You’ve maybe never heard of Dudley Watkins (1907-1969). An Englishman, he studied at Nottingham School of Art for a bit before taking up a position at Boots the Chemist in around 1922. Glasgow School of Art soon beckoned and by 1925 he was working as an illustrator for Dundee publisher DC Thomson.

DC Thomson were, and arguably still are, intent on portraying an early 20th century music hall image of Scotland which defies the test of time and maybe does Scotland an injustice. The Broons and Desperate Dan inhabit the genre and of course there is Oor Wullie who, eighty years on, still sits on his bucket and sports a shocking haircut.
For his part, Dudley made a decent career as an illustrator although in the early days he supplemented his meagre salary by teaching at Dundee School of Art.
Most of the DC Thomson illustrators worked anonymously and never even got a by-line. But Watkins eventually broke the mould and was permitted to add his signature to his work. Alongside Desperate Dan, he was responsible for Lord Snooty and Jimmy and His Magic Patch.
A committed Christian, Watkins continued to portray the DC Thomson brand of 'Scottishness' right up until his death, age 62, in August 1969 when he was found dead alongside his drawing board following a heart attack.
Location: Dundee, UK

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