Comics UK

ramirez wrote:While I 'm still hoping that someone will identify the "Suicide Club" strip, I 've got 2 more questions for you. The first regards the series "Red Baron" that was published in Battle. I understand the artist is Jim Watson, but who is the writer?

The second is for a Tom Kerr strip with a dwarf-like robber as the main character, always attempting (and succeeding) to ridicule police commisioner Swarmy (if I 'm writing his name correctly). The dwarf looks a lot like The Spider, only in smaller size, but the strip 's spirit is tongue-in-cheek funny unlike Spider 's. I shall upload a scan if necessary. I 've stumpled upon it at some point but I can 't remember where...

It was simply called 'The Dwarf' and appeared in Jet weekly from issue 2 in 1971. Image here:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YsIh0lEkFJs/V ... 0/next.jpg

Thanks for that Lew. I wasn 't sure whether it would have the same title in english as well (turned out it did). I knew I had stumpled upon it in the past, and with naming Jet as its source, I found out where.

Since we 're on the Tom Kerr topic, there was another strip by him about some kids who escape an orphanage and inherit a small island that the orphanage administrator wants to rob them off. It didn 't last long and its greek title is "King of the island" (I suppose the english title must be the same). Which magazine did it originate from?

ramirez wrote:Thanks for that Lew. I wasn 't sure whether it would have the same title in english as well (turned out it did). I knew I had stumpled upon it in the past, and with naming Jet as its source, I found out where.

Since we 're on the Tom Kerr topic, there was another strip by him about some kids who escape an orphanage and inherit a small island that the orphanage administrator wants to rob them off. It didn 't last long and its greek title is "King of the island" (I suppose the english title must be the same). Which magazine did it originate from?

The King of Keg Island, from Lion comic.

Thanks for the swift answer Lew.

I 'm searching the origins of another story and hope that I 'm not being annoying. Its first pages are here and here, its greek name is "The treasure of fear" (peculiar title) and it 's about two siblings that find a sunken ship and its treasure and things start happening to them (rocks falling, boat shredded etc). It concluded in 12 episodes (all 2 pages long) and its ending reminded me a little of that "Cockney Robin" story, where the suspects line up so the villain can be identified.

One more inquiry while we 're at it. This could be from Battle, but I haven 't been able to find which strip. The artist however is Josep Gual, which I managed to identify from a signature. It 's a WWII story that lasted for 9 episodes and its greek title is Achilles the avenger. Simple storyline where a benign giant gets scarred and vows revenge on the Germans. I 'd appreciate your thoughts...

ramirez wrote:One more inquiry while we 're at it. This could be from Battle, but I haven 't been able to find which strip. The artist however is Josep Gual, which I managed to identify from a signature. It 's a WWII story that lasted for 9 episodes and its greek title is Achilles the avenger. Simple storyline where a benign giant gets scarred and vows revenge on the Germans. I 'd appreciate your thoughts...

That's the British name for him too. He appeared in Battle in 1978. Haven't read them yet so can't comment further but hope that helps.

It sure does Lew. Thanks for the help and happy holidays to everyone...

New year, new quest. The greek title of this story is Danger at the centre of the earth and it 's got some great art. The main characters are named Val Venture & Andy Granger if it helps...

That originally appeared in Hurricane with art by Brian Lewis.

A delayed thank you, Phil. I 'll be back soon with something new...

There was this short lived strip (12 episodes in total) drawn by Fransec Masip, who also drew "Run Rogan run". It 's about two boys, the Ross brothers, who travel in time by accident along with the scientist that created a time machine. Its title must also be "Travel in time" or something, but which magazine did it come from? Perhaps Whizzer & Chips, where the Rogan strip was also at?

Also, I believe there was a strip called "Thunder Bill" about a guy that was an expert in explosions. Art by John Catchpole I think. Where was that story from?

ramirez wrote: Also, I believe there was a strip called "Thunder Bill" about a guy that was an expert in explosions. Art by John Catchpole I think. Where was that story from?

Thunder Bill was in Jag comic, Fleetway, 1968.

Thanks for that Lew...

Also, it 's most likely that the "Treasure of fear" story that was mentioned a few posts up is "Fortune of fear" from Whopee! magazine...

I went to an interesting talk yesterday by a Greek cartoonist called Soloup, who has written a historical graphic novel about the Asia Minor Disaster that saw a huge population swop between Turkey and Greece in the 1920s. I asked him about the commericial and publishing context for his work - ie what other comics publishing is there / has there been in Greece. His answer was very focused on contemporary publishing for adults: he said that there was only a thirty or forty year history of publishing comics in Greece, and mentioned the influence of underground comix and the like. Which is all very reasonable, but I was surprised to not hear any mention of comics publishing aimed at children. I can see from your posts, Ramirez, and from separate contact with another Greek fan of British comic stories, that there was such publishing aimed at children. Was it a pretty universal experience in Greece, growing up reading comics? It almost didn't seem like it from Soloup's answer, but it may be that he didn't understand my question in the way I had thought he might have done.

From the mid '70s to late '80s, yes comics had been a common ground for kids and teenagers of that era. Disney comics certainly (mainly Mickey Mouse magazine) and the two main weekly anthologies "Agori" (Boy) and "Blek", along with the Asterix and Lucky Luke albums which were also very popular.

Even some expressions are used occasionaly in news broadcasts or newspaper articles, like for example "he wants to be the caliph in caliph 's place" which is a known tag line from Isnogoud albums, or as they use the expression "Roy of the Rovers stuff" in England, here you could read an article about a "Ben Leiper performace" (or the use of the strip 's greek title which was "Goalkeeper doctor")...