Comics UK

Love it..lol..

That strip would've done well in the US - the jelly looks more like a jam jar, and they call jam "jelly" over there.

Digifiend wrote:That strip would've done well in the US - the jelly looks more like a jam jar, and they call jam "jelly" over there.

It was jam over here, Digi, but without the blackberry seeds. Nowadays I think the equivalent jam is called bramble jelly. It certainly used to be.

Never heard of that. When I think of jelly, I think of the stuff children eat with ice cream, or you'll find in a trifle.

That would be jello over the pond then Digi. As Bernard Shaw once said 'Two nations seperated by a common language'.

Nice obit to Bill in Crikey #14.

In the '90s Dennis the Menace TV series I remember one episode where Dennis put jelly in the water works which meant all over Beanotown the water came out as jelly. The term used was 'jellyo', a mix of jelly and jello.

I remember it because it was the first time I'd ever watched Dennis. I'd yet to read the Beano at that point, I started a couple of months later.

I think Jellyo was supposed to be the brand name, but yeah, it was probably chosen so the name would still sound right in the US without redubbing (they still had to change the titlecard though, which is why the second series was called Dennis and Gnasher instead of the first series' Dennis the Menace).

Kashgar wrote:When time allows I'll try to list his early and still largely overlooked work for the Thomson boys' papers here as a small personal tribute.

I don't remember if time ever did allow you to pay this tribute Kashgar - if not I'd still be very interested in seeing it. One strip at least that I've tentatively attributed to the young Bill is the sports-themed 'Game Gus' which appeared in Wizard during the mid-1950s:


- Though of course I could well be wrong! Do you know how long it ran for incidentally?

- Phil Rushton

Sorry Phil, this was one of those mini-projects I promised to do when circumstances at home were a good deal easier than they are at the moment. In a similar way I promised something on Eric Roberts which didn't appear either.
Game Gus was Bill's work though and I'll let you know the full extent of it's run in the next couple of days.

Thanks Kashgar, but there's absolutely no pressure. I'm so sorry to hear that you are having troubles at the moment and have no doubt that everyone here at Comics UK joins me in hoping things at home will improve for you soon.

- Phil Rushton

Thanks for a new Bill Ritchie.will use that for a blog post..

Thanks Phil. 'Game Gus - He's Game for any Game' first appeared in Wizard No 1551 dated Nov 5th 1955 and finally appeared in No 1654 dated Oct 26th 1957.

My father-in-law was very good friends with Bill and my wife considered him, very much, as an uncle. When she came back from the funeral it reminded her of a bit of sculpture he did for her when she was a child. Now proudly sat pride-of-place in our living room.

As you're all a fan of his talents, I could take a photo of it if anyone's interested?

I would like to see it..
when you have the time..thanks