PART TWO Of BUSTER, SON Of ANDY CAPP...

Images copyright REBELLION

BUSTER started out life as the son of ANDY CAPP, but by the time 1968 rolled around his parentage was long forgotten.  The strip was known by various titles throughout its long run - such as Buster's Good Deeds, Buster's Diary, and Buster's Dream-World.  In 1974 the title reverted to Buster's Diary yet again, changing to just Buster in 1985 when artist TOM PATERSON took over the strip from REG PARLETT.  

Surprisingly, for a strip that lasted for very nearly forty years, Buster himself only had six main artists.  BILL TITCOMBE drew the cloth-capped lad's escapades from 1960 to '61, with HUGH McNEILL taking over 'til 1962.  ANGEL NADAL then managed an impressive twelve year run until 1974, followed by REG PARLETT who drew Andy's boy to 1985, when TOM PATERSON took over until 1990. JIMMY HANSEN was Buster's final regular artist until the comic's demise in 1999.

FRANCISCO SOLANO LOPEZ was the artist on GALAXUS, The THING From OUTER SPACE, the story of an alien creature stranded on Earth and befriended by two brothers, JIM and DANNY JONES.  The meek and mild alien, capable of growing to giant-size or shrinking down to about two inches tall, was initially scripted by KEN MENNELL and then by SCOTT GOODALL for the remainder of its long run.  A classic adventure series still fondly remembered to this day.

FREDDIE 'PARROT-FACE' DAVIES was a popular TV personality during the '60s (appearing on OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS in 1964) and was awarded the honour of having his own one-page strip in the comic.  Reg Parlett was the artist behind the comedian's zany antics and got the likeness spot-on.  For some years now, Freddie has enjoyed a career as a well-respected actor, having performed in prominent theatre, television and movie roles - HARRY POTTER And The PRISONER Of ASKABAN being but one of the high-profile, prestigious productions he has appeared in.

PROFESSOR NUTCASE was a retitled reprint of Professor Knockout from KNOCKOUT, drawn by Nadal.  He lasted for about a year under his new identity before fading quietly from the scene into comics limbo.  LOVE HEARTS make your mouth fizz and are still going strong.

The SKID KIDS lasted a respectable five-and-a-half year run from 1966 to 1971 before skidding to a stop.  Written by FRED BAKER, the strip was drawn by DAVID PAGE and then COLIN SQUE, more famous as the artist on ROY Of The ROVERS.

WALLY WHALE And WILLY WINKLE was another Reg Parlett- drawn strip which only lasted about five months.  It was later reprinted in VALIANT.

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See Part Three here, and Part One here.