“Work hard at the thing you love and you will be happy and hopefully successful” was the message from Steve McGarry, BEdian Alumnus 1964 – 1971 on Wednesday evening. Steve is a cartoonist whose work includes the comic strips Badlands, Pop Culture, Biographic, Trivquiz, Kid Town and Mullets. His sports features are syndicated worldwide and appear in most major football magazines, including Shoot, Match, Match of the Day. As a story artist, he worked on the movies Despicable Me 2, Minions (film), The Secret Life of Pets, and on the electronic arts mobile game Minions Paradise.
In a relaxed and informal setting, Steve presented an overview of his life, explaining how if he could make it to Hollywood from Wythenshawe, then anyone could. He was quick to pay tribute to the College saying stressing how important gaining a place at the College was for him and whilst he was unusual in wanting to be a cartoonist whilst his peers were pursuing careers as doctors and lawyers, the College taught him that with hard work you can achieve your dreams.
Steve’s career began at Great Universal Catalogue Stores in Ancoats, In his spare time he continued to produce cartoons, honing his technique and his big break came when his childhood friend and fellow Bedian, Rob Gretton asked him to design the album sleeve for a young Manchester band, Joy Division, that Rob was managing.
