Tiger 28th September 1974

Although there is no Tiger character on the cover of 28th September 1974, it is still an eye-catching opening to the Roy Of The Rovers story within. With a Zeeden player running at full stretch, one wonders what will happen over the page, a mystery that can only be solved by turning the page. So, I'm going to do it, I'm turning the page and going in. 

Tiger 

28th September 1974

Roy Of The Rovers

Melchester Rovers are up against Dutch team Zeeden, a team that has adopted the total football style of the great Dutch teams of the 1970s. With Tubby still showing signs of having lost his nerve, it's not just Roy who is concerned, but the whole Rovers management team watching on the sideline. 

Zeeden attacks strongly, and a long-range strike with plenty of swerve on it has Roy worried. He is right to be worried as Tubby only makes a half-hearted dive to save the shot and it is only a goal-line clearance by Roy himself that saves the day. 

With Tubby frightened to dive on his right knee, the Zeeden team senses weakness and launches attack after attack. As halftime is called, Tony Storme is prepared to pull Tubby from the match but Roy has another idea, one that could save the match and Tubby's career, 

As the second half gets underway, the Dutch team attacks again and once again it is up to Roy to save the day with a great tackle. There's more to this tackle than meets the eye, and as Roy follows through he crashes full speed into Tubby Morton, leaving them both sprawled on the ground. 

Tubby's first impulse is to scream "My leg, my leg" but Roy chastises him and points out that he is perfectly fine, and his body can easily take such a knock. This revelation is timely, and Tubby is back on his feet as the ball comes across from a quick throw as Roy urges him to prove the old Tubby Morton is back in business. 

An excellent instalment, and perhaps the best we have seen from this storyline. Where previously the story has meandered, here it is sharp and to the point, and moved rapidly forward. We aren't out of the woods yet, it remains to see if Roy's approach with Tubby has worked, but as a longtime reader, I am confident that this story is nearing an end. I am again impressed with Roy's fitness levels, last week he played in goal, and this week he was twice fast enough to get back and cover the goal, truly a man for every part of the field. It looks like Tubby Morton is back on track, now all that remains is for Charlie Carter to sort his part of the story out. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Best line: "Your leg is perfectly alright you silly great noodle..." 

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton 

After an attempted kidnapping last week, Johnny Cougar and his pal Splash Gorton are now sunning themselves at an unnamed British seaside resort. All seems well as the deck chair attendant approaches but this takes a turn as he points a pistol in his pocket at them and tells them to do exactly what he says. 

Dressing quickly, Johnny and Splash are hustled into the same car we saw last week and whisked away. A luxury hotel is their destination, and there they meet the man behind all this thuggery. 

Only referred to as the boss, he outlines his plan of creating a wrestling circus to tour the world. Featuring all the world's top matmen, he plans to start with the great Johnny Cougar. There are promises of fame and fortune, but Johnny isn't having a bar of it and he turns nasty - swiping the contracts from the boss's hands. 

He may be outnumbered four to one, but Johnny is up for a fight. Cracking some heads together he looks to have gained the upper hand, but the strip closes out with the boss telling Johnny that nobody crosses him, and calls for his men to finish Johnny. 

Just as strong as the Roy Of The Rovers story that preceded it, this story went up several notches from last week. Being forced into the car at gunpoint was a replay from last week, but this time the story moved on with Johnny meeting the man behind it all. It makes me wonder if last week was a false start, and if this week could have just as easily occurred earlier. We had Johnny fighting the thugs, but as we ended he still faced trouble and the story moves quickly into next week's episode.  There is intrigue with the boss behind it still unnamed (Vince McMahon?) although we know what he looks like and have a good idea of his character. And of course, I have to once again mention the highlight of the strip, seeing my Mums old car from the 1970s!

Rating: 8.5/10

Best line: "Cougar not act like squaw...Cougar Seminole...take orders from no-one!"

Martin's Marvellous Mini

We are in Rangoon as Mister Cartlon and a crowd of hundreds expectantly wait for the leading cars of the London to Sydney race. All expect to see a Carlton car arrive first, but it is instead Tiny and Martin who come down the street to great fanfare. 

With an hour lead over the Carlton team, Tiny and Martin are in a strong position as the cars are shipping towards Australia. There is skullduggery afoot though, and the two Carlton drivers, Grimble and Perch, head below decks with spanners in hand and ill intent in their hearts. They are quickly foiled, a surprise planted by Tiny and Martin scares them off and they are sternly warned by our two heroes to stay well clear of their car. 

Mister Cartlon is furious at the inadequacies of his men and vows to deal with the problem himself, booking a flight to Australia at once. There he enlists the help of a cattle herder in the outback who promises to stampede the cattle right into the boys when he sees them. There is just one small snag in his plan - the Carlton car has overtaken George, and it is now his own team that is speeding towards the cattle stampede. 

I was never fussed by the South East Asian portion of this race, and I feel the story is on firmer ground with the reappearance of Gimble and Perch, and their arrival in Australia. With the teams in Australia, the end can't be too far away, but there is still plenty of enjoyment to be had from the story. Mister Carlton is always a worthy villain, and seeing him watching the approaching cars with his binoculars was a treat, as was seeing his livid expression as George crossed the line first in Rangoon. Not much racing this week, but still visually stimulating as we speed towards the conclusion of the London to Sydney race. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Bah! Those drivers of mine are useless! They say they can't wreck Martin's mini! Get me a seat on a place to Australia...I'll do the job myself!" 

The Tigers 

The Tigers are competing in a fell running contest, although the word 'competing' may be overselling it - Chunky is dead last by a long way. 

Burton intends on keeping it that way and instructs the rest of his team to move the stepping stones used to cross a river before Chunky can get there. But with his usual luck, Chunky stumbles across them (literally) and makes it to the other side with not a single wet foot.

This luck continues as Chunky is pursued by Burton's two pals, and all three of them head up the mountain via a different route than the rest of the teams. There is another incident which sees Chunky jump a ditch while Burton's pals fall into it, but things take a turn as clouds and mist begin to roll in.

This changes the complexion of the race, and the teams now need to use maps and compasses to find their way. This is beyond Chunky, who decides that he will just follow his nose instead. This pays off for him, and while Burton is the first to read the top of Wolf Peak, Chunky is only a minute behind him.

A little bland, this week's issue didn't lean into the humour as strongly as it normally does, nor did it crank up the drama. I would have gladly taken either. I felt no ill will towards the story, but it failed to give me anything to sink my teeth into and slid by all too easily. I think next week may well be the same, but I can only hope for something substantial from a story that all too often isn't. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "The best way to get across is to look straight ahead...or is that for tight-robe walking..?" 

Skid Solo

We have reached the last Grand Prix of the 1974 racing season, a season that has gone by all too fast. It seems like only yesterday Skid was in Australia trialling a new car, and now here we are with the top four drivers all within eight points of each other and only the US Grand Prix left. 

That race won't be seen until next week, this week is all about setting the scene. We see Skid arriving in New York and the crowd of photographers there for all the drivers. It's a little overwhelming for some of the newer drivers, and Skid explains that it only gets worse once you become world champ - there are dinners, meetings, functions, and having to make speeches. 

At the track, all four drivers are putting in fast times, but Sparrow Smith can't help but think about what Skid said and the possibility that he'll have to make speeches if he wins. This prays on his mind, and even once the race practice is over he is still dwelling on it. 

That night he is unable to sleep and heads down to the lobby. There he is surprised to see Skid, Jean Corbonne and Mike Elton all still up. It seems that he's not the only one nervous about the race tomorrow.

No racing, no drama, and not a lot happening, and yet I liked all of it. It was a very pleasant way to set out the feelings behind the scenes. The best part of the story was Sparrow Smith fretting about having to make speeches, we had some humourous panels of his dreams of such situations, and they were key to this soft story. It is all on the line for next week, and this was a chance for us to draw a collective breath before the high-stakes drama of the final race of the season next week,. 

Rating:  6/10

Best line:  "Och, it's a marvellous wee city! No' as good as Glasgow, mind ye... but no' so bad..." 

Football Family Robinson.

I hope this is the end of the pagan head, I really do. We begin well enough, with the team grabbing a steam roller and driving over the head, but all it succeeds in doing is breaking up the car park, and breaking a gas main, which leads to an explosion that destroys the steam roller, but not the pagan head. 

Always on the lookout for a good story, Viv's journalist boyfriend Kevin writes about the head in the local newspaper. He also offers the family a way to get rid of it once and for all. On Saturday he will be in a helicopter taking aerial photos of Thatchem and will drop it into Thatchem reservoir for them. 

With this trouble looking like it will soon be behind them, Fred and Ma head off to see the bank manager. With a big building contract on the horizon, they'll need a big loan to match and are keen to make a good impression. The meeting goes well, with the manager promising the money, and a grateful Fred offers him complimentary tickets for Saturday's game. 

Both strands of the story come together for the final part of this week's strip. The bank manager arrives at the game and happens to see the local paper with the article about the head. He recognises it at once and rushes to speak to the family. Bursting into the room he tells them that he made the head himself, it's not an ancient relic at all, but rather something he made when he was a lad.

While the family are relieved to know that their bad luck hasn't been from an ancient evil god, they face a new problem. The bank manager wants to be reunited with the head, but at that very moment, it is in the helicopter overhead and on its way to being dropped into Thatchem reservoir. 

I saw none of this coming, and I'm pleased about that. It's a great swerve from the story, and much more in line with what I would expect. The expressions on the faces are again key to the story and we have several notable panels here in that regard. The face of the bank manager bursting in, with the newspaper in hand, sells his excitement at the discovery of his head, while just a few panels on we have the very intense face of Fred showing us that it's all still on the line. A timely return to form, I shall wait expectantly all week for the next issue. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "You mean to say that old sour-chops wasn't an ancient evil god, after all, and that we were just fooling ourselves when we thought he was bringing us bad luck? 

Tallon Of The Track

Young Sven has failed to live up to expectations so far at this race meeting, but after showing Jo the threatening note he has received one can understand why. It threatens big trouble if he takes speedway seriously, but Jo is having none of it. She tells Sven that she will contact the stadium security officer, and he has nothing to worry about. 

On the track the racing is close. After nine heats, the Ospreys hold a slender lead over the Lions, twenty-three points to twenty-one. Heat ten will be crucial, and riding for the Ospreys is Sven and Dave Trent. With his mind free from worry, Sven finally delivers, and a one-two finish for the Ospreys puts them in a commanding position with only three heats to go. 

Sven is relaxed as he goes to freshen up in the changing rooms, but a voice calls to him from a store room. Looking back, a hand snatches him and he is pulled into the darkened room, setting us up nicely for next week. 

This a strong issue, with the on-track drama taking priority over the problems of Sven. Sure, it was these Sven problems that bookended the racing, but without the strong race action in between it would amount to nothing. I enjoyed the balance of the story, with Jo, Dave and Sven all getting their share of page time, and an equally fine balance of time on track and time dedicated to Sven. This story is still improving each week, and next week we should be back to something all too familiar, people being kidnapped on the pages of Tallon Of The Track, something we have seen at least three times as far as I can recall. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Look at that kid go! He's opened up a ten-yard gap and is still pulling away!"

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Johnny Cougar 

Best Line: "I--I sort of hope I don't win! I belong behind the wheel...not at some dinner, making a speech!"

Best Panel: 

Roy's Sports Quiz:

Tiger 21st September 1974

Last week back in 1974 Tiger celebrated its twentieth birthday. This week is also a week of milestones, one in 1974 and one in the present day. September 1974 and I was just about to celebrate my first birthday. Well, perhaps not me, but certainly my parents. I recall nothing of it, although I have been told many times that September of 1973 was the hottest on record, but no one ever mentions the weather of September 1974. Perhaps they were all too distracted by a new presence in their life, namely me. The second milestone worth noting is this blog has now been running for a year. I had a couple of speed bumps early on, but have been good at keeping to my weekly schedule since. At this rate, I hope to wrap this up in about ten years' time. Come retirement I shall be taking on new hobbies, and no doubt joining a bowling club. 

On the pages of Tiger this week, no A Horse Called Ugly, I must go back and see if we were told that last week was the final. I don't think so, but I want to check for my own peace of mind. Tiger has been running on a high recently, although two or three of the stories have been dragging the chain. That will change in a couple of weeks, and I look forward to seeing some of the stories refreshed.

Still, that's in the future, for now here's Tiger from September 21st, 1974. 

Tiger 

21st September 1974

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton 

Johnny Cougar's Germany sojourn is over and he's back in Britain on the front cover of this week's edition. He is also on the front page of The Echo newspaper, where his return has an unknown figure most interested. 

This character has plans to create the greatest set-up the wrestling world's ever seen, starting with Johnny Cougar. 

The trouble starts over the page as a gang of thugs attempt to grab Cougar off the street. Cougar is caught unaware, and with Gorton quickly pushed to one side, Cougar is pushed into a car that looks suspiciously like a Morris Marina that my mother used to drive when I was a child. 

Cougar is not one to take such kidnappings lightly, and as the car drives he begins his fight back. Clubbing the guns out of the kidnapper's hands, he then chops the front passenger before grabbing the driver in a headlock. 

The fight is over, and Cougar emerges from the car and sends the kidnappers on their way, just as a breathless Gorton, who has been chasing the car, turns up. 

A fast start to this new story, and although we have seen Cougar fight countless villains over the years, it is still a thrill to see him punching and chopping his way to victory. Even more exciting for me was seeing my dear Mum's old car. The best of British engineering is represented right here on the pages of Johnny Cougar which adds to the 1970s feel of these stories. Things bode well for the future of this story, with Cougar's final comment that he feels he hasn't seen the last of these evil ones pointing to a storyline that may run for some time. We haven't broken any new ground here, and there isn't anything we haven't seen before in the previous year, but already it feels like an improvement on Cougar's Australia and Germany adventures. The future looks bright and I'll be curious to see what comes next.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Listen, you creeps, this is Britain...this sort of thing doesn't happen here!"

Roy Of The Rovers

Rovers are a goal down and it looks as though Tubby Morton has lost his nerve in goal. It is up to Roy to provide leadership and steady the team. 

Another shaky save from Tubby and Roy has seen enough. He decides to play in goal himself (is there anything Roy can't do?) and although he isn't spectacular he does keep a clean sheet for the rest of the match. Not only that, but when Rovers earn a penalty at the other end of the pitch it is Roy who steps up to take it - coolly slotting it home to tie the scores at one-one. 

Game over, and all eyes turn to their European match against the Dutch Chhampoions, Zeeden. There is debate about Tubby, but Tony Storme decides to risk him in goal for the match. 

Roy is doubtful, and on match day as the Dutch team comes onto the pitch, Blackie and Roy make the quick assessment that they look pretty useful, and the Rovers will have to play like world beaters to hold them. 

I did roll my eyes when Roy went into goal, I can't deny it. He is a football superhero once he dons Rover's colours, and without being flashy he did a professional job as a goalkeeper. I did wonder how many times has Roy played in goal over the years, and the next rainy day I shall probably make it my mission to find out - until then, I'm stuck with this story.  The other superhuman ability Roy has is judging a team merely on the way they walk on the pitch. His comment on the level of Zeeden, based purely on the players emerging, was another moment that had me rolling my eyes. A lot of eye-rolling today, maybe Roy has caught me before my cup of tea, and later in the day I would be more accepting, but right now it bothers me. I understand they've scouted their opposition, but the dialogue on the field looks like an instant judgement, and Roy reminded me of a captain I used to play under who would eye the opposition and say "We're definitely losing this one boys." Hardly a comment to inspire a team, and I'm saddened to see Roy go down that same path. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Pheeeew! They look pretty useful, Roy!"

Martin's Marvellous Mini

On the run for Kubah Kaln's horsemen, Martin and Tiny find themselves back on the road with the horsemen right behind. 

They find themselves in a village and quickly drive under one of the houses which sit on poles. It's a tight fit but they just squeeze under. Surrounded by the horsemen they are trapped, but some quick thinking from Martin has Tiny tie a rope around some of the hut's struts. As the guards close in, Martin accelerates away, the rope pulling the struts away and the house collapsing on the horsemen. 

Back on track, the boys drive on, eventually reaching a sign for Rangoon, a mere twenty miles away. It seems that this diversion hasn't cost them at all, and thoughts are that they'll be there in half an hour, and in the lead. 

This London to Sydney race has thrown up some great issues. Unfortunately, this isn't one of them. The horsemen chasing Martin and Tiny was fine, but once we reached the village things went downhill in my opinion. The scheme to escape was unbelievable, and the horsemen ineffective - even when they had Martin and Tiny surrounded. Usually, I read these stories with joy in my heart, and perhaps I still have negative feelings from the previous Roy of the Rovers story, but today I found the story flat and joyless. I'm sure this is just an aberration, and I have high hopes that things will pick up next week once our pals reach Rangoon.

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Stone me...they were waiting for us!"

Skid Solo

Only two races theft in the 1974 World Motor Racing Championship, and Skid Solo has a slight lead as we head into the Canadian Grand Prix. 

Practising for the race, Skid is cut off by an old race car emerging from the pits. He narrowly avoids a collision, but this sets the scene for the race and the rest of the story.

Sandy tells Skid that the old-fashioned race car has been entered in the Grand Prix, and despite protests from all the drivers who have been victims of its lousy driver, the car is allowed to race as it has the required lap times.

Race day unfolds as expected. The old-fashioned car is fast but causes havoc on the track. Several cars are caught up in a collision, Skid avoids all the trouble as he has already built a handy lead.

However, he eventually comes behind this old car and prepares to lap it. It is then that disaster strikes, the driver moves the wrong way and Skid is forced off the track.

The driver of the car is black-flagged and removed from the race, but it is little consolation for Skid, who finishes never makes up the time and finishes fifth.

The race is over, and there is no sign of the reckless driver. He has left an apology note, but with only eight points between the top four drivers, he may have cost Skid the championship.

A strange story. We never learn the identity of the mysterious driver, and there is no explanation of why he has entered an old car in the race, or why he drove so recklessly. It's unsatisfying, although, on the positive side, it does set us up for the final race. Next week will be the build-up for that race, and I assume there will be some rising tensions in the lead-up. This story had Grand Prix action, but for the first time this season, I am disappointed with what I see. Like Martin's Marvellous Mini, this feels out of character, and I can only hope for redemption in the next issue. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Get that idiot off th' track...before he breaks every car in sight!"

Tallon Of The Track

Pop star Sven Jansson performed well when he tried out for the Ospreys team, but at the race meeting, he has disappointed thus far.

Jo is furious and confronts him about this lack of speed in the first race, and all he can do is meekly apologise and promise to do better. 

The rest of the team rides well, with Dave Trent doing particularly well in his race, and by the time it comes to Sven's second race, Ospreys have an overall lead. 

This time he is much faster, and for the first two laps looks good. Later in the race though he slows down and all of the opposition go by him. 

Once again Jo confronts him, and after some weak excuses, Sven finally admits that he has found a note on his bike, threatening him to give up on speedway and stick to his pop career. 

This story is similar to the story of Charlie Carter in Roy Of The Rovers, as both characters struggle to straddle the worlds of pop and sport. I have suspicions that there may be a manager pulling strings in the background of this story, but we shall see in the coming weeks as things progress. It was nice to see some on-track action, and although I'm not currently thrilled with the story I do enjoy that aspect of it. Next week shapes up to be make or break, fingers crossed we get a strong issue.

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Okay, mister fancy-pants, let's have some real effort this time!"

Football Family Robinson

The saga of the cursed pagan head continues in The Football Family Robinson. The family thought they had seen the last of the statue's head as they tossed it from the van in the last issue, but on the first page of this week's story, it reappears, carried into the stadium by faithful fans.

It's not a smooth return, one of the fans takes a tumble the head falls forward onto the field where Giraffe accidentally kicks it. As the family gathers around the injured Giraffe the fans surround them expecting a reward. Ma provides the rewards, but once the fans leave Fred shows the family's true feelings, throwing the head as far as it can, only for it to ricochet off a fence and back through a window. 

With a steam roller in the foreground, Fred picks up the head with the idea to get rid of it for good. 

I think we all know what this idea will be, I believe they call this foreshadowing. It seems too obvious, but anything to get rid of this head and surrounding storyline would be welcome right now. I want to say this story has outstayed its welcome, but the truth is it was never welcome as far as I'm concerned. A year ago Football Family was excellent, now it is plodding along from one dull story to another. The appearance of Digger didn't excite me, and neither did their subsequent adventures heading to Australia. This pagan head story is a new low, even compared to those stories. It may be fifty years on, but as I read my way through 1974 I long for the glory days of the family in '73.

Rating: 4/10

Best line: "You clumsy great clot!" 

The Tigers

Was last week's A Horse Called Ugly the final for that strip? I have reached The Tigers, the final story in this week's comic, and there has been no sign of Joe and Ugly. Perhaps they will be back next week, but if not I wish them a fond farewell - we had some good times together. 

With cricket behind him, Chunky and his two fellow members of the Tigers turn their attention to fell running. 

Beginning in an area cleared for development, Chunky immediately displays his luck. Strolling down a slope towards Biff and Smitthy he trods on an oil-drum, somehow keeping his balance as it rolls down the slope.

An extra burst of luck at the bottom sees Chunky showering his nemesis Burton in mud and rubble, before wiping them all out with the rolling drum. 

With this humourous situation put behind them, Chunky and his pals meet up with the other youth clubs taking part in the fell running event. Ten miles across country, armed with a map and compass, there is plenty of scope for Chunky to get in trouble. Quite what that trouble will be, we will have to wait to find out as he starts slowly, while out in front Burton instructs his cronies to stay at the back and may sure that Chunky stays last. 

I enjoyed the first page more than I care to admit. I'm not normally one for slapstick, but little happened in the second half of the story and the first page was as good as it got. One wonders how much trouble Chunky can get into in the fell race, but with Burton's pals with him, I'm sure there will be plenty of occasions for him to ride his luck. I have never cared too much for The Tigers, but in this mediocre issue of Tiger, it is as good as anything else and can look anyone of these other stories in the eye. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "I'm only last while I'm still behind. I bet it's because I plan it this way." 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 5/10

Best Story: Johnny Cougar 

Best Line: "Now, o weak one...you stop car heap fast...or you feel the strength of the Cougar!"

Best Panel: 

Roy's Sports Quiz: 

Tiger 14th September 1974

14th September 1974 is Tiger's twentieth birthday, and exactly one week before my first birthday. Needless to say, I don't remember either event. Twenty is quite a milestone, and to celebrate Tiger has it's three biggest stars on the cover - Roy Race, Johnny Cougar, and Skid Solo. Inside I thought there may have been a special story or a nod to the past, but instead, we have the regular strips, and the only nod to its birthday is birthday messages following each story from various stars. We have Jackie Stewart, Dennis Amiss, Eric Morecambe, Bobby Charlton, Gordon Banks, Peter Oosterhuis, Joe Bugner, and Barry Briggs. Quite the lineup! There is also a sports supplement which would have been quite informative in the pre-internet age. Overall, it is a low-key celebration, but in hindsight one well worth celebrating. Plenty of British comics have come and gone over the years, and any sort of milestone deserves to be celebrated. There will be further birthdays for Tiger, and with a bit of luck we'll reach each of them in the blog over the coming years. 

Tiger

14th September 1974

Skid Solo

It is the Italian Grand Prix this week, and with only four points separating the top four drivers in the championship, there is tension in the air. 

The German driver Von Vargen starts well and holds the lead for most of the race's first half. However, he has a stroke of bad luck with the car beginning to break up. His bad luck is also Al Ledstock's bad luck, for as his exhaust pipe breaks off it strikes Ledstock and both drivers crash off the track. 

Just over halfway through the race and Italian driver Mareillia makes his move, taking the lead. His lead is shortlived as Solo accelerates past. Mareillia tries to keep up with Solo, but overdoes it and finds himself spinning out of the race. 

There is another change in the position and going into the final lap, we have the top four drivers separated by just four seconds, with Corbonne holding the lead. Solo still has something extra to give, and he manages to get by Corbonne with Sparrow Smith right behind him. 

It's a dash to the finish with Solo and Smith neck and neck, but as they cross the line it is Solo who has a slender lead. That gives him a six-point buffer at the top of the championship, with the Canada and US races remaining. 

The previous two weeks of Skid Solo have been brilliant. This week doesn't come close to those, but it is eminently enjoyable. The motor racing is fast, close and absorbing. I did have to suspend belief about the top four drivers of the championship being separated by four seconds in the final lap, but I did so willingly. Similarly, seeing Al Ledstock being hit in the face with an exhaust pipe and then emerging unharmed did take me out of the story, if only for a split second. Despite that, I enjoyed the whole scenario with Ledstock and Von Vargen and found the panel with the exhaust pipe unexpectedly thrilling. A lighter story than last week, but exactly the type of Grand Prix story I like. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Hey, Buddy...I think this is yours!"

The Tigers

After stretching the current cricket storyline on for several months, it all wraps up very quickly this week. 

Chunky is opening the bowling for his team, and it unfolds exactly as I expect. First, he slips, bowling a wild delivery that is unplayable and bowls the batter out. He is then stung on the elbow, and this accelerates the second half of the story as his painful elbow makes his bowling technique extremely effective and soon he has bowled out the team for twenty-five runs, giving Digby cricket team a one-run win. 

That's it, that's the whole story. Not a lot to read here and not a whole lot to say. Seeing Chunky bowling one wobbly delivery was fun, seeing him bowl a few was repetitive and a little boring. I thought that this part of the story may have gone on for a couple of weeks, but it is dealt with quickly, and I wonder what could be coming next. No clue at the end of the story for us, we shall have to return next week to see what sport Chunky turns his hand to.

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Boggling bananas, that bewildered him. It fooled me a bit too!"

Martin's Marvellous Mini 

Things look dangerous for Martin and Tiny as they find themselves in a crocodile-infested river in their attempt to escape a local chieftain. Martin is cracking jokes, but Tiny just wants to get out of the river as soon as they can. 

As the river gets deeper, Tiny climbs onto the roof of the car to better direct Martin. This works well for the two of them and soon the car is back on dry land.

While our pals evade the crocodiles, the local chieftain is displeased to find his race opponents have escaped him. He makes his anger known and dispatches his bodyguards to bring them back. 

Driving through long grass, Tiny is still on the roof of the car plotting the best route. Martin is making good time and fails to notice as Tiny hits a tree and falls off. 

Ten minutes later Martin realises that he's lost Martin. Before he has a chance to go back and find him he is forced to take cover and Kubah Kaln's bodyguard rides past him in search of him and Tiny. 

The danger passed, and he drives slowly back where he finds Tiny still in the long grass, waving his red shirt to catch his attention. Reunited, Martin tells Tiny what he has seen, and Martin doesn't like the sound of it at all. 

Better than last week, and we had several scenes that looked appealing on the page. The river action with the crocodiles jump-started this week's strip. Also eye-catching was driving through the long grass with Tiny on top of the vehicle. The final panels of the horsemen looking for them brought a new hint of danger and was more than enough to bring me back next week. A lot was packed into these two pages, and with a colourful backdrop to their adventures, this was very pleasing to the eye - especially the panel with Martin with his shirt off. Still not back to their best, but very good. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Best line: "He can't go faster than a bullet though! You did say they had rifles, didn't you? I don't like it, chum...I don't like it at all!" 

Roy Of The Rovers.

After meandering for a couple of weeks, the story picks up in this week's issue. Roy is unhappy to see Charlie's fans turn up to a training session, but he is beginning to smell a rat as he wonders why Charlie has fans when he has only just won a talent contest and made a trial record. The fact that it seems to be the same group of fans every time only heightens these suspicions. 

Luckily Roy's showbiz friend Marty Miller appears at the training session, and Roy asks if he could make some discreet enquiries on his behalf. 

The evening before the game the team is relaxed, yet Roy still harbours reservations about Tubby Morton in goal. Roy is right in his reservations, for as the game starts the Rovers give the ball away to Barnley and they immediately attack. Lofty Peak is put under pressure and makes a backpass. It should be easily taken by Morton, but he hesitates and stays on his line. The team call for him to come out and dive at the feet of the opposition player, but he moves slowly and Barnley score. 

It's a shambles and Roy suspects that Morton has lost his nerve and is frightened to risk any physical contact. 

Roy is connecting the dots and is the smartest man on these pages. I was happy to see him beginning to piece together the background manoeuvering with Charlie Carter, and I expect that we shall see this come to a head in the next couple of weeks. Likewise, Roy's assessment of Morton seems fair, and this will probably be front and foremost next week. Some nice-looking art complimented the story, with the panel of the Rover's player picking the ball out of the back of the net being one of my favourites. This is a story that is strong and getting stronger and expect next week's issue to be up the stakes again.  

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "The little chump's lost it! And the Barnley strikers are breaking fast!"

Football Family Robinson 

It's half-time and the family are bemoaning their lack of luck in the first half. It is then that the cause of their bad luck appears, with Fred appearing at the doorway with the pagan head under his arm. 

All eyes turn accusingly to Ma who had been charged with disposing of the head. She is visibly upset and explains that he put it in the dustbin but the dustman refused to take it. 

The team returns to the field with some players blaming Ma, while others call on the team to bring the smile back to Ma's face. 

Blackford strikes first, and it looks like a certain goal until Crash makes the save of his life. This swings the momentum of the match and the family begins a sweeping move that results in a goal that brings Ma to her feet cheering. 

Winning the match by a single goal, the family return home. Deciding to once again ditch the head, it is thrown from the family van and into a ditch. Unfortunately, a group of fans are following the van on their motorbikes and thinking that something has fallen from the van stop to pick up the head with the intention of returning it to the family. 

Last week I was strong in my dislike for this story, yet this week it has won me back over, Seeing the family overcoming the bad luck to win the match was a good start, as was seeing them throw the head from the van. We still have a final turn as the fans attempt to return the head, but it's hard to imagine this will go for too much longer. As usual, the best panels were the ones with Viv in them, and although she didn't get much page time, she did get a sharp line that made me happy. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "It's sour chops!"

A Horse Called Ugly

With a pistol pointed at his head and Anglea tied up nearby, Joe is up to his neck in trouble. Angela is smart and resourceful, and with a cry to look out, the gunman is temporarily distracted and affords Joe an opportunity to leap to safety over the edge. Joe falls through the opening where the other kidnapper is. 

Luigi begins to climb down the ladder to join both of them, but Angela isn't finished yet and she kicks the ladder over, leading to Luigi tumbling down to Ferdi and Joe. 

Outnumber by the two kidnappers, Joe puts up quite a struggle, tossing Ferdi Johnny-Cougar style across the room. His timing couldn't have been better for just at that moment the police burst in, having been alerted by the note that Joe planted under Ugly's saddle and sent to Farmer Coker. 

There are only tying up loose ends left, and Joe and Angela hand over the stolen painting to the authorities. The next day they are back at the horseshow where the organisers have decided that Joe and Ugly can ride the final high jump again, and this time Joe and Ugly are victorious. We finish with a wrap-up panel of Joe and Ugly receiving compliments as Joe asserts that a horse called Ugly will always be the greatest.

I feel deflated now this story has finished. Some of the action with Luigo and Ferdi was delicious, and to be honest I never wanted it to end. These were some great villains, and seeing Joe doing his best to rescue Angela from peril has propelled the last few issues. There were a couple of weaker issues in this overall story, but for the most part, it has been strong throughout, and this finish is a satisfying conclusion to all that has come before. It was a slow burn at the beginning but climaxed beautifully. The final panel was perhaps too much, Joe and Ugly getting a trophy and compliment, but the final panels where Joe beat the kidnappers was the true finish as far as my reading. Solid story, with some peaks throughout, I can only hope the next story plays as well as this one. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Oh no you don't! Johhny Cougar would be proud of this throw!"

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton 

Johnny Cougar has recovered from his poisoning, and with his Dutch opponent held above his head, Cougar is about to get some revenge on the KO Kid who he sees in the crowd. 

It plays out exactly as you'd expect. Johnny tosses the Dutchman out over the ropes and directly on the KO Kid, knocking them both out. With a vial of poison found on him, the KO Kid is arrested, while in the ring Johnny has won the tag-team match for his team. 

Tagteam match over, Staff Sergeant Martin reminds Johnny that they promised to fight each other once the match was over. Despite both taking a beating in the previous match, they face off and begin a match. 

Both deliver heavy blows and although Martin briefly has the upper hand, it is Cougar that triumphs. This concludes Johnny's time in Germany, and we finish with Splash asking which country will they visit next, a question that will remain unanswered until next week. 

This was a very fast wrap-up of a story that has been running for a couple of months now. We could see what Johnny was going to do once he saw the KO Kid at the end of the last issue, and once he was dealt with in the first half page, the story effectively ended. The rest was tidying up loose ends, with the fight against Staff Sergeant Martin only taking five panels to tell. I had been enjoying the story, and this concluding issue felt all too fast for what had come before. It was too easy, and the final bout against Martin wasn't the payoff I expected or deserved. Once again, we are looking at the story to reset next week, and a new location always enthuses me. I need it after this simplified finish and easy finish to a story that deserved perhaps just one more wrinkle in the plot. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "That's the third matman you've knocked out today, Johnny-baby...fantastic!" 

Tallon Of The Track 

We haven't seen a track invasion before, but that is where we start the story, with Sven Jannson fans swarming onto the track. His pop fans follow him everywhere and remain undaunted by a dirty speedway track. 

The Swedish singer doesn't seem to know what to do, and it's up to Jo to yell at him to get on his bike and ride off, which he obligingly does so. 

With Sven out of the way, police are able to clear the track and the match resumes. In the race Sven is well off the pace, finishing last by a long way. Jo asks him what happened, and he replies that the earlier invasion upset him, but Jo suspects there is more that he isn't telling here. 

It doesn't feel particularly dramatic, and I am disappointed in this story. Tallon Of The Track was excellent for a long time, but there has been a drop in quality in the last few weeks. The art remains strong, and I love looking at the panels, but when I read the story there's not much for me to enjoy. I'll be back next week, but only in the hope that it gets better soon. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Right, everyone, give me a hand! Help me get these idiots out of the stadium!"

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Martin's Marvellous Mini  

Best Line: "Just look at all those teeth...now I know what it feels like to be a dentist!"

Best Panel: 

Roy's Sports Quiz: 

Tiger 7th September 1974

Next week's issue of Tiger is the twenty-anniversary issue. I am expecting something special and will read this week's issue carefully, looking for clues to what lies ahead.  My first impression is there doesn't seem to be anything big in the works, but I'm keeping an open mind and quietly hoping so. I know I should try to be in the movement as I read, but I can't help myself and find my thoughts drifting forward. Of course, I'm reading this almost fifty years later, so even thinking ahead, everything is behind me and has already happened. 

Tiger

7th September 1974

Roy Of The Rovers.

Roy's goalie troubles are still to the fore this week, with Charlie looking to leave the club and Tubby Morton still unproven after coming back from a broken leg.

There is an early test for Tubby on the front cover of the issue as Roy launches one of his rockets at him, but Tubby does well and makes the save. The follow-up strike by Roy, to the other corner of the goal, sees Tubby reacting quickly and pulling off an equally fine save.

Tubby is named in the team, but Roy still isn't sure he's ready for the next two games, first at Barnley and then the first game of their cup winners cup campaign against Dutch side Zeeden.

The team train in anticipation of a tough Zeeden defence, and once again Tubby Morton performs well on the training pitch. The team is happy enough, but yet again Roy harbours reservations. 

On the other side of the coin, Charlie Carter is in awe of the young fans clamouring to see him as he arrives at the team bus. Little does he know that these fans have been planted by his dodgy agent, Mister Sharp. 

On the coach Tubby and Charlie sit together, all is seemingly well in the world of goalkeepers, while just behind them Roy continues with his worries. 

Great to see the team training, we usually only see a glimpse and not a couple of pages like we have here. However very little happened to move the story forward. Tubby looks good with his saves, and Charlie is still in the same position as the previous issue. Roy is still worrying, so we are no closer to a resolution than we were a couple of weeks again. We really need this Barnely game to shake things up and a heavy dose of drama in the next issue wouldn't go astray right now. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "I was convinced that Tubby hadn't fully recovered from breaking his right leg, two seasons ago! But he seems to be bursting with confidence!"

Skid Solo

Skid Solo was the best story last week with the very best panel. It maintains that high standard and the very first panel of the story is just as good as anything we saw last week, if not better. 

Shot at by an escaped convict, Skid and his car plunge into a lake. 

Still a hostage to the convict, Sparrow slows down to see if Skid is OK, only to be told to continue driving or else. 

While Sparrow drives on, Skid is rescued from the lake by a passing boat. Taken to the shore, he is offered a car, an offer he quickly accepts and soon he is back on the road and chasing down the kidnapper. 

Unaware of this, Sparrow can see little way out of the situation. Still at gunpoint, he reaches the airport where he is told to drive straight through the fence. In a dramatic panel, he does so and is soon speeding across the runway towards a passenger aircraft. 

With a gun pointed at his head, Sparrow is marched onto the aircraft where the kidnapper tells the pilot and crew that this is hi-jack and they are to do as he says. 

Not far behind, Skid hears the breaking news on the radio, and a minute later he is driving through the smashed fence where Sparrow drove through. Seeing the plane still there, Skid drives quickly towards it and parks direct under the wheels. 

In the cabin, the convict angrily demands them to tell him to move out of the way. He is temporarily distracted, allowing Sparrow and the co-pilot to deliver a knockout punch and save the situation. 

We finish with Skid and Sparrow reunited and their talk quickly moving on from the kidnapping and hijacking and onto their favourite subject, next week's Italian Grand Prix.

Skid has a reputation for being fast, and this story matched his personality. It was non-stop from start to finish, and not a single panel was wasted. It was almost too fast for its own good, yet the conclusion was satisfying and I didn't feel the least bit cheated. Last week was an excellent setup, and this week was the payoff with the villain being caught and Skid cheating death. Again, I have several panels vying for the panel of the week, and although I'm a massive fan of Grand Prix action, it's hard to imagine that next week will be anywhere near as good as this visually. 

Rating 9/10

Best line: "Ahoy there...do you like swimming with your clothes on, m'sieur? Or are you in trouble?" 

Martin's Marvellous Mini

Martin and Tiny have been sidetracked in their London to Sydney rally and now in Eastern Asia find themselves forced into competing against the local chieftain.  

They have little choice in the matter, a drawn sword convinces them that it's in their best interest to take part in the fifty-lap race. 

The odds are stacked against them, they are racing in George, while the local chieftain is driving a formula three racer. Even with their two-minute head start, by the tenth lap the formula three car has caught them. Martin does the right thing and lets him pass, but he regrets this decision as the formula three car swerves erratically in front of them, slowing down and making a nuisance of himself. 

Tired of the shenanigans, they decide it's best if they leave the race as soon as they can, and on the following lap, they take a sudden turn off the track and over the grassy bank. 

It is a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire, and they find themselves dropping down into a river. Worse yet, the logs they thought were on the surface are actually crocodiles.

A month ago Martin's Marvellous Mini was at its peak, and since then we have seen the story drop off in interest and intensity. Six months ago I would have lapped this up, but after the previous highs, it feels flat. With fresh eyes this would have been great, and I'm sure any new reader would get a lot of joy from the pages, but for me, the lingering memory of the July issues tarnishes these panels. Sometimes you are competing against your own history, and in this case, the story pales against what came just a few weeks previous.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "But not too deep...we're in a car...not a submarine! As long as we avoid those logs..."

The Tigers

Maybe I haven't been paying attention for the last few weeks, but I've just noticed that the village team that Chunky Clark and the Digby Cricket team playing against is called the Willowtree Wasps. I'm sure this is a new name that just dropped in now, it's hard to believe that I would miss something like that. 

After promising the team a century last week, Chunky Clark is almost out first ball against the Willowtree Wasps. I say almost as he is cleanly caught out, only for the umpire to call a no-ball.

With this reprieve, Chunky rides his luck for the rest of the story, as he manages to swot the ball through a variety of mishaps for the rest of the page, pulling his team from fourteen runs through to twenty-six runs, before he eventually runs out of partners. 

All this is hi-jinx on the page, yet predictable, and none of it feels essential. It brings a smile rather than a laugh, and we are ready to move on by the time the two Digby batters trudge back to the changing rooms. 

We end with Chunky once again facing the wrath of his own captain, having been given the responsibility of opening the bowling and told that he had better be good. 

A lot of Chunky using his luck while batting in this issue, and although it felt fun it didn't amount to much. I liked it but any thoughts of it vanished as I turned the page. Overall it was light, and the best panel of the whole strip was the final one as his captain threatens him. Nice, but instantly forgettable. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "It's cool-thinking and knack that helps me...I'll do better when I open my eyes."

Football Family Robinson 

Facing a flat tired and further bad luck from the cursed pagan head, the Football Family Robinson are standard beside the road when we first see them in this issue. 

The family still are unaware of Ma's guilty secret, she has the cursed head with them, still hidden in the van.

With the van out of action, Ma lays out a plan. Specky is sent in advance to let the referee know they will be late. Viv takes control of the hitchhiking situation, flagging down a driver, then when the door swings open telling the driver that it's not her that needs the ride, but rather it's Specky. Oh, the disappointment for the driver. Still, we have all fallen for this scam before, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise for anyone who has ever stopped for a pretty girl.

At the game, the team create several goal-scoring opportunities, only to miss out every time, once for a foul, and once when Titch pokes the ball wide. They should be two-nil up at half time and the team curses their luck as they walk off. 

Fred has injured his shoulder, and he goes back to the van for a bottle of embrocation. It is then that he discovers the head is still with them, and we finish the strip with Fred wondering how Ma is going to explain this.  

The football action looked great, but I wasn't so fussed by the pagan head that bookended the episode. It has potential, but constantly feels drawn out and my interest is waning. We are crawling towards a conclusion and I can't wait. I liked the concept at the beginning, but the execution hasn't lived up to my expectation and I'm ready to move on now. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "We should be two up. If I didn't know that Ma had got rid of old sour chops I'd say that head was still working against us"

Tallon Of The Track

It's time for the teen pop star Sven Jansson to show us what he's made off, and this week's episode centres on his trial for Jo at the track.

First impressions aren't great, with Sven's silver-plated bike and a retinue of assistants, including his dresser Luigi to help him into his leathers. 

Dressed and ready to go, Sven and Jo are finally on the track and about to race. Jo gets off to a fast start and holds the lead for most of the first lap, but then Sven shows us his talent as get catches her on the final bend.  

For the rest of the race, the two riders are neck and neck and the battle is fierce for control. Jo holds her nerve until the very last corner. She takes the corner a trifle wide and Sven strikes, changing direction and powering his bike through the inside of the corner. He continues to accelerate and the race finishes with Sven holding an eight-yard lead. 

Jo recognises that he has a natural talent on her hands, and instantly offers Sven a place on the team, an offer that he accepts without hesitation.

Sven's debut takes place against Latchford Lions, and a capacity crowd are on hand to see his first ride with the team. Things quickly go awry though as a large section of the crowd surge onto the track and Sven is surrounded by a crowd of teenage fans. It goes without saying that Jo is horrified and we finish the strip with her dismayed face summing up her feelings. 

After teasing us for several weeks, it was great to be back on the track and see the bikes in action. Sven's race against Jo was handled well and despite my reservations about the character I found I warmed to him quickly once he was riding. This story had been in a holding pattern for the last couple of weeks, and we finally have taken a great leap forward with this issue. Things are developing quickly and I am curious to see how Jo will face this invasion of teenyboppers. I want to see what will happen next week, a feeling I haven't had about this story in the last two weeks.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "No, I'm going to handle mister fancy-pants myself!"

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton

Johnny's Cougar is still in a dazed state as his tag-team partner, Staff Sergeant Martin, takes a beating in the ring. 

Help is coming though, and we see Splash running back to the arena with an old Seminole concoction in his hand that promises to revive Johnny. 

Feeding Johnny the potion Splash waits expectantly. It doesn't take effect immediately, but soon enough Johnny's eyes light up and he is back to his abnormal self. 

Energised, he tags himself into the bout. This changes the completion of the fight dramatically as he throws his opponent across the ring. Not wishing to face the furious Johnny Cougar, the German tags in his Dutch partner, only for Johnny to hit the Dutchman with a two-footed drop kick. Raising his fallen opponent above his head, Johnny sees the K.O. Kid in the crowd and formulates a plan to get revenge right away.

That revenge we will have to wait until next week to see as this is the last panel of this week's strip. It did take half the pages for Johnny to get the cure into him, but once he did the story picked up considerably. I have enjoyed seeing Johnny struggle the last two weeks, but I enjoyed seeing him cured and getting back into the fight even more.  The art was superb in the way it showed the energy he was giving off, and he almost seemed to jump off the page once he had the cure. It looks like it will be more of the same next week, and I'm all for it. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "We change...I'm getting out of here before I get scalped!" 

A Horse Called Ugly

This is the issue where it all comes together in Joe's attempt to rescue Angela from her kidnappers. 

Waiting at the crossroads with painting in hand, it looks like Joe and Ugly will finally see Angela again. However, the crooks have other plans, and although Joe hands over the painting, there is no Angela in exchange, only an empty promise to release her once the villains are far away. 

Joe isn't buying it and he discreetly follows them back to their hideout. Joe gives Ugly a message to take back to Farmer Coker, and then he carefully climbs through the back entrance. 

He is just in time as Luigi and Ferdi have the tied-up Angela between them and are about to make their escape. Joe springs into action, knocking them off their feet as Angela's gag falls off.  Angela calls to Joe to be careful and then goes one better as she trips Ferdi, sending him tumbling into the darkness below. 

Joe lends over the edge and assesses that Ferdi is knocked unconscious, but he has little time to digest this as Luigi pulls out his pistol and threatens to end this right now.

If not for the excellent Skid Solo earlier in the comic this would be my favourite story. Lots of action, and some real drama baring its teeth near the end. Ugly shows that he is just as good as any wonder horse, carrying the message as instructed, and Joe showed some decisive leadership throughout. Not to be outdone, Angela was as feisty as ever and her cameo role near the end of the strip was enjoyable. We are reaching a climax here, and after a great last month, it looks like we will be going out with a bang. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Best line: "Come here, you crook...you're not going anywhere!"

 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Skid Solo 

Best Line: "You may borrow my car if you wish, m'sieur. But tell me...why do you like chasing convicts so much? It is dangerous, yes?"

Best Panel: 

Roy's Sports Quiz: