Tiger 8th March 1975

Tiger is very strong this week. Apart from one weak story, every strip was at its very best and it was hard to choose a favourite. In the end, the sheer drama of Nipper swung it for me, although I could have chosen any of four strips. We have been building towards a strong issue for some weeks now, with groundwork carefully laid out in most stories. Here it all comes together in an issue that reminds me why I followed Tiger comic long after I should have - it's great storytelling buttressed with fantastic art. Almost fifty years on and I'm enjoying these stores as much as when they were first written.         

Tiger

8th March 1975

Roy Of The Rovers

Roy is almost unrecognisable on the front cover of this week's Tiger, resplendent in a flashy suit and a new haircut to match. It is a striking way to start the comic, although over the page we are in more familiar territory as Roy sits the team down and prepares them for their next game against Dynamo Zarnov, reputedly the dirtiest team in football.

Roy tells us that it's not just the team with a fearsome reputation, their fans too come with the label of being dirty and unruly. On the page, we see this in action as the fans arrive at the airport with a heavy police presence and comments that they have smashed up every city they have been to. 

On the field, it becomes clear that the Zarnov team are bigger in every way than the Melchester team, and they immediately begin to intimidate the Melchester players. 

A quick free kick sees Roy with the first chance of the game, only for him to blaze it wide as a Zarnov fan runs onto the field in front of him. The fan is escorted off the field by the police, but not before Roy sees the Zarnov captain giving the fan the thumbs up. 

The game continues and Roy is knocked heavily to the ground by a Zarnov player. Getting to his feet he sees the man in the crowd who he suspects is Tony Storme, holding up a sign that Roy hopes will be some advice on how to deal with his hardened opponents. 

A cracking start to this week's issue and the first image of Roy in his new suit was fabulous. As much as I liked it, I was even more impressed by the fact that we didn't dwell on this and quickly got down to brass tacks with the Zarnov team and their fans arriving and the game getting smartly underway. We had a good mix of hard football action and the off-field going on, which made for a pleasingly well-rounded strip. The artwork looked exceedingly good this week, although I can't quite put my finger on what was different about it. It felt different to previous weeks with a cleaner and faster flow to it. Overall a strong start, and one of the better Roy Of The Rovers of late.

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Look at Chernik...he's giving a thumbs-up sign to that fan!" 

Skid Solo

Skid is still in South Africa, and after winning the South African Grand Prix last week he is now accompanying Sparrow Smith as Sparrow tries a speedboat he will be advertising. 

The speed boat approaches the jetty and all are impressed with the look of it. The builder and owner of the boat, Mister Henridge, hands the boat over to Sandy and Sparrow and they speed off, leaving Skid and Mister Henridge to watch from the jetty. 

Things soon take a turn as Mister Henridge suddenly comes over dizzy and collapses into the water.  Within seconds Skid is in the water and pulling his to safety. A quick examination from a doctor reveals that he has been gassed, much to the surprise of Skid. 

Half a mile out to sea and Sandy isn't feeling too good either. He falls unconscious, and as Sparrow looks over him he too feels dizzy and collapses next to him. 

Skid is watching from the shore and seeing the big boat going in circles he senses something is wrong. Jumping onboard another boat, Skid and his driver are soon speeding out towards Sandy and Sparrow, and pulling aside he leaps aboard. Just in time too, as the bigger boat is speeding towards the jetty and a certain disaster. Skid swerves in time, saving the day and the boat in the most dramatic moment in the strip. We finish with all back on the jetty with Skid showing the cause of all of their problems - a leaking gas container on the boat. 

I don't normally like stories when Skid isn't in his car racing. However, this one was appealing and had a certain charm about it. It was fast-moving with some of the banter we normally associate with the three characters dropped in favour of more stimulating action. In this case, it works in favour of the strip, and I didn't have time to think about how this wasn't a racing story. The artwork was of the highest level, and coupled with rapid action, this story flew by in a flash. A great filler episode - something I don't say very often.  

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "This is very strange. This man...has been gassed!" 

Martin's Marvellous Mini

It's taken a long time, but we are finally heading home with this week's strip opening with George being loaded onto a ship while Tiny and Martin watch on.

In Buxton Street, where Tiny and Martin live, there are plans for a homecoming party and from the panel we have here it looks like the whole street will be involved. 

After a couple of days on the ship, Tiny and Martin and bored with a capital B. Tiny has sketched a soap-box car with a two-stroke engine, and this immediately enthuses Martin who insists they build it on the ship to pass the time. 

The soap-box car is soon built and taken for a test drive by Martin, passing with flying colours. This leads to the next phase of the adventure as Tiny and Martin decide to see how many laps of the boat they can do from sunrise to sunset, inviting the other passengers to lodge their guesses of how many laps will be completed.

With a small crowd gathered to watch, Martin takes off, only for disaster to strike at the first corner. With a small miscalculation, he clips the corner and loses one of his front wheels. Worse yet, the soap-box car spins around, by chance running into some planks and over the side of the boat - with Martin still at the wheel. 

Finally, we are on our way home. The sweetest panel of the strip was the scene of the Buxton Street neighbours planning a party for our hero's return. It has been quite some time, and they deserve everything they get. The hi-jinks on the strip were well done and as expected. I am pleased that the comic didn't go down the route of George going over the side of the boat, electing instead to have a soapbox car. It added a fun element to the story, and as a plus, it drew the other passengers into the story as they placed bets on the outcome. This was a strong episode and although it's not classic Martin's Marvellous Mini, the art elevated it to a very close level. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "I can't stand all this lying about...I want something to do!"

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton

Johnny is struggling against his opponent Grarg who, unknown to Johnny, is actually a robot. In the final panel of last week's issue, Johnny was flung from the ring and it looked as though the bout was over. 

We begin this week with Johnny unsteadily getting to his feet and barely beating the count to get back in the ring. This small respite is short-lived, and moments after the bout resumes Grarg catches Johnny under the chin with his knee, knocking Johnny flat to the canvas. 

There is no coming back from this, and the next day the papers are full of the crushing defeat to Johnny. Splash is already talking of a rematch, and as he brings Johnny his breakfast he asks if Johnny has given it any thought. Johnny hasn't, his only thought being that something was suspicious about Grarg. With this idea planted firmly in his mind, he takes Splash across the Yorkshire moors to the Casavein Castle where Grarg and his manager reside. 

Clambering up the wall, Johnny raises himself up to see through the window, where he is shocked to see Grarg with his robotic arms exposed. 

The fight didn't last long this issue and we moved quickly onto the main thrust of the story with Grarg the robot. That was for the better as once we saw how powerful Grarg was there was no point in prolonging the match. This story remained interesting away from the wrestling ring, and there was plenty of intrigue as the story progressed. With many questions left to be answered, and a couple of potential disasters awaiting Johhny, I am well and truly hooked for the next issue. I can hazard some guesses at what will happen next, and I look forward to seeing if these come to fruition on the page. A highly enjoyable story, and although only half of it was devoted it wrestling, I still found it to be a page-turner. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Cougar think there much mystery about opponent. We need to find out many things before we talk of new contest"

Nipper 

The first panel is everything for this week's edition, with Nipper's club manager, Andy Stewart, being involved in a horrific traffic accident with a lorry. 

Nipper is unaware of this crash as he continues to play his heart out for England just a few miles away. Cutting up the Italian defence, Nipper passes the ball to Phil Denton. Although Nipper is calling for the return pass, Denton ignores him, electing instead to shoot from an impossible angle. Needless to say, he misses. Nipper, as always, has read the play and is on hand to head in the winning goal, and right on full-time. 

There are celebrations in the dressing rooms, although the underlying friction between Nipper and Denton comes to the fore, eventually resulting in a scuffle. The England manager chooses just that moment to appear, and it looks as though Nipper may be in trouble again. However, the manager tells Nipper that right now they have much bigger problems on their plate, with Andy Stewart involved in a serious accident. 

The first image of this strip was so shocking and dramatic that it cast a long shadow over the rest of the story, This is a story that is growing by the week, and it feels like we have come a long way since Nipper was first selected for the England team. In terms of intense drama, this is the best Nipper has been since his arrival on the pages of Tiger, and this drama is only highlighted by the intensity of the faces on the page. The first panel of the car crash may have been the most shocking, but it is the final panel that is the most intense, a close-up of the English manager's face as he informs Nipepr of the bad news. Brilliant artwork, and with the story reaching new heights, this is one of the best strips we have seen from Nipper. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Best line: "Andy, that lorry! It's AAAAAAAAAAGH!"     

Billy's Boots

Billy is playing for his school team, despite some of the boys wanting him out of the team. We pick up the action this week as Billy's pal Jimmy Dawson, takes a throw in. Billy's boots dictate what happens next, and they send Billy scampering through a gap in the defence. The defence quickly closes the gap and it seems the chance is gone, however, the boots once again take a hand, and Billy beats his man and manages to get a shot in. It's met with a fine save by the keeper. and as the team heads in for halftime, the game is still tied. 

The second string of this story picks up at this point, as the boys who want Billy out of the team begin to cause trouble. Kicking a bucket of water over Billy's boots as he enters the dressing room, they appear to make amends by offering to go get dry socks while he takes his boots off. However it is all a ruse, and as soon as Billy removes his boots one of them secretly, steals them away. 

With the second half about to resume, Billy finds he has lost his boots and cannot take the field. With the sports master pressuring him, Billy is forced to run out wearing a borrowed pair. Without his magical boots, Billy struggles in the second half. The nadir comes late in the second half when, with only the keeper to beat, his feet conspire against him and he trips over his own feet. On the sideline, the boys who want Billy out are in the receptive ear of the sports master, casting aspersions against poor Billy. 

We are back to a typical Billy's Boots story, with Billy being separated from his boots are crucial games. We had a nice balance here, with the boots playing a role in the first half of the game, while in the second half, we see just what sort of player Billy is without them. Although there wasn't anything new here, I found I greatly enjoyed it, and it told the story it wanted to tell well. All the action took place on the field or in the dressing room and was tightly focused on Billy and his beloved boots. With no outside distractions, I couldn't help but become engrossed in the story. It was familiar, but also comfortable and a pleasant few pages in the middle of the comic.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "You great idiot, Dane...what did you want to do that for?"

Tallon Of The Track

Ah yes, the balalaika story. With a brick smashing through the window of their Russian accommodation, Jo and her team had rushed outside, only to find a balalaika propped against a tree with a note attached.

This week we see that the note is addressed to Sven and that the balalaika has been gifted to him from one of the musicians they saw playing earlier in the day. Sven is smitten by the gift and takes it with him to track the following day.

At the track, the racing goes well, although at one stage nobody can find Sven, only for him to be discovered in the dressing room playing his newfound instrument. Quickly hustled to the track, Sven is in the lead of his particular race when disaster strikes. From the crowd comes the musician who gifted him the balalaika, scrambling over the security fence. Making his way onto the track, the musician causes a crash as the bikes do their best to avoid him, the final panel of the story capturing the moments as bikes and men are thrown everywhere. 

I have mixed feelings about this week's story. I liked the ending, and the final panel looked great. The rest of the story failed to live up to this moment, and in fact, somewhat detracted from it. I would have viewed this story far more favourably without the poor opening of the rock through the window and the balalaika left against the tree. This hangover from last week put the whole story on the back foot from the beginning, and it never recovered from this. Even the much-loved final panel couldn't save it, and I walked away with disappointment. The one positive takeaway is we finished with something to look forward to, and things are well set up for next week.

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "By the stars! That man - what's he doing?" 

Hot Shot Hamish 

Hamish and wee Wallie Campbell are making their way back from the Highlands, and we are told that it's been raining solidly for hours. It's not just in the highlands that it's been raining, back at Princes Park Mister McWhacker can only look on in dismay as the foul weather scuppers his training session. 

Always an ideas man, he hires the town hall for the team to practice, leaving Princes Park and the water that is now rushing in a tremendous torrent around the girders supporting the stand. This will become important later. 

Hamish and Wallie rejoin the team, and practice begins in the town hall. This leads to some humour, not to mention damage, as Hamish tries a hot-shot that smashes the wall. Firmly told off by Mister McWhacker, he instead turns to heading the ball, although this too leads to damage for as Hamish leaps high to head the ball, he lands heavily and crashes through the wooden floor. 

That Saturday they turn up at Princes Park to find it a sodden mess. With the field ankle-deep in mud, Mister McWhacker is doubtful the match will go ahead, although this is a decision for the referee to make. Hamish and Mister McWhacker walk wound the back of the stand, only for the ground to give way under Hamish due to all the excess rain. Hamish is OK, but trapped at the bottom of a hole and rapidly sinking in the mud, setting us up for the next issue. 

The art was wonderful throughout this story, and it captured the feeling of the heavy rain exceedingly well. I could feel the dampness to my bones, and it put me right in the scene. A rainy story could have been dreary, but it was tempered by plenty of humour, and the scenes of the team training at the town hall were exceedingly funny and brought some levity to a damp Scottish winter. A delightful balance was achieved in the story, and we finish this week's Tiger comic on the high it deserves with Hot Shot Hamish once again displaying its vitality and worth to the comic overall. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Great steaming lumps o' Haggis! The grounds subsiding! It's all the rain we've had..."

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7.5/10

Best Story: Nipper

Best Line: "Not right now, lad! Because Andy Stewart has other problems! I've just heard that he and his trainer, Ron Bayliss, have been involved in a serious car crash!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz:

Tiger 1st March 1975

Great news for all readers! I have survived Christmas and despite being fat, tired, and hung over, I'm back with a weekly dose of Tiger comic. Even better, it's a great issue and a fine reminder of why I love this comic so much. Football action, hard-hitting wrestling, and some high-speed racing make for a well-rounded issue that appeals on many fronts. What a great way to welcome in the new year.      

Tiger

1st March 1975

Billy's Boots

Billy and Jimmy Dawson had been practising on a training ground that Jimmy's father had built in the nearby woods when they were suddenly startled by an approaching car. Things are worse than I imagined as we see on the front cover that it's a police car. Billy and Jimmy are crouching behind some bushes but two policemen quickly rustle them out and tell them that they trespassing. 

They are escorted to the owner of the woods, who lives in a large house not too far away, where they are let off with a warning, and told to ask permission next time. 

With this drama behind them, they carry on training hard and building up an on-field rapport between themselves. Both are confident that this will pay dividends in the next game and so it proves with the two combining well and creating chances. 

However, dark clouds are on the horizon. Jimmy is unable to play in the next game, while supporters of the player Billy has replaced, Granger, are making plans to sabotage Billy by stealing his boots. 

The most impressive part of this week's story was the colour front cover that heightened the sense of drama we ended last week with. I was torn between immediately turning the page to see what happens next or letting my eyes linger on the front cover and soak it all in. Over the page, the story slowed a little. There was some good football action, and I appreciated seeing Billy and Jimmy working on their teamwork. There wasn't a lot to grab the eye, although the plot itself moved swiftly on. Billy's boots didn't have any impact on the game being played, and what we saw was purely down to the relationship being built between Billy and Jimmy. We had several parts of the story coming together this week to conspire against Billy, and next week should see the drama ratcheted up a notch. It may not be due to Billy's boots, although they will certainly be at the forefront of the story. Good in places and great in others, this was the perfect start for this week's issue of Tiger.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "I won't be half as good without you in the side, Jimmy!"

Skid Solo

We are crash-started into the action of Skid Solo, as the very first panel shows a car wreck and Skid and Sandy running to pull the driver free. 

It's a Martine car and they fear that Sparrow Smith is caught up in the wreckage. The driver is lifted from the car, and they are relieved to see the driver is uninjured, and not Sparrow Smith, but rather the number one Martine driver, Gino Renga. 

Gino and the team owner Mario Martine survey the damage, and Gino tells Mario that he will take Sparrow Smith's car in the next race. There is a brief argument, and Ginio demands it as he is the number one driver. 

Martine breaks the bad news to Sparrow, and Sparrow takes it in his stride, managing to secure a borrowed car for the South African Grand Prix the following day.

On race day Skid and Gino are fast off the start and soon have a lead over the field. In his slower car, Sparrow Smith manages to hold his own, only half a lap and a couple of places behind. 

Skid and Gino continue their duel, with Skid's car proving to be faster. Gino does his best, but pushes his car too hard in the corners and eventually spins off the track. Although he manages to get back out on the track, the race is effectively over, and Skid takes the chequered flag. Further back, Sparrow Smith finishes a respectable fourth place in his borrowed car.

This leads to trouble in the pits as Mario Martine tells Gino that he can't claim to be the number one driver if Sparrow Smith manages to finish ahead of him in an older borrowed car. The altercation escalates to the point where Gino quits the Martine team, and storming over to Sparrow Smith angrily tells him that he is out to get him. Furious that Sparrow has taken his job, Gino is out for revenge, and we finish with Skid and Sandy telling Sparrow to keep an eye on him, and if he needs any help he knows who his friends are. 

Like Billy's Boots, this story had a fantastic beginning that set up the rest of the strip in grand style. The first panel was everything you could want from a Skid Solo story, and after seeing it the rest of the story had a lot to live up to. This it did, with a compelling narrative underlying the Grand Prix action. As good as it was seeing the cars on the track, it was the facial expressions of the characters that sold this story to me. This has always been a strong point of Skid Solo, and here we saw several fabulous panels that highlighted this strength. The first panel with a bystander calling for help was noteworthy, as was the twisted scowl of Gino Renga that appeared a couple of times later in the strip. All added to the depth of the story and gave it a gravitas that sometimes cars on the track don't give us. I hadn't expected to like this story as much as I have, but Skid Solo has delivered a very strong plot for their South African sojourn, and I look forward to seeing more in the coming weeks. 

Rating: 8/10

Best Line: "I don't care whether Sparrow likes it or not! I am number one driver! If there is only one car left...then I drive it!" 

Martin's Marvellous Mini

With a big cash prize on offer, Tiny and Martin have entered a mini race, only for George to be left behind on the start line with Martin unable to get into first gear. It doesn't stop him long, he starts from second gear and is soon speeding around the track in pursuit of the other racers. 

He makes a good fist of it, and with two laps left, he has got himself into fourth place. It is at this point that disaster strikes as the gear lever sticks once again, leaving him stuck in top gear and a corner fast approaching. 

Martin takes it fast, skidding off the track but managing to remain in control, and retakes the track in second place. With one lap left, he has it all to race for.

However, he is still stuck in top gear and it is a hair-raising final lap. It all comes down to the final corner, with Martin taking it on two wheels as he skids past the leader.

The race is won, and the two pals are duly awarded the cup and prize money. All that remains now is for the pair to repair George's gearbox and hopefully have enough money left to fly home to Britain. The problem of the gearbox is soon fixed, with a stray shirtbutton being the cause of all their racing woes. Martins tells Tiny he needs to be more careful while they are doing repairs to George, but Tiny rightfully points out that it is one of Martin's buttons, to which he bashfully replies that it could happen to anyone. 

We finish with the two contemplating a long-awaited return home, although Tiny is the voice of doom as he points out that they shouldn't be too sure of themselves - things just seem to happen to them.

Thanks for that thought Tiny, just when I was getting my hopes up you had to point out that we may not be heading home just yet. I enjoyed the race that we saw this week, although it could have been raced anywhere, and there was no mention of Australia or Australian themes. That makes me think that we have finally run out of ideas for this Australian jaunt, and it is finally time to send the boys back to Britain. Apart from the joy of seeing the Mini on the track, there was little here that excited me, and I long for a stronger storyline to emerge now that there is enough money to get the boys home. An adventure on the way back would be a nice transition back to the real world, I certainly hope this will be on the cards for the next couple of weeks. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "It's that limey who started last! He's won!" 

Roy Of The Rovers

In the absence of Tony Storme, Roy has taken on the role of player-manger. His first game in charge is not going well, and Melchester Rovers are trailing two-nil at halftime. A rock is thrown through the dressing room window as the team gathers, and around the rock is a note urging Roy to stop fussing like a mother hen and play his own game. 

Roy tells the team to cut the fancy stuff and play their natural game. This gets the desired result, and the Rovers storm back in the second half to win three-two, with Roy nabbing himself a hattrick. 

Roy suspects that the mysterious note came from Tony Storme, although he has no firm evidence. The conversation about the source of the note ends when Blackie looks towards the next game, telling Roy that it's the first leg of the quarter-final of the European Cup-winners cup against the dirtiest team in football, Dynamo Zarnov.

Although I'm not fussed about the disappearance of Tony Storme, I love this week's issue and especially the football action. Roy scoring a hat-trick was the highlight, with each goal coming uniquely. We are slowly moving forward with the Tony Storme storyline, and this frantic football action propelled the strip in the absence of any real action in regards to Tony. The story achieved a nice balance between the two and it worked well despite my reservations. Next week promises to up the stakes yet again, and I look forward to seeing more thrilling football action like we saw this week. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Sure! Just stop 'em from scoring...and score some goals ourselves!" 

Tallon Of The Track

The Ospreys have finally made it to Moscow where they will be competing against the Russian Comets. It's taken a long time to get here, but we're not quite ready for the track yet as Jo introduces the team to some local folk musicians. With the balalaika ringing out, Jo forces her team into some poor Cossack dancing, ostensibly to increase their muscle strength. 

Most of the team struggles, although Sven Jansson, a part-time pop star as well as a rider in the team, takes to it well and is especially enamoured by the balalaika.  

Later that evening they are in their sleeping quarters at the local stadium, where most of them complain about their aches and pains from the training. This moaning and groaning ends abruptly as a brick crashes through the window. The team races outside to see who has thrown this brick, only to find a balalaika leaning against a tree with a note attached to it. 

Another story with a brick thrown through a window feels too much for me. I liked that it got the team out of the sleeping quarters and to the balalaika, but I would have preferred something different to achieve this. I'm pleased to report that the team have finally reached Moscow, it seems months since we first left Britain, and finally, they have arrived. The rest of the story dipped into silliness which was disappointing after waiting so long to get here. The Cossack dancing was foolish and didn't appeal to me, even when I considered the comic through the eyes of a young boy. Perhaps this balalaika story will lead somewhere, although for now, I'm not very hopeful and just want to see Jo and her team on the track,. The comic is called Tallon Of The Track, so let's get them out there and racing. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Yikes! That gal's doing one of those way-out Cossack dances!"

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton

Johnny is in the heat of the action from the very first panel as we see his robot opponent Grarg strike him with a fearsome blow. It looks like the bout might be over right there, but a Tiger reply shows that Johnny managed to pull back as the blow was struck and a lot of the sting was taken out of it.

The rest of the strip focuses on the fight between the two, with Grarg dominating from start to finish. The final indignity for Johnny comes in the last panel of the strip as Grarg throws him from the ring like a rag doll, the match looking like it has been decided right there and then. 

This strip was dedicated to wrestling action alone, and for this I commend it. We have had Grarg built up as an opponent for some time now, and it's only right that the payoff comes with a couple of weeks of solid wrestling. The artwork was spot on, and the background story fell away as I became engrossed in the battle of these two awesome wrestlers, For now, it looks like Johnny may have bitten off more than he can chew, although I'm sure the writers will find a way for him to fight back next week. This is all solid action, and I am very satisfied with what is on the page. Johnny wrestling his heart out against a tough opponent, for me this is pure nirvana. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Best line: "Wah...Cougar feel heap bad! Cannot find any way to beat this man!" 

Hot Shot Hamish 

Hamish and Wallie Campbell have won their wager with the McDonalds and are now the owners of the McDonald family house.

However, Wallie has no interest in taking their house from them and tells Hamish that he will forego their winnings, electing instead to take five pounds. 

This is all well and good, but when they arrive at the McDonald's house they find the McDonalds bracing themselves for war and Hamish and Wallie are welcomed with a cannon shot fired at their car. 

Hamish and Wallie have come in peace, and this cannon shot changes things drastically. Hamish becomes enraged by this greeting, and taking some footballs from the car he returns fire with a couple of hot-shots of his own.

Things escalate and Hamish storms the house as a veritable one-man army. The battle is short-lived, and soon Hamish has conquered all before him. Once again Wallie reminds the McDonalds that he came in peace, and takes fifty-five pounds to cover the expenses are repairs to his car. We end with the pair of them heading back to Princes Park with Hamish remarking that they've had a lovely day out.

No football this week, and it wasn't needed as the strip delivered a feast of action and humour. Hamish blasting hot-shots at the McDonald's house was a solid highlight for me, as was when he stormed the house single-handedly. Plenty to bring a smile to the face, and matched by excellent art that did it all justice. Anyone who has read my blog before knows that I like to see these characters engage in their sport and it is rare that I like a strip that doesn't feature the primary sport, This was the exception, and I got immense satisfaction from every panel of this story with cracking dialogue to pick up the slack when the dialogue wasn't to the fore. Next week promises more footballing, and I'm happy to wait as I found this issue fabulous. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Right, Mon! Dinna say ye weren't warned!" 

Nipper

Nipper has finally got onto the field for the England under-23 side, hoping to put his ideas into action on how to stop the two Italian stars that are causing issues for the English defence. 

His ideas work, and he dispossesses Carlatti by forcing him to play on his wrong foot, before attacking Gavera with a run straight at him. Gavera is caught in two minds on what to do, and Nipper flashes by him before blasting the ball into the back of the net. 

His strike comes at just the right time and the team comes off the field at halftime happy to be tied at one-one. The England manager, Gordon Jackson, is delighted with Nipper's immediate impact, although some other team members aren't quite as enthusiastic with accusations of Nipper being a glory hunter as they take the field for the second half. 

As Nipper clears an early shot off the line, we jump to a car speeding towards the stadium. Inside the vehicle, Blackport manager Andy Stewart and trainer Ron Bayliss are discussing the trouble Nipper is in. Running away from his foster parents and living in a caravan has caught the attention of the welfare people, and Nipper is a marked man. However, this conversation is cut short as a lorry smashes through the crash barrier and hurtles towards the car. 

A great ending to what has been a very satisfying issue. Nipper has things going well on the field, only for his life off the field to take a turn. It is always this way, when one thing is going well, the other aspects of his life are in strife and he never has a balance. Just as well too, I wouldn't want to read a comic where Nipper's life and career are perfect page after page. I enjoyed seeing Nipper work out the Italian team, and we have some lovely panels of Nipper playing with the ball at his feet. This is just what I want to see from a football story, and the final panel brought a heavy dose of drama to the strip and demanded more attention than the previous two pages combined. Finely balanced and with storm clouds on the horizon, Nipper remains a story that consistently delivers. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Still glory-hunting, eh, Lawrence? Just remember there are ten other players on the pitch! We all like scoring goals you know!"     

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Johnny Cougar

Best Line: "Honour is satisfied, Wallie! It's been quite an enjoyable trip!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: 

Tiger 22nd February 1975

Any day when I quote a Cure lyric in my blog is a good day, and today is a very good day indeed. It's Christmas eve, and instead of dancing around the lounge to the sounds of "Last Christmas" I have instead sequestered myself away in the spare room with a pile of old comics and albums. Why chirp away to Mariah Carey, when you can wail along to Robert Smith and company? It is just like heaven, and my comics and albums will be my refuge as the festive storm of Christmas takes hold for the next twenty-four hours.       

Tiger

22nd February 1975

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton

Johnny's next opponent may appear to be an ordinary matman, but beneath his plastic skin, Grarg is an incredible robot. 

Johnny has fought some weird and wonderful characters over the years, and Grarg is right up there with the weirdest and wonderfullest of them. We get an impressive display of his wrestling prowess early as he volunteers to step in and fight the Bearded Beauty before his bout with Johnny. 

Grarg barely flinches as the Bearded Beauty hits him with a flying hit butt and responds with a single forearm smash that lays out the bearded wrestler. Johnny and Splash can only look on helplessly as they realise the scale of the challenge that lies ahead of them.

Stepping into the ring to take his turn against Grarg, Johnny immediately applies a nerve hold in the hope of weakening his opponent. Needless to say, it is ineffective and Grarg reacts with a mighty forearm smash. This is where we leave poor Johnny, with a voice from the crowd commenting that no one could survive a blow like that. 

A lovely set-up to this story, and after seeing Grarg being built up as an incredible fighting machine we finally steered him into the ring against Johnny. The fight against Johnny is only three panels long, but already I can see that all this build-up was worth it and the rest of the match, should Johnny be able to continue, should be fabulous. There were no weak points in this week's story and although it wasn't end-to-end action it delivered on many fronts, giving me a well-rounded and satisfying experience. Nothing is rushed, the characters are well grounded and set up, and when there was action it was kinetic and heavy-hitting. The artwork gave us several memorable images, and I could have picked any number of them as a favourite. The story is yet to peak, and one can only wonder how much better it will get in the following weeks. We shall find out together. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Best line:  "Incrediable! If they'd have counted minutes instead of seconds, he'll still have been out cold!"

Roy Of The Rovers

Roy has taken over as player-manager in the absence of Tony Storme. However, as the team kicks around before their match against Castledene Roy is convinced he has seen Tony Storme in the crowd. 

This thought is still lingering in his head as the game kicks off, and Roy remains distracted as Castledene attacks. Roy loses the ball cheaply and as the minutes tick by he does his best to make amends, playing across a variety of positions and over-thinking the game at hand. Falling for a dummy runner at a Castledene corner kick, Roy leaves his man unmarked and Castledene scores easily to take a one-nil lead.

This leads to Roy dropping deeper to aid his defence, which in turn prompts Castledene to push more players forward. They are rewarded with a second goal, and as the team comes off the field at halftime a lot of angry looks are flashed at Roy. 

Harsh words are spoken in the dressing room, and several fingers are pointed before they are all interrupted by a stone being chucked through the window. Even more intriguing, it has a note wrapped around it, a mystery that we will have to wait until next week to have resolved.

Several developments this week make this feel very much like a boy's story in a boy's comic. The mysterious figure in the crowd with a scarf wrapped around his head wasn't as thrilling or as surprising as you might think, and it fell flat as a plot device to propel this story. Having Roy trying to do too much on the field almost felt right, although  I don't believe a man of Roy's experience would lose his head so easily once the game started. The stone coming through the dressing room window was the weakest of this triumvirate of weak plot points. Even in 1975, it would be hard to get access to the dressing room like this and it all feels just a little too convenient. That's not to say that I didn't like this week's story, even misfiring it still continues to move forward, dragging me along with it. I want more, and it can give more, let's hope next week it returns to firing on all cylinders. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Keep it up, Race! You're the best player-manager that Castledene ever had!"

Martin's Marvellous Mini

"And the way the rain comes down hard…
That’s the way I feel inside…"

So wrote Robert Smith for the Cure's  1992 song "Open," a lyric I am immediately reminded of when I see the open panels of Martin's Marvellous Mini from seventeen years previous. Martin and TIny are suffering through a heavy rain storm in the Australian outback, and the artwork perfectly captures the wet spirit that will permeate through the first page of the story.  

With George firmly bogged, the two pals have no choice but to trudge several miles in search of civilization. They find a farmhouse and an offer of a tractor and help. A surprise is in store for them though when they open up the garage, not only does the farmer have a tractor but also a Formula One car and a Formula Three car. 

It seems this farmer runs the local race track, and once their car is pulled from the mud they are offered a night's accommodation and a chance to enter the mini cup race that is taking place next week.

They return quickly to Perth, although they are forced to stop for a running repair on the fan belt, and once there they get busy in a workshop making all sorts of repairs to George who has taken quite a beating over the last few months. 

The following day at two o'clock sharp the race begins, and as all the cars take off from the start line George remains motionless, all the repairs seemingly for nothing. 

I feel we have seen similar stories already told over the previous year, and after the first half a page I could have filled in the blanks myself. That's not to say it's bad in any way, but it did feel overly comfortable and familiar. They say familiarity breeds contempt, and that is perhaps where I am today as I read the story. If I park the plot for a moment, I find the art style and the easy way between the two pals to be as wholesome as ever, and I get a warm feeling when I read the strip. The plot is bordering on boring, but the characters themselves and the style of the comic carry the day. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "I bet they win, Dad...they've got a smashing little car!"

Billy's Boots

After arriving late at the game and earning the ire of his teammates and watching pupils, Billy now has a chance to redeem himself with a penalty kick in the final minute of the cup match.

Billy lines up his kick and the goalie picks what direction he is going to strike it, only for Billy's ancient boots to take a hand and push Billy to shoot to the other corner. It's a goal and Billy has redemption for his previous late arrival. Not everyone is pleased, but the sports master is happy enough and he tells Billy and Jimmy Dawson that he wants them to train together for the next game.

With this in mind,  Billy and Jimmy make their own training plans, including an early morning cross-country run and a kickaround. They also train in the evening, although one evening Jimmy inadvertently leaves his sports bag at Billy's house after dinner. 

The next morning Billy sets off early to Jimmy's house to return the bag. Billy reaches the end of the street, but cannot find Jimmy's house. Following the road, he finds it turns into a track in the forest, and there he finds Jimmy's house tucked away in the woods. 

Jimmy is alone, cooking his own breakfast as his Dad is away until Saturday with work.  Billy comments that it is a bit spooky living by yourself in the woods, although it does have its perks as Jimmy leads Billy deeper into the woods where his father has built him a practice pitch. 

They are both admiring the pitch when suddenly they hear a car engine approaching. Both scurry into the woods, assuming that a car can only mean something bad at this time of the morning deep in the woods. 

Great to see another layer added to the story with Jimmy's home life revealed on the page and we learn more about his family and living situation. It wasn't what I expected, although it does explain a lot. Interesting that like Billy, he has absent parents, and the story is tightly focused on the boy's world with little adult attention aside from a bevvy of coaches and schoolmasters. Last week's football match was wrapped up quickly, with little fallout (at least for now), and the emergence of this new story suddenly makes Billy's Boots a lot more interesting as we roll into March of 1975. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Jimmy's a quiet lad, Billy...does he ever invite you to tea at his house?"

Nipper

The England under-23 squad turns out for their qualifying game against Italy, and the crowd is aghast to see that Nipper is wearing a tracksuit and will only be a substitute. 

Although the English manager is angry with him, Nipper does have some support in the crowd with his local fan club in attendance along with his lovely girlfriend, Kerry Carter. 

The game doesn't start well for England, and they find themselves struggling with an Italian attack that pivots around the captain Gavera and the striker Carlatti. The Italian side is soon one-nil up and the English team becomes increasingly frustrated with the two Italian stars. 

On the bench, Nipper has several firm ideas about what should be done with Gavera and Carlatti, and he isn't shy about letting those around him know it. Despite some surrounding players telling him to keep quiet, Nipper is heard by the England manager who surprisingly agrees with him. Not only that, the manager is keen to get Nipper on the field as soon as possible to get some of his ideas into action. 

Nipper is up in a flash and stripping off his tracksuit. Soon after he is on the field, and the England captain tells him to get the forwards going. Nipper tells him that that's not what he's been substituted for, and he's on to take care of Carlatti. The game restarts with Carlatti making another dangerous run and Nipper out to put his money where his mouth is. 

This is just the sort of footballing story one would expect from Tiger comic. Nipper is right behind Roy of The Rovers when it comes to telling believable football stories, and this one is a great example of that. With two Italian players toying with the England team, I look forward to seeing how Nipper will deal with the expectations laid on his shoulders. The story remained purely focused on the game, and despite Nipper fans being in the crowd, the panels remained centred on the on-field action. I did enjoy seeing Kerry again, and it was only proper that once she greeted Nipper she stayed in the background and let him get on with the game. This story has been building for some time, and we have had some silly detours, but it is all paying off now as we see Nipper in an English shirt about to give his all to the cause. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Then you'd better do it yourself, Chum! Jacko's told me to take care of Carlatti, and that's what I'm going to do!"

Skid Solo

Skid is still getting used to this new car, and he isn't helped by the fact that the track is icy and snow is beginning to fall. Abandoning his practice, he and Sandy load the car onto a truck with plans to make for sunny climes - in this case Johannesburg. 

Two days later they are on the flight, where they are surprised to see Sparrow Smith is also flying to South Africa. Sparrow is on his way to the South Africa Grand Prix, and he is surprised to learn that Skid isn't racing in it, electing instead to continue to test his car in anticipation of the Spanish Grand Prix next month. 

Although Skid isn't racing, he is still welcome to use the same track for his testing, and soon he and Sandy have adjusted the car to his liking. With these adjustments, Skid breaks the track record, raising a few eyebrows in the pit lane. It is commented on that it's lucky that he's not racing in the Grand Prix, and Sparrow tells the owner of the Martine teams that he's sure he can get his car to the same speeds as Skid. 

This he does, tying Skid for the track record. Mr Martine is happy but is still concerned that Skid may enter the race. This proves prophetic for at that very moment Skid and Sandy are plotting and changing their plans in the face of the extra speed they have found in their car.

Nicely worked story, although I am surprised at the ease with which Skid was able to suddenly enter his car. We managed to get a surprising amount of car action on the page, and although this was merely practice laps it still contained a thrill. There was also a fine contrast between the sight of Skid driving in the icy British weather and the sunbaked track at Johannesburg. It felt like two stories in one and was a pleasant bonus. Overall, we are heading in the right direction, and the race with Skid and Sparrow promises much for further issues, with the story loaded with potential. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Well, it's a good job he's not in next week's Grand Prix,...otherwise we'd have a race on our hands!"

Hot Shot Hamish

It's all on from the very first panel and the entire field of players rush towards the ball lying on the Dunferlie United goal line. With Hamish and Wallie's houses on the line, there's a lot at stake and it's no surprise to see the whole Princes Park team ending up in the back of the net with the ball to score the equaliser they desperately need.

After repairing the now-destroyed net, the game resumes. Hamish is tricked into passing the ball to an opposing player, a trick that infuriates the big man. Chasing down his opponent, Hamish bullies him off the ball before launching an attack down the field with a mighty hoof. The ball passes back and forth, eventually landing at the feet of Hamish who, you guessed it, unleashes the hot-shot. 

The keeper has no chance, choosing to cower in the corner rather than attempt the save, and the game ends with Princes Park winning two-one. Hamish and Wallie's houses are safe and all are happy. Well, not quite all, for at the moment the McDonalds, whom Hamish and Wallie wagered against, listen on the radio, realising they have just lost their own house to the pair. They may have lost the wager, but the McDonalds will not surrender their house easily and we finish the strip with the McDonalds rolling out the cannon and preparing to defend their house at any cost. 

Another football-heavy story that played to its strengths. There is no better sight than that of Hamish Balfour steaming down the wing to make a tackle, or thundering in to hit the hot-shot. We had both here, the whole story hinged on these two moments, and boy did they deliver. It was made all the better by the delicious artwork that had me salivating over every morsel of football action. The football we saw here was so good that it was easy to forget the wider wager, although this was the plot point that whipped this game up into a frenzied feast of football delights. With a strong plot and expressive artwork that delivers the intensity of the story on the page, Hot Shot Hamish is once again outstanding in its heady mix of humour and life-or-death football. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Best Line: "Och, ye're no' a gentlemen! Ye canna call for it when ye're not one of my team!" 

Tallon Of The Track

Three heats left in the Ospreys' meeting against the Russian amateur team the Gorbski Lions and they lead 33 to 26. You would think that Jo would be happy with this, but she remains concerned about Kurkov, leader of the Lions, who looks a shattered man as his hopes of the team being elected to the Russian Federation are now looking very slim indeed. 

However he feels inside, Kurkov still gives his all on the track, winning the next heat and splitting the points with Ospreys. The following heat looks to be a victory for Ospreys with their riders taking an early lead. Unfortunately, things go awry shortly after with Sven hitting a rut and crashing into his teammate, and the Lions snatch maximum points to set up a thrilling finale. 

It is all down to Jo and Dave now in the final race. In the pits, Jo can't help but look at Kurkov, who can't even bear to watch the final race. If his team fails he will be so distraught that she can't imagine him ever racing again. Dave tells her there's nothing she can do about it, although crouching by her bike Jo tells Dave that yes, there is something she can do. 

The race begins and Jo immediately leaps out to a lead. She holds this lead throughout, until seventy yards from the finish line her front tire blows out and the Russians sweep pass for a victory. The Gorbski Lions have won the meeting, and Kurlov is carried out of the stadium on the shoulders of his team.

Meanwhile, Dave is suspicious and tells Jo that he reckons she jammed a small nail in her front tire just before the race, knowing that it would work its way into the tire and cause a blow-out. Of course she denies it, but a sly wink to the reader tells us all we need to know. 

I can't really ask for much more than a happy ending such as we have here. This story has been a rollercoaster, with strong issues and weaker ones, and a part of me is just glad it is all over. We are still in Russia, and I have almost forgotten what brought us here. The next adventure should be a timely reminder of the overall story and hopefully have us back on the straight and narrow. Tallon Of The Track has lost its way over the last six months, and what we need right now is a tightly focused story that concentrates on the basics. This story was overall enjoyable, although it has been the art that has been carrying the load for many months now. A consistent storyline to match the always expressive art would see this become one of the best, instead of a strip that is cruising on its past glories. 

Rating: 6/10

Best Line: "I wouldn't do a thing like that...would I?

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Hot Shot Hamish

Best Line: "Ye canna make a fool out of a Balfour and get away with it!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sport Quiz: