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WHIZZER & CHIPS came out in October 1969 and lasted only one week past its 21st (uncelebrated) birthday issue in 1990. The first Annual came out towards the end of 1970 (for '71), and the last one came out in 1993 (for '94) - making a total of 24 Annuals in all. However, there was a 25th Annual in 2014 (for '15), with material reprinted from earlier books in the run. (What a comeback, eh? A whole 21 years after the previous Annual.)
Here then, is the first instalment in a four part series of Whizzer & Chips Annual covers, which, hopefully, you'll all enjoy. Have you any happy memories of receiving one of these bumper books for Christmas when you were but a lad, Crivs? Then the comments section awaits your joyous reminiscences.
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It's just hit me on re-reading this post that the weekly Whizzer & Chips will have been absent from our newsagents' counters for 25 years come October. That of course means that it's been gone four years longer than it lasted. Gone for a quarter of a century! Where did the time go? I'm numb at the thought.
I had that 1971 annual!
ReplyDeleteI never (as far as I recall), but would've liked to have had it back then. It probably hit the shops in the 1970 summer holidays between my transition from primary to secondary school. Hard for me to believe that when the comic first came out in '69, I had less than a year to go as a primary school kid.
ReplyDeleteWe must all make a mental note to remember its 50th! My brother got it every week for a while, but no annuals. I reckon I will have read just about every one of his comics when we were young ( Well, I did buy some for him once I started working! ) And vice-verca, so we both got to read twice as many!
ReplyDeleteOnly four years to go, JP. I hope Egmont release some more 'Best of' Annuals.
ReplyDeleteSome real memories for me here....
ReplyDeleteWhen I moved with my Mum, Dad and brother to Hornchurch in Essex in 1972 my next door neighbour was none other than Whizzer and Chips artist Mike Lacey (he drew Sid's snake amongst others, including - apparently - a character called 'Jimmy fix-it' Not sure that would make the cut these days).
He drew a group shot of some of his characters for me which I've still got filed away somewhere.
How about posting a scan of it on your blog, V&S? I'd love to see it. Then maybe you'd let me post it on mine? How long was he your neighbour for?
ReplyDeleteI'll dig it out tonight and send a scan over!
ReplyDeleteHe was my neighbour for about 5 years (until I was 13-14) before the family moved out into Essex and we all lost touch. It was only a few years later when I started broadening my comic horizons I wrote to him and he replied with the drawing and a letter.
He also enclosed a few pages of original art by other artists I'll try and scan (might be too big for my A4 scanner!). He said they were sent out to artists who were covering for other artists going on holiday etc. to try and keep the style the same....these pages were never expected to be returned and were normally thrown away when no longer needed!
Great stuff. I'm not sure if you can send scans to comments sections, but if you give me your email address (which I won't publish), I'll send you mine in return and you can send the scans that way. I can't wait to see them.
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