How I write Beau Peep.

[Roger Kettle]

I'm at my desk by 9 a.m., having showered, breakfasted and ploughed through the Daily Star's in-depth political coverage. (Apparently some female M.P.s have enormous bazongas). The first thing I do is decide which characters will appear in this week's strips. Realising that The Vultures haven't featured for a while, I opt for them. Okay, fifteen minutes have passed and I have come up with nothing. It's time to get into my "thinking position". I move to the couch in my office and lie down, my sketch pad resting on my chest and pen in hand. I close my eyes and think. It's usually about 35 minutes later when I wake up. So now an hour has passed and not a single word has been written. Concentrate. Concentrate. What can The Vultures be up to? COFFEE! Not The Vultures---me. A quick break and a plough through the Daily Star's news section. (Apparently some female newsreaders have enormous bazongas). That's when panic sets in. If I don't write at least three strips today, hopefuly more, Horace and Andy Capp will get pushed back. Then it happens. The moment of blinding inspiration.....just write the biggest heap of nonsense that comes into your head.
And that's it. It's easy!

[peter]

do you want ideas Roger

[Mince]

I would in fact be interested in the details of a real day, and how the ideas come to you.

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

And you did, in fact, get it I'm sure (apart from the bit about it being a heap of nonsense).

It's been a while since I wrote a strip cartoon, and I've never had to write as prolifically as Roger (nor as well), but I had my own "thinking position". Indeed, I had my own "thinking room". It rarely failed to inspire, and I always remembered to flush.

[Roger Kettle]

Speaking to other cartoonists, it's amazing how many of them get their ideas in "the little boys' room". Does nobody sing any more?

[Roger Kettle]

I would in fact be interested in the details of a real day, and how the ideas come to you.

Mince, my average day is pretty much how I described. The much-asked question---"where do you get your ideas from?"---is one that has a really mundane answer. I sit down/lie down and think. As I said earlier, the first thing I do is decide which characters will be appearing and then try to come up with a situation for them to react to. For example, let's say I've decided to feature The Nomad in this week's strips. The next step is to develop the theme. What would happen if, say, a bikini-clad woman turned up? Or a duck?
As you can see, a lot of weeding has to be done.

[The Peepmaster]

I would in fact be interested in the details of a real day, and how the ideas come to you.

As you can see, a lot of weeding has to be done.

Any particular books you have to weed?

[Fyodor]

I once gave Roger an idea. It was called Bruce.

[Zesty White]

I would in fact be interested in the details of a real day, and how the ideas come to you.

Mince, my average day is pretty much how I described. The much-asked question---"where do you get your ideas from?"---is one that has a really mundane answer. I sit down/lie down and think. As I said earlier, the first thing I do is decide which characters will be appearing and then try to come up with a situation for them to react to. For example, let's say I've decided to feature The Nomad in this week's strips. The next step is to develop the theme. What would happen if, say, a bikini-clad woman turned up? Or a duck?
As you can see, a lot of weeding has to be done.

I would have thought that you would spend time wending your way through the high streets, parks, pubs etc keenly watching and listening for the seeds of hilarity, perhaps muttering into a dictaphone to keep note of each witty gem until you had the chance to scribble them down on paper.
I'm suitably impressed that everything comes from your own head

[Diane CBPFC]

I never knew that. I'm thinking of going into politics if it will help. But, maybe one could get the same results just getting up and down off one's soap box in the privacy of one's living room.