Tiger 15th February 1975

I recently read that an ideal blog post should be about eight hundred words. That makes today's post a complete failure as it clocks in at just over three thousand words. Maybe I'm compensating for something (No, not that ladies), and I think I know what it is. In everyday life I don't meet many people I can talk forty-year-old comics with, so this is the only outlet I have. Speaking of which, I am up to February of 1975, and a mere forty-eight years ago. I was barely two at the time, but I do have some memories of these stories from the comics I picked up at second-hand stores in the 1980s. The stories from the 1970s already felt distant at the time, although I did enjoy seeing the younger versions of the characters and their earlier development. They're not the characters I fell in love with in the early 1980s but these stories are just as enjoyable and a real insight to the era they were written. A time when Australia was still a mystical faraway land, and professional football players were accessible and carried a sense of sportsmanship about them.    

Tiger

15th February 1975

Skid Solo 

A fantastic front cover featuring Skid Solo starts this week's issue in the best possible fashion. With Skid and Sandy driving back from Switzerland through the Alps, we catch up with the strip as a blizzard wraps the mountains in its icy grip. This spells big trouble for Skid and Sandy as a rockfall catches them on the road and Skid is forced to take evasive action on the icy road. 

He manages to avoid the ice fall but is now sliding towards a truck coming the other way. With the final words "We've had it" Skid and Sandy drive off the road, before hitting a snow drift and careening down the slope.

It is a wild ride, and when the dust settles, Skid and Sandy are upside down, bruised, buffeted and shaken, but otherwise okay.

Walking to the nearest village, they find the local police sergeant in a foul mood and accepting no visitors. Forced to wait, they can only watch as the Policeman sends all his men and resources out to a special case. 

He finally settles down enough to see our two heroes and tells them the cause for his rushing about - a  driving accident has been reported and he had to send all his men out to find the famous racing driver Skid Solo. 

The rest of the story writes itself as Skid explains who he is, and the sergeant is left clutching his head. 

The cover image was brilliant and gave this story the jumpstart it needed. No messing about with a set-up, the first we see is Skid on the road and in trouble. Sandy's exclamation of "Great steaming haggis" undid some of the seriousness of the situation, but I was hooked from the first sight of Skid's bright red car. The rest of the story was uncluttered and moved quickly with no distractions. The first page was purely about the crash and aftermath, while the second page dealt with the scene at the village police station and the sergeant in charge. Both worked well and told their story with a minimum of fuss. Paired with the clear line of the artist, this was easy to read, compelling, and humourous, all wrapped up into one digestible ball. Sometimes the simplest things are the best. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "You want to report an accident? We already have an accident reported here. The biggest accident ever, M'sieur...a driving accident!"

Billy's Boots

After arriving late to the school match and giving away an easy goal, Billy now finds that the boys watching the game are turning on him. At half-time, he faces a barrage of abuse, and the sports master tells him he can't play with everyone jeering him and he's going to sub him off. Billy asks for just ten more minutes and the sports master agrees. 

Things change drastically in the second half as Billy's magical boots begin to take effect. First, he makes a hard tackle and scorching run, only to be denied a goal by the boot of a defender. He has his moment from the resulting corner, and moving away from the goal mouth he is well-positioned to score when the ball comes his way. 

This lifts the team considerably, and Billy begins to work in combination with Jimmy Dawson. Dawson scores a second goal, and tied at two each with ten minutes left we are in for a tight finish. 

Once again Billy and Jimmy link up and it looks like a certain goal as Billy lashes it towards the corner of the goal. However, the defender does the only thing possible, and puts his hand up to stop the ball, thus earning a penalty for Groundwood school. 

The captain is preparing to take the penalty when Billy finds himself stepping forward to take it. Thus we end with Billy about to take the penalty, while worrying about the consequences if he misses. 

Immensely enjoyable, this is precisely the type of Billy's Boots that I enjoy best. There was no whining from Billy, he didn't do anything silly, he just played to the best of his ability with a little help from his boots. It was a joy to see his combination with Jimmy Dawson on the field, and even though it is only a comic I found myself cheering them on every step of the way. There is still time for it to go horribly wrong, and Billy has put himself in a pressure situation lining up the final penalty kick. I have faith in him, and I sincerely hope the writers give him a break and let him score this crucial penalty. The only thing that could possibly make this week's strip better would be the appearance of his Gran with a nice mug of hot chocolate. No doubt that will be waiting for him if he scores, and I have my fingers crossed for the young man.  

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "What's Dane up to? He's asking to take it himself!"

Martins Marvellous Mini 

Chasing their stolen car in a borrowed sports car, Tiny and Martin find themselves in turn chased by the local Perth police. 

This three-car pursuit runs through the streets of Perth and then out into the desert. It's fast and furious, although Tiny and Martin do have some luck, not necessarily good, when the driver of George takes a bad turn and rolls the car onto its roof. 

Tiny and Martin leap from the car they have been following in just as the police arrive. Tiny angrily tells the police to arrest the driver, but the driver emerging from George isn't Hartley the bank robber, but rather some poor chap who bought the car off him earlier in the day. 

As luck would have it, just at that moment, the police radio informs them that the bank robber has been captured. While the driver of the sports car leaves them to sort it out, the new owner of George elects to go with the police to see if he can recover his money. This leaves Tiny and Martin to roll George back up the right way and make their own way back. 

Their mood is not improved as heavy rain lashes down, and things become worse for the two pals when George becomes bogged in the fresh mud. 

I'm pleased it's mud, when I first saw the rain come down I thought the boys were going to be caught in yet another flash flood. The last issue I was unhappy with the element of luck that had taken a hand, this week was much more balanced and I walked away feeling very happy with what I read. I was pleased to see the bank robber story quickly wrapped up, and even more so in the fact that he didn't even appear on the page this week. The chase through the desert was fun, and we were left with a fresh situation that could go in several directions. The artwork was light in touch and left me feeling fresh after the darker lines of Billy's Boots, all of which helped elevate the story further. We are still a long way from a return to Britain, and I am beginning to wonder if the lads will ever make it home, but Australia is proving to be fertile ground for storytelling. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "I don't know who this guy is, but he's damaged my mini...arrest him!"

Tallon Of The Track

The identity of the mystery prisoner is revealed in the first panel of Tallon Of The Track - it is Yuri Chubinim, a senior member of the Russian Speedway Board. 

The arrival of Viktor Kurkov quickly explains the situation. The Gorbski Team is desperate to be elected to the Soviet League and thought that beating a top team such as the Ospreys with a Russian speedway official watching would secure them a place in the league. You would think that being kidnapped and tied up in a shed would sour Yuri Chubinim's view of the Gorbski team, but he is quite amenable to their position and tells them that thus far he has been impressed with their rider's performance. Furthermore, if they go on to beat the Ospreys his report would be favorable. 

With it all on the line, heat nine begins with Ospreys trailing by a single point. It is Jo's turn to ride, and after turning in a great performance, Ospreys take maximum points from the heat. They repeat the performance in heat ten, again snatching maximum points and giving themselves a commanding lead. 

With three heats to go, Jo calls to Viktor that he'd best give his team a pep talk. As Viktor trudges off, Jo and Vladimir can see that he is a broken man, and speedway isn't just a sport for the village, but a way of life.

I read this strip twice and still, I walk away from it feeling neutral. It wasn't a bad story and I enjoyed it in places, yet it never grabbed me in the way I wanted and shook me up. It stayed firmly in the middle of the road (or middle of the track if you like) and the drama remained low speed and low risk. I was disappointed to see the kidnapped victim remaining calm and going along with the scheme. This could have been a point of more conflict to feed the story and I am surprised more wasn't made of it. Even the motorbike racing felt low-key with little sense of danger and excitement. Jo rode hard as you'd expect, and victory felt like it came all too easy. Next week's issue promises shocks galore, and I certainly hope so as nothing was shocking or thrilling in this week's issue. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Then how in the name of cold caviare did you end up here, in the middle of nowhere, tied to a chair?" 

Roy Of The Rovers

Last week, Roy was asked to be Melchester Rovers's player-manager in Tony Storme's absence.

The first half of this week's issue sees Roy mulling over the decision, with most of the story driven by his internal monologue. He drives home only to find a horde of journalists awaiting him, the news having already leaked from the director's office. Before he knows what's happening, Roy finds himself being interviewed on live TV.

He realises this is his chance to catch the attention of a wide audience, and uses the moment to make an appeal to Tony Storme to come back. 

With the news out in the open, Roy is inundated with letters from fans imploring him to take the position. This is reinforced by a steady stream of fans arriving at the door, all begging Roy to take the job.

Come Saturday, Melchester Rovers are preparing to take on Castledene and still no firm decision has been made. Finally, Roy arrives in the dressing room and announces to the team that he will be the player-manager. The team is overjoyed with the decision and they take to the field with plenty of smiles and laughter.

With a light warm-up, Roy takes his first kick as player-manager and blazes the ball over the top of the goal. It is not pre-match nerves that have caused him to miss, but rather the sight of a man in the crowd who looks suspiciously like Tony Storme. 

It's hard to imagine a professional club letting the team drift along to game day without a manager, and Roy's very late announcement to the team doesn't seem to fit with his otherwise professional character. I know it is only a comic and not real life but Roy has always been extremely professional throughout his career, and this late decision doesn't fit the man I know. There were several bright spots sprinkled throughout the story, and I enjoyed seeing Roy's home life, especially when he was woken by his housekeeper. I also enjoyed seeing him rolling the decision around in his head, and although he decided very late in the piece, we did see how much the decision was weighing upon him. It may be shortlived, the man in the crowd does look very much like Tony Storme, and I can only hope that it is a red herring and Roy gets a good run as player-manager. If not, it has been an interesting diversion and although this story didn't live up to what we expected in Roy Of The Rovers, it did show some different elements of the world the character inhabits.  

Rating: 6/10

Best Line: "You'd better play your normal games, or I'll want to know why! Your new player-manager expects nothing but the best!" 

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton

My favourite type of Johnny Cougar story this week, with wrestling action front and centre. 

We are dropped straight into the action with Johnny fighting an unnamed opponent in front of a capacity Midlands crowd. His opponent is big and strong, and Johnny is his equal as the bout plays out over the first page and a half. There are heavy blows exchanged, and some high-speed collisions before Johnny wins the pinfall with an extravagant finish. 

Entertaining and fast, the crowd is in awe of the match when suddenly there is a commotion by one of the exits and the Grarg, the robot we met last week, enters, escorted by his manager Jacob Barclay.

Jacob Barclay announces he has a special challenge for Johnny, and Grarg gives a display of his strength, pulling the ring ropes apart with his bare hands. 

A handshake between the two sees Johnny winch in pain and clutching his hand. Little does anyone in the room suspect that Grarg is a robot and Johnny is about to face one of his toughest opponents. 

Fantastic story this week, and the first panel alone was enough for me to decide that this is my favourite story. The fact that wrestling remained its focus helped in this cause, and I couldn't help but be thrilled by the action I was reading. If the previous two strips in this week's comic left me feeling flat, I was certainly reinvigorated by Johnny Cougar, and this is shaping up to be an explosive story. It is being built up well and I appreciate that last week led the groundwork for the background of Johnny's opponent, and this week continued the steady build. The payoff should be spectacular, and next week's issue can't come fast enough. Top-notch, this is the very best kind of Johnny Cougar story. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "By the spirits, Cougar look forward to meeting such a man! Cougar accept challenge! We shake on it!"  

Nipper

Cats and dogs running amok in a fancy hotel, it's a chaotic start to Nipper this week. With his dog Stumpy causing trouble, Nipper is immediately facing the wrath of the England under-23 manager Gordon Jackson. 

Despite Jackson interceding on Nipper's behalf with the hotel manager, Stumpy still has to leave, and with him goes an angry Nipper. Nipper is firmly told that he must be at training at 10 o'clock sharp, and the only reason he is in the team is due to his goalscoring form.

Nipper takes no chances and dutifully turns out at the Larnford ground early. He starts practising by himself, but after an hour there is no sign of the English team. Speaking to the groundsman, he finds that there are two Larnford Grounds, and he's at the wrong one. 

Quickly making his way to the correct ground, Nipper is well and truly late and once again in hot water. He has missed the training and the team talk and is told that he won't be in the starting lineup. He has just made the substitutes bench, and for that, he should be grateful.

Poor Nipper, he just can't catch a break. I felt sorry for him at the start of the strip with Stmpy causing trouble, although Nipper was his own worst enemy when he failed to back down, thus exacerbating the problem. The first panel was chaotic but fun, but the real meat and potatoes of the story were over the page and Nipper's issues with getting to training. With no football game this week, the art didn't have to carry the weight, and it was the words on the page that carried the story. That's well enough for me, but with comics being a visual medium it would have been nice with a few more striking images, aside from the obvious first panel. The saga continues next week, and there is potentially a chance for Nipper to get on the field, a chance for both he and the artist of the strip to show us what they're made of. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line:  "That's right! But this is the corporation ground...open to the public! You'll be wanting the new sports complex, most likely! The one they built on the old running track..."

Hot Shot Hamish

Hamish and wee Wallie Campbell have rashly wagered their houses against the McDonald clan on the outcome of the Princes Park game against Dunferlie. 

While Hamish is approaching the game in a positive frame of mind, Wallie is distraught and a bundle of nerves as they take the field. A brief pep-talk from Hamish about showing some fighting spirit backfires as Wallie attacks the game like a madman, immediately fouling the opposition players in a flurry of arms waving and punching. 

Failing to heed the warning of the yellow yard the referee flashes at him, Wallie commits a second foul and is sent from the field. Facing ten men, Dunferlie launches wave after wave of attacks, only for Princes Park to grimly hang on. 

Down one-nil at halftime, the manager Mister McWhacker urges Princes Park to go onto the offensive. As he rightly points out you might as well lose ten-nil as one-nil. 

After the re-start, Hamish launches the hot-shot, knocking the keeper over. However the ball fails to cross the line for a goal, and we end the strip with the ball lying on the goal line while both teams surge towards it - Princes Park to score, Dunferlie to clear it.

The last couple of weeks have strayed from football action, and I was most happy to see Hamish and his beloved Princes Park back on the field. With such high stakes, the game had an intensity to it that we don't usually see on the pages of Hot Shot Hamish, and I found myself falling deeper into the story. I wasn't too fussed with the last couple of weeks and the tobogganing action, and this week was much more to my taste. Seasoned with a pinch of humour, this was a more fulfilling dish, and I can only hope next week is the sweet finish we hope for. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Och, the great big brute o' a man isna going to try a shot from the half-way line is her? He'll no' beat a goalie o' my calibre that way!" 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7.5/10

Best Story: Johnny Cougar

Best Line: "Tony...if you're watching...come back! Don't leave me to make a decision that could plunge the Rovers even deeper into trouble!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz:

Tiger 8th February 1975

I missed updating the blog last week because I, ahem, over-indulged at the office Christmas party. It seems getting older doesn't mean getting wiser. Back again this week, although a little tired from a long busy year. I'm looking forward to a break from work over Christmas, and you know what I'll be doing with my days off. That's right - reading comics!  

Tiger

8th February  1975

Roy of the Rovers

Melchester Rovers are out of the F.A. Cup having suffered a shock defeat against non-league Sleeford. The stunned faces on the cover of this week's Tiger say it all, and the postmortem begins immediately once they reach the dressing room. Roy gets to the point succinctly - Sleeford took their chances and Rovers didn't.

The team are still despondent as they board their coach, with Sammy Spangler feeling the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. Roy reassures him that he'll be fine, it's the manager he is worried about as it is always the manager who has to carry the responsibility. 

And so it proves, with Roy arriving at Sam Butler's (one of the directors) house two days later to plead Tony Stormes case. Normally Roy's words would carry some weight but Tony Storme has vanished since the team arrived back from Sleeford and Sam Butler is far from impressed. 

Roy takes control of the training session in his absence, although the team has no enthusiasm in the wake of Tony going missing. The club is a mess, and Roy is called away from the training session to speak with the directors. Here he learns that there is still no word from the missing manager, and in the meantime, the directors would like Roy to step up and manage the club as a player-manager.

My previous complaints about Sammy Spangler vanish with this issue and I love the direction were are heading in with Roy taking on the player-manger role. The story now has much more meat to it, and the frivolous Sammy Spangler storyline has taken a back seat. I'm sure there is more to come, but for now, it is Roy who is grabbing all the headlines. It was also pleasing to see Melchelster Rovers directors take a stronger role in this story, and seeing where Sam Butler lived was a gentle reminder of the money behind Rovers. With his chauffeur-driven car and large mansion, he reeked of money and a luxurious lifestyle. No mention of a super-yacht, but no doubt he has the 1970's equivalent. He was also the right man to make a strong decision, and seeing him take charge in the board room was entirely fitting for the wealthy man we met on the previous page. Elsewhere, the rest of the Rovers are absent on the pages. Sure, we did see Noel Baxter trying to cheer the team, and there were glimpses of the team training, but the bulk of the story belonged to Roy and the board. Even with the team in the background, this was an excellent issue and one that lays out some heavy groundwork for the coming weeks. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "And I mean you, Roy! We want you...until further notice...to take over as player manager of Melchester Rovers!" 

Skid Solo

After seeing how fast the Martine cars were last week, Sandy is hard at work on Skid's car. A new engine and cooling system means that the car now has a lot more power and Skid is soon on the track putting it through its paces. 

The car is fast alright, and Skid finds himself braking too hard to get through the corners. A couple of panels later he is off the track as the car proves too fast to handle. Coming into the pits, Sandy looks over the car for the cause of the problems. There is nothing immediately obvious, and soon Skid is back on the track.

Skid pushes the car and once again he finds himself sliding off the track. Returning to Sandy he tells him they have serious problems. Again Sandy takes the car to pieces, and again he can find nothing wrong with it. 

Perhaps a holiday would help, and the two friends fly off to Switzerland for the weekend. It is here that they find themselves watching the ski champion coming down the mountain at speeds over sixty miles an hour. Skid and Sandy aren't impressed. He is fast but loses speed and he slides sideways. He doesn't look like a champion as he falls right in front of them. There is a lesson here. He speaks to them and tells them that he has new faster skis, and must teach himself to ski all over again. Skid makes the connection to his car and tells Sandy that he must teach himself to drive his car in a different way from before. It's not a fault with the car, and it is his technique that has been the problem. 

Not the most thrilling cliffhanger in this issue. I do want to see the outcome of Skid driving a faster car, although I am not compelled to immediately pick up the next issue. The story remained low-key with very few stand-out panels, something I rarely say about a Skid Solo story. I would like to have enjoyed it more, but it was all too gentle and drifted by me rather slowly. I have already seen next week's story (I accidentally read the wrong issue when I started today) so I know that it is about to get a whole lot better and with that thought I can file this away without a second thought and look forward to next week.  

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Aye. I watched ye! Swinging it around like a merry-go-round! I'll strip it doon and check everything!"

Martin's Marvellous Mini

Stranded in the middle of the desert, facing an unwanted passenger with a rifle, there is nothing Tiny and Martin can do but obey his demands. Soon they are speeding towards Perth with night about to fall. 

Making camp, they sleep soundly, eventually waking up to find both their car and the uninvited passenger, gone. With little choice, they pack up their belongings and start following the car tracks through the desert. 

A stroke of luck over the page as the helicopter sent to find them picks them up and soon enough they are in Perth where another shock awaits them. On the front page of the paper is the very man who stole their car, now wanted for a bank heist. 

There is a second stroke of luck further down the page as they see their mini drive-by on the streets of Perth. Like any good movie, they jump into the nearest passing car, telling the startled driver to "follow that car:"

However, all this is witnessed by a nearby policeman who thinks he is witnessing a kidnapping and immediately puts out a general alarm. 

Plenty going on this week, and once again it all gets a boost from its wonderful colouring. I wouldn't have thought the desert would give much scope for the colouring, yet it was splendid and I could feel the heat beating down as I looked at the artwork on the page. The story wasn't quite as good as the artwork, and I was disappointed when the thief told Martin early on that he didn't have bullets with his rifle. At this point, the two of them could have easily overwhelmed him, although I guess this would have greatly shortened the story. I'm not sure why the writer made the decision to reveal this, we have seen plenty of loaded weapons in the past and even had people shooting at Tiny and Martin, so there was no need to sanitise it for a younger audience - this was nothing new for the reader. I'm curious and I wish I knew more. The rest of the story moved rapidly, although I faced more disappointment with the two strokes of luck. Being found in the desert was the first, although I could wave this away as it was on the cusp of believable with the helicopter being sent for them and them following the car tracks. The second stroke of luck with them seeing George on the streets of Perth was harder to swallow. Perth isn't exactly a tiny town, and randomly seeing their car, especially after it had been used in a robbery earlier in the day, seems highly unlikely. I'm going to accept it as I love the story, but I would like to writers to steady the ship in next week's issue. This week was uneven, and I read this story with a lot of goodwill based on our past together. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Martin! Wakeup! George has gone!"

Hot Shot Hamish

Hamish has got himself involved in a toboggan race, with Wallie Campbell's family home on the line. A test run goes well, and Hamish feels he is just as fast as he was as a kid. 

The McDonalds are watching with interest, although they aren't worried about the race, especially given that they have spent a lot of money on the best toboggan money can buy.

And so it proves, Hamish has a fast start that sees his toboggan get away from him and the McDonalds take an easy victory.

The McDonalds have now won the Campbell's house, and Hamish feels personally responsible. Wallie bets all his land and cattle on a victory by Princes Park on the weekend, and the McDonalds take the bet once Hamish also throws his island and everything he owns into the pot. With a lot riding on Princes Park's next game, the scene is set for some intense football action next week.

A weak entry this week for Hot Shot Hamish. After building up the toboggan race last week, it was all over too quickly this week and never gave me the thrill that I thought it would. The sharp dialogue that we have become used to is largely absent, and with not a football in sight, there was very little to carry the story. Hamish is one of my favourite characters, and not just because we share a name, but after reading this week's story it is hard to see why. We have had some cracking issues in the last few months, this isn't one of them, and all I can do is hope for a return to form soon. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line:  "Ye'll have nothing. Neither will that great big oaf ye call yere friend. Princes are a terrible side!" 

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton 

A strange castle and the laboratory of a half-crazed scientist, the new Johnny Cougar story is looking good from the very first panel. 

The story is laid out simply, the professor has been working on a robot named Grarg. This robot looks like a normal man, although as we soon learn through a series of demonstrations he is big, strong, and tough. 

The gentleman this robot has been built for is most pleased with the displays of strength and resistance, and has plans for sporting domination, starting with Johnny Cougar.

The obvious question is who is this man, and why has he spent so much money on a robot just to beat Johnny Cougar. I'm sure he could find much better uses for such an amazing invention. Despite this, I enjoyed the story immensely. I'm a sucker for a remote castle and a mad scientist, so I was on board from the first panel. The subsequent panels are filled to the brim with splendid artwork only serves to hook me in further. Not a lot happened so I read the story twice, mostly so I could indulge in the artwork a second time. It was worth the time, and I can't wait to see what happens next. There is no better endorsement of a story - you can guarantee that this will be the first story I turn to next week. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "At last, at last! All is ready! Grarg is ready to face the world! My work is finished!" 

Tallon Of The Track 

We start with a man bound and gagged, not an unusual sight on the pages of Tallon Of The Track. Jos sums it up best with her comment "This whole set-up is getting crazier by the minute!" 

With the speedway competition reaching its peak, Jo hasn't much time, and she quickly tries the door where the man is captive, only to find it locked and no way in. She is interrupted by Kurkov, leader of the Gorbski Lions they are racing against, who tells her to forget what she saw and get back to the speedway track. His gun speaks volumes and soon we are back in the thick of the on-track action. 

Things are not going well for the Ospreys and Jo arrives just as the race ends and the Ospreys are trailing overall by twenty points to twenty-one. Kurkov takes his place for the next race, and Jo takes her chance to investigate the man she saw tied up in the hut. 

Taking Debenko with her, they make short work of the guard who has been placed at the door. Debenko then uses his brute strength to smash down the door and announces with surprise that he knows this man who has been tied up. 

We'll have to wait until next week to find out who it is and this was a nice little hook at the end of the story. If not for this final panel, I would have been much more disappointed with the story, and it was just about enough to save it from the scorn I was about to pour upon it. Kurkov made it far too easy for Jo to make her way back to the hut, and although he put a guard on the door I was surprised that Jo wasn't kept under a more careful watch. The rest of the story was passable, helped in no small part by the excellent art bestowed upon it. Always the strongest point of this strip, the art throughout the story this week was outstanding and a good mix of bike action and facial expressions. I delighted in all of it and although the story let me down, I felt that the art more than compensated. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "What new craziness is this, little Tallonski? A man in daar hut? Tied up, you say?" 

Billy's Boots 

Billy has a game for Faraday Athletic, but on Friday evening his sports master has asked him to turn out for the school team. Faced with conflicting matches Billy must choose one over the other. As usual, he turns to the pages of Dead-Shot Keen's life for a solution and decides to go with the team that asked for him first, in this case, Faraday Athletic. 

Getting to the game, Billy encounters Mister Slade, who senses something isn't right. Billy explains his situation, and Slade tells him to play for the school- he can play for Faraday anytime. He then offers Billy a lift to the school game, where he arrives just as the game kicks off. 

Billy is still getting changed when the opposing team, Melton, scores. The team is unhappy that they have started with ten men and conceded a goal, and Billy needs to quickly make amends. 

However, his combination with Jimmy Dawson isn't what it was the other day, and Billy soon gives away the ball which leads to a second goal by Meltton.

The crowd are against Billy for letting his side down badly and booing him to get off as we finish on a low in the final panel. 

A lot of conflict and distress across these pages, and I felt for Billy as he faced all his problems. Not as intense as other weeks, it still came across as real and the pain etched on Billy's face captured his inner turmoil perfectly. Nothing magical about his boots this week, although I'm sure they'll come into play in the next outing. Billy is still frustratingly whiney, but I can't help but feel for the kid, and this week's story played to a young boy's angst and growing pains. Awkwardness abounds, and next week should see more of the same. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Get a move on, boy! They've kicked off without you!" 

Nipper

A watershed moment in this issue as Nipper moves into his caravan, a living arrangement that will be a permanent fixture in the coming years. 

Already christened "Nipper's Nest" he proudly shows it off to his girlfriend Kerry, and his best pal Mike Beatson. 

Neither is impressed, and some hard work from the trio has the caravan brought up to a more fitting standard for a football superstar. 

Once Mike and Kerry have left, Nipper takes some time to have a practice kick around, before the rain sends him running for the sanctuary of his caravan. It is not quite the sanctuary he expects, and the leaky roof is an obvious problem. Nipper spends a good part of the night on the roof doing running repairs, and as the next day dawns he is not in a good state to play his first game for the English under-23s. 

His troubles get worse on the way to meet the English team. First, he encounters Mister Tremlow from the welfare people. He has to run away from him, and ends up on a bus, with his dog Stumpy still keeping him company. He had intended to leave him with Len Duggan but now must carry him on a couple of trains and a taxi ride to the hotel where the England party are staying. 

The hotel has a strict no-dogs policy, and Nipper is forced to hide Stumpy up his jumper as he enters the hotel. However, he comes unstuck with the appearance of a cat, and as Stumpy tears off after the cat Nipper sees his international career going up in smoke. 

First, let me say that I don't remember Nipper's girlfriend being so beautiful. You shouldn't fall in love with comic characters, but if I was going to she would certainly be in with a chance. Let's overlook the fact that she looks a little like Nipper, although I don't know if that reflects badly on me, or on him. There was no football this week, yet I enjoyed this just as much as any other Nipper story. The story was fast-moving, and I felt we covered a lot of new ground. The appearance of Nipper's caravan was great, as were the associated troubles he had with it. I did feel sorry for him, but it looked so wonderful on the page that I hoped that more bad luck would befall him. The final image of the cat and dog was stretching towards silly, and it was only that I had such a cracking time before this that I am happy to overlook it. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "I'll sort it out with him when we get back, Stumpy! All that matters to me at the moment is playing for England..." 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 6.5/10

Best Story: Roy Of The Rovers 

Best Line: "Yes! But we haven't got time to advertise! We need someone who holds the trust and confidence of the players! A man who can inspire them to pick up the pieces, and start winning again!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz:

Tiger 1st February 1975

What a glorious day. It's 9am and already I have crashed my RC Spitfire, watched Chelsea lose four-nil, and now my wife tells me we are off Christmas shopping before lunch. Oh joy - it's no wonder that I seek solace in comics. Let's hope that someone on the pages of Tiger is having a worse day than me and can lift my spirits. Even Roy Race has days like this. 

Tiger

1st February  1975

Billy's Boots 

Not only is Billy playing in front of a crowd of forty thousand against a professional side, but he also graces the cover of this week's Tiger.  

The pace is faster than what he is used to and Billy realises that he has to take up a position where he can make more space for himself. This pays off five minutes later as he receives the ball and his magic boots send him on a run that results in Billy chipping the ball to his striker who duly scores. 

In the stands his headmaster and sports master watch on, the headmaster suggesting that it looks like Billy should be in the first team, and his sports master immediately agrees. 

Back on the pitch, the professional side turns up the heat and quickly scores. There is one final moment for Billy to shine and just before the final whistle, Billy hits a diving header that forces the professional keeper into a full-stretch save. The fact he didn't score is tempered by the goalkeeper's comment that it forced him to make the best save of his season, while Billy replies that it's the best header he has made in his life. 

Arriving home, Billy's Gran is waiting with a letter that has just come through the letter-box. It is of course a note from Miister Renton, the sports master, telling Billy that he has been selected for the first team the next day. This is not good news for Billy as he has already promised Faraday Athletic that he would play for them. The final panel has a stunned-looking Jimmy Dawson telling Billy that Mister Renton will be wild if Billy doesn't turn out for the first team, while Billy is torn between the two teams and obligations.

I enjoyed last week's issue a lot, and this week is even better. The unbelievable parts of the last issue were handled better this week, and we are grounded back in the real world of schoolboy troubles with the first-team selection. We had Jimmy Dawson arrive on the scene a few weeks ago, and in this strip, we can see his worth as he serves as a foil to remind Billy of his obligations and repercussions,. Previously this would have been handled as a monologue by Billy or a conversation with his Gran, and I am pleased to see this handled in a wider fashion. Jimmy Dawson still isn't fully formed, although he is already a strong friend of Billy's and welcomed into Billy's home life with his Gran. The magic boots played their part without being intrusive, and we ended on a good cliffhanger, making for a strong start to this week's issue of Tiger and an excellent instalment of Billy's Boots.

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "You don't beat a first-division goalkeeper all that easily, son! But that's still the best save I've made all season!"

Johnny Cougar

Johnny Cougar has the first submission over Big Jim Jackson and this week Jackson looks to equal the score. He starts strongly with a flying head scissors and sends Cougar flying through the air.

However, Cougar is quick and manages to land on his feet. This quickness becomes a recurring theme as he later avoids a head butt, before again managing to land on his feet after Jackson throws him with an Irish whip. This all peaks in round three as Jackosn goes for a double karate chop, only for Cougar to duck and Jackson to chop himself. Now infuriated, Jackson swipes with a forearm, missing again and leaving himself open for Cougar to throw him into a ring post before dragging him into the centre of the ring to pin him for victory. 

After all this highspeed action, we close the story with Splash congratulating Johnny, and Johnny telling the TV camera that he is looking forward to a new challenge. 

Me too, Johnny, me too. As much as I liked this story, it finished at just the right moment and we are ready to move on to what comes next. The strength of this story recently has been its strong focus on wrestling and I can only hope that it stays in this lane for the next story. After a diversion through a Robin Hood storyline, this wrestling tournament, and battle against Big Jim in particular, was just what we needed to reinvigorate the Johnny Cougar strip and remind us what a great character he is. This final bout didn't live up to last week's bout, although the action still looked top-notch and was served well by the artwork and decisions made on the visual front. What comes next week is unknown (I haven't had a sneak peek) and I eagerly await Johnny Cougar's next adventure after finishing this one strongly. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Right...that's it! It's got to be the forearm smash...the biggest knock-out in wrestling!" 

Martin's Marvellous Mini 

George is bound for the crusher at the scrap metal yard, and it looks like our two pals are too late to save him. 

It is the lunchtime whistle that saves the day, and as it sounds the machinery is immediately turned off as the machine operator stops for his lunch. 

After such an eventful morning, Tiny and Martin are offered a free lunch by the scrap yard owner, and over lunch, they learn of a race next week that pays big prizes. The only catch is that the race is in Perth - two thousand miles away. 

A healthy dose of Aussie hospitality helps out, and the boys get a free flight on a cargo plane thanks to the generosity of the scrap yard owner. Not all Aussies are so generous, as Tiny and Martin soon find out as the plane crashes in the middle of the desert. Faced with a long drive to safety, a stowaway emerges from the plane, demanding they take him with them, a loaded rifle pointing at them backing up his argument. 

After a slow start and a slightly unbelievable saved-by-the-bell moment, this story finished strongly and has me hooked for next week. I'm not so sure that the crusher operator would be so desperate for lunch that he would stop his machine at once when hearing the lunch whistle, but it did get us out of a situation and push the story onto greener story-telling pastures. The desert may not be green, but it does offer a lot of potential for Tiny and Martin. The appearance of the stowaway added a new dimension and should place their desert drive in a different context. The only problem I have with him is his physical appearance. In a stereotypical Aussie hat and khaki, he is a throwback to similar characters we have seen in Tiger (Digger from the Football Family Robinson springs to mind). Hopefully, he will be deeper than he appears, and for now, I am prepared to give it the benefit of the doubt. There are shades of Tallon Of the Track's current storyline here, with the plane crash and being taken hostage, although I find this one more enjoyable so far - perhaps because it's in colour, or maybe because it looks much warmer than crashing in Russia. Next week I will have a firmer grasp on this story, until then I will read with an open mind and enjoy the beauty of the artwork.

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "Whatever you want, chum...it'll have to wait! It's lunch-time! The crusher's switched off until I come back! Sorry!"

Tallon Of The Track

Jo and Vladimir have crashed out of the first race against the village team they are racing, and the Gorbski Lions have snatched maximum points. 

In the second race, Dave is the victim of bad luck when his bike crashes after hitting a ridge in the track, although they do gain some points through the fine riding of Sven. 

It continues like this throughout the meeting, and slowly the Ospreys fight their way back until finally in heat five they claim all the points and finally snatch the lead with one race to go.

There is one final wrinkle to the story. As Jo goes to replace her wheel she passes a small ramshackle hut. Through the window, she sees a man tied to a chair, bound and gagged.

I'm not surprised - we have seen many people bound and gagged on the pages of Tallon of the Track over the last year and a half. Honestly, it is what stops me from joining the local speedway club myself. If this helps unravel the mystery of why these villagers want to race against the Ospreys, then I'm all for it. If it's another red herring it had better be a good one. The track racing was good, which makes it all the more surprising that I enjoyed the final panels of Jo discovering the bound man the most. I guess I'm finally maturing and realising that there's more to life than sports. Or maybe the rest of the story was a bit boring, which is the more likely. This week's story was more of a lager than a strong stout, and although it's nice to step back from high drama, it looks like we will be back into the heavy stuff next week.

Rating: 6/10 

Best line: "What the blue blazes...? There's a man in there..."

Skid Solo.

As usual Sandy looks worried. His car simply isn't fast enough and he's keen to leave South America as soon as possible and head back to Britain to work on it. 

However, Skid has other plans and is on the track practising for a sports car race on Wednesday. He's fast, and looking good for a strong finish on Wednesday. However, unbeknownst to SKid, he picks up a nail in one of his tyres on his final practice run, and this will have huge consequences later in the story. 

Coming off the track, Skid and Sandy have a disagreement about when to head back to Britain, with Skid telling Sandy that the prize money will come in handy and Sandy doesn't need Skid's help with the new car. Sandy vehemently disagrees, telling Skid that time is vital and it is crucial they get it done. The upshot of all this is Sandy goes to the airport while Skid hits the bar to reflect upon his decision. 

It takes Sandy twenty-four hours to get home, and he begins working on the engine immediately. Meanwhile, back in South America the sports car race has started, and there is drama aplenty as the nail we encountered earlier does its nefarious work, blowing out the tire and sending the car spinning off the track and into the bridge. Things worsen as more cars become involved in the pile-up, and we learn that eight cars are involved with several drivers badly injured. 

Sandy learns this by watching a news report on TV during his tea break and is immediately concerned for Skid. He needn't be, for just at the moment Skid comes through the door behind him. It turns out that after thinking about what Sandy said, Skid decided not to take part in the race and instead took the next flight out after Sandy. Sandy is speechless, and Skid, unaware of the news report Sandy has just watched, asks him what's wrong as he looks like he's just seen a ghost. 

Some fantastic art was the backbone of this story, and the race looks amazing. I hate to say this and sound like a doom merchant, but the crash itself was brilliant and easily provided us with the best three or four panels of this week's Tiger comic. Not only the track racing though, the close-ups of Sandy's face, along with the conflict between the two, also gave us some great visual moments. The story wasn't as strong as the artwork, although it did give some poignant moments with Sandy's thoughts, and again the conflict between Skid and Sandy was handled well. For all that, the story never grabbed me, and although I loved looking at it and seeing the interaction between the two main characters, I never fully embraced it. I'm not sure what the missing magic ingredient is, but if we ever find it, this would easily be my favourite story with its other strong components. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Och, that's Skid's car!"

Roy Of The Rovers

It's the third round of the F.A. Cup and so far new signing Sammy Spangler has been played out of the game. However, redemption is at hand and with only the keeper to beat, Spangler has the ball at his feet. It looks like a certain goal, but Spangler tries to be too clever and hits one of his special 'spinners' - only for the keeper to block the shot before it has time to spin. Roy follows up, blazing his shot over the top from close range. 

Spangler suffers the ignominy of being subbed off before halftime, while Roy and the rest of the Rovers mount a spirited comeback. They pull back one goal, and then after a furious second half of numerous chances, they score in the final seconds, only for the equaliser to be disallowed because of a push by Lofty Peak. 

Rovers have been knocked out of the cup by the non-league side Sleeford, and the directors watching from the grandstands know exactly who is at fault - Tony Storme and his signing of Sammy Spangler. 

No one came out of this game with much credit, especially Spangler and his disastrous start. It looks like Tony Storme will be taking the blame, with a potential sacking, although he wasn't alone in signing Spangler. The action on the page was both gripping and realistic and perfectly captured the feeling of a giant-killing performance in the F.A. Cup. I have watched many a game like this, with a lower-placed team clinging on to a slender lead while being battered by the higher-ranked team. We saw that here with Rovers being denied again and again in dramatic fashion, before the final drama of the game with a disallowed goal. Fantastic stuff, in fact, one could say "Roy of the Rovers Stuff". This is the type of Roy of the Rovers storyline people are referring to when they use that phrase, and it was great to finally see it played out on the page. I'm no fan of Sammy Spangler, yet he has ignited the best game we have seen since I started this blog, and for that I thank him. 

Rating: 9/10

Best line: "Why in thunder's name didn't you hammer it, Sammy?"

Hot-Shot Hamish 

Princes Park was two-nil up when we left them last week, and that's how the game ends this week with Hamish unable to score a third. 

In the changing room after the game, Wallie Campbell receives a telegram from his mother informing him that his father is in trouble and he is to return home immediately. 

Mister McWhacker lets him go and asks that Hamish accompany him to look after him and to get back as soon as they can for training. 

Soon Hamish and Wallie are walking through the snow of the Highlands towards Wallie's family home. Coming across a large house, Hamish wrong assumes that it's Wallie's house, Wallie corrects him, telling him that it's Donald McDonald's house, and his house is a much smaller house just around the corner.

Just as they come across it, a toboggan hurtles towards them, sending them diving into a snow bank. This toboggan is ridden by Wallie's father who, as we soon learn from Wallie's Mother, has challenged the McDonbalds to a toboggan race. Not only that, but he has also staked their house against the McDonald's house. This has Wallie's mother most concerned, and very angry, and it's left to Hamish to reassure her by telling her that he is the toboggan champion of his island and they'll beat the McDonalds together.  

After a run of great stories in Hot-Shot Hamish, this one came up short. Hamish generally gives us great characters, but I found Wallie's family to be a ho-hum and not of the usual high standard. Apart from a couple of tobogganing panels, the artwork was safe and didn't have much to do. The first image of Hamish about to strike the hot-shot was as good as it got, with only two panels of the toboggan coming close to it for interest. The story is still developing, next week we should get something a little more interesting, but until then this felt flat after a recent great run.

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Ye live in a bonny wee part o' the country, Wallie" 

Nipper

A run of three football stories to round out this week's issue, and Nipper is the last of them.

Although the story starts in the hospital, things are looking up for Nipper. He is soon discharged and as he leaves he is accosted by the journalist Brian Crawford. Crawford is making amends for their past troubles, pulling Nipper's dog Stumpy from his car, before telling Nipper that there will be no repercussions as he has made things good with Andy Stewart for him. Not only that, there will be a full explanation of his behaviour published in this evening's edition of the newspaper. There is one more final piece of news for Nipper as Crawford hands him a letter that arrived for him at the ground. 

It's a letter from the manager of the England under-23 team, and Nipper is delighted to find that he has been invited to join the squad for the game against Italy. 

That leaves just one final problem to be resolved - where will Nipper live now that he has walked out on his foster parents after the Christmas party. That too is tidied up in the final two panels as Nipper looks wistfully at a real estate agent's window, a caravan catching his eye - and at a very attractive price. 

I have memories of Nipper living in his caravan, and I love that I am about to see that origin story right here. It feels like this was very much a wrap-up of the stories that have been running in parallel the last couple of months, and we can tidy up some of these loose ends and prepare for new beginnings. The concussion, leaving his foster parents, playing for the selectors, and his troubles with Crawford - all that seems to be behind us now. I am curious to see what Crawford will publish, that could potentially be stretched out further, but overall I'm very happy for some fresh beginnings. Low in drama, nevertheless I found this a succinct issue that sweeps away some of the cobwebs from late last year and leaves us with a clean slate as we march into the new year proper. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "But why bother about a house! Stumpy, old son...how do you fancy the idea of living on wheels?" 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Roy Of The Rovers 

Best Line: "Just in case you don't want me to travel with you...I've got a good argument with me! It fires Bullets! Let's go!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: