Hamish's Hotshot Tiger Blog: Tiger 15th February 1975

I recently read that an ideal blog post should be about eight hundred words. That makes today's post a complete failure as it clocks in at just over three thousand words. Maybe I'm compensating for something (No, not that ladies), and I think I know what it is. In everyday life I don't meet many people I can talk forty-year-old comics with, so this is the only outlet I have. Speaking of which, I am up to February of 1975, and a mere forty-eight years ago. I was barely two at the time, but I do have some memories of these stories from the comics I picked up at second-hand stores in the 1980s. The stories from the 1970s already felt distant at the time, although I did enjoy seeing the younger versions of the characters and their earlier development. They're not the characters I fell in love with in the early 1980s but these stories are just as enjoyable and a real insight to the era they were written. A time when Australia was still a mystical faraway land, and professional football players were accessible and carried a sense of sportsmanship about them.

Tiger

15th February 1975

Skid Solo

A fantastic front cover featuring Skid Solo starts this week's issue in the best possible fashion. With Skid and Sandy driving back from Switzerland through the Alps, we catch up with the strip as a blizzard wraps the mountains in its icy grip. This spells big trouble for Skid and Sandy as a rockfall catches them on the road and Skid is forced to take evasive action on the icy road.

He manages to avoid the ice fall but is now sliding towards a truck coming the other way. With the final words "We've had it" Skid and Sandy drive off the road, before hitting a snow drift and careening down the slope.

It is a wild ride, and when the dust settles, Skid and Sandy are upside down, bruised, buffeted and shaken, but otherwise okay.

Walking to the nearest village, they find the local police sergeant in a foul mood and accepting no visitors. Forced to wait, they can only watch as the Policeman sends all his men and resources out to a special case.

He finally settles down enough to see our two heroes and tells them the cause for his rushing about - a driving accident has been reported and he had to send all his men out to find the famous racing driver Skid Solo.

The rest of the story writes itself as Skid explains who he is, and the sergeant is left clutching his head.

The cover image was brilliant and gave this story the jumpstart it needed. No messing about with a set-up, the first we see is Skid on the road and in trouble. Sandy's exclamation of "Great steaming haggis" undid some of the seriousness of the situation, but I was hooked from the first sight of Skid's bright red car. The rest of the story was uncluttered and moved quickly with no distractions. The first page was purely about the crash and aftermath, while the second page dealt with the scene at the village police station and the sergeant in charge. Both worked well and told their story with a minimum of fuss. Paired with the clear line of the artist, this was easy to read, compelling, and humourous, all wrapped up into one digestible ball. Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "You want to report an accident? We already have an accident reported here. The biggest accident ever, M'sieur...a driving accident!"

Billy's Boots

After arriving late to the school match and giving away an easy goal, Billy now finds that the boys watching the game are turning on him. At half-time, he faces a barrage of abuse, and the sports master tells him he can't play with everyone jeering him and he's going to sub him off. Billy asks for just ten more minutes and the sports master agrees.

Things change drastically in the second half as Billy's magical boots begin to take effect. First, he makes a hard tackle and scorching run, only to be denied a goal by the boot of a defender. He has his moment from the resulting corner, and moving away from the goal mouth he is well-positioned to score when the ball comes his way.

This lifts the team considerably, and Billy begins to work in combination with Jimmy Dawson. Dawson scores a second goal, and tied at two each with ten minutes left we are in for a tight finish.

Once again Billy and Jimmy link up and it looks like a certain goal as Billy lashes it towards the corner of the goal. However, the defender does the only thing possible, and puts his hand up to stop the ball, thus earning a penalty for Groundwood school.

The captain is preparing to take the penalty when Billy finds himself stepping forward to take it. Thus we end with Billy about to take the penalty, while worrying about the consequences if he misses.

Immensely enjoyable, this is precisely the type of Billy's Boots that I enjoy best. There was no whining from Billy, he didn't do anything silly, he just played to the best of his ability with a little help from his boots. It was a joy to see his combination with Jimmy Dawson on the field, and even though it is only a comic I found myself cheering them on every step of the way. There is still time for it to go horribly wrong, and Billy has put himself in a pressure situation lining up the final penalty kick. I have faith in him, and I sincerely hope the writers give him a break and let him score this crucial penalty. The only thing that could possibly make this week's strip better would be the appearance of his Gran with a nice mug of hot chocolate. No doubt that will be waiting for him if he scores, and I have my fingers crossed for the young man.

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "What's Dane up to? He's asking to take it himself!"

Martins Marvellous Mini

Chasing their stolen car in a borrowed sports car, Tiny and Martin find themselves in turn chased by the local Perth police.

This three-car pursuit runs through the streets of Perth and then out into the desert. It's fast and furious, although Tiny and Martin do have some luck, not necessarily good, when the driver of George takes a bad turn and rolls the car onto its roof.

Tiny and Martin leap from the car they have been following in just as the police arrive. Tiny angrily tells the police to arrest the driver, but the driver emerging from George isn't Hartley the bank robber, but rather some poor chap who bought the car off him earlier in the day.

As luck would have it, just at that moment, the police radio informs them that the bank robber has been captured. While the driver of the sports car leaves them to sort it out, the new owner of George elects to go with the police to see if he can recover his money. This leaves Tiny and Martin to roll George back up the right way and make their own way back.

Their mood is not improved as heavy rain lashes down, and things become worse for the two pals when George becomes bogged in the fresh mud.

I'm pleased it's mud, when I first saw the rain come down I thought the boys were going to be caught in yet another flash flood. The last issue I was unhappy with the element of luck that had taken a hand, this week was much more balanced and I walked away feeling very happy with what I read. I was pleased to see the bank robber story quickly wrapped up, and even more so in the fact that he didn't even appear on the page this week. The chase through the desert was fun, and we were left with a fresh situation that could go in several directions. The artwork was light in touch and left me feeling fresh after the darker lines of Billy's Boots, all of which helped elevate the story further. We are still a long way from a return to Britain, and I am beginning to wonder if the lads will ever make it home, but Australia is proving to be fertile ground for storytelling.

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "I don't know who this guy is, but he's damaged my mini...arrest him!"

Tallon Of The Track

The identity of the mystery prisoner is revealed in the first panel of Tallon Of The Track - it is Yuri Chubinim, a senior member of the Russian Speedway Board.

The arrival of Viktor Kurkov quickly explains the situation. The Gorbski Team is desperate to be elected to the Soviet League and thought that beating a top team such as the Ospreys with a Russian speedway official watching would secure them a place in the league. You would think that being kidnapped and tied up in a shed would sour Yuri Chubinim's view of the Gorbski team, but he is quite amenable to their position and tells them that thus far he has been impressed with their rider's performance. Furthermore, if they go on to beat the Ospreys his report would be favorable.

With it all on the line, heat nine begins with Ospreys trailing by a single point. It is Jo's turn to ride, and after turning in a great performance, Ospreys take maximum points from the heat. They repeat the performance in heat ten, again snatching maximum points and giving themselves a commanding lead.

With three heats to go, Jo calls to Viktor that he'd best give his team a pep talk. As Viktor trudges off, Jo and Vladimir can see that he is a broken man, and speedway isn't just a sport for the village, but a way of life.

I read this strip twice and still, I walk away from it feeling neutral. It wasn't a bad story and I enjoyed it in places, yet it never grabbed me in the way I wanted and shook me up. It stayed firmly in the middle of the road (or middle of the track if you like) and the drama remained low speed and low risk. I was disappointed to see the kidnapped victim remaining calm and going along with the scheme. This could have been a point of more conflict to feed the story and I am surprised more wasn't made of it. Even the motorbike racing felt low-key with little sense of danger and excitement. Jo rode hard as you'd expect, and victory felt like it came all too easy. Next week's issue promises shocks galore, and I certainly hope so as nothing was shocking or thrilling in this week's issue.

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Then how in the name of cold caviare did you end up here, in the middle of nowhere, tied to a chair?"

Roy Of The Rovers

Last week, Roy was asked to be Melchester Rovers's player-manager in Tony Storme's absence.

The first half of this week's issue sees Roy mulling over the decision, with most of the story driven by his internal monologue. He drives home only to find a horde of journalists awaiting him, the news having already leaked from the director's office. Before he knows what's happening, Roy finds himself being interviewed on live TV.

He realises this is his chance to catch the attention of a wide audience, and uses the moment to make an appeal to Tony Storme to come back.

With the news out in the open, Roy is inundated with letters from fans imploring him to take the position. This is reinforced by a steady stream of fans arriving at the door, all begging Roy to take the job.

Come Saturday, Melchester Rovers are preparing to take on Castledene and still no firm decision has been made. Finally, Roy arrives in the dressing room and announces to the team that he will be the player-manager. The team is overjoyed with the decision and they take to the field with plenty of smiles and laughter.

With a light warm-up, Roy takes his first kick as player-manager and blazes the ball over the top of the goal. It is not pre-match nerves that have caused him to miss, but rather the sight of a man in the crowd who looks suspiciously like Tony Storme.

It's hard to imagine a professional club letting the team drift along to game day without a manager, and Roy's very late announcement to the team doesn't seem to fit with his otherwise professional character. I know it is only a comic and not real life but Roy has always been extremely professional throughout his career, and this late decision doesn't fit the man I know. There were several bright spots sprinkled throughout the story, and I enjoyed seeing Roy's home life, especially when he was woken by his housekeeper. I also enjoyed seeing him rolling the decision around in his head, and although he decided very late in the piece, we did see how much the decision was weighing upon him. It may be shortlived, the man in the crowd does look very much like Tony Storme, and I can only hope that it is a red herring and Roy gets a good run as player-manager. If not, it has been an interesting diversion and although this story didn't live up to what we expected in Roy Of The Rovers, it did show some different elements of the world the character inhabits.

Rating: 6/10

Best Line: "You'd better play your normal games, or I'll want to know why! Your new player-manager expects nothing but the best!"

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton

My favourite type of Johnny Cougar story this week, with wrestling action front and centre.

We are dropped straight into the action with Johnny fighting an unnamed opponent in front of a capacity Midlands crowd. His opponent is big and strong, and Johnny is his equal as the bout plays out over the first page and a half. There are heavy blows exchanged, and some high-speed collisions before Johnny wins the pinfall with an extravagant finish.

Entertaining and fast, the crowd is in awe of the match when suddenly there is a commotion by one of the exits and the Grarg, the robot we met last week, enters, escorted by his manager Jacob Barclay.

Jacob Barclay announces he has a special challenge for Johnny, and Grarg gives a display of his strength, pulling the ring ropes apart with his bare hands.

A handshake between the two sees Johnny winch in pain and clutching his hand. Little does anyone in the room suspect that Grarg is a robot and Johnny is about to face one of his toughest opponents.

Fantastic story this week, and the first panel alone was enough for me to decide that this is my favourite story. The fact that wrestling remained its focus helped in this cause, and I couldn't help but be thrilled by the action I was reading. If the previous two strips in this week's comic left me feeling flat, I was certainly reinvigorated by Johnny Cougar, and this is shaping up to be an explosive story. It is being built up well and I appreciate that last week led the groundwork for the background of Johnny's opponent, and this week continued the steady build. The payoff should be spectacular, and next week's issue can't come fast enough. Top-notch, this is the very best kind of Johnny Cougar story.

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "By the spirits, Cougar look forward to meeting such a man! Cougar accept challenge! We shake on it!"

Nipper

Cats and dogs running amok in a fancy hotel, it's a chaotic start to Nipper this week. With his dog Stumpy causing trouble, Nipper is immediately facing the wrath of the England under-23 manager Gordon Jackson.

Despite Jackson interceding on Nipper's behalf with the hotel manager, Stumpy still has to leave, and with him goes an angry Nipper. Nipper is firmly told that he must be at training at 10 o'clock sharp, and the only reason he is in the team is due to his goalscoring form.

Nipper takes no chances and dutifully turns out at the Larnford ground early. He starts practising by himself, but after an hour there is no sign of the English team. Speaking to the groundsman, he finds that there are two Larnford Grounds, and he's at the wrong one.

Quickly making his way to the correct ground, Nipper is well and truly late and once again in hot water. He has missed the training and the team talk and is told that he won't be in the starting lineup. He has just made the substitutes bench, and for that, he should be grateful.

Poor Nipper, he just can't catch a break. I felt sorry for him at the start of the strip with Stmpy causing trouble, although Nipper was his own worst enemy when he failed to back down, thus exacerbating the problem. The first panel was chaotic but fun, but the real meat and potatoes of the story were over the page and Nipper's issues with getting to training. With no football game this week, the art didn't have to carry the weight, and it was the words on the page that carried the story. That's well enough for me, but with comics being a visual medium it would have been nice with a few more striking images, aside from the obvious first panel. The saga continues next week, and there is potentially a chance for Nipper to get on the field, a chance for both he and the artist of the strip to show us what they're made of.

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "That's right! But this is the corporation ground...open to the public! You'll be wanting the new sports complex, most likely! The one they built on the old running track..."

Hot Shot Hamish

Hamish and wee Wallie Campbell have rashly wagered their houses against the McDonald clan on the outcome of the Princes Park game against Dunferlie.

While Hamish is approaching the game in a positive frame of mind, Wallie is distraught and a bundle of nerves as they take the field. A brief pep-talk from Hamish about showing some fighting spirit backfires as Wallie attacks the game like a madman, immediately fouling the opposition players in a flurry of arms waving and punching.

Failing to heed the warning of the yellow yard the referee flashes at him, Wallie commits a second foul and is sent from the field. Facing ten men, Dunferlie launches wave after wave of attacks, only for Princes Park to grimly hang on.

Down one-nil at halftime, the manager Mister McWhacker urges Princes Park to go onto the offensive. As he rightly points out you might as well lose ten-nil as one-nil.

After the re-start, Hamish launches the hot-shot, knocking the keeper over. However the ball fails to cross the line for a goal, and we end the strip with the ball lying on the goal line while both teams surge towards it - Princes Park to score, Dunferlie to clear it.

The last couple of weeks have strayed from football action, and I was most happy to see Hamish and his beloved Princes Park back on the field. With such high stakes, the game had an intensity to it that we don't usually see on the pages of Hot Shot Hamish, and I found myself falling deeper into the story. I wasn't too fussed with the last couple of weeks and the tobogganing action, and this week was much more to my taste. Seasoned with a pinch of humour, this was a more fulfilling dish, and I can only hope next week is the sweet finish we hope for.

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Och, the great big brute o' a man isna going to try a shot from the half-way line is her? He'll no' beat a goalie o' my calibre that way!"