Sad to hear that Jim has passed away, one of my favourite 2000ad artists, especially on Skizz and New Statesmen RIP
I said this on the generic RIP thread, but it's more appropriate here.
I was introduced to 2000AD by being given a batch of comics by my neighbour at the time, the earliest of which was 308 and the latest around the low 320s. So my introductory prog was also Skizz's first prog. By the time I got to actually by a prog, 330 had rolled around, with the last episode of Skizz, so my early back-prog-buying days were filling in the gaps for Skizz.
Being brought up in the country (and the a small city) I don't think I'd ever been anywhere that had been featured in films, TV or comics, until I went to Birmingham, which to me was the set for Skizz :-)
RIP Jim Baikie.
Liked all of his output for the House of Tharg, but loved his work on Tomorrow Stories with Alan Moore.
Horrendous news, Mr Baikie was a stunning artist & draughtsman. His work on Skizz was all the stronger by being so thoroughly grounded with detail.
Great artist and a real 2000ad staple in my younger days. RIP Z
Completely forgot Jim's First American work for ABC, which coincided with my getting into the regular Captain America comics and was hilariously on-the nose, right down to Baikie's style foreshadowing the school of art that would come to be synonymous with post-911 Cap after years of being drawn in the Marvel house style by the likes of Ron Lim or Dan Jurgens.
The Jintycomic blog (https://jintycomic.wordpress.com/) has an obit for Jim, as he was a versatile and prolific contributor to that comic long before he started drawing in 2000ad. Hopefully we'll see some of his old work resurface in the Meg floppies or future collections from Rebellion, as it's only while getting into these old UK titles and seeing artists draw normal people in regular settings rather than the aliens and robots of 2000ad that I started to appreciate what craftsmen they really were. I recommend you click on the Jinty blog's tag for Baikie to see him on top drawing form, as well as some ongoing discussions about his contributions as a writer.
Fond memories of Skizz as a nipper, so the news is very sad.
A superbly versatile artist who will be sorely missed! :'(
Although I am not that familiar with a lot of Jim's work, I thought that 'Skizz' was a great little tale and quite unusual. Rest In Peace.
Sad to hear of Jim's passing - a fantastic artist and, going by what I've heard over the years, a nice guy. Best wishes to his family.
Just been alerted to this sad news thanks to the Thrill Mail. A cracking obit for Mr Baikie on Down the Tubes, fantastic to find out how long and varied a career he head. His art made me cry and rage and shudder in equal measure.
Jim Baikie: An Appreciation by Alan Moore
http://downthetubes.net/?p=42363
The hairy one can write. :'(
Another sad loss, Skizz will always stand out for me. But his Dredds had that brilliant tall skinny Clint Eastwood look that I love, surely worthy of a remembrance floppy with the Meg?
Deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.
Necropost:
Found this lovely old late 80's/early 90's channel 4 show on youtube, which features a couple of Jim Baikie interviews. Well worth a watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9yt_OgoNKo
Quote from: Woolly on 12 May, 2018, 08:02:44 PM
Necropost:
Found this lovely old late 80's/early 90's channel 4 show on youtube, which features a couple of Jim Baikie interviews. Well worth a watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9yt_OgoNKo
Oh, and Cam Kennedeys in it too!
Some Jim Baikie Christmas cards...happy holidays!
https://boysadventurecomics.blogspot.com/2021/04/happy-christmas-from-jim-baikie.html
Ace, cheers!
The composition and sense of gravity and momentum in this one, in a Santa pic - what a master:
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wQJEyJzUU8A/YHFKsAIzTkI/AAAAAAAASnU/oiU0QCvciVYr_1Don6bfaoP8VQkI4SuqQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1583/baikiexmas03.jpg)
Wow astonishing find. Those are fantastic so unlike Jim Baikie as we know him, yet still identifibly Jim Baikie. What a talent.
Y'know, if you took Jim's name off those and told me they were by Steve Parkhouse, I wouldn't have batted an eyelid. Given that I think Steve is one of the most under-appreciated cartoonists in the modern era, I hope that comes across as the compliment it's intended to be...
and (purely by co-incidence) on my blog a year ago today I looked at Jim's Dredd contribution to "Loadsa Funnies"
https://boysadventurecomics.blogspot.com/2020/04/loadsa-funnies-part-1-jim-baikies-dredd.html (https://boysadventurecomics.blogspot.com/2020/04/loadsa-funnies-part-1-jim-baikies-dredd.html)
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 20 April, 2021, 10:27:52 AM
Y'know, if you took Jim's name off those and told me they were by Steve Parkhouse, I wouldn't have batted an eyelid. Given that I think Steve is one of the most under-appreciated cartoonists in the modern era, I hope that comes across as the compliment it's intended to be...
That's a good point and I completely agree about Steve Parkhouse being one of the most under-rated artists working in comics. The man is a titan but doesn't seem to get the credit at all.
No too shabby a writer too come to that.
I am one of those guilty parties related to Steve Parkhouse work. I had a big disliked in his work (mainly because of Big Dave) in 2000AD and I re-discovered him when I started to read Resident Alien. He is a good artist as simple as that.
He did an admirable job replacing John Ridgway on Luke Kirby as well. A totally different style, but it still worked for the story and character.
I notice that this thread popped up again and I'll take this opportunity to mention that Jim Baikie was the first comic book artist I ever talked to. It was the 1987 UKCAC , my first ever Con. I was down from the Highlands, my first trip to London, all by myself, nervous as Hell. It was my first attempt to engage with the comics community ,which I had decided to devote my life to the year earlier. A momentous thing for me, as I'm sure you can imagine. Jim had the misfortune to be identifiable to me and to sit down in an easily accessible location and be by himself. I took my chance! He was very gracious with this youngster, who could barely speak due to nerves. He looked through my portfolio ( all original pages, I didn't have access to a photocopier ) and gave me some helpful advice. Most of which I immediately forgot. The lesson I did learn from that interaction wasn't about drawing comics are all, it was about being kind and patient to a tongue tied and cripplingly anxious kid who has decided to do something scary and needs some reassurance. I've had many reasons to think back on that interaction over the decades since and I've tried to follow his example. I never met Mr. Baikie again. I'd have liked to thank him.