TIME SLIP:THE LOOK-IN STRIPS CHRONOLOGY

[jim244]

STORY 1:"THE GODS"
ISSUES 1-5 (1971)
WRITER:ANGUS P ALLAN
ARTIST:MIKE NOBLE

From the very start of Look-in,while they re-numbered every year to start a new year with issue 1,this is actually the very first issue 1.
The publication is very slim,being only 24 pages.It becomes 28 pages at issue 6 and the standard 32 pages at a later date.

Liz Skinner and Simon Randall have the incredible ability to pass through an invisible time barrier.
Travelling forwards millions of years,they find the Earth restored to a primitive state.
Dinosaurs and cave men and a modern phone all create a mystery.
Sinister aquanauts are capturing the children of the cave men.
After defeating a dinosaur,Liz and Simon are seen as Gods and encouraged to defeat the aquanauts.

Unlike any other strip in Look-in,the adventure ends in a stunning cliff hanger that moves directly into the following story,where robotic arms grapple to capture them.

Nobles' vivid colours bring to mind his previous work on TV Century 21,especially "Fireball XL5".
Noble would only get better,later more detailed and apparently his favourite ever strip that he drew was also for Look-In,"Worzel Gummidge".
Bizzarely the star of that show,the 3rd Doctor,Jon Pertwee,also stated that was his favourite ever role and loved Mikes' art when it was presented to him.
Noble designed stain glass windows for his local village church,worked for Robin, Express Weekly,TV comic and was simply one of the very best artists of the 20th century.
Time Slip sadly loses him after the first few stories and is never quite as good again.

[jim244]

STORY 2
"ROBOT WORLD"
ISSUES 6-14
WRITER: ANGUS P ALLEN
ARTIST: MIKE NOBLE

Note: Look-In page count from issue 6 increased from 24 to 28 pages.

In the year 3547,Liz and Simon find a world where humans are subdued slaves ruled by a robot mind "The Dominator".
They agree to help a space community,returned to earth after centuries outside of the solar system,to crush the Dominators' power and free the human slaves.
Issue 14 concludes the adventure on page one of the strip and page 2 starts a new story where Liz and Simon travel through space and time to end up in an Egyptian tomb and are discovered and captured in a thrilling cliffhanger.

[jim244]

STORY 3
ISSUES 15-20
"SLAVES OF ROME"
WRITER:ANGUS P ALLAN
ARTIST:MIKE NOBLE

Liz and Simon,in ancient Egypt,are sold to a Roman pirate,Mettalus.
They eventually become involved in a sea battle between Mettalus and a friendly Roman Captain,Fabius.
Their conduct wins them favour with Fabius but he wishes to take them to Rome with him.
They need to return to the pyramid to access the time barrier and Simon's pocket torch is the key.

This is the first story of this series to not feature a cliff hanger leading into the next story at its conclusion.

[jim244]

STORY 4: "The Maid of Falmouth"
ISSUES 21-26 (1971)
WRITER: Angus P Allen
ARTIST: Mike Noble

When their friend Commander Traynor risks his life savings diving for the wreck of a treasure ship,Liz Skinner and Simon Randall go back to the year 1666 to see if the ship did in fact sink.
They miscalculate and land in the City of London at the height of the great fire.

[jim244]

STORY 5
"THE CONDEMNED"
ISSUES 27-34 (1971)
WRITER:ANGUS P ALLAN
ARTIST: LUIS BERMEJO

Liz and Simon land nearly 1000 years in the future onboard a spaceship.
They are transported to the moon,a vast prison settlement,with artificial atmosphere and held hostage by a gang of convicts.

Mike Noble is now concentrating on the full colour "Folly Foot" strip.
This is the first "Time Slip" to appear in black and white.
I am unaware of the artist but the art continues to be of a very high standard.
The story is excellent and features many fine cliff hangers.

NB:This post is edited due to new information from Robbie Moubert who identifies the artist.

[Robbie Moubert]

The artist on the first two b/w stories is Luis Bermejo.

[jim244]

The artist on the first two b/w stories is Luis Bermejo.

Brilliant information and many thanks.Much appreciated.
This is the famous artist that also drew for Eagle,Look and Learn and DC comics?
Do you know if he was the artist for any of the further Time Slip stories?
Anyhow,thanks very much for the information and I shall edit my summary above to include him as the artist.

[Robbie Moubert]

If memory serves, Felix Carrion took over from the third story.

[jim244]

If memory serves, Felix Carrion took over from the third story.

Thanks Rob.There are quite a few sites on the net about "Look-In" and when I first asked the chap that runs this site if he would be nice enough to set up a section about this mag,I did promise accuracy as so many sites post false and incomplete information about this publication.
Please don't find me rude and I totally appreciate your information but for accuracy sake I will add the name to future strips with a question mark.Unless of course that you are absolutely certain.If you are certain then obviously I will add with no question mark.Apologies to be so pedantic.

[Robbie Moubert]

No worries.

[jim244]

STORY 6
"MAMMOTH"
WRITER:ANGUS P ALLAN
ARTIST:LUIS BERMEJO
ISSUES 35-36 (1971)
Simon emerges from the time barrier back in 1971 but alone.
Liz has been separated and stranded on a primeval Earth covered by ice.

[jim244]

STORY 7
"Lady Grace"
ISSUES 37-40 (1971)
WRITER:ANGUS P ALLAN
ARTIST: FELIX CARRION ?

Liz and Simon travel back through time to arrive in the years of the civil war between the royalists and the roundheads.

[jim244]

STORY 8
"The Prisoners"
ISSUES 41-46 (1971)
WRITER:Angus P Allan
ARTIST:Unknown

Liz and Simon find themselves back in 1800 England,the days of the war against Napoleonic France.
Crossing the channel,they aid a British agent to free two important English prisoners.
Too similar to the preceding story for my liking.

[jim244]

STORY 9: "Spring Heel-Jack"
Issues 47-50 (1971)
Writer:Angus P Allan
Artist: Unknown

Using their incredible ability to pass through the time barrier, Liz Skinner and Simon Randall return to the Victorian era.
They hope to solve the ancient mystery of a leaping figure known as "Spring-Heel Jack".
Suspecting a newspaper reporter, Mister Speller, they later see him alter his appearance to indeed resemble the mysterious "Jack" but in reality are saved by the real Spring-Heel Jack.

A truley excellent 4 parter,I have read of this Victorian mystery man before,he was often described as having claws for hands and glowing eyes.
It's a shame that such wasn't depicted here.
Either way,excellent art and story as usual for this series and a return to form after the last story.

[jim244]

STORY 10
"Football"
ISSUES 51 - 1 (1971 -1972)
WRITER: "Angus P Allan
ARTIST: Unknown

Liz Skinner and Simon Randall go back to the year 1314.
Since "kick ball" is banned by Royal decree of King Edward the second and Simon has a football with him,the pair are put in the stocks of a Northumbrian village.
They get free under the cover of darkness only to face the Scots attacking the English village.