Tom Paterson is a Scottish comic artist who drew characters for Fleetway in 1973–1990, and D.C Thomson from 1986-onwards. He lives in Leith, with three children, and is a Hearts supporter. Taking stylistic inspiration from Leo Baxendale's work on The Bash Street Kids, Paterson's talent as a cartoonist was discovered at the age of sixteen by original Dandy editor , who was impressed with the cartoon samples Paterson had sent to him. Barnes offered the young artist a chance to collaborate with him on a strip called The Dangerous Dumplings (which would later be retooled as The Doyle Family for the Dandy), which was to become the leading strip of a new comic Barnes was developing, but the project was scrapped when Barnes retired and Paterson was hired to work for IPC after leaving school.