SLAPSTICK
It was a huge shock to the WAM community when Bill Shipton of Splosh fame suddenly passed away on 5th July 2013 at the age of 57.
His original Forum site has now been replaced by www.sploshuk.co.uk.
But very few contribute and it is a pale shadow of what went before.
WSM will continue to remember Bill each year even if most forget.

WSM TRIBUTE to BILL SHIPTON
I (Mike Ellison) first met Bill under his true name of Clive Harris in 1983.
He was the presenter of a custard pie caper held at a venue near Hammersmith, London.
I believe I still have some pics somewhere among my large library of slides.
I next remember meeting him a year or two later, this time hosting a mud wrestling event on the 1st floor of a pub also down London's West End (cameras banned!).

As a freelance writer, he had many fingers in many pies, but was a dynamic, yet irreverent, innovator.

I next met Clive (now renamed as Bill Shipton ) 11th March 1989 at the 1st Aquantics Convention held at the Harbour Heights Hotel (now converted to flats!) in Tenby.
Bill had decided to launch a wet and messy magazine under the name of 'Splosh'.
WSM girls Carol and Debbie provided the 'splosh' entertainment that time (see image set S058).
Bill formed a good working relationship with Shaun Kendall (the WSM film editor) and they went on to make the 'Buff' range of videos.
Bill's writing and comic skills were well apparent, so WSM signed him up as our script-writer and Bill produced the scripts for the WSM Vintage Films numbers 3 to 9.
In fact, it was better than that, as Bill was only too happy to show his versatility by taking a number of roles in the videos. So Bill had real 'hands-on' experience in the 90's.

Bill's 1st issue of Splosh magazine was shot in the basement of the Harbour Heights Hotel.
WSM assisted Bill by supplying much material for issues 2 through to 11.
There were 40 issues of Splosh.
But Bill realized at the end of the 90's that a new phenomena was changing the world.
So the internet made magazine production too costly as sales fell away.

The introduction of a studio and a devoted 'Splosh' website changed Bill's direction.
But new technology is a curse and Bill struggled to master all the aspects of video production.

I last met Bill in 1999 when we completed Vintage Film 9.
Since then we had many a phone conversation which always ended in the same manner.laughter!
We ended up as two captains in the worldwide sea of WAM, me on the container ship WSM with weekly drop-offs.
Bill had his cruise ship SPLOSH. Everyone was welcome to sit at the Captain's table and Bill was recognized as the talented, witty comic genius he was and great company to be with!

The magazine and latterly website, brought many different people together as a community.
Bill had a huge influence on many lives and his term Splosh entered our language.
I would think the NHS owe him a huge thanks for reducing their therapy costs!
Latterly, life was a struggle for him as he showed devoted care to his elderly parents.
But we all know that he cared very deeply for his Splosh family.
He was the kindly, caring, compassionate, yet always willing to be amusing, face of WAM.

So a legend has departed! May he rest in peace!
Few people have such a legacy to have been loved by all.

But the greatest sadness is that his work does not live on as a single body.
This is a great warning for all WAM producers.
I have duly taken heed and ensured that the movies and images of WSM will live on.

WSM have put together a 9 minute Download Tribute so you can see the real Bill Shipton.
Our current film editor freely gave his time to output this, such was his respect for one of the grandfathers of WAM.
These Clips owe much to the former WSM film editor Shaun Kendall, a good friend of Bill.
So, watch genius at work:

Bill Shipton Tribute






Click here to go to www.wsmproductions.co.uk


We now have a UMD Store and are transferring movies
and images to the UMD site
Click here to go to the new UMD Store

That's a fantastic tribute to a great man - well done, much appreciated!

Bought quite a few issues of Splosh, though only had the chance to meet him once, at the first Birmingham Splunch - but a lovely chap to talk to. RIP and will always be missed. Great tribute from WSM too, good work.

Hi All

Very nice tribute. If there is a WAM or UMD Hall of Fame the first 2 inductees should be Bill and Rob Blaine. I am sure heaven is a messier place with them 2 up there

Lenny

I spoke to him on several occasions, but sadly never met him, (Or Debbie, Samantha-Jane and Hayley) I always found him to be both courteous and hilariously impolite, (I know that is a contradiction, but that was how he came across to me) Like many, I started collecting "Splosh" with issue two and went on to the late twenties. His regular correspondent "Richard from Brighton" may have well been Bill himself, I do wonder sometimes.

Bill was not alone on promoting wetlook and splosh Mike Ellison should consider himself one of the few who dared to publish this sort of material along with Brian Grove. I found myself knocking on the door of an ordinary house in Stoke on Trent to pick up my first "Wet Shots" set. Only to have it opened by a lady I recognised in some of the pictures! (I am not sure this wasn't Mike's first company)

Hard copy print has now been superceded by HD video, but the adventurous output of all the original producers needs to be recognised.

Indeed. Thank you for doing this.

You guys could all go to the Bristol Splunch and meet Mike nomic, another legend and friend of Bill and possibly Sammy Jane if she is there this time. Mike would love to see as many people as possible, go on, do it, you know you want to and we can raise a glass to Bill.

Great tribute to a great man!

I remember buying Splosh and Razzle when he used to do the "Razzle Romps" in the mag, back in the day before the internet took off it was the only way to see girls getting messy, he really was a trailblazer in that respect, I'm not sure if I'd ever have known that girls getting messy was my "thing" without his work in Razzle!

Gone, but definitely not forgotten.......

Again I never knew the man in person, and again I owe him so much. I started with Splosh from Issue 1, and went on to buy every issue, and then to buy all the Buff Videos.

I have been influenced by him in so many ways. Perhaps most evident is that we both have a love of really corny jokes in WAM and I continue to put these in my scenes to this day.

Really wish I could have met him to say thanks for everything.

Thanks WSM for making this thread in his memory. His work should never be forgotten

Have to sooooooooo so.........echo everything said above. The man is a LEGEND in my opinion for what he started and has produced over the years

I so remember finding my first ever copy of Splosh which was No.31 and was like a pig in shit and never put it down for weeks! I must of been a late developer (or younger lol ) as that's so late into the publications in comparison to some of you guys!

WSM is one of the few places that holds my attention these days as they have the same sort of idea and concept of the Splosh site. It's custard, basques, stockings, maid outfits along with other sexy outfits me, but the underneath layer is so key to make a scene out of this world!

This is my favourite picture of all time and think he had something to do with it :p


RIP Bill............. what you started has never really been surpassed IMO!

Am I right in thinking that a caricature of Bill appears occasionally in Viz?

I'd say another important achievement was the ability to march out into a virtually pre-WAM world to attract models who would actualy pose for your work. Nowadays, you can just add "wet & messy" to your model/fetish/etc. profile, advertise on craigslist, etc. etc.. In the old days, I'd expect it was a _lot_ harder sell. Think about it: That had to take a lotta balls.

"You want me to do whatnow?!? Oh, fuuuuck no."

Clive (Bill) was very funny and put me at ease over my ex fiance who modelled for him (with his 'Benny Hill' type approach).
I enjoyed chatting with him about comedy and his work writing for the The Two Ronnies,Radio 4 Comedies etc.
Yes Bogjumper he was very proud of his Viz appearances and was thrilled when 'he' got to shag a Fat Slag as pictured!
Lovely tribute from WSM.