Tiger 11th October 1975

Looking at the images I have selected from each story here, I can see that this is an extremely strong issue on the art side of things.  I have long had my favourites, but in this issue, every one is a favourite.  I read the comic twice, the second time ignoring the dialogue and just eating up the artwork, a joyful experience in itself and one I recommend doing from time to time. I don't remember 1975, but I will long remember this issue, the artwork and the memorable characters.  

11th October 1975

Billy's Boots

The drama of Billy being banned from football makes the front page this week, with a group of boys surrounding the headmaster and appealing on Billy's behalf. 

Billy is called into the headmaster's office to explain himself, and Billy fears that he may be expelled. However, after explaining his side of the story Billy is reinstated into the football team 

There is further big news when the boys are told that Mister Renton, the sports master, has been promoted to headmaster at another school. Billy and his friends want to give him a suitable sendoff with a victory on the field, but unfortunately, they lose four- nil. 

Come Monday morning they are introduced to the new sportsmaster, Mister Harris. It's not a good introduction, with Mister Harris disappointed to learn that Groundwood suffered a heavy loss on the weekend. His solution - drop the entire first eleven for the next match and play with a completely new team. 

All the drama of last week was undone in just a few panels as Billy explained his way out of trouble with the headmaster. This was a disappointing start to this week's strip although I did enjoy seeing the first appearance of Mr Harris, the sports master I remember from my time reading Tiger the first time around.  The exit of Mr Renton was handled well and had a realism about it that drew me back to my own school days. The comings and goings of teachers were quite common, and to see it happen on the pages of Tiger gave Billy's Boots a real feel. This is something Billy's Boots has always done well, be it with the friendship between Billy and his pal Jimmy, or Billy and his gran, and we now see the same thing with his teachers. Placing it in the real world like this made the characters more sympathetic, and I put myself in Billy's place as I read the strip. The same could be said with the arrival of Mr Harris, and like most new teachers there is apprehension from the pupils as he arrives - especially as he is drawing a line in the sand so early on. Things will improve for the lads and Mr Harris will become a mainstay of the comic. The best part of this week's comic was the departure of Mr Renton and the arrival of Mr Harris, while the trials and tribulations of Billy took a back seat. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "I am pleased...I've been offered a place at Rexborough Technical School...as head-master!"

Skid Solo

Grand Prix season is over and Skid Solo is taking some time out in Hollywood. Skid and his pals are driving to visit old-time film actor Henry Blane when Skid is challenged to a race by another driver. Skid shrugs off the challenge, explaining to the others in the car that it's something that comes with being champion, everyone wants to beat you. 

At Henry Blane's, Skid and Sandy enjoy the hospitality while Tommy takes one of Blane's cars out to practice his driving. While on this drive he is hit by a reckless driver. There is a confrontation with the other driver aggressively yelling at Tommy. Tommy tells him that it wasn't his fault and that he has been well-trained by Skid Solo, World Champion. 

That evening the same angry driver appears at the restaurant Skid is at. Again there is another confrontation, this time with the driver challenging Skid to a race, a challenge that Skid accepts. Once the driver leaves, Skid asks Henry Blane who he is, and Henry tells him that he is Karl Hartz, a well-known stunt driver. Later Henry Blane shows Skid some films of Karl Hartz in action, and it is apparent that he can handle a car well and isn't afraid of driving in dangerous situations.

A familiar story for Skid Solo, and I'm sure we have seen him cross paths with stunt drivers several times in the past. Skid seems to have a string of wealthy friends around the US, and their hospitality is a constant theme in the pages of Skid Solo. It is a perk of his fame, and Skid is always quick to enjoy the generosity of his wealthy benefactors. With these two factors in play, we have yet to see anything attention-grabbing on the page, and although we have seen Tommy driving, and some footage of Karl Hartz, there weren't any panels featuring cars that particularly stood out. What did stand out was the cool way Skid accepted the challenge from Karl Hartz. Skid remained unflappable, accepting the challenge coldly while putting Karl Hartz in his place. We have several months to fill before the next Grand Prix season rolls around, and my hope here is that this story will be spun out for several issues and squeeze every drop of drama it can out of the friction between Skid and Hartz. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Okay, I accept...you need teaching a lesson!"

Martins Marvellous Mini

Half a lap to go in the twenty-four race, and out in front Martin has suddenly come to a halt. In the pits, Tiny is concerned, although Martin does have a large lead. 

On the track, Martin has pulled over, and looking under the car he can see that the sump is cracked. Deciding he can push on, he is soon back on track, billowing smoke. Getting to the top of the hill the car finally quits, but Martin is able to roll down the hill and push the car over the finish line for victory. 

Looking at the damage to the mini, the boys are worried but take comfort in the fact that they will be able to fix the car with their winnings. On the podium, they receive a shock when they find that although they have won a free trip to Hawaii, including entry to a race and free accommodation, there is no cash and everything is paid in vouchers. 

Once again needing money, they decide to rent out the caravan. Heading into town to find other jobs to supplement their income, they are soon offered a job doing deliveries for a local store. Their first delivery is to a field, and arriving they find that the field is the one where their caravan is. Confused, they begin to drive away but are shocked when they suddenly see a group of squatters in the caravan. 

I think we all knew that the lads would win this race and the trip to Hawaii, which meant there wasn't any drama on the first page as they battled to the finish line. The fun of the comic came on the second page as they were once again broke and looking to earn fast money. Driving for the local store provided a nice snapshot of everyday life, and the panel of Martin talking to the owner of the shop was a glimpse of small-town life in the 1970s. A little before my time, but it did look like my hazy first memories of the outside world. The final image of the squatters in the caravan also reeked of the 1970s, and I look forward to seeing more of these characters next week. It is very reminiscent of the group of hitchhikers the boys picked up a year ago and I can see they are drawn from the same stereotypes. It looks like Hawaii may still be a couple of weeks away, but I am enjoying this small diversion, and even if it doesn't have a big payoff it is still a nice period piece.    

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "No cash...just vouchers!" 

Nipper

Nipper is playing for the reserves with an anger born of his frustration with Danny Marvin who has stolen his place in the first team and put him in this predicament. This frustration is boiling over in the game, and the Kelburn players are taking advantage of it, falling to the ground whenever Nipper plays for the ball and faking fouls. 

This climaxes with a scuffle on the field - which results in Nipper and one of the Kelbrn players being sent off. Things go from bad to worse as the team eventually loses while Nipper can only watch on from the sidelines. Later, Nipper makes his way home where he hears that the first team has also lost. He tells his dog Stumpy that the manager Andy Stewart will be furious, and he isn't looking forward to facing the music the next day. 

Nipper is right, although Andy Stewart tells him that he won't take any action until he has seen the referee's report and has had a chat with the other players and officials. However, in the meantime, he wants to keep a close eye on Nipper and tells him that he wants him out of the caravan. Picking up the phone, Andy calls Amy Fletcher, telling her that one of his problem players, Nipper, is coming to stay with her. We may not be able to see Amy Fletcher, but we can hear her, and the last words we hear from the phone are her roughly promising to straighten Nipper out, even if she's got to chain him up

A strong issue of Nipper, with good football action, a wide range of conflict, and a nice little hook to draw me back next week. The opening scuffle was unexpected, especially as it was a Kelburn player who started it, and I felt the outcome was both good for the story and believable. Angry is Andy Stewart's default mode, although here it was tempered by him giving Nipper the benefit of the doubt until he has spoken with the appropriate people. The clean artwork gave us a good taste of Andy's facial expressions and also heightened the enjoyment of the football action. Sometimes the heavy lines leaden the action, but in this case it remained light and helped the story feel faster than it perhaps was. No sign of Danny Marvin this week, but his character triggered all this drama, and no matter what happens in the next few weeks I know that we will eventually return to that character who remains the crux of this whole story. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "What a whistle-man! He couldn't referee a pillow-fight!" 

Johnny Cougar

An interesting opening to this week's Johnny Cougar as we see begin in the studio of a television sports programme where the presenter is reading the football results. He is handed a piece of breaking news and goes on to announce that Johnny Cougar is coming out of retirement to take on his old rival Hardy Steele. 

From here it's a jump as we are whisked forward into the future where Hardy Steele is in the dressing room preparing himself for the fight. He is interrupted by Splash Gorton, who tells him that he's had another idea which will increase his publicity even more - he should fight fairly and beat Johnny Cougar within the rules. 

At first, Steele is angry with this suggestion but soon cools down as he realises its merits. Out in the ring he gentlemanly shakes Cougar's hand. Seconds later the fight has begun as Steele immediately hits Cougar with a drop kick. Cougar shows that he has lost none of his skills, and recovers with a strike of his own, hitting Steele in the head and sending him to the floor. The strip ends with Steele getting to his feet, his face twisted in fury, and Splash worried that he is just about to lose his cool and will fight dirty. 

An inventive start to this week's comic, and it was refreshing to see the part Johnny Cougar plays in the much wider sporting world. It would have been easy to have the TV presenter reading football results for Melchester Rovers or talk about Skid Solo, to instead see him speak of United winning a game with a goal by their Welsh International gave the story a realistic edge that helped carry the wrestling action later in the story. It was all the more believable to see Johnny take a kick to the head after knowing that he's fighting in the same world as United. I am also happy to know that it wasn't Manchester United that he's talking about, a quick bit of research tells me there were no Welsh internationals in the 1975 squad, so whatever United team won by a goal from a corner, it certainly wasn't Manchester United. Getting Johnny into the ring to fight Steele has taken a month, and we were rewarded with the impactful images of both fighters hitting each other with dropkicks. The artist has done a fine job of expressing the physicality of the fight already, but for me, the greatest achievement is capturing Steele's inner feelings with his facial expressions. The final panel of him getting to his feet spoke volumes and said much more than Gorton's internal monologue. It's taken a long time to get to this issue, but it was worth it, from its inventive start, right through to its intense finish.

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Listen, hairy face, if you're suggesting I throw this fight, just to please your friend Cougar..." 

Tornado Jones

Last week we saw Aussie stuntman Tornado Jones fired out of a cannon. Although he landed well, his clothes were on fire, and that is where we pick up the action this week. 

The surrounding reports act quickly, dropping Jones to the ground and distinguishing the flames before he is sped away in an ambulance.

At the hospital, Jones recounts what happened, and how the barrel got too hot. However, he isn't deterred and tells those around his bed that he still intends to be shot over Wembley Stadium by cannon, wearing flame-proof clothing.

The day of the event arrives and all is in place. Tornado Jones tells a reporter that he would happily swap places, but once he gets into the cannon he will be fine, all he needs is a lot of luck.

A case of steady as she goes for Tornado Jones this week. The outcome of his flaming clothes was dealt with quickly, although it did take us a page for us to get the flames out and get him to the hospital. The second part of the story concerned itself with his preparations for the jump, and we did get a couple of panels that laid out his scheme nicely. It was a good piece of storytelling, and even though Tornado wasn't in the panels, I still found them essential and a key part of what was happening. Without a companion, a lot of the storytelling and exposition is between Tornado and the surrounding reporters, and they are present in every part of the story. It was reporters who saved him on the opening page, reporters at his bedside, and finally it was reporters at Wembley who all carried the story on Tornado's behalf. This could prove limiting in future, and I can't help but think that he would be better served by a companion. I don't know if this will come in future issues as for now the story is working, but there may be a time when it becomes necessary. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Right now, I wish we could swop jobs..."  

Roy Of The Rovers

Roy's celebrations of last week are completely ignored this week as we begin with Roy speaking to his team about their previous game in which Duncan McKay scored the match-winning goal.

McKay has failed to turn up at the following training session, and Roy is none too pleased about it. Roy phones McKay, and McKay tells him that since the next game is against his old club Portdean, he intends on staying local until game day. 

Roy is angry, as is Ben Galloway, who tells him that his he takes disciplinary action they will support him all the way. Roy has concerns that the media will make a meal of it, and decides to handle it his own way. 

In other news, Roy has been selected for England to play against Brazil the next month. Roy is pleased about this until he realises that it clashes with an important Melchester Rovers match, and even when he is out on a date with the lovely Penny, his thoughts linger on football. 

Penny tells him that he is turning every problem into a crisis, and Roy decides on the team bus to the next game that she is right. They arrive at the game, and instead of being angry at Duncan McKay, Roy greets him with open arms. McKay is surprised about this, and Roy tells him he has plenty more to worry about that afternoon, and we soon see what he means as Duncan runs onto the field to a chorus of boos and abuse. Things get worse as the Portdean players make sure he knows he's in for a rough afternoon, while Roy thinks this might just be the chance to persuade McKay to play for the team rather than himself.

My word, what a fine-looking girl Penny is - Roy is a fool to be out with her and thinking about football. Penny, if you ever need a man to give you the attention you deserve, hit me up, I'm always available. Penny looked gorgeous, but so too did the rest of the artwork throughout the story. It looks like David Sque has arrived on the scene and already he is making the comic his own. His style is unmistakable throughout, and there is no doubt who the genius is behind it all. The story looked great, and it read equally well as we continued with the Duncan McKay storyline. Last week's celebration was instantly forgotten, and rightly so in my opinion, as we delved deeper into the world of McKay. I liked that although he is doing his own thing, he is suffering consequences beyond both his and Roy's control. Roy has dialled it back, but still McKay is finding it difficult, and the story is well-balanced as we look ahead to the next week. The best images weren't on the field, but the more sedate panels that showed Roy in Ben Galloway's office and McKay at home on the phone. In particular, the chair that Duncan McKay is resting in looks suspiciously like one that my parents owned in the mid-70s, and I felt right at home as I read this fifty-year-old comic. Onwards and upwards, it feels like we have turned a corner here, and the future looks bright. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Oh, forget it, and let's have a dance! You're becoming a proper misery!"  

Hot Shot Hamish

Hamish has introduced youngster Alfie to the team, and after a good game for the reserves he has been named in the first team. 

Despite this, Alfie still has problems, specifically his pal Tommy who insists that Alfie opens the rear window so he can slip in and steal the gate taklings on Saturday.

Alfie is torn, and on game day his mind isn't on the game at all. He has a terrible first half, and as the team make their way to the dressing room Alfie slips off to open the window for Tommy. 

Tommy gleefully makes his way to the manager's office and is soon pulling money from the safe. Hamish catches him in the act, and Tommy is angry that Alfie has grassed him up, telling Alfie in the final panel that he is going to tell Hamish everything about him, and that his football career will be over.

We didn't learn anything new about the characters, but the story continued on the trajectory set out a couple of weeks ago. With Hamish catching Tommy in the act it looks like things may be resolved one way or another next week unless Tommy talks his way out of it and extends the drama for another few weeks. I don't love this story, but I do like the artwork and it's the character of character of Tommy that jumps off the page at me. He looks bad news right away and has a weasel look about him that suits the sort of person he is. I hope this isn't the end of this storyline, he is too good a character to waste, and every panel he is in deserves a second look. While the story doesn't appeal, characters like this do, and we need more good villains on the pages of Hot Shot Hamish as it is often Hamish himself who carries the storyline. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "If ye dinna help me, Alfie....I'll tell Princes how ye've helped me in one of two shady deals before, yere football career will be over!"

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story:  Billy's Boots 

Best Line: "Gosh, now I'm for it! I...I might be expelled!" 

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: