Classic cover artists: David Sque

I was interested to read, on his Lambiek Comiclopedia entry, that David Sque was not a huge football fan. One of the aspects of his iconic Roy of the Rovers artwork (he drew the strip in Tiger, and then in Roy of the Rovers when Roy was given his own title, between 1975 and 1986) that I particularly appreciated as a lad was his accurate recreation of all those little details of the game that really mattered to an obsessive fan: the kits, the stadia, the floodlights, the advertising boards, the fashions and the haircuts. He could also draw a mean footballing move – Blackie Gray moving it out to the wing for Paco Diaz to sprint into space, before sweeping in a deep cross to Vernon Elliott who would nod it back for Roy to unleash the Rocket into the top corner. Happy memories.

David brought colour, dynamism and drama to the cover of Roy of the Rovers for a decade, and for many fans is considered the Roy Race artist. He visualised Roy’s wedding and the birth of his children (well, not the actual birth, but some sweaty moments for Roy in the hospital waiting room), countless cup finals and victory parades. He was also there for some of the worst times – the assassination attempt on Roy, the Basran massacre, Roy’s transfer to Walford Rovers, relegations, injuries and Roy and Penny’s temporary separation. Editor Barrie Tomlinson and strip writer Tom Tully came up with these and other headline-catching storylines, but it was David who turned these ideas, quite brilliantly, into Real Roy of the Rovers Stuff.