OGRI: EVERYBODY''S FAVOURITE!: The hundred and fifty greatest strips, selected by fans.: 2019

About PAUL SAMPLE

Perhaps best known in the book trade as the cover illustrator of Tom Sharpes 'Wilt' novels Paul Sample has enjoyed a long and successful career producing commercial illustrations for clients including Smirnoff vodka BBC radio and Dunlop tyres. His private love of motorcycles however found expression in the Ogri cartoon strips which appeared in print almost unbroken for over forty years. Ogri ran every month from 1972: first in 'Bike' magazine then in 'Back Street Heroes'. He even enjoyed a short stint in the motoring pages of 'The Telegraph'. The motorcycling superhero finally retired in 2013 but with 450 numbered strips and numerous single-panel illustrations his legend lives on. Paul's lifes work now complete Laughing Gnome is proud to have collected and curated this culturally important series. Ogri started as a drawing in one of my sketchbooks when I was at art college in 1966 the year I began riding motorcycles having bought one to get about rather than use the bus. Then Ogri developed into a strip cartoon from my riding experience and lack of expertise in keeping the rubber bits of the bike on the tarmac. Bike magazine liked the stories and Ogri started appearing in the publication in 1972. I never thought Ogri would last so long. By the way the dog Kickstart was real. He used to ride on my petrol tank race me back home from the pub and was a generally disreputable character. Great fun as an inspiration on life. Paul Sample