Tiger is reaching a peak at the moment, and I feel it is much better now than it was a couple of years ago. Some of the weaker stories have disappeared, and all the stories we have now are well embedded. The artwork continues to delight and each week feels better than the week before. We have had some interesting plot twists of late, and several stories are coming to a peak just in time for Christmas next month. Sometimes this blog can feel like a chore, but this week I flew through it, happy to be reading stories that all delivered in a variety of different ways.
29th November 1975
Johnny Cougar
It's a pinfall each between Johnny Cougar and Ossie Ostrich as this week's action begins on the front cover. Johnny offers Ossie a box as a gift for his efforts so far, but it's all a practical joke and Ossie gets a surprise as a large inflatable snake springs out of the box.
From here it's straight into intense wrestling action, all jokes are put aside as Cougar begins tossing Ossie around the ring. Ossie responds strongly, hammering Johnny with a series of head butts and kicks. It seems only a matter of time before Johnny falls, bad he outfoxes his opponent, and as Ossie comes in for the kill Johnny throws him over and onto his head, ending the bout with a knockout.
This was silly from start to finish. From Johnny's first surprise gift to the look and style of Ossie's fighting, there was a lot here that I shouldn't have liked. Only, I liked all of it. The cover was colorful and despite being silly I wanted to see what it was all about. In the ring, Ossie looked all sinewy and stringy, yet he gave Johnny a worthy fight, and Johnny had to dig deep to overcome it all. It looked great, and I loved it despite myself. It's time I dropped my snobbishness and just enjoyed it for what it is, a boys' comic about an Indian wrestler. This week I laughed at the right places and ate a huge slice of humble pie as I finished the strip with a grin from ear to ear. Top stuff, and I'm on board for wherever we go next.
Rating: 7.5/10
Best line: "Okay, man, quit with the clowning...you've got a fight on your hands...and it's gonna be a tough one to win!"
Roy Of The Rovers
Roy's dance card is full, with a vital league game coming on the same day as an England game. Roy is wrestling with what he should do as he arrives for the fourth round league cup match against third division giant killers Tarbury.
These worries are clearly showing on his face as he arrives in the team room, and Duncan McKay growls that he needs to focus as there will be no glory in beating the team they're about to face, but if they lose the fans will turn on them
On the field, McKay's anger is still on the rise as they see the Tarbury fans have hung their mascot in the goal mouth. Roy quickly deals with this mascot, but further trouble follows as the Tarbury fans throw a streamer. The streamer misses Roy, yet still causes damage as Roy injures himself trying to avoid it.
Despite this injury, Roy takes the field. Initially, he performs well, however, after one weaving run, Roy crocks himself as he shoots at goal.
Roy's injury sees him leave the field, and it is Duncay McKay who steps forward to rally the troops. McKay gives a rousing speech, yet the story ends with Tarbury breaking away towards the goal and Roy watching from the sideline wishing he'd never come off.
From where I sit, Roy's injury doesn't look too bad, and I'm sure if Taffy had some magic spray Roy would be able to continue. Interesting to see Duncan McKay showing good on-field leadership here. He's only been at the club six weeks, yet already he is a player that the team looks up to and responds to. I can't say I was overly enthused by this story, although the art held me enthralled. Roty looks good, even when the story slows. There is a lot of internal dialogue going on as Roy sorts out his feelings about which game he should play, and this is slowing the strip down. There is still good football action, but it is tempered by Roy's thought process and the thought of what's to come. Not a good lesson on mindfulness, and I just want Roy to focus on the here and now rather than what's to come. Still, that's 2024 thinking, and I'm sure mindfulness is the last thing on the mind of any Melchester player in 1975.
Rating: 7/10
Best line: "Let's show him that we might just be able to do without him for one game...by thrashing the daylights out of Tarbury!"
Martin's Marvellous Mini
The great New York to Moscow rally has started, and we are dropped straight into the action with the lads speeding down the motorway.
There is some discussion about whether this is the right direction, and Tiny reassures Martinb, telling him to drive and he'll handle the navigation. Tiny's confidence turns out to be misplaced and they are soon back where they started, and now half an hour behind the rest of the field.
Once again heading off, they make good time and after stopping for a look a Niagara Falls they cross into Canada. Entering Canada they find the weather changing and they are caught in a snowstorm. The snowstorm makes driving treacherous and the inevitable happens with Martin driving off the road and into a ditch.
Leaving the car in the ditch, Tiny and Martin find the nearest house. The house is guarded by an unfriendly dog, which sets the scene when an equally unfriendly farmer opens the door holding a shotgun.
Quickly explaining to the farmer what has happened defuses the situation, and the two boys ask if he could use the tractor to pull them out. The farmer refuses to go out in the weather but tells them that they are welcome to use his tractor themselves. The tractor is in the barn, and as the pair prepare to back it out they suddenly find the entrance blocked by the appearance of a large brown bear.
1975, long before Google Maps or Apple Maps. How different this strip would be if Tiny had a smartphone and good coverage. Mind you, the drama of taking a wrong turn wasn't the only dramatic moment on these pages, and quite a bit happened this week. I did question whether the boys would take time to take in Niagara Falls, but I guess this may be their only opportunity to see them up close before they eventually return to Blighty. We did get the stereotypical snowy Canada in this strip with snow appearing almost as soon they crossed the border into Canada. This was merely the start of their problems, and I wasn't surprised to see them run into a ditch. Neither was I surprised as they approached the farmhouse for help. I'm sure we have seen a similar scenario at least a couple of times in the last few years, although the final twist with the bear was new to me. This was another strip that dialled up the fun. I couldn't take any of it seriously, but I seriously enjoyed it and found the balance is just right as we head into next week's adventure.
Rating: 8/10
Best line: "Just let me do the navigation...you watch the road. It's tricky enough with all these road signs..."
Nipper
Nipper has lost his place in the team to Danny Marvin, but has finally made his way back to the first team and is on the bench as they take on the Swiss team Zalmo. Danny Marvin is still cocky and trying to do too much, a fact that is obvious to the Blackport fans who are chanting for Nipper to come on.
Andy Stewart finally makes the call, but just as Nipper is about to be substituted on in place of Danny Marvin, John Breakspeare suffers a bad injury and comes off instead of Marvin.
Nipper comes on and delivers Andy Stewart's instructions to Marvin. Marvin listens to Nipper and then ignores the advice. Once again he tries too much fancy stuff on his own and loses the ball. With Zalmo in possession, things look threatening, but Nipper is covering for Marvin and wins the ball back. With the ball at his feet, he breaks down the wing toward goal, much to the delight of the fans. Still on the ground after losing the ball, Marvin watches on, vowing to make more trouble for Nipper than the whole team put together.
Finally, Nipper and Danny Marvin are thrown together into a game situation, and the sparks are flying just as we expected. We haven't reached the peak yet but things are escalating and I'm rubbing my hands with excitement with what might come next. The thing that grabbed my attention most in this story was the name of the injured player - John Breaskspeare. At first, I thought it must have been a mistake, and that he had broken his leg, but no, he was actually John Breakspeare. Curious, I don't remember seeing this player before, and I would definitely remember a name like that. Strange, but I liked it and it did make me pause before plunging deeper into the Nipper and Marvin storyline. Next week promises much, and I hope the seeds planted here bloom into a great storyline next week.
Rating: 7/10
Best line: "He's finding out that the European Cup is a lot different to the league football, boss!"
Skid Solo
Skid, Sandy, and Tommy are on their way back to Britain after their overseas adventure. The trio are flying from Rome and enjoying an inflight movie about racing cars. The movie they are watching shows a race car driver becoming ill while driving and pulling into the pits. In the points the older mechanic takes control of the situation, taking the driver's seat and driving the car to victory.
Sandy scoffs at the film, telling the others that it's totally unbelievable. The others nod in agreement but soon after the air hostess comes down the aisle to speak to the older gentleman next to Skid. This gentleman is identified as Squadroin-leader Ellison, and the air hostess has picked his name out of the passenger list. She quickly explains the situation to the squadron leader, telling him that the flight crew have been taking ill, seemingly from food poisoning, and they require his assistance on the flight deck.
The squadron leader agrees to go, and he asks Skid to come and assist him. On the flight deck, the pair find the flight crew unconscious and are greeted with the news that they need to land the plane. The next half page is full of drama as Skid and the squadron leader guide the plane down through the fog. It all ends well with a safe landing before a final panel of Sandy quipping that he doesn't believe it, it is just like the film, and Tommy replies that maybe one day he'll have to take over a grand prix car for Skid.
I'm with Sandy, this was totally unbelievable. Totally unbelievable, and totally great. Another story where all the signs pointed to me hating it, yet I walk away satisfied with all I have read. A large part of this can be attributed to the outstanding art. The look of the old squadron leader was spot on, as were the concerned faces as they attempted to land the aircraft. I could have picked any number of these images as a favourite, and this strip was worth reading twice to catch all the nuance in the expressions. I was looking forward to seeing some Grand Prix action this week, but I'm more than happy with this story. It was just as dramatic as any racing story, and the artist did a fine job of capturing the excitement on the page. In place of racing cars, we had intense expressions and close-ups inside the aircraft. all of which helped ramp up the intensity of the situation. It was a well-told story and one that lifted Skid Solo above his previous couple of issues.
Rating: 8/10
Best line: "I--I flew bombers years ago during the war...but this thing is three times as big and twenty times as complicated!"
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Hot Shot Hamish
After little Alec McCloud missed an easy chance the crowd was about to riot. However, Hamish is at hand, berating the would-be pitch invaders and waving his fist at them. This works, and they retreat back into the stands, allowing the game to continue.
Hamish decides he needs to do something to take the fan's minds off McCloud, and he drives towards the goal before delivering the hot-shot to put his team one-nil up.
This wins the crowd over, and coming off at half-time the mood is lifted within the team, Hamish delivers a rousing speech to McCloud, filling him with confidence as the second half begins.
This confidence is misplaced, and as McCloud dribbles towards the goal he is hit with a heavy tackle, This tackle only makes him more determined to show his worth, and after doggedly winning the ball back he again dribbles toward the goal. This results in an even tougher tackle on him, one that earns him a penalty. Hamish pulls him up and tells him that this is his chance to prove himself. The strip ends with McCloud about to take the penalty, but feeling the pressure of all eyes on him.
What a great man Hamish is. Seeing off rioters, inspiring teammates, and protecting the weak, he really does have a heart of gold. In this week's strip, he looked every inch a gentle giant, with his size emphasised as he bent down to support the much smaller McCloud. In an issue stuffed with great artwork, this was another story that delivered viusllly. A different art style from many of the other stories, it is nevertheless perfect for the story being spun, and it's hard to imagine Hamish looking any other way. Hamish troubles with Alfie McPhee were forgotten this issue, but the problems McCloud is facing are far more interesting to me, and I like the direction the story has taken. Another solid issue like this next week would be perfect, and I hope we get to see the underdog come good.
Rating: 8/10
Best line: "Aye, there's nothing like a little straight-talking...backed up with a big fist!"
Billy's Boots
Billy is playing for the Merrydowners, a team composed of players who live on Merrydowners Terrace. They find they are short on players, and Billy asks Jimmy Dawson if he can play for the team on Saturday morning.
Jimmy agrees to this, and at school the next day they find that they have both also been picked for the school team to play that Saturday afternoon. They both are now playing two games on Saturday, a thought that excites them, but also has them slightly worried.
The school team prepares during the week, with Mr Harris bringing some new tactical ideas to the team, especially in regards to taking corners.
Billy and Jimmy decide to try out these ideas during their earlier game with the Merrydowners but find the team isn't quite good enough to pull it off. It's a tough game against larger lads, and Billy and Jimmy find themselves carrying the load in defence for most of the game. Things are getting desperate in n the last panel the goalkeeper tells Billy to run upfield and the keeper will boot it as far as he can, all in the hope of scoring a breakaway goal.
So, Mr Harris fancies himself as bit of a Pep Guardiola does he? He certainly looked like as he laid out the team's tactical plan using a table and model footballers. Whether this will work on the field remains to be seen, but we certainly had quite a few panels laying out the plan. Nice to see that even the school football team is taking the tactical side of the game seriously, and once again I can only reiterate how much I have enjoyed Mr Harris's arrival and the extras he has brought to the school. last week it was boxing skills learned in the army, this week it is his tactical football brain. Truly a man for all seasons. Although I'm not fussed by the Merrrydowners, I am really enjoying this strip at the moment. The characters are evolving, and being thrown into new situations. We haven't seen Billy's Boots work too much magic of late, and when they have it remains a lowkey part of the story, Right now the story is all about the relationships between Billy and the various people in his life, making it far more relatable than a boy he can score at the will of a magic pair of boots. Nicely grounded, Billy is a far more sympathetic character than earlier and with Mr Harris providing a strong male figure to offset his Gran, the story is well balanced.
Rating: 8/10
Best line: "It's like being in a professional football team...with a manager telling you what to do!"
Tornado Jones is in search of a new stunt to bring him fame and fortune. With his finances bleak he leaves London in his van and drives across Britain to the welchs coast. Reaching the coast he thinks that a motorbike ride across the beach might be just the thing to clear his head. Riding towards the beach, he weaves his way down the cliffs before gunning into action along the beach.
On the beach, he finds that the tide has quickly come in and cut him off from the path. He attempts to drive through the rising tide but is thrown from his bike and pulled out to sea by a rip. Lucjky a passing boat sees him and he is pulled onboard and taken back. Coming around the headland he can see why the two men were quick to rescue him, there is a massive wave caused by the tide that is a killer. While the men warn him of the danger he is in, Tornado Jones is already scheming on how he could turn this into his greatest stunt ever.
A pleasant story, and with Tornado Jones not trying as hard for the spectacular it felt much more natural and lighter, That will change next week as he takes on this killer wave, the Giant Whispering Wall, but for now I am going to enjoy what we have here. The story was littered with great panels, Jones driving down the cliff, being rescued by the boat, or even the first panel of him driving the van out of London, all spring to mind and kept the pace up before the final reveal of the next week's plot. This was a good palate cleanser after the last few weeks, and I am once again happy to be reading the adventures of Tornado Jones, made all the better by the rugged Welsh coastline and the art of Jim Bleach.
Rating: 7/10
Best line: "A giant moving mountain of water! A deadly tidal wave that's a killer!"
Overall: 7.5/10
Best Story: Skid Solo
Best Line: "Flight two-eight-two from Rome has an emergency, sir. Regular crew unconscious. Ex-R.A.F. man at the control's...asking for landing instructions."
Best Panel:
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