Moving on to 1969 we come to what I feel was the start of a `golden` period for the comic!
I think it was in March 1969 the `re-vamp` took place! I recall telly ads expousing the "Bright New Sparky" For three weeks free gifts were given to help the `relaunch`.
The `Sparky` title was still in red, but it composed of curved lettering -as did the word itself! The bottom of the `Y` in Sparky had a Firework Rocket trail of Sparks shooting from it! Most eye-catching!
The Sparky character was dropped from the cover and was only referred to in the `Fun Forum` Letters/Jokes/Puzzles double page! Sadly, the "Dreamy Dave and Dozy Dora" strip ended-but it had been deteriorating for some months previous!
The only survivors from the earlier days were "Hungry Horace", "Keyhole Kate" and "Pansy Potter". The "Invisible Dick" series also continued, but often `rested` for months at a time! The last story from the "Davy Spacer" series, carried over too.
John Bull Dog was promoted to the front cover becoming `Barney Bulldog` New strips were included, such as "We Are The Sparky People" a humerous look at the staff who produced the paper! (obviously not based on the real life staff!). "Spoofer McGraw" a very inventive strip about a fellow (Spoofer) who made up no end of tales to satisfy his slow witted pal `Bo`. Later, readers were encouraged (via cash prize) to write in questions for Spoofer to takle!
There was "Helpful Henry" who tried so hard to get things done-but always got into a mess! (Drawn by the artist who drew Dandys "Smasher") Henry was afavourite of mine!
"L.Cars" Based on the `Z.Cars` TV series, with thin Cedric and Fat Frederick on patrol for criminals. A quite inventive strip which was actually well researched when describing crimes! It could be very funny at times!
"Mr Bubbles" a `Bottle Imp` who granted anyone squeezing his bottle (?) three wishes! They always ended up regretting the first two wishes and with the third wish returned things to normal. "Mr Bubbles" occupied the centre two pages in full colour for about 9 months!
Other new stories were "Troble Bruin" (Brewing) A bears attempt at raiding a Bee-hive!
"Four Legged Fred" Adventures of an elderly Centaur.
By far the best was "I Spy" which started off as a purely humerous one page strip about a secret spy organisation and its chief spy ("I Spy") whose trenchcoat and Trilby hat contained a virtual cornucopia of devices and gadgets to help him in his `cases`! I will (Hopefully) be expanding upon the "I Spy" strip in the discussion sector of the board later as I feel this strip really deserves a in depth look and discuss!
"Puss and Boots" They did not commence until a good six weeks after the re-lauch`replacing a failed strip "Cap;n Hood & His Merry Men" (Comic adventures of a ships Captain and his crew)
"Puss and Boots" were only in monochrome at first on the back page, but soon advanced to full colour. The strip was rather slow at first and not really outstanding! But! within six months it really got into it's stride with some of the best written gags and situations I have ever enjoyed in a comic!
Up untill I stopped buying comics (Late 1972) "Sparky" became a firm favourite to that point!
I leave my look at the "Sparky" comic with a reminder of what must have been the weirdest strip I think ever graced a comic!
It was the summer of 1967 and `Flower Power`, `Psychedlia` and `Love -Ins` were rampant! "Sgt Pepper" and "Whiter Shade Of Pale" bombarded the airwaves and on telly Patrick McGoohans innovative series "The Prisoner" was about to be unleashed!
What did the "Sparky" have to compete with such `Mind-Bending` events! Only "Grannie Cupp and her Flying Saucer" Old Grannie Cupp had helped some Martiams who had crash landed their craft in her back garden one day (as you do!) The grateful biengs later gave her a spare two person saucer in gratitude!
Thus began many wacky adventures for Grannie Cupp and her pet cat Snowball (including thwarting a South American `Junta` on one occassion).
Yes! "Grannie Cupp and her Flying Saucer" once read, is never forgotton! Many young minds must have been `blown` (mine was). Perhaps some `anarchist` managed to spike the Sparky tea urn with `hallucinogenics` to get that result!
Will we ever know!?