The actual Top 75 - with comments and other notes!

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The actual Top 75 - with comments and other notes!

Post by AndyB »

Here we go! Rather than just doing a list, I'm going to split this up a little bit and just post another ten every so often tonight and tomorrow evening. Please feel free to contribute your thoughts on each one on the listing...

As a hint to what is in the chart, every comic strip featured on the cover of Dandy 3609 is somewhere in the Top 75!

No. 75 - Meddlesome Matty
New single-line strip, drawn by Nigel Parkinson. Wasn't guessed on Comics UK.

No. 74 - Plum Macduff
New single-line strip, drawn by Andy Fanton. I think this was originally drawn by Bill Holroyd?

No. 73 - Tom Tum
New single-line strip drawn by Nigel Auchterlonie. Also featured on the cover of the last "normal" Dandy. Originally drawn by Keith Reynolds. Wasn't guessed on Comics UK.

No. 72 - Auntie Clockwise
New single line strip drawn by Stu Munro (I think!) The original in the late 1990s was Wayne Thompson's first work for the Dandy, and was more recently reprinted in Beano Max. Wasn't guessed on Comics UK.

No. 71 - Mitch and his Mummy
Reprint from 13/4/85 drawn by Jerry Swaffield (I think!). Featured with Tom Tum on the cover of the last "normal" Dandy. Wasn't guessed on Comics UK.

Numbers 70-61 later...

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Re: The actual Top 75 - with comments and other notes!

Post by AndyB »

No. 70 - The Burrd
Reprint from 13/4/85 by Keith Reynolds with a cameo by the Domes. Originally a Ron Spencer character, and not listed by Comics UK.

No. 69 - Sir Coward de Custard
Reprint from 29/3/75 by Ken Harrison, and not listed by Comics UK. I think there was a second run in about 1979 as well.

No. 68 - Jolly Roger
Reprint from 13/4/85 by George Martin. Not listed by Comics UK, but was on the cover of Dandy 3609.

No. 67 - Hamish the Haggis Basher
New one-line story drawn by Stu Munro. Not listed by Comics UK.

No. 66 - Kid Cops
New one-line story by Lew Stringer.

No. 65 - Monkey Bizness
New one-line story by Mike Donaldson. Original artist was John Geering.

No. 64 - Marvo the Wonder Chicken
(I think) new one-line story by Nigel Parkinson. Original artist was Jimmy Hansen.

No. 63 - Bamboo Town
One page reprint (undated) by Chick Gordon. Not listed by Comics UK.

No. 62 - Bing Bang Benny
One page reprint by Ken Reid

No. 61 - The Tricks of Screwy Driver
One page reprint by Bill Holroyd from the second series, 16/6/79. It's distinguished from reprints by the later style of word balloon and the fact that Screwy had been substantially redrawn.

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Re: The actual Top 75 - with comments and other notes!

Post by Peter Gray »

who is the haggis basher?

Oh well...
spunky the spider would have been better :lol:

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Re: The actual Top 75 - with comments and other notes!

Post by WizzKid97 »

Peter Gray wrote:who is the haggis basher?
A one-off annual strip about a sterotypical Scottish lad who bashes haggises. Art was by the great Tom Paterson.

It's hardly a classic and certainly doesn't deserve a place in the Top 75. The Banana Bunch deserved it more!
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Re: The actual Top 75 - with comments and other notes!

Post by Digifiend »

I didn't recognise Hamish's name either. Which annual was it in?

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Re: The actual Top 75 - with comments and other notes!

Post by AndyB »

Forgot to mention that Marvo and Screwy both feature in the main strip, and of course Bamboo Town was in the first Dandy.

No. 60 - Old Ma Murphy
One page reprint by Allan Morley (and initialled!) - not guessed by Comics UK

No. 59 - Izzy Skint
One page reprint from 10/8/93 by George Martin - not guessed by Comics UK

No. 58 - Tin Lizzie
New one line strip by Alexander Matthews. Originally by Jack Prout? Not guessed by Comics UK.

No. 57 - Bertie Buncle and his Chemical Uncle
New one line strip by Nigel Auchterlounie. Originally by David Mostyn.

No. 56 - Freddy the fearless fly
New one line strip with a final cameo by Jamie's Dan. Who drew this one? Also featured in the first Dandy, the back cover and the main strip. Not guessed by Comics UK.

No. 55 - Joe White and the seven dwarfs
New one line strip by Nigel Auchterlounie. Was this by Dudley Watkins originally?

No. 54 - Owen Goal
New one-page strip? by Nigel Parkinson. Started as reprints of Rob Lee's Cannonball Kid from Nutty until Nigel took over.

No. 53 - Whacko
New one page strip by Alexander Matthews. Originally by Ron Spencer.

No. 52 - Pre-skool Prime Minister
New one page strip by Jamie Smart

No. 51 - Claude Hopper
One page reprint by George Martin

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Re: The actual Top 75 - with comments and other notes!

Post by WizzKid97 »

Digifiend wrote:I didn't recognise Hamish's name either. Which annual was it in?
I think it was the 2001 annual but I could be wrong...
AndyB wrote:No. 56 - Freddy the fearless fly
New one line strip with a final cameo by Jamie's Dan. Who drew this one? Also featured in the first Dandy, the back cover and the main strip. Not guessed by Comics UK.
I'm lead to believe it is the artwork of Gary Boller (he drew Starsky's Hutch for the post-2010 Dandy, however, I'm not too certain.
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Re: The actual Top 75 - with comments and other notes!

Post by AndyB »

No. 50 - Jak and Todd
New one-line strip by Wayne Thompson, features on the front cover. This was the third incarnation of Jak, the original being by Jimmy Hansen, Dave Sutherland drawing a version with his ginger cat Rip (I think?)

No. 49 - Peter Piper
Reprint (I think!) one-line strip by Nick Brennan - his linework now is quite different. Originally in the Magic comic, Vic Neill drew him in Sparky. Not guessed by Comics UK

No. 48 - Hungry Horace
New one-line strip by Andy Fanton featuring the Sparky incarnation of the character (as per George Drysdale and Albert Holroyd) with cameos by Craig Graham, Michelle O'Donnell, Dan and Korky. The original Horace (per Allan Morley?) features in the main strip, the back cover and the first Dandy.

No. 47 - 101 ways to use a Meerkat
Reprint one-line strip by Duncan Scott. Who can tell me which one this was originally - was it number 47?

No. 46 - Bad Grandad
An unrepentant Bad Grandad (maybe before last week's Christmas strip?) in a new two-pager by Andy Fanton. Also features on the front cover.

No. 45 - Peter's Pocket Grandpa
Two page reprint by Ron Spencer

No. 44 - Strange Hill School
One page new strip by David Mostyn. Eddie first appeared a couple of years after Whizzer and Chips had its own strip of the same name, which featured a normal teacher rather than a normal schoolboy. Not listed by Comics UK, Eddie features in the main strip.

No. 43 - Old King Cole
New one-line strip by Nigel Auchterlounie. Not listed by Comics UK.

No. 42 - The Umbrella Men
New one-line strip by Lew Stringer.

No. 41 - Pepperoni Pig
New one-line strip by Wayne Thompson. Not listed by Comics UK.

More later!

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Re: The actual Top 75 - with comments and other notes!

Post by ISPYSHHHGUY »

nice thread and info, Andy!

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Re: The actual Top 75 - with comments and other notes!

Post by Digifiend »

Jak II's cat was called Spike.

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Re: The actual Top 75 - with comments and other notes!

Post by AndyB »

Of course it was - cheers, Digi!

No. 40 - Julius Sneezer
New one-line strip by Lew Stringer. Was this Allan Morley originally?

No. 39 - Pinky's Crackpot Circus
Single page reprint by Nick Brennan. Pinky also features in the main strip.

No.38 - The Bogies
Single page by Nigel Auchterlounie, and I have no idea whether it's a reprint or not! Not listed by Comics UK

No. 37 - Agent Dog 2 Zero
New single page by Wayne Thompson

No. 36 - Robin Hood's Schooldays
New single page by Wilbur Dawbarn. Originally by Ron Spencer

No. 35 - Ollie Fliptrik
Single page by Karl Dixon, and I think it's new (but couldn't be certain!) Not listed by Comics UK, features in the main strip.

No. 34 - Big Head and Thick Head
Single page reprint by Frank McDiarmid. Original artist was Ken Reid, and Jimmy Hughes is also known to have drawn some.

No. 33 - Dinah Mo
Single page reprint by Ron Spencer. Something at the back of my head says that Henry Davies may or may not have drawn a few late in its run. Features in the main strip.

No. 32 - Jibber and Steve
New one line strip by Nigel Auchterlounie. Not listed by Comics UK.

No. 31 - Harry and his Hippo
New one line strip by Andy Fanton. Originally drawn by Ken Harrison, Comic Libraries were drawn by Tom Williams, but there was at least one other artist in the weekly comic.
Last edited by AndyB on 08 Dec 2012, 13:39, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Will corrected me re Robin Hood's Schooldays - it wasn't a missing page from the annual, but was specifically for the last issue. Also picked up correction re Big Head and Thick Head from Lew Stringer.

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Re: The actual Top 75 - with comments and other notes!

Post by Digifiend »

Yeah, Sneezer is a Morley, and so was Horace.

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Re: The actual Top 75 - with comments and other notes!

Post by blaing »

here is a 1947 Sneezer strip. It seems that anyone who comes within cooee of him will end up with a sneezing fit (whether it is man nor beast.)

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Re: The actual Top 75 - with comments and other notes!

Post by AndyB »

Will Dawbarn corrected me earlier - Robin Hood's Schooldays was a new strip for the final issue. My fault!

No. 30 - Our teacher's a walrus!
New one-line strip by Jamie Smart. Not listed by Comics UK.

No. 29 - the Talking Ball
New one-line strip, artist unknown. I remember a Paddy Brennan strip in an early 1970s Dandy Book. Not listed by Comics UK.

No. 28 - My dad's a doofus!
New one page strip by Jamie Smart. Not listed by Comics UK.

No. 27 - Ali Ha-Ha and the 40 thieves
One page reprint by Ken Reid. Features in main strip.

No. 26 - Dirty Dick
One page reprint by Eric Roberts. Jimmy Hughes drew some later episodes.

No. 25 - Nuke Noodle
New one line strip by Alexander Matthews. Also has a cameo in Auntie Clockwise.

No. 24 - Postman Prat
New one line strip by Lew Stringer. Features in main strip.

No. 23 - Greedy Pigg
New one line strip by Paul Palmer. Original artist was George Martin, features in main strip.

No. 22 - My Freaky Family
New one line strip by Nigel Auchterlounie. Not listed by Comics UK.

No. 21 - Hyde + Shriek
New (I assume) two-page strip by Nick Brennan.

I'll bring the countdown down to 11 tonight, then the Top Ten tomorrow followed by notes on who else features in the final print Dandy.

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Re: The actual Top 75 - with comments and other notes!

Post by AndyB »

Nigel's confirmed that the Owen Goal is brand new. He's also given me a little more information which I'll post in the appropriate place.

I've remembered the name of the boy with the Talking Ball. It's Chippy.

No. 20 - Desperate Dawg
One page reprint by George Martin from 9/4/83.

No. 19 - Jack Silver
New one page strip by Wilbur Dawbarn. Original was by Bill Holroyd. Features in the main strip.

No. 18 - Blinky
One page reprint by Nick Brennan. Blinky had several incarnations, originating with Colonel Blink by Tom Bannister in the Beezer, and a fat lad of around 10 (his nephew possibly?) drawn by George Martin in late issues of the Beezer. Features in the main strip.

No. 17 - Keyhole Kate
New one-line strip by Laura Howell. Originally by Allan Morley, Kate passed through the hands of George Drysdale in the Sparky, and in the 1990s Dandy, Sid Burgon. Features on the back cover, the main story, and the first Dandy.

No. 16 - Black Bob
New one-line strip by the same artist as the Talking Ball. Originating in the Weekly News, most of Jack Prout's artwork was reprinted more than once in the Dandy, although the captions moved from below the pictures to inside the pictures and were made shorter, and those series printed more than once occasionally omitted frames. Features in the main strip.

No. 15 - Mr Meecher the uncool teacher
New one-line strip by Wilbur Dawbarn

No. 14 - My own Genie
New one-line strip by Jamie Smart

No. 13 - Arena of Awesome
Two page reprint by Jamie Smart of the battle between the editor-in-chief of the Beano and the editor of the Beano, sorry, then editor of the Dandy.

No. 12 - Harry Hill's real life adventures in TV land
New two-page strip by Nigel Parkinson. Features in the main strip.

No. 11 - Cuddles and Dimples
New one-page strip drawn by Nigel Parkinson - the first one he also wrote. Cuddles originated in Nutty, later transferring to Hoot, while Dimples originated in the Dandy (and features on the cover of Dandy 3609!) The original artist was Barrie Appleby, and Nigel took over with the boys being redesigned in 2004.

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