Sparky golden Jubilee - Free gifts & Funs pals (The Nine `Re

Formerly known as Classics from the Comics, this forum covers all of DCT's retired titles, like Beezer, Topper, Victor, Nutty and Sparky!

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alanultron5
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Re: Sparky golden Jubilee - Free gifts & Funs pals (The Nine

Post by alanultron5 »

Sept 1967 `Fun pals` in.

First is "Deputy Dawg" The only time Sparky trod on TV Comic's toes! This was a fair adaptation of the telly cartoon strip but only lasted about Eight months!

"Meddlesome Matty" The longest lasting of all the new strips (to May 1969) `Matty` was an updated character who bares a resemblence to Melinda Messenger in my opinion!

"Snapshot Sid" Freelance photographer Sid really not the funniest of characters I thought! A rare missfire for Bob Webster. Lasted about Ten months.

"Tom Tardy" This strip was rotated Bi-Weekly with the `Pansy Potter` strip. About a boy always late for school. No funnier than `Snapshot Sid` to me!

"Charlie Chutney" Another old character updated -Charlie the Cook often shared a page with `Meddlesome Matty` as both were half-pagers. Lasted to the Feb 1969 overhaul.

And speaking of! The big Feb 1969 overhaul will be next up - soon!
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Re: Sparky golden Jubilee - Free gifts & Funs pals (The Nine

Post by alanultron5 »

FIFTH OVERHAUL!

We now come to Sparky comics most `innovative` phase beginning with another huge revamp over late Jan/Early Feb 1969. Issues 211 and 212 saw a change on Nine strips, equalling the size of the 1967 changes!

Strips out were - "Harry Carry" the haulage man and his mate Sam. No great loss as I never found this very funny. "Charlie Chutney" "Sparky" a seminal moment in the comic's life- ditching the character it was named after! Sparky would live on as host of the `Funfare` games/letters page.
"Big Billy Bigg" Billy would be back for one more adventure in Sparky in mid 1969.
"Cheating Charlie" Only short lived (barely four months) Charlie was perhaps the nastiest character in the comic-outside of `Gus` in 1965s "Kidnapped Kidds" strip. It was a fairly funny strip though as I enjoyed the weekly cummupance of this vile fellow!
"Sailor Brown's Schoolday's" Tedious adventure strip!
"The Coral Island" much better adventure strip.
"The Boyhood of Deadwood Dick" middling adventure strip!


"
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Re: Sparky golden Jubilee - Free gifts & Funs pals (The Nine

Post by alanultron5 »

STRIPS IN!!

Strips in!

"Esky Mo" Bob Nixon drawn `fun pal`. Pale imitation of Beano's "Little Plum" in my view! Lasted to the January 1970 overhaul.

"Harry Presto" Only lasted bare 14 issues. A half page fun strip about conjurors son with dad's hat that produces `anything`

"I.Spy" The FINEST strip in the comics history! Started out as simple one page `fun` offering but evolved into near-adventure style strip. Peak years were 1969 to 1971. Had Seven season up to May 1976. WONDERFUL!

"We Are The Sparky People" Lasted right through to comics demise in July 1977 (though last few weeks were reprints) If the Sparky staff had even slightly resembled this lot-comic would have never got published!

"Wyatt Twerp" wild-west `fun pal` and his horse! Didn't last long- I found it unfunny to say the least!

"Helpful Henry" Comic's last updated old character! I loved this strip and artist Hugh Morren's work on it. An underated gem! Made way for "Puss and Boots! after 21 episodes!

"Cap'n Hood and his Merry Men" starting on the back page from issue 212. Nautical based fun strip! It was drawn by an artist who only drew this one strip in comics history! Only lasted about 20 episodes!

"The Jungle Ark" Envoirenmental adventure strip featuring-arguably the prettiest drawn female in the comic, `Luana`.

"Klanky" Now drawn by Terry Patrick. Readers discover Klank's real name and that he is now wanted `back` on planet `J` by his creators!

This overhaul saw a big slant towards more `fun` strips than `adventure` a trend that would accelerate over next few years.

SOON! The January 1970 overhaul!
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alanultron5
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Re: Sparky golden Jubilee - Free gifts & Funs pals (The Nine

Post by alanultron5 »

SIXTH OVERHAUL!

Issues 261 (17 Jan 70) and 262 (24 Jan 70) saw a much smaller re-vamp with just three strips leave and four `in`

Those `out` were "Esky Mo" this fun pal never really took off. I'm sure readers saw it as a copy of Beano's "Little Plum"

"Kings of the Castle" they would return in 1971 and much later in 1976!

"The Misery King" Short lived (Only six episodes) fantasy style adventure strip which was a throwback to pre 1967 era!

STRIPS IN = "Ali and his Baba" Very inventive fun strip about Ali a invisible bieng with power of flight- who was a sort of `guardian angel` to toddler `Baba` Lasted to end of comic and beyond into Topper and Sparky.

"Wyatt Twerp and Bugsy" sort of return for 1969's "Wyatt Twerp" redrawn-losing cleft chin - also san's horse-who had been the `brains` of the outfit! Now faced with ninth rate cheesy slob; one `Bugsy Muldoon` Not much funnier than the 1969 strip to me! Lasted about eight months!

"Bushboy" first of two seasons for this adventure strip- definately copied from Lion's "Jungle Jak" A fair offering.


More Soon!
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Re: Sparky golden Jubilee - Free gifts & Funs pals (The Nine

Post by Raven »

alanultron5 wrote: "Kings of the Castle" they would return in 1971 and much later in 1976!
A little earlier than that - they're in my recently acquired late '75 issues.

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Re: Sparky golden Jubilee - Free gifts & Funs pals (The Nine

Post by alanultron5 »

Thanks Raven! I did that from memory which let me down!

Und Jets!! SEVENTH OVERHAUL! Come late Jan 1971 and yet another two weeks free gifts and new stories!

Those leaving were = "Trouble Bruin" greatly underrated fun strip from the great John Geering. It should have suceeded but perhaps John had too much to do on `Puss and Boots` `Bruin` one of the comics lost `gems`.

"Four Legged Fred" quaint strip from John Fox. The only strip in the comics history to run as `fun` (Opening episode) and `adventure` strip (rest of run)

STRIPS IN! "Ma Kelly's Telly" Obviously based on 1966 Smash's `Tellybugs` strip. A nice return for artist Les barton who made this strip much fun!

"Kings of the Castle" second round between `King's and Rascals` I did hope the Rascals might win- but they never did!

"Willie Getaway" This `Man on the Run` strip truly bored me! Awful!!


This was the first overhaul where only `fun` pals were brought in!
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Re: Sparky golden Jubilee - Free gifts & Funs pals (The Nine

Post by alanultron5 »

EIGHTH OVERHAUL!

Issues 403 and 404 7th & 14th October 1972 saw the next set of free gifts & new `Fun Pals` this would be the smallest of the nine. Surprise was a change in the comic's logo too!

Strips Out = "Tom Kat" unusually for a fun strip that lasted barely a year `Tom Kat` had three artists in its tenure! Gordon Bell, Les Barton and `Anon` (Whoever they might be!)

"Ma Kelly's Telly" Another Les barton drawn strip departs. Les wopuld be back a few years later though, with `Ah-Choo!


STRIPS IN = "Snip and Snap" Wonderfully funny strip about two viscous and clever dogs and their ongoing duel with the Postman! Artist had a very unusual stly. They also drew 1973's "Jumbo and Jet" which was not very funny! But, `Snip & Snip` is another unsung `Gem`.

"Dreamy Daniel" This lasted to the end of the comic. Must have been popular enough with readers! It does nothing for me though!
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Re: Sparky golden Jubilee - Free gifts & Funs pals (The Nine

Post by Digifiend »

Snip and Snap would receive a reprinting in 2007 in Dandy Xtreme. I don't know how long for though.

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