My wife is downstairs cleaning, while I'm hiding upstairs with my comics. It's only a matter of time before she finds me. If this week's blog is suddenly cut short you'll know what has happened. Please send thoughts and prayers...
Tiger
8th June 1974
Johnny Cougar And Splash Gorton
This week's episode of Johnny Cougar is the typical episode we get to introduce a new opponent. Johnny and Splash take a ride on the ghost train at the fun fair, and after several run-of-the-mill frights come across his next opponent lurking in the shadows, Mighty Man.
Disappearing as quickly as he appeared, Johnny and Splash decide to do some hard training in preparation. During a spell of running the following day, they come across a press conference by the Mighty Man, who promises that he will finish Johnny Cougar's wrestling career forever.
Although we meet Cougar's next opponent, not a lot happened this week. True, the creators did try and spice it up with the ghost train at the beginning, and the unexpected appearance of Mighty Man, but overall it felt flat. Mighty man seems the latest in a long line of large opponents who wish to end Johnny's career, and there is little to distinguish him from those that came before. On the plus side, the colour cover did catch my attention, and seeing Johnny and Splash on the ghost train was amusing. What happens next week will largely colour my impression of this starting point, and for now the jury is out until we see where this goes.
Rating: 5/10
Best line: "We go...but take care that you do not scream too loudly, my friend!"
Roy Of The Rovers
Blackie and Roy are still in San Palos as the general backstory for the coming weeks is laid out. San Palos needs to win a football tournament to save their village and build a proper road up the mountain to draw in the tourists.
Roy looks over the team but is adamant that he wants nothing to do with football. He will not train their team, nor will he play for them. He sticks to this despite the protestations of the villagers, as well as Blackie and the two girls.
All is not lost as once they return to the hotel, Blackie tricks Roy into a sightseeing tour that ends up at the very tournament that San Palos is competing in. Down one-nil after five minutes, Blackie implores Roy to do something for the team.
This story is speeding along, and after meeting the villagers for the first time in the last issue we have moved quickly forward. Laying out the plot was well done and took barely two panels, and by the end of the story, we can already see that Roy is wavering. There is no doubt in my mind that by the end of the first page of next week, he will be doing all he can to help the villagers. Blackie featured heavily in this episode and came across strongly. He has been largely absent on the page the last few months, so I appreciated seeing him to the fore and serving in the role of Roy's best friend. A strong episode, and if we continue in this vein the story should deliver on every count.
Rating: 7/10
Best line: "San Palos are useless! They were fools to even enter the tournament!"
Martin's Marvellous Mini
It was an awkward ending to last week's issue as Martin and Tiny found themselves in a posh clubhouse asking if they could join the treasure hunt. Things improve early on this week, as they are recognised and made welcome.
Although most of the club accepts them, two characters aren't happy they have joined the treasure hunt, Algy and his pal Percy. Not content with leaving things well enough alone, Algy and Percy follow Martin and Tiny back to where they are camping. Horrified to see them sleeping in a tent, Algy sabotages our boys, a wayward tractor his weapon of choice, which not only wipes out the tent but also shunts George towards the cliff edge.
This is where we leave the action, with Martin and Tiny desperately trying to prevent George from plunging over the cliff.
An excellent addition to the Martin's Marvellous Mini storyline, this issue gave me all the things I like about this strip. We had the human interactions and relations, which are always crucial to the story, some good panels of friendship and comforts as the boys settle down with a cup of tea, and then the final drama and action with the looming cliff disaster. The fact it is all in colour is a bonus, and even if it was in black and white I would rate it highly. As long as it stays at this level, Martin's Marvellous Mini will always be the first story I turn to.
Rating: 8/10
Best line: "They want the tradesmen's entrance! Scruffy looking pair!"
Tallon Of The Track
Plenty of drama and action in this week's edition, so look away now for those that are faint of heart.
Jo is still hot under the collar about the addition of a mini camera to one of the bikes for the next race. As is her way, she lets her feelings known, loudly proclaiming that no good will come of it.
How right she is, as on the next page we see Bill turning the camera on mid-race, only to develop a wobble and cause the crash of the season. With bodies strewn across the track, the director yells to his cameramen to get close-ups and capture every detail.
There is still more to come, and as one of the cameramen moves on his scaffold, he inadvertently kicks off a large piece of equipment that falls on Jo's head.
Carnage everywhere, this week's story leaned heavily on visual storytelling. The crash was told over three panels, and despite the subject matter I couldn't help but be thrilled. Likewise, with the equipment falling on Jo, it looked both painful and dramatic at the same time. Perhaps the only moment that took me out of the story was the appearance of the camera itself. Now it is commonplace to see mini cameras all over every sport, and we think nothing of it. However, 1974 was another world altogether, and it really does feel like we stepping back in time to see Jo complaining about the camera. Poor Jo continues to take her lumps, but I appreciate the entertainment value, and despite my feelings of guilt, I am greatly enjoying where this is going.
Rating: 8/10
Best line: "Sam, get some shots of that pile-up! Zoom close - and switch the sound on, too!"
Skid Solo
We are a few races into the Grand Prix season and Skid Solo is already at the top of the table. He may not have won a race yet, but a couple of second placings have kept the points coming in.
As they head to the start line of the Swedish Grand Prix, Sparrow Smith is feeling unwell. The race starts, but he shows no improvement, and eventually, he crashes out of the race, piling into the safety barrier.
In a time before constant radio contact with the cars, Skid has no idea of Sparrow's condition, only that he has crashed out of the race. With thoughts of Sparrow's safety preying on his mind, he drives conservatively into sixth place in the race.
Rushing to the hospital, the Doctor informs Skid and Sandy that Sparrow is a nasty case. Frowning and growing more concerned, smiles return when the Doctor tells them that Sparrow has a bad case of chicken pox, as we see him propped up in bed with a spotty face.
Not quite the life or death situation that Skid expected, and the story deflated in these final panels. The rest of the race was fine, and the cars looked impressive on the track, but chicken pox was anticlimactic. I did enjoy seeing the familiar face of the commentator during the race, and seeing the leaderboard appearing in the first panel helped put the story into context, but overall this story was flatter than what we have had recently. Still a pleasant read, the artwork is always gentle on the eye, but not the Skid Solo I wanted to read today.
Rating: 5/10
Best line: "Ahh, let 'em go! I can't compete now. If only I knew what had happened to Sparrow..."
Football Family Robinson
Titch takes centre stage in this week's strip, and he is looking athletic in the first panel of the comic with his shirt off and physique on display. It is his face that tells the story though, and it is a story of sabotage as the family finds their camp wrecked. Not only that, but the radio in the plane has also been tampered with, setting Digger's repairs back another few days,
The family decides that it would be best to take turns keeping watch at night, and it is here that Titch again features. During his watch he hears a noise, and taking the torch he looks into the forest. Eyes are watching, but he doesn't see them. We have one final twist, as he turns his back a football hits him from behind, and his calls for help are heard back at the camp.
This week is an improvement over the last few weeks and I find I enjoy it much more. I'm not sure if the story is improving, or if I'm bending towards the story, but it did seem to flow better and without some of the previous silliness. Having a central focus, Titch, helped streamline the story, and we only dealt with one idea, the mystery of the forest, to deal with. It was also a relief not to have a football game pushed upon us, and overall it seems we have settled on the single story the comic wants to tell. Still not enough Viv for my liking, but we are getting closer to what I like overall.
Rating: 7/10
Best line: "I saw something horrible up there, watching me"
A Horse Called Ugly
Mungro's rouse to trick Joe out of winning the race is revealed this week. Last time out we saw Joe in the forest, where he saw Lord Humphrey. Thinking he has strayed from his course, Joe loops back around in an attempt to find the flags marking his course.
All he finds is Mugro, hitching a horse to his caravan. Joe exchanges words with him, but it's only once Joe rides off that we see Mugro's subterfuge, he has used a horse and rider disguised as Lord Humphrey to throw Joe off track and delay him.
Joe is unaware of this and rides easily on thinking that it is Lord Humphrey who is lost. He is snapped out of this when he comes across some spectators who inform him that Lord Humphrey came out of the forest ten minutes ago and currently holds a good lead.
It is in the final panel that Joe suddenly realises that he has been tricked, and we are nicely set up for a finish next week.
Last week's edition of this story was great, but this week not so much. The trick on Joe and Ugly was clever enough but was flat on the page. Even the horses in action didn't look as fluid as I have come to expect. However, I am still hooked, mainly for the fact that I want to see the villains of the piece get their due. If Lord Humphrey, Mungro, and Mannering get their just desserts next week, I shall be most pleased and will happily overlook this aberration.
Rating: 5/10
Best line: "It's a free country, mate...there ain't no law which says I can't take me caravan into the forest!"
The Tigers
Chunky Clarke rides his luck, literally, in this week's instalment of The Tigers. We last saw him careening down the hill in a pram towards the startline of the Penny-farthing race. Burton's gang do their best to try and stop him, but all they succeed in doing is jump-starting him onto his bike and into the race.
The race itself is par for the course, with Chunky seemingly going from disaster to disaster, but each time his luck shines through and propels him further through the race field.
We do have a close finish, with Burton attempting to knock Chuny from his bicycle, but once again he fails and Chunky crosses the line first.
This is the ending I expected from this story, although the fact I knew how it would end didn't detract from my enjoyment. Chunky's luck was overplayed, yet we are used to that now, and it didn't steal too much from the drama that was unfolding during the race. The story in the last few issues feels just the right length, and this bicycle race is a fitting finish. Another week would have been too much, so bringing the curtain down here feels about right, Next week we are promised a cricket story, which is more conventional than we have seen recently, and I eagerly await to see how they will generate drama from the game.
Rating: 7/10
Best line: "It's easy- except for balance and steering. The pedalling's a bit tricky, too..."
Issue final ratings:
Overall: 7/10
Best Story: Martin's Marvellous Mini
Best Line: "They live in a tent! How ghastly!"
Best Panel:
Roy's Sports Quiz:
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