'widescreen' comics: original-format BEEZER and TOPPER

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Blaing----can I have your vedict on Kashgar's Beezer guide please, as I'm seriously considering purchasing it at some stage.........

[philcom55]

...For my own part I'd say that it's well-nigh indispensable (unless, of course, Ray decides to expand it himself at some point!).

- Phil R.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Thanks, Phil! Kashgar's meticulous, in-depth research was , quite simply, second-to-none, and an absolute credit to UK comics history--------I note that the Beezer guide crops up pretty frequently at the moment on e-bay at around 14 quid including postage and packaging.

Ideally I'd love to see a 'Best of Beezer' tome on the same lines of the Beano hardback 2 years back, but I ain't holding my breath-----every time I unwrap 60s Beezers from e-bay, it's a real 'time-travel' frission, prbably more so than any other comic of the period------

[blaing]

Blaing----can I have your vedict on Kashgar's Beezer guide please, as I'm seriously considering purchasing it at some stage.........

Rab, it is an excellent purchase, and can highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the history of the Beezer.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Cheers, Blaing---I'm sold!!

[blaing]

I am planning a final wave of 50's era Beezers in the coming few weeks (subject to availabilty)

As soon as I get any info on these, I'll let you know.

Edit: I have bought these, and I should receive them in a couple of weeks.

[blaing]

the latest wave of Beezers arrived in the mail this morning, and this will also be the final wave of strips in this thread.

This time we go to 1958 (the December 1958 issue to be precise) and to start, we have an early Ginger strip from the great Dudley Watkins...



and finally (and digging again into Kashgar's Book of the Beezer), I have two strips for the price of one, first is Oliver's Travels, and Caesar

Comic info for Oliver's Travels

Artist: George Martin

First Appearance: No. 148 (15/11/58)

Final Appearance: No. 170 (18/4/59)

Comic info for Caesar

Artist: Bill Twymym

First Appearance: No. 148 (15/11/58)

Final Appearance: No. 169 (11/4/59)

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Many thanks for sharing these late 50s gems, blaing....an absolute masterwork from Dudley D W in the Ginger set: the printing techniques may have been more basic back then, but the consummatte skill of his draughstmanship simply shines through here.

The short-lived 'Caesar' is a new one and me----wonder what the 'Tim' reference is in the opening frame? Perhaps a rare instance of an artist signing his work for DCT?

Lasty I assume you have de-yellowed these pages Blaing, and if so, a sterling job!

[blaing]

Yep, I always do. I reckon it makes it look great

[philcom55]

'Tim' was the byline used by artist and sculptor William Timym - more famous for Bleep & Booster in Blue Peter (not to mention the statue of Petra erected in the Blue Peter garden).

- Phil Rushton

[stevezodiac]

The only instance of artists being allowed to sign their work (apart from Watkins) is where a strip is a syndicated newspaper strip ie Nancy by Ernie Bushmiller in the Topper or the Bustem Boys (can't remember which comic - Topper or Beezer?). I presume Ceaser was a syndicated strip?

[philcom55]

Since I rather serendipitously managed to pick up a copy of the third Blue Peter Annual at a boot sale this morning here's a page featuring William Timym's other famous cartoon dog Bengo, who made regular appearances in comics as well as having his own TV show during the 1950s.



As his niece explains on this website Caesar did indeed start out as a strip in the Sunday Graphic (in spite of what it says about him being 'Caesar of the Beezer').

http://www.turnipnet.com/whirligig/tv/c ... /bengo.htm

'Tim' was a remarkable artist whose long career encompassed an amazing range of achievements - he really deserves to be remembered as one of the pioneers of British nursery comics.

- Phil Rushton

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Thanks for the usual well-researched, in-depth info, Phil.

[Peter Gray]

I'll be getting a A3 scanner shortly..so will be great for scanning Beezer and topper...plue early Busters for here and blog posts on artists and characters...plus thoughts..

Recently got Beezer number 15..

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

I see they are starting to sell A3 scanners/printers in PC World, Peter-----still a bit bulky and pricey, though---Ive always fancied an A3 scanner but never got around to it.