He was a lone writer, scribbling away into the small hours writing comic strips. But there was one problem.

"I can't draw," said Colin Dinnie, founding member of Underfire, a project which has now become a home-grown comic company with three titles under its belt.

"So I put an advert in David's Comics Shop in Brighton and Iain Buchanan and Nick Dyer answered and that was it."

Iain, 36, of Preston Circus, Brighton, said: "Although I have a degree in animation, I had no comic experience. I just knew I wanted to draw."

They knew they wanted to produce a comic so set about finding out production costs, learning Photoshop and, most importantly, finding more artists and writers.

Iain said: "It's a bit like being in a band except you don't have to go round the country redrawing it to an audience every night."

Other members include writers Duncan Salisbury, Amsel Von Sprecklesel and artists James Mitchell, John Howard and Norm Chung.

Underfire consciously stays away from the superhero genre, although today fans are coming back round to comics via the plethora of superhero films which have burst out of Hollywood in recent years.

Iain said: "A lot of people think that comics are specialised and just for anoraks and, because of that, they think they're not into them.

"There is such a diverse range of subject matter and characters. That's the beauty of comics."

Colin said: "At the moment we are selling them through David's Comic Shop. Of course it would be great to have a benefactor who wants to put us through WH Smith but at the moment we are funding it ourselves.

"After all, it is a hobby and we don't expect to make money out of it. The thrill of seeing it come out in print and stapled together is still amazing."

So far the lads have produced seven comics with three different titles.

At the moment each A5 size comic costs roughly £100 to produce but they are hoping to club together to buy a laser printer and produce it themselves.

The comics are immaculately produced and beautifully drawn and lettered with a range of storylines touching on the supernatural, dream sequences cut with reality, knights in shining armour, vampires and Second World War action.

One title, Rapid Fire, is set in Brighton and has various contributors from the team of artists and writers, most of whom are Brighton-based.

Dream Time, drawn by Iain and written by Colin has qualities similar to cult TV series Quantum Leap, which gives it the potential to run and run.

So far it has combined medieval dream sequences with gritty modern day reality.

As for making a living, the lads do not expect to make a fortune out of their hobby.

Iain said: "I'd love to do pop-ups and fold-outs but it's all down to money."

The next edition of Dream Time is due out soon.

Visit www.underfire-comics.com or email mail@underfire.co.uk