Buster Holiday Special Original Artwork

Pensky · Post by **Pensky** » 13 Jun 2007, 10:39

Hey guys,

I recently bought a piece of Buster holiday special artwork - see image - but I do not know from which year it is from, I'm guessing from the price on the art (70p) that it's the late 80s?

Can anyone enlighten me as I cannot find the image in the Specials gallery on the site. Perhaps this was commissioned art but never used?

[img:390:520]http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1245/4 ... 377319.jpg[/img]

Thanks in advance,

Pensky

Shaqui · Post by **Shaqui** » 13 Jun 2007, 13:06

As the price is 70p, it would seem it may have been intended as the 1988 Special artwork?

Pensky · Post by **Pensky** » 13 Jun 2007, 15:23

Yes that?s what I was thinking.

And we can see from the Specials gallery on this site that there were two versions of the 1984 and 1986 Buster specials. Did this perhaps happen for 1988?

Anyone know?

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 13 Jun 2007, 16:34

Shaqui wrote:As the price is 70p, it would seem it may have been intended as the 1988 Special artwork?

Yes, the regular Buster special was 70p that year too, and it also used the same (then new) logo, so it'd be 1988.

I assume that cover was published, as Buster Monster Fun Specials were published either side of that year. For several years they did two each year: the regular Buster Holiday Special, and the Buster Monster Fun Holiday Special.

Monster Fun was one of those comics that had a longer life as a summer special than as a weekly, so IPC / Fleetway kept the title alive for an additional Buster special as they sold well.

Lew

Peter Gray · Post by **Peter Gray** » 13 Jun 2007, 22:19

As a kid I bought Buster and Monster Fun...in the early 80's...it was very different to anyother comic at the time......I was too young to have bought Monster Fun so discovering these strange characters was a buzz.

Cinders...Teddy Scare..Monster maker..

CREATURE TEACHER...FREAKY FARM those 2 were so amazing and out of this world...like nothing I'd seen. It did give me the creeps as a kid...But amazing!.......
http://www.toonhound.com/poster-9.htm

horror in comics in the 80's
Reg Parletts work (Creepy Comix..Fright School) Fright School also was very spooky...these spooks wanted to kill the teacher and pupils

Number 13 by John Geering was very new for The Beano...
Strange Hill School (I'm sure J.K Rowlings read this!) in The Dandy
so not as much comic horror as you could get in this special special...it really stood out from the crowd

Pensky · Post by **Pensky** » 19 Jun 2007, 10:51

Thanks for the information Lew and Shaqui - it confirms my thoughts.

I suppose the next question is - does anyone have this 1988 Buster Special for sale? I have checked the usual comic sellers and nothing doing. Will of course keep my beady eye on eBay as well.

Comics UK