Comics UK

Hi there,
I wonder if can get some help here with my question. I am trying to put together a complete run of Shiver and Shake comics published by IPC in 1973-1974. Most sources say it ran for 83 ISSUES. Other sources say it ran for 83 WEEKS. I have 79 issues, and the run which is missing is the four issues of July 1974. I have a "theory" that the comic may not have been published during that month (most probably due to industrial action, or maybe some other reason), and I have two arguments in favour of the theory:
First, each and every issue that I own has the Creepy Creations feature on the back cover. All Creepy Creations are numbered. Now, the one on the back of issue dated June 29th, 1974 is No. 69, whereas the one on the back of issue dated August 3rd, 1974 is No. 70. Apparently, there were no Creepy Creations in July, which is quite strange, because the feature was one of the magazine's highlights.
Second, visiting the Comic Covers section of comicsuk.co.uk I noted a comment next to the cover of Buster/Cor issue dated 29th June, 1974. It says that it "was the last one to be published until the 10th August 1974 issue. This was brought about by industrial action of the time". If this is true, then IPC's Shiver and Shake may very well have also been affected by the industrial action, thus no issues in July 1974.
Besides, I have never seen a July 1974 issue offered either on ebay, by dealers or elsewhere on the web. I have been watching for nearly a year now.
Basically, my question is if anyone here has actually seen a complete run of Shiver and Shakes consisting of 83 issues? If the 4 July issues of 1974 do exist, can you please check what is on their back covers and let me know.
Thanks!

I made it 81 on my blog.....
I'm trying to show all the covers so if you are willing to help...with scans
Also the Ken Reid Creepy Creations I'm uploading also need more scans...
http://petergraycartoonsandcomics.blogspot.com/
my email is thejeep2000@yahoo.co.uk

Shiver and Shake mapped out
issue 1 10th March 1973
2 17th March 1973
3 24th March 1973
4 31st March 1973
5 7th April 1973
6 14th April 1973
7 21st April 1973
8 28th April 1973
9 5th May 1973
10 12th May 1973
11 19th May 1973
12 26th May 1973
13 2nd June 1973
14 9th June 1973
15 16th June 1973
16 23rd June 1973
17 30th June 1973
issue 18 7th July 1973
19 14th July 1973
20 21st July 1973
21 28th July 1973
22 4th August 1973
23 11th August 1973
24 18th August 1973
25 25th August 1973
26 1st September 1973
27 8th September 1973
28 15th September 1973
29 22nd September 1973
30 29th September 1973
issue 44 5th January 1974
45 12th January 1974
issue 31 6th October 1973
32 13th October 1973
33 20th October 1973
34 27th October 1973
35 3rd November 1973
36 10th November 1973
37 17th November 1973
38 24th November 1973
39 1st December 1973
40 8th December 1973
41 15th December 1973
42 22nd December 1973
43 29th December 1973
46 19th January 1974
47 26th January 1974
48 2nd Feburary 1974
49 9th Feburary 1974
50 16th Feburary 1974
51 23rd Feburary 1974
52 2nd March 1974
53 9th March 1974
54 16th March 1974
55 23rd March 1974
56 30th March 1974
issue 57 6th April 1974
58 13th April 1974
59 20th April 1974
60 27th April 1974
61 4th May 1974
62 11th May 1974
63 18th May 1974
64 25th May 1974
65 1st June 1974
66 8th June 1974
67 15th June 1974
68 22nd June 1974
69 29th June 1974
issue 70 6th July 1974
71 13th July 1974
72 20th July 1974
73 27th July 1974
74 3rd August 1974
75 10th August 1974
76 17th August 1974
77 24th August 1974
78 31st August 1974
79 7th September 1974
78 14th September 1974
79 21st September 1974
80 28th September 1974
81 5th October 1974 last issue

On the back of the comic the Creepy Creations are numbered which could help in numbering them..I don't have many issues so did all this by adding up 7+7
and knowing when a leap year was around...



I've just checked the last issue I have is 25th May 1974 and the creepy creation is number 64 lamplight Larry from Lichfield. Which matches my dates above...

Thanks, Peter. I will see what I can do about those scans you require.
Has anyone actually seen July 1974 issues of Shiver and Shake? Hasn't the number of 83 issues been reached by multiplying the number of weeks between the start and the end dates?..

Thanks in advance...

I often buy duplicates...so I'm trying to map out the comics that are not numbered......or show the issues which got numbered wrong like Sparky....it helps me and other collectors....and great seeing the covers as well...

"This was brought about by industrial action of the time".

Which comics got effected...I'll find out when I map them out...

Hi kp,
You are quite correct in your assumption that there were only 79 issues of Shiver and Shake published and that none were published for the four weeks in July 1974. This was due to strike action by certain printers that IPC were using at the time and also affected other titles they published like Buster while others, like Tiger, which were printed web-offset by another firm remained unaffected.
As well as the numbering of Ken Reid's Creepy Creations feature somewhat giving the game away another big clue is to be found in the final issue published before the strike, dated 29th June, in which it states that the adventure strip 'The Menace of the Alpha Man' drawn by Eric Bradbury will reach it's final instalment in the next issue and, lo and behold, that final instalment appears in the issue dated Aug 3rd.
So congrats on completing your collection without actually having to buy another issue.

I will update my blog with this new information....thanks Kashgar..

Comicsuk website also needs to update its info in the family tree section on Shiver and shake

Thanks, Kashgar!

This sort of post is why I love this forum. Fantastic data.

Earl.