Tiger - how many issues?

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Westy
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Tiger - how many issues?

Post by Westy »

I’ve recently re-commenced collecting issues of Tiger after a brief pause of 20 years.

To date I’ve collected the majority of issues from the 1970’s and 1980’s and am aiming to work my way back to the merger with Hurricane in May 1965.

One thing that I’m trying to confirm is the total number of published issues. Figures of 1,555 are quoted on several websites and 1,554 on one. However, totting up the number weeks from the first to last issues (11/09/1954 to 30/03/1985) gives a figure of 1,595 but I’m aware that printers strikes halted production on several occasions:

1959 - possibly around 6 weeks(which occurred sometime between 20/06/1959-20/08/1959)
1978 - 3 weeks (possibly 02/12/1978-16/12/1978)
1980 - 5 weeks (24/05/1980-21/06/1980)

This gives a total of around 1,581 which is still quite different from 1,554/1,555. So, were there other occasions which halted production? Can anybody help to unravel this mystery?

Thanks.

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philcom55
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Re: Tiger - how many issues?

Post by philcom55 »

Westy wrote:To date I’ve collected the majority of issues from the 1970’s and 1980’s and am aiming to work my way back to the merger with Hurricane in May 1965.
Why stop there? In my opinion the issues published from about 1959 to 1965 were the best of the lot!

- Phil Rushton

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Al
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Re: Tiger - how many issues?

Post by Al »

Welcome to the boards Westy and a nice opening question.

As a guide, here is the information I have on my Tiger spreadsheet.

Issue #78 was 'double-dated' 3rd March 1956 to 14th April 1956. Which was effectively six issues in one.

Issue #238 (9th May 1959) was the last numbered issue.

Issues #244 and #245 (if they had been dated) were not dated :?

7 issues from (and including) 4th July 1959 to 15th August 1959 were not published.

3 Issues from (and including) 2nd December 1978 to 16th December 1978 were not published.

5 issues from (and including) 24th May 1980 to 21st June 1980 were not published.

All the other issues from 11th September 1954 to 30th March 1985 were published.

So, according to my spreadsheet, that makes a total of 1,574 individual comics.

As mentioned, this is a guide only, so I stand to be corrected.

Al

Westy
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Re: Tiger - how many issues?

Post by Westy »

philcom55 wrote:Why stop there? In my opinion the issues published from about 1959 to 1965 were the best of the lot!

- Phil Rushton
Hi Phil,
I know little about Tiger's early years except that it includes Roy of the Rovers, whereas the mid 60's have Johnny Cougar and Skid Solo, two characters with whom I'm familiar and very much enjoyed reading as a child when I first encountered Tiger through it's merger with Speed.

Mind you I've just purchased a couple of 1962 issues so maybe I will work my way back further!

Westy
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Re: Tiger - how many issues?

Post by Westy »

Al wrote:Welcome to the boards Westy and a nice opening question.

As a guide, here is the information I have on my Tiger spreadsheet.

Issue #78 was 'double-dated' 3rd March 1956 to 14th April 1956. Which was effectively six issues in one.

Issue #238 (9th May 1959) was the last numbered issue.

Issues #244 and #245 (if they had been dated) were not dated :?

7 issues from (and including) 4th July 1959 to 15th August 1959 were not published.

3 Issues from (and including) 2nd December 1978 to 16th December 1978 were not published.

5 issues from (and including) 24th May 1980 to 21st June 1980 were not published.

All the other issues from 11th September 1954 to 30th March 1985 were published.

So, according to my spreadsheet, that makes a total of 1,574 individual comics.

As mentioned, this is a guide only, so I stand to be corrected.

Al
Hi Al,

Thanks for the warm welcome and your speedy answer.

Clearly your spreadsheet is more accurate than mine! 1574 sounds a much more plausible figure however there is one minor correction:

The double dated issue 78 intrigued me. To satisfy my curiosity I looked on EBay and found one in the completed listings section. It's actually numbered 78-84 and therefore covers 7 issues.

So, I agree with your total of 1574 individual comics being published, or 1581 if you count the bumper number above as 7 issues - I'm erring towards the latter option, though I might change my mind!

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SID
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Re: Tiger - how many issues?

Post by SID »

I take it you were a Speed reader before you discovered Tiger?

I must admit that's how I started reading Tiger. Admittedly I got bored after a few years and gave it up. Didn't last for long since a few years after that, it merged with Eagle.
Reading comics since 1970. My Current Regulars are: 2000 AD (1977-), Judge Dredd Megazine (1990-), Spaceship Away (2003-), Commando (2013-), Monster Fun (2022-), Deadpool and Wolverine (2023-), Quantum (2023-).

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Al
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Re: Tiger - how many issues?

Post by Al »

Yes, you're quite correct Westy. That double-dated issue was seven weeks in one issue.

So if you were lucky enough to have acquired every single issue of Tiger, there would still only be 1,574 individual issues and the final issue would have been numbered 1,580 (according to my adjusted spreadsheet - that bumper issue catered for the six non-published dates plus the actual issue date of 14th April 1956).

There, that's tidied it up a bit.

Westy
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Re: Tiger - how many issues?

Post by Westy »

Hi Sid,

Speed was the first 'boy's adventure' comic that I read regularly. My Dad started me off with issue 2 and a few weeks later surprised me with a 'new' copy of issue 1, possibly bought direct from IPC. Imagine my delight when our dog completely shredded it later on...

Death Wish was my favourite Speed story. I was pleased when it continued with Tiger and stuck with the comic till April 1982 when my Dad bought me issue 1 of Eagle and I switched title.

When Tiger merged into Eagle, I looked forward to rejoining Blake Edmonds' quest for his Death Wish, only to find that the story focus had shifted from memorable stunts and death defying situations to forgettable supernatural adventures. It was belatedly retitled The Incredible Adventures of Blake Edmonds and finished abruptly with Blake and girlfriend (?) Susie being transformed into giants and left to roam the English countryside... A feeble ending for what had started out as a fine story with a strong concept.

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Re: Tiger - how many issues?

Post by Raven »

Hi Westy,

As you say you have most issues of Tiger from the '70s, I wonder if you might be able to help me with something I've been wondering about for years. When I was very little I remember being both quite spooked and intrigued by a serial from the back of Tiger, I think, which featured some scary hairy creature watching the title characters playing, the final panel (on possibly a few instalments) featuring a hairy pair of hands against a window or somesuch as it looked down on them - it may have turned out to be an escaped gorilla.

Looking at a couple of issues of the period, I feel this must have been from a few instalments of The Tigers, the double-page serial about Chunky Clark's three boy youth club. I may be wrong about that, but I'd love to find some of those images again someday, so I was wondering if it rang any bells with you from Tiger. I expect it would have been circa 1972-73, maybe '74 (I'm not sure exactly when The Tigers started.).

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Re: Tiger - how many issues?

Post by Phoenix »

Al wrote:3 Issues from (and including) 2nd December 1978 to 16th December 1978 were not published.
These are the issues that bookend that gap, Al. I'd forgotten I had collections of Roy Of The Rovers and Tiger during that period!!
Attachments
Tiger25Nov.jpg
Tiger23Dec.jpg

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Al
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Re: Tiger - how many issues?

Post by Al »

Thanks Phoenix. Did they happen to mention anything about the gap in that Christmas issue?

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Re: Tiger - how many issues?

Post by Phoenix »

Al wrote:Thanks Phoenix. Did they happen to mention anything about the gap in that Christmas issue?
Yes. On Pete's Christmas Jokes pages, Pete said Hi pals! It's great to be back with you again, and Trevor Francis started his double-page spread in much the same vein. The editor was more expansive though. See his column below. The Hot-Shot Hamish cover that he mentions was printed on one of the inside pages. That is below as well.
Attachments
Tiger23Dec3.jpg
Tiger23Dec2.jpg

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Al
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Re: Tiger - how many issues?

Post by Al »

Excellent. Thank you very much Phoenix. I've added that Editor's section to my spreadsheet.

Al

Westy
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Re: Tiger - how many issues?

Post by Westy »

Raven wrote:Hi Westy,

As you say you have most issues of Tiger from the '70s, I wonder if you might be able to help me with something I've been wondering about for years. When I was very little I remember being both quite spooked and intrigued by a serial from the back of Tiger, I think, which featured some scary hairy creature watching the title characters playing, the final panel (on possibly a few instalments) featuring a hairy pair of hands against a window or somesuch as it looked down on them - it may have turned out to be an escaped gorilla.

Looking at a couple of issues of the period, I feel this must have been from a few instalments of The Tigers, the double-page serial about Chunky Clark's three boy youth club. I may be wrong about that, but I'd love to find some of those images again someday, so I was wondering if it rang any bells with you from Tiger. I expect it would have been circa 1972-73, maybe '74 (I'm not sure exactly when The Tigers started.).
Hi Raven,

The Tigers appear in Tiger from 16th October 1971 to 5th October 1974 inclusive.

I’ve never read the story myself but, as I’m off work today, own all bar 2 of those issues and have them to hand, I skimmed through them, glancing at The Tigers’ pages for a ‘scary hairy creature’. Unfortunately I didn’t find one. The nearest I got was in October 1972 where the gang encountered a ‘monster’ which turned out to be an escaped hippo...

Over Christmas 1973 the gang visited a haunted house which might have homed a creature but unfortunately I don’t have that particular issue – yet.

I wonder if you might be thinking of a Johnny Cougar story from April 1973 where the redskin wrestler and his beatnik pal Splash Gorton stumbled across a tribe* of sasquatch during a trip to Canada?

Sorry I couldn’t lay that to rest for you.

Westy

* I'm open to suggestions as to what is the correct collective noun for sasquatch.

Westy
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Re: Tiger - how many issues?

Post by Westy »

Phoenix,

Thanks for sharing the issue cover scans. I have the 25th November issue but not the Christmas issue which I've not seen before. Including the Hot Shot Hamish cover (and in colour) was a nice touch.

Confirmation of the printers strike explains why the Skid Solo strip (and possibly others) celebrated Christmas in the 13th January 1979 issue.

1978 is the scantest year in my collection with 19 issues missing compared with 3 issues to complete the 1970s.

Westy

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