Tiger 7th December 1974

I'm a day late this week. My birthday party on Saturday night knocked the stuffing out of me for a bit, and yesterday I could barely look at a comic, let alone a computer screen. Energy levels are a little better today, and with an enticing cover, this Tiger has me eager to digest its contents. 

Tiger
7th December 1974

Billy's Boots

A nice touch of everyday life on the cover as Billy Dane, unable to play due to injury, practices football in his yard, and accidentally heads the ball into his Grans clean washing still on the line. 

Suitability told off by his Gran, our young hero sets off to the Groundwood Town's stadium to see if he can further treatment from the trainer there.

This turns out rather well for Billy, and he receives treatment, and some time under the heat lamp. Told that he can do light training, Billy sets off hopeful that he will be cleared to play on Saturday.

Reading his book about Deadshot Keen, Billy has the idea to train on a bike, just like Dead-shot Keen used to. It is on the bike that he meets a man who has some old footage of Dead-shot Keen playing. Billy is overjoyed when he is offered a chance to watch it, and he becomes even more enthusiastic when he sees a move that Dead-shot Keen performs. Thinking that he could possibly learn the move himself we finish with a happy Billy excited for the future. 

Nice to see the lad smiling for a change. After several weeks of misery, Billy has finally found his mojo and things are looking up. Sure, it won't last, but let's enjoy it while we can. A soft read, I enjoyed the familiarity of it all, especially the cover of Billy playing at home. There wasn't a lot of drama, and the story moved slowly, yet this is exactly what I want from Billy's Boots. There is fast-paced action to come later in the comic, and with its fine artwork and relatable story, Billy's Boots gets us off to a perfect start.

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Billy! What on earth do you think you are doing? Just look at that sheet! It was clean!"

Johnny Cougar and Splash Gorton

It's Johnny Cougar versus the Cowboy as this week's wrestling story begins. The opening dialogue is all about Cowboys and Indians, and very much of its time, before the fight starts with a forearm smash from the Cowboy.

From here gloves are off, as the Johnny Cougar begins to inflict some pain of his own. This continues to the second round, but now the Cowboy gains the upper hand and wins the first pinfall after an elbow smash to the top of Johnny's head.

He has little time to recover, but Johnny bursts out of his corner, catching the Cowboy with a flying headbutt and pinning him in the corner. With one pinfall a piece, we are all set for a tense conclusion to the fight next week.  

Apart from the cringe-worthy start as the Cowboy tells Johnny that the cowboys always beat the Indians, this was a top-notch story. The artwork was true to a wrestling match and captured the spirit of the match well. Not all the dialogue was brilliant, but as the match progressed it got better, and by the final panel I was fully engaged. I was doubtful about this cast of characters wrestling and was pleased when this story proved me wrong with some wrestling action just as good as anywhere else in the Johnny Cougar canon.  

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "You see too many films...this Indian not ready to be beaten!" 

Martin's Marvellous Mini 

The car circus is about to begin, with the promise of a series of stunts from Tiny and Martin. It isn't quite what I expected after last week's issue, but I shrug my shoulders and keep reading.

First up we have Martin driving a Ford Anglia through a blazing brick wall before the two boys try a bit of car jousting against each other. 

They both emerge unscathed and we are ready for the finale of Tiny driving George down a steep ramp for a flip into a bed of feathers.

We are all set when Martin suddenly finds out that the owner of the car circus has fled with all the takings. Climbing to the top of the ramp he tells Tiny and they have a quick chat about what to do. The decision is quickly made, there is only one way to catch him, and that is to drive down the ramp. This is where we end the strip, with the two pals hurtling down the ramp. 

What an exciting finish! The rest of the strip wasn't dramatic, but it was exciting with lots of car stunts and glorious views of the two friends doing unexpected things on the track. I didn't so much read it as devour the pictures, and there was something eye-catching in every panel. Glorious to look at, and even if the story didn't sweep me off my feet the artwork sure did. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Now Tiny Hill climbs into my mini car, in readiness to launch himself down the ski-jump...and out into space!"

Nipper

It's all happening at the big game this week. Nipper is suspended, the English under-23 selectors are there to watch him, and an extra edition of The Chronicle has come out - criticising Nipper for being suspended. 

Things come to a head early on as Nipper, hiding in the crowd, sees a copy of The Chronicle, its headline saying he shouldn't be anywhere near an England shirt.

This infuriates him and he storms down to the touchline, demanding that Andy Stewart play him. This causes a distraction on the field, and Blackport concedes a goal, much to Andy Stewart's chagrin. 

The strip ends with a furious Andy Stewart, and the England selectors preparing to leave given that it is unlikely that Nipper will play at all now. 

A fast-moving story, I enjoyed this week's instalment. Brian Crawford, author of the article, was watching from the crowd, and I have my suspicions that this is all part of his master plan. Time will tell. As usual, we had the fantastically angry face of Andy Stewart, only matched by the incandescent rage of Nipper. They are a match made in heaven, and I love watching the sparks fly when the two of them are together. There is still a wider story to be told, and I can't wait to see how this will play out over the coming weeks, 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Why, you stupid, hair-brained, little..!"  

Skid Solo 

We are back to Skid Solo testing new equipment for a company for this week's instalment. In this case, it's tyres, but the story isn't about the tyres themselves, but rather how the team will protect these expensive items from crooks.

Initially Sandy has a barrage of padlocks on the sheds, and after some chat it is decided that they need something more. Sandy wants a guard dog, but Skid and Sparrow persuade him that a night watchman might be a better idea. 

While Skid and Sparrow try out the new tyres, Sandy must decide which of the two applicants for the job he will choose, He has a choice between a young, long-haired chap, and an older, more conservatively dressed type. Both are appealing, and Sandy decides to go with the older gentleman. 

The following day he is shocked to find the sheds have been cleaned out and the night watchman is missing. The police are soon on to the case, and very quickly catch the nightwatchman and a trailer full of new tyres. There is a twist as they reveal his accomplice - the other applicant for the job. No matter who he chose, Sandy would have lost. 

It's back to getting a guard dog, and the strip closes with the new dog pulling on Sandy's leg, while Skid and Solo laugh at his lack of trust.

Too fast and too boring are my first thoughts about this strip. There was very little of Skid on the track, and the off-track drama was resolved all too easily. On a better day, I might have described it as a gentle read, sadly I am not in such a mood today. This story was instantly forgettable, and although the art was pleasant, it was never enough to raise it above the tepid storyline. 

Rating: 4/10

Best line: "I'm a canny judge o' character, even if I say so m'sel'! I'd prefer to employ the neat and tidy mon..."

Hot-Shot Hamish 

In his mismatched clothes, and with his boots falling apart, Hamish limps off the field and Princes Park goes two-nil down. Most of the crowd has seen enough, and the stadium empties as the fans give up on their team.

The rest of the story is told from a nearby cafe as the fans commiserate with each other while a nearby radio runs commentary from the ground. The fans perk up when they hear that Hamish has set up a goal for Princes Park, and then become visibly excited as he scores to equaliser. 

With two minutes left to play, Hamish heads home the winner as the fans celebrate around the radio. However, their joy is shortlived as the commentator informs them that Hamish has collapsed and that stretcher-bearers are running onto the field to collect him.

This is the best Hot-shot Hamish issue so far, and easily the best story in this week's comic. Telling the story through the radio commentary, with the fan's reaction and occasional panels showing Hamish while the commentator describes what he was doing, is most inventive, and was instantly familiar to anyone who grew up listening to football on the radio. I was totally sold on the idea, and although there wasn't too much artwork of the on-field action, the story was just as engrossing following along with the fans. Top work all around, the writer for the imaginative framing of the story and the artist for his brilliant work on capturing the emotion. There's a reason Hot-shot Hamish was my favourite growing up, and this is it.

Rating: 10/10

Best line: "...and it's there! A lovely goal...made by big Hamish Balfour. That puts Princes back in the game!"

Roy Of The Rovers

There are a lot of angry people in the first panels of Roy Of The Rovers, as Rovers dispute the penalty given at the end of last week's strip. Chief among them is Lofty Peak, although all his complaining manages to achieve is a booking from the referee.

As Carford City prepare to take the penalty their manager, Archie Miller, calls out that Don Watson must take it, and if he misses he will play for the reserves. Hardly the comment to inspire confidence and Roy senses it, telling Charlie Carter to dive for the corner as that will be where Don will aim for. 

Not only does Charlie manage to pull off the save, but his following kick ends up with Roy who sends it sailing down the field towards Mervyn, who obliges with a goal. With this, the game is as good as won, and Rovers are ecstatic.

In the aftermath of the game Archie Miller is sacked as manager of Carford City, and Tony explains to the Rovers why he kept cool despite being provoked by Miller The answer was in Miller's own book, where he wrote that his injuring of Tony Storme haunted him for the rest of his career. With this, it is decided that all his shouting and bullying was just a shield to hide his guilt.

An apology is in order, and Archie Miller arrives at just the right moment to receive it. There are two further surprises to come, first Archie has been appointed as the new chief scout, and secondly, he has found a youth who could be the most sensational player the club has ever seen. 

I'm pleased to see a happy resolution, unfortunately, most of this week's strip was too neat and all the loose threads tied up a little too well for my liking. Yes, Tony and Archie resolved their differences, which was good, but hiring Archie as the new chief scout was too much for me. Then, to have Archie claim he has already found a sensational player for Melchester Rovers, well that was a bridge too far. The first half of the strip was great and it was only the second half that I had trouble with, so overall it balanced out alright. Thinking back, I wasn't fussed with the way this strip started, with the out-of-control minibus if you can cast your mind back, and it has an equally weak ending. In between has been an uneven ride, and I am now pinning my hopes on this sensational new player who has appeared. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "That's for you to decide, lad! You're the chap who will have to face it!" 

Tallon Of The Track

Here's hoping that we are back on track this week, and things start well with the introduction of the Osprey's first opponent, the mighty Ukrainian Bears. We first meet their captain, a hulk of a man named Vladimir Debenko. 

Not only is big but also strong, and his friendly slap on the back to Dave Trent sends Dave crashing to the floor. Debennko has another display of strength for Jo, and she is displeased to find herself caught in a bear hug from him.

On the track, he is exactly the same and entertains the crowd before the race with a strongman act on his bike. However, once the racing starts the Ospreys are on a more equal footing, and the first race ends on split points.

The following race, and it's Dave Trent against Vladimir Debenko. A friendly handshake before the race goes awry for Dave, and his hand is injured by the Ukrainian strongman just as they are riding onto the track.

Much better than last week, and I am enjoying the story as it is laid out here. It does read differently through modern eyes, I must admit (the Ukrainian war is in the papers every day at the moment) but throwing myself back into 1974 this is a wonderful yarn. Vladimir is big and causing trouble, but he seems unaware of the chaos he is causing, and there is something very likeable about him. The art is back on a firmer footing on the track, and an improvement over the forest and wolf imagery we have seen for the last few weeks. It feels as though we have finally turned a corner with this strip, and once again I am falling in love with Jo Tallon. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "You great brute, Debenko! That slap on the back nearly sent Dave head-first through the wall!" 

 Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Hot-shot Hamish  

Best Line: "Velcome to Leningrad, my friend! You are David Trentski, yes? Captain of daar Osprey Fliers?"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: