John Methven, who edited The Scots Magazine for 13 years after scripting some of the nation’s favourite comic characters, has died aged 73.
He was appointed to the post in 1996, taking over from Allan Halley who had succeeded long-serving editor, John Rundle after he died in 1995.
John Methven had joined the staff of DC Thomson’s Dandy in 1970 and, over the years, went on to write scripts for Desperate Dan, Korky the Cat, Oor Wullie and The Broons, among others.
Outside work, he was passionate about American music, photography and was a frequent visitor to the Western Isles of Scotland.
John Clifford Clyne Methven was born in Kirriemuir in August 1950 before moving to Dundee, when he was nine months old.
His father, Jack, worked in the flax industry with Baxter Brothers and ultimately become manager at Upper Dens works.
John’s mother, Betty, was a teacher in several Dundee primaries and ended her career as headteacher at Whitfield where she counted future broadcaster Eddie Mair among her pupils.
John was educated at Morgan Academy at both primary and secondary level and after leaving school had something of a gap year working as a bus conductor and then in an egg-grading station.
John credited his younger brother, Bruce, with guiding him into journalism after he pointed out an advert in The Courier for a vacancy for a children’s publications journalist.
He was successful in his application and even more thrilled when he was allocated a place on the staff of the Dandy, Britain’s longest-running children’s comic.
The editor was Albert Barnes, a veteran of the Second World War Altantic Convoys who maintained almost military discipline in the office while encouraging creative ideas.
John had spells on a number of children’s publications and it was during this time he scripted stories for some of DC Thomson’s greatest characters.
In the mid 1980s he came up with the idea for a special publication, Dandy and Beano: the First Fifty Years, which proved a massive success and sold more than 250,000 copies.
John’s last post in the comics was as editor of The Topper before his appointment to the editor’s chair of The Scots Magazine.
He regarded this as his most fulfilling period professionally and worked with a small team including assistant editor, Chris Dolan, and took particular satisfaction in liaising with columnists such as Tom Weir.
John and his future wife, Moira MacGowan, had met at Morgan Academy and became reacquainted in 1970 when she was back in Dundee during a break in her librarianship studies at Robert Gordon’s Institute of Technology in Aberdeen.
The couple married in 1972 and briefly set up home in Eden Street before a move to Broughty Ferry.
Their first child, Fraser, was born in 1977 with profound disabilities which made him dependent for his entire short life.
After much soul-searching John and Moira decided to have another child and Shona was born in 1979.
Parallel to John’s career in journalism, Moira rose to become head of libraries, information and cultural services at Dundee City Council, and also served on the board of the National Library of Scotland. She was made an MBE in 2016 for her services to libraries.
In retirement, John and Moira visited all the major cities in North America and also spent many happy times in the Western Isles for which they had a huge affection.
Trips to the west coast also gave John the opportunity to indulge his passion for photography and some of his best work can be found on the social media platform, Flickr.
John and Moira’s daughter, Shona, is a consultant nephrologist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, and renal service clinical director of NHS Grampian. Her husband, Jamie Smith, is also a consultant nephrologist at ARI.
His family said that when John received the news his time was limited, he regarded the birth of his grandson, Finlay, as the final blessing of a life of joy and privilege.
You can read the family’s announcement here.
Conversation