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No one could (or would) deny that BEEB Magazine was anything other than a clone of LOOK-IN. The wonder is that it took the BBC 14 years to get around to introducing their rival publication, at a time, ironically, when Look-In's circulation was steadily falling. They should've taken that fact into consideration, because Beeb only lasted for a mere 20 issues before disappearing - with no announcement in its final number and without resolving any of the continued stories.
When Look-In first came out in 1971, I didn't buy it. It wouldn't be until 1975 that I started picking it up on a regular basis, simply because there was something intoxicating about the great cover paintings by Italian artist ARNALDO PUTZU, who painted many movie posters in the '60s, including ones for the 'CARRY ON' series. My interest in the mag was relatively short-lived, though I continued to buy the occasional issue over the years, depending on the contents.
In 1985, I was living in Shearer Road, Fratton (Portsmouth) when I spotted a new mag in a newsagent's one day. It really wasn't the sort I was usually interested in, but because it reminded me of Look-In (and also because it was new) I bought the first issue. By this time, I'd developed the habit of buying the first three issues of any new mag or comic, mainly because they were usually the free gift issues. I never saw #2, but got #3, telling myself that I'd locate the missing 2nd issue before too long.
I was back home in Scotland before I ever got around to sending away for a back issue of the missing number, and I think it was quite a few years since the mag had been cancelled before I did, so I was unsurprisingly unsuccessful in my task. Until yesterday that is, when it popped through my letterbox after I'd managed to secure a copy via eBay a few days before. It's odd to see it next to my almost pristine, clean copies of issues 1 & 3, because it's got a few creases and it's not quite as 'smart'-looking as its companions.
However, I feel a sense of achievement. It may've taken me over 32 years, but I've finally fulfilled my original intention of owning the first three numbers of this short-lived publication. Will I succumb to temptation and attempt to track down the remaining 17 issues? Nah! Despite some nice art, there was too much of a focus on pop music for my tastes, so I'll be giving the rest of the run a miss. It's enough that I've finally got the first three after all this time, so they'll do for me.
Anyway, here are some pages from my trio of Beeb mags, so that you can see the cut of its jib. Did you buy the title back in the day? Feel free to share your views in the comments section.
