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| Copyright D.C. THOMSON & Co., Ltd |
I'd not long turned 14 when a new DCT comic weekly hit newsagents' counters in January of 1973. Although it says 'Every Monday' on the cover, I've a feeling I bought it on a Saturday when it first went on sale, though I'm not 100% sure. Strangely for me, I've no memory of the contents or characters*, or of when I stopped buying the comic, which lasted 103 issues until it was merged with The Topper in 1975 with the issue dated 11th January.
When I say I've no memory of the characters from their debut strips in Buzz, I remember some of them from their later appearance in The Topper (though I didn't then realise they were from Buzz). Buzz was a big comic, size-wise, but contained a mere 16 pages, including the covers. It was the same dimensions as The Topper and The Beezer when they were around A3-size. Anyway, Crivs, here's the complete first issue for your perusal.
(You can see a photo of the free gift at the bottom of the post.)
*With the exception of Nero And Zero, who I recognised from a small strip in The Fun Section of The Sunday Post, though they were reprints, I believe, from The Wizard, where they'd first appeared in the '30s. The strip back then was drawn by Allan Morley, who died in 1960. As for Big Fat Flo, publishers wouldn't risk getting away with a name like that in a comic nowadays. The three strips on that page look a little dated, even for 1973, so I wonder if they might be reprints from DCT's back catalogue - anyone know?
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I remember this title but I never bought a single issue as by 1973 I had pretty much stopped buying UK originated comics. In my mind this was a mid 1980s comic so that was a bit of a surprise. Did it last long?
ReplyDeleteAh, speed-reading again, McS, or just looking at the pictures? As I mentioned in the post, it lasted for 103 issues, so just short of two years. It couldn't exactly be described as one of DCT's best, it has to be said.
DeleteYou got me I only looked at the pics lol
DeleteYou naughty lad. I'll get my own back by reading your next post with my eyes closed.
DeleteAs mentioned previously, my first regular comic was The Topper which I started buying in May 1976. Buzz had been dropped from the title 'Topper and Buzz' by then so I had no knowledge of the existence of said 'Buzz' until I was older and maybe saw some older Topper comics or it could even have been when I first got access to the internet. I assumed that Nobby, Jimmy Jinx and Fred the Flop were Topper characters. The following year, 1977, Topper merged with Sparky so even more characters were edged in and others edged out. Such is life. I've got about 50 Buzz comics, the first issue being one of them.
ReplyDelete50? Then you only need another 53 for a full set. I can't remember how long I stayed with the comic, but it's a cert I would've bought at least the first three. I wonder whether I bought the first combined issue of Topper and Sparky when the former subsumed the latter, can't recall.
DeleteConsidering Buzz lasted 2 years, it's strange that there was no annual or summer special, although The Topper didn't have a summer special until 1983. I remember the first Topper and Sparky issue and I wasn't impressed with most of the characters. I preferred my regular Topper pals which ironically included Nobby and Fred the Flop. I think Jimmy Jinx was a casualty of the merger. Would have to check that though.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, M, it IS strange, as things like Annuals and Summer Specials are usually prepared well in advance. Also, normally, Buzz would've been a DCT response to a new IPC comic, but the only one I can think of (Shiver & Shake) didn't come out until March.
DeleteJimmy Jinx did survive the merger and carried on until 1989 in The Topper. I was trying to think of others that might have gone and I came up with Shorty Shambles, Quiz Kid and Sammy's Scribbles, all short-lived characters. There was also Phone The Crows. All of those could have gone as the Sparky insert took up four pages (split into 8 pages sideways).
ReplyDeleteI was trying to think of another character along the lines of Jimmy Jinx who was advised badly by a 'conscience' but it was IPC. I think it must be 'Me and My Shadow ' I'm thinking of.
I think six of the Buzz strips moved to The Topper, M, all the best known ones at the time. I'm not sure whether I ever saw a combined Sparky and Topper, so don't really know what characters survived that merger. Shame these comics are no longer around, though the Annuals continued to appear well after the weeklies demise.
DeleteIt is a shame but if kids still bought these comics, I wonder how many their pocket money would stretch to. I would buy 4, 5 or 6 comics a week and then summer specials on top. Plus sweets. I remember the newsagent grassing me up to my Mom one week when I spent £5 in one go which obviously was a lot of money in his eyes. 2000ad is currently £3.99, the Beano is £3.49, so there's £7.50 gone already. Doesn't leave much left for pop and sweeties. Maybe I'm wildly out of touch with what kids get for pocket money these days.
ReplyDeleteJust had a quick Google on current UK pocket money. Have a look, Kid, it's hilarious! I got more than that 40 odd years ago!
How Much Pocket Money to Give | NatWest Rooster Money https://share.google/gHSC2ddd5NEZIx4vC
Unfortunately, M, with the decline in circulation of comics in general, the prices rise to compensate for the fewer number of readers. If individual comics still sold around 200,000 per week, they'd be much cheaper. Took a look at that link, but it seems to me that kids get far more than that these days. Ten year-olds are probably on at least a tenner a week, maybe more. I think I got only around 50p per week when I was a teenager, up until I started working.
Delete