Comics UK

Hello,

I’m after a big favour please from forum members. I want to complete indexing the Victor Summer Specials, but I’m having trouble tracking down the issues I’m missing. Not many issues appear on e-bay these days and when they do, tend to be sold for high prices. Even the British Library doesn’t have a complete set and as far as I know no other library in the UK holds Victor Summer Specials, issues.

All I require is list of the contents of each issue (with the title of the strip and character if it's not obvious from the title) or a scan of the contents page and if possible the name of the artist who drew the strip.

The missing years I require are:- 1971, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1981, 1983 to 1992. Quite an outstanding list!

Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance.
Adrian.
www.victorhornetcomics.co.uk

I'm not sure if I've got any of the others but here are the contents for 1971:

Cover: Commando bursts through window above three German officers.
Page 2 Are You a Hawk-Eye? (Holiday Quiz)
Page 3-4 Hostage of the Diamond Diggers (Joe & Ellis Marsh) - 1st page in colour.
Page 5-7 The Footballers Wore Feathers! (Southmoor City) - 1st page in colour.
Page 8-9 Sergeant Samson's Scrapbook - both pages in colour.
Page 10 Puzzle Away a Rainy Day (Puzzle Page)
Page 11 The Sultan of Osmandela (Captain Frost) - Colour.
Page 12 Olympic Oddities (Sporting Facts)
Page 13-15 The Tough of the Track (Alf Tupper) - First page in colour.
Page 16-17 (Centrespread) The Boyhood of Lester Piggot (Factual) - Both pages in colour.
Page 18-19 Smash and Grab! Cover Story starring Bert Hulton, 'the Human Fly' ). - B&W
Page 20-21 & 23 The Demon Bowler of Toowoomba (Sam Wildfire) - 1st page in colour.
Page 22 Is It Cricket? (Sporting facts, illustrated in colour by Bill Ritchie)
Page 24-25 Cecil the Stone-Age Scrapper Both pages in colour.
Page 26-27 Young Ben (Illustrated Text Story) - One and a half pages.
Page 27 (Bottom Half) Feats of the Muscle Men (Sporting Facts).
Page 28-29 & 31 The Second Chance Champion (Jack Hill, Racing Driver) 1st page in colour.
Page 30 Sports Car Parade (Racing cars through the ages, in colour).
Page 32 The Radar Raiders (Commando game for dice and counters) - colour.

I'm afraid I'm not much help with the artists - maybe Kashgar can identify them if he gets the chance?

- Phil Rushton

1992 - No 26

Cover - Cricket Player
Page 2 - Laff-in
Page 3 - The Goals of Jimmy Grant (Strip)
Page 8 - Howzatt (strip)
Page 10 - A Real Mouse (Strip)
Page 16 - Star Seekers (Strip)
Page 18 - Unde Pressure (Footie feature)
Page 19 - BrainCruncher
Page 20 - Greatest show on earth(Feature on Guiness world records)
Page 22 - Man who could be king (Tennis feature -Pete Sampras)
Page 26 - Biker(Strip)
Page 30 - Morgyn the Mighty(Strip)
Page 32 - When the going gets tough(athletics feature)
Page 34 - Mean Machines(Motorbike feature)
Page36 - Tough of the track (Strip)

1987

Pg 1 - Cover Charlie's Big Raid (Ian Kennedy)
Pg 2 - 4 - The Tough of The Track (Jim Bleach, I think)
Pg 5 - Puzzle Away A Rainy Day (Puzzle Page)
Pg 6 - 7 and 9 - Charlie's Big Raid (Terry Patrick)
Pg 8 - It's A Wacky World (Feature on funny happenings around the world)
Pg 10 - 11 and 13 - Marshall of Hopeville (same artist as Send For Saxon)
Pg 12 - The James Gang (Feature. Don't know the artist.)
Pg 14 - 15 and 17 - Fighting Mac (True story. Ted Rawlings)
Pg 16 - Sports Crossword (Photo of Daley Thompson)
Pg 18 - 19 and 21 The Goals of Jimmy Grant.
Pg 20 - Figaro! (Tom Bannister)
Pg 22 - 23 and 25 Rearguard! (Story. A later Alf Tupper artist)
Pg 24 - Dunkirk (Feature with artistic background and photos)
Pg 26-27 and 29 - The Hammer Man (Ted Rawlings)
Pg 28 - Quiz Pix (Feature with topical pics)
Pg 30 - 31 - Backfire! (Story. Don't know the artist.)
Pg 32 - The Cave (One page story. Don't know the artist.)
Pg 33 - 35 - Cadman! (Mike Dorey)
Pg 36 - Bomber Raid (Game)

Will do some more when I can get to them. And that's 3 down 12 to go! Will also add some more info when I find some more of the Summer Specials. Also I do have some doubles that I would be interested in moving on. Reasonable offers considered.

philcom55 wrote:I'm not sure if I've got any of the others but here are the contents for 1971:

Cover: Commando bursts through window above three German officers.
Page 2 Are You a Hawk-Eye? (Holiday Quiz)
Page 3-4 Hostage of the Diamond Diggers (Joe & Ellis Marsh) - 1st page in colour.
Page 5-7 The Footballers Wore Feathers! (Southmoor City) - 1st page in colour.
Page 8-9 Sergeant Samson's Scrapbook - both pages in colour.
Page 10 Puzzle Away a Rainy Day (Puzzle Page)
Page 11 The Sultan of Osmandela (Captain Frost) - Colour.
Page 12 Olympic Oddities (Sporting Facts)
Page 13-15 The Tough of the Track (Alf Tupper) - First page in colour.
Page 16-17 (Centrespread) The Boyhood of Lester Piggot (Factual) - Both pages in colour.
Page 18-19 Smash and Grab! Cover Story starring Bert Hulton, 'the Human Fly' ). - B&W
Page 20-21 & 23 The Demon Bowler of Toowoomba (Sam Wildfire) - 1st page in colour.
Page 22 Is It Cricket? (Sporting facts, illustrated in colour by Bill Ritchie)
Page 24-25 Cecil the Stone-Age Scrapper Both pages in colour.
Page 26-27 Young Ben (Illustrated Text Story) - One and a half pages.
Page 27 (Bottom Half) Feats of the Muscle Men (Sporting Facts).
Page 28-29 & 31 The Second Chance Champion (Jack Hill, Racing Driver) 1st page in colour.
Page 30 Sports Car Parade (Racing cars through the ages, in colour).
Page 32 The Radar Raiders (Commando game for dice and counters) - colour.

I'm afraid I'm not much help with the artists - maybe Kashgar can identify them if he gets the chance?

- Phil Rushton

Although I do have all the Victor Summer Specials catalogued Adrian I'm afraid that, at the moment, time doesn't permit me to roll out the whole list of the issues for which you still require details. Therefore I hope a list of the artists responsible for the strips in the 1971 edition, as already listed by Phil, will suffice for the time being.

Cover - Bill Mainwaring
Pg 3-4 Mattias Alonso
Pg 5-7 Juan Marti
Pg 8-9 George Parlett
Pg 10 Jimmy Glen
Pg 11 Juan Marti
Pg 12 Ted Rawlings
Pg 13-15 Pete Sutherland
Pg 16-17 George Ramsbottom
Pg 18-19 Bill Mainwaring
Pg 20 -21, 23 Bert Vandeput
Pg 22 Bill Ritchie
Pg 24-25 C D Bagnall
Pg 26-27 George Ramsbottom (text ills)
Pg 27 (Muscle) Ted Rawlings
Pg 28-29, 31 Vincente Ibanez

I hope this helps Adrian.
BTW Col you are quite right about JIm Bleach being the artist on the 1986 Tough of the Track strip.

Kashgar wrote:...BTW Col you are quite right about JIm Bleach being the artist on the 1986 Tough of the Track strip.

Get in! Apologies, but I put 1986 instead of 1987 for that first post. To make amends , here is the proper 1986 listing.

Pg 1 - V for Valour (True story cover with art by Ian Kennedy)
Pg 2 - 4 Tough Of The Track (Jim Bleach. Incidentally, this was the story of Alf Tupper that was reprinted in the last issue of the Victor)
Pg 5 - Puzzle Away A Rainy Day (Puzzle Page)
Pg 6 - 7 and 9 Rearguard! (Story. Artist unknown)
Pg 8 Sports Crossword (Photo of a cyclist)
Pg 10 - 11 and 13 The Silver Joey (Matias Alonso)
Pg 12 - Quiz Pix
Pg 14 - 15 and 17 Send For The B-Team (Send For Saxon artist)
Pg 16 - Under The Jolly Roger (Pirate feature. I think it's more Ted Rawlings)
Pg 18 - 19 Going For Gold (Quiz on 1982 Commonwealth Games and Spectrum game)
Pg 20 - 21 V for Valour (True story with Ian Kennedy art)
Pg 22 - 23 and 25 Morgyn The Mighty (Antonio Garcia)
Pg 24 - Figaro! (Tom Bannister)
Pg 26 - 27 Killer's Candlelight (Should know the artist, but can't put a name to him!)
Pg 28 and 30 - 31 - The Hammer Man (Ted Rawlings)
Pg 29 - It's A Wacky World! (Feature on funny happenings around the world)
Pg 32 - Wish Upon A Star (Story)
Pg 33 - 35 - The Pigeon Fancier (Keith Shone)
Pg 36 - Match Point (Game)

...And here's 1974:

Cover: Shark Squadron
Page 2-4 The Tough of the Track
Page 5 Summer Sports Quiz - in colour
Page 6-7 The Pint-Sized Commando (Billy Martin, Boy Bugler)
Page 8-9 & 11 Morgyn the Mighty - in colour
Page 10 Puzzle Away a Rainy Day (puzzle)
Page 11 Are You a Hawk-Eye? (Holiday Observation Game)
Page 13 Figaro - in colour
Page 14-15 Add Only Water! (Johnny Dale)
Page 16-17 Shark Squadron (Cover Story) - in colour
Page 18-19 & 21 Is It Cricket? (Little Puddlington)
Page 20 The Country Cuzzins - in colour
Page 22 & 24-25 Killer Kennedy R.N. - in colour
Page 23 Today's Fighting Ships (Factual)
Page 26-27 & 29 Kenny Carter's Kayo Kids
Page 28 The Bare-Knuckle Boys (Factual boxing feature) - in colour
Page 30-31 A Fine Day for a Run! (Neil Young)
Page 32 Trans Africa Rally (Game) - in colour

- Phil Rushton

1985

Pg 1 Morgyn The Mighty (Art. I could have sworn it was Matias Alonso, but looking at Garcia, I am not so sure)
Pg 2 - 4 Tough Of The Track (retread of scientific diet vs Alf's diet. Art Jim Bleach)
Pg 5 - Puzzle Away A Rainy Day (Feature)
Pg 6 - 7 and 9 The Golden Scarab (Story Teller Story)
Pg 8 Spooky Stories (Feature)
Pg 10 - 11 and 13 The Short Straw (Art Matias Alonso)
Pg 12 Quiz Pix (Feature)
Pg 14 - 15 and 17 Barnacle Bill (Story)
Pg 16 Football Funnies (Feature of funny footballing stories around the world)
Pg 18 - 19 Blitz! (Pullout poster with Spectrum game inset on pg 2)
Pg 20 - 21 Beware Tanks! (True Story of Battle Of Cambrai)
Pg 22 - 23 and 25 Morgyn The Mighty (Art Antonio Garcia)
Pg 24 Sports Crossword with a picture of a Motocross biker.
Pg 26 - 27 The Caliph And The Three Wonders. (Art Matias Alonso)
Pg 28 and 30 - 31 Cadman (Art Mike Dorey)
Pg 29 Figaro! (Art Tom Bannister)
Pg 32 It's A Wacky World! (Feature)
Pg 33 - 35 The Hammer Man (Art Ted Rawlings)
Pg 36 The Great Victor Marathon (Game)

I knew you wouldn't let me down. Thanks to all who have posted.

Hello colcool007,

Which Victor Summer Special years do you have for sale please?

Thank you.

victorhornet, did you find all the summer specials you needed in the end? I've just discovered five Victor summer specials in my basement, including 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991, that I could summarise for you.