Favourite Comic Strip

reker1701 · Post by **reker1701** » 12 Aug 2007, 22:06

On the back of an e-mail with colcool007 I thought i'd ask what everyone's favourite strips were. I can't just pick one, but these have stuck firmly in my mind.

Meltdown Man - 2000ad, probably if I had to pick one, my favourite. I have 4,500 comics so it's very hard to pick one.

Harry 20 on the High Rock - 2000ad. Can remember re-reading this several times, pure classic.

The Arena - The Crunch. For me one of the most memorable strips ever, from the artwork to the storyline, everything was brilliant. Still can't work out why there was only 54 of them.

The Tower King - Eagle (80's). My favourite Eagle story, bearing in my I was only 12 when it was released so I was exactly the right age.

The White Tiger - Victor. Spent decades hunting this down. Colcool007 thank you (again)

Zenith - 2000ad. I can't remeber being as moved by a comic strip as I was with this one. Fast action and real emotion and a solid storyline

It's not that these stories were better than any others but they made an impact on me and I like to hear about other stories that I may have missed that have made an impact on you.

reker1701

tolworthy · Post by **tolworthy** » 12 Aug 2007, 22:53

I think I can narrow it down to a top five...

Some (not all) Badtime Bedtime books. Monster Fun was the first comic I ever read, and some of these (I particularly remember Traffic Island) are imprinted on me as the model for how all comics should be, just as a mother bird is imprinted on the mind of the newly hatched chick.

Lee/Kirby and Perez Fantastic Four, courtesy of MWOM annuals and weeklies. On the strength of those I bought the entire set, only then realizing that the first FF stories I ever read just happened to be the best ever and all others were an anticlimax. I've ranted about this on my web site about real time comics, so I won't weep over it again here.

Jonah, which I enjoyed courtesy of the back cover of Buddy

The Trigan Empire - I still can't believe that most AMerican comic fans have never heard of it

Various short stories in Eagle and Look and Learn... so perfect...

Korkythecat · Post by **Korkythecat** » 12 Aug 2007, 22:55

I was mesmerised (aged about 9) by the Iron Eaters in The Beezer in 1971/2. They had been appearing on and off in the comic since the mid-60s (?) but it was all new and exciting for me in the early 70s. Okay, they looked like giant sponges, but still a brilliant sci-fi idea which could have been turned into a great film or superior Doctor Who story.

Cap Haggis · Post by **Cap Haggis** » 12 Aug 2007, 23:31

Oooh my favourite type of comic discussions are on folks favs - so far I share some of those already noted: I've kept mine to UK books/strips as so many European and especially American strips I love - My favs are:

FrankieStein (WHAM) by Ken Reid - just the best ever dark comedy at its best.

Swots and Blots (SMASH/VALIANT) - by Leo Baxendale - I used to gut myself laughing at this as a kid - so much art and humour crambed into each panel.

Iron Eaters - (Beezer) - I read this in the 60's and was facinated by it - couldbe used to day so fresh

Eagle Eye Junior spy / Grimly Fiendish (WHAM) - iconic , stunningly drawn and coloured - full of the best monsters in comics (including Jack Kirbys) Baxendale at his best.

Trigan Empire (Look and Learn) - not only great art and painting but a wonderful story - probably, along with Bellamys work, UK comics at the peak of artistic endeavour

Oddball Oates (Lion)- My fav strip as a kid - great art by the underated Tom Kerr and a great idea

Adam Eterno (Thunder/Lion) another great story good art but a realy (imho) strong character - should still be going could be massive in a revamp in specialist market with the right art team a zombie type character etc

Oor Wullie - ok a newspaper strip but I love this character - he's a legend in Scotland (so maybe thats why I like him so much - maybe not as accessible to others in UK)) and Dudley Watkins was a genius artist

So many others like Sub (Scorcher) - Billys Boots, Roy of the Rovers, HotshoT Hamish, Bash Street kids, Little Plum, house of Dollman, Galaxus, Charlie Peace, Faceache (Buster) Janus Star, Eric the Viking etc etc oh and Fudge the ELF (another newspaper strip -Manchester area) and I haven't touched on modern or the likes of J Edward Olivers work in DISC etc

Archie comics 1965 - 1972ish - ok said I would keep it to UK comics but Archie comics, especially by Dan De Carlo (Joise , BeTTy and Veronica ETC) were always fresh, cute and funny.

Spider man (Marvel) Ditkos/lees run and Romita Seniors run - outstanding work

Fantastic Four Kirby and Lees - never been equaled IMHO - got stronger issue by issue

OK you're all getting bored now but would ad Conan, Captain America and Hulk from 1968 - 1975ish

Peter Gray · Post by **Peter Gray** » 12 Aug 2007, 23:44

top 5-

Dennis the menace
Bash Street kids these 2 are just amazing.....

Cliff Hanger Buster

Sweeny Toddler
Calamity James........real goon style humour...loads of detail...background jokes..etc...etc...

well thats my five...
My favourite comic artists
Leo Baxendale
David Sutherland
J.Edward Oliver
Tom Paterson
Ken Reid
Dudley D Watkins......erm top 6 couldn't do 5...

Favourite comics
Beano
Dandy
Sparky
Whoopee
Buster

Top 5 adventure UK comic strips
too difficult as a lot I havn't read except the annual...

Doing top 5's is tough.....sorry Reg Parlett,,,John Geering...Terry Bave...etc...

Cap Haggis · Post by **Cap Haggis** » 12 Aug 2007, 23:48

Darn Peter thought I had mine down to a managable list ands forgot about Reg Parletts brilliant work on Mowser, Rent a Ghost - I even forgot to mention Tom Patterson etc arrgghh to difficult -

colcool007 · Post by **colcool007** » 13 Aug 2007, 08:01

Keeping it down to 5 is almost impossible, but I'll try.

2000AD - 3 classic strips IMHO are Invasion! M.A.C.H. One and Meltdown Man. Loads more classics in 2000AD but these three are the ones that I will never tire of reading. If I have to pick one, then it is unsurprisingly Invasion! especially when you consider my avatar.

Hotspur - A mixed bag with lots of instantly forgettable strips but Danny Boyd, Flying Fury, The Deathless Men and The Black Sapper are the four that stand out most to me. Winner of this lot is Flying Fury.

Victor - Enjoyed it immensely, but not one of the strips has that magic something to make me go Oh yes!

Warlord - Ooh, now here it get tough. UJJ, Code Name Warlord, The Secret Files Of The Luftwaffe, Killer Kane (by Ian Kennedy of course!

), Kampgruffe Falken, Iron Annie, Sgt Rayker, Holocaust Squadron and Big Willi (no jokes please, I can do double-entendres without anyone's help! For me, the best one is Big Willi. It had a great mix of action and black humour. That's surprised me as growing up, my favourite was Holocaust Squadron and it was the one that I most looked forward to re-reading.

Starlord - Desperately wanted to pick one from here as they were all good but none quite make it into my top 5. Bang goes my comic credentials.

Action - Now another tough one. Lots of great stuff in here with Pat Mills, John Wagner and Tom Tully all firing on all cylinders, but it suffered from us not having closure (dirty rotten censorious baskets), but after consideration Death Game 1999 makes it into my top 5. Great art and being inspired by one of my all-time favourite films didn't hurt either!

Eeek, that leaves me only one choice from Megazine, Tiger, Scorcher, Bullet, Crunch, Roy Of The Rovers, Battle ( I could go on, but I won't!)

Last one into my top 5 has to be Angry Planet from Tornado. That just blew me away as a kid and it still looks top-notch almost 30 years later.

I know that I have completely overlooked the funnies and the girls comics, but we are all different and have different tastes. I know that I desperately want to put more in but I'm trying hard not to go over the 5 story limit.

chrissmillie · Post by **chrissmillie** » 13 Aug 2007, 09:49

Ok, top five Brit comics with the stand out stories:

STARLORD
So good I named my own comic after it (almost) - stand out for me, probably Planet of the Damned.

TORNADO
Angry Planet being a particularly awesome story.

CAPTAIN BRITAIN WEEKLY
Much maligned but I loved these early stories. Total action with some really great villains. Dr Synne, the Hurricane, the Reaver...Marvel was on the move.

KRAZY
A kids-style Mad Magazine...no bad thing. Stand out, probably Birdman & Chicken, though I also loved the Krazy Gang

REVOLVER
The Horror and Romance Specials were absolutely awesome. Pick these up if you get the chance. Dire Streets mirrored my student days at a time when i was a student.

Honourable mentions to St Swithins Day (which is in my top five but i thought i'd keep it more traditional), Hulk Comic (for the wonderful Black Knight/ Captain Britain), Crisis (for politics, Third World War was never bettered, nor was Straitgate for emotion and what about Bible John too), 2000AD (probably Flesh or Visible Man), Vulcan (the Spider and the Steel Claw together), Lion (Adam Eterno being a great character), Starblazer (think these would do really well with a comeback) and o so many more.

As for US comics, Ghost Rider, Roy Thomas' Avengers and Fantastic Four, Moench/Sienkiewicz Moon Knight, the Avengers/Defenders War, Geoff Johns Flash and JSA.

Chris

chrissmillie · Post by **chrissmillie** » 13 Aug 2007, 09:51

Oh, and there's a long-running poll for you favourite comics, characters and artists in the Best of British Awards. Click the link at http://www.StarscapeComic.co.uk to vote.

Toonpooch · Post by **Toonpooch** » 13 Aug 2007, 13:57

Here's my five, for what it's worth:

1. Monster Fun Comic - My first regular comic purchase. Robert Nixon's Kid Kong, Gums, those Badtime Bedtime Stories, March of the Mighty Ones predated Jurassic Park by a country mile, and there was the oft forgotten Martha's Monster Make-up from Ken Reid - fabulous!

2. Krazy Comic - This eight year old was hooked from issue one. Loved the cooky covers. Mike Lacey's efforts were supreme. Birdman & Chicken were great fun, Buytonic Boy too. And Cheeky's strips were always packed with chuckles...

3. Whoopee! - A great range of fun strips here: a little bit of everything, really. Ken Reid's World Wide Weirdies, the Bumpkins, a top trio of Reg Parlett munster strips in Evil Eye, Creepy Car and Orrible Ole. Fun fear too, and Franke Stein, Sweeny Toddler. Lots of new strips entering via all those mergers, of course. But the mix was rock solid throughout the comic's run...

4. Scream - Some solid, scarey strips in this one. I just got off on the whole concept of a Uk-type horror comic, like the ones from Warren or EC...

5. Misty - Much the same here, only here there was that delicious girly twist to get the pulse racing...

Never really got into DCT, I'm afraid. Although "the Beano" circa 1974-1977 is wrestling for a place here. Roger the Dodger, Baby-Face Finlayson, Little Plum, and Billy Whizz - All those classic characters, in their prime. But I often found the stories lacking, somehow. It's almost a BBC/ITV thing, all over again. DCT were a bit "Swap Shop", whereas Fleetway had that "Tiswas" air...

--------------
http://www.toonhound.com
carton links reviews and news from the UK

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 13 Aug 2007, 14:46

Hard to choose favourites but a few that come to mind:

Strips:

The Nervs when Ken Reid took over the strip in late 1968.

Frankie Stein (but only the Ken Reid ones from Wham!).

Fireball XL5 (When Mike Noble was on it).

Nemesis the Warlock (by Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill).

The Cloak (by Mike Higgs).

I-Spy (when Les Barton was on it). (Sparky 1969/70)

Comics:

The Dandy (specifically 1964, as that was the first comic I read regularly. Great variety of art styles then too).

Smash! (first series 1966 to early 1969).

TV Century 21 (1965 to 1969).

Lew

colcool007 · Post by **colcool007** » 13 Aug 2007, 19:30

chrissmillie wrote:...REVOLVER
The Horror and Romance Specials were absolutely awesome. Pick these up if you get the chance. Dire Streets mirrored my student days at a time when i was a student...

I forgot Revolver, Toxic and Crisis. Arrrggghhhh! Can feel brain imploding!

tolworthy · Post by **tolworthy** » 13 Aug 2007, 19:43

Cap Haggis wrote:Galaxus, Charlie Peace, ... Janus Stark

I'd forgotten those. Those three were were top class. And don't forget Space family Robinson from Cheeky (was that original or a reprint??). Sadly missed. IPC did some real quality adventure stories IMO.

Steve Flanagan · Post by **Steve Flanagan** » 13 Aug 2007, 20:15

My British-only top 5 at this precise moment ('cos it'll have changed to something completely different as soon as I hit "submit"):

Eddie Campbell's Alec stories

The Ballad of Halo Jones by Alan Moore and Ian Gibson

Doctor Who, as drawn by Harry Lindfield and Gerry Haylock for Countdown and TV Action

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, as drawn by Hunt Emerson

Nemesis the Warlock, by Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill (not the later stories).

Conor B · Post by **Conor B** » 13 Aug 2007, 20:28

Comic Strips

5. Korky (sometimes - 90s)

4. Biffo (1990s)

3. Dennis the Menace (1990s)

2. Derek the Sheep

1. Singled out (by NP especially)

Comics

5. Topper

4. Beezer (I was reading some annuals before really funny 1990s)

3. Dandy

2. BeanoMax

1. Beano

Comics UK