Tiger 17th April 1976

Hard to believe that April 1976 is more than fifty years ago. I try not to think about things like this too much; otherwise, every blog post would begin with a melancholy entry about how old I'm getting and less about the comics I love so much.  I thought my teenage years flew by quickly, but that was nothing compared to how fast my 40s came and went. I am somewhat jealous of Billy Dane, the boy who never ages. I know how many troubles he has, but that's nothing compared to working a job you don't like while trying to pay off the mortgage. I guess there's a reason they make comics about magical boots and steer well clear of the grind of everyday life!   

Tiger

17th April 1976

Johnny Cougar

Still teaching Physical Training at a local school, Johnny Cougar tells his boys that he will be taking them camping in the New Forest for their summer camp. 

The boys are excited, but first they must negotiate a gym game with Johnny Cougar. This game involves him chasing them around the gym and its equipment, all without touching the floor. 

After the game, there is talk about the camp in the New Forest. Plans are progressing well, but elsewhere other plans are also being made. A jailbreak is being planned, with the crooks intending to make for the New Forest as soon as they can to reclaim their loot buried there. 

I think we can all see what is coming next. This episode was drama-free, with very little happening except for the story being prepared for next week's action. 

Speaking of action, we did see Johnny Cougar at his athletic best in the gym. This looked great on the page, although it did nothing to move the story along. It was injected to give us some action on the page, but it remained inessential, and I found that after admiring the artwork, I quickly skimmed over it. 

An inoffensive issue, and by no means essential, this was just a signpost of what to come. Next week promises more; let's hope it delivers. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Twenty thousand pounds...just waiting for us to collect it!" 

Skid Solo

Tommy is out on the track, and struggling to keep up with two faster cars. Feeling that it's a hopeless situation, his mind flashes back to Skid Solo earlier in the day. 

In the flashback, we see Skid telling his Doctor that nothing is ever hopeless and they have to at least try. He is referring to his condition, and we learn that Skid will soon learn if he will ever walk again. 

Back in the present, Tommy takes this as inspiration and is soon hauling in the other two cars. Predictably, he passes them both, edging out a close victory. 

There is little time for congratulations, as Tommy is soon on his way to the hospital for Skid's final prognosis. After waiting outside with a crowd of others, Tommy is rewarded by the sight of Skid emerging out the door, standing upright and no longer in a wheelchair. Naturally, the crowd burst into a round of "For he's a jolly good fellow." 

The end may have been corny, but I am pleased to see Skid back on his feet. It's been a long few months, and although Tommy propped up the story, it wasn't the same strip without the titular character. 

With Skid recovered, I can only hope that he will soon be back in his car and racing on the track. I worry that there may be a further recovery period, but it would be nice to get back on track in the next few weeks. 

As for the rest of the story, we see Tommy continue with his driving education, and it seems he is progressing nicely. He obviously has talent, and the fact that he came from behind to win the race bodes well for the coming issues and the next year. I assume we will see him and Skid racing as a team soon enough, and this should bring a new interest to the story. 

This was a well-balanced story, with action on the track and a large turning point for the overall arc at the end with Skid coming out of his wheelchair. Next week should build on this, as this week feels like the end of an era and the beginning of something new. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Skid's on his feet again!"

Roy Of the Rovers

We've reached the pointy end of the season, and with only two games remaining, Melchester Rovers need at least three points to have a chance to steal the championship on goal difference.

Preparing to play against Sandford, Rovers train to defend against Sandford's greatest weapon - the low cross. 

Arriving at the game, Roy takes some ribbing for not naming a date for his wedding to Penny. However, he has a surprise up his sleeve and quickly hands out wedding invites, conveniently timed for just after the cup final. 

The game starts, and it's obvious that Roy's mind is elsewhere. He misses an easy goal, then gives away possession that almost leads to a goal against his team. 

Faithful Blackie runs to check on his skipper, only to hear Roy say that it's going to be a disaster; it's the biggest mistake of his life. 

No, Roy, the biggest mistake of your life was that suit you wore to the game today. I know it's the 1970s, but really, there's no excuse. I assume we are supposed to think he's talking about the wedding in regard to making a mistake, but I hope it's only the football that's got him in such a state. Considering how strong he is with his decision-making on the field, it seems strange that Roy would get cold feet about the wedding. Poor Penny.  I like the idea that it could be either the wedding or football, and that is a nice fishhook to lure me back next week. In the meantime, I don't envy being in Penny's position. 

The football action was strong, but the most enjoyable part of the strip was seeing the players interact in the dressing room. The terribly dated suits caught my eye first, quickly followed by the easy banter between the team and Roy. I often find Roy a little stiff on the page, especially compared to the colourful characters he surrounds himself with, so it was pleasing here to see the other players taking the mickey and Roy laughing along. 

I must admit I'm a sucker for a good wedding, and it sounds like we won't have to wait too long before we see one on the pages here. Given the outrageous suits we saw in the changing room today, the garish clothing may well outshine the story. 

We also had plenty of panels devoted to Roy laying out the tactics. Anyone who has read this blog previously knows I love a map or a diagram, and here I was treated to seeing Roy with both a tactics board and a pointer. The payoff for this hopefully rests in next week's pages, and again it shall be something I keep my eye out for.

This was a solid issue, and we are well set up for the end of the season and Roy's impending nuptials.

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "It's our invitations to the wedding! Penny's cornered him at last!"

Hot-Shot Hamish

It's the final game of the season, and Princes Park needs to win to gain promotion to the first division.

There's a gale blowing, and although Princes Park have it to their advantage in the first half, they fail to capitalise. Frustrated, Hamish shoots from his own half, scoring a wonder goal just before halftime. 

The second half sees Princes Park defending their slim lead. Airtree make better use of the howling wind, scoring two wind-assisted goals. The second goal sees Hamish rolling his sleeves up and vowing to show them what he can do. 

This was an excellent story and the best we have seen in this week's issue. The drama on the page was spread evenly across every panel, and from the very start I was engaged with the story. The idea of the wind influencing the game was well executed, and I enjoyed seeing how both sides made use of it. This also gave us some very amusing images on the page as we saw players miskicking the ball, or the ball moving in unexpected ways. 

As always, the art was just as good as the story, and several panels had me looking twice. In particular, Hamish's goal was outstanding, as was the final panel of him glaring out of us and threatening to show us what he can do. 

A great issue, and just what we needed as a couple of weaker stories started this week's comic.      

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "I'll show 'em...clever lot! A mon canna be offside in his own half!"

Billy's Boots

Billy and Jimmy are still struggling to get Reg Wood into the team. He performs well in practice, but his Mum still won't let him play because she's afraid he'll get hurt.

However, Reg is named in the team, and when Reg's Mother overhears Billy and Jimmy talking, she finally decides that Reg can play.

The team is overjoyed, and soon Reg is kitting up for an away league match. Reg performs well throughout the match, making several classy saves, including one very brave save that sees him colliding with an opposition player. 

However, he comes through unscaved, and the team leave the game in high spirits as Mr Harris announces they will all be in the cup team.

These high spirits last until Billy and Jimmy are almost home and Billy realises that he has left his boots on the bus (surprise!).

A week later, Billy is still without his boots, and he finds himself lacing up new boots as he prepares to take the field for the Cup final. He nervously takes the field, and as Reg calls for a backpass, Billy is scared that without his magic boots he's likely to score an own goal.

Firstly, let me say that in all my years of taking buses, never once has the conductor or driver told me when I reach my stop and I should get off. Obviously I have never taken a bus around Groundwood, and if I had, it would have saved me from several unplanned adventures I have suffered. 

It's great to see Reg finally in the team, and we now have our three musketeers in place for the next few years. With two strong characters either side of him, Billy becomes more interesting as the other two characters prop up some of his weaker moments. 

Of course, he has still managed to leave his boots on the bus. What can I say, this is par for the course, and the whole point of the strip. I could get frustrated and wish that Billy could do better (I'm not angry, just disappointed), but instead I will wholeheartedly embrace the story and await the outcome of his latest careless loss. The fact that he has lost his boots for the cup final adds extra jeopardy to the situation, and I already sense things are not going to go well for Billy. His foreboding thoughts about the back pass suggest that things may not start well for him, a thought that we will have to pick up in the next issue to see if it comes to fruition.   

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "Oh no! Reg took a nasty kick in the face!" 

Nipper

Nipper is playing poorly in the match against Eastgate, as the drama of his home life catches up with him. Nat Munger is still blackmailing him; in the last issue, he produced unshakable proof that Nipper had a criminal past, a past Nipper can't remember due to his ongoing memory loss.

Thankfully, Nipper is pulled from the match by Andy Stewart. Andy understands that Nipper is still struggling with his memory loss, and tells him that he has arranged for Nipper to see the specialist again, although he will have to miss the return match with Zeeden.

Nipper doesn't wait around for the game to end, and instead drives straight home to give Munger the 100 pounds he is demanding for blackmail. 

This fails to satisfy Munger, who tells Nipper this is now only the first instalment on what will be an ongoing payment. Nipper is angered, but when he grabs Munger, Munger responds that this has merely put the price up and he will now need 200 pounds by next week. 

The strip ends with Nipper watching Munger storm off, and wondering if there is some way of finding out if he was really Munger's accomplice. 

It feels like this story is beginning to increase in tempo again. The memory loss storyline has had several flat moments, but with things ramping up between Nipper and Munger, we may soon see things come to a head. 

The football took second place to the action this week. Although the first part of the comic was devoted to a game, very little happened. It was merely filled to demonstrate how much all this extra drama is affecting Nipper. It was with the appearance of Munger that the story revealed its bones, and every panel with Nipper and Munger was essential. 

Like several other stories in this issue, it ended with a great hook, and as much as I want to see the memory loss story end, I am getting a real kick out of seeing the conflict between Nipper and Munger. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "But this is only the first instalment! I've,er...developed expensive tastes since I came out of jail..."

Tornado Jones

Tornado Jones had engine trouble just as he was about to do a display of trick motorcycle riding at a Spring Fair. However, a mysterious rider suddenly appeared and did his first stunt, crashing through a wall of ice blocks.

Jones is amazed, and even more so as the rider continues to successfully complete his stunts one by one.

Jones confronts the rider and finds himself challenged to a job over seventeen cars, two more than his current record. The pair accelerate side by side to the ramp, and side by side they complete the stunt.

Challenge completed, the mysterious rider removes their helmet, and we find it is Jo Tallon, previously of Tallon of the Track. Jabbing her finger at Jones, she tells him that he has a very special job for him. 

What a great surprise. I was overjoyed to see Jo Tallon on the page again, and her appearance gave the strip an immediate lift. She has an innate energy to her, and the character jumps off the page whenever we see her. Paired with Tornado Jone's humour, I expect the strip to gain new life going forward.

Before the final reveal, we were treated to some fine-looking motorcycle action. The first couple of stunts set the stage, but these were all building to the centrepiece of the comic, the jumping over the cars. The tension was well paced, and the sight of the two riders gunning their engines and racing towards the ramp escalated the action in a steady and compelling manner. I was fully invested by the time they hit the ramp, and the story lifted in unison with them taking off. 

A strong story, and one that I expect will remain so with the arrival of Tallon. I haven't always been the biggest fan of Tornado Jones, although I have warmed to him considerably of late, and I think that in the next few weeks we should see the comic reach new heights with a mix of intrigue and humour.    

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Not just any girl, Tornado! That's Jo Tallon...motor-cycle ace and training boss of the 'Flying Ospreys' speedway team!"

Martin's Marvellous Mini

With their mini, George, stuck in desert sand in the middle of a minefield, things seem grim for Martin and Tiny Howver, a nearby German tank from World War Two, offers an escape.

Although the tank has been sitting in the desert for 30 years, the boys manage to get it running, and soon they are using it to pull their mini from the sands. Their joy is short-lived as the tank runs over a mine. Luckily, the mine is relatively weak, and no real damage is done. However, 30 metres further on, the tank's tracks fall off, leaving the boys back in the mini and hurrying to get to Cairo before the start of the rally. 

Their main rival for the rally, Rodney Hake, notes their arrival and makes a panicked call to his father. The Hakes are determined that Tiny and Martin won't win the rally, and resort to sabotage as Rodney Hake cuts the luggage straps on Tiny and Martin's car as the race begins. 

The boys make great speed in the early part of the rally, little realising that their vital supplies are falling off George's roof rack. 

I still cannot get used to the current artist working on this strip, and it doesn't feel as fast-flowing or fun as previous iterations. The story itself is still moving at a good pace, and I'm much happier now that the rally has started. I always enjoy the travelogues of Martin's Marvellous Mini, and I expect to see plenty of that over the coming weeks as the rally unfolds. I can only hope the art lives up to it.  

The opening pages as they navigate the desert were a little absurd, and I was pleased when they finally got back on track. The tank was fun, but it did feel out of place to me. I did have to remind myself that when this strip was written, the Second World War was only 30 years ago, not the 80+ years it is now. 

The early diversion of the main story is now behind us, and we can concentrate fully on the rally and the drama between Tiny and Martin and the Hake family. It's a long way to Cape Town from Cairo, so my expectations are high, and it looks like the story will have plenty of time to marinate in the juices of Africa.   

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "You went over a mine! Luckily it wasn't big enough to do any damage!" 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7.5/10

Best Story: Tornado Jones

Best Line: "It-it'll be a disaster, I know it will. The biggest mistake of my life!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz:

Tiger 10th April 1976

It's been a little while, but I'm back. Like John Lennon famously said, "Life is what happens to you while you make other plans". Well, a lot of life has happened since my blog post. Hopefully, I shall be a little more regular going forward, although to be honest, I'm never going to be back to posting weekly like I used to do. Enough about my life, let's check on the lives of those in Tiger comic, April 1976.  

Tiger

10th April 1976

Skid Solo

A Grand Prix car takes pride of place on the front page, but it's not Skid Solo's, and neither is it Tommy Carter's. Rather, it belongs to Buster Benson, three-time World Champion, now racing in his final race. 

At the trackside, Skid sits in his wheelchair, telling Tommy of Benson's exploits. He earned the nickname "Buster" much like Crash Carter earned his by busting cars in a variety of fashions. 

Skid tells Tommy that, despite this, Buster Benson became World Champion. He hated losing, and this motivated him, even today as an older racer in a slower car. 

Tommy takes all this on board, and as the race starts, he is impressed with Benson's speed off the line. However, soon cars begin to pass Benson, including Tommy. 

However, Tommy has trouble with an oil leak, and he pulls into the pits for Sandy to fix it. He emerges back on the track a lap down and just behind Benson. As the race continues, Tommy remembers Skid's words that Benson hates to lose and that this is Benson's last race.

The race ends with  Tommy coming in last, just behind Benson. Benson is happy; he was slow, but at least he wasn't last. Later, as Benson walks away, Skid quietly says to Tommy that it was a very nice thing that Tommy did on the track, although Tommy mumbles that he doesn't know what Skid is talking about. 

A good lesson for Tommy early on, as Tommy learns that Buster overcame his nickname to later win the World Championship. This is paired with a feel-good ending; however, the story overall felt rather bland and didn't make a strong impression. With Skid still off the track, the Tommy storylines are failing to grab me satisfyingly, and although I can see a lot of potential with the direction we are heading, it remains unfilled. 

Earlier in the year, we had drama with Skid's accident and his time in the hospital. This has now dissipated, and we are left with a story bereft of its hero and seemingly struggling for direction. 

Once again, I can't fault it too much; the artwork remains superb, and the stories still have a feel-good factor that is heavily influenced by Skid Solo's personality. With just a little more edge, we would be back on track, but for now, we are in a rut, and something needs to change. 

Rating: 5.5/10

Best line: "Well, not bad for an old man, Skid. At least I can say...I wasn't last!" 

Hot Shot Hamish

Hamish has been feuding with McKirky, following a family tradition of four hundred years. However, as a great tree is falling upon McKirky, Hamish stops it, holding up the tree and saving McKirky's life. 

With this act, 400 years of feuding are over, and Hamish and McKirky shake hands in peace. McKirky tells Hamish that he is in his debt, and one day he intends to repay him. 

On the football side of the story, Princes Park is two games away from winning promotion. The first game they play ends in a draw after a fortuitous goal from Hamish, and it all comes down to the final game. As the players come down the tunnel toward the pitch, they are greeted by McKirky, who vows to repay Hamish. With that, he leads the McKirky Pipers forward, and the team is treated to the sight of a pipe band bringing them onto the field while the rest of the stadium is tense in anticipation.

The strip started strongly, the opening panels full of drama, and plenty for the eye to feast upon. The final few panels were equally compelling, with the sight of the McKirky Pipers making their way across the pitch an unforgettable way to finish the strip.

The rest of the strip couldn't quite match these moments, and although we had some football action, none of it reached the heights of the panels containing Hamish and McKirky. There was a crackling electricity between McKirky and Hamish, both characters sharply defined and contrasting well on the page and in the story. The 400-year feud was buried rather easily, yet Hamish and McKirky retained a flinty dynamic which should propel the story through to next week. 

Strong characters, a healthy dose of humour, and the always excellent artwork made this a solid entry,  and with a slightly stronger storyline, I would have rated it much higher.  

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "A Balfour...risking his life for a McKirky! I canna believe it!"

Johnny Cougar

In a strange twist, Johnny Cougar is now a school teacher and dealing with unruly students rather than fearsome wrestlers.

One of his charges, Dickie Dawkins, has decided to play a trick on Johnny, placing a medicine ball behind Johnny as Johnny addresses the class. However, Johnny has a sixth sense and knows the ball is there. Picking it up, he throws it at Dawkins, telling him to put it away. 

Cougar then sends them on a long run, which aggravates Dawkins further. Dawkins has a plan, and with his friend Arnold, he falls behind the runners. Hiding in the groundsman's shed, they plan on coming out and joining the others by the end of the run. However, an Indian cry sees Johnny smashing into the hut and chastises the two boys. 

Not only do the two boys have to write 100 lines, but they also have to complete the run, and by the time they return, their classmates are already in the shower and relaxing. 

Meanwhile, the headmaster has pulled Johnny to one side, telling him that he would like him to take the boys away for a summer camp in the New Forest. 

I was wondering how they were going to shoehorn in the physical nature of Johnny Cougar when he is portrayed as a teacher at a school. The answer was to have him smash into the groundskeeper's shed in a panel that captures Johnny in a typical wrestling pose. I can't say I'm one hundred per cent sold on a Johnny Cougar story outside the ring, but we have seen such stories before, and seen them work.

Next week will be make-or-break in this regard. If it's a strong episode, then all well and good. But if not, it will be a tough ask to get me to invest in a story where Johnny is babysitting some teenagers. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Heap bad! Heap wrong! Heap naughty! Cougar not like at all! You write Cougar 100 lines each..."True sportsman not cheat at sport."

Billy's Boots

Last week on the pages of Billy's Boots, we met Reg Wood and his indomitable mother. Not only did she drag Reg away from practice by his ear, but she also stopped to give Mr "Hardnut" Harris a piece of her mind. 

After training, Mr Harris suggests that Billy and Jimmy pay a visit to Reg Wood and find out why his mother won't let him play football. The two boys oblige, but when they stop at Reg's place, they find that he is out with his mother, and only his father is at home. 

His father is welcoming, and inside the house, they find several large photos of Reg's Father playing for Wales. He tells them that he was a good keeper, but only played for the national team twice; in the second game, he sustained a serious leg break and never played again. 

This explains Reg's mother's reluctance to let Reg play, but his father assures the two boys that he will try to talk her around. The next day, Reg appears at training, and the team can once again see what a great keeper he is. A while later, his mother appears, this time with his father in tow, and she tells Mr Harris that she still has to think about whether she will allow it.

The first few strips in this issue have seen weak stories propped up by strong artwork. In Billy's Boots, we finally get a compelling storyline that is ably matched by artwork that reinforces the words on the page.

The story of Reg's overprotective mother plays well to the audience it is aimed at, and still holds up well today. It is relatable to both the young audience and to those adults who choose to pick up the comic later, although the adults reading it may feel more aligned with Reg's mother's point of view, rather than having sympathy for Reg. 

Reg's father's flashback to his accident was handled well, and I found myself enjoying the page it took to tell just as much as any of the pages showing Billy and Jimmy playing football. The moment was touching and created sympathy not just for Reg, but also for his father and his mother. After seeing this backstory, I found I had a lot more empathy for Reg's Mum, and it makes the outcome of the story all the more weighty, as we want an outcome that satisfies all parties involved. 

I am already anticipating that next week's story may again be my favourite, as Billy's Boots continues its strong run.   

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Oh, yes...he's good! But so were you!"

Martin's Marvellous Mini

Martin and Tiny have entered the Cairo to Cape Town rally, despite Sir Hilary Hake trying to have them banned.

After a rough ferry journey to Cairo, they take the car for a drive, seeing their first camel and having a taste of life in the desert. They are curious about the tanks left in the desert after World War Two and are surprised when one opens fire at them. The tank is manned by two men who have been paid off by Sir Hake, and they are disappointed to see Tiny and Martin escape deeper into the desert, although they do comment that Tiny and Martin are driving toward the Valley of Drifting Sand, and it's unlikely that they will ever be seen again. 

Tiny and Martin are soon stuck and, after much effort, free themselves, only to find themselves driving toward another tank. Luckily, this one isn't manned, and as they explore around, Tiny picks up an old sign. Written in German, it warns them of mines, and the two lads realise they have driven into a minefield.

I still can't get used to this new artist. Normally, I embrace change easily, but in this case, every time I look at the page, I feel I am taken out of the story and distracted by the fact that these don't look like the Tiny and Martin I know and love. 

The story remains as strong as ever, and on another day, I would fully embrace the story being told. Old tanks in the desert, a minefield, and the peril created would normally be right in my wheelhouse, and yet I just can't fully engage with the story being told visually. 

I still think the story is strong, and this would score much higher if I could get past the artwork. The fault is all mine, and I'm sure I will be enthused about future episodes, but for now, the strip is doing just enough to keep me reading until next week.  

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "Gosh! Look at that...a tank!" 

Tornado Jones

After a week's break, Tornado Jones returns with a new adventure. On his way to a ride at a Spring Fair, he comes across an oil tanker that has skidded into the ditch. Jones avoids an accident but finds the oil on the road to be treacherous and narrowly avoids crashing into the bridge.

While he is surveying the scene, a motorbike is fast approaching. Jones attempts to warn the rider, but the rider pays no heed and speeds by. Gunning the engine, the rider easily jumps his bike onto the rail of the bridge, riding safely along it before jumping off at the other end. 

The tanker driver is impressed, while Jones is dismissive, calling the rider crazy. Continuing on his way, Jones arrives at the fair and prepares for his stunt, speeding through a wall of ice. However, as he speeds towards the obstacle, his bike suddenly fails him, forcing him to pull up short. He tells those watching that it will take him an hour to fix it, when suddenly the mysterious rider appears. This rider yells that he'll do it, and before Jones has time to react, the rider has accelerated through the wall of ice and exploded out the other side.

I have a love-hate relationship with Tornado Jones, and this week I come down on the side of love as it delivers a fun story that kept me engrossed for the pages it ran. 

The story is relatively simple, and the clean artwork helped keep up the pace of the story as I quickly read through. There wasn't as much silliness as we sometimes see in Tornado Jones, and the humour was more fun than silly when it did occur in this issue. 

We had several dramatic moments, firstly with Jones avoiding an accident, and then with the mysterious rider twice providing dynamic moments on the bike. In not many panels, the story was able to be laid out, while the stunts kept up the energy levels, providing just enough detail to keep one reading. 
This was a well-crafted story, and one of the better Tornado Jones stories I have read for a long while. Hopefully, this should continue through the next week, and if so, I shall have to eat my words about some of the earlier Tornado Jones stories. This was solid from start to finish and deserves recognition for being one of the best stories in this week's comic. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Stone the crows, here comes a motor-bike! That guy must be doing a ton!"

Roy Of The Rovers

Melchester Rovers are playing Deans Park in the sixth round of the F.A. Cup. The Deans' manager, Brian Davidson, has gained a psychological advantage, wearing a loudly coloured jacket and proclaiming it to be his lucky jacket. 

Roy is angry at his team for believing in such things and tells them to forget the gimmick and just concentrate on scoring goals. He puts his words into action and has an early shot that is pushed aside by the keeper.

From the resulting corner, the ball is cleared by the Deans Park players. On the sideline, Brian Davidson waves his jacket, and the Rovers think it is signalling that one of the players is going to make an overlap, but it is merely a distraction, and after a cross-field pass, Deans Park scores.   

After this, Rovers come under further pressure, with Roy pitching in on defence. Seeing Brian Davidson taking off his jacket, Roy can see that he is signalling for a short corner. Reading the play, Roy reacts swiftly, not only kicking the ball out but also making sure to hit the jacket, carrying it back into the Rovers fans sitting behind Davidson. 

With the jacket out of the equation, the complexion of the match changes. Roy first sets up Blackie to score the first goal, before scoring one himself in the second half. With this, the match is won, and the story of Davidson's jacket is over. 

A great story, and I'm happy to see that the second half of this week's Tiger comic is considerably stronger than the first half. 

I didn't think a story about a manager's jacket could be so good, but this was excellent. Once again, it was Roy driving the action, and he was the strongest character on the page and in the story. Although he dominated the strip throughout, as well he might, after all, it's his name in the title, there were still a couple of cameos from other characters in the story. The Melchester fans once again proved their worth, and the interaction between them and Roy was a key part of the story. It hasn't always been such a rosy relationship, but here we see the two working together for the benefit of the club. 

As for the other players, it was only Blackie Grey and Charlie who got any lines, with Charlie's being merely an apology to Roy for the goal scored. This does make the story rather lopsided, as Roy is again a one-man team, but I am happy to overlook it on this occasion as I found myself invested in the outcome of this tale. 

The jacket was an interesting mcguffin, and one that sounded plausible, as was Roy's solution. It gave football a chance to take centre stage, the jacket driving the story without having to appear on every panel. 

A tasty tale, and one that helps lift this week's issue from a slow start. Roy continues with his strong run, and one can see here why he was eventually given his own comic. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "No, you idiots...it's just a decoy! Cover the far post!" 

Nipper

Nipper is still suffering from memory loss, and the story is complicated by the return of Nipper's former guardian, Munger, who insists that Nipper was his accomplice in several crimes. 

Nipper doesn't want to believe it, but Munger takes him to an abandoned house in the rough part of the docks. Pulling up some planks in the fireplace, Munger shows some money in an envelope, and more importantly, a balaclava, which he tells Nipper he used to wear during burglaries. A name sewn into the hat is damning evidence, and the "N Lawrence" is plain for all to see. 

Munger reiterates his demand for 100 pounds to keep him quiet, and Nipper is still worried about it as he arrives at Blackport's next game. Some quick questions to Mike about Nipper's background don't ease his anxiety, and as the game begins, Nipper makes a mistake, leading to an early goal against them.

From the bench, Andy Stewart can see that Nipper has something on his mind. He makes it quite clear that if Nipper continues like this, he won't be coming with them for their next European game. 

Nipper ends this week's comic on a high note. It may be the darkest story in the comic, but it is also one of the best.

The gritty realism we are used to is obvious on the page, even if the story of Nipper's memory loss is rather fanciful. Munger is a great villain, and the artist more than does him justice with his face leering out at us in the first part of the story. One can almost smell the cigarette smoke; it is visceral. 

Elsewhere, the football action is solid enough, although it is Nipper's friendship with Mike that remains the constant. Their chat as they run onto the field has an easy, naturalness of two friends, and helps deepen the story in just a couple of lines. The story is progressing nicely on two fronts: the main Munger storyline, and the football side of the Nippers' performance suffers. Both are feeding off each other, and I'm hooked. This should be one to watch in the coming weeks, as Nipper's struggles get harder week by week.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Why, you...double-crossing creep! That's blackmail! 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Billy's Boots 

Best Line: "It's that old tank! Get off the road before we get clobbered!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz:

Tiger 3rd April 1976

The opening story of this week's issue threw me off my stride. A new artist gave some familiar faces a new look, and not one I immediately warmed to. I usually embrace change, so I'm not sure why this change made me uncomfortable. Maybe I have been too invested in the story and characters, giving it far more credit than it perhaps deserved, based on my familiarity. However, this new look is closer to what I read when I first started buying the comic in 1982, and with this thought comes the realisation that I have now read more of these older issues than the ones I bought new. Time has a funny way of contracting and expanding, and it doesn't pay to think too much about it. Much like the thought that I am writing about comics from almost fifty years ago, which, when I was a boy, would have been the equivalent of comics in the 1930s. Great, I have officially become my Grandfather, and I'm not too happy about it!    

Tiger

3rd April 1976

Martin's Marvellous Mini

Martin and Tiny have finally joined a Motor Club, and a very smart one at that. This week's strip begins with the lads taking part in a Rally-Cross event. It's wet and muddy, and Martin and Tiny make quite an impression as they slide around the course. Things come to a sticky end as they crash into the private enclosure owned by Sir Hilary Hake. This results in the members being showered in mud, and the outcome of it all is that Martin and Tiny are chucked out of the club, and with that, their chances of racing in the Cairo to Cape Town rally are dashed. 

Sir Hake is pleased with the outcome; now his son has a good chance of winning the rally, and that will be a big boost for Hake cars. However, Martin and Tiny have returned to Buxton Street, and the local community has rallied together to raise the cash for them to take part in the rally.

Martin and Tiny are driving to the start of the race when they drive straight through a large puddle, splashing water over Sir Hake, who immediately threatens to ring Cairo and have them thrown out of the race before it begins. 

It seems a new artist is working on Martin's Marvellous Mini. It has a similar feel, but there are certain panels where the difference is glaring. For the most part, it didn't bother me too much, aside from the panel at the bottom of the first page where Tiny and Martin looked like impostors of the two characters I know and love. 

This distracted me from the main story for quite a while. A reread helped bring me back up to speed, and although the story is good enough, it hasn't yet delivered on the Ciro to Cape Town rally promised last week. That hasn't been entirely forgotten, and these troubles with Sir Hilary Hake are merely setting the scene for that much longer race. 

The muddy rally-cross event gave us a strong cover image, although it was deflating to turn the page and see that change in artwork. The story of Sir Hilary is low-stakes and needed something bold to kick-start this diversion. The images of the cars in the mud did this, and while the rest of the story didn't deliver on the promise of this cover, it did at least keep me enthused enough to finish. 

The story got steadily better as it went along, and once I got used to the new look, I found the story quite engaging. Sir Hilary and his cars played well on the page, and as we head to the start of the Cairo to Cape Town rally, all is in the right place for a cracking story. It was a better-than-expected start, and although the strip had a couple of shaky moments, it gave us a dash of excitement and set us up well for what comes next. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Don't you know? He's that smart gent who had his own private enclosure - the chap who was a bit mud stained!"   

Who the heck are these guys??

Johnny Cougar

Johhny Cougar has received bad news from the editor of Tiger and Scorcher; his story isn't as popular as it used to be, and it's time to spruce things up.

Johnny and Splash meet some young boys in the street and question them about their preferences. The boys tell Johnny that there is too much wrestling (wrong!) and that he should take a break from grip and grapple. 

Things move quickly from there, as the boys encourage Johnny to become a P.E. teacher. Before the end of the strip, not only has he been accepted to teach at the school, but the first lesson has already begun as Johnny pushes his young chargers to run around the gym.

Not everyone is pleased to have Johnny as their teacher, and we see one boy placing a medicine ball behind where Johnny is standing, intending for Johnny to fall backwards when he takes a step back. 

With Johnny and Splash talking to the editor about the popularity of their own strip, Johnny Cougar is ahead of the curve when it comes to being meta. It has since become very trendy, but in the mid to late 70s, this would have been quite groundbreaking. I have mixed feelings about it. It feels right for Johnny Cougar; we have had several instances of him talking directly to the reader over the last three years, and it's not unusual to see him or Splash deliver a final line directly to the reader. However, this is a step beyond that, and although it's no great jump, it does draw back the curtain on Johnny Cougar's popularity at the time. 

Seeing the three boys telling Johnny that there's too much wrestling action goes against everything that I personally feel about the comic. I have often thought the strongest part of any Johnny Cougar story is the wrestling. It seems I am in the minority on that front, and with it now clearly stated on the page, I fear that we may be moving away from what I like most about Johnny Cougar and onto something much more fanciful. 

That hasn't played out yet, and seeing Johnny teaching in a school is a humble beginning. I did question his ease at getting a teaching position, and although they alluded to checking with the authorities, it sounded like no proper police check was done. Oh, how times have changed. Hard to imagine a school now taking on a professional wrestler without a barrage of red tape and hoops to jump through. 

Johnny's first day at school hasn't delivered anything exciting, and my first thought is that any sort of wrestling action would be better than this. Dealing with a problematic student isn't what I want to see from Johnny Cougar, and I can only hope that this is merely a prelude to a much wider story. Only time will tell, and although this was a curious issue, it wasn't an entirely compelling one and needs an extra spark to pay off the first few panels with the editor. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Maybe not...but Cougar heap upset at the news. Words spoken by the editor heap disappointing!" 

Billy's Boots

Billy was facing big trouble last week as he was told to report to the headmaster immediately after the game. This week, that storm quickly blows over as Billy is introduced to the couple whose greenhouse he broke. They return his ball, telling him that they know the full story, including how he is doing Micky Browns paper round. He is a credit to Groundwood School in their eyes, and with this, that part of the story is over, and we can move on to some football. 

The football team is training hard for the cup final, but first, they must face league-leading Fairfield School on the weekend. Training is progressing well when suddenly the Groundswood goalkeeper falls ill with measles. The search begins for a replacement, and Mr Harris calls on some of the surrounding spectators to try out. One of these boys is a new boy named Reg Wood, and he proves to be excellent in goal. It looks as though he is the answer to all their problems, when suddenly his angry mother appears and drags him off by his ear, but not before stopping to put Mr Harris in his place. 

Another Billy's Boots issue to mark in your calendars - the first appearance of Reg Wood. Reg rounds out the triumvirate of Billy, Jimmy, and himself, and he will be a mainstay of their gang in the coming years. Billy's world has grown quickly in the last year, and we have moved on from Billy alone. He now has a small clique of friends around him, and this gives us more angles for storytelling. It also serves to make him more relatable, as most boys his age have a small circle of close friends they can rely on. Billy now has Jimmy and Reg at his side, and not only will they feature in football stories with him, but also in the cricketing stories. 

This is a humble beginning for Reg, and in this first issue, his mother makes more of an impression than he does. She is a force to be reckoned with, and anyone who can put Hardnut Harris in his place isn't someone to be trifled with. I hope we see more of her, and he nicely balances Billy's lovely Gran.

The story started slowly, and it was disappointing to see Billy's trouble with the broken greenhouse dismissed so swiftly. This story has played out for several weeks, and in a single panel, it was closed as the owners of the greenhouse forgave Billy without any real consequence for all that had come before. Another half-page of drama would have been good, and I would have liked just a little more squeezed from the moment.

Still, this issue is all about Reg Wood and his goal-keeping prowess. It's a joy to see him in action, and coupled with his good nature, he is an instantly likeable character. He is a welcome addition to the strip and to the comic, and we have taken a step forward toward the Tiger comic I grew up with.   

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Reg Wood, sir..."

Hot Shot Hamish

During a vital game, Hamish is being barracked by a man named McKirky, who claims his family has been feeding with the Balfours for hundreds of years. Hamish is about to storm into the stands to sort him out when the referee blows for halftime, and Hamish's team drag him from the field. 

At halftime, Mr McWhacker has good news for the team; the two teams above them on the table are losing, and if they win today, they will be at the top of the league. This is all the motivation the team needs, and they come out to play the second half with new energy. Hamish receives the ball and, for a moment, thinks about kicking it straight into McKirky's face. However, he puts the needs of the team first and instead strikes the hot shot and scores the first goal of the game. The rest of the game belongs to Princes Park, and they finish as 3-0 winners to take the top of the league. 

That night, Hamish is walking back to his lodgings when a storm strikes. Making his way through the pouring rain, he is suddenly confronted by McKirky, who is drawing his sword and vowing revenge. However, before he can make good on his threats, there is a bolt of lightning that strikes a nearby tree. This topples the tree, and the strip ends with McKirky about to be crushed as it falls.   

This was a well-balanced story that gave us both football action and further developments in the McKirky story. The football action started the strip strongly, and although it wasn't the most demanding of games, for the team or for the reader, it did deliver some strong images, especially that of Hamish's first hot shot. 

The McKirky storyline also delivered a striking image, that of the tree being struck by lightning. The sight of the tree falling and McKirky dropping his sword and bracing himself was the best in the strip. It was a story unto itself and said more in a single image than the preceding three panels had told us. On another day, it would have been my favourite panel in the comic, and it was just pipped by another image of an old, familiar face. 

McKirky is just as good this week as last, and his abuse from the stands to Hamish was outstanding. Every line had me smirking to myself, and the back and forth between him and Hamish was a highlight of the football match. Hopefully, we will get more of this back and forth as the strip continues. As things stand at the moment, McKirky is the best thing in the story. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "How do ye like that, ye kilted clown? There's no' a McKirky in all Scotland could  have scored a goal like that!" 

Skid Solo

Tommy has entered the famous Masters' Sports Car race, and after a mistake from his mechanic, he finds himself well down the field as he pulls out of the pits. 

Tommy drives furiously, and as the cars reach halfway, he has pulled himself up to tenth. The commentator is excited by Tommy's speed and breathlessly tells the crowd that Tommy has just equalled the lap record. 

Skid and Sandy had been visiting the local hospital and arrived at the track to find the mechanic fully immersed in the race. He tells them that Tommy is now third, and it's his fault for Tommy's poor start, as he forgot to change the spark plugs.

Out on the track, Tommy continues to push the car hard, while from trackside, Sandy worries that he's pushing it too much. However, Sandy's worrying is for nothing, and on the final bend, Tommy makes his move, snatching victory on the line by a nose. 

Skid and Sandy are in the pits when Tommy comes in, and they witness Tommy's exchange with the mechanic. The mechanic apologises for the incident with the spark plugs, and Tommy gives him a stern dressing down before telling him to never make the mistake again and to check the car thoroughly before he puts it away. Skid and Sandy smile at each other, seeing Tommy's newfound confidence and commenting that it is a good thing. 

The climax of the story came after the race, and seeing Tommy chew out the mechanic was the moment I had been waiting for. It delivered as expected and looked fantastic on the page. While there had been intensity on the track, none of it could compare to seeing Tommy confronting his mechanic.

The race itself looked superb, with the usual high-quality art delivering image after image of close racing action. Two panels in particular caught my eye. The close-up of Tommy's face as he determinedly decided that he would not lose, and the appearance of our old friend, the track commentator. The track commentator appeared in three panels, and each time, the expression on his face captured the excitement of his dialogue. We have seen this character many times now, and he always adds an extra wrinkle to the story being told, his joy at the racing carrying the spirit to the reader. He is still unnamed, but for me, he is equally important as Sandy, Tommy or any of the other characters besides Skid.     

This story was a big step forward for Tommy. With this victory under his belt, one feels he is ready to take on a Grand Prix. I haven't read ahead, but this must be in the next month or so. As for Skid's return, that remains an unwritten mystery. Whether he will be in a position to race with Tommy remains to be seen, but surely, he will be behind the wheel in some capacity as the season begins. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Great Highland Chieftains! The laddies won!" 

Roy Of The Rovers

Rovers are playing against Highwood Athletic, and after a convincing win, their thoughts turn to the next round of the F.A. Cup. Switching on the TV after the game, Roy catches an interview with Deans Park manager, Brian Davidson, who is basking in the glow of a 6-0 victory against Tynecastle.

Davidson is wearing a brightly coloured jacket, and he tells the interviewer that he only wears it on special occasions as it has become a lucky mascot. He elaborates, saying he will wear it on Saturday for the F.A. Cup match against Melchester, then again for the semifinal, and the final. 

The idea of a lucky mascot catches on, and the next week, Roy is flooded with lucky mascots from Melchester fans. Even the team gets in on the act, and Roy is horrified on game day to find the team waiting at the bus, all with their individual lucky mascots.

He tells them they look ridiculous and this is just what Davidson wants. Roy is correct, and as they run out at Deans Park, Davidson is laughing, telling Roy that he will remember how lucky he is with every goal they score against Rovers. 

Now we know who the mysterious man in the suit was from the final panel of last week. He isn't as sinister or as dangerous as Blackie made out, and the threat of a lucky suit isn't the most dramatic of storylines. The most villainous thing about Brian Davidson is his smug look in every panel and his greasy smile. 

There was some humour in this week's strip, and the sight of the Rover's players pulling out all their lucky mascots provided some levity against the backdrop of an unchallenging story. The most humorous of these moments was seeing the players board the bus clutching teddy bears and wearing lucky hats and scarves. For a moment, it was almost enough for me to overlook the fact that these are professional footballers worried about an opposing manager's lucky suit. 

We have yet to see this lucky suit in all its glory. We have been told that it is brightly coloured, and one can only imagine that we will see it on the cover sometime in the next few weeks. I am keen to see what all the fuss is about, and it had better live up to its promises. I don't remember such a fuss about a manager's sartorial choices since Jose Mourinho and his famous coat, although I don't remember opposition players loading up on lucky charms when playing Chelsea in the early 2000s. 

Without being a great issue, this was still entertaining. It was worth reading for the sight of Duncan McKay in his tasselled jacket alone, and that is the image I will carry with me until the next issue.     

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "Hey, Roy...how d'you fancy a pair of lucky Wellingtons?"

Nipper

Nipper has led Blackport to a 5-0 victory over Zeeden in the European Cup Winners Cup, and emerging from the stadium, he is mobbed by the kids from Docks Road. Nipper engages in a quick kick-around with them, but soon has to head home. 

Back home, Amy Felcher tells Nipper that a man named Nat Munger is waiting for him, claiming to be his guardian. Munger leaps to his feet at the sight of Nipper, telling him that it's hard to believe that two years have passed since he went to Australia to visit his sick brother. 

Munger is a con man and is aware of Nipper's memory loss. When they are alone, he tells Nipper that the story about him being in Australia was a lie, and of course, he was in prison. Nipper is confused, as Munger expands on his story, telling Nipper that Nipper was his accomplice as he robbed a warehouse, serving as a lookout for him. Nipper tells him that it can't be true, but  Munger tells him it is, and Nipper needs to give him some money to keep him quiet. 

Munger is going to be a great villain, but we are still some way from this story blossoming into what it can become. This story is still sketching out the character, and this issue was uneven in that respect. There is no doubt about the trouble Munger is bringing to Nipper, although the setup felt a little clumsy. Of all the things Munger could have told Nipper, he chose to tell him that he is a criminal, someone who can't be trusted. This marks him out as a bad guy right away, and even though he has told Nipper that he, too, is a criminal, there will always be doubt thrown on his character from Nipper's perspective. 

His demands also seem to be low-key and short-sighted. A hundred pounds doesn't sound too bad, but it isn't the payoff one would expect for the trouble Munger is going through. Perhaps a wider plot will reveal itself in the coming weeks; we will wait and see. 

I was pleased to see the return of the dockside kids. We haven't seen them for many months now, and they are a key part of Nipper's world. A side story with them is just what we need to add a little pep to the story, and this should play well with the main Munger story, giving the story balance and providing some football action. 

A case of the best is yet to come, and while this story only hinted at what's to follow, there is enough here to encourage me to keep on reading. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Nipper, there's someone to see you! He says his name is Nat Munger, and that he used to be your guardian a long time ago!"     

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 6.5/10

Best Story: Billy's Boots 

Best Line: "More news of Crash Carter! He's equalled the lap record...from a standing start out of the pits! That is absolutely fantastic!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: