The Redemption of Andy Capp: Reg Smythe's classic newspaper cartoon strip is often dismissed as nothing but the exploits of a wife-beating drunk. It deserves better. (PlanetSlade)

By Paul Slade

Reg Smythe, who created Andy Capp in 1957, wrote and drew every line of the strip himself for the next 40 years. During that time, he was hailed as a master by his peers and saw Andy's adventures reach an audience of 250m in 52 different countries. "Andy is as much Turkish as he is English," one Istanbul paper wrote. "And he is probably Greek, Italian and Polish too." What few people realise is how much of his own troubled childhood Smythe poured into his characters' lives. Andy was a portrait of his own wastrel father, Flo a version of his formidable mum, and their surroundings a faithful depiction of the pre-war Hartlepool neighbourhood where he grew up. Ranked one of the ten best essays of its year by Longform.com , this book's opening chapter sets out Smythe's biography, explores its parallels in the strip, and considers Andy's early days as what Smythe admitted was "a right little bully". There's also a look at how he steadily shifted the couple's balance of power to Flo, some analysis of his key techniques and insights from the two cartoonists who continue Andy's strip today.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0DFC2D1VK
• ISBN13: 9798329029086
• Release Date: August 2024
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 191 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.4" x 6.0"