Tiger 20th April 1974

An oddly flat issue this week. Some stories are shining bright, but there are a couple of strips here that drag the comic down and leave me feeling distinctly underwhelmed. Still, sitting at home reading old comics is better than being at work sending angry emails, so I intend on enjoying this as much as possible as my summer holiday winds down. 

Tiger

20th April 1974

Skid Solo

Back in Britain and Skid is keen to give his new car the good testing it needs. It does appear to be an unlucky car, and Skid is in trouble early on. Some workmen appear on the track to do some repairs, although rather luckily they do seem to build a ramp. I suspend my disbelief for a minute as this drama plays out - Skid appears around the corner, travelling much too fast to be able to stop. Seeing a chance to escape a bad accident, he drives up the planks the workmen have constructed and neatly takes a jump and lands safely on the track. This doesn't deter Skid, and he decides to take another half a dozen laps and he smashes the lap record by five seconds. Sandy fears for the new car and sends Sparrow Smith out to slow Skid down, but all he ends up doing is driving Skid off the road in another near miss. Deciding that's enough, Sandy drives the cars home on the trailer, declaring it will be safer than letting Skid drive such an unlucky car. After facing a press conference, Skid and Sparrow return home to find Sandy alone and with no car. It seems he had a mishap driving home, and Skid's new car is now a write-off after the trailer became uncoupled and went off the road. We leave our hero here, facing a new season without his unlucky new car. Apart from the jump earlier in the story, I liked most of the things we have here. Even the opening panels with the unbelievable jump were good, the artwork looked sensational, even if I didn't like what they were depicting. Elsewhere the art stayed at this high standard, whether it be on the track, or in the faces of the characters. Speaking of the characters, there is a great contrast between the always sunny disposition of Skid and the constant negative outlook on life that Sandy has. The two balance each other out nicely, and their different outlook on life often helps propel the story along. The future outlook of the story itself is unknown. This new car of Skid's has been built up for weeks, so I'm not sure where the story will go from here, it seems that all that buildup was for nothing now. All will be revealed as they say, but for now, I am very happy with where this story sits.

Rating 7.5/10

Best line: "Hey...get this stuff out of the way...there's a car out there practising!"  

Roy Of The Rovers

Tensions were high when we last saw Roy and the Rovers in the F.A. Cup semi-final against Bridgewall. With scores locked at one all, and Jimmy Slade charging at the Bridgewall keeper for a fifty-fifty ball there is potential for the match to boil over. However, Jimmy is more level-headed than people give him credit for. He hurdles over the keeper, saving him in the process, but ends up crashing into a goalpost headfirst. Amidst the chaos Roy delicately chips the ball into the back of the net, giving Rovers a two-one lead. With Jimmy back on his feet, and the Bridgewall team appreciative of his sacrifice to save their keeper, the game resumes at a less intense level, with the beautiful game emerging from the ashes of the previous fraught tussle. Not only is football the winner, but also Rover's who finish the game with a three-one victory and thoughts of the final against Burndean. Burndean hasn't won the cup final for thirty years, but with the Burndean chairman offering a five thousand bonus to his players if they win they have much more to play for than the glory of the cup. This was a well-balanced story with football action, plenty of goals, and a healthy dose of sportsmanship. Plenty there that would please a football fan. Jimmy Slade looked dynamic and exciting in every panel he appeared in, and he was the star of this week's strip in my opinion. He also added a very real human element to the story, and I enjoyed seeing how the game changed after his moment on the first page. A nice way to wrap up the semi against Bridgewall, here's hoping that the final will be just as good. Sometimes final can be dour boring affairs, but if it lives up to the 2022 World cup final we may be in for a rare treat. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "My stars, it's like a different game! It's developing into a classic!"

Martin's Marvellous Mini

I never knew that they had car obstacle courses at the Highland Games, but here we are with George about to take part in one, ostensibly to win the one-hundred pounds that Tiny needs to party for the damage he wrought upon another car. What follows is an entire two pages given over to racing action as the pals hurl George through a variety of obstacles. There is a lot to take in here, each obstacle proving challenging but not impossible for the pair. I enjoy every single moment of it, be it when they are struggling through mud, ploughing through a haystack, splashing through a water obstacle, or taking a jump. It is the final panels where the biggest peril is revealed, with signs advising them to speed up to fifty miles an hour, they are faced with a giant loop the loop. Dramatic enough that I'm tempted to skip to the next issue immediately. I can't get enough of this story, and all of it looks glorious in colour. The first page is dominated by wide-screen shots of the racing, while the second page focuses its attention solely on George. There are many visual highlights, while the dialogue takes a back seat. Reflecting on the story, I can't remember much of what was said but I sure remember the striking images. Top-notch yet again, the adventures of Martin, Tiny and George continue to thrill me. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "I've heard of a needle in a haystack...but a mini is ridiculous!" 

The Tigers

We are still with the land yacht action, and it feels like this has been going on far too long. As I read today I can't help but think that we are seeing the same story played out week after week with these land yachts, with very little variation or story progression. There is story progression this week, thankfully, but the actual race is much as we have seen previously.  The race is on, but Chunky loses a wheel, thanks to Ron Burton's sabotage. Luckily, this wheel hits Ron in the back of the head and while Ron crashes Chunky is blown towards the sea. More of his good luck is at play, as the waves toss him back and with a strong wind, he is blown across the finish line riding on his front wheel alone. Another trophy for his cabinet, but I can't say it is well deserved. The most pleasing aspect of this story is that it is over and we can move to a different sport next week. There were plenty of high jinks with the land yachts, but towards the end, it was all too much for me and despite trying to stay positive I just had the overwhelming feeling that I wish it would all end. And now it has, so onwards and upwards for next week.

Rating 3/10

Best line: "He's like a pudding tied up with string. Just wait till the wheels drop off..."

Football Family Robinson

It's all on in the opening panel as Digger and Crash clash with all the family intervening and trying to cool them off. With tempers frayed, it is Detective-sergeant Gill who finally calms the situation with a well-thrown bucket of water. With peace duly restored, the confusion that led to this is unravelled, with some open communication getting to the bottom of it. Of course Digger and Crash both recall the boys who caused the trouble in the restaurant right back at the start of this, and soon enough the detective has the case solved, the only problem is that there is no hard evidence to link the boys back to the hoax phone call. However, all is not lost and as the police and the family approach the young offenders, they begin to panic and grass each other up immediately. Thus, the case is officially closed, Crash and Digger are friends again - with Digger apologising, and it looks like we're about to begin a new chapter on the football family. However, the story has one final hook in the tail. As Digger packs his bags to return to Australia we hear a loud noise from the training ground, and a call that Digger can't leave, they need both him and Crash for Saturday. This unknown factor is enough to finish the strip with a warm feeling, a firm knowledge that I too will be back next week for me. I can't begin to imagine what has just happened, but I certainly know I want to see more of it. The main story wound up, with a gentle finish rather than an exclamation point, and we are building into whatever will drive the story for the coming weeks. I was pleased with this soft landing, the story had been explosive with drama on every panel and this kinder ending with the hooligans arrested with little fuss felt about right. I do wonder how much longer Digger will remain the focus of these stories, something we will know much better after next week's issue.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: " Reckon I made a right fool of myself, Crash, mate-" 

A Horse Called Ugly

I'm not so fussed by the beginning of this week's story, but the art is a knockout and there are some fantastic panels to be digested on the first page. We begin with the fallout of Ugly eating the hat of one of Angela's guests, and thankfully this is quickly dealt with, but not before we get some of the fantastic artwork I alluded to. The looks on the faces are just right, and even Ugly manages to have an innocent face, despite his wrongdoing. The second part of the story is much more enjoyable from a story perspective, with Angela's brother asking Joe and Ugly to race against one of his associates who he has bet 5000 pounds with. Joe is reluctant, given his history with Clive, but he changes his mind once he meets who he is competing against, an even more loathsome character called Humprey Fotheringay. Joe takes an instant to him, and we finish the strip with a splendid couple of panels of Jow and Ugly racing him neck and neck around the showjumping course. This is the most thrilling part of the strip, and as good as I thought the artwork was on the first pages, this manages to top it. There is nothing better than seeing Ugly in full flight, and whatever misgivings I had about the story earlier on are completely forgotten in the fast and furious moments. Joe and Ugly against the world, there is nothing better. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Dash it all, Clive - I didn't think you would insult me by producing those scruffs!" 

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton

Ah yes, the annoying Trickster. Here's hoping he gets everything he deserves in the ring. Before we get to the wrestling though, Trickster has one final trick up his sleeve. Leaving Johnny and Splash the in the desert, he flies over them in a helicopter and drops flour bombs on them. How annoying, and I know just how Johnny feels as he threatens to get even. We next see them together in the ring, with the Trcickerster having a tricky entrance, springing from a trap door in the ring. Johnny is not amused, as you might well imagine, and in the final panels before the fight starts we see the referee insisting on no tricks, while the Trickster is planning all sorts of tricks. This story feels stretched out, I was expecting to see the wrestling begin today, but instead, we have the coda to last week's encounter and then merely the introduction for the fight. It does give the sense of being padded out, and I'm disappointed that I don't get to see the Trickster get his comeuppance this week. It looks like this story has some way to go, with the Trickster promising to shock Johnny Cougar in sorts of ways, the wrestling match will certainly take more than a couple of weeks. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "All set, pal? Remember, you've got to watch this guy closer than a wasp that's on the war-path!" 

Tallon Of The Track

Everyone loves a good sabotage storyline, especially me. Jo is hot under the collar about it from the first we see of her, and her sense of injustice sees her speaking to Oggie and restoring him to his position as a mechanic for the team. She has Oggie working on her bike, then takes the team out to an abandoned colliery to practice broadsiding. taking her turn first, Jo and her bike scramble up the side of a slag heap, before she full throttles down the side of it, preparing to broadside through the gate below. Of course, things don't go well, and we see her handlebars come adrift and she ends in a spectacular crash. Spectacular crashes are what this story does best, and I find I have to resist the urge to make the panel in which she crashes the panel of the week. As much as I enjoyed seeing Jo on her bike and all the action that entails, I found I didn't enjoy this as much as I usually do. Perhaps its position at the end of the comic didn't help, but overall I felt it was a little flat. The story has yet to pick up steam, and for the third week in a row, we see a bike with a mechanical malfunction, but nothing else to push the story forward. The sparkling artwork is carrying the load at the moment, one can only hope that the story reaches the same level soon.  

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Let's hope I do, Dave...because you blokes are going to be trying it next!"   

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 6/10

Best Story: Martin's Marvellous Mini

Best Line: "It-it's impossible, Martin! - Stop now...while we're still in one piece!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: