Rugrats cartoonist Bambos Georgiou learnt to read and speak English by flicking through the pages of comics.

After years of hard work, his efforts paid off and he is now the face behind a host of comic strips including the Rugrats, Spider Man and Action Man.

Mr Georgiou, 41, of Southover Street, Brighton, said: "I grew up reading about colourful superheroes like Spider Man and Aqua Man, so to be drawing them for a living is a dream come true.

"It was all I ever wanted to do. I get to stay an eternal kid whilst also seeing the comics through adults' eyes."

Mr Georgiou will be one of more than 30 artists from Cartoon County, the Sussex Association of Cartoonists and Comic Strip Artists, who will be encouraging people of all ages and abilities to try their hand at drawing at a "drawathon" in Brighton tomorrow.

He believes anyone who can hold a pencil can draw and hopes to use the event to inspire children's creativity just as he himself was uplifted by comics as a young boy.

He was just four years old and spoke only Greek when he picked up his first comic. But after gazing at cartoon strips day after day he emerged as an English speaker, with little hint of comic book slang.

He said: "I remember one of my English teachers got frustrated that I was always reading comics. My mum once threw away all my comics but that only made me even more determined. I decided it was the only thing that would make me happy."

Since then, he has stormed the world of comics, drawing everything from Bugs Bunny and the Flintstones for Cartoon Network to the traditional superheroes of Marvel Comics.

On the Rugrats, he said: "They are quite difficult to draw as they have such funny shaped heads. Tommy, who is the adventurous one and always wants to know what is around the corner, has a real lumpy, bumpy head."

Tomorrow's drawathon is part of the Big Draw, a national three-year initiative to get people drawing. It is at Alfresco Restaurant beside the West Pier from noon to 5pm.

Readers of The Argus cartoon strip BN1 will be able meet its creator Alex Hallatt. The first 200 visitors to see her will get a free comic featuring 80 BN1 strips.

Alex, who joined The Argus in November 1999, said: "The reason for this day is so that people who think they can't draw can get over their phobia. Everyone can draw, even if it is stick men."

Visitors will be able to create cartoon characters, seek help at the "I can't draw" therapy table and draw themselves on a giant beach landscape.

Anyone interested in joining a character creation and storyboard workshop from 2.30pm to 5pm should phone 01273 204683 to book a place.

Other Big Draw activities will take place across Sussex over the weekend. For details visit www.drawingpower.org.uk