Sparky 1965 to 1973

Formerly known as Classics from the Comics, this forum covers all of DCT's retired titles, like Beezer, Topper, Victor, Nutty and Sparky!

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Re: Sparky 1965 to 1973

Post by alanultron5 »

Sure is! Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand are doing all they can to keep standards in the gutter!
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Re: Sparky 1965 to 1973

Post by AndyB »

Digifiend wrote:Those scans confirm it. The L Cars cover had the same Sparky logo on it. It was the final logo wasn't it? It's used on the late 1970s annuals anyway.
I'm not 100% on that. When we moved house in 1986, we found an old Sparky from late February 1979 (when we had previously moved house), and I vaguely recall it had a circular logo with characters round the outside (including Baba) and Sparky in the middle.

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Re: Sparky 1965 to 1973

Post by Raven »

AndyB wrote:
Digifiend wrote:Those scans confirm it. The L Cars cover had the same Sparky logo on it. It was the final logo wasn't it? It's used on the late 1970s annuals anyway.
I'm not 100% on that. When we moved house in 1986, we found an old Sparky from late February 1979 ...

Didn't Sparky join up with Topper in July 1977?

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Re: Sparky 1965 to 1973

Post by AndyB »

Maybe that was it, then. It would make sense - now, if I had all the old Topper mastheads...

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Re: Sparky 1965 to 1973

Post by ISPYSHHHGUY »

DIGFIELD; I have a fair amount of later-period SPARKYS' and perhaps the issue in which you remember 'L CARS' from is from the following cover:

Image

---I actually thought this was an 'L-CARS' cover myself, until I looked it out: the characters are very similar, generic figures who could very easily pass for FREDERIC and CEDRIC from the 'copstrip'. It looks like the work of the same artist [BILL HILL], the only instance I can recall of his work appearing on the 'SPARKY' comic cover, though he did at least 2 annual covers for sure [1974, and '75].

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Re: Sparky 1965 to 1973

Post by alanultron5 »

I have most of Sparky 652 (final issue 16 July 77, missing centre pages) It states that it is joining Topper from next week!
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Re: Sparky 1965 to 1973

Post by alanultron5 »

Just to let ye all know that I will be commencing my "Sparky File" thread in `Comic Titles` this Saturday. Sparky No2 will be first to be `catalogued`.
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Re: Sparky 1965 to 1973

Post by ISPYSHHHGUY »

I have a fair bit of visual material [just recently acquired] from very early 'SPARKY', so do look in , chaps and chapettes.


'SPARKY' is surely one of the most-visible comics on this site now!!!

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Re: Sparky 1965 to 1973

Post by alanultron5 »

It had a comparitively short (12 years) life, but produced some of the most Surrealistic strips of any `fun` comic of that ear (1960s-70s).
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Re: Sparky 1965 to 1973

Post by Digifiend »

AndyB wrote:Maybe that was it, then. It would make sense - now, if I had all the old Topper mastheads...
This thread dropped off the radar, and I hadn't seen the last few replies until it was just bumped up. The masthead I've seen had a big T with Topper written in the _ and Sparky written underneath, just into the |. Just did a search, this is it:

Image

But you're right, found this on eBay. Sorry the image isn't as large as the others.

Image

Never knew the Whizzers from Planet Ozz were once on the cover! There was a third Topper and Sparky masthead as well.

ImageNotice the change when Sparky's name was removed, this is the last joint issue and the first "New Topper" from the following week.

Warning: since the second image is from eBay, it'll disappear at some point. I daren't copy it for fear of breaking copyright. The other images are from Phil Comics Auctions, and it looks like that site doesn't take them down, thank goodness.

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Re: Sparky 1965 to 1973

Post by alanultron5 »

For a couple of years the `Sparky` characters were in a pullout section in Topper! after that last combined issue you put here Digi I think only `Hungry Horace` and `Ali's Baba` joined Topper properly. Amazingly, `Puss and Boots` were dropped! They did join the `Dandy` though from about 1992 to 2000. Please correct me if i've got any data wrong there!
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Re: Sparky 1965 to 1973

Post by Lew Stringer »

alanultron5 wrote:Amazingly, `Puss and Boots` were dropped! They did join the `Dandy` though from about 1992 to 2000. Please correct me if i've got any data wrong there!
And Puss and Boots are in The Dandy again these days, drawn by Nigel Parkinson.

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Re: Sparky 1965 to 1973

Post by Digifiend »

When Puss n Boots first reappeared in Dandy, they were called Mutt and Moggy. I assume they didn't revert to their original name until after The Beezer and Topper's demise in September 1993.

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Re: Sparky 1965 to 1973

Post by Jonny Whizz »

Mutt and Moggy were very similar to Puss and Boots (they fight like cat and dog - their old tagline), but not quite the same. If anything, they were meant to be a younger version of them. I think Puss and Boots disappeared from The Dandy at or around the time of the 2004 relaunch, although they are now back in the comic again drawn by NP. The History of the Beano says that the original John Geering strips from 'Sparky' were reprinted in 'Champ' in the 1980s, in Dennis the Menace's fan section.
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Re: Sparky 1965 to 1973

Post by Digifiend »

I thought the only differences were their names and colours. I knew about the Champ reprints, as I have that book too.

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