Sparky fun strips

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Kashgar
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Sparky fun strips

Post by Kashgar »

A list of Sparky comic strips with artist changeovers indicated, where known, year by year.

1965

Joe Bann and his Big Banjo - Bob Webster
Keyhole Kate - George Drysdale
Jeff Ye Jolly Jester - Bob Webster
Hockey Hannah - Andy Tew
Hungry Horace - George Drysdale
Dreamy Dave and Dozy Dora - Pam Chapeau / Ian Mackay / George Ramsbottom with artists changing under regular rotation
Minnie Ha Ha - French reprint. Artist unknown.
Nosey Parker - Bill Hill
Flubberface - Bob Webster
Freddy The Fearless Fly - Albert Holroyd
Dick Turpentine * (Allan Morley/Wizard)
Stone-Age Steve * originally Prehistoric Pete (Allan Morley/Wizard)
Hairy Dan * (Basil Blackaller/Beano)
* These third of a pagers, which harkened back to an earlier time, were all slightly redrawn versions of original strips from the 1930's/1940's. Redrawn for the most part by two Thomson staff artists Alan Gibson and Graham Millar.
Sparky - Ron Spencer
Cuckoo in the Clock - Laura Gold
Pansy Potter - Bill Hill
Frosty McNab * (Sam Fair/Beano) as above
Grandma Jolly * (John .R. Mason/Dandy) as above
Black Jack * originally Dirty Dick (Allan Morley/Wizard) as above
The Moonsters - Bill Ritchie
Peter Piper - Mike Lacey
Slowdown Express - Bob Webster
Winnie the Witch - Bernard Greenbaum

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Re: Sparky fun strips

Post by Kashgar »

Now to the Sparky comic strips for 1966
Firstly the new and then those that introduced a new artist to an already established strip.

Fireman Fred - Bob Webster
Granny Cupp and her Flying Saucer - Artist unknown
My Grockle and Me - George Drysdale

Dreamy Dave and Dozy Dora - James Malcolm is added to the rotating art team on the strip
Nosey Parker - Jimmy Glen
Pansy Potter - Bob Webster
Peter Piper - Albert Holroyd

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Re: Sparky fun strips

Post by Kashgar »

1967

New strips and then artist changeovers

Harry Carry - James Malcolm
Meddlesome Matty - James Malcolm
Charlie Chutney - artist unknown
Snapshot Sid - Bob Webster
Tom Tardy - Laura Gold
Deputy Dawg - James Malcolm

Artist changeovers

Nosey Parker - Fred Sturrock and Ian Mackay added to an eclectic mix of seemingly artistic tryouts.
Keyhole Kate - On sudden death of artist George Drysdale taken over by Albert Holroyd
Hungry Horace - As Keyhole Kate, Albert Holroyd.

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Re: Sparky fun strips

Post by Kashgar »

1968

New comic strips

Big Billy Bigg - Edward de Rop
The Snooks - Edward de Rop
Clever Claire - Jean Roba
Cheating Charlie - Bob Webster
John Bulldog/Barney Bull Dog - Bill Ritchie
L Cars - Bill Hill
Spoofer McGraw - Gordon Bell

Artist changeover

Peter Piper - Vic Neill

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Re: Sparky fun strips

Post by paw broon »

That's a great piece of work, Kashgar. Some of those strips I remember with great fondness, particularly Keyhole Kate, Nosey Parker and Pansy Potter. Obviously I:didn't read them in the '30's or '40's, so it must have been '50's and early '60's and I did not realise they had continued in comics till relatively recently (recently in my perception of time, that is). Thank you.

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Re: Sparky fun strips

Post by ISPYSHHHGUY »

The artist on the Sparky cover star also alternated later on of course, with Jimmy Glenn [future Lord Snooty artist] doing a fair few of the strips on the series.

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Re: Sparky fun strips

Post by alanultron5 »

The Dave & Dora strip was drawn very basically (In my opinion) by another artist circa July to September 1968. Sadly-I found this work not at all pleasing-but modified my criticisms in my updated Sparky File! Check these out please ray as i'd like to know your thoughts on this section of the strip- July to Sept 1968.
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Re: Sparky fun strips

Post by Hen Broon »

Great work guys,I am not great at naming artists so this helps a lot.
There is one thing you might be able to help me with,Did Watkins ever draw Pansy Potter?

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ISPYSHHHGUY
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Re: Sparky fun strips

Post by ISPYSHHHGUY »

Not that I remember Hen, but Bob Monkhouse was one of the earlier artists, apparantly.

'Bobbo' Bob Webster and later 'Jonno' John Geering provided the sterling Sparky Pansy, as ably recorded by the peerless contributers within this fine forum....no less.

sorry---I'm rambling

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Re: Sparky fun strips

Post by alanultron5 »

I have some data for Ray/Kashgar. First- I have extra artist on `Dave & Dora` strip, Ian Judge. Might he be the person who drew some episodes between July -September 1968?

Next- "Nosey Parker" There are two extra artists not on Ray's 1967 list. Michael Barratt - he drew the "Toad in the Hole" strip in `Topper` 1963-65 - and some Sparky free gift ad pages in 1965/6. Michael drew the `Nosey Parker` strip in issues 114, 118, 119, & 121.

Albert Holdroyd - he drew it issues 135 & 136.

Also- there seems to be a different artist on issues 116, Consecutive issues 125 to 129 and no 132. Jimmy glenn, Fred Sturrock and Iam Mackay must be in there somewhere! Please check these issues in your collection Ray to confirm.
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Re: Sparky fun strips

Post by Kashgar »

Hen Broon wrote:Great work guys,I am not great at naming artists so this helps a lot.
There is one thing you might be able to help me with,Did Watkins ever draw Pansy Potter?
Hi Hen,Watkins did draw Pansy Potter for a few weeks in the 1940's eg Beano No180.
ISPYSHHHGUY wrote:The artist on the Sparky cover star also alternated later on of course, with Jimmy Glenn [future Lord Snooty artist] doing a fair few of the strips on the series.
Of course you are quite right ISpy, Jimmy Glen joined Ron Spencer as the Sparky artist in April 1967.
alanultron5 wrote:I have some data for Ray/Kashgar. First- I have extra artist on `Dave & Dora` strip, Ian Judge. Might he be the person who drew some episodes between July -September 1968?

Next- "Nosey Parker" There are two extra artists not on Ray's 1967 list. Michael Barratt - he drew the "Toad in the Hole" strip in `Topper` 1963-65 - and some Sparky free gift ad pages in 1965/6. Michael drew the `Nosey Parker` strip in issues 114, 118, 119, & 121.

Albert Holdroyd - he drew it issues 135 & 136.

Also- there seems to be a different artist on issues 116, Consecutive issues 125 to 129 and no 132. Jimmy glenn, Fred Sturrock and Iam Mackay must be in there somewhere! Please check these issues in your collection Ray to confirm.
Never heard of Ian Judge, Alan. But if you've had this artists name confirmed as a 'Dreamy Dave and Dozy Dora' artist by Thomsons then it must be the guy who looks like he is trying to imitate James Malcolm in the period you mention.
The Nosey Parker strip seemed eventually to be done by a welter of tryout artists and you can add Frank McDiarmid to the list for a least one issue.

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Re: Sparky fun strips

Post by Hen Broon »

Thank you Kashgar,I have a sheet of Pansy Potter original art and as i said i am not very good at naming artists but grew up reading Oor Wullie and The Broons and just thought the Pansy Potter was a Watkins and you have help with narrowing what Beano comic it was in.

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Digifiend
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Re: Sparky fun strips

Post by Digifiend »

According to History of the Beano, Pansy changed artist quite often due to artists being called up for military service or otherwise being unavailable. Their own records don't even name all of the artists, one example they used was anonymous. Since Watkins was never called up, it's no surprise that he filled in on her, he was just never her main artist.

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Re: Sparky fun strips

Post by ISPYSHHHGUY »

Watkins was much more value as a propaganda artist during WW2: bet he was glad that Operation Sealion was abandoned in 1940, though, on account he was a marked man under Nazi idealogy.......

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Re: Sparky fun strips

Post by alanultron5 »

Thank you for that extra artist Ray! Sorry to correct you- but the lovely and delectable "Clever Clair" strip was another Edward De Rop drawn affair - you said so on your "Sparky Jubilee" thread! Plus- its clearly same artist who drew "Big Billy Bigg" and "The Snooks"

Rab! There was another artist on the "Pansy Potter" strip who drew the last year or so after John Geering! Sadly, I don't recognise their style- might Ray know please?
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