It was in the late 1940s and early 1950s that Watkins was commissioned to draw adventure serials, for D.C. Thomson's large-circulation newspaper, The People's Journal. Between 1947 and 1953 he drew 'Wild Young Dirky', 'Kidnapped', Catriona', 'Oliver Twist', 'Treasure Island', 'Robinson Crusoe', 'Gordon The Gypsy' and 'The Three Musketeers'. Some of these were successful enough to be reprinted in book form and in Thomson's first post-war comic, The Topper, launched on 7 February 1953.

The Topper was produced as a tabloid when tabloids seemed to be going out of fashion. It was in that same year that the Amalgamated Press axed several of its tabloid titles and reduced some of the new comics, such as Lion and TV Fun, to half the size. But The Topper was a success, proving - if any proof were needed - that it was not the format but the content that was important. Dudley Watkins main contribution to the new comic was 'Mickey The Monkey' which appeared on the front page. His real tour-de-force, though, was on the back page where the 'People's Journal' serials were being reprinted. These had been excellent in black and white, in colour they were magnificient. The reprints began with 'Treasure Island' and continued with 'Kidnapped', 'Robinson Crusoe', 'Wild Young Dirky', and 'Prester John'.

D.C. Thomson also published hardcover books, reprinting Watkins' work from 'The People's Journal'. These began to be issued in 1948 with 'Kidnapped' and, subsequently, 'Oliver Twist' (1949), 'Treasure Island' (1950, reprinted 1959) and 'Robinson Crusoe' (1952). The firm also published in hardcover 'Morgyn The Mighty' in 1951 with a full colour painting by Watkins on the dust jacket and 14 black and white illustrations inside.

Extracted from the book, 'The Best Of British Comic Art'.
Author Alan Clarke - published by Boxtree, 1989.