Tiger 8th November 1975

Toothache and blogging are not a good match. Expect me to rate some of these stories lowly this week, purely down to the discomfort I am experiencing as I write this. I always try to be positive, so on the good news front, my wife is plying me with whisky as a painkiller. Expect plenty of typos and mistakes further down the blog, I will have to come back later in the week and correct them all!

8th November 1975

Johnny Cougar

Johnny Cougar is back from retirement and embracing life with a new attitude. Now he is full of jokes and energy, and in the first panels, we see his new attitude as he throws a bucket of water over Splash to liven him up. 

At breakfast he leapfrogs over a waiter, disturbing the other diners, and although he pays for the damage with a bundle of notes and a smile, Splash is unhappy with Johnny's approach. 

That night he is scheduled to fight Ossie the Ostrich, and Splash warns Johnny to avoid Ostrich's nose as he's very sensitive about it. Johnny agrees and then surprises the crowd by walking over the tops of their chairs towards the ring, before leaping through the ropes. Without pause he tweaks Ostrich's nose, ostensibly to get things moving, while a horrified Splash looks on. 

I don't think I like this new attitude from Cougar. I have always found his humour to be a little cringe, and now it is turned right up, dominating the story throughout. I found it to be more silly than funny, although surprisingly I found myself reaching the end of the story and thinking I quite liked it. The artwork certainly readdressed the balance, and although Ossie Ostrich could have looked silly on the page, he looked quite believable. The sight of Johnny walking across the seats again set the alarm bells ringing, but once again the artwork depicting it looked fantastic and helped sell the concept to me. A curious issue, one that I shouldn't have liked, yet I found myself enjoying it far more than I'll ever admit.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Cougar disagree! Cougar been too serious in past...now make up for it!"

Billy's Boots

Billy is facing a vote from the lads in the Merrydowners to see if he can play for the team. The meeting is scheduled for that night, and coming home Billy finds a note from his friend Jimmy, telling him that he's organised for them both to play for another team that afternoon,. 

Billy arrives to find that the team Jimmy has got them into is called the Crusaders, and they are mostly older than them. The Crusaders aren't too fussed about a couple of schoolboys playing from them, and Billy and Jimmy are cast out to the wings where they barely see the ball. 

The boys decide to take matters into their own hands, and finding some action Jimmy sets Billy up to score his first goal. This dynamic partnership continues and by full-time time Billy has a hattrick, and the Crusader players congratulate them on their performance;

Billy returns home triumphant but still faces his problems with the Merrydowners. At the meeting, one of the boys tells the rest of the team that Boilly deserves to play as he scored three goals for the Crusaders that afternoon. The other boys are swayed, but the threat of being punched by the bully Dixon scares them all into voting against Billy. The meeting ends with  Billy out of the team, and a laughing Dixon tells him he can still try out for the boxing team. Tossing him some gloves, Dixon threatens Billy with a test to see if he can survive. 

An uneven episode this week. I am yet to truly get a handle on the Merrydowners, and the diversion to the Crusaders game was a distraction that didn't add to the story to any great extent. The conflict between Billy and Dixon is shaping up nicely and I was surprised that the story wasn't more tightly focused on that this week. The ending restored this focus, and a solid episode next week will have me feeling a lot better about the whole thing. Dixon is a good character and captures well the traits of many a young bully. Seeing Billy dealing with such a character should give the story a nicely grounded esthetic and make Billy a sympathetic character. There was of course a cameo appearance by Billy's Gran this week. She didn't add a whole lot to the story, but I always appreciate her appearances. I should also note that immediately following this week's story was a new feature - Billy's Sports School. I have fond memories of this feature from my youth, and it was interesting to see its humble beginnings here with Billy requesting tips for future issues. I won't be covering this feature in future blog posts, but it was an integral part of the comic when I was reading as a boy, and I would be amiss if I didn't mention it here.   

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "He didn't play for the Crusaders...they're all men!"

Martin's Marvellous Mini 

Martin is leading the mini class of the twenty-four-hour race when disaster strikes. A puncture sees him crashing off the track and although he escapes unharmed, the mini George is badly dented and covered in the firemen's foam. 

Abandoned by the fans, the two are downhearted about their situation. However, Albert Twastle appears with a job for them, a job that involves visiting the Fun In The Sun island to help him with publicity. 

The island lives up to its name as the approach by helicopter. Upon landing, Tiny and Martin are quite taken by the world's biggest Helter-Sklter, Verntureing to the top they find a two-man car and without waiting they take a ride down. Coming around the final bend they find that the building hasn't been finished yet and the slide ends abruptly. They shoot off the end of the ramp, luckily landing unscathed in the water below. 

Next is the the biggest thrill-car race in the world, with a high-speed dodgem car. As they climb aboard, Albert tells them that they've never been used before and they might be dangerous. The warning comes too late, and Martin has already pushed the started button, the strip ending with the car speeding towards the first corner and the boys having no idea what lies ahead. 

A surprisingly fast change of pace as the boys crash out of the race. Last week I assumed that they would be OK to rejoin the race, so I was surprised here to see, after all the build-up, that they are out of the race in an event that covers only the first few panels of the story. The second half of the story had a different tone to it, and although it's set on an island, it feels removed from the Haiwaii story. The Helter Skelter seems to be very English, and slightly out of place here, although it did cast up some fun images of the lads impulsively riding down it. The final image of the two lads in the high-speed car was the highlight of the strip, and this story offers some potential. I'm not sure how far this storyline could be ridden, although I am secretly hoping we get several weeks of this before we move on to the next thing. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Martin's my best pal...I've got to get out there to help!"

Tornado Jones

Tornado Jones has accepted a challenge from Harvey Halliway to fly his specially designed man-powered flying machine. It's not going well and the strip begins with Jones crashing through a fence on a cliff top. He is saved from going over by a stretch of barbed wire snagging his tailplane and soon Havey is running to help him out. 

Halliway's intentions aren't what they seem, he tells Tornado Jones that the angle he is poised is perfect for takeoff. Despite Tornado's protestations, Halliway snips the barbed wire, sending him over the cliff and into the air. 

Although he manages to get the machine flying, Tornado's only thoughts are on landing, He manages a crash landing in a haystack, emerging as Halliway appears on a push bike. Halliway is overjoyed with the flight, telling Tornado that after a few adjustments, they will be ready for an official flight. Tornado is irritated to hear this, telling him that the machine is a death trap and that he is quitting immediately. 

I expected the panels showing Tornado Jones in flight would be the best parts of the strip, offering an interesting sight we hadn't seen before. However, the best panels of the strip were the ones focused on the characters, and in particular, their faces as they interacted. Tornado Jones stabbing his finger into Halliway's chest and telling him he was quitting was the pick of them, although the groundwork had been laid long before this. The first panels showing Jones caught in the fence didn't deliver all they should have, and it was only once Halliway arrived that we had some conflict that the strip took off. It was an uneven flight, Jones piloting the machine was no match for the drama on the faces of the two men, and the flying scenes failed to rise above the human drama of the story. I thought I would have liked this more than I did, and once again I am drawn to the conclusion that the best stories concentrate on the characters rather than their actions and circumstances they are in.    

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "So for the official flight, you can find yourself another idiot - because I'm quitting - right now!"

Skid Solo

Skid has found his way to an unnamed South American country for an invitation race at Stevenstown. travelling by boat they arrive at Tevenstwn where they are greeted by Lancelot Crumway, their wealthy host and organiser of the Stevenstown Gold Cup for Sports Cars.

Crumway is proving the three race cars for the race, as well as owning the road repair company that is fixing the holes on the road before the race. His wealth is obvious as he offers Skid a selection of his own sports cars for the race, before telling them that he also owns the track. 

Later Skid and Sandy admire the large gold cup on offer, and Skid comments that he may be making a lot of money out of the race, but if he loses that cup tomorrow he will lose a lot of cash, as it's made from solid gold. 

The race is as expected. It's tight, but after pushing the other two drivers hard, Skid is victorious. After the race all are happy- Crumway has gained a lot of publicity, while Sandy is eager to get his hands on the gold cup. It is then that Skid explains that they don't actually win the large cup they saw the previous day, that stays at the race track, and instead, he has been presented with a much smaller replica. 

I didn't find the ending of this story very satisfying, and despite some nice little moments earlier, it didn't offer anything of interest anywhere along the line. It was all very pleasant and dare I say it, a little dull. The race could have been better, and even with two car crashes, it remained sedate. The outcome was never in doubt, and the humour and drama of the gold cup didn't raise any expectations for anything better than what we got.  The most interesting panel of the entire strip was the very first one as they travelled down the river towards Stevenstown. An unusual situation and mode of transport had me curious about what was to come, although I didn't know at the time that what was to come was disappointent. Skid Solo has slowed of late, what we need is a fresh idea to supercharge the strip and get us back on track where Skid belongs. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Farewell, Mister Solo. You are a great driver...and a great man!"

Nipper

Nipper's tough landlady, Amy Felcher, is at his game and yelling advice to him through a megaphone. 

Although Nipper doesn't like the delivery, he does remember what Amy told him about the goalkeeper's weakness. The opposing players try to shield their keeper, but they only make matters worse, unsighting the keeper that gifts Nipper his first goal. Nipper again reaps the rewards of Amy's advice as he bangs home his second, and as he comes off the field Amy tells him that she'll soon have him back in the first team. 

Amy may have helped him at the game, but Nipper is determined not to go back to her house. Making his excuses to the team, he slips away quietly and starts to make his own way home. A car pulls over to offer a lift, an offer Nipper accepts before realising that it's Amy. She is angry that he's tried to trick her, and as Nipper gets in the car she tells him that first thing on Monday she's going to sort him out, starting with a decent set of clothes. 

Oops. I think I may have been calling Amy Felcher "Amy Fletcher" in previous blog posts. Let's hope that she doesn't find out and come for me. That aside, this is all very entertaining but not enough to have me fall in love with it. Just like last week, the panels with Amy were the best, and without her on the page, the story became a whole lot less interesting. Two great Amy moments bookended this week's strip, with her first appearance yelling through the megaphone setting the scene for all that was to come. Her final appearance in the end panels was equally important as she chastised Nipper and prepared us for next week's issue. In between we had football, and for the first time in my life I found myself thinking that what was happening off the field was more important than what was happening on it. Nipper's battle to get back in the first team is nowhere near as interesting as his battles with Amy and with that battle taking centre stage next week we should see some sparks fly.   

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Just look at the state of you...scruffy little wretch! First thing on Monday we're going to change all that! 

Roy Of The Rovers

Melchestrer Rovers are playing Eastgate at Eastgate Stadium, the only first-division ground on which Roy has never scored. Roy has taken a casual approach to the game in the build-up, and as the game begins he continues with this attitude. 

Making an early run, Roy tries his luck from long range, only to see it easily saved. The Eastgate manager tells his players that Roy is desperate to score, and they begin to put pressure on him all over the park. The next time Roy receives the ball, two defenders rush him, only for Roy to slip a long ball through that opens up the defence and leads to Blackie Grey scoring the first goal. 

Later Roy saunters up the field with the ball, and once again as the defenders come at him he slips the ball forward for Geoff Giles to run into for another east goal. Ciming off at halk time the Eastgate fans tell Roy that it's just two lucky breakaway goals, to which he responds that's football. In the dressing room, the Rover players ask what they should do in the second half, and reclining on the bench with a bottle of fizz, Roy tells them just to play their natural game and not to worry. 

Roy's relaxed attitude is reflected well in the artwork and seems to have rubbed off on me. I read this quite casually, and found it a relaxing read, despite two goals being scored and all eyes turning to Roy. Roy's plan is fairly obvious to the reader and for me, the greatest surprise was seeing Roy drinking a bottle of fizzy pop at halftime - hardly the behaviour of a professional such as Roy. This is a likeable story, although we are never going to be best friends. I like the little things we see here, such as Eastgate Stadium in London, and the way that Duncan Mckay is now integrated into the team. The larger story is warm without being essential, and the pleasantness of the entire strip is what keeps me reading. Roy is currently drifting into Martin's marvellous Mini territory where the plot of the story matters less than just being in the company of the characters for a couple of pages.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "No I'm not...I was just waiting for Geoff Giles to run through!"

Hot Shot Hamish

Alfie McPhee is stealing the headlines and has the wages to match, yet his behaviour is beginning to annoy the rest of the Princes Park players. 

On the field, the players freeze Alfie out, ignoring his calls for a pass and instead constructing a goal without him. It's Hamish who scores the goal, and after Alfie approaches him and says he's barely touched the ball. Hamish tells him to relax, but Alfie gets angry, telling Hamish that he's the best player in the team and the other players don't like him because he getting more wages. 

At half-time there is further conflict when Alfie has no tea and biscuits and the other players tell him that a rich man like himself can bring his own, or even champagne and caviar. The appearance of Mister McWhacker does nothing to calm the situation as the players turn on him too, complaining about Alfie's high wages. 

Back in the field, Alfie is determined to get the ball, tackling his teammate Hamish from behind and dribbling towards the goal. He scores, much to the delight of the crowd, although we can see Hamish turning red and being restrained by a fellow teammate. 

Seeing Hamish being tackled by his own teammate was one of the best moments of this week's entire comic. Alfie McPhee really has gone from zero to a hundred in the last few months, and he is currently driving the storyline in a way we haven't seen from any other character in the last two years. Hamish is a bit player in his own comic, although the final panel of Hamish in a rage suggests he will have a lot more to say next week. Strange to think that Alfie has only been with us a short time, yet we see him given this angle in the story already. It feels tacked on to the story of him arriving at the club, and it's curious that another player wasn't cast in this role rather than have McPhee star in two storylines back to back. Hardly a complaint as this is the best story this week, and with Hamish about to explode, next week could be even better.   

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "We didn't think a rich mon like ye would bother with such stuff. We thought you'd brought yere own champagne and caviar! Haw, haw!"

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 6.5/10

Best Story:  Hot Shot Hamish 

Best Line: "Cool it, Hamish...not the red rage of the Balfours...not now! Ye canna thump a mon who's just scored a goal for yere side!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: