A WRITER who has worked at comic giant Marvel producing Spiderman stories has taken some home inspiration for his latest works.

Alan Cowsill, 51, has recently penned two books - Punch Drunk Kisses and Zombie 18 - which are both heavily influenced by St Helens.

The former is written for adults while teen adventure Zombie 18 is set in a post-apocalypse world where everyone aged 18-plus has become a zombie.

The opening of the story based on a school trip to Ilkley which Alan took part in as a pupil at Edmund Campion.

"I might be the first writer to destroy St Helens in a zombie apocalypse," said Alan, who worked as an editor in Marvel's UK office for nearly a decade.

"I've been writing for years and working on comics. I got a few jobs editing and Marvel was the big one. I worked there for about 10 years in London which included writing and editing Spiderman and X-Men.

"We got to create new Spiderman stories for children which was great."

Alan's previous work includes World War One - a graphic novel he created for Indian comic company Campfire which won three awards at the 2014 Indian Comic Con.

The book was inspired by stories of Alan's family who fought in the war, including grandfather Fred Cowsill who died in the Battle of Hooge in July 1915.

"Punch Drunk Kisses is me writing something like Shameless and is based on life in St Helens," added Alan, who was among the guests at the town's first comic con in July at the town hall.

"I made it a generic northern town and a lot is based from drinking nights out in St Helens back in the day.

"Zombie 18 is about schoolchildren trying to get back from Ilkley. They have a scene coming past the Theatre Royal and there is a lot that people will recognise."

Lifelong comic lover Alan added: "It has become such a massive thing and it's for everyone now.

"It's such a friendly industry and everyone tends to help each other."

See alancowsill.co.uk for more and links to buy the books.