Johnny Cougar's wrestling monthly

[Richard S.]

Anyone have any ideas how long this ran for? I have issues 1-6 and thought that was a complete set but issue 6 doesn't end the story and there is even an advert for the next issue at the back of #6


thanks

[steelclaw]

Wow didn't even know this comic existed.

[Lew Stringer]

I think 6 was the last one. It was just a reprint comic using strips from the mid to late sixties. Reproduction wasn't always great and some finer lines that were in the originals dropped out for the reprint.

I was surprised they even bothered to do it as Johnny Cougar wasn't that popular by that time.

[big bad bri]

johhny cougar may not have been popular at the time but the wwf wrestling was huge in this country at the time & still is,and the comic was hoping to cash in on that,although i didnt even know of that comic or i would have bought it.the wwf/wwe had 1 of their main ppv's summerslam at wembley the previous year and all the tours here sold out within half an hour,i was lucky enough to go to summerslam at wembley 7 had plenty of overnight queing at sheffield & manchester for tickets

[Digifiend]

there is even an advert for the next issue at the back of #6

That means nothing - the final issues of Classics from the Comics, Fun-Size Beano, and Fun-Size Dandy, advertised a next issue that never appeared too. And that was only last year.

[felneymike]

Hmm, yeah I do remember wrestling being popular back then, but at the same time boys' adventure/sport comics were all but dead, Victor went out of publication and the monthly Roy Of The Rovers and New Eagle wouldn't be far behind!

Still I suppose these days adventure comics are always flavour of the month short-lived titles based on what is popular (such as GI Joe which ended recently) so this was actually a kind of transition!

[Lew Stringer]

Panini were hoping the G.I. Joe comic would last much longer than it did, in the same way that the old Transforners comic ran for years. It wasn't intended to be a quick cash in but it just didn't sell the numbers they'd hoped for.

[Digifiend]

I guess it didn't help that it was a tie-in to a movie which was targeted at an older age group than the comic. Maybe it would've had more success if one of the kids TV channels had aired reruns of the 80s cartoon?

[Lew Stringer]

I guess it didn't help that it was a tie-in to a movie which was targeted at an older age group than the comic. Maybe it would've had more success if one of the kids TV channels had aired reruns of the 80s cartoon?

Yes, possibly. Panini's Action Man comic had a good long run so there is a market for that kind of comic. GI Joe just wasn't it.

[Richard S.]

yep, it's definitely been published to cash-in on the wrestling boom as the pages are full of pictures of the (then) current stars.

Thanks to all for their help.

[SID]

I can't believe that someone on eBay is trying to sell an issue of Johnny Cougar's Wrestling Monthly for £30.00.

I know it's the first issue but it is only a reprint. Unbelievable but good on the seller if he/she finds a buyer.