Captain Marvel. Confiscated by teacher curious to read it. Later was an apprentice stamp
and bank-note designer at Waterlows Security Printers, which included day release to do part-time at
South-East- Essex County Technical College and School of Art, Dagenham. When the five year apprenticeship finished I did three years at South-West Essex County Technical College and School of
Art, Wathamstow. Ending with National Diploma in Painting and Printmaking, I wanted to be a painter.
What I did become was a Dagenham secondary school art teacher for a year. Moved to Grays, Essex.
Was a lettering artist in a cardboard box factory. Later moved to Peckham, London. Had a couple of
unlikely jobs ( tea sack shifter, colour mixer) , then a place as studio assistant in small central London commercial art studio. Moved to Wandsworth. (see Potty Time map of southern England
train route) Stuff happened. I became freelance. I odd did bits for odd people. A 60p per drawing 1000
page colour-it book was a highlight. I did illustrations for advertising agencies, All-Bran I remember,
and men’s mags Knave and Fiesta. Some for Look and Learn too.
How did you come to meet Colin Shelbourn ?
Touting around looking for work I called in at Look-in offices and met Colin who was then the art editor.
I did a cover. (No.32 from 1972 - Stewpot on a Chopper bike.) The Super-flop strip came from my happening to be
in the office when Bryan Lewis had just abruptly left, landing them with a artist-less strip. I piped up to
say “I could do that”. Editor Colin Shelbourn was willing to give me a trial. The first page took me a week
as I tore up the first (how many?) attempts. It wasn’t as easy as in my innocence I had imagined.
Who did you get on well with at Look-in?
After our visit to Liverpool to research The Beatles, Angus Allan and I became regular drinking chums.
Angus lived within walking distance of my place and would drop round. I guess we did talk about work
but it often turned into a pub crawl, Angus moving to France probably saved me from liver damage.
Bill Titcombe and I got on later and I am still in touch with him. I met up with Harry North a few
times then he moved to New York.
What did you enjoy working on?
For sheer fun Danger Mouse. Was never more conscious, through my infant daughter and her friends,
of having an audience of children and I liked that. Also put lots of private and personal jokes into it.
The Beatles I remember as being a development of my use of line-work and I found that satisfying.
Were any strips a bit of a chore?
Haircut 100. Just never felt comfortable with it’s combination of Celebrity
Corner and Funny Folks format.
Did you have a choice in what you did?, Haircut 100 for example seemed an
unusual choice to offer to you.
I just did what Colin gave me. If there was any rationale to what he chose for me I never figured it.
His choice of me for Danger Mouse was the biggest surprise.
Haircut 100. Just never felt comfortable with it’s combination of Celebrity
Corner and Funny Folks format.
Did you have a choice in what you did?, Haircut 100 for example seemed an
unusual choice to offer to you.
I just did what Colin gave me. If there was any rationale to what he chose for me I never figured it.
His choice of me for Danger Mouse was the biggest surprise.