MIKE WHITE. R.I.P.
Just to let you know that Mike White passed away this weekend after a long illness.
Erstwhile British artist and one of my artistic heroes. Mike had worked on a variety of strips from the controversial Kids Rule OK, through Invasion, Disaster 1990, Ro-Busters, Mean Arena (a favourite of mine) and a fair few Future Shocks including some truly memorable ones with Alan Moore eg: Eureka and Bad Timing as well as the classic Time Twisters - The Reversible Man and Going Native. He also collaborated with Mr. Moore on a few stories featuring the incorrigible Abelard Snazz - The Double Decker Dome! He will probably be most fondly remembered by the general public for his long run on Roy of the Rovers. In recent years he had been drawing and painting historical illustrations for various book publishers through his long alliance with Temple Rogers Artist Agents.
I've had the honour to go drinking with Mike a few times and had always found him to be a lovely bloke - with a curmudgeonly streak - accompanied by a plethora of tales. He arrived in London during " The Swinging Sixties" and, by his accounts, he made the most of it - regaling me with tales of drinking Oliver Reed under the table and another, unmentionable tale, involving Felicity Kendal! It's my belief that he was in love with the theatre and felt compelled to pursue this as a career. I have no idea why he didn't but am glad that he chose the path he did - enriching so many lives with his artwork even if he himself believed he left no lasting impression unlike those talented "kids" Bolland and Gibbons. I like to think that, in our times drinking in the Lord Salisbury pub, I had persuaded him, just a tiny bit, that his work was, indeed, influential on, at least, my life.
He'll be missed. Next time you're at Orbital Comics in London pop around the corner to the Lord Salisbury and raise a drink for him from me.
The wonderful Lew Stringer has also posted a tribute on his site here:
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