Every so often, it strikes me how long this silly strip has been going. Beau Peep is now well into its 33rd year. Back in 1978, when it was first published, Andrew and I were given a six-month contract and, to be honest, we had pretty much accepted that it wouldn't last any longer. We had achieved our ambition of getting a strip into a national newspaper so anything else was regarded as a bonus. Not for a second did either of us reckon on the longevity of this nonsense and I had no idea that it would help pay for my journey through life. (I first came up with the idea of Beau Peep in 1975 when I was 24 years old and I'll be 60 next month). I was amazed to learn that only something like 50 people in the U.K. make a living from full-time cartooning. As someone who loves everything to do with cartoons, I found this both shocking and depressing. Anyway, I'm one of those 50, so thanks for the support. "A Man Called Horace" has now been running for 22 years.
God, I'm old.
