Whizzer and Chips - Puzzler stories

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ovaltrack
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Whizzer and Chips - Puzzler stories

Post by ovaltrack »

New to the forum! I have recently started collecting Whizzer and Chips and am focusing on the period covering the two serials, "Pursuit of the Puzzler" and "Revenge of the Puzzler".

I have searched the forum but cannot see the answers to the following:

Can anyone tell me who drew these stories? Also, I have a fair way to go before I have all the editions but wondered if I am likely to come up against any particular editions which are difficult to get hold of? Lastly I am trying to sort out dates. Was the first part of 'Pursuit' on 2nd or 9th January 1971? It looks like 'Revenge' was brought to a rapid conclusion in 1973.

My son is seven, the same age that I was when I used to read the comic, and he enjoys getting and reading the comics just as much as I did over 40 years ago.

Thanks in advance for any help on this.

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stevezodiac
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Re: Whizzer and Chips - Puzzler stories

Post by stevezodiac »

I have all of the first few years of W&C so will have a butchers when I get home tonight. Have to fill my tum first though. Someone may have answered some of your questions before then though.

Raven
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Re: Whizzer and Chips - Puzzler stories

Post by Raven »

ovaltrack wrote:New to the forum! I have recently started collecting Whizzer and Chips and am focusing on the period covering the two serials, "Pursuit of the Puzzler" and "Revenge of the Puzzler".

I have searched the forum but cannot see the answers to the following:

Can anyone tell me who drew these stories? Also, I have a fair way to go before I have all the editions but wondered if I am likely to come up against any particular editions which are difficult to get hold of? Lastly I am trying to sort out dates. Was the first part of 'Pursuit' on 2nd or 9th January 1971? It looks like 'Revenge' was brought to a rapid conclusion in 1973.

Welcome, ovaltrack. If you check the Search function, top right, you'll see there've been quite a few Puzzler posts, and we think Mike White was the artist.

Pursuit of the Puzzler started on 2nd January 1971, an issue with seven new features.
ovaltrack wrote: My son is seven, the same age that I was when I used to read the comic, and he enjoys getting and reading the comics just as much as I did over 40 years ago.
That's really nice to hear.

Now you can have an after-dinner rest, instead, stevezodiac!

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stevezodiac
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Re: Whizzer and Chips - Puzzler stories

Post by stevezodiac »

Just ploughed through my Whizzers (not to mention Chips) and Pursuit of the Puzzler began in the 2.1.71 issue and ended in the 29.7.72 issue. Revenge of the Puzzler started the following week but my run ends in September 1972. I have only a few 1973 issues but then they resume in November 1973 for another long run so I can't say when Revenge finished. It wasn't in a March 1973 issue though. An eighteen month run for the first series is unusually long for British comics is it not?

I've mentioned this before but according to Ken Graham's website he has 175 Whizzer & Chips from the 1970s at £2 apiece. Google Ken's paper collectables.

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Re: Whizzer and Chips - Puzzler stories

Post by Raven »

stevezodiac wrote: Revenge of the Puzzler started the following week but my run ends in September 1972. I have only a few 1973 issues but then they resume in November 1973 for another long run so I can't say when Revenge finished. It wasn't in a March 1973 issue though.

Are you sure? In my lot it's still running by 25th May 1973! I assumed it probably stopped the week before the comic joined up with Knockout (merger is the 30th June 1973 issue.)

You can also find 'The Puzzler's Christmas Crime' eight-pager in the 1973 annual.

I expect this was a very popular strip. I remember finding it very exciting as a little boy, especially Revenge.

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stevezodiac
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Re: Whizzer and Chips - Puzzler stories

Post by stevezodiac »

I have a single march 1973 issue and I thought it wasn't in it but obviously I was wrong. I might dig them out again as the cupboard is still open. There is a big jump until November 1973 and no surprises that it wasn't still running then. I'm just wondering why I stopped buying it in September 1972. All the issues up to then had my address on the top written by the newsagent. My dad died in November 1972 but I doubt if we cancelled it in anticipation of his death as nobody knew he was going - he collapsed in the street. I was looking through some 1971/72 Dandys last week and was horrified to see that in some issues I had removed the four page pink fliers and binned them - including one advertising Buzz no.1. Why did I do that? My brain is the same now as it was then - isn't it?

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ISPYSHHHGUY
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Re: Whizzer and Chips - Puzzler stories

Post by ISPYSHHHGUY »

I get the impression that your house is chock-a-block with vintage publications, Steve---nothing wrong with that, but remember the fate of poor old Denis Gifford!

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Peter Gray
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Re: Whizzer and Chips - Puzzler stories

Post by Peter Gray »

Steve obviously we're all thinking of our Dads at the moment due to fathers day..
That must have been an awful time for your family..My dad died five years ago we'll never forget them..

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ovaltrack
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Re: Whizzer and Chips - Puzzler stories

Post by ovaltrack »

Thank you all very much everyone for taking the time to reply and also to look up the dates. Much appreciated. I did not know about the 1973 annual so that's a nice easy one to tick off. The merger with Knockout does appear to be the end point for the adventure. There were six villains taking their revenge and the first two seem to take up most of the run. Looking forward to completing the collection!

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klakadak-ploobadoof
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Re: Whizzer and Chips - Puzzler stories

Post by klakadak-ploobadoof »

Raven wrote:In my lot it's still running by 25th May 1973! I assumed it probably stopped the week before the comic joined up with Knockout (merger is the 30th June 1973 issue.)
Indeed, the final episode was in the issue dated 23rd June 1973 before Knockout joined up. Here is the last panel:

Image
Check out my blog about comics from other peoples' childhood: http://kazoop.blogspot.com

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stevezodiac
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Re: Whizzer and Chips - Puzzler stories

Post by stevezodiac »

I checked that March Whizzer & Chips and have come up with an alibi. All the issues in 1972 had the Puzzler strip in the centre pages and when I got to the march 1973 issue I went straight to the centre pages only to find it was not there so I immediately thought it had finished. Remembering that when the strip started it was not in the centre pages I checked the rest of the comic and found it in its original place. Obviously when I came onto this forum the memory of it not being in the comic took precedence over the later memory - it was probably a more powerful memory “It’s finished - amazing!” versus “Oh its still running, big deal” see what I mean?

Here’s renowned Neuro surgeon and part time psychologist Professor Heinrich Arbuthnott Bakewell-Tart: “Blah blah Synapses blah blah cerebal cortex blah blah cummerbund blah drone shrimp paste….” See?

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philcom55
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Re: Whizzer and Chips - Puzzler stories

Post by philcom55 »

...Indubitably so! :)

- Phil R. (Prof)

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ovaltrack
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Re: Whizzer and Chips - Puzzler stories

Post by ovaltrack »

A year on from my original post we are making good progress with the collection - over half way there. What is the etiquette with regard to PDFs? of individual pages from comics? I don't think I am going to be able to complete the Puzzler story collection that quickly so would like to fill in some gaps with PDF scans of the missing ones if possible. I still fully intend to buy the missing comics as they come up.
Thanks
Richard

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stevezodiac
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Re: Whizzer and Chips - Puzzler stories

Post by stevezodiac »

Since my last post I have moved home and all my Whizzer & Chips are now in storage but i did find a single bundle here at my mum's in my old bedroom cupboard.

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ovaltrack
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Re: Whizzer and Chips - Puzzler stories

Post by ovaltrack »

Two years on from starting this thread I am now only missing six editions in the run of Pursuit/Revenge of the Puzzler! The main problem is that specific issues are getting harder to come by!

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