Tiger 2nd August 1975

It's just as well it is the middle of winter, and the shortest day to boot, otherwise I shall feel quite guilty for sitting inside all day watching the Euros and reading comics. 

Football, football, football, what a wonderful time of year.

Sadly I am out of step with the seasons on the pages of Tiger, where we are currently in cricket season. While Billy's Boots is delivering a cracking cricket story,  I am, sadly and rapidly, losing interest in Nipper and his exploits on the cricket pitch. It doesn't help that I have just watched six hours of football and now my only wish is to see Nipper kick a football again. Still, it is what it is, and I shall sip my cup of tea and enjoy the other football strips in the comic - along with all the other usual suspects and their sporting shenanigans. 

Tiger

2nd August 1975

Skid Solo

Skid Solo starts in the best possible fashion with the sight of Skid and Sparrow racing side by side in a practice run for the German Grand Prix. 

It's not all sausages and beer, and Sparrow is desperately pointing to Skid's rear tyre which is rapidly shredding itself. 

The inevitable happens, and as his tyres burst Skid comes off the track. Back at the pits, Tommy and Sandy find that their regular tyres don't fit the American wheels, and they only have one set for the race the next day. 

On race day Skid is well aware of the task ahead of him, racing on only one set of tyres. However, he is very fast on the track and soon builds a commanding lead. Tommy and Sandy are wary of the tyres and try their best to warn him to take it slowly. However, with one lap left Skid is forced to gamble and race at full speed. 

Of course, the tyres burst, and instead of finishing first Skid crawls across the line in sixth place. With this result, he slips down the table of the drivers' championship into third place, thirteen points behind the leader. 

A very tidy issue for Skid Solo, and it's great to see some dynamic Grand Prix action. The opening cover image looked like the business, and it was a good introduction not just to the story, but to the entire issue. The story was entertaining, and although I cringed a couple of times, I found it to be a page-turner. With Skid dropping several places on the driver's championship there is still plenty more in the tank for this story, and if the next few Grand Prix are as good as this one I shall be very happy indeed. Next week carries the promise of Tommy's driving test, and I am quietly looking forward to that story being parked so we can continue racing through the Grand Prix season. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "The trouble with this car...is the engine's too good for the tyres! I'm burning them off on the bends..." 

Johnny Cougar

After several events in the athletics series, Johnny Cougar holds a slim lead over the Golden Boy - although now his leg injury is causing him severe problems and the doctors are advising him to quit.

Johnny Cougar is no quitter, and he struggles on to the pole vault. Johnny makes a courageous jump, but the Golden Boy just manages to beat it, although a wobbly bar almost puts paid to his chances. 

Johnny cannot even make a full turn to throw the discus, and he elects to make a standing throw. It is a mighty throw, and Golden Boy must give it his all to beat the mark. This he does, but as Golden Boy is gloating to Johnny Cougar, it is pointed out that one of the officials has pulled a red flag on his throw - it seems he has inadvertently stepped out of the circle while making his throw. Johnny is back in the lead, but the margins are slim and Golden Boy is promising to have a surprise up his sleeve for the next event.

Like last week, this was all too smooth and lacked a barb to hook me in. There is conflict between Johnny and the Golden Boy, but it stays firmly rooted on the page, and never once do I feel involved with it. Part of the problem is these recent events are solo events, so we see Johnny doing an action, and then Golden Boy doing the same, each separately. They aren't directly competing, and with only one character in the panel at a time the story slows. However, I do like looking at it, and the crafting of the work on the page gives me an appreciation for those at work behind the scenes. As long as it keeps looking as good as it does, I shall be happy. I just wish it was a little more substantial. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Well, Cougar, you heap big loser...now we're level on points!"  

Martin's Marvellous Mini

Martin is caught in the fence of the stock car track, while the cars continue to thunder around him. 

With the race rapidly slipping away from him, Martin puts the car into reserve and the pedal to the metal. It works, and as his car springs free he crashes backwards into the other cars about to lap him. 

With his car the only one left running, Martin easily wins the race and collects his share of the prize money. 

He is eager to speak to Tiny about his winnings, but when he calls he finds that Tiny has entered a boat race. Tiny has damaged the boat he was towing, and to make back the money to make a repair he is now racing a boat on the lake for prize money. 

Martin races to the lake as fast as he can, and arrives in time to see Tiny out of control on the water. Tiny is plenty fast enough, but he has no control, and the strip ends with Martin anxious about Tiny's safety and wondering what he can do. 

The most colourful story of the book, and we had several set pieces that gave the artwork, and the colourist, time to shine. In particular, the second half of the story, taking place on water, gave us a different perspective, and I enjoyed seeing Tiny out of control in a boat. We normally see Martin taking the wheel and now we know why. It was a thrill to see Tiny giving it a go, and I hope next week he will get more time on the water. Our two friends are now reunited after being parted last week, and it feels right for this story that is so firmly grounded on the friendship between the two of them. This was again apparent in the concern that Martin showed for Tiny when he saw him out on the water, and I have no doubt that this will be built on further in the coming weeks. Everyone needs a friend like Martin, and I hope Tiny knows how lucky he is.  

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Driving a motorboat in a race? But he can't! He's not good enough to handle it...not at speed! Where did he get the boat from, anyway?"

Roy Of The Rovers

Roy is representing his country, although his head isn't in the game as he continues to worry about Jules Bernard's kidnapped nephew. 

He is reassured when he picks up a note dropped by Jules, telling him the nephew is safe and there's no need to worry.

With this news, Roy is a new man. The rest of the game he gives a real Roy Of The Rovers performance, striking a thunderbolt of a goal to give England the lead. After a back-and-forth battle with his opponent Jules, he scores a second to seal the win and England is victorious.

Walking off the pitch, Roy is already looking ahead, and with the new season kicking off next week he has a lot on his plate. 

Last week was the pinnacle of this story, and this week we stepped back from that peak with an issue that began the descent into a new storyline. As such, it lacked any real drama and bite and was merely a matter of ticking boxes. Roy in action on the field was what one would expect from such an issue, and there were no surprises to see him score the winning goals. We were told that Jules was a tough opponent, but we never saw it on the page, and there was only a single line telling us that Roy had managed to slip his marker before we saw him smashing home the winning goal. It was nice to have it wrapped up quickly, and I was surprised to see that the new season begins next week. It seems like only yesterday that the season concluded Melchester Rovers winning the European Cup Winners Cup. This was a flat issue and did what it had to do, and now all eyes turn to the new season and the adventures that await Roy and his team there. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "What's the matter with Race? He isn't even trying!" 

Billy's Boots

A gang of toughs from the opposition team are waiting to beat up Billy as he leaves the dressing room after the game. 

Billy outsmarts them, and after climbing out a side window he runs down the street. They give chase, and as they follow Billy around the corner they find he has vanished, with only a blank wall and a ladder in front of them. As they quickly scale the ladder and jump the wall, Billy emerges from where he has been hiding by the garbage bins and walks home. 

Billy arrives home to some good news from his Gran. Auntie Amy has written to invite them to stay at her boarding house at Clay Beach. 

It means that Billy will miss the last cricket match of the season, but he is excited to be going and packs his football and cricket boots - just in case he should get a game.

They arrive at a typical British seaside town, and soon enough Billy is unpacking in his new room. A large spider appearing at his window is his introduction to a group of children staying next door, and soon he is out on the street with George, Sid, and their sister Mary. 

This new gang of friends come across a poster advertising a holiday team to play cricket. With cash prizes on offer, and under the gaze of Mary, Billy thinks he has a chance to perform well, despite the opposition being mostly men. 

Every panel of this story was relatable, and it was the perfect snapshot of a young boy and pals. Seeing Billy slip away from those threatening to beat him up was satisfying, but not half as satisfying as seeing the interaction between him and his Gran when he got home. Seeing the most simple of scenes play out between the two of them on the page filled my heart with warmth, and I couldn't help but wish that my Nan was more like Billy's Gran. The seaside town they journeyed to would be instantly recognizable to most, and the familiarity ran deep in the story. The making of new friends was achieved quickly across two panels, and seeing Billy interact with Mary, the sister of his new friend, took me right back to when I was that age. He didn't directly talk to her, but it was clear that he was trying to impress her. No doubt the hot pants she was wearing had some influence on that. I can't wait to see what happens next, although, like Roy of the Rovers before it, I was surprised to hear that the cricket season is already finished. I think they have only played three games this season, but I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume there were a lot of games that never made it into the comic. Roll on next week, and more of Mary please - a welcome addition to this boys' comic. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "I had to get your loaf of bread, Gran! What's the news, anyway? Don't say I've been selected to play cricket against Australia!"

Hot Shot Hamish 

While in Austria, Hamish has become separated from the rest of his team in an old castle. Falling through a trap door, he is washed out into the local river, where he surprises several local fishermen as he emerges from the water. 

With his clothes soaking wet, Hamish seeks shelter in a local sports club. Here he finds a football kit, and he rapidly changes into it to dry out. Wandering out onto the field, Hmaish is caught up in a game, and he finds himself substituted on for an injured local player. The team is down two-nil,  but a fast goal from Hamish has the team back in the game. 

Meanwhile, the rest of the Princes Park team is on a coach driving through the mountains. Mister McWhacker is worried about Hamish and has plans to ring the police as soon as they get to the next town. 

I'm a little disappointed by Hamish's exit from the castle and the fact that he looked like the former occupant was swept under the carpet. I wanted it to be more and was surprised to see the story move in a new direction as Hamish pulled on a football jumper. The castle was a great setup, and all I can do now is have faith in the writer that the story will bend back in that direction soon. As much as Hamish looks great muscling his way around the field, the castle offers a broader canvas for the storyteller and the artist and affords an exciting new context for Hamish to carve out his next adventure. It's hard to gauge how much longer this story will linger in Austria, with one game left it may be one week, or it may be more, we shall see. However long it is, I hope that Hamish can deliver a compelling storyline and we can leave this European sojourn on a high.    

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "I have not seen him before. He must be the new man. Well, he can go on right away." 

Nipper

Playing for the Grove Lane cricket team, Nipper has injured his foot while facing their angry fast bowler, Typhoon Tuggey. Surveying the damage, Mike tells Nipper it's best to quit before it gets worse, especially with the new football season almost upon them. However, Nipper is determined to continue and get to the bottom of who placed the prank call to Tuggey, and as the Blackton team comes out to bat he takes his place in the field. 

In the field, Nipper is giving plenty of lip to the opposition players and chipping away at all of them. He especially concentrates on Tuggey, and the game rapidly descends into a shambles, with finger-pointing and threats all over the field. 

The umpire takes a stand and warns both teams. As things get ugly, the Grove Lane captain, Nigel Danvers, steps in and points an accusing finger at Nipper, telling him they wouldn't be in this mess if he hadn't insulted Tuggey over the phone. 

This is the moment that Nipper has been waiting for, and he tells the assembled players that no one knew about the call except for Nipper, Mike and Tuggey, so how then did Nigel Danvers know about it?

It is obvious that Nigel is the guilty party, but as Nipper talks smugly to the players about the plot Nigel is fast coming behind him with a closed fist.

With this talk of the new football season upon us, it looks like Nipper's time at Grove Lane is almost finished - after two games. It has been an interesting ride, and although this wasn't my favourite issue or storyline, it has been steady enough and this feels like a fitting ending. We still have one final conflict to resolve, but I don't think it will take too much to wrap this up and get Nipper back on the football pitch. This week went as I expected and didn't offer up too much in the way of surprises. The conflict we expected to see on the pitch was there, and after some tense moments, the story got where it needed to be with Nigel falling into Nipper's trap. I would have liked to see one more issue to flesh this out, but it is a fast-moving comic, and it was nice to see us reaching the end and already looking towards the future. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "For goodness sake keep quiet, Lawrence! This game is degenerating into a shambles" 

Tallon Of The Track 

Jo Tallon is desperately unhappy that the Ospeys chairman, Sir Basil Oldfield, has signed Bill Bolton to the team. In Jo's eyes, Bill Bolton is a cocky and arrogant rider and one who doesn't ride fairly. 

Their next race meeting is in Pensdale, in the North of England, and as they wait for the coach to pick them up to take them there, Jo observes that Bill Bolton is already late. 

Just at that moment, he appears, dressed in fancy dress as a pirate. Jo is fuming as he explains that it is a psychological trick and that he is merely trying to shake the confidence of the opposition riders. 

The rest of the team find it funny, but Jo is far from amused. Her mood doesn't improve at the track, although Bolton does approach her and ask if he can ride in the first heat. 

Jo agrees, although she immediately regrets it as the race starts and Bolton pulls a wheelie, getting away off the line in last place.

I can't decide if I love or hate Bill Bolton. Previous he came across as a complete heel, yet this week there was a tinge of the lovable rogue about him, which almost redeemed some of his previous behaviour. Pleasingly, it was all undone on the final panels, and his final thoughts make it quite clear that he's not one to be trusted. Earlier in the story I was drawn to the images of him dressed as a pirate, and found those panels to be fairly amusing, not something I expected during this storyline. It did add some levity to the strip and gave us a nice sense of momentum as we went into the second half of the strip. I am slowly warming to this story, and after a couple of slow weeks, I now feel I am enjoying it much more. Perhaps I should go back to the beginning and read the previous issues again, I'm sure that now I have this wider context I would enjoy them much more. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Pirates, prepare to meet thy doom! The birds of prey are here for the kill!' 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story:  Skid Solo  

Best Line: "What am I going to do? If this goes on Tiny's boat could end up at the bottom of the lake." 

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: