Before I get accused of sucking up to Roger, let me first state that I am not in hock to him in any way, neither financially, spritually or socially.
Beau Peep was a revelation when it appeared, at least it was to me.
British strips had always been very sedate, even Andy Capp was conservative and very much straight down the line, Smythe's humour was first rate, but very much of its time, a cartoon version of the Little Waster (Bobby Thompson), a man who oozed working class image and values, but you just
knew he voted Tory.
Beau came out of nowhere, as I suppose any strip does, but I identified with it immediately, and I didn't know it was written and drawn by Scots for many years afterwards. It made as big an impression on me as Far Side or Dilbert did later.
Peanuts? Definitely a groundbreaking strip, and the first to cross the Atlantic into Europe via book sales. I was introduced to Peanuts and Asterix at the same time by my English teacher, Miss Thomson, who was a hip and happenin' twenty five year-old at the time.
Schulz had the courage to be laid back, trusting the audience's intelligence, and it worked for him, creating a model for other successful strips to follow later.
There are many more strips, some of which will occur to me later, but I will push Lobey Dosser, a contender for the greatest strip ever to come out of Scotland, and like Angus Og, a victim of its home-based appeal and patter.
Bud Neill remains largely unheralded even in his own country and I take every opportunity to bring his name up. Lobey Dosser was of its time, and brilliantly drawn and conceived, check it out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Neill
