SPARKY STRIP NUMBERING

stevezodiac · Post by **stevezodiac** » 27 Dec 2007, 21:47

Checking through some ebay bound Sparkys I noticed most of the strips had numbers printed in them, was this the number of times that particular strip had appeared in the comic? What I couldn't understand was why Keyhole Kate had a lower number than some of the newer strips, I thought KK had been in Sparky for just about its entire run. Also the other Thomson comics didn't use this strip numbering. Was it an idiosyncrasy of that particular editor? (we know newspaper strips have numbering as do US comic strips - or at least I remember those numbers on the splash pages, particularly of Charlton horror comics which i've always had a soft spot for).

colcool007 · Post by **colcool007** » 28 Dec 2007, 10:45

Steve, do you mean the numbers at the right hand bottom of the page by any chance?

If you do, then you might find that these are the dates of the comic and the page order for that story. Using a Victor, I have to hand, does it look anything like this? VIC. 16.5.87-1 This indicates that it is page one of that story published in the issue dated 16 May 1987

steelclaw · Post by **steelclaw** » 28 Dec 2007, 12:42

My Wizards say.

WZD 19.6.71

Which means it came out on 19th June 1971.

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 28 Dec 2007, 13:58

I think Sparky was a little different in that in its later years it also had the issue number on the strips as well as the cover date. (As can be seen in some of the reprints in Classics.)

That said, it doesn't make sense that Keyhole Kate would have a different number to the other strips in the same comic. So we're no further forward really, sorry.

Lew

Post by **AndyB** » 28 Dec 2007, 17:16

Steve - please read your pm's.

stevezodiac · Post by **stevezodiac** » 01 Jan 2008, 20:41

I will try not to be insulted or take umbrage at the respondee who assumed i didn't know an issue date when i saw one, no there is another number next to the date and the number is different for each strip. to me it looks like the number of times that strip has appeared in Sparky.

(Mutters to himself "thinks i don't know a date when i see one, and me a comic collecter since 1965-strike a bleedin' light")

"The noive of the guy" (Lee J Cobb in 12 Angry Men)

colcool007 · Post by **colcool007** » 01 Jan 2008, 22:29

Steve,

Sorry, wasn't meant to be insulting. I am now curious about the Sparky numbering. Would you mind giving us an view of this number as I am truly curious about this.

Grovel. Grovel.

stevezodiac · Post by **stevezodiac** » 02 Jan 2008, 21:24

That's queer, the only Sparkys I have are all pre 100 and have no numbers on the pages at all. It must have started later on in the run. The ones where I noticed the numbering have been sold on ebay i'm afraid. Now no-one will believe me! I'll have a look elsewhere in this site, maybe the page by page section will provide me with an alibi. Cue moody bassoon playing...

stevezodiac · Post by **stevezodiac** » 02 Jan 2008, 21:48

Please ignore that message in the flat above as I have now found some later Sparkys. This is the Christmas issue from 1971 and is issue no. 362, I have shown three strips all with different serial numbers, in case you have earache in your eyesight the numbers are: Hungry Horace 248, Keyhole Kate 101 and Spoofer Mcgraw 153. There told you so - raspberry!

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Post by **AndyB** » 02 Jan 2008, 22:14

Steve, I reckon your guess re number of appearances is probably right. It's the only thing I can think of myself.