Bax and Reg - a winning combination...
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| Copyright REBELLION |
Above is the 1969 Valiant Summer Special, which contains mainly reprint material. The only strip which might be new is Bluebottle and Basher by Leo Baxendale, but I couldn't guarantee it as it may well be a resized reprint - though there's no obvious signs of it. However, it's in colour, so I thought I'd share it with you here, along with Billy Bunter, also in colour, drawn by Reg Parlett. I've now got every Valiant Summer Special from 1966 to 1975, 10 in all, though I'm undecided as to whether I'll ever buy the remaining 5. However, I'm not ruling it out.
Interestingly, for three years in a row, starting in 1968, there were combined Lion & Valiant Special Extras, which I don't think I ever saw at the time so I might not bother pursuing them either. In fact, the only Valiant Summer Special I specifically recall buying back in the day was the 1971 Valiant & Smash one, though I think I might also have had the 1972 Valiant & TV21 Special because the cover seems strikingly familiar.
Anyway, enough twaddle from me, as you'll be eager to read the two humour strips I mentioned earlier, so there they are below - feast your eyes. It's interesting that in the first strip, it's the copper that comes a cropper, whereas in the second, Bunter gets his just deserts (honest, that's the correct spelling, despite the pronunciation) - even though caning pupils would be considered assault nowadays. Anyway, feel free to leave a comment telling your fellow Crivvies just how much you enjoyed these comics classics.
6 comments:
Oh that’s a cracker of a comic, I think I may have had that one as a kid. I never really bought (or was bought) many of these at the time as they were expensive and I preferred to get the weeklies (or as a treat a US or Alan Class comic) but looking back I missed out. Sadly (in my experience ) when I see them on sale now they are way to expensive to buy and difficult to find. Love the cover and anything with a Leo Baxendale strip in it is always a wee treat. A thread showing all the covers would be good now you have them all -I’m a tad envious !!!
I don't have them all, McS, just the first 7, plus the one for 1975. I did do a cover gallery before (of the ones I had), but I might publish an updated version, or just update the original post. I may aim to complete the set, but I don't think the ones from 1976 on were quite as good, so once I track down the '73 and '74 Specials, I may call it quits.
H'mm, might not have the one for 1968, McS. See updated post.)
Hopefully it will be in your collection Kid, I think from the scans there's a good chance you have it. I stopped regularly buying UK traditional comics around 1971/2 but remember seeing the 1980 special with that great House if Dollman cover ( I think by Brian Boland) and wish I had bought it. .
I really should have it, McS, because I can't see me going for the 4th Special before I've got the 3rd - and the cover is extremely familiar to me. Hopefully, I've got it and just never got around to putting it away with the others. Ah, the comics (and toys) that I now wish I'd bought when I had the chance.
Contrary to my above responses to McS, I now have the first 10 Summer Specials and have amended the post to reflect that.
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