Still Game Returns: Jack and Victor Get a Comic Book Makeover

The beloved Scottish sitcom, Still Game, is back, but this time in a brand-new format – a comic book! Creators Greg Hemphill and Ford Kiernan have teamed up with a team of writers and artists to bring the iconic characters of Jack and Victor to life in a fresh new medium.

The much-loved BBC comedy, which chronicled the lives of a group of pensioners, ran for nine successful TV series and sold out three live shows at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow. Now, fans can enjoy the antics of the Still Game gang in a new, visually engaging format.

The first comic book is set to be released next month and promises a new perspective on the beloved characters. Hemphill, who played Victor McDade, shared that the comics feel like looking at the show “with fresh eyes.” He explained that the comics offer a unique approach, allowing for imaginative new storylines and details not present in the TV show.

“We still love Jack and Victor, and Ford and I are still always talking about them,” said Hemphill. “The comic version of Still Game has its own flights of fancy. There are things in the comics which the cartoonists have put in which didn’t exist either in our head or in the TV show. So there are loads of Easter eggs in there for readers.”

The comic book adaptation was brought to life by Scottish publishers Scunnered Ink, with editor Gordon Tait leading the project. Tait, known for his work on classic British comic characters like Dennis & Gnasher, Oor Wullie, and The Broons, assembled a team of artists who were enthusiastic about bringing Still Game to life in comic form.

“A few of the artists we approached were really busy and in high demand, but the minute they found out it was for a Still Game comic book, they signed up right away,” Tait remarked. “Not every TV show will lend itself to the comic book treatment, but Still Game has been perfect.”

Kiernan, who starred as Jack Jarvis in the show, believes that the comic book adaptation embodies a long-standing Scottish tradition. "We have a long history in Scotland of waiting for Christmas to get an annual, then spending an hour on Christmas Day in a corner reading it,” he explained. “It’s an old fashioned idea in that respect, back to roots, and I love that about it. Gordon has taken our idea to see the Still Game gang in comic book form, and turned it into something wonderful."

The first volume of the Still Game comic book, titled "He Who Hingith Aboot Getteth Hee Haw," is set to be released on 16 September. Work is already underway on a second volume, promising further adventures for Jack and Victor in the world of comics. Fans of the show can anticipate a new chapter in the Still Game saga, full of hilarious situations, familiar characters, and a unique visual style.