Shrewsbury - the unofficial home of the British comics industry By Raj Bilkhu

BBC News Published duration 19 April 2016

image copyright Charlie Adlard image caption What connection do The Walking Dead and Savage comics have to a leafy market town in the English Midlands?

As some of Britain's top cartoonists have been gathering for a festival celebrating their skills, the casual observer might be surprised to learn of its setting - Shrewsbury. So just how has an English market town near the Welsh border become the unofficial capital of the UK cartoon industry?

It has hosted the festival for 13 years but its connection with comics and cartoons does not stop there - in fact Shrewsbury is home to some of the most celebrated cartoonists working in Britain today.

Charlie Adlard, the artist behind the internationally successful series, The Walking Dead, is perhaps the most high profile.

In 2010, The Walking Dead was translated into a hit TV series. The post-apocalyptic zombie drama has amassed record-breaking viewing figures in the US, according to Nielsen ratings.

image copyright Gene Page/AMC image caption British actor Andrew Lincoln plays one of the main characters in The Walking Dead

Adlard said the catalyst for his life-long drawing hobby was his dad buying him Marvel comics in 1972.

"I don't know why Shrewsbury seems to be a hotspot for comic talent. But I was born and raised here so I can claim heritage," he said.

In a 20-year career he has been involved in The X-Files, X-Men, Superman and Savage.

"Thirteen years ago there was nothing like The Walking Dead. Horror comics are a niche within the niche of comics.

"We were lucky. Nobody would think non-superheroes in black and white would be a winning combination," he said.

image copyright Charlie Adlard image caption Charlie Adlard says he much prefers living in leafy Shrewsbury to glamorous Hollywood

When asked if Shropshire inspired him, he said: "It's ironic - I'm sat in my conservatory office overlooking a lush field on a glorious spring day here in leafy Shrewsbury suburbia, drawing dark stuff.

"I briefly considered moving to America but with computers and the internet, there is no need. Living in Shrewsbury is a great get-out clause to avoid Hollywood."

But the cartoon industry in the town by no means begins and ends with Adlard.

Robbie Morrison, who worked on 2000 AD and co-created Nikolai Dante with Simon Fraser, is also based there.

Originally from Glasgow, he arrived in Shropshire via London. His most recent projects include Doctor Who.

image copyright Deborah Tate image caption Deborah Tate was an editor at Marvel Comics before she moved to Shrewsbury

Morrison's partner Deborah Tate, who met him when she worked for Marvel in London, is another of the town's cartoon mafia.

"I found myself in a male-dominated world but it didn't stop me from making a difference," she said.

"I read comics as a child but I soon grew out of them. When I joined Marvel, the managing director, Robert Sutherland, preferred non-comic fans who wouldn't drool over art and would get the job done."

Tate, who became an editor at Marvel, worked on Sonic the Comic, where she was instrumental in shaping his female sidekick, Amy, from a damsel in distress to a significant character in her own right.

image copyright Rebellion image caption The co-creator of Judge Dredd moved from the US, via London, to settle in Shrewsbury

"When Robert left Marvel to set up Redan, I did some freelance work in Shrewsbury for him. It seemed like a really nice town; everyone we knew here was having a great time, so we moved too," she said.

Another member of the town's comic book glitterati is John Wagner.

He is the creator of Judge Dredd, the comic character who has been the star of two sci-fi action films: the 1995 movie starring Sylvester Stallone and the 2012 Dredd with Karl Urban in the lead.

Wagner was born in the USA and, like Tate and Morrison, called London home before heading to Shropshire.

image copyright Pascal Saez/Edinburgh Int Book Festival image caption Robbie Morrison and Charlie Adlard at the Edinburgh Book Festival

His weekly comic 2000 AD, which he co-developed with Pat Mills in 1977, gave birth to characters including Strontium Dog and Button Man, as well as Judge Dredd.

During the making of the 2012 movie Dredd, one Shrewsbury landmark found itself immortalised on the silver screen, much to the delight of locals.

The plot of Dredd revolves around a 200-storey building called Peach Trees Tower - named after Shrewsbury's Peach Tree Restaurant.

image copyright Google Maps image caption Peach Trees Tower in Dredd is named after this Shrewsbury restaurant

Restaurant director Chris Burt said Wagner and his associates visited the restaurant a number of times while discussing the film.

"They enjoyed it so much that they named the main building in the film after us. We've had lots of comic enthusiasts visiting in the last two or three years who get very excited when they see The Peach Tree," he said.

Wagner is the guest of honour at Shrewsbury's International Comic Art Festival this summer, which will also be attended by James Hodgkins, from Dudley, West Midlands, who worked on Batman and Catwoman for DC Comics, and Marvel's Spider-Man: Get Kraven and Daredevil.

image copyright Redan Publishing image caption Redan Publishing produces all Disney magazines sold in the USA as well as other titles like Marvel Super Heroes and Peppa Pig

Also based in Shrewsbury is Redan Publishing. Established by Robert Sutherland after he left Marvel Comics, it produces Disney's US magazine offering.

"The company was set up in London but Robert, who was originally from Shrewsbury, decided to move back here 15 years ago and brought the work with him," explains marketing manager Emily Bell.

"Apart from rents being cheaper here in Shropshire, it makes little difference where you work because of the internet."

As more of the country's cartoon talent sets up in Shropshire, so others are encouraged to follow, for both professional and personal reasons.

For instance, John Wagner's partner, Jenny O'Connor, moved from Marvel Comics to Redan Publishing.

image copyright Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival image caption The theme at this year's festival was "luck"

It all helps explain why the Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival, the brainchild of cartoonist Roger Penwill, is now an established event.

"It started as an exhibition and is now in its 13th year. It has a cartoon trail around the town, three exhibitions and live cartooning in the Square," said Bill McCabe, one of the festival committee organisers.

"The main focus of the festival is to gather professional cartoonists and showcase the highest level of art."