Mike Pearse - Happy Easter!

'specially for the Easter weekend, here's some more fab Mike Pearse comics fresh from the Beano - 2000 vintage!

From Issue No. 3014;

From Issue No. 3046;

Mike Pearse - Early Days at Bash Street

Before the fantastic Football Special (which I may also blog about for the New Year!), Mike Pearse began treading his toes in the Beano by reintroducing the Three Bears. But on a few occasions he appeared to have stepped in for David Sutherland, long-standing artist for the Bash Street Kids. When I first read these, while the characters remained semi-faithful to Sutherland's designs, I knew straight off the bat that the familiar style of humour was vastly different. It felt.....fresh =)

Not sure even most Pearse fans would remember these, but in case you've forgotten, here's a little reminder. I'll tell you this, though: scanning / editing / restoring double-paged comics is not easy!

Published in Issue No.3001, January, 2000:

Published in Issue No.3003, February, 2000

Mike Pearse - Frightfully Good

If you've already familiarised yourself with Mike Pearse's Halloween story, "A Nightmare on Bash Street", then here's some other selections in the run-up to October 31st - all drawn, once again, by the hilarious chap himself.

The 3 Bears, Ma, Pa and Ted, get more than they bargained for - from Issue No.3004, February 2000 - with Pa's new hobby...

...and then again in Issue No.3020, June 2000 whilst hiding out from Hank.

And just for kicks, here's a Bash St. "Singled Out" strip from Issue No.3319, March 2006.

Mike Pearse - Finders Keepers

In honour of the London 2012 Olympics, here's another fab Mike Pearse story from mid 2000 (when the Millennium dome was still "new" at the time):

 

 

Mike Pearse - The Great Bash Street Nativity Play

A while after I had posted several blogs praising Mike Pearse's fantastic Beano entries, I received a very nice email from a blog watcher;

"I am a MASSIVE fan of Mike Pearse and avidly collected the Beano for many years, collecting rather the sizeable collection of classics and 6 years solid of comics (which unfortunately got destroyed a few years back!)

I remember Mike Pearse as being one of the most inventive, funny artists, next to Tom Paterson. But it wasn't just his artistic talents that set him apart, it was his amazing way of storytelling. Reading the Beano would normally raise a smile or a giggle, but Mike Pearse's works would actually have me rolling in laughter, and his stuff still does to this day. Thank you so much for posting the halloween comic, I've been searching for those long comics for SO LONG!

Tell you what though, there are two more. The football one would be a joy to read, but the comic that sticks out further than anything else is the Christmas comic, the nativity play. I still speak about it to this day sometimes, and can't look at a nativity donkey the same way again, it left that much of a mark on me. If you posted that, I would be so grateful!"

So for you, Emma, that's exactly what I intend to do - the original story in all its unedited glory! Merry Christmas from the Signore Studios Blog! :D

NOTE: apart from the cover, which appears to be the work of David Parkins, everything else is Mike's stuff.

 

 

 

...and just for fun, here's an extra Pearse Bash Street comic which, so far as I know, was only available online via the Beano website. Thank Lord for the screenshot button! ;-)

I wonder, though, if "David" was intended to be a nod to the life-long Bash Street artist, David Sutherland...hmmm...