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Daniel McGachey

@daniel-mcgachey

Writer of comics since 1989, plus radio drama, articles, TV, animation, comedy, mystery, and ghost stories. Occasional illustrator and designer.

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14.11.2024
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Latest posts by Daniel McGachey @daniel-mcgachey

A black and white illustration inspired by Susan Hill's novel The Woman in Black. A woman in late Victorian mourning stands in a graveyard in a flat desolate landscape. There are two stone pillars in the foreground.

A black and white illustration inspired by Susan Hill's novel The Woman in Black. A woman in late Victorian mourning stands in a graveyard in a flat desolate landscape. There are two stone pillars in the foreground.

An illustration of the ghost of a woman in a dress of the mid to late Georgian era with a sort of skeletal face. She is stood / hovering in front of a detached Georgian house in the dusk, flanked by dark trees, with its front door lit from above.

An illustration of the ghost of a woman in a dress of the mid to late Georgian era with a sort of skeletal face. She is stood / hovering in front of a detached Georgian house in the dusk, flanked by dark trees, with its front door lit from above.

A print of a black and white illustration inspired by John Masefield's novel the Box of Delights: a bearded man with a heavy pack trudges through snow pursued by wolves. There's a big white house in the distance, and a small aeroplane (in fact a car-o-plane) in the sky. The scene is flanked by trees and emerges from a square box. The face of its beholder is just visible.

A print of a black and white illustration inspired by John Masefield's novel the Box of Delights: a bearded man with a heavy pack trudges through snow pursued by wolves. There's a big white house in the distance, and a small aeroplane (in fact a car-o-plane) in the sky. The scene is flanked by trees and emerges from a square box. The face of its beholder is just visible.

A ridiculous black and white illustration (in print form) of worshippers dancing around a ceremonial bonfire in the trees. The flames take the shape of a large cat's head.

A ridiculous black and white illustration (in print form) of worshippers dancing around a ceremonial bonfire in the trees. The flames take the shape of a large cat's head.

Hello! I've been a bit preoccupied lately with real life and stuff but I've finally put a bit of effort into my Etsy shop... added new prints and restocked old ones. Do have a look. Sharing much appreciated. Thank you.

sarahcoomershop.etsy.com

06.03.2026 17:23 πŸ‘ 58 πŸ” 17 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 2

A marvellous story. Read it late at night and thoroughly enjoyed it. The fact that it references my own personal favourite MRJ tale didn't hurt either.

06.03.2026 10:21 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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I'll be at Power Con this weekend in Glasgow alongside lots of other cool comics folks. I'll have some GOLDEN RAGE goodies plus some other comics this lassie from Dundee done-did and a small supply of prints like these! Details: www.forthefans.uk/power-gaming...

05.03.2026 22:11 πŸ‘ 93 πŸ” 22 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 2
Preview
Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Crown Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Crown : McGachey, Daniel: Amazon.co.uk: Books

As it's World Book Day, here's a book... #SherlockHolmes www.amazon.co.uk/Sherlock-Hol...

05.03.2026 21:11 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

More Ghosts & Scholars (ie, issue 2), also had 5 stories. There may have been a few more issues to match, but there were more often 3 or 4.

05.03.2026 16:25 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Front and back covers to issue 50 of Ghosts & Scholars magazine, sub-headed The Final Issue. Front cover by Jim Potts illustrates the M.R. James story 'After dark in the Playing Fields', and shows owls and sprites and dark creatures by moonlight by a steeple. The back cover, drawn by me, is a portrait of M.R. James next to a cowled skeleton leafing through back issues of Ghosts & Scholars.

Front and back covers to issue 50 of Ghosts & Scholars magazine, sub-headed The Final Issue. Front cover by Jim Potts illustrates the M.R. James story 'After dark in the Playing Fields', and shows owls and sprites and dark creatures by moonlight by a steeple. The back cover, drawn by me, is a portrait of M.R. James next to a cowled skeleton leafing through back issues of Ghosts & Scholars.

Returned home late to find something ghostly waiting for me... Very proud to have contributed a new story, a review, and the back cover art, and to find myself in VERY good company in the pages of the final issue of the legendary Ghosts & Scholars.

05.03.2026 00:27 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Hope that's not a typo in the first word. πŸ˜‰ All the very best.

04.03.2026 09:18 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Big fan of the series, and of the Tall Man. The Blu-ray boxset has been visited and revisited several times.

04.03.2026 09:16 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
A Certain Slant of Light Buy A Certain Slant of Light by Bell, Peter (ISBN: 9783912357134) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

Despite having the original Sarob Press edition, plus all the additional stories in various other volumes, this paperback collection of Jamesian tales by one of my favourite modern day practitioners of the antiquarian ghost story is an instant must-buy for me: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/3912357137

04.03.2026 00:06 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Montague Rhodes James in contemplative mood.

Montague Rhodes James in contemplative mood.

Detail of the manuscript showing MRJ's working of the cryptic latin inscription

Detail of the manuscript showing MRJ's working of the cryptic latin inscription

Coming soon: 'The Haunted Archive - The Annotated Ghost Story Manuscripts of M.R. James'.

Beautiful facsimile autograph manuscript editions of MRJ's ghost stories, annotated by leading Jamesian scholars.

Volume 1: 'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad' coming to Kickstarter soon...

>>>

24.02.2026 15:29 πŸ‘ 52 πŸ” 20 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 5

Love Death Line. It's grim, yes, but with a nice line in black humour courtesy of Donald Pleasence's copper and with a superb cameo by a bowler-hatted Christopher Lee representing 'the Establishment' allowing for a bit of satire.

23.02.2026 17:19 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Kenneth Williams - The Marrow Song (Oh! What a Beauty!)
Kenneth Williams - The Marrow Song (Oh! What a Beauty!) YouTube video by valpy

On what would have been the great Kenneth Williams' 100th birthday, a lugubrious ditty, and no messing about! www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyTP...

22.02.2026 08:39 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Return of Captain Invincible - Bullshit song
Return of Captain Invincible - Bullshit song YouTube video by bmoviereviews

Suddenly put in mind of 'The Return of Captain Invincible'. If only politicians were still as eloquent... www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8Eq...

20.02.2026 20:29 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
The Black Fox: A Novel of the Eighteen-Seventies Available now for pre-order. Please note that all orders will be despatched after the publication date.Β  Two small green-silver spots, almost like small fragments of reflected moonlight, shone up at t...

Described in Ro Pardoe's 'James Gang' list in 'Meddling With Ghosts' as a 'superb Jamesian novel of the 'Stalls of Barchester Cathedral' type.' shop.bl.uk/products/the...

19.02.2026 18:15 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

According to Harry Alan Towers, Kinski turned down the role, saying, 'I'm not doing a fucking Dracula movie.' So they gave him his script pages with a different title attached. Then, as he was chewing the scenery, he suddenly stopped and said, 'Why do I feel like I'm in a fucking Dracula movie?'

19.02.2026 00:12 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

With this, Detectorists, and his version of Worzel Gummidge, he's shown a wonderful knack of quietly reminding you of the decency in people when everything else in the media seems to be focussed on telling you the worst.

14.02.2026 13:42 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
UK paperback cover for The Final Problem by Arturo Perez-Reverte, showing the main character, Ormond Basil, who bears a close resemblance to Basil Rathbone, whose shadow takes on the silhouette of Sherlock Holmes.

UK paperback cover for The Final Problem by Arturo Perez-Reverte, showing the main character, Ormond Basil, who bears a close resemblance to Basil Rathbone, whose shadow takes on the silhouette of Sherlock Holmes.

Copy purchased this morning, so thanks for the heads up on this one. I love the paperback cover.

14.02.2026 11:58 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

And that's straight onto the reading pile.

13.02.2026 16:42 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Finished watching Small Prophets last night, and I'm firmly of the opinion that Mackenzie Crook is a modern day alchemist himself.

13.02.2026 16:40 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
SINGULARITY –A Horror/Sci-Fi Anthology- Issue 2 A gritty, unnerving horror/sci-fi comic anthology packed with body horror, biotech nightmares, revenge noir, and futuristic weirdness

I just backed SINGULARITY –A Horror/Sci-Fi Anthology- Issue 2 on @kickstarter.com www.kickstarter.com/projects/vhs...

10.02.2026 22:18 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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One year ago. #thesignalman

02.02.2026 17:01 πŸ‘ 43 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 1

Hope you enjoy. Currently working on my offering for this Hallowe'en's set of issues, with some thoughts for something ghostly for Christmas, too...

28.01.2026 18:50 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Eille Norwood as Sherlock Holmes

Eille Norwood as Sherlock Holmes

Venturing out shortly into the blustery weather for an appointment with Mr Sherlock Holmes on the silent silver screen.

27.01.2026 11:59 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
NICK TANKARD ILLUSTRATION ​Nick Tankard is a Yorkshire based illustrator working from his studio in Saltaire, specialising in fine line pen illustrations in a cross-hatch style.

Also bought another copy of Susan Hill's original novel, this time with beautiful and atmospheric illustrations by Nick Tankard. nicktankard.co.uk

26.01.2026 22:15 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Following Saturday's revisit to The Woman in Black on stage, I'm having a mini-WiB marathon. Rewatched the Hammer film & relistened to the serialised radio adaptation. Hammer sequel next to see if it's improved with age, & the second radio adaptation, culminating with the mighty 1989 TV version.

26.01.2026 22:15 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

A brilliant tribute to a brilliant screen presence. The line, 'a lady who asks for little and gets it,' could have been spoken by Groucho.

25.01.2026 22:38 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Opening title caption for the 1966-71 supernatural soap opera 'Dark Shadows'.

Opening title caption for the 1966-71 supernatural soap opera 'Dark Shadows'.

Just slightly over 5 months till Dark Shadows reaches its 60th anniversary. I'm clinging to the hope that there'll be an announcement from @bigfinish.bsky.social before then.

24.01.2026 23:00 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Theatrical programme for The Woman in Black and souvenir keyring in the shape of a train ticket to Crythin Gifford.

Theatrical programme for The Woman in Black and souvenir keyring in the shape of a train ticket to Crythin Gifford.

Lost track of the number of times I've seen The Woman in Black on stage, but the play never loses its power to enchant and ensnare (despite the best efforts of the sweet wrapper rustling, mobile phone screen flashing element of the audience) and exercise the imagination.

24.01.2026 21:18 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
SIR SHERLOCK - The Red Letter Day The beginning of a brand-new, full-cast audio series and novellas, starring Tom Baker MBE and John Leeson as Holmes and Watson.

Tom Baker returns to Baker Street? How wonderfully irregular! www.kickstarter.com/projects/152...

23.01.2026 19:48 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 9 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
Publicity shot of Barry Bostwick, Nell Campbell, and Patricia Quinn against a fishnet background.

Publicity shot of Barry Bostwick, Nell Campbell, and Patricia Quinn against a fishnet background.

Ticket booked to see Barry Bostwick, (Little) Nell Campbell, and Patricia Quinn when the Rocky Horror Picture Show 50th Anniversary Tour climaxes(!) in Edinburgh in May! "Well... how nice!"

23.01.2026 15:01 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0