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| Copyright REBELLION |
A few days ago I returned to 1969 for a short spell with my auction acquisition of the first three issues of Whizzer & Chips. I already have them (somewhere), but the above trio still had their free gifts and were in better condition. I also already had the mask, though it was an actual-size facsimile I made from a photo on the Internet after obtaining the height from the top of the hat to the tip of the beard from someone who knew the owner. What's more, the '69 version is made of paper, not card like the facsimile I created, so it's finally good to have an original.
Any Crivvies buy W&C when it first came out, who have any memories of those halcyon times? If you had a favourite character, then share your reminiscences in the comments section. The comic lasted for one week past 21 years, though sadly its anniversary wasn't mentioned or celebrated in the relevant issue. Guess IPC didn't think there was much point seeing as how the next issue was going to be the final one. Interestingly, I purchased the last ish from the same shop where I'd bought the first one. Full circle, eh? Right, get typing, Crivs, this blog needs you!
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(Just think - the comic has been gone from newsagents' counters for 35 years now, 14 years longer than its 21 year lifespan, yet somehow it doesn't seem anywhere near as long.)
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In case you're interested, below is the actual-sized facsimile (as per the original) I made a few years ago. Great, innit?! (I'm so talented, though it helps if you've got a good scanner/printer.)
9 comments:
For some reason I always think of Whizzer and Chips as being an early 1970s comic despite reading the comic from issue 1 for a few years.. I liked a lot of the characters like Oddball, Wear em out Wilf and Me and my Shadow, but my favourite was the early "adventure" strip by Tom Kerr "The Stealer" with some of his best ever art. Great days, it's hard to believe just how much time has passed.
Honestly, McS, I know I say the same thing all the time, but I recall originally buying these three issues as though they were fairly recent purchases, not 56 years ago when I was yet a primary school pupil. My favourite strips were Harry's Haunted House (when Reg Parlett drew it, not the later artist), Ginger's Tum, Odd-Ball, The Mummy's Curse, and Steadfast McStaunch. Ah, happy days.
What an incredible coup. I bought the first year of W&C from Phil Clarke at a comic fair a few years back. Phil owned Nostalgia and Comics shop in Birmingham in the late 70s/early 80s. He wrote a book about comics along with Mike Higgs, the artist of Space School and others. The W&C's belonged to Mike Higgs and Phil sold them on his behalf. Unfortunately he couldn't find the first issue but all the others are there, 51 issues. There are no free gifts. My time collecting W&C ran from 1977 and then every week when it merged with Krazy (or maybe slightly before). My favourite story was Whizz Wheels, as I had a red chopper bike and thought I was the star of the story. There were some great strips but I have a special fondness of Lazy Bones. More on British comics, please, Kid.
I'll be covering the first issues of Buddy, as well as Plug, before very long, M. As for the book you mention, I've got a niggling suspicion I might have it. Incidentally, the complete 1st ish of W&C is on the blog somewhere.
The Mummy's Curse sounds interesting I dont remember that one. Ahhh Harry's Haunted House I forgot that was in W&C (thought it was the Buster) anything by Reg P is an instant win for me. Some single issue titles I vividly recall buying then go into shock when I find out it was 50 years ago. Best not to think about that lol
The Mummy's Curse was also drawn by Parlett, McS. I think there's a strip on the blog somewhere as part of a W&C issue, but I might publish the first three in a future post to give you a taste of it - it was very funny. W&C #1 came out 56 years ago, which is practically prehistoric, but seems far more recent than that to me.
Meant to say, McS, Buster had a strip in it called Rent-A-Ghost, also drawn by Reg, which had Harry's 'twin' in it, so that's likely why you thought Harry was in Buster.
I find it astonishing that any comics from that time have survived with their free gifts intact - I'd have thought they would have been used within seconds of purchase!
Were people buying copies and preserving them back then?
Well, the comics aren't pristine, PG, so the seller perhaps acquired the free gifts separately and then 'reunited' them with the issues. Some readers did try to look after their comics and gifts though, so they might have always been together since their original date of purchase. The seller/dealer had never seen another mask before in all his years of selling so I assume it's genuinely rare.
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