Tiger 8th February 1975

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

Tiger

8th February  1975

Roy of the Rovers

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 8/10

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

Skid Solo

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 5/10

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

Martin's Marvellous Mini

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 5/10

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

Hot Shot Hamish

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 5/10

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

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton 

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

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

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

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

Rating: 8/10

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

Tallon Of The Track 

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 7/10

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

Billy's Boots 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 7/10

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

Nipper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 7.5/10

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

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 6.5/10

Best Story: Roy Of The Rovers 

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

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz:

Tiger 1st February 1975

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

Tiger

1st February  1975

Billy's Boots 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 8/10

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

Johnny Cougar

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

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

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

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

Rating: 7/10

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

Martin's Marvellous Mini 

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 6.5/10

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

Tallon Of The Track

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 6/10 

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

Skid Solo.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 7/10

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

Roy Of The Rovers

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

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

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

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

Rating: 9/10

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

Hot-Shot Hamish 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 6/10

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

Nipper

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 6/10

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

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Roy Of The Rovers 

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

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: 

Tiger 25th January 1975

There is something for everyone on the pages of Tiger, and especially in this issue as each character, story, and sport is well represented with containing storylines.  In real life I don't have time to follow multiple sports, preferring instead to follow only my beloved football and a little wrestling. It was a different story when I was a youngster, and the spread of sports represented in Tiger closely aligned with what I was following at the time. I'm not sure which came first, following the sports on the pages of the comics, or experiencing them in the flesh, but there is no doubt that the two fed into each other, giving me a lifelong love of both sports and comics.  This week the two come together in an exciting issue with an array of thrills, thoughts and feelings. 

Tiger

18th January 1975

Johhny Cougar

It's Johnny Cougar on the cover of this week's issue, emerging from the clear cylinders that he and his opponent, Big Jim Jackson, were placed in to keep them safe from each other last week. 

After this, the fight is on, and Big Jim Jackson starts the stronger of the two. Johnny gets the first attack in, but from then on it's all Jackson, who eventually floors Johnny with a double-handed karate chop. 

Johnny regains his feet by the count of eight and although groggy responds by locking Jackson into a Boston crab. Jackson does his best to resist a submission, but by the end of the strip he has tapped out, and Johhny leads the bout by one submission. 

The opening picture of the two competitors emerging from their cylinders was a weak start and perhaps we would have been better to start with something a little more dramatic. The drama of the strip lay within the fight itself, and we started well with some heavy blows. The final submission of Jackson in a Boston crab was well done, and we were faced with a page of this hold as panel after panel Johnny applied the pressure. It could have been boring, but for me, it added to the tension as we could see Jackson struggling to free himself, as well as struggling against his impulse to tap out. The slower pace of this week's strip served the story well, and after often complaining about bouts that are over quickly, I was pleased to see that this felt like a real wrestling match. Once again, the story excels when it remains wrestling-focused, and after dispensing with the needless cylinders of the first panel, that is exactly what we got.

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "That's it...the classic Boston crab!" 

Roy Of The Rovers

With a collapsed barrier and fans spilling onto the pitch, circus recruit Sammy Spangler is dribbling into a whole heap of trouble. He hastily kicks the ball away, a wayward whack that gifts the non-league side Sleeford a goal. 

Roy's unhappy about it and appeals to the referee, who then points out that the crowd didn't interfere and it was Spangler's panicked kick that gave away the goal. 

Intent on putting this behind them, Roy and the team keep feeding the ball to Spangler. However, he is continually frustrated by the Spleeford team who take the ball from him before he can set up for any of his tricks. As Roy rightfully points out, Sleeford's players aren't giving him any time, something they should have thought about before they signed him. 

Sleeford scores again from a hack upfield, but in the final panels, there is some hope for Melchester Rovers as Roy breaks the defence and delivers a beautiful cross towards Sammy Spangler. A goal seems inevitable, but we'll have to wait until next week to find out. 

I had a feeling this would happen to Spangler, and although this is just a comic, I feel superior to Roy for recognising this early on. I am still not a fan of this storyline. I thought the crowd collapsing onto the field had the potential to move us in a different direction, and offered some chance at depth to this story. It wasn't to be, and it feels like a lost opportunity. Overall, it feels like the story is treading water, and until it begins to move forward again I'm finding it the most frustrating strip in Tiger at the moment. 

Rating: 4/10

Best line: "Well, that's what the scoreboard says! I think it's time we started behaving like the best team in the country!" 

Martin's Marvellous Mini

Martin and another driver are neck and neck in coming into the final straight of the baton race. The Australian driver proves to be aggressive, and with a swerve, he crashes hard into the side of Martin. 

Tiny is not one to stay calm in such a situation, and he runs out onto the track to berate the other driver. This leads to both vehicles taking evasive action, Martin managing to keep control while the other driver isn't so lucky and crashes out of the race. 

Oddly enough the officials are fine with all of this, and Martin and Tiny are presented with the cup and prize money for winning the race. 

Still lumbered with the second car they brought for the race, they decide to sell it to a scrap metal dealer. Parking the vehicles on the road, they speak to the owner of the scrap yard, and over a cup of tea, they recount some of their adventures. This is interrupted by the sudden appearance of their car, George, swinging by the window and into the crusher. Bursting from the office they yell to the man driving the crusher, but the machinery is too loud and he can't hear them. 

I wasn't entirely happy with the end of the baton race. It felt all too easy in the end, and once again they triumphed relatively easily. The standout moment was certainly when Tiny ran onto the track, a moment that not only influenced the outcome but also gave a fine demonstration of the type of person Tiny is. We have seen similar situations where he has lost his cool, and this outburst was entirely fitting with his personality. As I expressed above, I was surprised there were no repercussions for running on the track and causing one of the cars to crash. Even in the fantasy world of comics, I would assume this is frowned upon. I like where we are going with the scrap yard, and even though I am looking forward to them getting back to Britain, this is a pleasant and highly readable diversion.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "You big oaf! You can't knock George about like that!"

Skid Solo

Race day of a major (and unnamed) South American race, and Skid Solo is paying careful attention to the weather. 

Unknown to the other racers, Skid has been speaking to a friend who has been flying a helicopter in the nearby mountains. There he encountered heavy rain, rain that should arrive at the race track sometime just after the race begins. 

Skid is the only one privy to this information, and accordingly, he is the only one on the starting grid with wet weather tires, much to the surprise of the other racers. With no rain forecast, no one else has taken this precaution and they are considerably faster than Skid on the track, with Skid slipping to eighth place, twenty-eight seconds behind the leader. 

With the arrival of unexpected torrential rain, the circumstances change and Skid becomes the fastest man on the track. His wet weather tires pay dividends, and he works his way quickly through the field, snatching a hard-fought victory.

We leave with Skid delivering a lesson to Sparrow Smith, a good driver always pays attention to the weather. 

The outside influence of the weather was too much for me, and I didn't enjoy this story as much as I should have. I always appreciate seeing track racing on the page, and that looked fine, my only issue being the fact that Skid had knowledge the other drivers didn't. It was shoehorned in, with Skid just happening to have a friend who flies a helicopter nearby. It's stretching credibility a little, and in my eyes did the story a disservice. If there was another means by which Skid had this information I should have been happier, it was the delivery of this crucial information that was the sticking point for me. I was also disappointed by Sandy's negative attitude. In one of the panels before the race we see him telling Skid that he he doesn't know why he is racing as he has no chance. Not the type of character that I would want on my team, that's for sure. I would have hoped that Sandy had a little more faith in his car and would have backed Skid all the way. I have a real soft spot for Skid Solo, alas this week's episode didn't speak in my language and overall I walked away from it slightly deflated. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Come on, Skid, tell me...how did you know it was going to rain?"

Nipper

Nipper is still in a daze on the football field after taking a knock to the head before the game. He is still worried that he might not make the England under-twenty-three team if he reports injured and is determined to carry on. 

However, at sideline the reporter Brian Crawford is bending Andy Stewart's ear, telling him that if Blackport loses it would be his fault if he doesn't tell Andy what he knows. 

Out on the field, Len Duggan fires a shot at goal. The keeper clears it with a strong kick that unfortunately hits Nipper in the head. The ball rebounds into the goal for an equalizer, but Nipper is laid out and carried off the field. He thinks he will be in the clear now, this blow to the head will explain away his dizziness on the field, but in the dressing room, Andy Stewart and the physio look at him and confirm what Crawford has told them, the bruise on his head wasn't caused by a football.

A concussed Nipper collapses and is taken away in an ambulance, while onlookers surmise that Andy Stewart will throw the book at him for not reporting it.

A curious story, I haven't warmed to it, but every week I am intrigued by what comes next. It never plays out straight forward and this is something I enjoy about the story. I thought the sideline chat from Brian Crawford would have had a more immediate impact, and I liked that it wasn't resolved immediately and instead is stretching off until next week. I also like that this week wasn't entirely Nipper-focused and it was other characters that carried the bulk of the storyline. Nipper stands out as being different from other stories in Tiger comic, and although this isn't my favourite story, in some ways, it remains the most interesting with all its various threads. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Whatever he's been saying, it...it isn't true! I...I'm all right, Mister Stewart, honest! You can't report this to the England selectors! You can't...!" 

Hot Shot Hamish

An unusual scene for us in the first panel of this week's strip as we see Hamish in the recreational room, playing pool. Tensions are high and after some interference from Hamish's sheep, MacMutton, a fight breaks out. With a pool cue cracked across his head, Hamish upends the table and an all-in brawl ensues. 

All's well that ends well, and as the dust settles Hamish and the team are united. Thoughts may be with their upcoming cup game, but first, they have a league game to play. The team is energetic and enthusiastic, quickly gaining a two-nil lead on the back of Hamish's hot shot and a powerful header. In the stands, two men from Dunferlie, the team the next face in the cup, watch on. Princes Park may be two-nil up, but they are convinced that it's a flash in the pan and when they next face each other Dunferlie will thrash them again. 

The ending was weak in comparison to what came earlier, especially the fight in the recreation room. Seeing Hamish playing pool was a fish out of water situation, and he looked ridiculous. One couldn't help but smile at it. The fight was also humourous, highlighting Hamish's strength and the volatile nature of some of his teammates. It all added to the colour of Princes Park, showing they are more than footballers on the field. The artwork on this opening page was superb, and easily a highlight of this week's Tiger comic. This was a taster of what is to come as we build towards the cup game, and as such wasn't essential this week. However, it remained a lot of fun, and any time we get to see Hamish's hot shot is a treat.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Dinna talk about MacMutton that way! Yon sheep's got more brains in his feet than ye have in yere head!"

Billy's Boots

Billy has teamed up with new boy Jimmy Dawson, and this newfound partnership is reaping rewards as the two carve up the field at the trial game. 

Billy and Jimmy's second eleven end up beating the first team, and on Thursday morning there is excitement in the air as Billy and Jimmy scamper to see the team that has been posted by the sports master. 

There's disappointment for Billy as he hasn't made the first team, although Jimmy Dawson has. Trudging home, he stops by the local amateur club to see if he can get a game with their youth side. He can't, but fate intervenes with the appearance of Mister Slade, whom we met a couple of issues ago as Billy jumped the fence into his property. 

Mister Slade is an ex-England international, and he steps in on Billy's behalf, telling the coach to put Billy on, after all, it's only a training session.

Billy does well, showing that he has learnt how to header the ball properly based on the tips that Mister Slade gave him. Slade is impressed, and after the game, he invites Billy to play in a benefit match for Faraday Athletic. It will give Billy a taste of first-division football as they are playing West Barnworth Albion, a team currently fifth in the first division. 

It is a big game, in front of forty thousand people. Coming on as a sub with thirty minutes to do, Billy is told that he will find it fast, but to do his best. Meanwhile from the stands, the headmaster is watching with the sports master. The headmaster is amused that Billy is playing, but can't get a game for the school team, to which the sports master comments that he thinks that Billy will be out of his depth here. 

Unbelievable, but fun. After a string of bad luck, it looks like things have finally turned for Billy. We had previously seen him jumping the fence and being caught trespassing in Mister Slade's yard, and here that is turned on its head as Billy comes up trumps with the reappearance of this character. I'm in two minds about Billy playing at this high level. My first thought is this is fun and is every young boy's dream. That side of it made me smile, and the thought of it warmed my heart. My second thought was it was all a bit unbelievable, and a stretch for my imagination. Even reading it with a cold beer in hand didn't help me, it still seemed all too much of a coincidence and unlikely. However, it sure beats having miserable Billy moping across our pages, and the last two issues have seen him emerge from the depressing fog with a smile and an extra spring in his step. It makes the reading of it all the more pleasant, and although I'm not totally sold on the idea, I did enjoy the story a lot. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "All right, if they don't want me...that's it! I won't play for the school again...ever! I'll get a game with someone else!" 

Tallon Of The Track 

Held at gunpoint, Jo and her team are ordered to compete against a local Russian team. 

Jo has little choice but to agree and soon they have unloaded their bikes and got changed into their racing gear. They are agog at the ancient Russian bikes they are racing against, but these bikes prove their undoing during the race. Belching heavy black smoke, the bikes throw up a smoke screen that causes Jo and Valdmir to collide, leaving the race wide open for the local team of Gorbski to take maximum points. 

A page to set up the racing and a page is racing is all we have here. We still haven't learnt the motive for this local team to be so desperate to race the Ospreys, but no doubt we shall find out soon enough. I enjoyed the intensity of the faces on the first page, and the thrill of the bikes on the second page, and we have a good balance and contrast between the two. The story isn't speaking to me, but the artwork is and currently, that is the main reason I am drawn to Tallon Of The Track. Each panel is worthy of a close look, and it is time well spent as actions speak louder than words. It is still some way from its best, but it still finds ways to entertain. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Just look at the opposition! Those machines must have come out of the ark!" 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 6.5/10

Best Story: Johnny Cougar 

Best Line: "Whatever he's been saying, it...it isn't true! I...I'm all right Mister Stewart, honest! You can't report this to the England selectors! You can't..!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: