Kelvin Gosnell
Encyclopedia
Kelvin Gosnell is a British
comics
writer
and editor
. He was involved in the founding of the long-running comic 2000 AD in 1977.
's competition department when Pat Mills
asked if he'd be interested in working on Action where he wrote Dredger and The Suicide Club. It was during this period that he read an article in the Evening Standard
on the forthcoming sci-fi films in the late seventies and concluded that a science-fiction comic would complement the other genres the company was publishing. He suggested it to managing editor Jack Le Grand who turned it down, but mentioned it to Mills who suggested Gosnell write his ideas down in a memo, which Mills then passed on to John Sanders, head of the Youth Group in IPC. Sander's recalls Gosnell from those years:
Sanders liked the ideas and passed it over to Mills to develop into a dummy issue to show to the IPC Board. After it was approved Mills brought Gosnell onto the staff in an official capacity as he recalls "I felt I owed Kelvin something for suggesting the idea in the first place, for which he hadn't been paid. I asked for him to be appointed editor designate. His input was valuable on strips like M.A.C.H. 1
and Dan Dare
, because of his technical and science fiction knowledge." Kevin O'Neill
, who was the art assistant in the early days, recalls the discussion between Mills and Gosnell "They had these ranting conversations, lots of swearing and cursing... Pat and Kelvin had a poisonous, venomous hatred of cosy editorial chats seen in the like of Valiant, that sort of kindly 'Uncle Editor' stuff. They wanted to do the opposite of that, an irreverent sort of editorial figure." Gosnell suggested either "an imperious intelligent alien or a computer" and it was the former that met with the most approval. They then bought a latex Neanderthal
mask, added a fake pony tail, a broach (for the Rosette of Sirius) and Gosnell put it on with a grey jump suit with silver stripes to complete the outfit. Tharg's alien slang also largely came from Gosnell based on "invented swearwords from his schooldays."
Pat Mills
resigned after the first 16 issues, partly because of the interference from senior management, and handed the reins to Gosnell, Nick Landau
moving over from Action to become his chief sub-editor. Gosnell relied more on Landau when he had to oversee the launch of Starlord
and they also oversaw the eventually merger of the title into 2000 AD, which saw Landau swap places with Battle sub-editor Steve MacManus
. Gosnell eventually resigned from his editorship over friction with managing editor Bob Bartholomew, during the time of the launch of Tornado, with MacManus being promoted to editor. He would continue to work on the title as a freelance writer.
On the writing front Gosnell is best known for his three adaptations of Harry Harrison
's The Stainless Steel Rat
, illustrated by Carlos Ezquerra
and serialized in 1979, 1980 and 1984 in 2000 AD
, he also co-wrote the 1977 series of Dan Dare
for that weekly comic. Kelvin also worked for the Dutch comic strip weekly Eppo
for a number of years, writing Storm
, with art by Don Lawrence
, and Rud Hart, art by Belgian artist Gilbert DeClerq. A two-page Wonder Woman text story in London Editions Magazines' Super-Heroes Annual for 1983 is also credited to him.
Gosnell most recently worked for Jane's Information Group
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
. He was involved in the founding of the long-running comic 2000 AD in 1977.
Biography
Gosnell was working as a sub-editor in IPCIPC Media
IPC Media , a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year.- Origins :...
's competition department when Pat Mills
Pat Mills
Pat Mills, nicknamed 'the godfather of British comics', is a comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since....
asked if he'd be interested in working on Action where he wrote Dredger and The Suicide Club. It was during this period that he read an article in the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
on the forthcoming sci-fi films in the late seventies and concluded that a science-fiction comic would complement the other genres the company was publishing. He suggested it to managing editor Jack Le Grand who turned it down, but mentioned it to Mills who suggested Gosnell write his ideas down in a memo, which Mills then passed on to John Sanders, head of the Youth Group in IPC. Sander's recalls Gosnell from those years:
"Gosnell wrote lots of memos and Le Grand stuffed lots of them. I liked talking to Gosnell. He was a better ideas man than he was an editor, and there is always a place for someone like him. Gosnell was enormously noisy, enormously enthusiastic. He was a great guy to have around because he was always bubbling. Good ideas men often create dissent. You have to give them space to do that."
Sanders liked the ideas and passed it over to Mills to develop into a dummy issue to show to the IPC Board. After it was approved Mills brought Gosnell onto the staff in an official capacity as he recalls "I felt I owed Kelvin something for suggesting the idea in the first place, for which he hadn't been paid. I asked for him to be appointed editor designate. His input was valuable on strips like M.A.C.H. 1
M.A.C.H. 1
M.A.C.H. 1 was a comic strip that ran in the British science fiction comic 2000 AD. The strip was created by writer Pat Mills and illustrator Enio...
and Dan Dare
Dan Dare
Dan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories, that is, the Venus and Red Moon stories, and a complete storyline for Operation Saturn...
, because of his technical and science fiction knowledge." Kevin O'Neill
Kevin O'Neill (comics)
Kevin O'Neill is an English comic book illustrator best known as the co-creator of Nemesis the Warlock, Marshal Law , and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen .-Early career:...
, who was the art assistant in the early days, recalls the discussion between Mills and Gosnell "They had these ranting conversations, lots of swearing and cursing... Pat and Kelvin had a poisonous, venomous hatred of cosy editorial chats seen in the like of Valiant, that sort of kindly 'Uncle Editor' stuff. They wanted to do the opposite of that, an irreverent sort of editorial figure." Gosnell suggested either "an imperious intelligent alien or a computer" and it was the former that met with the most approval. They then bought a latex Neanderthal
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
mask, added a fake pony tail, a broach (for the Rosette of Sirius) and Gosnell put it on with a grey jump suit with silver stripes to complete the outfit. Tharg's alien slang also largely came from Gosnell based on "invented swearwords from his schooldays."
Pat Mills
Pat Mills
Pat Mills, nicknamed 'the godfather of British comics', is a comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since....
resigned after the first 16 issues, partly because of the interference from senior management, and handed the reins to Gosnell, Nick Landau
Nick Landau
Nick Landau is a British media figure, currently co-owner of the Titan Entertainment Group, which publishes Titan Magazines and Titan Books.-2000 AD:...
moving over from Action to become his chief sub-editor. Gosnell relied more on Landau when he had to oversee the launch of Starlord
Starlord
Starlord was a short-lived weekly British science fiction comic published by IPC in 1978 as a sister title to 2000 AD, which had been launched the previous year in anticipation of a science fiction boom surrounding Star Wars....
and they also oversaw the eventually merger of the title into 2000 AD, which saw Landau swap places with Battle sub-editor Steve MacManus
Steve MacManus
Steve MacManus is a British comic writer and editor, particularly known for his work at 2000 AD.Born in London and educated in Devon, MacManus joined IPC in 1973, aged 20, as a sub-editor on the boys' weekly comic Valiant, until 1975 when he moved to Battle Picture Weekly under editor David Hunt...
. Gosnell eventually resigned from his editorship over friction with managing editor Bob Bartholomew, during the time of the launch of Tornado, with MacManus being promoted to editor. He would continue to work on the title as a freelance writer.
On the writing front Gosnell is best known for his three adaptations of Harry Harrison
Harry Harrison
Harry Harrison is an American science fiction author best known for his character the Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! , the basis for the film Soylent Green...
's The Stainless Steel Rat
The Stainless Steel Rat
James Bolivar DiGriz, alias "Slippery Jim" and "The Stainless Steel Rat", is the fictional hero of a series of humorous science fiction novels written by Harry Harrison.-James Bolivar diGriz:...
, illustrated by Carlos Ezquerra
Carlos Ezquerra
Carlos Sanchez Ezquerra , who has also worked under the alias L. John Silver, is a Spanish comics artist who works mainly in British comics and currently lives in Andorra...
and serialized in 1979, 1980 and 1984 in 2000 AD
2000 AD (comic)
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
, he also co-wrote the 1977 series of Dan Dare
Dan Dare
Dan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories, that is, the Venus and Red Moon stories, and a complete storyline for Operation Saturn...
for that weekly comic. Kelvin also worked for the Dutch comic strip weekly Eppo
Eppo (comics)
Eppo is a Dutch comic magazine, that originated after the merging of the magazines Pep and Sjors. It originally ran from 1975 to 1988 on a weekly basis and was revived in 2009 as a fortnightly magazine.-History:...
for a number of years, writing Storm
Storm (Don Lawrence)
Storm is a soft science fiction/fantasy comic book series originally drawn by Don Lawrence. The series is primarily available in Dutch, although all the books are translated in English and German, and some in French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Danish, Finnish, Greek, Croatian, Serbian,...
, with art by Don Lawrence
Don Lawrence
Donald Southam Lawrence was a British comic book artist and author.Lawrence is best known for his comic strips The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire in the British weeklies Ranger and Look and Learn and the Storm series, first published in the Dutch weekly Eppo...
, and Rud Hart, art by Belgian artist Gilbert DeClerq. A two-page Wonder Woman text story in London Editions Magazines' Super-Heroes Annual for 1983 is also credited to him.
Gosnell most recently worked for Jane's Information Group
Jane's Information Group
Jane's Information Group is a publishing company specializing in transportation and military topics.-History:It was founded by Fred T...
.