Happy Birthday, dear Electric.... Happy Birthday to Soup!

Issue #6, initial cover, by Dave Alexander

Concluding our 2 weeks of Soupy celebrations let's start with the above, the test print of the issue #6 cover that never was. It seems all that saw the issue were in agreement that the yellow just didn't have enough pop and so (for a few issues, at least) a bold red was added to the mix.

Issue #6, initial back cover, by Frank Quitely

Dave reckons only 10 or so of these were printed and isn't entirely sure if the copy he has is the only one still in existence....

Destination Underpants, by Tommy Somme

This illustration, culled from the 1993 Glasgow Comic Convention brochure, was supposed to herald the arrival of Destination Underpants (like most Electric Soup legend this name revolves around Frank Quitely, a bus ticket and the unfortunate mistake of what seems to have been his mother leaning too hard whilst writing an 'essentials' list for a trip to London - evidently it was hilarious enough to spawn the title, but little by way of content)....

Soupermen, L-R, Padam, Jim, Tommy, Frank and Dave

And now we head into the office for some exclusive pictures courtesy of Dave Alexander....

Jim McEwan and Tommy Somme in the Soup offices

Dave Alexander, ultra suave cartoonist....

Padam Singh contemplates all things comic....

Fresh faced Frank Quitely quite frankly needs a break....

Debbie Mathison, the Soup's sole female contributor....

Och aye spy, with Jim McEwan (seated) and Hugh McKenna....

Finally, to round things off here's an informative interview from Glasgow's Evening Times that gives some insight into the genesis of the early issues.... Thanks for reading, yabassas!

Evening Times, 13th January, 1990