ALSO SPRACH ZARA THUSTRASIA...

"Hurry up and take the photo - my bum's cold!"  Photo by me

Meet ZARA THUSTRASIA... or Zara for short.  I merely split the name into two and added an 'sia' to transform 'Zarathustra' into the feminine. German Shepherds are the best dogs in the world ever, and Zara was mine.  Isn't she a beauty?  (In a purely platonic way, you understand.  Hrrmmph.)  Nice doggie.  (Sadly deceased.)  Kennel Club registered of course - from a line of champions.

NOW WE ARE SIXTY...DENNIS'S BIRTHDAY!

The first-ever Dennis book.  Art by Davey Law

Readers who bought The BEANO #452, dated March 17th 1951, could never have guessed what impact the new strip on page 5 of the 12 page comic (priced 2d) would eventually have, not only on the comic itself, but also the country at large. 

Today, DENNIS The MENACE is a British icon, and there can't be a kid (or adult) in the land who hasn't heard of the spiky-haired rascal.  Dreamed up by GEORGE MOONIE (who took the name from a song), IAN CHISHOLM, and DAVID LAW, the lovable scamp has been the comic's cover star since 1974.

However, his initial appearance (without the famous hooped jersey, which didn't show up until a few strips down the line) is rather standard fare, and displays only a faint hint of the madcap anarchy which established his reader popularity in subsequent escapades.

Dennis's very first appearance.  Art by Davey Law

So successful did the strip become that, if not for Dennis, LEO BAXENDALE might never have been inspired to contact the Dundee "fun factory" looking for work.  After a few false starts, things were not looking good for him until, copying Dennis's face, he created LITTLE PLUM (or BOOSTER, as he was provisionally called), the strip which secured his place in the world of D.C. THOMSON's children's comics.  (It wasn't too long before Plum developed his own distinct facial features.)

It's no exaggeration to say that, without Dennis, Thomson's may well have had no Leo to produce not only Little Plum, but also The BASH STREET KIDS and The THREE BEARS, who - along with DUDLEY D. WATKIN's LORD SNOOTY and KEN REID's ROGER The DODGER - were destined to become some of the comic's other most iconic characters.



Interestingly, in what can only be described as an amazing coincidence, another DENNIS The MENACE - by HANK KETCHAM - debuted in his own American newspaper strip on March 12th 1951.

The issue Dennis first appeared.  Artwork by Dudley D. Watkins

However, British comics are traditionally released up to seven days before the cover date to give them a full week's shelf life until the next issue, so that means our Dennis hit the shops well in advance of the 17th.  (Some sources say the 12th, the same day as the U.S. version.)

However, as current Dennis artist NIGEL PARKINSON points out, U.K. comics are usually printed up to a week before going on sale, so regardless of which character had the longer lead-in to publication (which is anybody's guess), the British Dennis definitely saw print first - by several days.  (Consider also that U.K. weekly comics are prepared about two months before publication.)

Although known in this country, the U.S. version does not enjoy the same level (or anywhere near it) of popularity as our own home-grown rascal, but is big in the States, and no doubt our Dennis is just a minor footnote over there.  The two are completely different types of strips however, and aren't really comparable.

Classic Dennis from the 1978 Dennis book.  Art by Davey Law

Today, Dennis is everywhere: books, stationery, stamps, toys, figurines, DVDs, TV, and, of course, comics.  Given the disappointing circulation figures that afflict traditional kids' comics nowadays, let's hope that Dennis will still be around in another 60 years.  All together now - HAPPY BIRTHDAY DENNIS!  (The one who isn't the gay gondolier from Venice, that is - because it's not his birthday.)

(FOOTNOTE: When the U.S. strips were reprinted in Britain many years ago, the title was renamed after the character's live-action '60s TV show, JUST DENNIS (The PICKLE), to avoid confusion with the Thomson's character.  In 1976 or '77, DENIS GIFFORD, the late British comics historian and collector, made mention of this fact in the pages of an issue of his ALLY SLOPER magazine, and received an irate letter from a young American reader who had mistakenly assumed that Denis was saying the strip's name-change had occurred in the USA - so it seems our Stateside cousins are just as enthusiastic about their version of Dennis as we are of ours.)

(All images on this post are copyright of D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.)

Back cover of the first-ever Dennis book.  Art by Davey Law

The BROONS... BANNED! "JINGS, CRIVVENS, HELP MA BOAB!"

Images copyright D.C. THOMSON & Co., Ltd



Here is The BROONS strip that was "banned" and never saw print until its appearance in The SUNDAY POST, March 13th, 2011 - around 75 years after it was first created.

It's thought that it was vetoed because the word "lover" in the second panel was perhaps considered far too racy for a kids' strip in a family newspaper in 1936.  Morris Heggie, comics expert and current writer of The BROONS and Oor WULLIE, thinks that not only is it one of the earliest Broons strips in existence, but may even be the first one that artist DUDLEY D. WATKINS ever drew - the 'pilot' episode, in effect.

The Broons (The Browns) and Oor Wullie (Our William) celebrated their 75th anniversary in yesterday's Sunday Post, with a special pull-out souvenir section devoted to Scotland's loveable and long-running characters. 

Created by Robert Duncan Low (Managing Editor of D.C. THOMSON's children's publications) and Dudley Dexter Watkins, both strips first appeared in The Sunday Post FUN SECTION on March 8th 1936.  For many years Dudley was the only DCT artist allowed to sign his work, such was the esteem in which his employers held him.  The policy of other artists' enforced anonymity was only relaxed long after Dudley's death in 1969, one exception being Allan Morley, who started signing his work from 1947.

Original Broons & Oor Wullie artist, Dudley D. Watkins

For those that missed it, back issues of the newspaper are no doubt available from D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.  Get on the trail of that collectors' item classic while you can.  The Broons and Oor Wullie books continue to appear on alternate years on the run-up to Christmas, and a special hardbook book reprinting classic episodes of both strips as drawn by Dudley D. Watkins is published every year, and has been since 1996.

Above, the first appearance of Oor Wullie and The Broons, and below, for completists, the covers of the very first Broons and Oor Wullie books.

Click on images to enlarge - then click again for optimum size.

HAVING A SMASHING TIME...

Copyright REBELLION

As I said in the previous post (here), when SMASH! shuffled off this mortal coil (on 27th March 1971), its ghost haunted VALIANT for a while - but that wasn't the only way in which it managed to maintain a presence for another few years past its final issue.  Right up until 1975, a SMASH! Annual appeared every year in August/September for the following year.  (That is, the Annual which went on sale at the end of a year in the run-up to Christmas was for the year to come.)

SMASH! had ten Annuals in total - four in its ODHAMS incarnation, six in the IPC/FLEETWAY one, but there was an eleventh book in the form of the SMASH FUN BOOK 1971.  Feast your eyes on the covers for 1971 to 1976 in the pic-fest which follows.

Might as well throw in the 1969 & '70 Holiday Specials - just so I can show off my recent acquisition of the latter.  A replacement for the replacement of my original, as it were.  (Relax, it makes sense to me.)  Also included is the 1971 Valiant & Smash! Holiday Special, seeing as how Smash! is part of the title.

And now, for completists, here are the four original ODHAMS PRESS Annuals.  (Published by Hamlyn Books.)  The front and back cover for 1968 are included.



(Click on any image to enlarge, then click to enlarge again.)

Considering that the new SMASH! hit the stands in March of'69, it's odd that the 1970 Annual reflected the previous incarnation of the comic rather than the new one.  The Annual would've been prepared at roughly the same time as the comic was due to be relaunched, so that makes the discrepancy even more puzzling. Quite a few readers must have been confused as to why the Annual of their weekly comic bore very little resemblance to it when it went on sale in August or September of '69.

The 1971 Annual for its former companion title, WHAM! (the weekly having vanished from the shelves in 1968) must've seemed even more of an anomaly in contrast, the tone and format being in the old ODHAMS style as published by HAMLYN.  I can only conclude that the Annual usually sold well, hence its inclusion in the publishing schedule that year.

The name SMASH! survived for nearly ten years, from its first issue in 1966, to the final Annual for 1976 - surely a success in anyone's book.

SMASH, BANG, WALLOP, WHAT A COMIC MAG...

The 1st issue of Smash!  (February 1966)

It lasted a total of 257 issues - and there would've been more if not for a printing strike lasting several weeks in 1970.  It outlived companion titles like WHAM! (187 issues), POW! (86), FANTASTIC (89) and TERRIFIC (43), essentially becoming a "best of" repository for all of them - but only for about 6 months or thereabouts.  Then it was out with the old and in with the new, and what would've been #163 became the first issue of the 'NEW' SMASH!, devoid of MARVEL reprints and more like traditional British boys comics like VALIANT and LION. (It's the 42nd anniversary of that relaunch on the 8th of this month, unless I'm very much mistaken.)

  

SMASH! was a superb comic, and the one in which I was first introduced to the FANTASTIC FOUR.  When ODHAMS PRESS initially presented the awesome origin of the FF, they did so in WHAM! and SMASH! simultaneously - curiously (and erroneously) claiming exclusivity for each title at the conclusion of the first episode of the four-part tale.  Would you like to read the next instalment of the quartet's dynamic debut adventure?  You could only do so in the next issue of WHAM! - according to WHAM!, that is.  If, however, you were reading SMASH!, it was claiming sole publishing rights for the next part of the story.  Was this an intentional two-pronged promotion of the FF to double their readership potential, or a sudden emergency measure necessitated by the non-arrival of a regular strip for SMASH!?  I guess only ALF, BART and COS know for certain - I sure don't.



Art by Jack Kirby & Vince Colletta

When I later discovered that REED, BEN, SUSAN and JOHNNY were regularly appearing in WHAM! ("The COMIC With The FANTASTIC FOUR!"), I started buying that title too in order to feed my romantic infatuation with The INVISIBLE GIRL, though I continued to purchase SMASH! as well.  Then POW! (after WHAM! was merged with it) and also FANTASTIC and TERRIFIC. It's somewhat ironic that SMASH!, having been the first 'POWER' periodical I read - and the one in which I first discovered Marvel's most famous family - was also the last title standing, as well as the comic in which the FF made their home for the last few months of their Odhams Press existence.

   

The 1st revamped issue (March 1969)

As mentioned, the title was relaunched - in March 1969 - in a completely different format, featuring some stories originally intended for a comic called BLACKJACK, which, for reasons unknown (to me anyway) , was sadly never published.  (CURSITOR DOOM, and - eventually - The PILLATER PERIL being but a couple of examples.)  It lasted for 95 issues before being merged with VALIANT on 27th March, 1971 (issue dated 3rd April).

 

The Codemaster cards & envelope

All things come to an end, alas - but SMASH! didn't quite die with the last issue of its regular weekly comic.  Click here for the rest of the story.

It's BETTER Than The AVERAGE MOVIE...



Forget any lukewarm reviews you may have read about the new YOGI BEAR movie - it's a belter!  I was expecting to be disappointed after seeing a few indifferent and even negative responses to the film featuring everybody's favourite bruin, but I needn't have worried - it's funny, it's daft, and it's thoroughly entertaining.  I just can't understand what some critics were expecting from a movie based on a cartoon bear, but it does exactly what it says on the tin.  It's called YOGI BEAR - and that's precisely what you get.  What more could anyone want?

Go and see it NOW!  And don't take your eyes off Yogi.

Yogi and Boo Boo from the movie

Above: The poster and comicbook adaptation of Yogi's first big screen adventure. (1964.)

REGRETS? I'VE HAD A FEW...

The above is a letter from the late, legendary ALAN FENNELL, editor of TV CENTURY 21 and LOOK-IN, as well as the writer of various GERRY ANDERSON TV shows and numerous other projects.  Alan's self-financed eight issue run of THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO, the follow-up to EGMONT/FLEETWAY's 89 issues of THUNDERBIRDS The COMIC, had just limped to an end, no doubt losing him quite a bit of money in the process.

I had missed the last issue and 'phoned Alan about obtaining a back number, which he generously said he'd send me for nothing.  My conscience wouldn't permit me to take advantage of his good nature, however, so I forwarded him a note with enough money to cover the cost of the comic and postage.  The above letter was his response, and I couldn't help but notice the air of melancholy which ran through his thoughtful missive.  I 'phoned him shortly afterwards to inform him that, although I didn't know when it would be, I'd take him up on his kind offer the next time I was in London (though, as a non-drinker, it would've been a few jars of Coke in my case), but, alas, it was not to be.

One of my biggest regrets is that I never got to sit down with the editor of one of my favourite comics and writer of some of the best-loved TV shows from my childhood and "shoot the breeze", but at least I have the memory of a few 'phone chats, and two or three letters from him which I still treasure.  Another time, another place perhaps, Alan - and the first round's on me.

Remind me to tell you my other Alan Fennell story sometime soon.

******

Transcript follows:

19 September 1995

Dear Gordon

Thank you for your letter and the "donation" to the Fennell benevolent fund.

You are right, it is frightening to think that all our ideas about the next century look
as though they are going to be wrong.  Far from the exciting, glamourous new world,
it looks as if we get something similar to the twentieth century, but perhaps less of it! 

I need to get away from the Thunderbirds past for a while - this evening I have just
returned from the funeral of Derek Meddings, the man who put the word special into
special effects.  Derek was a monarch in the film business and when I remember that
we worked together on more than fifty films, I realise what a privilege it was for me
to have rubbed shoulders with an Oscar winning great.

The occasion was less sombre than expected, for I met up with a whole team of old
Century 21 acquaintances, but it was sad to see the ranks dwindling.

Let me know when you are paying a visit to Fleetway, and perhaps we can meet in
London and have a few jars.

Best wishes

Alan

******

For that other story mentioned above, click here.

"LETTERS OF NOTE"...

Regular readers of my humble posts will have noticed the excellent LETTERS OF NOTE website in my blog list on the right-hand side of the page. Taking a leaf out of its book, here's a letter which cartoonist TERRY BAVE sent to me in response to an inaccurate (obviously) report of his demise in an issue of CRIKEY!, a magazine mainly devoted to British comics and strip cartoons.

It demonstrates Terry's wonderful sense of humour in even the most morbid circumstances, and I'm (fairly) sure he wouldn't mind me sharing it with you here.

Incidentally, Terry is still with us - Crikey! isn't.

******

Transcript follows:

                                                Hi Gordon,

                                                You are not the first to be taken

                                                in by that stupid 'CRIKEY' story I'm afraid.

                                                At least it's nice to see what people say about

                                                me 'after I'm gone!'

                                                All good wishes,

                                                Terry & Shiela

"GHOSTING ALONG WITH SAM'S SPOOK!"

B&W copy of colour cover (sans logo) of the ICJ, in which
the Baves' article was originally intended to appear

Back in 2004, famous cartoonist TERRY BAVE responded to my request for a submission to The ILLUSTRATED COMIC JOURNAL by writing the following article.  The ICJ, alas, languished in limbo, so I then passed it on to CRIKEY!, who were going to print it, but ceased publication before they could.  Since Terry was kind enough to write it, it seems only fair that others get the chance to read it; so here for the first time anywhere, are Terry and his wife Shiela's reminiscences about 'ghosting' for comics.  All illustrations from this point on were provided by Terry himself.

******

SHIELA and I have been creating, writing and drawing many, many children's comic strips since way back in 1967.

Our break came via ALBERT 'COS' COSSER, the editor of WHAM!.  He bravely handed me SAMMY SHRINK, "The Smallest boy in the World" - my 'first' of many 'ghosted' features, and one we were able to make our own.  In fact, over the following years, we supplied many of the weekly scripts and drew the strip for over 20 years.  SAMMY SHRINK appeared in WHAM!, SMASH!, POW!, KNOCKOUT and WHIZZER & CHIPS.

Terry's version of Danny Dare, from Wham! Annual 1971

Now and again a comic artist would be called upon to 'ghost' (copy) another artist's strip on a weekly basis for a while when, for example, the regular artist was either sick or perhaps found himself in the rather enviable position of having far too heavy a workload.

As each artist has his own individual style of drawing, it was important to 'ghost' that particular style as closely as possible.  With luck, and if the Editor showed willing, over a period of time it would be possible to 'make the strip your very own' by gradually introducing your own distinctive style of drawing.  This didn't happen too often, and certainly not in the short term.

I was very lucky - I found it a reasonably easy task to copy LEO BAXENDALE's basic drawing style, which appeared in WHAM!, SMASH!, and POW! at that time.

Shiela & Terry Bave 

Being particularly keen to make my way in this FUN business, I jumped at the chance when 'COS' offered me the chance to create a brand-new comic character of my own.

He wanted a wicked 'baby' fun character as a mascot for WHAM!, so Shiela and I came up with BABY WHAMSTER, who was quickly followed up by BABY SMASHER, the new mascot for SMASH!.  We supplied scripts and artwork for both babies, who were very successful in their respective comics, and later appeared in both WHAM! and SMASH!.  Each baby made a perfect foil for one another.

Sam's Spook, from Smash! Fun Book 1971

To date, Shiela and I have created, written and drawn many original comic strips.  At the same time, we have been called upon to write and 'ghost' many others.  In 1968, we scripted and drew GRIMLY FEENDISH and PERCY'S PETS for SMASH!.  At the time, these strips were being drawn (also 'ghosted') weekly by STAN McMURTY, one of our favourite and most respected cartoonists.

In November of 1969, we got another wonderful break.  GIL PAGE, then Editor of the 'new' SMASH!, invited us to contribute to the 1971 SMASH! FUN BOOK, a 96 pager full of favourite fun characters.

We scripted and drew a SAMMY SHRINK 2-pager, scripted and 'ghosted' two 4-page strips of The SWOTS & The BLOTS, and again for a 2-pager of SAM'S SPOOK.  The scripts were supplied by editorial staff for a further 3-pager and 2-pager of BIG 'EAD, plus a 2-pager of BAD PENNY.  A big challenge, but great fun to tackle different styles.  I never looked back after that - I was happy to have a go at 'ghosting' many more styles.



The Baves supplied script and art for The Swots & the Blots for the SMASH! Fun Book 1971

WHAM!, SMASH!, and POW! were owned by ODHAMS PRESS, then IPC/FLEETWAY took over, continuing to run SMASH! in a 'revamped' form for a little while longer.  But not before I had added EAGLE EYE, DANNY DARE, The DOLLS Of St. DOMINICS and WEE WILLIE HAGGIS to my 'ghosted' list.

Big 'Ead, from Smash! Fun Book 1971

Over the following years, I 'ghosted', amongst others, SWEET TOOTH in WHIZZER & CHIPS, HIRE-A-HORROR and VAL'S VANISHING CREAM in COR!!, The KATTS, JELLY BABY and TOFFEE NOSE in KNOCKOUT, and SHIVER, SHAKE, SOGGY The SEA MONSTER and DAMSEL In DISTRESS in SHIVER & SHAKE.

Bad Penny, from - go on, take a guess

Also SNAP HAPPY and FUN FEAR in WHOOPEE, X-RAY SPECS, MUMMY'S BOY, GUMS, and ART'S GALLERY in MONSTER FUN, RITCHIE RAGS in JACKPOT, NUMBER 13, BASH STREET KIDS, BILLY WHIZZ, The GERMS and IVY The TERRIBLE in The BEANO and KORKY The CAT in The DANDY.  I've even had a go at DESPERATE DAN in the Fun-size DANDY books.

A lot of challenging drawing, but what a lot of fun 'ghosting' the work of so many favourite comic artists.

******

Terry & Shiela Bave (October 2004.)

******

And thanks to Terry and Shiela for all the years of hard work they put into making a lot of happy childhood memories for millions of readers.

******

Please note that this was originally the second instalment of a two-part article, but both parts have now been combined on this page.  However, part one is still advertised in the 'You might also like:' feature, but no longer exists as a separate post.  If you click on it, a link will direct you to this page.  Part two is also still advertised separately, but is now the complete article which you have just read and hopefully enjoyed. 

"GHOSTING ALONG WITH SAM'S SPOOK!"

Part One of this post has now been merged with Part Two and can be

found here.

WHO IS The MAN... The MAN CALLED FLINTSTONE?

Copyright relevant owner

In the latter half of 1972, my local cinema (the first purpose-built cinema in the U.K. since the war, with the largest screen in Scotland) was showing a double bill of LIVING FREE (the sequel to BORN FREE), and - wait for it - The MAN Called FLINTSTONE.

Back then, the programme probably ran about a fortnight before being changed, and, one day, having nothing better to do, I wandered in to see it.  I was instantly enthralled by the exploits of FLINTSTONE... FRED FLINTSTONE, as he filled in for incapacitated secret agent ROCK SLAG on account of being his spittin' image.

(Apparently, the first title considered was THIS MAN FLINTSTONE, as a nod to OUR MAN FLINT, starring ol' stone-face JAMES COBURN.)

Right from the very beginning, the audience knows that this is going to be something different to the TV show.  There stands WILMA, larger than life, holding aloft the famous COLUMBIA torch; then we're hit with a JAMES BOND style theme song before the film proper begins.  And what a film it is!  How a cartoon film can have a "big-budget" feel (at least at the beginning) in comparison to a TV episode, I'm not sure - but this movie (released in 1966 following the TV show's final season) certainly creates a whole new dimension and is well-worth seeing.

Over the course of the remainder of the movie's run, I went back several times, not even bothering with the live-action film which preceded it.  Indeed, on one occasion when I took along a friend, he got in for free as a reward for my frequent attendances.  (Some complimentary popcorn and Cokes would've been nice, but I guess you can't have everything.)  Thanks to the late Mr. BOB JOHNSTONE, manager of The CINEMA (as it was imaginatively known) for its nearly 20-year run between 1968 and 1988.

I obtained the video of the movie in the early or mid-'90s, and it was just as much fun as I remembered it to be.  It's not yet available on DVD in Britain, but overseas editions no longer include the witty "Columbia" opening because of copyright issues - which is a shame.  (It's available on YouTube - why not check it out now?!)

That first purpose-built cinema in the U.K. since the war (with the largest screen in Scotland, remember) is now a bingo hall - but, somehow, magically, I'm back there in its glory days whenever I watch this highly amusing and entertaining film.