Glenn Dakin facts for kids

Glenn Dakin, born in 1960, is a talented British cartoonist and author. He writes exciting books for children, including the popular Candle Man series. Glenn also created comics for magazines like Escape and Deadline. He was a big part of the independent comics scene in Britain during the 1980s. Some of his most famous comic creations are Temptation and Abe.

Glenn Dakin's Creative Journey

Starting Out in Comics

While studying in Manchester, Glenn Dakin drew a comic strip called Abe for his college magazine. There, he met Paul Gravett. Paul showed him how to make and share comics on his own. This was called "self-publishing" or making "zines." These small comic books were often sent through the mail.

Glenn soon became very interested in this idea. He started talking with other comic artists like Eddie Campbell and Phil Elliott. Glenn has said that the Moomin comic strips and books by Tove Jansson inspired his Abe comics. He liked the hopeful but sometimes sad feeling in her work.

Publishing His Work

Glenn Dakin's comics first appeared in a magazine called pssst! in 1982. When Paul Gravett started Escape Magazine, Glenn became a regular artist for it. His strips also appeared in an Australian comic book called Fox Comics.

In the late 1980s, Glenn published comics through Harrier Comics. These included Paris, The Man of Plaster (with Steve Way) and an anthology called Gag!. He also worked with Woodrow Phoenix on Sinister Romance.

Famous Comic Creations

One of Glenn's most well-known comics is Temptation. This comic was inspired by the look of Krazy Kat and B.C.. Temptation was first featured in Escape magazine. Later, it found a home in Deadline magazine. Penguin Books published Temptation as a collection in 1991.

Glenn also worked with Phil Elliott on many comic strips. These included Mr Day and Mr Night, Greenhouse Warriors, and The Man From Cancer.

Working for Marvel UK

For a time, Glenn Dakin worked for Marvel UK. This is the British branch of the famous Marvel Comics company. While there, he wrote comics like ClanDestine and The Real Ghostbusters.

Collecting His Works

In 2001, all of Glenn's Abe comic strips were collected into one book. It was published by Top Shelf Productions and called Abe: Wrong For All The Right Reasons. His Temptation comic was re-released in 2004 by Active Images. Both books have special introductions written by Eddie Campbell.

Current Projects

Today, Glenn Dakin focuses on writing books for children. He also helps create and write television shows for kids at the BBC. You can find his regular comic strip, Robot Crusoe, in The Sunday Times newspaper.

Glenn Dakin's Impact on Comics

Glenn Dakin has inspired many American cartoonists. Especially those connected to the publisher Highwater Books. They have said that Glenn's ideas and approach to comics greatly influenced their own work.