Tiger 22nd March 1975

Sunday morning, and all is quiet. It's just me and Tiger comic - and of course my obligatory cup of tea. Time for a peaceful hour of flicking through my favourite comic before the real world beckons and I am thrown into a day of chores, cleaning, and doing whatever my wife tells me!         

Tiger

22nd March 1975

Tallon Of The Track

Tallon Of The Track isn't my favourite story at the moment, so I'm secretly pleased that's the first story this week and we can get it over and done with. 

All talk is still of the balalaika, although, as Sven tells Jo in the first panel, it has now gone missing from the changing rooms. 

There is little time to consider what happened to it as the race meeting is still racing outside.

After three heats the Ospreys have a slim lead. Heat four doesn't go so well, with a bad accident and the Moscow team drawing level on points. 

Sven takes the track for heat five and looks as though things are looking up as he has a handy lead coming into the final lap. It is here that the story takes a turn, with Sven suddenly leaving the track and heading straight towards where Jo and Dave and standing. Without pause, he drives between the pair and down the tunnel under the stand, leaving Jo both furious and wondering what on earth he could be up to. 

Actually, despite my negative opening comment, this was an enjoyable romp and one of the better issues we have had from Tallon Of the Track of late. The race action was tight, and fast-moving, with three heats appearing on the page - a close finish, a crash, and then Sven's dramatic departure. The balalaika opened the story, and with its disappearance, the story has gained an extra depth and more intrigue. It feels as though the story is back in balance after several uneven weeks, and once again I am feeling happy to see Jo's face glaring at me from the page. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "The stupid, crazy fool! He's just lost us the heat! What the blazes does he think he's playing at?" 

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton

Johnny Cougar is right where we left him last week -  fighting the robot Grarg in an eerie castle in Yorkshire. So far, so normal,  although in this case, Johnny is struggling to gain the upper hand. 

With both combatants picking up swords, the story goes up a gear. The sword fight is short-lived and Johny finds his sword broken in a powerful blow from Grarg. 

Elsewhere in the castle, Splash and Grarg's manager, Jacob Barclay, hear the noise and decide to investigate along with the professor who created Grarg. They find the trouble soon enough and enter the room just as Johnny Cougar strikes Grarg in the head with a well-thrown shield. 

The professor attempts to switch Grarg off with all the key switch-off words but nothing works, and he tells them that Grarg is out of control, the bang on his his head must have caused it. 

There is nothing anyone can do, and before they know it Grarg has left the castle and is striding purposefully into the countryside. 

Another powerful edition of Johnny Cougar, and one that has me hungry for more. Grarg is proving to be quite a challenge, and it is giving us some exquisite artwork as his story is told on the page. The story holds my interest, while it is the artwork that provides the real joy of this week's comic, and my eye is drawn back to it serval times before I can turn the page. Johnny looks strong, while Grarg is fantastically rendered to hold all the power. The facial expressions of those looking on tell a story just as well as any speech bubbles, and overall I am enthralled by all I see here. Johnny Cougar has an extremely long run on the pages of Tiger, and from what I see here I can understand why. 

Rating: 9/10

Best line: "Hey, you guys...you'd better come and take a look at this!"

Martin's Marvellous Mini 

The boys are almost home from their Australian sojourn, although there is one final twist in the tale as George is badly damaged in the ship's hold on the return voyage. 

Eager to make amends, the crew lend them a red mini while George is off having repairs. Tiny and Martin accept, and soon they are back in Buxton Street for a street party to celebrate their return.

Not only a party but also an invite to race tomorrow at Fairfield track. Of course, they have to race in the borrowed car, and things don't start well as they get off to a slow start. Martin manages to get past one car on the first corner, but it comes at a frightful cost as the mini tumbles off the track, rolling onto its roof. 

Walking to the pits, Martin finds that the ship's Captain is there, speaking to Tiny. He has good news in hand, George has been repaired and is waiting for him as good as new.  Rather sheepishly, Martin can only stammer, as the Captain's red mini is towed in at that moment, heavily damaged. 

We finish with Tiny saying that they have to pay for the damage but they'll get cash soon enough now that hat they've got George back. 

As expected, the boys are back and already owe cash to someone. No surprises there, as I have found out over the last two years this is the main driver of these stories - they have an accident, need cash, try to gain cash only to have another accident that results in them owning cash...and so it continues. Much like real life I guess - at least my life is often like this. If only I could make a comic out of it...

Anyway, back to the comic at hand. It was enjoyable, every single panel, and as a boy's comic, this was all I could ask for. There was drama, low key to be sure, but it was enough for my eyes to dance from panel to panel, and I found happiness in seeing Tiny and Martin racing on the track with their friendship always to the fore and their pure love of life. Martin's Marvellous Mini is always uplifting, no matter the fate bestowed on the two heroes, and this one gave me plenty to smile at. We have a lot more ahead of us now we are back in Britain, and I can't wait to see where we will go from here. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "You...you've wrecked it!"

Billy's Boots

Billy is in the reserve team and playing a blinder. Linking up with Jimmy Dawson, they have the reserve team purring and are handing a well-deserved thrashing to the first team.

At half-time changes are made, and the sports master swaps the forward line of each team, moving Jimmy and Billy to the first team and the first team forwards to the reserves. Billy and Jimmy continue as they did in the first half, and again the goals flow. 

Come Saturday Billy is named in the first team, but only as a reserve. Jimmy can't play on Saturday and doesn't feature at all. 

Eying up the size of his opposite number, BiIly is pleased to be on the sub's bench. The first team scores an early goal, and the opposing team decide its team to put their size to good use. Granger is knocked heavily off the ball and takes medical attention. He's fine to carry on, but a bad tackle from behind lays him out and it looks like Billy will soon be on the field and in the firing line. 

Plenty of scoring action in the first game put this story on the front foot and built up a reserve of positive feelings for a more dramatic second page. I rejoiced in seeing Billy and Jimmy having a good game with no negative consequences, and it was refreshing to see them play and score at ease. For once in his life, something seemed to go right for Billy. The second game with the first team playing the cup tie was equally compelling, and it gave a firm foundation for next week to build upon. The threat of the opposition is well established, as is Billy's current form, and the two should come together nicely next week. I shall be here for it, and will dutifully blog the outcome. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line:  "Granger's twice my size, but that chap's knocking him about as though he were a baby!"

Nipper

The headlines of the day tell us where Nipper currently stands - he has been dropped by the Blackport chairman and moved to the reserves. 

The fans are not happy, and neither is Nipper who puts all his frustration into the training session. There is very little sympathy from his teammates who treat it all as a joke and give Nipper a ribbing every chance they get. 

Later at his girlfriend's house, Nipper is buoyed by the news that all the fans are planning to forego the Blackport game that Saturday, and instead travel to Kelford to see Nipper play for the reserve team.

As so it comes to pass, Nipper turns out for the reserves with a massive crowd coming to watch him play. Meanwhile, at Blackport stadium the stands are only half full, much to the ire of the chairman Clive Norton who quietly promises himself that that will be the last game Nipper will play for Blackport.  

Any story where we see Nipper's girlfriend Kerry is alright in my book, and even more so that we see Kerry putting a record on the record player - a girl after my own heart. This story draws heavily on the characters we know so well, and it is the characters that drive the story rather than the story that drives those characters, a sign of a comic well-written. Seeing Nipper's reaction to being dropped was good, and we had several strong panels showing his displeasure and anger. Likewise, the chairman, Clive Norton, remains the driver of all that is happening to Nipper and the direction the story will go next. With these two butting heads, sparks are beginning to fly, and we should get plenty of mileage out of it in the coming weeks. Kerry, Nipper's girlfriend, threw a shaft of light on these turbulent times, and overall the story was well balanced while feeding us enough conflict to keep the pages quickly turning. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Good grief! Look at that crowd! Kelford don't get this many people for their first-team games!"    

Skid Solo

Pierre Daval wants Skid Solo banned for driving dangerously in the previous race. It's a serious allegation, and the officials tell Skid there will be a court of inquiry the following day. 

That evening Sandy is worried about the case and decides to head inside early. Skid reassures him that it will be fine, and Skid intends to defend himself. 

Left alone with his thoughts, Skid is interrupted ten minutes later by a young boy scrambling over the hotel fence behind him. The boy knows that Skid is in trouble, and introduces himself as Tommy Carter, a name that we will come to know well in future. 

He tells Skid that he can help him out, and after a discussion, Skid is pleased to accept his help and tells him to come along the next day. There is a brief gear change in the story here, and Tommy Carter tells Skid about himself, how he is always in trouble and has been sent to South Africa to live with his Uncle. 

Skid considers him to be a rough diamond, but admires his courage in helping him out. Exactly what that help is we find the next day at the inquiry as Tommy Carter arrives with a film that he filmed himself at the race. It shows an earlier incident in the race when Daval pushed Skid off the track and into the barrier. Confronted with this evidence, Daval has no choice but to angrily withdraw his case against Skid.   

All is well that ends well, and all that remains is to reward Tommy Carter for his help in the matter. Tommy's only wish is to take a ride around the track, a wish that Skid is only too happy to oblige him. However, in the final panel, Tommy has one more thing he wants of Skid - to return to Britain with him and Sandy. 

A notable issue for Tommy Carter will later become Skids mechanic and feature on the pages of Tiger many times in future. Here he is but a boy, and at first, I couldn't remember why his name sounded familiar to me, but by the final panel we can see where the story is going and the pieces fell into place. The trial didn't amount to much, and neither did the following panels. Mostly this issue was given over to setting up Tommy Carter and his back story, and this it did efficiently and with the minimum of fuss. This new character should be further expanded next week with his demand to be taken back to Britain, and I am curious to see how this will unfold. An important issue, but not a particularly exciting one (except for Pierre Daval's magnificent 1970s suit), we are merely laying the groundwork for what comes next.

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "I'll defend myself, Sandy...Daval won't have it all his own way! I'll fight him!"

Roy Of The Rovers

Following their feisty encounter with Dynamo Zarnov, Rover's medical room looks like a battlefield. Roy, resplendent in his new suit, surveys the damage. Most are minor knocks and bruises, but Taffy warns him that he expects the return encounter to be much worse. 

Facing the reporters outside, Roy fields a series of questions. While answering one on the matter of how the Rovers will respond to provocation, Roy suddenly stops his answer as he sees the mysterious figure that has been popping up over the last few issues. Roy stops the press conference to chase after him, but the figure escapes using a motorbike, 

Returning to the reporters, Roy finishes answering questions, although the first reporter he was speaking with is now gone. 

On Saturday Rovers beat Weston easily enough and thoughts turn towards the return game against Zarnov. Tensions are high as fuel has been poured on the fire with an incendiary newspaper article setting the tone. Roy has been misquoted, in saying that Rovers will fight fire with fire. Things are exacerbated by a photo from the previous match showing Roy standing over a fallen Zarkov player. It appears that he has punched him, and coupled with the screaming headlines, the fires are well and truly stoked for the return match. 

The final panel captures all this tension, with Rover's plane landing in front of an angry crowd of Zarkov supporters, and the airport police struggling to contain them. 

I didn't much care for Roy running off after the mysterious figure, and it fell to the rest of the story to carry my interest. Tensions have been beautifully ratcheted up for next week, and I'm hoping for a big payoff after the groundwork that was laid this week. It was great to see Roy sporting his suit from the front cover of last week, he seems to have embraced the manager's role through and through. The game against Weston was necessary for the pacing of the story and the timing of the next European match, and it was dealt with quickly and did what it had to do. Next week promises much, and I'm sure it will deliver a cracking storyline. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Here they come...the animals of Melchester! We will teach them to threaten our players!" 

Hot Shot Hamish

Needing money to repair the grandstand, Mister McWhacker, Princes Park manager, is considering selling Hamish. On the field, Hamish is unaware of this, and his only concern is the muddy pitch which is creating havoc for both teams. 

Pulling wee Wallie Campbell from the mud, Hamish tells him of his plan. If Wallie gets the ball he is to bang it done the middle while Hamish will run down the only dry part of the field - down the wing.

It doesn't make sense to Wallie, but he does what Hamish asks and when he gets the ball he dutifully bangs it down the centre of the park. 

Hamish takes off along the touchline at great speed, and as the ball hits the ground and sticks in the mud, Hamish suddenly comes in from the wing, sliding through the mud. 

In a pile of mud and legs, Hamish ends up in the back of the net, with the ball, for the first goal of the game. 

A second goal also comes from a moment of inspiration from Hamish. As the opposition goalkeeper prepares to take a goal kick, Hamish tells his team that he won't be able to kick it far in the mud and they should advance. Hamish is correct and takes a heavy, muddy ball to his face for his efforts. However, a Princes Park player is at his shoulder and cannons home the rebound for the winning goal. 

The team are victorious but as they come off the field it is announced that Hamish is to be transferred, and Mister McWhacker endures a barrage of abuse and rubbish as he makes his way down the player's tunnel. 

Hamish's inventive first goal was the highlight of this strip and delivered an image I'll not soon forget as Hamish came sliding in from the wing. I thought that perhaps more could have been made of Hamish being put up for transfer, as this was how we finished the last issue, and it wasn't any part of this issue until the final two panels. The humour was still present throughout the strip, and although light compared to other issues, still gave me plenty to smile about as I read. I can't bear the thought of Hamish moving to another team, and although he probably won't, it still gives us pause to consider that these things do happen in the world of football. A good issue and this ends this week's Tiger comic with a hook to bring us all back next week 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Balfours forever!"

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7.5/10

Best Story: Johnny Cougar

Best Line: "He...he's out of control! That bang on the head must have caused it...he's not responding to instructions!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz:

Tiger 15th March 1975

I'm pleased to report that this week's issue is a return to form and once again all the stories we know so well are reaching their apex. Skid Solo and Roy Of The Rovers are all ratcheting up the tension, while Martin's Marvellous Mini crests on the back of Martin crashing in the ocean. This week's issue was a joy to read, and it felt like barely ten minutes had passed with it in my hands before I was on the final page and facing a return to reality.          

Tiger

15th March 1975

Skid Solo

There is barely time to draw a breath as Skid Solo begins with Skid pulling into the pits with a badly damaged sports car. A brief caption and dialogue soon brings us up to speed- Skid is still in South Africa where he has decided to take part in a sports car race. Skid is third and pulls in on the twenty-sixth lap due to the damage inflicted upon his vehicle by, in his own words, that idiot Pierre Daval who has tried to run him off the track. 

A brief flashback explains why Daval would do such a thing. The previous night at the hotel Daval had spoken threateningly to Skid. Skid is not a man to take abuse lightly, and in reply sent a trolly towards Daval, knocking him over and into the fountain. An incensed promised revenge, and judging by the first few panels he has had it. 

After cutting away the damage on his car, Skid is back on the track and shaping for a battle with Daval. Working his way through the field he finds himself behind Daval, whereupon he shunts him from behind. Daval doesn't like it one little bit and the two change words. The war of words is short-lived, and Skid again pushes Daval from behind, knocking him off at the corner and into a lake. Once again Daval is soaked and angry as hell. 

Skid takes the chequered flag for the victory. However, celebrations are cut short by the news that Daval has been to the track authorities and reported Skid with dangerous driving. The gloves are off, and in the ultimate panel, Skid promises to fight the charges and take him on again. 

I thought the way we jumped directly into the story was great and it accelerated us directly into the action. It also gave us another memorable cover image, which I guess was why the story was structured this way. Apart from the cover, the art also gave us the fantastic scowling face of Daval. This angry face carried most of the intensity and was the energy that propelled the rest of the story. It was a nice touch having Daval in the water not once but twice, and this bookend put a tidy bow on this first part of the story, with just enough threads hanging to make the next issue compelling. Once again Skid Solo excels in a comic full of champions and we'll be back next week to see how he fares against this new adversary. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "That idiot, Pierre Daval, drove me off the track at Raven's bend..."     

Roy Of The Rovers

As Rovers struggle against the rough and tumble Zarnov team, Roy is once again convinced he has seen Tony Storme in the crowd holding yet another message for him and the team. Investigating further, he can find no sign of him, although the message left behind is loud and clear - Cernik is too big for Roy, keep the ball on the deck.

Roy relays this message to his team, and it pays off with a goal. Even better it is captioned with a note proclaiming it as a "rocket" - the first time that Roy's shot has been described as such in the comic - a historic event worth noting. 

Although the Zarnov resort to their usual dirty tactics, Rovers manages to hold on for the win. The only note of concern is the behaviour of the visiting fans, and Roy and his men leave the field under a barrage of rubbish being thrown at them by these fans. Roy voices his concern, rightly pointing out this is a home game for Melchester Rovers, and things will be much worse when they play the return leg at Zarnov's home ground.

This wasn't quite the fiery encounter I expected after last week's issue. The sense of danger drifted by, and although the Zarnov team did display plenty of fight and bending of the rules, it never felt out-and-out dangerous. Next week should up these stakes, and I anticipate a much feistier encounter for Roy and his team. This was a nice issue to build the rivalry between the teams and a signpost towards trouble further up the road, and as such I was quietly drawn into the story and what will unfold in the coming weeks.  

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "Roy, you're standing off-side! What are you staring at?"  

Martin's Marvellous Mini

With Martin plunging off the side of the boat in a soap-box car at the end of the last issue, we are off to a wet start this week as the ship is forced to turn around and pick him up.  

This dunking does nothing to dampen the spirits of our two pals, and soon enough the soap-box car is repaired and ready to continue its race to do as many laps as possible before sundown. The one problem is that now sundown is less than an hour away and they only manage to get ten laps in. That's good enough for one of the passengers, Hilda Parsons, to win the jackpot, and she is pleased for her meagre winnings. 

With the soap-box racing drama behind them, the plot moves forward with Tiny and Martin looking out at the rough weather, while in the hold beneath them, the first damage has already been wrought by the winds as a heavy wooden crate topples onto George.

This story did a good job of mopping up the remains of last week's soap-box racing and subsequent fall out of Martin's dive into the water. Although it was light, I found it amusing and the warmth of the characters once again carried the day. The blue of the ocean was a nice contrast to the months of browns as the boys were in Australia, and this helped brighten the comic, and the storyline, considerably. We still are a few days away from an arrival in Britain, and although Geogre is damaged, I don't think we will get too much more drama out of this boat ride home. What awaits us in Britain I can't even begin to guess, however, I know this much - I can't wait for it.  

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "I've won...I've got the ten-lap ticket!" 

Tallon Of The Track

Bikes and bodies are all over the track in Moscow in the wake of a spectator, a musician who earlier presented Sven with a balalaika, running out in the middle of a race.

While the Russian is carted off to the hospital, the rest of the riders carry on with the meeting. Sven only has a twisted ankle, and he recuperates in the dressing room while the Ospreys continue the heats. 

They win two races and look comfortable, so Jo wanders back to check on Sven. She tells him that weird things have happened since he was given the balalaika. Sven agrees and then points out to Jo that while they were racing it has now vanished altogether. 

Although I was pleased that no one was seriously hurt in the accident, I wasn't pleased with the overall flow of this week's story. The McGuffin of the balalaika feels like it has been with us for months now (in reality this is the third week) and there is too much made of it. I was intrigued by the warning the elderly Russian delivered to Sven, but then we were derailed by the track meeting which dominated most of the strip. Under normal circumstances that would have been fine, but it was a boring race meet and didn't move the story any further forward. Ospreys won their races, with only a drizzle of drama, and the story only advanced once Jo went to the changing room to check on Sven. There is a mystery to be solved here, one that needs to be pulled into the light soon before I lose all interest and mentally check out.

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "You...must...beware! Beware!"

Billy's Boots

Without his boots, Billy is playing badly for his school. How many times I will have to write that in the coming years, I wonder. Johnson and Bates have stolen his boots, and even as Billy wonders where they have got to, they are making plans to chuck them in the river. 

This they do, although Billy has been tipped off that the boys were seen carrying his boots by the river, and he arrives just in time to see the boots floating away. A quick dash beside the river, and Billy scrambles onto a bridge where he hopes to grab them as they float by. 

He grabs them all right but ends up in the river for his troubles. Luckily a fisherman sees Billy struggling in the water, and paddles to his aid. Pulled up on the boat, Billy is still clutching his prize boots, much to the surprise of the fisherman. 

Making his way home in borrowed clothing, Billy dries his boots. The next day he finds he has been dropped from the school team, which although isn't surprising is still nevertheless upsetting to Billy. 

Billy is called to play for the reserve team in a match against the first team. With his boots back on his feet, his confidence is buoyed, and juggling the ball before the match Billy feels confident about turning in a good performance to show the school that he deserves a spot in the first team. 

A very typical Billy's Boots story, with Billy retrieving his boots from a nearly lost situation to turning out at the match with something to prove. I should be tired of it, but I'm not.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Come on, Dane...get changed! I want the reserves to play hard and give the cup team a good workout. No sulking because you've been dropped!"

Hot Shot Hamish

With the ground subsiding near one of the stands, Hamish finds himself sinking in thick mud, and sinking fast! The story of off to a fast start as a fire engine wails its way to the ground in hopes of rescuing Hamish before he sinks to Australia (his words, not mine). 

The rescue is quickly affected, and Hamish is soon clean of mud and ready for the game. This cleanliness doesn't last long as the field is a muddy mess, and soon enough Hamish is once again covered in mud as he struggles to get the ball for his team. 

It's not just Hamish who is struggling with the mud, and Princes Park goes one-nil down as the goalkeeper fails to catch a slippery ball and concedes the goal. 

Worst news awaits at halftime as the draw of the next round of the cup is announced. Princes Park has drawn Westboro' town at home. That sounded OK until the team found that the authorities had decided to close their ground after this current much due to the danger presented by the stand that was damaged in the heavy rain. 

The team and managers are despondent as the second half begins. However, there is a light on the horizon as it's suggested that if they sell one of their players they afford to repair the stand. The obvious choice is Hamish, and we finish the strip with Mister McWhacker seriously considering the idea. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "What aboot Hamish? There's many a club that would pay good money for that laddie!" 

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton. 

Johnny has discovered that Grarg, his previous opponent, is actually a robot, and he rapidly descends from his vantage point to tell Splash.

A plan is quickly formulated, with Splash creating a diversion at the front door while Johnny investigates this robot further. 

The diversion is successful, and Johnny sneaks silently into the room where the robot stands impassively. Johnny examines Grarg closely, noting how human he looks despite his internal robotics. With Grarg unmoving, Johnny taunts him, becoming angry that he was defeated by a robot. Unfortunately, he finishes his rant with the word "attack" which is a keyword used to set the robot in motion.

And attack he does, with Grarg striking out at Johnny and setting Johnny on the defensive. Johnny is struggling to contain Grarg, who picks up a large desk and tosses it at Johnny. As Johnny wryly comments in the final panel, he has started something he cannot stop, and the robot means to quickly finish him off.

This was just what I wanted to read. Johnny has rumbled the mysteries within the castle, and we have a worthy competition with Grarg to drive the action into next week. It looked fantastic on the page, with both the story and the artwork powerfully combining into a fantastic issue. I hope this story runs for many more issues, it is back to its best and I love every panel.    

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "This wrestler not so tough when no-one there to operate him! Come, o fake one, where is your wrestling skill now?"  

Nipper

While brawling with his England teammate Denton, Nipper is pulled aside and informed of the car accident involving Andy Stewart and Ron Bayliss. The English manager tells him to get changed, and they are soon in a car speeding to the hospital to check on the status of Nipper's club manager and trainer. 

They are in a serious condition, and the English manager tells Nipper that they will be laid up for a couple of months at least. This starts Nipper worrying about who will replace them, although on a positive note the English manager tells him he won't report Nipper for the fight with Denton - he has been punished enough with this shocking crash. 

Nipper sums it up succinctly in the following panel as he talks to his dog - what a mess. This mess gets worse when he picks up a paper and finds his fight with Denton reported on the front page. It seems someone has leaked this incident to the papers. 

Nipper rightly assumes that the new manager at Blackport won't look on this kindly, and so it proves as Clive Norton, chairman of the board of directors, takes over Andy Stewart's role in his absence, and immediately calls Nipper to his office. 

Nipper's punishment is severe and despite scoring two goals for England, he is dropped to the Blackport Reserve squad until further notice.  

Another great story, and one that didn't rely on action on the page to tell its tale. The expressions said enough, and we had a lot of character work going on in the dialogue to carry the main thrust. Every word on the page felt true to the character speaking it, and the nitty-gritty of Nipper and his world was brought to life on the page. Just as good as Johnny Cougar for the connection between art and word, this was an extremely strong ending to a great issue of Tiger. Nipper still has a mountain of trouble, and I expect this high standard will be maintained for some weeks.  

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "How could you, Lawrence? How dare you ruin the club's reputation with such an exhibition of...of hooliganism!" 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Nipper

Best Line: "It's too late for excuses, young man! Your back-street insolence might have been tolerated in the past, but not anymore! It's time you were brought to heel..!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz:

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: