Hi I’m Dave Franks. I am a London based illustrator, and veteran of Advertising & Marketing comic strips. I started my career in 1984, after studying illustration at Carmarthen College of Art. I was a natural draftsman even as a tiddler, but I was an outdoor nature-bug and nothing would have tied me to a desk then. This outdoor in the wild inclination eventually cause my academic work to suffer, but I had gained a lot from the experience of just observing the natural world, and learning how to see. In the studio I usually start with pencils and thumbnails, and develop a design and composition more from the impression that reality leaves on my mind rather than from reality itself. I try to keep things fresh exciting and I hope visually satisfying, however today’s “satisfying” can be tomorrows second rate” so its managing these shifting sands sometimes. One of my first commissions back then was a try out for DC Thompson where they had me draw two pages of Desperate Dan from the Dandy Comic. I “was” Desperate Dan in those days and pretty much did whatever I was told! Later I did some NDA character development stories for them which I’d love to tell you about but…..I then did a stint with leading comics artist Frank Langford to help with his overflow work, and the rest as they say is history.