Vic Neill (24 November 1941 – 24 December 1999)[1] was a British cartoonist who drew for D.C. Thomson and I.P.C.'s comics. His first notable comic work was on Sparky strip Peter Piper. In 1969, he replaced Dudley Dexter Watkins on Topper cover star Mickey the Monkey after Watkins' sudden death. Neill was a big admirer of Watkins' artwork. He made his debut in the Beano with The McTickles in 1971. In 1974, this was replaced by another Scottish-themed strip, Wee Ben Nevis.
In 1977, when D.C. Thomson launched their new comic, Plug, a spin-off from The Bash Street Kids, Neill became the regular artist of the title character's strip, which he continued to draw after it merged with The Beezer two years later. In the 1980s, Neill drew much material for I.P.C. Magazines.[2] This included strips such as Top of the Class[3] in Buster comic and Spare-Part Kit in Whoopee. His final strip for them, Nightmare on Erm Street, appeared in Buster in 1990.[4]
Returning to the Beano in the late 1980s, he took over The Germs from David Sutherland. Neill then started drawing Billy Whizz in 1992, and became the strip's regular artist the following year when the Beano switched to full-colour printing. While initially drawing the character in a loosely comparable style to David Parkins and Trevor Metcalfe when they shared the workload, once he was established as main artist he began making incremental changes to Billy's appearance. Most notably, Billy had always had two long hairs on the top of his head, but in the 9 July 1994 issue of the comic his hair fused into a lightning flash, and his head shape was also changed from oval to round. In the Beano's 1997 reader vote, Neill drew Tim Traveller,[5] the boy with the time-travelling bike. Tim won the poll, along with Crazy for Daisy and went on to become a regular in the comic.
He continued drawing for the Beano until his death in December 1999. Billy Whizz was taken over by Graeme Hall, with Keith Reynolds becoming his replacement on Tim Traveller, but The Germs ended. A number of his Billy Whizz strips were later reprinted in the Beano in 2008–2009.
VicNeill (24 November 1941 – 24 December 1999) was a British cartoonist who drew for D.C. Thomson and I.P.C.'s comics. His first notable comic work was...
and VicNeill also drew occasional strips for the next few years; all three artists used a broadly similar design for Billy, but Metcalfe and Neill's strips...
strip was originally drawn by David Sutherland, and was taken over by VicNeill later on. Around this time Will's name was added onto the title, the wording...
was originally drawn by Dudley D. Watkins, but after his death in 1969 VicNeill took over as artist. The Clash drummer Topper Headon, real name Nicholas...
Tim Traveller was a British comic strip created by VicNeill and published in the British comics magazine The Beano. He first appeared in issue 2862,...
dated 14 September 1974, and continuing until 7 May 1977. It was drawn by VicNeill, and replaced The McTickles, another Scottish themed strip by the same...
Billy Whizz Malcolm Judge Steve Horrocks, David Parkins, Trevor Metcalfe, VicNeill, Graeme Hall, Wayne Thompson, Nick Brennan, Wilbur Dawbarn 1964 Present...
comic strip in the British comic book magazine The Beano. It was drawn by VicNeill and ran from 1971 to 1974. Chief Jock and his highland clan fought a comic...
Jourdan Malcolm Judge David Law Trevor Metcalfe Allan Morley David Mostyn VicNeill Robert Nixon Gary Northfield David Parkins Nigel Parkinson is considered...
James Roderick Moir (born 24 January 1959), also known by his stage name Vic Reeves, is an English comedian and artist. He has a double act with Bob Mortimer...
of Animal Man, JLA) Dave Mostyn – (Strange Hill ("The Dandy" version)) VicNeill – (Tim Traveller, The McTickles, Wee Ben Nevis, Plug) Robert Nixon – (Ivy...
Comic 1 99 Mickey the Monkey (series 1) Dudley D. Watkins, later drawn by VicNeill. Comic 1 1666 The original cover star until 1973. Nancy Ernie Bushmiller...
folded. In 1993, he stopped drawing Billy Whizz, but Trevor Metcalfe and VicNeill had been drawing a number of the strips for some time. By this point he...
writer (Screen Oddities, with Bud Thompson), dies at age 86. December 24: VicNeill, British comics artist (The McTickles, Wee Ben Nevis, Billy Whizz, Tim...
Strip Title Artist(s) End Date Genre Note(s) Plug VicNeill/David Gudgeon 1986 Originally in Plug Hugh's Zoo Gordon Bell 1986 Originally in Plug First...
205. Neill & Kent 2002, p. 26. Neill & Kent 2002, p. 28-29. Neill & Kent 2002, p. 33. Neill & Kent 2002, p. 51. Neill & Kent 2002, pp. 54–56. Neill & Kent...
Trevor Metcalfe 42 153 In the News Bill Ritchie 58 148 Beryl's Beaus VicNeill 65 69 Silly Sausage Gordon Bell 74 153 Atilla the Hen Bob Dewar 84 153...
Marsh 1983, p. 31. Neill & Kent 2009, p. 18. Neill & Kent 2009, p. 19. Neill & Kent 2009, pp. 19–20. Neill & Kent 2009, p. 21. Neill & Kent 2009, p. 24...
first chapter of L'Abbaye truquée by Jean Claude Fournier. September 18: VicNeill first publishes The McTickles in The Beano. September 23: In Spirou Jean-Marie...
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