Laura Howell

Laura Howell is a British comic artist best known as the first female artist in the long history of *The Beano*. Born in Birmingham, England, she broke into the boys' club of British comics with a distinctive manga-influenced style. Her work for *The Beano* includes creating the strips *Johnny Bean from Happy Bunny Green*, *Les Pretend*, and *Tricky Dicky*, as well as a manga adaptation of the comic itself. She also contributed to the anniversary special *70 Years of Beano*, drawing *Billy the Cat* and two *Minnie the Minx* stories. Beyond *The Beano*, Howell has drawn for *Toxic* magazine, created the strip *Sneaky, the World's Cleverest Elephant* for *The DFC*, and produced a manga-stylized version of *Gilbert and Sullivan*. Her work extends to American titles, including *Regular Show* and a graphic adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories. In 2006, she won the International Manga and Anime Festival (IMAF) Best Comic Prize. She has also contributed to *Viz* and *Mad* magazine. Howell continues to live and work in Birmingham, maintaining a career that blends British comic tradition with manga aesthetics.