"Get-Your-Man Gilligan", Jolly Comic, 1938-39
John "Jock" McCail was born in the first quarter of 1894 in West Hartlepool, County Durham. In his teens he was apprenticed as a shipyard joiner, probably to his stepfather, Thomas Rogers, while taking evening classes in art.
About 1920 he moved to Dundee to work in the art department of DC Thomson's newspaper The Courier. His brother Bill joined him there about five years later, but soon after, Jock moved to London and became a freelance artist. He drew many adventure serials for the Amalgamated Press and Odhams Press comics, including:
- "City of Jewels" (1931) for Mickey Mouse Weekly
- "Abdul the Desert Robber" (1932) for The Joker
- "The White Knight" (1935) for Sparkler
- "Son of an Outlaw" (1936) for Sunbeam
- "The Ruby of Ra Tae" (1937) for Crackers
- "Pantha the Bandit" (1938) and "Duke, Dan and Darky" (1939) for Comic Cuts
- "Get-Your-Man Gilligan" (1938-39) for Jolly Comic
He also illustrated prose stories for The Champion and The Triumph. However, paper shortages during the Second World War reduced his publishing opportunities. His brother Bill joined him in London in 1940, and they both found work with Gerald Swan's comics. Strips Jock drew included:
- "Ah Wong" (1940-49) for New Funnies
- "Bring 'Em In Hank" (1940) for Slick Fun
- "Darrell King" for Thrill Comics (1940-48), New Funnies (1949) and Slick Fun (1950)
- "Dene Vernon" (1940-46) for Thrill Comics
- "Tiny Tim & Co" (1940) for Extra Fun
- "Adolf the Awful" (1940) for Topical Funnies
- "Jungle Jokers" (1941) for Fresh Fun
- "Hyam Wright" (1946) for Comicolour
- "Iron Boy" (1950) for Cute Fun
- "TNT Tom" (1951) for Dynamic Thrills
He also contributed to Merry Maker, Swell Comic, Merry Moments, Funny Tuppenny, Crash Comics, Jolly Arrow, Squibs and others. He died in the second quarter of 1962 in Hendon, Middlesex.
References[]
- Alan Clark, Dictionary of British Comic Artists, Writers and Editors, The British Library,, 1998, pp. 97-99
- Denis Gifford, Encylopedia of Comic Characters, Longman, 1987, p. 88
