Tiger 21st June 1975

I have been reading a lot of very good blogs recently and this has left me feeling blue. I want this blog to be better than it is, and it could be if only I had more time. I am always rushing to get the net blog post with the only thought in my head that the most important thing is to post regularly. Another hour to brush up on the post and sprinkle my writer's fairy dust over it just doesn't exist at the moment. I am aware of my limitations, and I strive to be better, but as we know perfection is the enemy of progress. All I can do for now is keep pushing forward and hoping that one day my lotto ticket is a winning one and I can dedicate much more time to this passion of mine.    

Tiger

21st June 1975

Billy's Boots

Billy and Jimmy may be dropped from the school cricket team, but they have managed to get a game with the local village team. Unbeknownst to the two boys, the village team's opponents are the school team.

It is a motley cast of characters who take the field for the village team, led by their captain, the Colonel, who Jimmy rightly remarks looks like he came out of a museum. 

Over the page, the boys are immediately found out by their Sportsmaster Mister Renton. Punishments are promised, but first, there is the small matter of the cricket match.

The Colonial is a strong leader, but not a good cricketer. He opens the bowling and is immediately dispatched to the boundary by the batter. The Colonel issues fielding changes, but ignoring his advice Billy moves along the boundary and is immediately awarded with a catch. 

This brings Mister Renton to the wicket, and he puts the village team to the sword, scoring a quick-fire hundred while dispatching the ball to all corners of the field. The Colonel has run out of ideas until someone suggests Billy have a bowl. This pays dividends, with Billy's Boots taking him for a long run-up before bowling a lightning-fast delivery that has Mister Renton out. Two balls later Billy has another wicket and suddenly the game looks very different. 

Wickets continue to tumble, and the school team are out for 143. The Colonel tells the village team that he'll open the batting, and the rest of them might not get a bat. Billy and Jimmy are coming in at four and five in the batting order, and they are required sooner than expected with three wickets falling before a run is scored, The story ends with Jimmy walking to the middle while Billy hastily puts on his pads. 

I have been slow to grasp onto these cricket stories, but this one was a humdinger and I am revitalized. A large part of that is due to the cast of characters presented by the village team. In particular, I was quite taken by the Colonel. His old-fashioned manner added humour, and the way he took himself too seriously was a dish that any young boy would lap up. We all know older gentlemen such as this, and to see them quietly deflated on the page appealed to my ego as my sense of right and wrong. Mister Renton the sports master also had his time in the sun, and seeing him perform great deeds with the bat helped round out his character, and with his sporting pedigree, we are beginning to see why he would be a sportsmaster. With other characters taking centre stage Billy came across as far more likeable than usual, and I felt sympathy for him and Jimmy Dawson as they first try and win the game before once again facing the wrath of Mister Renton. All this was finessed by some wonderful artwork, giving us a diverse cast of characters and a range of personalities on the page. The artwork added depth and warmth to the story, and I would happily take the front cover to be framed on my wall at home - with my wife's permission of course! 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "I'm out...bowled first ball. I didn't even see it. I had a fly in my eye. Dashed bad luck!"

Skid Solo

Last week Tommy Carter was sacked by Sandy, so I am most surprised to see Tommy in the pit and talking to Skid at the beginning of this week's comic. 

Skid hands Tommy his medal back after Tommy threw it away last week and tells him that while Sandy is at the hotel nursing his leg, Tommy can help out as his mechanic.

It's a fine plan until Sandy suddenly appears at the track and Tommy is forced into a quick disguise using a nearby hat and glasses. It may hide his identity. but it does nothing for his vision as he makes a series of mistakes due to his inability to see. 

On the back of these mishaps, Skid finishes fifth, while Sandy fires the incognito Tommy. telling him the previous mechanic, Tommy, was much better.

The strip ends with Sandy telling Skid that they should rehire Tommy, and he was much better than the mechanic they just used, and Skid readily agrees. 

A nice finish to last week's story and it was the rounded gentle finish that I like to see and that Skid Solo delivered so often. Tommy is paying for his indiscretion last week, and we the readers are the benefactors of a light story that plays to both the heart and the funny bone. The art conveyed the ridiculousness of the situation, and the panels of Tommy's disguise were particularly amusing - especially when he was wearing the glasses. The writing was just a tongue in cheek, and the non de plume that Tommy came up with on the spot amused me far more than it had any right to. 'Arry Adams indeed, a name worthy of a Skid Solo character. Aside from the humour, there were moments of pathos, especially when Tommy was fired for a second time. It was surprisingly moving (I haven't been drinking, I promise) and a touching moment as Sandy told him that Tommy Carter was far more worthy. It looks like we will have more of the same next week, fingers crossed, and if it is as good as this issue I shall be most happy.    

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Two years? Ye've learned nothing! I had a young lad working here...Tommy Carter, who'd only been a mechanic a few months...and he was twice as efficient as ye are! Get the pit signal board ready!" 

Martin's Marvellous Mini

We are drawing near the end of the Scandinavian Rally, with the two leading cars side by side and heading towards a gap in the fence that is only big enough for one. Both cars decide that discretion is the better part of valour, and at the last second, both swerve away in opposite directions.

The Ravianian car is the fastest to recover and shoot the gap, so to speak.  Trailing behind, Tint and Martin find themselves driving through the gardens of a stately manor. More trouble is afoot as they find a bar blocking their access to the next part of the course, but a quick shortcut (including driving through a lake) and they are hurtling past the Ravianian car towards the finish line. 

They cross the finish line first, winning the rally much to the chagrin of Mister Vedgic and his Ravianian team. Remembering that Mister Vedgic beat them a sum of money should they win the rally they seek him out, but he has already fled the scene and is making for the airport, 

Tiny and Martin are quickly after him, and after a wrong turn they find themselves on the runway at the airport, with a big jet rapidly bearing down on them. 

The final panel of the story lingers in my mind long after I put down the comic, and I am surprised that a small panel at the bottom of the page can carry so much drama. In another comic in another era, this would be a full double-page splash, but on the pages of Tiger it is understated and gets no more attention or space than any other panel on the page. The story itself wrapped up quickly this week and was almost a letdown after what had come before. To be fair though, I always say that after every story, and I don't know why I expect every story to go out with a bang. Realistically the only way to finish the rally was with the boys winning and being presented a trophy, to expect anything more would be foolish on my part. The Scandinavian adventure is almost over, although I never really felt like we were in Scandinavia, and it was the friendship between Martin and Tiny was the real landscape of the story. It is inspiring to see such a friendship on the page, and after finishing today's issue I felt a sudden urge to go and pick up my best friend and head off on an adventure ourselves.  

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Deserving something never got anyone anywhere! What we've got to do is catch the guy in front and beat him!" 

Johnny Cougar

Johnny Cougar has accepted Golden Boy's challenge and will now face him in three rounds of boxing followed by three rounds of wrestling. 

No Rocky-type montage, but we do see Johnny taking on extra training and sparring in the boxing gym as he prepares for the bout. 

The day of the fight arrives, and with Roy Race and Skid Solo in the crowd you know it's a big event.

In front of this stellar audience, Johnny awaits his opponent and the Golden Boy makes an entrance worthy of the occasion, arriving in a small aeroplane suspended by robes. In the ring, he is just as eye-catching, and all the early action consists of Golden Boy pummeling Johnny with heavy blows. The strip ends as Johnny takes another fist to the face and the audience wonders how much longer he can hold out against an obviously superior fighter. 

This was a well-paced story and built up nicely from the opening training session to the final confrontation between Johnny and Golden Boy in the ring. It was slightly jarring to see Roy Race and Skid Solo in the crowd, and this briefly took me out of the story. Both were close approximations to the characters I know and love, but not quite close enough for me to believe that they were part of the story. I always expect a lot in the artwork of Johnny Cougar, and on that front this week was a disappointment. The fighting between Johnny and the Golden Boy didn't look as bone-crunching as you might expect and although we saw the two exchanging blows, both looked like they were pulling punches - in the artwork at least. Similarly, the faces of the characters in the build-up weren't as strong as usual. I find the story is often carried in the faces of the characters in the artwork, but his week wasn't the case as neither Johnny nor the Golden Boy looked particularly intense in the build-up to the fight. Maybe I am a cup of tea short of properly enjoying it this week, everything seemed off half a step and I'm not sure if it's me or the comic. Perhaps I'll have a piece of chocolate and a cup of tea and try again. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "What a rough fellow you are, and no mistake! Get your gloves on and let's get started!"

Nipper

Nipper has caused a scene at the cricket, his reckless call to encourage his captain is a distraction that sees the captain dismissed for a duck. 

The new batter looks extremely nervous and Nipper is desperate to make amends. Taking the strike as much as he can. Nipper hits out and is soon swiftly scoring. His partner is encouraged by this and plays with more confidence. A page later they have a 100-run partnership and the spectators are flocking to watch. 

At this moment Mike Bateson arrives and is horrified to see Nipper doing so well. So too is an unseen observer in the pavilion who swears to get Nipper and Mike out of the club.

This story is progressing much faster than I anticipated, and I feel caught up in the action this week as Nipper fought fire with fire. Seeing him encourage a weaker teammate was the crux of the story, and despite the off-field shenanigans, it is what is going on out in the middle that really counts.  The artwork caught all this action superbly and we had a variety of compelling images showing us Nipper in various action poses. Swinging lustily with the bat, diving to save a runout, and shouting instructions, all propelled the story forward and gave us some real momentum. This is the second cricket story this week, and like Billy's Boots earlier it has proved to be a hit at my house. Who knew a cricket story in a comic could be so much fun? I can only hope it keeps up with this frenetic pace.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "After a performance like this, they'll be playing for the first eleven next week!"

Roy Of The Rovers

The final of the European Cup Winners Cup is proving to be a tight affair with both team's tactics cancelling each other out. However, Roy has a plan and substitutes Lofty Peak in defence for another attacking player.

It seems madness, and the other players let Roy know. He is unruffled and tells them it is all part of a bigger plan. 

With Lofty off the pitch, the Greek team Niarkos, becomes more adventurous, with their right back pushing forward to attack. They almost score, and it is only the reflexes of Charlie Carter, "the Cat" that saves the day. 

He follows his save with a mighty kick upfield. Roy is heavily marked and kicks the ball over his head to where his new player is waiting on the wing. With plenty of space, this player makes for the goal as fast as he can. His shot is parried by the keeper, only for Roy to smash it home for a one-nil lead. 

With this goal, Rovers are in the ascendance, and as Niarko's defence begins to wilt, Rovers find the back of the net again in the final minutes. 

The cup is won, and as Rovers parage the trophy around the ground, Roy muses that he might make a go of this player-manager role. 

Oddly enough, winning the Europen Cup Winners Cup isn't the big deal I thought it may have been. There is no protracted presentation, and even once they have the cup we only see one panel of Melchester Rovers with it. Furthermore, Roy isn't even thinking about the cup he has just won, instead pondering on his future as player-manager. The game itself wasn't as intense as it could have been and overall it felt like a foregone conclusion once Roy's tactics were revealed. The drama of the cup was in the built-up to this final, and as such this issue was deflated in the face of all that has come before. Good but not great football action and a result that was never in doubt made for a solid issue that never burst at the seams as much as I wished for. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "You crafty perisher, Roy! You wanted Niarkos to attack, so that it would open up the game!"

Hot Shot Hamish

Hamish has won two contests already and only has to win the caber tossing to be proclaimed champion of the islands. 

As Hamish's Daddie watches Hamish train it is clear that caber tossing is not Hamish's sport, and this is borne out on the day of the competition as Hamish is handily beaten by Big John.

There's still a chance for Hamish as they approach the final sport of the competition which is Golf. Big John takes the first swing and sends the ball directly down the fairway. Hamish isn't quite as good, and his skews off out to sea. There is a brief subterfuge at this point by Hamish's Daddie who points down the fairway while telling all that will listen that Hamish's ball is straight and lies up ahead. 

He keeps up this falsehood all the way to the green. Here his lies fall apart, for as he slips a ball from beneath his kilt onto the green he is seen by Big John, who promptly knocks Daddie over with a fearsome blow of his golf club. 

I think we all know what's going to happen next, and the inevitable comes to pass as Hamish snatches Big Johns Club and snaps it half before the two men face off in a tense last panel. 

Once again Hamish's Daddie is a scene stealer and the best moments of the strip belonged to him. Hamish is very much a big dumb oaf this week, and it was his Daddie that propelled the action. It was an amusing read, and I couldn't help but grin at the action on the page. However, I prefer to see Hamish on the football pitch, and as much as I laughed at this, I would have liked it to be more football-orientated. Still Hamish's Daddie is a treasure, and if had a similar role in a football story I would be over the moon. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Ye dirty, cheating, twisting, two-timing old fool! I saw ye do it...ye dropped it from under yer kilt!" 

Tallon Of The Track

Jo is in search of new riders, and as she cruises the roads a whole heap of trouble is rapidly coming her way. 

A group of troublemakers on bikes see her from a distance and decide that chicks shouldn't be riding around these parts on motorcycles.

They try to drive Jo off the road, but Jo is every bit their equal, and then some, and outrides all of them. Only the leader of the gang, Buster Green, has the skills to keep up with her and she is impressed when he manages to follow her across country. 

She is just thinking that this may be the solution to her problems with Buster showing he has some talent, but she has little time to reflect upon this as the story comes to an end with the other riders appearing and trapping her in the field.

This story felt like it was by the numbers, and it played to several tropes we have already seen in Tallon Of The Track. The casual sexism of the other riders was a low-hanging fruit to be picked by the storyteller, as was the way that Buster Green seemed to be the answer to Jo's problems. This familiar storyline was lifted by the artwork, and like last week the best moments were the close-ups of the riders chasing Jo. This story is now well-signposted for what comes next, and I only hope the finale comes soon so we can move on to something more nuanced. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "No chick is going to make my gang look stupid! I'll show her!"

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7.5/10

Best Story: Billy's Boots

Best Line: "Don't tell me what to do...you insolent 'keeper! I was playing cricket before you were born!" 

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: