Comics UK

Although no comic was shown, but worthy of a mention, I watched the BBC doc on Wrestling's boom years of 1960s-80, where it was mentioned that Big Daddy had his own strip in "Buster" & even got his own annual.

It might have been me that helped...I was giving info for the one show on wrestling But the Buster reference wasn't used..I sent scans etc...

so I wonder..

The Mekon appears in the video for Mel Smith & KIm Wilde's version of Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree, from 1987.

See 1:16 and 2:05

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdnaPAJgAQI

The Mekon's looking rather grey - must have a hangover.

Happy Christmas!

Today's Daily Mail Weekend magazine has a large publicity photo for Call The Midwife (set in the 1950s). I have scanned the section that shows a boy with an opened annual. Probably Film Fun or Knockout. Anyone care to identify it? Zooming in on the image just pixilates it.

Being on holiday has thrown my body clock right out so was watching Superman episodes until 4.30 this morning - the late 50s tv series starring George Reeves. In one episode Clark and Lois go into a shop with a row of comics behind them:

Woah, someone blundered there, Superboy and Superman comics in a Superman TV show? But if Superman exists, he's not a comic book character. They broke the fourth wall.

I never thought of that. Lois could have picked up a Superman comic and found out Clark Kent is Superman. Her investigative reporter powers must have deserted her.

Nice screen caps, Colonel Steve.

There's a bonkers story called Superman, Matinee Idol, which appeared in a Superman comic from 1942 (I read it in the Superman from The 30's to The 70's collection published in 1971) - Lois and Clark go to the cinema to watch a Superman cartoon, and Clark has to distract Lois at the points where the cartoon reveals that Clark is Superman. He doesn't seem to be worried that all the other cinemagoers across the country (not to mention readers of his comics, which Lois says she isn't aware of) will know his secret identity.



To be fair, there's a caption on the splash panel informing readers it's an imaginary story (i.e. not to be considered part of Superman continuity).

The pages of this story are printed out of sequence in my copy which makes the story even more strange.

I was going to mention that story - I read it in the early seventies in colour from an 80 page giant. Clark tries to hide his secret identity from Lois but it doesn't occur to him everyone who has seen the film already knows it. That story has always stuck in my mind along with the one where Clark falls on electric wires and loses his memory and another where Superman is sent to another planet where they cover the sun and make it red - thus taking away his powers and Batman is a prison guard who keeps zapping him with a stun gun. The writers must have done something right for those stories to stick in my mind and go out and get the issues again about 30 years later.

Having just caught 5 minutes of Call the Midwife while switching channels I was intrigued to hear one of the characters mention a new comic called 'Bunty'! Does anyone know if they actually showed a copy?

- Phil Rushton

More "Open All Hours". This time from series 4, episode one, Soulmate Wanted.

the first image shows a Dandy in the background



there was a second comic later on. I know the image might be a bit blurry, but there seems to be a comic behind Granville (actually two, there seems to be a Misty, but I can't seem to work out the comic behind Misty (Possibly Victor?))

That's Mandy, not Dandy.

Digifiend wrote:That's Mandy, not Dandy.

...and that's an issue of Buster above the combs, with a Reg Parlett cover. Looks like a football mag behind it. Possibly Shoot?

On Wednesdays episode of Heartbeat David is reading a Smash comic from when it changed 1969...

BBC2 showed Open All Hours last Sunday and there was a brief scene with Granville and a lady friend both reading a Beano together - the shop was in darkness so not a clear image.