Tiger 30th August 1975

A spectacular cover hints that this could be a great issue. A colourful balloon floating over Skid Solo has me asking a lot of questions, and this comic is begging to be picked up and read. With Martin's Marvellous Mini also featuring colour images of men floating away to the clouds, we have a theme appearing, and one that I'm totally on board with. If the stories can match the lightness of these images, then we should be in for a dreamy read and a most relaxing half hour. Let's turn the page and see what's in store.  

Tiger

30th August 1975

Skid Solo

With the sight of a balloon floating above a road, it looks as though Skid Solo is treading on the same ground as Martin's Marvellous Mini. 

The balloon elicits excitement in the car Skid is driving, with Tommy and Sandy keen to check out the balloon before they finish their drive across Italy to Monza. 

The ballon drops at a nearby castle, although by the time Skid and his friends have made it through the gate, the ballon has seemingly disappeared. Exploring the castle, they find a cache of weapons, and all three automatically fear the worst - the ballon has dropped a shipment of weapons for the local arms dealers. 

They return to their vehicle just as a similar car arrives, and not waiting to ask questions, they speed off before trouble finds them. 

The trouble follows them, with the other car chasing them for some time. Skid tales evasive action through the forest with a fine exhibition of off-road driving, but in the end they are undone as a type bursts when they smash through a gate. 

Their pursuers call to them, and we find that they are making a movie and have mistaken Skid for their stunt driver. They ask if Skid could drive like that again, and he gives an emphatic "No". The story ends with Skid, Sandy and Tommy heading towards Monza, and Sandy telling them they will mind their own business in the future. 

This story was fun, yet left me empty by the end of it. This is not the Skid Solo I signed up for. I enjoyed the setting, and the driving to escape, but I felt let down by the ending. The concept reads OK and would have worked as a multipart storyline. Hard to do when we have the Grand Prix racing every couple of weeks, yet with so many good things about the strip this week it felt like lost potential. The movie aspect of the story was the part I didn't enjoy, and although the start was strange, it could have spun off into a longer story about the castle and gun runners. This was an excellent location, and it provided some great artwork, it was just a shame the story didn't deliver at the very end. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "There's something dodgy going on here. I wonder if those guns came from that balloon?" 

Billy's Boots

Billy is feeling blue after going out for a duck while playing for the seaside team. His Gran tries to cheer him up, pointing out how easy it is to hit the ball, but Billy remains sullen and dwelling on the thought that both he and his friend Dave have let down the team. 

He is given a chance to redeem himself when the ball is tossed to him to open the bowling. Yet again, he fails, and after a miserable over he is removed from the bowling and sent to the boundary to field. Still moping on his failures, he doesn't see a lofted shot coming his way, and after missing a chance to catch it and being hit on the shin, he is subjected to further ridicule from his teammates. 

He is saved when the rain comes, and he retreats back to the hotel and the comfort of his Gran. As it is Billy's last day of holiday he goes to say goodbye to Dave. They chat for a while, Dave telling Billy that he is a great goalkeeper and hoping to get a football apprenticeship soon. Billy takes this knowledge onboard, and after a firm handshake goodbye, Billy catches the train home. 

On the train, he reads in his comic that Colin Burns, the manager of Darnbury, is seeking new talent. Lowering the comic for a moment, Billy realises that he is sitting directly opposite Colin Burns, and now would be a good chance to ask if he would give a trial to Dave. 

I knew I was going to rate this high as soon as I saw Billy's Gran in the first panel. Not only did she open with one of her very best lines, but she also reappeared later in the story,  giving an extra push to Billy and the peril he was facing. She may not have been a key part of the train ride home, but she was also there in the final panels and the story moved back towards its primary focus on football. This final seaside holiday has been great, and given a chance for the relationship between Billy and his Gran to take centre stage. In the earlier issues, it looked as though there may have been a potential love interest for Billy, although we veered quickly away from that and returned to a more familiar setting of Billy playing sports with the lads. It's been an interesting month, and although I look forward to returning to football, a little part of my heart is left in the seaside town where Billy had a lovely holiday with his Gran. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "I hope that's the end! I've done enough damage for one day...and my leg's hurting where that ball hit it!" 

Martin's Marvellous Mini

Martin and Tiny are in their mini dangling beneath Martin's father's caravan, which is now floating away like a hot air balloon. 

Blowing out over the sea, there seems little they can do about their plight but lucky they see they are blowing towards an island. Puncturing the airbags with a small hole, Tiny manages to make a gentle descent, and surprisingly the mini and caravan manage a safe landing with no damage done. 

 A quick search of the island finds that it is deserted. On the negative side, a prominent rock they saw when they landed has now disappeared under the tide. Realising that their car and caravan may be at risk, they rush to the beach where they can see the sea is already kissing the tyres of the vehicles. 

I've scored this an eight because you can't enjoy the sight of a mini dangling beneath a floating caravan, then I'm sorry, I can't help you. Ridiculous and silly, yet it looks wonderful on the page. They get away with this silliness because the relationship between Tiny and Martin is so real, and no matter what the story throws at them, their interactions and dialogue always ring true. Some wonderful images in this week's story, and several panels I will remember for a long time to come. Completely bonkers, yet brilliant in its execution, and it all works due to the quality of the craft.  

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "We've got to do something! We're still going up! Reach through the window and puncture an airbag, Tiny!" 

Roy Of The Rovers

It is the first game of the season for Melchester, and already they have hit a run of bad luck. Ralph Derry has been stretched off with a broken leg, and later with the game tied at one each, Roy steps up to take a crucial penalty. 

The keeper saves it (although the Tiger reply shows that the keeper moved too soon) and from the resulting corner, Roy is again denied on the line as the ball cannons off an opposing player's head. 

This results in the ball being booted downfield, and with the Melchester defence left flat-footed, it is left to Charlie Carter to come off his line to try and narrow the angle. Despite his best efforts, there is a mix-up between other Rover's players and a goal is scored. This goal gives Weston Town a surprising 2-1 lead and with the final whistle a victory. 

All Roy can do is clutch his head and wonder about his luck, and what he will do to try to find a replacement for Ralph Derry while negotiating this bad luck that has arrived. 

The Tiger replay was the highlight of a story that otherwise remained as muddled as the mix-up between the two Melchester defenders. Rovers are having bad luck, and this was hammered home across every page, to the point of annoyance. A single miss by Roy and the broken leg would have been enough to sell this plot, and I found the save of the line followed by a breakaway goal to be too much. Subtle it is not. Now that this game has finished the story should hopefully speed it up. The hint was dropped several weeks ago about Duncan McKay, and it's time to cash in on that promise and bring one of my favourite characters into the fold. Next week we will take a big stride in this direction (I hope) and my only wish is that the story will take a more nuanced approach. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "It's daylight robbery! The Rovers will play worse than this, and win easily!"  

Johnny Cougar

With no sign of Johnny Cougar, Splash Gorton enters the ring alone to take on the American wrestler Kolchak.

From the first bell, Splash does his best to avoid physical confrontation, running around the ring and generally avoiding being caught in the bigger man's clutches. Eventually, his luck runs out, and he finds himself caught, and about to be tossed from the ring. 

At that moment a silent Johnny Cougar enters the arena and makes his way to the ring. Without a word, he climbs into the ring and stares at Kolchak, while the ring announcer proclaims it looks like the fight is on. 

This wasn't a bad story, but it just wasn't as great as I wanted. As much as I liked the artwork (and I  liked it a lot)  the rest of the story didn't live up to it. Splash in the ring brought a brief smile to my face, although it did feel like a wasted opportunity as he ran to avoid confrontation rather than present us with the spectacle of him grappling with the much bigger man. Johnny's arrival at the arena is played out with a slow burn, and his silence helps increase the anticipation of the upcoming fight. It also added an air of mystery to the story and although Johnny is now on the page, we still don't know where he has been. Lots of questions and not many answers, the story has plenty of scope to grow from here, and no doubt I will soon be writing again that this is great. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "But now you're here, I don't need that crumb anymore!" 

Tallon Of The Track

Thrown out of her own team due to the manipulations of Billy Bolton, Jo Tallon has taken to stunt riding to pay her way. After her first stunt at the county fair, she is approached by a reporter named Pete who tells her that he suspects Bolton of being up to something crooked. 

Pete tells her that he has seen something suspicious and leading her aside he shows her where Billy Bolton is secretly talking to Ken Hodges, manager of Ruxford Ravens. 

With the Ospreys due to compete against the Riuxford Ravens that night, Jo and Pete decide they need to follow this up immediately. As Bolton and Hodges leave the fair, Jo and the Pete follow in a car, and eventually end up in a swanky part of town. 

They see Bolton and Hodges enter Hodge's house and creeping up the driveway, they climb on a plank of wood to observe through the window. Of course, they take a tumble, but luckily they get away with it as Bolton fails to see them as he looks out the window. 

They see some money exchange hand, and then quickly slip away. Jo tells Pete to go develop the photos he has snapped through the window, while she makes plans to get to the speedway meeting to ensure that Bolton doesn't try any funny stuff. 

Things are heating up, and I am greatly enjoying this story at the moment.  It feels like we have rewound the clock back to two years ago when it was essential reading. We didn't get too much of the villain Billy Bolton in this issue, but Jo's new alliance with Pete is holding my interest and provides us with a very good scene as they spied on Bolton. We were also introduced to another piece of the puzzle, and the money changing hands added another layer of interest to the story. It is no longer a clash of personalities, but a proper conspiracy in the background is being tied tighter to the story. Good groundwork is laid out here, and I am pleased to see that the story is growing in scope while retaining a constant sense of drama.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "It was touch and go!  I only had time for one hurried snap before we fell. What happens now?"  

Hot Shot Hamish 

Hamish is in the reserve team, and marvelling at the energy and enthusiasm of the youngsters.  He snaps out of this revere and with a flying header scores a goal from a beautiful cross by one of these young players. 

Hamish is sure that if the manager saw these young players he would take them for the first team, and as he scores his second goal he promises himself that he will talk to Mister McWhacker. 

While Hamish manages to get a hat-trick, Princes Park loses three-nil, invoking anger from their fans. Mister McWhacker is adamant that Hamish isn't welcome back to the first team and sticks with the same team for Wednesday's game. The fans are unhappy with this, and shower the players with rubbish while piling abuse upon McWhacker.

Resting at home, Hamish's landlady announces two guests. Hamish assumes it will be Mister McWhacker and  Mister McBrain, but is surprised to find it is Grundley and Spires from Marborough United with a contact and an offer to play for their team. 

We saw Hamish being offered a contract with another team just six months ago when he was selected for Scotland. He is no longer in the first team, yet offers are still coming in for him, and the way the story is tilting at the moment, this current circumstance points to Hamish leaving. I'm sure the inspiration that Hamish is drawing from the young players of the reserve team will keep him at Princes Park, but you never can tell and this creates the tension in this story. A solid issue this week, and despite not reaching its previous heights, it was still a great read. Some of the humour was absent, making the story being told all the more poignant. A lot to like here, and with it all up in the anything could happen in the next few weeks. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Och, these young reserves are playing really well...look at the young feller go!

Nipper

Nipper has seen a back street quack for help with his injury, and it seems to have worked. Back on his feet in less than twenty-four hours,, he is now on the field for Blackport although he has taken a heavy knock and the team is concerned that he may have reinjured himself. 

The opposing team think so too, and this gives Nipper an idea. As Len lines up to take the kick, Nipper jovers off to the side, before dashing forward to take the kick himself. Taking the kick with his supposed injured foot, he beats the wall and scores. 

The team congratulates him and on the bench, Ron excitedly exclaims that it is amazing, especially since just twenty-four hours ago Nipper couldn't walk. Andy Stwert is shocked to hear this, and the expression on his face lets us know that he is extremely displeased. 

The cat is out of the bag, and as Nipper comes in at halftime, a furious Andy Stewart is waiting for him on the sideline. Nipper is dragged to the club doctor who examines him and tells Andy Stewart that it looks like Nipper's foot is perfect. This isn't enough to satisfy Andy, and he tells Nipper that he's taking him off for the rest of the game. 

Last week was excellent with the cameo from Mother Carey, and without her on the page this week it felt like a step back. She was still mentioned and is a key part of the story, but a big part of her impact last week was her wild look. Without a striking image to match this, the strip this week was less impactful and felt pale in comparison. We did have a couple of nice touches, and Nipper outfoxing the opposition to score was an obvious high point, as was the furious countenance of Andy Stewart. After our diversion through the world of cricket and the work of Mother Carey, we are now returning to football and the conflict between Nipper and his manager. This is the core of the Nipper comic, and for all the fun we have had over the previous months we are now back to basics, and the sight of Andy Stewart bawling out Nipper is a welcome one. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "It had better be good, laddie! If young Nipper is playing with a suspect foot, I'll have his ears for book-ends!" 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story:  Billy's Boots 

Best Line: "Those boys are hitting the ball a nice long way, Billy...why didn't you do the same? It looks simple enough!" 

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: