Tiger 26th April 1975

Last week was a transition week for many of the stories with new stories starting and several other older storylines evolving. This week we get the payoff with one of the best issues of Tiger I have read since this blog started almost two years ago. The artwork throughout was stupendous and I had a tough choice selecting a favourite panel. This was a joy to read, and I liked the direction most of the stories were going. It feels like we have hit a fertile patch in the storytelling, and this is a timely reminder of why I first started reading Tiger all those years ago. There is something for everyone, and all of it is of excellent quality.  

Tiger

26th April 1975

Billy's Boots

Groundwood School has reached the Schools' Cup final for the second year in succession. There are nerves aplenty as the team lines up to run out on the first-division pitch, heightened by the fact that they are about to meet the Duke of Molechester. 

With the ceremony over the game begins. Billy's boots are performing as expected and Billy has a torrid first half. Coming off the field at halftime, they are down one-nil, although they have had chances. The sportsmaster is encouraging, and despite his mistakes, Billy receives no criticism.

The second half begins with Billy immediately passing the ball to an opposing player. There are calls of rubbish from the crowd, but this time Billy makes amends. Chasing the opposing player, he wins the ball back before launching into a mazing dribble through the other team. With four players beaten, there are more calls for him to pass it, although it seems that Billy will be holding onto the ball and heading for goal in next week's issue.

The front cover was deceiving and I thought that more of the story was going to be taken up with meeting the Duke. This didn't happen and we swiftly moved on to the football action. On this front, the story didn't disappoint, and I lapped up every miskick and poor pass that Billy made. In front of the big crowd, you could feel his nervousness, and the artist did a fine job of capturing his angst every time the ball went astray. Surprisingly, my favourite part of the story was when his boots took control, and Billy began dribbling through the opposition. It looked great on the page and was beautifully captured in a single panel. For ten seconds Billy looked like Messi in his prime, and for the first time in a long while I felt genuinely excited about his magical boots. The strength of Billy's Boots is in his friendships and the camaraderie among the boys, but this was one instance when the football looked sublime, and I felt I was watching something spectacular unfold. Full credit to the artist on this, it is one panel that will be going into my virtual hall of fame. 

Rating: 9/10

Best line: "Tighten up your passing, Dane...and good luck!"

Skid Solo

It is the Spanish Grand Prix this week, and it looks like it's going to be fiercely competitive. The scene is set from the first panel, with a fiery encounter between Sparrow Smith and Gino Renga taking place on the grid, picking up their rivalry from where we left off last week. 

Skid is in fifth place as the race begins, the perfect place to see Renga's scheme of blocking Sparrow out. There is little Skid can do about it, apart from taking advantage of Renga's negative tactics and driving past both of them in a single manoeuvre. 

While Skid chases the leaders. Renga is intent on blocking Sparrow, much to the displeasure of his team manager watching from the pits. The manager put out a backboard to call him in. Renga sees the sign but decides to ignore it. However, as he is distracted by this, Sparrow seizes the moment and speeds by. 

This infuriates Renga, who drives madly on the track to try and recapture his position. Skid is having engine trouble, and soon Sparrow and Renga are right behind them. Sparrow passes him smoothly, but Renga is a little too aggressive in trying to pass at the same time, and the wheels of his car touch Skid's. 

Both run off the track and although Skid can rejoin the race, Renga is out for the day. The rest of the race passes by quickly and ends with Mareilla taking the checkered flag, followed by Vargan, Sparrow Smith and in fourth place, Skid Solo.  

After the race Skid is furious with Renga's reckless driving and wants to put in a report. However, he is pacified when he learns that Renga has been sacked from this team. Just at this moment Tommy Carter wakes up from his sleep, excited to see his first race and not wanting to miss a thing, little realizing that the race has come and gone. 

The drama with Renga that was built up the last couple of weeks came to a head in this issue and it was worth the wait. The racing was everything we had come to expect from Skid Solo with some hard driving and the obligatory crash. In this case, no one was hurt and it was nice to see the villain of the piece get his comeuppance. Renga has been cast well in the role of the villain, and we had plenty of contorted expressions and angry words before we reached this point, all of which helped put him firmly in the role of the heel. It was by the book, yet nevertheless, I enjoyed every moment of his conflict with Sparrow and Skid and I wouldn't be too surprised if we saw him again. I felt a little disappointed for Tommy Carter to miss all of this, it was a great race and I enjoyed it immensely on his behalf. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "If Renga carries on like that...he'll wrap his car round a lamp-post! Good luck to him...so long as he doesn't pile me up at the same time..."

Martin's Marvellous Mini

We open the story with a spectacular image of the mini emerging from a tunnel. We are still in the middle of the novelty race, and Martin and Tiny are giving it their all. Currently in third, they are right behind the leaders and rapidly approaching the jump across the river. 

Approaching the ramp, they watch on as the first car fails to make the jump and crashes into the water. the second car makes it cleanly across and now it is their turn. 

They make the jump, but only just as they bounce off the submerged car in the river and fortuitously land on the ramp on the opposite bank. With only one car ahead of them the race is on, and both are soon in the next obstacle, the sandpit. 

The front windshield becomes covered with dust, leading to Tiny kicking it out as they race on. The next obstacle is a sloping corner turn. Making their move to the outside, they are side by side with the lead car, but dangerously close to toppling over the edge.

That is where we leave our heroes this week, with the wheels all almost off the track and a potential crash awaiting us. I'm going to put my money down now and say it won't happen, but in the world of Tiger you just never know.  This issue offered plenty of thrills with the novelty race as we expected, and although none of it felt high-stakes it did have some of the best artwork we have seen in this week's comic. The first image of the car emerging from the pipe was fabulous, but at the bottom of that same page, it was pipped by an even better image of  George bouncing across the river. Along with the memorable panels we have already seen in Billy's Boots and Skid Solo, this has been one of the best Tiger comics in the last couple of years for artwork, and the bar is set extremely high for the remaining stories in this week's issue. I thought the novelty race would be fun, but I never expected to be indulged with such wonderful artwork, and any thoughts of the lightness of the story were dispelled with the colourful images before my eye. Excellent work, and there's plenty more to come next week. 

Rating: 9/10

Best line: "The leader hasn't made it! He's in the water!" 

Roy Of The Rovers

Rovers are playing their last league match of the season, and struggling to score against Barnford who have packed eight men in the penalty area. Blackie thinks they should play the ball square and try to draw them out. Roy isn't having any of that and yells at the team to keep attacking and shooting. 

With his authority stamped on the game, the rest of the team follows Roy's instructions. Lofty dribbles into a sea of players in the box, leading to confusion and two Barnford players crashing into each other. Amidst this chaos, Roy is on hand to poke the ball into the net for a one-nil lead right on full time. 

The season is over and the team happily retire to the dressing room. It is then that Ben Galloway bursts in, telling Roy to turn on the television. Roy does, and they all watch an interview with Tony Storme, recorded in Majorca four days ago - just at the same time as Rovers were taking on Dynamo Zarnov. There is no way that Tony Storme could be the mystery man passing the notes, despite what Roy previously thought. 

The season may be over, but there is still the semi-final of the Cup Winners Cup to be played against Durmstadt. It is here that this week's strip ends with one final surprise for Roy and his team. A message has been pasted onto one of the footballs in the dressing room, and it's another message from the mystery man telling Roy that their secret weapon against Durmstard is going to be Charlie Carter. 

Seeing the pure football action against Barnford reminded me of how much more I enjoyed Roy Of The Rovers before this mystery man storyline began. I haven't looked back to see how long it's been running, but it feels like many months now and I am more than ready to move on. The football action against Barnford was entertaining, although a last-minute goal from Roy to win the match was, well, Roy Of The Rovers stuff. Surely we could have had someone else on hand to score this one instead of Roy for once. Small gripe and I remind myself that it's Roy's story, and he is the one we all come to read about. Obviously, I wasn't so enamoured by the next clue in the mystery man story and although I look forward to seeing the team take on their German opponents, I hope that the mystery man plays only a small role in the on-field action. We will see in the coming weeks, and I shall approach what comes next with an open mind.

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "So our mysterious helper couldn't have been Tony...not unless he's found a way of being in two places at once!

Hot Shot Hamish

Last week it was titled "Hot-shot Hamish" and this week "Hot shot Hamish." What's a poor boy to do, it's messing with my format. Despite the inconsistency of the title, the story remains as reliable as ever with a story that is humourous and exciting in equal measure. 

With Mister McWhacker disguised as Hamish's Daddie on the sideline, Hamish is reinvigorated and wins the ball from the opposition player. However, he doesn't get far before he is tripped from behind and earns a free kick. From the stand, Hamish's Daddie appears, calling the referee to punish the player for the foul. On the other side of the field Mister McWhacker, looking just like Hamish's Daddie, yells for Hamish to take the the kick. 

The appearance of two Daddies confuses Hamish, although he puts this aside as he tries his hot-shot. The shot cannons off the crossbar, and as the teams go to half time it still locked at nil all. 

Hamish's Daddie is unhappy with what he has seen and barges into the dressing room, where Mister McWhacker is standing. Seeing him dressed as himself. Hamish's Daddie knocks him down with a single punch, revealing McWhacker's true identity to Hamish and the rest of the team. 

A quick apology and explanation soon put things right, and the game resumes with Hamish determined to put in a good performance for his Daddie. A goal from a hot shot followed by a headed goal seals the game for the team, and they are through to the final. However, it has taken its toll on Hamish, and Mister McWhacker's and Hamish's Daddie's celebration is cut short as Hamish is carried by on a stretcher, having hit his head on the post after scoring. 

Plenty of good humour here, despite the downbeat finish. The shenanigans with two Daddies wasn't as silly as it sounds here, and it was quite enjoyable to see it play out in the strip. I also appreciated the way it was wrapped up relatively quickly, with no long-term fallout. A single panel with Mister McWhacker was sufficient, and it kept the story moving smoothly. Apart from the hotshot panels, we also had several other moments of explosive art, the pick being when Hamish headed the ball home for a goal. It looked fierce on the page, and once again the artist has done a fine job of capturing the size of Hamish along with his strength and forceful movement. If not for the strength of the art that has come before, this would be my favourite, but as it is it only adds to the lustre of the comic.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Daddie here...an' Daddie there! What's going on? I havena got two Daddies!"

Nipper

With Nipper on the transfer list and Gatesfield making an approach, Nipper has decided that he should go look at their set-up. 

Leaving his dog with Kerry, he travels with Harry Roper, manager of Gatesfield, although Harry is a little distraught that Nipper has mentioned this to Kerry as the negotiations are supposed to be kept quiet. Nipper assures him that Kerry will keep quiet, but as they reach the outskirts of Blackport they find the papers are full of the news of Nipper being on strike.

This changes the situation drastically, and Harry Roper tells Nipper the deal is off. He had no idea that Nipper was on strike, and there was no way that they could sign him under such circumstances. Nipper is dropped off immediately and trudges his way back to the caravan. 

He is surprised to find the newspaper reporter Brian Crawford waiting for him, and his anger begins to rise at the sight of him. Crawford has little time to explain why he is there and hands Nipper a letter that sees Nipper's mood change immediately. It seems that someone important to Nipper knows about his troubles and Nipper has a shocked look on his face as he reads. 

Back at the club Clive Norton, Chairman of the board, is besieged in his office by angry fans. Although rocks are being thrown through his window, he refuses to yield and tells the others with him that the club cannot be dictated to by one player. 

The following evening Blackport are playing at home. As the team take the field, it is observed that only ten players are on the side. It is then that Nipper emerges from the tunnel, dressed and ready to play.  

Another twisting and turning episode, and although devoid of football I nevertheless found it gripping from start to finish. I'm quietly pleased to see Nipper hasn't changed clubs. Nipper is Blackport through and through, and to see him in another strip just wouldn't feel right. We still have unanswered questions, and although the story gave a lot this week at a rapid pace, this story has extra depths and it looks like we still have some way to go. Overall, I am very satisfied with what unfolded, and the final image of Nipper emerging from the tunnel was just fantastic and left me hungry for more. Great characters, an interesting story, and some emotive artwork again make this another strong story, and this issue is proving to be a bumper crop of great stories.

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "I..I didn't realise that you were on strike! Nothing personal, lad, but my directors would have my ears for book-ends if I signed on a player with a reputation for making trouble." 

Johnny Cougar

Johnny Cougar has gained victory in an international wrestling contest and now has three visitors in the shape of three school boys seeking help with a particular problem. 

They lay out their tale of woe quickly - their P.T. teacher keeps getting involved in accidents at school, but they're convinced they're not accidents and there is a larger plot at hand. 

Johnny rightly points out that they should approach the police, but they ask if he could come to the school and meet Mister Mitchell and just see what is going on. 

Johnny Cougar agrees and the following day it is announced that he will be visiting the school and taking in the sports activities as well as some of the classrooms. 

The three boys are delighted when Johnny appears at their maths class, and soon after arrives at the gymnasium. Johnny is duly introduced to Mister Mithcell, and soon the pair of them are trying the sports equipment, with Johnny keeping a careful eye out for anything untoward. 

A first all appears well, but soon Mister Mitchell scrambles up the wall bars, only for them to come away from the wall and collapse, leaving him laid out on the floor badly hurt. Johnny is shocked, and more trouble waist as the three boys who asked for Johnny's help are caught by the headmaster peering through the gymnasium window. The headmaster jumps to the wrong conclusion and the three are accused of being responsible for these accidents. 

This week's story accelerated quickly after last week's set-up, and already we are up to our necks in it. Interesting to see Splash Gorton's name is no longer in the title. I surmised that he might be disappearing for a while, and it seems that this has come to pass. It's been a long time since I read these stories, and I'm not sure if he ever makes it back into the title, although I do recall he will be back in the story. Only time will tell, and in the meantime, I will cross my fingers for Splash. Elsewhere, the artwork is just as good as last week and again the faces are what really sell the story to me. Not just Johnny Cougar and the three boys, but also the face of the headmaster who looks just as stern and old-fashioned as you might imagine. We have advanced from last week, but it is still early stages of the story. Splash has gone, we have been introduced to new troubles for Johnny and next week we shall see what this story is made of. I can't wait 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "By Manitou, mystery saboteur strikes again...and this time teacher look badly hurt!"

Tallon Of The Track

Jo has been invited to compete in a series of speed events against American Millionaire Miles Gutherie, in an attempt to save the Osprey's stadium being turned into a factory. The first event is a speed trial over one kilometre on air-streamed two-wheelers.

They may look like two pencils, but they are still essentially motorbikes, and Jo is confident she can handle it, With the race starting immediately, soon she is belting along at one hundred and seventy-five miles an hour, and still Gutherie holds a small lead. Jo goes to squeeze a little more out of her bike, but in adjusting the throttle she accidentally launches her drag chute designed to slow down and stop the bike. It snarls up behind her, causing the bike to go out of control and we finish with Jo hurtling towards a brick wall at one hundred and seventy miles an hour. 

A great showcase for the bikes here, and they look just as fast as they claim to be. All sleek lines and powerful engines, they look as fast and dangerous as they prove to be. This story has accelerated quickly from last week, and the stakes are high with Jo already facing a life-or-death situation. All is forgiven for the previous months in Russia, this is the Tallon Of The Track story I want to read, and I'm getting a heavy dose of all I wished for. I hope this story doesn't rush to a speedy conclusion, I want to see a lot more like this, and until next week I will be reading this a couple more times and celebrate the great artwork and exciting storyline. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "I'm sitting on so much power, it feels like a moon rocket!"

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 8/10

Best Story: Billy's Boots

Best Line: "What's this, then? Who do you think ye are...dressing up in the Balfour tartan? Ye look a right sight, mon! I'll no have disgrace brought on the Balfours! And ye've got a pet sheep, just like Hamish's!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz:

Tiger 19th April 1975

Several stories are off to a fresh start, and in particular I look forward to seeing where Tallon Of The Track will go next. Johnny Cougar also has a new adventure awaiting, and this week is laying down the groundwork for that. All in all, a transition week for many of the stories, while a couple of others are reaching their climax. A good mix, and with a couple of firm favourites chugging along nicely, this week should be an interesting read.

Tiger

19th April 1975

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton

A new adventure for Johnny Cougar this week and I look forward to seeing what situation our hero will be thrown into this time. 

The set-up is brief and to the point. Mister Mitchell is a P.E. teacher in the Midlands who seems to suffer mysterious accidents in the gymnasium. We learn this from three of his pupils, who discuss this after seeing the legs of the pommel horse collapse under him, seemingly sawn through.

Coincidently, Johnny Cougar is wrestling a Chinaman that very night in the town (Also, Dude, "Chinaman" is not the preferred nomenclature). The three boys, Tom Dailey, Danny Barlow, and Bobby Jackson approach Johnny Cougar after the fight and ask him for help. 

A basic set-up, and with the story still in embryonic form it is the artwork that carries the day. The faces of the three boys tell a story, and every time all three of them are in a panel the story leaps forward. Not a lot of Johnny Cougar in the story yet, although we did see him briefly wrestling a Chinese opponent. That fight is kept simple, with a headbutt and a sidestep, and with little fanfare it is just a chance to see Johnny do something in the ring. Splash is off at a swimming event, and didn't appear on the page with Johnny this week. Instead, we saw him making a phone call to tell Johnny how it was going. What this means for the future, I'm not sure, but potentially he may not be appearing in this story. That's understandable, with the three boys already to draw Johnny into the mystery, having Splash on the scene would clutter up the panels with extra bodies. We should learn more about the story to come next week, but for now, this has been a firm beginning. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Johnny Cougar! He's wrestling in our local town hall tonight! He'll know what to do...he always does, the Tiger and Scorcher!"  

Tallon Of The Track

The Ospreys are back in Britain, and Jo is angry at Basil Oldfield, the club chairman, yes - all is once again right in the world. 

The cause of Jo's anger is the possibility that the stadium will be closed down. Sir Basil only leases the stadium for the local property company, and it has now been sold to a new owner who wants to build a factory on the site. 

Jo is determined that this won't be happening under her watch, and learning that the new owner is a wealthy American millionaire called Miles Guthrie, she sets off to confront him. 

Miles Guthrie lives at Barnaby Grange, a country estate befitting a man of his wealth. Jo arrives with Dave and comments that it looks like he has built a private runway in the grounds, no doubt for his private jet. 

This assumption is dispelled in the next few panels as we see a drag racing bike howling down the asphalt towards them. Jo and Dave and forced to dive aside as the bike roars past them and after admiring the speed of the machine they are soon talking to the rider who is, unsurprisingly, Miles Guthrie.  

Miles confirms that yes, he does want to build a factory where the stadium now stands, a factory to build new dragster engines. This riles up Jo, who puts her case forward. The end result is Miles Guthrie challenges Jo to a series of different speed events and should she win he'll let them keep the stadium. We finish with the first look at what the first event will be with a pair of sleek aerodynamic bikes shown in the garage. 

Much better than the Russian storylines, we are back to the Tallon Of The Track that I know and love. This series of speed events holds great potential, and as much as I wanted to see speedway action, this is just as good. The bikes lined up for next week looked fantastic on the page, and the artist has imbued them with a sense of speed, even sitting still in the garage as they are. Miles Guthrie is shaping up to be a good character and a worthy opponent to Jo. Again, the panels with him on his bike were full of speed and energy and I could feel the pace at which they were moving just looking at the page. Next week can't come fast enough, and I look forward to seeing this story speed forward. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Sweetie-pie, this is a private pad...and I'm the kinda guy who does what he likes on his own property!" 

Martin's Marvellous Mini

Martin and Tiny take the easy route, across a bridge, after seeing another car sink in the river on the novelty race course. 

After this soft start, we see the Mini take on a steep muddy slope before making their way back onto the surfaced track. Shortly after they are back at the starting point and speaking to a track marshal in the pits. He offers them some advice - get into the lead as soon as you can and stay there, Most of the crashes in the race will be caused by cars behind banging into the cars getting in trouble ahead of them. 

It is sound advice, advice that Martin and Tiny readily take on board. As the race begins Martin steps on it, and as they reach the first obstacle, the pipe tunnel, they are in third place. Martin is going too fast, and they find the car driving towards the roof of the pipe as they round the bend, leaving them no option but to drive faster and hope they go right over and down the other side. 

A slow start after seeing the river jump at the end of last week, I was sure we would begin with seeing the Mini taking on the ramp. Driving over the bridge was the correct option, and although it didn't thrill me it was still correct for the characters. Now that the race has started I am far more engaged, and this drama of the pipe and driving on the roof of it, not only looks spectacular but has me dying to see what happens next. The race is filled with obstacles such as this, and if we have such drama at each one we shall be in for a long and exciting run. The motor racing panels are the best in this strip this week, and there are plenty of them for me to admire. It would be hard to select a favourite, and the quantity of them is thrilling in itself. Each one is a burst of joy, and next week we should be in for more of the same with the Mini taking on this fascinating track. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Too fast! I warned you...we're on the roof!"

Roy Of The Rovers

Rovers are amid their quarter-final against Dynamo Zarnov, and not only facing a hostile crowd but also intimated officials. 

The referee has left the field after being hit by a shot from Roy, and another linesman has taken over. Awarding a free-kick to Rovers he is facing a barrage of abuse, especially as he paces out the distance from the ball the Zarnov players must retreat to. Telling them that he will give them all yellow cards if they don't do as instructed, the new referee earns the respect of the Rovers players. It's Roy who points out that is Hans Kutz, a German referee who once handled a World Cup final. 

Buoyed by 'the Iron Ref" taking charge, Lofty takes his place in his opponent's wall, holding his ground as they gouge, kick, and elbow. As Roy runs in for the kick, Lofty breaks from the wall, leaving space for Roy to shoot home the equalizing goal. 

Determined to strike back, the Dynamo Zarnov players hammer Rovers, scoring at the other end shortly after. However, this goal is waved off as at least three Melchester players were being fouled when the goal was scored. 

From the resulting free-kick, the ball is quickly kicked downfield, and after some fast interplay Roy scores with a diving header to clinch the quarter-finals on aggregate 3-2

Speeding to the airport the players ask about the advice given by the mysterious expert and his note in the bottle. They also question his deliberate kick of the ball at the referee. Roy explains that kicking the ball at the referee was indeed an accident, and the advice in the note was to try a banana shot at the opposition keeper. Roy laughs that he bent it too much, and it clobbered the referee. 

With this game behind them, Roy looks towards the next game, and we see him in the final panel thinking that it is time he stood on his own two feet, and he needs to discover the identity of the mysterious note writer. 

The on-field action was all I could ever want, and l was delighted to see Lofty mixing it up in the opposition wall. It was always going to be Roy scoring from the free kick, so I didn't feel a thrill when that went in. However, his second goal with a diving header was spectacular and I was far more excited to see that. It felt like a proper exciting, air-punching, football moment. The mysterious note writer was kept lowkey for this issue, and the story flowed much better when it was restricted to on-field action., This gave a chance for the artwork to shine, and we had several memorable panels. A steadily improving story, with Roy's final thoughts it looks like the mysterious note writer may be revealed in the next few weeks. I certainly hope so. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Gouge, kick and elbow all you like, chummies! I'm not budging an inch..!"

Billy's Boots 

Billy has a cold, which is unfortunate as this is the week of the final for the Schools Cup. 

Billy tries to go to school during the week but is restricted to bed rest on the orders of his Gran. His pal Jimmy visits, asking if he'll be right for cup day, and telling him that they practised with Granger in his place but Granger was rubbish. 

Billy turns to the pages of Dead-Shot Keen's biography to see what the future might hold for him. Dead-Shot faced the same situation, coming back from a cold to appear in a cup final. For most of that game, he achieved very little, until two minutes from time when he scored a spectacular solo goal to win the match. 

Billy is heartened by this, although he has concerns about being out of form come the match today. He is feeling better and tells his Gran that he is ready to return to school. Good old Gran errs on the side of caution and tells Billy he must stay in bed another day. Billy is desperate to get some practice in before the big game, and to that end, he begins to kick a ball around in his bedroom. The inevitable happens, and Billy sends the ball smashing through a window. This seals the deal in his Gran's eyes, and Billy is soon back to school. 

At school, Billy and the team are told that the bus leaves at eleven-thirty on Saturday to London, and to make sure that they aren't late. Furthermore, they have new shirts for the final. Billy is impressed with the new shirts, and excitement is high within the team. 

The final stepping stone before the final and we see Billy overcoming one last hurdle. His cold has come and gone, he's got a clean bill of health from his Gran, and the bus to London beckons.  Already a couple of different scenarios are playing out in my mind, but we'll have to wait until next week to see what comes to fruition. This wasn't the most exciting issue. A cold isn't the most thrilling thing to happen in a sports comic, and neither is seeing Billy reading his book. However, it is all part of building the story which will climax next week in London. We have marinated in this cup competition long enough, next week it is time for the payoff with a worthy game and a fitting climax to the story. Well, that's what I hope, anyway! 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "So did that football, didn't it? All right...you go to school tomorrow, young man - before you break anything else!" 

Hot Shot Hamish

It's a big day for Hamish Balfour. Not only has he been picked for Scotland, but Mister McWhacker also has an offer of four hundred thousand pounds for his transfer.

This is all dealt with in the following panel as Hamish tells them that he'll never leave Princes Park. The management team is overjoyed, as is Hamish's Daddie who is currently reading the news that Hamish has made the Scottish team. 

Two days later Hamish is awakened by a noise out on the street. It is his father, with both his bagpipes and Hamish's pet sheep, McMutton, who has come to watch him play for his country. Hamish explains to his Daddie that the game is still a month away, and he's too early.

This conversation is interrupted by Hamish's landlady who has arrived to kick Hamish's father out. She'll not have extra people lodging under her roof. Hamish's Daddie is cast out, and although he assures Hamish that he can survive in the big town, Hamish is unconvinced. 

In the following days, nothing more is heard from Hamish's Daddie. Hamish just isn't himself as he is consumed with worry and his form drops off sharply. Watching him put in a feeble effort against Duneaton, Mister McWhacker resorts to desperate measures, disguising himself as Hamish's Daddie in the hope that it will lift Hamish's game. 

I loved the look of Mister McWhacker dressed as Hamish's Daddie, and for everything that came before, this is the final image I will walk away with. A solid story this week and although the drama of the previous week was rapidly undone in the first panels, it was all worthwhile for Hamish's speech declaring his loyalty to Princes Park. Couple with the panel of Mister McWhacker dressed up, this was all I needed from the story and everything else was superfluous. Not quite the top shelf for Hot Shot Hamish, but still a stonking story and anytime Hamish's Daddie arrives we know we are in for chaos and drama.    

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "But the international match is no' being played until next month, Daddie. Ye're too early" 

Skid Solo

The story of Tommy Carter joining Skid and Sandy continues this week, with all three preparing for a big race. Skid reminds Tommy that Sparrow Smith got his start as working as a mechanic for Skid like Tommy is now.

Watching Sparrow on the track, they see that he is being crowded by another driver, and by the end of the page Sparrow has been run off the track. Skid and his crew run to his aid, Skid being the first there and asking if he's alright. He is, but he is angry that Gino Renga has driven him off the track and not bothered to see if he is all right. 

Gino Renga was the number one driver for Martine cars before Sparrow took over, and the two have some history in this respect. 

Later that afternoon, Skid takes to the track for a fast run. He starts quick enough, but out on the track one of his wheels comes loose and the next moment it's off and so is Skid. Luckily Skid is unharmed, although poor Sandy is facing an all-night job to repair the car.

With the aid of Tommy Carter, Sandy has the car ready for action at 9.30am the following day. Skid is most impressed and asks Sandy if Tommy was much help to him. Sandy assures Skid that Tommy was a great help and worked himself to a standstill. In fact, at that moment Tommy is sleeping at the back of the workshop and not even some teasing from Skid and Sandy can wake him from his slumbers.

We end the story with Sandy telling Skid that he's sure Tommy will be awake for his first Grand Prix as he's just beginning to realise what it's all about. It's a warm moment and a nice way to wrap up this week's episode.

With Renga tangling with Sparrow, there was little room for Skid to become involved in the build-up to the next race. The wheel coming loose and falling off felt shoehorned in and was merely a device to give Skid some danger on the track and prove Tommy's worth in the workshop. This it achieved admirably and the story felt relatively seamless. The stage is now set for the story to heat up next week with Skid, Sparrow, and Renga all taking to the track for some tough racing, and this will be where Tommy really learns what it is all about. It should tick plenty of the boxes for what I look for in a Skid Solo comic, and I can't wait. That doesn't detract from this week's story, and everything here was necessary for what comes next. It was delicately arranged, and we squeezed a lot in, but now we are ready for future episodes and some proper racing drama. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "The wee lad's worked himself to a standstill, Skid. In fact, I dinna think I'd have the car ready if it hadna been for his help. He's back there the noo...sleeping!" 

Nipper 

Nipper is roughing it up with an amateur team at the park, while his future at Blackport remains cloudy. At first Nipper struggles, but gritting his teeth he shows his mettle and standing up to the stronger opponents he wins the ball before his class shines through as he drifts through the defence to score. 

A well-dressed man yells encouragement from the sideline and Nipper initially wonders who this new fan could be. He finds out soon enough as the stranger approaches at halftime. It's Harry Roper, the manager of Gatesfield. He lets Nipper know that he's interested in signing him, but Nipper confirms his loyalty to Blackport, before reminding Mr. Roper that he's not allowed to make an approach to Nipper without the manager's permission,.

Mister Roper then drops a bombshell, informing Nipper that his manager has indeed given him permission to make an approach, and made it in writing. 

Nipper feels betrayed by his manager, and as the game resumes his thoughts towards Blackport darken. The Gatesfield offer is appealing, and even more so when Nipper asks how much he'll be paid (yelling from the field, no less) and gets the response that it will be more than what he is currently getting.

It's beginning to look a lot like Nipper will be leaving Blackport. I like the trail of breadcrumbs that has got us to this point, and Gatesfield's approach seems inevitable. With Nipper's girlfriend on hand confirming that it looks like Nipper may be leaving, it's all delicately placed for next week. This week's issue had a fine blend of on-field action and sideline drama, and I appreciated that all this was achieved in two pages. The first page of football was a mix of Nipper's toughness, followed by some finesse, and showed that he is a player for all seasons. Over the page, the transfer drama ramped up, and by the bottom of the page, I was thirsting for more. A great end to this week's issue, and hopefully the Nipper story will appear early in next week's comic so I can find out what happens next. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Think it over, lad! I'll run you up to Gatesfield right after this game, if you like! Let you see our set-up!" 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Tallon Of The Track

Best Line: "There's no' enough money in the world to make me leave Princes, Sir. I'm a Scotsman...an' I play fer a Scottish club! Princes is my club...and I'll no' leave 'em...never!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz:

Tiger 12th April 1975

This is the issue that I have been waiting for - Tallon Of The Track is finally leaving Russia and heading home. Considering that it is one of my favourite stories, I have had a miserable run with it recently, I look forward to more positive storylines with a return to Great Britain. Finally, we learn the secret of the balalaika and can leave Russia with peace of mind. I'm sure the other stories will be great this week, but for now, all I care about is Tallon Of The Track getting back on the straight and narrow and giving me the pleasure of Jo racing her bike at high speed.   

Tiger

12th April 1975

Skid Solo

Both a snake and a horse appear in this week's cover for Skid Solo. The horse raring up in front of Skid's car, the snake in Sandy's exclamation of "Great snakes!"  - an expression that immediately puts me in mind of my late father.

Young Tommy Carter is behind the wheel of the car and in the midst of a driving lesson from Skid when the horse has bolted onto the track, and a crash looks inevitable as Skid desperately grabs the wheel from Tommy, while still having time to explain the wheels have locked with his braking, and he should take his foot off the brake immediately. 

Poor Tommy is frozen in fear, and all Skid can do to save the situation is to wrench the wheel in Tommy's hand and send them crashing to a stop in the barrier. 

Both are shaken, but all are unharmed - including the horse. While Sandy escorts the horse back to its paddock, Skid steers Tommy towards a sports car to continue driving. Tommy is reluctant to do so and clearly shaken up by the experience and it's only at Skid's strong insistence that he climbs behind the wheel again and takes to the track. 

Skid urges him to drive faster and faster, and after a quick run, they return to the pits. There Skid jumps into his Grand Prix car and zooms onto the track as Sandy explains to Tommy that Skid too was shaken by the accident and will be giving himself a highspeed workout to clear his mind. 

While Skid is on the track, Sparrow Smith approaches Tommy and Sandy and offers a friendly hello. Sandy tells Tommy that Sparrow is the current World Champion and that he used to be Skid's teammate. Sparrow takes his own car out onto the track and soon is duelling with Skid. 

Tommy watches on, falling in love with racing as the two racers speed around the track. Later as he puts Skid's car away he puts himself in the driver's seat and imagines himself racing. In his imagination, he is crashing through a barrier, and all he can think about is the way he froze. Negative thoughts enter his head, and he decides that he'll never make a racing driver. 

Sandy and Skid are quietly watching on, and Sandy comments that Tommy obviously hasn't fully recovered from the crash. Skid agrees, but tells Sandy that he'll get over it and in a few years he'll be out on the track challenging Skid for the World Championship. 

They do say that if you fall off a horse, the first thing you should do is climb back on it, so it was a nice twist here to see that old adage used in regard to a car accident caused by a horse. Plenty of signposts to the future with Tommy behind the wheel fantasizing about being a race car driver, while Skids comments late in the story also dwell on the same thought. It's clear now that one day Tommy Carter will be behind the wheel of a race car, and all this is just planting the seeds for that future. As for the here and now, I wasn't so fussed about the horse story. While I appreciated the message that was being put across, I never felt the drama of the moment. The handling of the fallout in the wake of the accident was much more to my taste, and I thought it was handled supremely well. It helps that the artwork is so easy on the eye, but throughout it was the writing that kept me steadily reading. The aftermath of the accident was highly relatable, and put across in a way that most people could simply understand. Once again, this Skid Solo story was understated, yet retained a readability that helped start this week's comic in good style.  

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "That's the best thing the lad could have done...go out again! A mon could lose his nerve completely after a crash like they just had."

Roy Of The Rovers

Playing against not only the eleven Zarnov players but also the weak officials, Rovers are struggling in their away leg of the Cup Winner's Cup. Obvious fouls against Rovers go unpunished before a blatant off-side is ignored to gift Zarnov a second goal. 

As halftime is blown, Roy and his players endure a barrage of abuse and missiles as they make their way off the field. Despite the danger of the situation, Roy spots a bottle that has a note inside it and commands Blackie to quickly grab it as they make their way to the changing room. 

In the dressing room, Roy finds it is another note from the mystery man. Once again it offers advice, advice that Roy will follow, although he doesn't think it will work, and refuses to tell the team exactly what the advice was. 

Back on the field play resumes, and it isn't long before Roy accidentally kicks the ball into the back of the referee's head. The referee is injured and cannot continue, and the Zarnov captain is quick to point to one of the linesmen as a replacement. However, it is the other linesman who steps forward to take the whistle, and the game soon continues. 

Zarnov is still playing rough, and the new referee blows the whistle in Rover's favour. Rovers may have won the free-kick, but with Zarnov putting their wall just a few years in front of the spot it seems that nothing has changed concerning bending the rules.

A solid outing for Roy Of The Rovers. It wasn't spectacular, but did just enough to hold my interest without being a challenging or demanding read. The mystery notes continue to frustrate me, especially in this case as Roy spots the note in a bottle thrown at them. One minute they are fleeing the hurled missiles, yet it is not desperate enough that Roy doesn't have time to look at what is actually thrown at them. Still, it did help move the story forward and I await with interest to see how this scheme with the new referee will work out. A good enough issue, it will be next week when we take a giant step forward with this story and the game. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Excuse me, but I am the senior linesman. I must insist that I take over as referee!" 

Martin's Marvellous Mini

Martin and Tiny's winning cheque of 250 pounds is rapidly disappearing in a pig's mouth. Despite Martin's heroic efforts, in this case taking a frightful blow from behind from a charging pig, there is nothing they can do and the money is gone. Tiny's idea to go back is to ask the race organisers to write them another cheque is the correct one, although too late to save Martin from taking a dive into the mud.

While collecting their new cheque they notice a poster for a novelty race with a prize of one thousand pounds. It's a wild-sounding race using the army testing ground. It doesn't take long for Tiny and Martin to decide that they'll enter, and soon they're off to see what they've got themselves into. 

Following another competitor around the muddy track, they are surprised to find themselves taking a bend in a giant pipe. Coming out of the pipe they are rapidly shaken on a cobbled road. Slowing down, they soon find themselves facing another corner with a sign telling them to increase speed now. They prudently pull off the track to find out what lies ahead and are just in time to see the other car speeding towards a ramp jump across a river. The other car is going nowhere never fast enough, and as the lads watch on it crashes into the water.

Tiny and Martin are shocked, and as the strip ends they are left wondering how much worse could the track be.

A tidy story with enough action to keep the reader turning the page. However, this is merely the entree and we are only getting a taster of what is to come once the race properly starts. I was pleased to see the pigs eating the cheque quickly wrapped up and this new race introduced. The race holds plenty of thrills and spills and should propel us forward for the next few weeks. We have seen races such as this before on the pages of Martin's Marvellous Mini, and I always find them enjoyable, despite the constant feeling of Deja Vu. This race has a few different twists, and based on what we have seen this week, it should prove to be a most enjoyable issue.   

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Stone me...where's he going?"

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gordon

Finally, it is the showdown we have been waiting for, man versus robot as Johnny squares off against Grarg in the ring. Johnny is brave, but he is facing overwhelming odds as is amply demonstrated in the first panels as Grarg tears out one of the ring posts and hurls it at Johnny. 

Johnny knows he has little chance in a straight fight against Grarg, and in the following panel he collapses in the ring. As he lies there, he whispers his plan to Splash and Grarg's two human minders. 

With instructions issued, Johnny regains his feet and all four men step into the ring. It looks as though all four will be fighting the robot, but instead, the four men begin to fight among themselves. The crowd is confused, for as the men strike each other, the man doing the hitting cries out in pain. Things become more confusing, as the men striking blows fall to the floor, while those taking the punch remain standing. With two falling, there is only Johnny and Grarg's manager left standing. Grarg's manager strikes Johnny with the broken ring post, and once again the unexpected happens as the manager falls to the floor while Johnny stands strong. 

Jonnhy faces Grarg and tells him that he wants him to hit him hard on the chin and that Johnny Cougar wants to lose the match. This is all too much for the robot, and he begins to blow fuses before collapsing into a smoking heap on the floor. Johnny has worked out that the robot has been programmed for a variety of situations, but faced with a situation where everything is opposite to what is expected his circuits couldn't cope with it eventually overloading the computer brain and blowing his fuses. 

Grarg's manager and the scientist who built him are apologetic, and Johnny Cougar tells them that he forgives them as they are not criminals and that they have learnt their lesson. Thus we end with Johnny telling us that he needs to get back to wrestling, and this time facing some human opponents. 

Grarg was a great opponent, and although I expected Johnny Cougar to win using his brains, I was still disappointed in the weak way he was eventually defeated. I thought this final showdown may have stretched across several issues, and was surprised to see it finish in a single issue, The fight didn't even last the entire issue and we still had panels to spare to give us an introduction and a resolution. Seeing Grarg fall with smoke coming from his ears wasn't the thrill I expected, and although I enjoyed many aspects of this story, I felt cheated in this final issue. Still, everything looked good and it is hard to dislike anything in the story, although this was weaker than some of the other stories we have seen previously in Johnny Cougar.

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "I...I don't get it. The guys who did the hitting collapsed!"  

Hot Shot Hamish

Hamish is no longer being transferred, and Princes Park has just won a hectic Scottish Cup game. The only dark cloud is the injury to Donald McGregor, and that's where we start this week, with the team assembled around the table where he is stretched out. It is not as bad as it looks, and the doctor tells us that there's nothing to worry about, he has merely fainted with all the excitement. 

Using the funds raised by the fans, Princes Park began to rebuild their stand. They only have half the money required, but Mr McWhacker is sure they'll get the rest of the money needed by winning the Scottish Cup. 

Princes Park certainly looks a lot better than they did, and on the field, in their next league game, they play outstandingly well. Hamish leads the way with a hat-trick, while from the director's box, Mr McWhacker watches on. The gentleman next to Mr McWhacker enquires about Hamish's transfer and Mr McWhacker tells him that Hamish is no longer on the transfer list. The man expresses disappointment, telling him that he is interested in buying Hamish for four hundred thousand pounds. He thinks it's well worth it for a first-class international like Hamish. Mr McWhacker tells him that Hamish isn't an international player, but the gentleman corrects him, telling him that Hamish has been selected to play for Scotland. This leaves McWhacker with something to think about, and with four hundred thousand pounds he could pay for the new stand and two top-class replacements for Hamish. 

This new development is interesting and it looks as though once again Hamish may be on his way out. We had some great faces throughout the strip, and the images of the gentleman's face, as he negotiated for Hamish, looked fantastic. His face oozed wealth, and it was excellent work by the artist to express this in a single panel. I had to smile at the record offer of four hundred thousand pounds, it was another reminder of how much football has changed from the 1970s. Nowadays it would be an offer of one hundred million pounds to lure Hamish away. Still, this is part of the reason I read these comics, a warm nostalgia for simpler times. This week put us on firm ground for what comes next, and I read on with interest to see what the outcome of this will be.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Och, you've not heard? Well, Hamish has been chosen to play for his country! Quite rightly, too...just look at him..."

Nipper

Nipper was outstanding in the reserves game and is now facing the fallout of this performance as director Clive Norton confronts him. The Blackport first team has lost by a solitary goal at home, and Norton lays the blame at the feet of Nipper, blaming him for the lack of crowd support as all the fans went to watch him rather than the first team. 

Nipper reacts angrily, and as Norton yells he is suspended until further notice, Nipper retorts that suits him fine. Seeking refuge at Kerry's, Nipper tells her brother Stan that he is going on strike until Andy Stewart is back in charge. Stan sees an opportunity and asks Nipper that since he isn't playing for Blackport, could he please play for his amateur team on the weekend. It's an offer Nipper can't refuse, and he readily agrees. 

Arriving at the field, Nipper and Stan change under the trees. There is a group of the amateur team's supporters there, and they tell Nipper they won't be going easy on him just because he's a star. Nipper tells them he's more than ready for them and the game begins.

Nipper soon learns that the supporters are correct, and a burly opposition player barges him over early in the match. Nipper is still wondering what hit him when a shiny luxury car pulls up. We can't see who is in it, but we do hear that they have arrived intending to sign Nipper for Gatesfield. 

The problem for Nipper is that Clive Norton is just as stubborn and quick to anger as he is. Both characters are similar in this respect, and that is the root cause of their current conflict. I like that about the story, and I'm enjoying seeing the two butting heads. Part of me is hoping that Nipper does make the move to Gatefield, but we'll have to wait and see. Nipper's storylines always move fairly quickly and this was no exception, with quite a bit happening across two pages. My heart lifted when we saw Kerry, and this time we saw a little more of her home life with Nipper talking with her brother Stan. It filled out Nipper's world a little more and added a touch more realism to his storyline. No football, but plenty of drama, this was a big step forward in Nipper's battle with Clive Norton, and it should all come to a head in the next couple of weeks. I can't wait to see if Nipper continues on as a Blackport player, or if he will make a move.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Why not? It's a game of footer, isn't it? And if old Norton finds out, he can't suspend me, because he's done that already! Ya-haaaaa!"

Billy's Boots

At the end of last week, Billy was concerned that he might not be named in the first team again now that Granger is returning from injury. He needn't have worried for Jimmy tells him that Mister Renton, the sports master, has put up the team for the next game and Billy is in. 

The next game is against Candale School, who currently sit at the top of the league. Gossiping with his friends, Billy learns that Candale's pitch is terrible and that it has a slope on it.

Billy is still thinking about this when he gets home, and as bad weather closes in on Friday evening, he heads home to read Dead-shot Keen's book to see if he ever faced anything similar. He had, although in his case he was playing on a water-logged pitch that was almost unplayable, even for a player of his high skill. Dead-shot survived the game, but the following week was in bed with a severe chill, a fact that set alarm bells ringing in Billy's mind. 

Game day arrives with bad weather and heavy rain. The Candale School pitch is covered in water, and after some debate, it is decided that the game can be played. On the pitch both teams struggle, especially Billy who has a terrible afternoon and spends most of the game falling into the water.    

With a minute left, Candale scores the winning goal. However Billy is too wet to care, and as expected is already beginning to show symptoms of a cold. And so it comes to pass, and when his Gran goes to raise him from his bed on Monday Billy is sick with a nasty cold. However, Billy denies it and is soon off to school despite his illness, hoping that he can still make the team for the Saturday cup game. 

 A predictable story and it ended as we all knew it would. On the way there we didn't get some exciting panels, and some nice artwork as Billy throughs himself into the game, and the water. I enjoyed the spectacle of it, and considering it is a story about a boy catching a cold, it was surprisingly thrilling. We also managed to get plenty of Billy's Gran into the story, something that always warms the pages and adds some depth to Billy's character. Here she was in top form, berating him for getting sick, while earlier she silently complained about Billy reading at the table. She is a treasure, and Billy is lucky to have her in his life. In fact, we are all lucky to have her, and I'm rating the story highly, based purely on her strong role.

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "You out to stay in bed, young man. You were coughing all night. You've caught a nasty cold!" 

Tallon Of The Track 

This week the mystery of the balalaika is finally solved. As Sven and Jo speak to the old Russian man in his hospital bed it seems like he is about to tell all, but they are interrupted just as he mentions the words 'stolen' and 'jewels'

Back at their hotel, Sven notices that the balalaika has a rattle to it, and pully it apart he finds a diamond necklace hidden in the instrument. Jo puts it all together quickly, explaining that the jewels must be stolen, and this is the perfect way of smuggling them out of the country. 

Deciding the best thing they can do is take them home, and hope they can catch the men behind it when they attempt to snatch the jewels, they board their plane and fly back to Heathrow, Sure enough, just after they pass through customs, a mystery man grabs the balalaika and makes a dash for it. He is fast, but Jo is faster, and pushing a luggage trolly at him, she knocks him over and retrieves the jewels. 

And that's all there is. No explanation of who the man is, or why he chose Jo and her team. Neither do find out the source of the stolen jewels, and the story ends on an unsatisfactory note. I would have liked just a line or two more to fill out the story, but it never came. We don't even know where the old man fits in the story. As I said last week, I have never taken to this storyline, and it is with some relief that I read the final line "A great new Jo Tallon story starts next week." I for one can't wait, and I'm immensely pleased that this overstretched Russian storyline has finally finished.   

Rating: 4/10

Best line: "And before he's deported, he can pay for this little lot! He's broken two strings on my guitar!"

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 6.5/10

Best Story: Billy's Boots

Best Line: "The times I've told that boy about reading at the table! It's like talking to a brick wall..."

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: