Tiger 9th August 1975

 I have a superpower. I have the ability to always watch the wrong game. Right now, Euro 2024 is on. If there are multiple games on at the same time, I always watch the boring one that ends in a nil-all draw, only to change the channel at full time and discover the other game was a thriller that went right down to the final minute. Sigh. The knockout stages will suit me much better, with only one game on at a time. Even better is Tiger comic, when I can follow multiple storylines all at once, and across multiple sports. Simpler, yes, but just as enjoyable. I can enjoy it at my own pace and can linger on each panel as long as I want, safely knowing that the next story isn't going anyway and will be waiting for me, untouched, as I turn the page. 

Tiger

9th August 1975

Johnny Cougar

Gunplay on the cover of Johnny Cougar is an unexpected surprise that has me reading on expectantly. 

After several events, Cougar has a slim lead over the Golden Boy, although he now has a badly injured leg as they come into the final two events. 

We begin with a pistol shooting event, and although Cougar struggles with the weight of the gun, he still manages to shoot three bullseyes. The Golden Boy approaches the event with the supreme confidence we have seen throughout this strip, and he fires his three shots in quick succession. As the officials gather around the target, they assert that only one shot is a bull's eye. Golden Boy disputes this, telling them that all his shots must have passed through the same spot. A closer inspection reveals that this is not the case, and the Golden Boy has missed two of his shots. 

Johnny is awarded two points and we reach the final event with double points on offer. Cougar can't lose, and the best the Golden Boy can do is tie, but nevertheless, it's an intense finale. 

Tasked with running two laps of the track, followed by three lengths of the swimming pool and finishing with a high dive, the two competitors start quickly. Johnny struggles with his leg injury, and the Gilden Boy takes the early lead. He still has that lead as they reach the pool, and as Golden Boy enters the water there is still no sign of Johnny Cougar. 

What a weird completion we are in. I had not expected to see pistols involved, and it feels like we have come a long way since the boxing and wrestling match that started all of this. The ship was righted as we began the final running and swimming event. It was pleasing to see Johnny's injury finally affect his performance as last week we were told he was injured but he still gave a good account of himself. Now it finally means something, and just in time as we start this final event. There is no sign of Cougar as Golden Boy enters the pool, but there is plenty of scope for him to come from behind, and part of the joy of this week's strip is that I have no idea how Cougar can win it. The fun will be in finding out, and next week should be a fitting finale for this competition. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Swimming pool, here I come!"

Roy Of The Rovers

After his England adventures, Roy is back at Melchester Rovers and the strip begins this week showing him in his managerial capacity. Standing at a blackboard, he outlines the various roles in the overall team plan. Tactically, he's no Pep Guardiola, but he does have aspirations for the team to play total football and expects plenty of player movement. 

As they ready themselves for their first game against Barford, there is talk of Portdean's Scottish international Duncan McKay being unhappy and looking for a move. After this brief chat, it is straight into the game and Melchester soon takes a two-nil lead. The crowd is ecstatic, although Roy has a nagging doubt and thinks Lady Luck is about to turn her back on them. 

Mark this historic issue in your diaries - the first mention of the legendary Duncan McKay. We have yet to see him on the page, but any student of Roy Of The Rovers will know what a large part he plays in future Roy Of The Rovers stories. This brief one-line mention overshadowed everything else in this week's story for me, although to be honest, not a lot happened. Roy is back at Melchester, he has a plan, and the game is going well. The seed sown with the mention of Duncan McKay will no doubt sprout in the coming weeks and I have a suspicion that Roy may be about to face an injury crisis and need a new player. Still, it's not for me to guess, it's for me to read and enjoy and that is what I shall I do. For now, I am overjoyed at the mention of Duncan McKay and can't wait to see him appear on the page. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "I see that Duncan McKay...Portdean's Scottish international defender...isn't happy with the terms they've offered him! It's rumoured that he wants to move!"

Martin's Marvellous Mini 

Tiny is out on the water racing a speed boat, while Martin can only watch on and worry. His worries prove to be unfounded and after accidentally taking a short cut Tiny wins the race, and the desperately needed prize money. 

Their troubles are over and with their debts repaid they can start over. They still need a job, and they come up with a plan to borrow Martin's father's caravan and drive to the coast in search of work. 

Spying a fair, they think this might present an opportunity for some work, and this proves correct as the fair's owner tells them that the crowds have become bored by his current display of car stunts. Seeing they have a caravan with them, the owner suggests a car and caravan race. Each man has a different vision of how successful this might be, with Martin being the most pessimistic and having concerns about his Dad's caravan.

A clever way to finish the story, with each man envisioning a different outcome for the caravan race. I thought more may have been made of the motorboat race, although I am rather excited by the prospect of the caravan race and all that may come with that. The motorboat race looked good, but it never offered up any real sense of drama, and having Tiny win it, on the back of a huge slice of luck, was good enough for me. The set-up for the next part of the story was simply told, and with plenty of greenery, there was a nice sense of the countryside and the distance travelled. Not too much action this week, but we are set up for what is to come and it is a case of steady as she goes. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "Don't worry, Dad! You know us - we're really careful with things!" 

Hot Shot Hamish 

Lost in Austria, Hamish has stumbled his way into a local football match, where he has come on as a substitute. Hamish's team is a goal down, and with only minutes left to play, Hamish takes it upon himself to save the day. Taking the ball, he bulldozers his way through the opposing team, before launching the hot shot which fires both the ball and the goalkeeper into the back of the net. 

The game is drawn, and as Hamish explains how he came to be on the field the team invites him to join them for dinner. They have barely sat down for dinner when they receive a message from the police telling of a man lost in the mountains. They set off to search for the man, and Hamish joins them, concerned that a man would be daft enough to get lost out there. 

The man they are looking for is described as big, ugly, and not fit to be left out by himself. This description rings a bell with Hamish, and he tells the others that this is how Mister McWhacker talks about him. With this, all is explained, and it is discovered that Hamish is the one at the centre of the manhunt. Hamish now only has a short time to get the game, but his newfound friends have an idea. They strap Hamish to a sledge and begin pulling him towards the north face of the Big Chief mountain. It will take a long time to get to the top of the mountain, but they assure him it will be a lot faster down. 

Plenty of laughs at Hamish's expense, especially as he hears Mister McWhacker's description and recognises himself in the words. The appearance of the hot shot is always welcome, and although it didn't win the game, it was a timely reminder that this is a football story. There were a few laughs after this before the final setpiece that lays the groundwork for next week. Hamish strapped to a sledge is quite a sight, and despite the reassurance of the Austrians around him, one can sense that there is trouble and excitement ahead. Apart from the laughs, this is another story with an eye on the future, and this week wrote a promise that should be delivered upon soon. More laughs ahead of us, and as we come to the end of our time in Austria it looks like Hamish will be leaving with a bang.   

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "The message from the police just said we were to look for a big man! His friends said he was big...ugly...and not fit to be left out by himself!"

Tallon Of The Track

Billy Bolton has made a terrible start to his race, and Jo is fuming as she watches from the sidelines. 

On the track, Billy is fast, and he has a plan to gain the lead. Cutting in sharply, he approaches the other riders, and Jo has a suspicion of what is about to happen. Watching through a pair of binoculars, she sees Billy tap one of the riders on the ankle, throwing him into his teammate and leaving the way clear for Billy to take the lead. 

The Ospreys take a one-two finish, and the team are pleased with Billy's performance on the track. The only one not happy is Jo, and she lets Billy know that she saw what he did out there. Nobody else saw it, and as far as they are concerned Billy is a great rider. This leads to some conflict within the team, with most of the team siding with Billy, including the captain Dave Trent. This leaves Jo isolated, and she is cast as the villain while the crafty Billy Bolton now has the trust of the rest of the team. 

The story has deepened this week, and I like the fact that Jo is on the outer. There is a sense of intrigue to it, and I look forward to seeing what Jo will do to win her team back. It is surprising that no one else saw Billy cheat on the track, although it wouldn't be much of a story if everyone saw it and Billy was exposed so soon. Billy has been built up as a character of great cunning, and this story may run for some time before we reach a conclusion. That's for the best, as this story is stronger than it has been for many months, This is story line that I can really get my teeth into, and although this week didn't rate highly for drama or development, it did give us an insight to what may lay ahead, and all of it looks juicy. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Just a minute, Bolton! You may think you're mighty clever, but I saw what you did!"

Billy's Boots

Billy is on a sea-side holiday with his Gran, where he has made some new friends and discovered that he can play cricket and potentially win some prizes. 

He also finds a game of football taking place on the beach, and he joins in the fun there. He enjoys this time with his new friends and after speaking with Dave, they decide to meet up the next day and practise their cricket before the game the following day. 

They get a chilly response at the town cricket club, and they are told they can't practice. Furthermore, the men at the club tell them that they take their cricket seriously and they aren't happy with kids being selected. 

The following day it is no surprise when Billy and Dave find themselves on the team list batting at numbers 10 and 11. The team starts well, but a collapse later in the innings sees Billy and Dave at the crease with plenty of work to do. They decide to take their time, and after a patient start Billy has thirty runs and Dave has forty-two. They begin to play with some confidence, so much so that the opposition team bring back their opening bowler. The strip ends with this opening bowler steaming in, and Billy surprisingly advancing down the pitch toward him. 

The story started brightly, with Billy's new friends pulling him towards the local sports on offer. We had both cricket and football make an appearance, and although it was cricket that grabbed the headlines, the football aspect gave the story a nice balance. The football gave the story time to breathe, and a chance for the boys to interact and talk about cricket away from the pitch. The interlude with Billy telling his Gran about his day was also a nice natural break in the story before we accelerated toward the conclusion and the day of the game. Once again Billy is dealing with grumpy old men, and he and Dave are proving their worth with bat in hand. Every young man must be heartened by the sight of Billy taking it to the opposition, and the final image of him advancing down the pitch gives me hope that he is about to put an exclamation point on it all. Or of course, it may all end in disappointment. We shall see next week. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Look here...you two push off! We play cricket seriously!"

Skid Solo

Skid and the team are in Austria, and all attention is on Tommy who is preparing to return to Britain to sit his driving exam. He puts in a lot of work on the track, and after watching him practice for many hours, Sandy offers to sit beside him and give him some tips. 

On the track, Sandy finds that Tommy is extremely nervous, and with Sandy sitting beside him he makes several mistakes. Sandy tries to boost his confidence, but Tommy is a bundle of nerves.

Reporting to Skid, Sandy tells him that Tommy is nervous, and he can only hope that Tommy finds a sympathetic examiner. 

It's finally the day of Tommy sitting his license, as he sleeps on the plane back to Britain he has several nightmares about all the things that could go wrong with the test. 

While waiting for the bus from the airport, Tommy witnesses a traffic accident. The driver of a larger car blames the other driver, but Tommy steps forward and tells him that he saw it all and the driver of the larger car was at fault - he should have stopped at the junction. 

Tommy hurries to his driving test, still nervous, and approaches the examiner. He is surprised to find it was one of the drivers from the traffic accident earlier, the one who was in the right,. 

This brightens Tommy, and he is certain that now he will pass the test. However he returns forlornly to Skid and Sandy at the end of the day and reports that he has failed his license. Sandy asssumes that it was because he was nervous, but Tommy tells him quite the opposite - he was overconfident. 

Just when I thought Tommy was about to pass his test, they went and did this to me. It seems the saga is far from over, and I'll have to watch on patiently as another week passes without Tommy gaining his license. The story was pleasant enough, and it was a good twist, but my expectations were so high that it all felt like a disappointment. I'm sure there was a lesson in there somewhere for me, although I have no idea what it was. There was no car racing for me to indulge in, and a lot of the story was talking heads as we moved Tommy closer to passing his test. I thought the driving examiner was a good character, and I hope he will return when Tommy resits his test. The examiner showed several emotions and was a well-rounded character, pretty good considering he only had four or five panels in the story. Skid and Sandy were sidelined this week, but next week should see them returned to action, no doubt with something more dramatic than what we saw here. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Yes, yes, Mister Carter...just a moment...can't you see I'm busy. There's no need to be so impatient!"

Nipper

Nigel Danvers is furious that Nipper has exposed him as the one behind the insulting phone call to Typhoon Tuggey, and comes at him swinging. 

Nipper is too fast, and ducks the blow, leaving Danvers off balance and falling onto the fist of Tuggey. The umpire sternly tells Danvers to leave the field as Tuggey and Nipper shake hands and the game resumes at a more gentlemanly pace. 

Tuggey hits Nipper's next ball for six but is out the following ball, and the team collapse around him as Nipper and Mike put on a display of fine bowling. 

Blackton is out for less than one hundred, and Lane Grove has won the game convincingly. However, in the dressing room, all is not well as Nipper and Mike examine his injured toe. The first Blackport training session is just days away, and Nipper finds the injury even worse the following day. This leaves him in a dilemma. He can't go to the club for treatment, and if the manager finds out he has been playing cricket, Nipper will be in big trouble. 

The cricket season is over, and we now wait to see what unfolds as Nipper begins his football training. It's not looking good for him, although he was very unlucky to get injured, especially considering he only played two games. This was a quick wrap-up of the cricket story, and as such I never expected too much from it. It was by the numbers, and Nipper's injury didn't figure in it until the final two panels, surprising considering it was last week when he got injured. This issue felt like it was padded out to get us one week closer to the football season, and the drama with Nigel Danvers could have easily been dealt with in last weeks issue. For all that, it did what it had to, and it didn't sag too much as it bridged the two storylines. A solid issue, and one that has set us up for some footballing next week, always a good thing. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line:  "I reckon it was Danvers who got the 'hard feelings', Typhoon! Put it there, mate!" 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story:  Billy's Boots  

Best Line: "It will take a long time to get up the mountain...but you will go down much faster!" 

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: