Free comics in The Guardian

[steelclaw]

It's the 8th April issue of Whizzer and Chips - two weeks before the merger issue with Krazy (22nd April) I think.

Oh I think your right.

As for the comics I listed they are the ones I would like to see, not thinking for a momment that would ever be the ones given free if it was ever to happen again.

[Raven]

The ideal would be give some popular titles, mixed with some interesting and top quality comics you'd really like to introduce readers to, and which you think would be enjoyed on their own merits, beyond the nostalgic buzz. It would certainly be good to introduce the uninitiated to Shiver and Shake.

[Sidnny]

What's most likely is that a rival paper will copy the idea (this has happened with everything from wallcharts and the G2 pullout section to Notes & Queries). When they do, though it might require buying a Daily (ecch) Mail, my choices would be:

Sparky
Valiant
Lion (circa 1964 or 1972)
Look-In (NB: this could never happen, with TV rights)
Shiver & Shake
2000AD (how about the McDonalds v Burger King issues?)

Kev F

Nor would they be able to print that particular issue of 2000AD (for the same legal reasons that they were never allowed to reprint the Burger Wars in the Law in Order Dredd comics).

Pity, I loved that story (and the other one starring the Jolly Green Giant and others).

It was great getting the Dandy Wednesday and am looking forward in getting Whizzer and Chips tonight.

[tony ingram]

I think we'd all agree with that last sentence, it would be good if the Guardian repeated this promotion. What comics would you guys like to see featured if they did?

What's most likely is that a rival paper will copy the idea (this has happened with everything from wallcharts and the G2 pullout section to Notes & Queries). When they do, though it might require buying a Daily (ecch) Mail, my choices would be:

Sparky
Valiant
Lion (circa 1964 or 1972)
Look-In (NB: this could never happen, with TV rights)
Shiver & Shake
2000AD (how about the McDonalds v Burger King issues?)

Kev F

Only if yoyu want the paper to get sued by McDonalds and Burger King.

I'd go with:

TV Comic
Look-In
Whoopee
Misty
Topper
Battle
Action

[kevf]

Comics such as Sparky and Jag might have a fan following but they're not titles the mass market would be so familiar with.

But Sparky's funny cos it's racist. And we could have great fun with all those war strips that taught my generation phrases like sausage-noshers, hun & krauts.

[Raven]

Ooh, I love those Thomas Williams pages - Money Talks and Tiny Tycoon - in today's Whizzer and Chips. I identify his style with IPC almost as much as Mike Lacey's.

[Phoenix]

You have to hand it to The Guardian, they have come up with an eclectic mix of freebies over the last few years. Recently we have had 1000 Artworks To See Before You Die, The Second World War (in booklets) and now facsimile reprints of Original Classic Comics. In earlier years we had, in booklet form, Great Lyricists (Bob Dylan/Joni Mitchell/Leonard Cohen etc), The Greek Myths, Great Speeches Of The 20th Century (Winston Churchill/Martin Luther King/Nelson Mandela etc), Great Interviews Of The 20th Century (Nixon by David Frost/Dennis Potter by Melvyn Bragg/The Sex Pistols by Bill Grundy etc), Great Poets Of The 20th Century (TS Eliot/Sylvia Plath/Philip Larkin etc), How To Write (fiction/comedy/journalism etc), The First World War, and A Guide To Games. And we mustn't forget to add in the wallcharts and stickybacks (birds/animals/dinosaurs etc). However, while sympathising with the hopes and aspirations being expressed on this thread, one fact that emerges from the above is that regrettably this newspaper does not return to a theme.

[Digifiend]

It's the 8th April issue of Whizzer and Chips - two weeks before the merger issue with Krazy (22nd April) I think.

Highlights are Super Store, a Cliff Brown double puzzle page, Terry Bave's Oddball, and Tiny Tycoon.

I think these were more 'what would you like to see' than 'what are we most likely to get.'

Your right, Funny their's no mention of the merger inside Whizzer & Chips, (Digi find it) unless I'm going blind in me old age.

Strange that Odd Ball isn't signed but Sammy Shrink is, since they're by the same artist.

The scan I posted yesterday proves that the Krazy merger was two weeks after this issue, and it is mentioned, although Krazy isn't namechecked. On Shiner's Chip-ites Page, Shiner says "watch for an extra-special announcement next week - something no reader can afford to miss!" He's obviously referring to Krazy joining Whizzer and Chips, and also the new logo.

Yes, I did mean what did you want to see if they (or any other paper) repeated the promotion. I stuck to DCT and Egmont owned titles, thinking realistically, but it didn't mean other people had to.

[Earl]

I have enjoyed the free comics in the Guardian this week. I don't think I ever picked up a Guardian before and was fairly impressed with the paper. It was on holiday in North Wales this week and it was surprising how hard to was to find a copy of the paper. I only picked up the issues I was interested in (Bunty, Tammy and Jackie). I was disappointed with Jackie sue to the lack of comic strip material but loved the Bunty and Tammy.

Earl.

[Lew Stringer]

Strange that Odd Ball isn't signed but Sammy Shrink is, since they're by the same artist.

I'm not certain but Odd-Ball may be a reprint. I'm pretty sure The Slimms is, which is also unsigned.

These were early days for IPC to allow signatures though, so it varied. Odhams were fine about allowing artists to sign work, and told you who the writers were in replies to curious reader's letters etc, but IPC (like Fleetway and A.P. before them) wanted more anonymity for their freelancers. The infamous excuse was "If readers saw a signature they'd know the story wasn't real", but the real reason was probably that they didn't want rival publishers identifying their talent.

By the late 1980s there were no restrictions on signing work, yet some artists still didn't bother. I've never understood why.

Lew

[Brendan McGuire]

That was my first encounter with Tammy. I never realised it was so chock full of merriment and mirth!

[Raven]

Strange that Odd Ball isn't signed but Sammy Shrink is, since they're by the same artist.

I'm not certain but Odd-Ball may be a reprint. I'm pretty sure The Slimms is, which is also unsigned ...

Lew

I'm fairly sure the Odd-ball isn't a reprint - its style changed considerably over the years and that's exactly what it looked like at that point. The funny thing with the Terry Bave strips of the period is that some weeks they're signed, some weeks they're not - Sammy Shrink is signed in this issue but often it isn't; his Odd-ball around this time often isn't. In fact, even by 1983/84 his Odd-balls and Sammys are often unsigned.

That particular Slimms may be a Cor!! reprint, but there were new ones too; there are some in '79, signed.

The Joker looks like an early Knockout reprint as the regular Sid Burgon style of the period is quite different, and Footsie will surely be a Wham reprint.


Thingumajig: started off by Ron Turner but does anyone recognise the artist in this issue?

[kevf]

Thingumajig: started off by Ron Turner but does anyone recognise the artist in this issue?

Is it Eric 'Cursitor Doom' Bradbury?

Kev F

[Digifiend]

The Joker looks like an early Knockout reprint as the regular Sid Burgon style of the period is quite different,

Not just the style either. Compare his title to the rest of the strip. Different clothes. Clearly they were using the current title box on an old strip, not unlike Beano's recent Ball Boy reprints, which had a similar problem.

[Raven]

The Joker looks like an early Knockout reprint as the regular Sid Burgon style of the period is quite different,

Not just the style either. Compare his title to the rest of the strip. Different clothes. Clearly they were using the current title box on an old strip, not unlike Beano's recent Ball Boy reprints, which had a similar problem.

Turns out I have the original printing - it's a reprint from Knockout 21st August 1971. Originally in red, black and white so they coloured it as well as changing the title box (originally Joker squirting a trick flower). Mind you, I think he'd just changed into his backpacking/trekking clothes for this story; he did normally wear the jacket with plastic flower in that period.