Treasure from the archives: the gems of Dudley D. Watkins

Published online: 05.07.10 @ 07.00pm

The artist Dudley D. Watkins is an icon of Scottish culture — and his amazing talents are forever linked with DC Thomson.

From around 1925 until his death in 1969, Watkins provided thousands of beautiful images for comics, newspapers, books and more, gving life to unforgettable characters such as The Broons, Oor Wullie and Desperate Dan.

Here, for the first time, we present a gallery of his work, drawn from the huge DC Thomson comics archive. Much of it has not been seen since it was first printed, so many decades ago.

It shows the artist's range of work, in an expressive style which wasn't nearly as simple as it looks. In each case, the image is repeated without captions, to allow an insight into the creative process, with its changes, imperfections and notes.

It is also a chance to see different versions of some of the most famous characters "Watty" created, with very familiar faces from the Sunday Post.

If you like this gallery — and who could not? — please let us know.

Despite working in the often-overlooked medium of comics, Dudley Watkins is arguably the most recognisable artist in modern Scottish history, and he has a special place in so many hearts.