Topper query

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AndyB
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Topper query

Post by AndyB »

Hi folks

Issue 923 (October 17th 1970) featired a strip "Tales from Bunkum Island", which shared a page with Nancy.

I think it looks like an american reprint retitled partially recaptioned. Does anyone know its true identity?

(Incidentally, Bob McGrath was drawing Beryl at this time!)

Kashgar
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Re: Topper query

Post by Kashgar »

Hi Andy. This was Rudolf Dirks 'Katzenjammer Kids'.
They had been in the Topper on and off since the 1950's

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colcool007
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Re: Topper query

Post by colcool007 »

Kashgar wrote:Hi Andy. This was Rudolf Dirks 'Katzenjammer Kids'.
They had been in the Topper on and off since the 1950's
Nancy by Ernie Bushmiller was from the same stable wasn't it?
I started to say something sensible but my parents took over my brain!

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Re: Topper query

Post by Digifiend »

Kashgar wrote:Hi Andy. This was Rudolf Dirks 'Katzenjammer Kids'.
They had been in the Topper on and off since the 1950's
If it's drawn by Rudolph Dirks, it's actually The Captain and the Kids as distributed by United Feature Syndicate. Katzenjammer Kids was the other version distributed by King Features Syndicate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Katze ... he_present

Nancy is also distributed by United Feature Syndicate, so Colin, you're right.

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philcom55
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Re: Topper query

Post by philcom55 »

Topper featured a number of syndicated features in the early years of which the oddest was probably the world-famous 'Tarzan' strip. Beginning in June 1960 and picking up John Celardo's then-current storyline shortly after the long-running Miller/Westworld title was discontinued this was dropped again like a hot potato after only five issues! One can't help thinking there must have been an interesting story behind this sudden volte-face. :?

- Phil Rushton

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Re: Topper query

Post by AndyB »

Artwork is unsigned, presumably because the title panel is recaptioned, but I reckon it's probably Captain and the Kids.

Way better than Nancy. The Topper appears to have chosen the most innocuous and boring Sunday cartoons for Nancy.

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Re: Topper query

Post by Kashgar »

Yes Andy 'Captain and the Kids'. I always think of them as the Katzenjammer Kids because that was how they started out. I'll give you a run down of the Topper Dirks' stuff tomorrow.
In the first two years of the Topper the Nancy artist Ernie Bushmiller had his Fritzi Ritzi strip also appear in the comic. She was rather curvaceous for a british comic for kids in the 1950's I always thought.

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Re: Topper query

Post by Phoenix »

Kashgar wrote:In the first two years of the Topper the Nancy artist Ernie Bushmiller had his Fritzi Ritzi strip also appear in the comic.
Wasn't she called Fritzy Ritz, the surname imbuing her with a bit of British class to offset her American upbringing?

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Re: Topper query

Post by ISPYSHHHGUY »

She always seemed to be sitting brushing her hair, I seem to remember......

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philcom55
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Re: Topper query

Post by philcom55 »

Oddly enough Fritzi was the regular cover star on this American comic book.

Image

- Phil Rushton

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Re: Topper query

Post by Kashgar »

Phoenix wrote:Wasn't she called Fritzy Ritz, the surname imbuing her with a bit of British class to offset her American upbringing?
Sorry Derek, slip of the finger. She was called Fritzi Ritz which rhymed with her byline 'She'll have you in fits'.
Andy, the full Bustem Boys/Topper details are as follows. They were all reprints of Dirks 'Captain and the Kids' strip. Dirks having lost the right to use the original Katyzenjammer Kids title in 1914. The strip then being renamed 'Hans and Fritz' and then in due course 'The Captain and the Kids'.

'The Bustem Boys on Bunkum Island' - Topper 305(6/12/58)-595(27/6/64)
'Tales from Bunkum Island' Topper 923(10/10/70)-954(15/5/71)
The strip also appeared in the Topper Books for 1960-1966 and 1973.

Other syndicated items in the Topper in the 1950's were 'Nancy' which ran in the comic for its first 1111 issues from 1953 and 1974 as well as appearing in the Topper Books 1955-1975 and the strip which spawned Nancy, in 1933, 'Fritzi Ritz' which appeared in the Toppers first 99 issues and in the first Topper Book. When Fritzi Ritz ended she was replaced by 'Ferd'nand' by Mik a wordless Danish strip in issues 100-304.
On a more serious note there were also a few syndicated adventure strips. Two series of Jed Copper - Frontier Scout', followed by 'White Wolf' and 'The Tribe must not Die'.

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Re: Topper query

Post by toxteth o'grady »

Kashgar wrote:
'The Bustem Boys on Bunkum Island' - Topper 305(6/12/58)-595(27/6/64)
'Tales from Bunkum Island' Topper 923(10/10/70)-954(15/5/71)
I make it that 'The Bustem Boys on Bunkum Island' began in issue no. 304 (rather than 305) and 'Tales from Bunkum Island' ran to issue no. 965.

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Re: Topper query

Post by Kashgar »

We'll have to call it a draw T. Bunkum did start in
305 and Tales from Bunkum Island did end when I said
but I forgot to mention that it continued for a few issues
just as Tales from Bunkum which did end when you
said.

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