Tiger 20th March 1976

This is a great issue for those who admire the time and effort, not to mention the talent, that goes into the artwork. Several stories have exceedingly good art, and I find myself commenting on the art throughout the issue. Even if a story is lacking, the artwork shines, making for a visual experience as much as a reading experience. I try to be even-handed when reading these stories, but sometimes a single panel steals my heart, and that is exactly what happened in this issue. I have always been a sucker for a pretty girl's smile, and it's the same when it comes to art - I am too easy to give my heart away.

Tiger 

20th March 1976

Martin's Marvellous Mini

Tiny and Martin are chasing down a couple of kidnappers. The twist is that the action is at sea, and the chase is in motorboats.

The sea is rough, and the pursuit is soon over as Tiny throws a length of rope in front of the other boat, tangling in its propellers and bringing the kidnappers to a halt.

Back on shore, the kidnappers are escorted away, and Tiny and Martin decide to go for a drive along the beach. While driving, they decide that they would like to enter a rally again, and later, while they are speaking with Mr Twastle, he tells them he knows a man who could get them into a motorsports club called the Castle Club. 

The boys are enthused by this, but their conversation is interrupted as a motorcycle speeds by. It is Henry, and it looks like he is out of control. Tiny and Martin race after him, and we end with Henry going over a sand dune and the lads about to follow him into the unknown. 

This is a rather random episode of Martin's Marvellous Mini with various plots thrown into the mix without any of them sticking. The kidnappers were caught as we expected, although, in the first panel, some of the drama was washed away as Martin commented that the sea had calmed a little. This was a step down from the wild seas we saw in the final panels of last week, although it was alluded to again later this week as the kidnappers were brought in feeling seasick. 

Interestingly, we had an image showing the kidnappers and Tiny and Martin all together, with one of the kidnappers looking remarkably like Tiny. The fact that they both have their heads at the same angle and are feeling seasick helps this illusion, and I did a double-take when I saw it.

The second page was disjointed. Tiny and Martin were speeding along the beach and talking about doing a rally again. We then cut to them talking to Mr Twastle, before the strip ends with them back in the car pursuing Henry. The scene with Mr Twastle broke up the momentum of the car action, and I would have preferred to see them talking about the rally with him earlier and finishing with them racing on the beach and then chasing Henry. It's only a small thing, but it did derail the flow of my reading. 

I'm giving this a lower score than one might expect from Martin's Marvellous Mini. It wasn't in colour, which detracted from my enjoyment, and paired with an uninspiring storyline, I just couldn't connect with it this week. I am happy to hear that we have some rally action coming up. I just wish we could wrap up this story with Henry and move quickly on to what comes next. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "We'll...take the tow! I-I'm feeling sea sick already!"

Johnny Cougar

When we last left Johnny Cougar, he was in a three-way match with The Pirate and the Masked Maniac. All three men had collided in a flying head butt, and we pick up this week's action with Johnny Cougar getting groggily to his feet.

The fight gets underway again as Johnny catches his two opponents with a flying dropkick to send them both back to the floor. 

With this, The Pirate and The Masked Maniac work together, and shortly after, Johnny finds himself trapped under both of them and suffers the first pinfall. 

In his corner, Splash Gorton tells Johnny that he needs to snap out of it quickly and get himself back in the match. Johnny does, after catching The Pirate with a kick and a forearm smash, he follows up with a head butt that leaves The Pirate collapsed on the canvas.

Just like last week, the wilder shenanigans are put to one side, and we have a story purely focused on wrestling. No complaints at all on that front, as the story was fast-moving and gave us plenty of dynamic art. 

The only thing that perhaps counts against it is that we have seen The Masked Maniac and The Pirate for several months now, and the novelty value of both characters is wearing thin. Familiarity breeds contempt, and we are quite familiar with these two characters now. However, this is tempered by the fact that the story stayed firmly fixed on the wrestling, adding a balance that negated the overexposure of these two characters. 

I'm not sure how many more weeks we can get out of this story; however, it remains intriguing enough, and I am happy enough to follow for several more weeks. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Cougar thinks you need another rest, mighty quickly!"

Billy's Boots

Billy can't stop thinking about the damage his ball caused to a greenhouse last week, and that dominates the first half of the comic as he discusses his situation with Jimmy Dawson. 

Billy decides that the best course of action would be to find the man named Simpson who kicked his ball into the greenhouse and explain to him the damage done. 

The two boys drop by Mrs Brown and give her the money they have earned doing Mickey's paper round, before going to school, where they find Mr Harris has named them in the team for the semifinal. As they leave, Mr Harris comments to Billy that he doesn't seem to have his mind on the game recently and asks if anything is troubling him. Billy denies any trouble, and as they walk home, Jimmy tells him not to worry so much and to try to get a good night's sleep. 

This Billy does, but only after he has read some of Dead-shot Keen's book. He reads that Keen once played on a pitch that was waterlogged and scored one of the most spectacular goals of his career. Billy awakes the next morning to find the rain pouring down, and he thinks the pitch will be just like the one he has been reading about. 

I think I could make a fair pitch for what comes. This week, the story didn't make any great leaps or bounds, but it did set us up nicely for next week's episode and a soggy field. It did what it had to do, with a minimum of fuss and some delightful artwork to keep the reader engaged.

The first page with the boys giving money to Mickey Brown's mother was sweet and helped compensate for the wordy first few panels when Billy and Jimmy were merely talking about what had happened and what they planned to do next.  

The final panels of Billy reading in bed were a mixture of the homely and the fantasy world he dips into when talking of Dead-shot Keen. Keen's spectacular goal didn't live up to the hype, and as important as this was to what comes next, I was far more interested in the real world of Billy. The panel of him reading in bed was good and only bettered by the final panel as he looked out at the rain. 

There wasn't a lot of drama throughout the story, but the art was worth every penny and gave the story an extra shine that it didn't really deserve.

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "I'll just read about Dead-shot Keen for half an hour. I might read something that'll be useful in the semi-final tomorrow..."

Nipper

Nipper is having nightmares about Jan Eyke, a keeper he just can't score against. His landlady, Amy Felcher, wakes him from his nightmare and tells him that Jan Eyke is an ordinary human being. 

Nipper takes this on board and is further bolstered by a chance meeting with his old mentor, Bill Robinson. Bill offers Nipper some quiet advice, and by the time Nipper arrives at the ground, he has a plan to take on his foe. 

Nipper is hungry for the ball early on, and as Jan Eyke mocks him, he kicks it from a long range. Eyke points out that it wasn't a good shot as it curves away from the goal; however, Mike Bateson appears from nowhere and heads it home for the first goal of the match. 

While the crowd rejoices in Bateson turning Nipper's duff shot into a goal, Nipper quietly stares at Eyke. It was no duff shot, but rather it was part of his plan with Bill Robinson, and there promises to be plenty more where that one came from. 

The opening images of Nipper's nightmare were splendid and a real highlight of this week's comic. With the reappearance of Amy Felcher, this made for a strong start to Nipper's story, and the rest of the story struggled to make as much of an impression as this first page. 

I enjoyed seeing Nipper outfox Jan Eyke, although Eyke seems to become nastier issue by issue. I'm sure he wasn't this much of a villain when we first met him, but there was no doubt about it when we saw him glaring at Nipper after the goal was scored. 

The most evocative panel of the second page, and the game, was as the fans lined up to enter the stadium. In a single image, the artist captured the feeling of attending a big game and the anticipation as one enters the stadium. It is a great piece of work, and it is all the better in that it is just a small panel in the top left corner of the page. I have said it before, but I'll reiterate it here: some of these artworks deserve a much larger canvas and a wider audience. They are tiny works of art in their own right and deserve better recognition. 

This is another story progressing well, although I sense next week could see it all wrap up. I hope I'm wrong, as I am enjoying seeing Nipper battle Jan Eyke and his own mental block, and it is giving the creative team behind the comic a chance to flex their muscles in delivering this solid story. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Mike Bateson is going to cut it off! Watch him, Jan!" 

Roy Of The Rovers

Roy is about to explain to his team why he named Gerry as a substitute, despite him arriving late, but trouble is already brewing, and before Roy can explain, Cassidy throws his shirt in Roy's face and storms off. 

In the dressing room, Cassidy apologises, but it's too late, and the damage has already been done. The following day, the newspapers are full of the story of Cassidy throwing his shirt at his manager, and Roy is under pressure as he faces the media. 

Roy angrily tells the media that there is no mutiny within Melchester Rovers, and Gerry Holloway has a legitimate excuse for being late. Holloway had gone off on an archaeological dig because he was embarrassed about the uproar his arrival had created. It was all blown up by the irresponsible chit-chat of players who should have known better. 

The atmosphere is unsettled, and Roy and Ben Galloway decide to exclude Cassidy and Peters from the League Cup squad. The following Tuesday, Roy leads a very strange-looking team onto the field for the next leg of the cup, with three young players filling in. 

Roy thinks an early goal will settle their nerves and takes it upon himself to dribble through the opposing team. He weaves his way through the players, and as he enters the box, the keeper runs at him. There is a three-way collision, but somehow, Roy squeezes the ball over the line. However, this goal has come at a cost, and Roy is down and clutching his knee in pain. 

No one likes to see a player suffer an injury, but I did like the way that this issue ended. For all his troubles as a manager and with various players, it is on-field that Roy suffers the most personally. He is doing his best to control the drama around him, but it is his own drama that ends the strip and carries us through to next week. 

The first half of the strip wasn't as exciting as the second, although ostensibly, this was where the drama that drove all this originated. Cassidy throwing his shirt was the inciting incident, and although it looked good on the page, the artwork didn't quite capture the drama of the moment. 

For all that, though, the angry face of Roy is always worth the price of admission, and we had a couple of fine examples this week. His face when he confronted Cassidy was the better of the two, although seeing him angry with the media was just as satisfying. 

This was a very Roy-centric episode, although that may not continue next week if he is seriously injured. There is plenty else happening in the story to carry the load if he does face an injury break, but this week's strip is a timely reminder of how important Roy is to his own story and how much he is involved with every aspect of his club. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "...Plus a score of pressmen...and the television cameras! You couldn't have given us more bad publicity if you'd stolen the F.A. Cup!"  

Skid Solo 

It's Skid's birthday, but in preparing Tommy to race in the masters' sports car race, Tommy and Sandy have forgotten. 

Skid reminds them, and after earlier reminiscing about when he won the masters' race ten years earlier, he now casts his mind back twelve months ago. A year ago, he had received sacks of cards and letters wishing him a happy birthday, as well as competing in the masters'. He had won the masters' with the crowd wishing him a happy birthday. No one had forgotten then, yet now he is yesterday's man. 

Skid decides that it's no good dwelling on the past and tells Tommy and Sandy they best be getting back home. On the way home, Sandy makes a small detour to the local village. He tells Skid he has to visit the village hall and insists that Skid accompany him. 

The trio enter the hall, and Skid is surprised to find twelve sacks of mail waiting for him. Tommy tells him that they had them sent there, and there are further surprises as first Sandy enters with a large cake, and then the curtain is pulled back on the stage to reveal a chorus of top Grand Prix drivers singing Happy Birthday to Skid.

Skid is overwhelmed by all of this, and the strip ends with Skid turning his face from Sandy, overcome by all the events.

A serious Skid Solo story, keeping with the path we have been treading the last couple of months. There was pathos in the final panel that put an exclamation point on all that had come before, emphasising the downbeat tone the story had carried throughout. 

From the very start, we had Skid in a reflective mood, and with his thoughts becoming increasingly depressed, the story did a good job of moving forward while allowing Skid to wallow in his misery. It isn't the tone we usually get in a boys' comic, especially a comic focused on sports, but it felt right for the character, and it felt right for the story being told. 

We have seen a lot of Tommy in the last few months, and the writer has done a good job of moving between his journey and Skid's. The balance is right, with the highs of Tommy tempered by the lows Skid is experiencing. It's not always comfortable reading, but it is true to life and to the story being told. 

The final panel of Skid said more than could ever be expressed by words, and if not for its pessimistic tone, I would have made it the best panel of the strip. Even in another comic surrounded by different types of stories, this still would have stood out as an outstanding piece of art, and it accented the talents behind the Tiger comic. It is art in the truest sense of the word, and something I will remember long after I put the comic down.    

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "These cards...they're from all over the world! And there's one here from the editor of Tiger and Scorcher, and from the readers."     

Hot Shot Hamish 

Hamish is lost in the moors when a man emerges from the mists, telling him that he is Mister McKirky, sworn enemy of the Balfours. The McKirkys and Balfours haven't talked for five hundred years, and Hamish walks away wondering about this powerful feud.  

Reaching a house, Hamish is struck in the face by a football. The boys who kicked the football invite Hamish in for some local hospitality, but this is short-lived when the owner of the house is revealed to be McKirky. 

Hamish walks away, but as he leaves, one of the lads, Jamie, asks for a trial with Princes Park. Hamish agrees and tells him to come along the next day. 

At training the next day, Hamish and the team are stunned when Mister McKirky appears at the ground, incensed that Hamish has offered Jamie a trial. Throwing a sword at Hamish's feet, McKirky tells of the treacherous Balfours and how they kidnapped Rufus McKirky's son in 1575. Waving his sword above his head, McKirky tells Hamish to pick up the claymore and defend himself.

An excellent, high-spirited story that helped sweep away some of the melancholia from the previous Skid Solo story. There was a touch of football, some humour, and, of course, the underlying drama of Scottish heritage. A five-hundred-year feud plays well to my sensibilities, and as someone who holds a grudge, I found I related well to Mister McKirky. 

It was a coincidence that McKirky's boy was good enough for a trial with Princes Park, but such things are bread and butter for the Hot Shot Hamish comic. It stretches belief, and the comic only gets away with it due to the humble nature of Hamish himself. While other characters around him are larger than life and the situations they find themselves in are ridiculous, the simple nature of Hamish grounds the comic and keeps it on just the right side of reality. 

The scene of McKirky arriving at the Princes Park ground is a good example. While the sight of McKirky brandishing a sword above his head seems incongruous with his surroundings, the simple utterance of Hamish that he's not good with fighting with swords brings us back to earth, and the story returns to its humble beginnings. Like Skid Solo, there is a natural balance to the story as it straddles two worlds, giving us the best of both while delivering a story with heart and fantasy in equal measure. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "I-I'm no' very good at fighting with the sword, Mister McKirky...could we no' talk?"

Tornado Jones 

Tornado Jones has upset a fellow stuntman on the movie set where he is working and is now facing the wrath of Wild Bill Brannon. 

To prove who is best suited to work on the movie, the pair decides to settle the argument with a motorcycle race - the prize being the job on the movie set. 

It's decided to race five laps of the fifteen-kilometre perimeter fence, and they both get off to a fast start. Jones decides to follow Brannon for the first couple of laps, and on the third lap, he makes his move. However, Brannon reaches under his seat and releases a smoke flare. This blinds Jones, who crashes through a gate and ends up speeding down the main street of Dodge City, where a cowboy movie is being filmed. 

The final image helped restore this story in my estimation, and while it had been rather low-key (at least by Tornado Jones standards) to this point, it suddenly got a whole lot more interesting as Jones crashes onto a different movie set. 

The chaos this causes is far more interesting than anything else in the strip and bodes well for the next issue. Until this panel, the story had been by the numbers, and the drama sedate on the page. It was a simple enough motorcycle race, and even the nefarious undertakings by Bill Brannon didn't give us anything we hadn't seen before. Neither did it feel particularly threatening, and the story lacked a sizzle throughout. The most dangerous moments were when Jones first met Brannon, and once the race was decided, the drama seeped out of the comic. 

However, the final image made amends, and I'm happy to give the story a high rating. It entertained without being silly, and there is enough drama left unwritten that I am excited to pick up next week's story to see what happens next. It may not live up to my expectations, but at least I'll be here to see it.  

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Hey, there's no admittance to studio property without a pass! Come back here, you crazy fool..."

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Skid Solo 

Best Line: "Don't worry, Roy! I know a manager's blue-eyed boy when I see one..."

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: 

Tiger 13th March 1976

I don't want to write an introduction.

I want to jump right into the action and dive into my favourite comic immediately. They say Gen Z is all about instant gratification, but let me tell you, this Gen Xer is exactly the same. In some respects, it is even more so. Who knows how many years I have left on this earth? The number is limited, and every day is important. I can't afford to muck around doing things I don't want to. All I want to do is relax and read my comics while I can, and that's exactly what I'm going to do now. 

Tiger

13th March 1976

Skid Solo

Tommy Carter's first Grand Prix race earns him a place on the front cover of this week's Tiger comic. Surrounded by the stars of the sport, Tommy is nervous on the starting grid and takes his frustrations out on Sandy. 

The race begins, and poor Tommy almost loses control at the first corner as he drives too fast and furious. Regaining his composure, his confidence grows as he passes the Italian Champion Toni Mareillia on the fourth lap. 

Buoyed by this, Tommy begins to think himself bulletproof. He blows by several other drivers, and with each manoeuvre, he pushes himself and the car faster. 

He eventually overtakes Sparrow Smith for the lead, but he has pushed the car too hard, and minutes later, things come to an end as the car overheats. 

Sandy tells him off, pointing out that he knows better than to thrash the car all the way. Put in his place, Tommy watches the rest of the race from the stands. After the race, he hears the other drivers talking about how he was driving like an idiot, and one of them even calls him a no-hoper. At this point, Skid steps in and tells them all that although Tommy is new, he is faster than all of them, and Skid is banking on him being a world champion one day. This raises Tommy's spirits. With someone like Skid backing you, you have to do your best.

This is the story we have been waiting for. Tommy Smith is finally in a Grand Prix car and taking on the best in the business. We see his nervousness on the cover, surrounded by the race cars and listing the famous drivers. The scene is well set before we turn the page, and the following story doesn't disappoint. 

The story is well told and balanced. Tommy is portrayed as being a fast driver, yet very much a boy- exactly as it should be. The story straddles this line throughout, and it never strays too far one way or another. 

I enjoyed seeing Tommy making mistakes on the track, a reminder that he is still young, and I especially enjoyed seeing the other drivers talking about him behind his back at the end of the race. This worked for me on two levels. Firstly, it helped keep Tommy in his place and offered Skid Solo a chance to inject himself into the story. It also played to the insecurity of every young boy and the feeling you get when others talk about you. The look on his face captures this feeling perfectly and helps Tommy earn some empathy from the reader. Not everyone has driven a speed race car around the track, but we have all experienced gossip and small talk in one way or another, and at this moment, the reader is in Tommy's shoes. 

Next week, we are told it's Skid Solo's birthday. I don't know what we will see in terms of motor racing, but I predict a birthday cake will appear, and the story of Tommy and his journey will take a back seat. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Sparrow Smith is leading! If I can get past him, I'm leading!"

Johnny Cougar

Last week, Johnny found himself in a three-way fight against the Pirate and the Masked Maniac. At the end of the episode, Johnny and the Pirate are knocked down by the Masked Maniac and face a serious count. 

Both bounce back this week, and with partnerships rapidly falling apart, it's every man for himself. There is some fast-paced action before the strip wraps up with all three men running at each other from different parts of the ring for a flying headbutt that knocks all three men down. 

This was all action all the way, with wrestling dominating from start to finish. It was only two pages, and with large panels filling the second page, the story and action moved quickly. 

The story itself didn't develop much beyond what we saw last week. We still have the three men equally matched, and although there were some short-lived partnerships, they didn't provide any real advantage for the wrestlers.  

The star of the show wasn't Johnny Cougar, but rather the artist. The wrestling looked believable, was exciting, and we didn't need to read the words to follow the story. I appreciated the craft of the story, and my eyes ran excitedly across the page as I took in all the action. Sometimes, simple is best, and this delivered the story in a highly efficient manner that made the silliness of the characters seem less important than the actual match they were competing in. With wrestling filling every panel, this was a great strip for both wrestling fans and fans of sports in general.    

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "So it's every man for himself... that's good enough for me!"

Hot Shot Hamish

Princes Park is playing a vital away game against Alexanda town, but find themselves bogged down by a muddy pitch. 

There is chaos in the mud, with Hamish scoring the winning goal when the opposing goalkeeper catches a chunk of mud flying off his boot rather than the ball. 

Hamish returns home to Mister McCash with Jock McBell and is awoken in the morning by a servant preparing some riding clothes for him. McCash and McBell are heading out for a genteel ride, and despite his better judgment, Hamish is convinced to come along. 

On a horse, aptly named Firecracker, Hamish is soon separated from the others and finds himself lost in the swamp. A strange man emerges from the fog, demanding to know who this is on his land. Hamish tells him that he is Balfour, to which the man replies that he is a McKirky, an ancient enemy of the Balfours. 

The final panel was great, but the rest of the story couldn't come close to it for interest or drama. The story of the muddy pitch was weak and delivered little, while the events leading up to Hamish meeting McKirky were low-key and merely set the scene. 

The image of Hamish on a horse did lighten the mood mid-story, although this too paled in comparison to the appearance of McKirky. The humour wasn't strong enough, and despite raising a smile, it couldn't make me laugh. 

McKirky promises much, and one can only hope that next week builds on his appearance here. He looks mysterious and dangerous and offers numerous potential storylines. What will happen next is anyone's guess, but I'm sure it will be better than what we have here.   

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "I should have stuck to football! Here I am lost! No roads in sight...no houses...no horse...nothing!"

Billy's Boots

It's the last minute of Groundswood's vital quarter-final in the school's cup, and Billy lobs a pass over the defence to his pal Jimmy Dawson. Jimmy's shot is saved, but Billy is quick to the rebound and scores with an impressive strike from just inside the area. 

All talk is of the semi-final, but first, Billy and Jimmy pay a visit to Mickey Brown, who was injured during the game and is now in hospital with his leg in plaster. Mickey can't do his paper round, but Billy volunteers to do it, thinking it will be a good exercise for the semifinal. 

Billy makes good time running around the paper round when disaster strikes. He runs headlong into a man on the street, dropping his football. The man becomes angry, kicking Billy's ball over the fence and telling him he has no right to play in the street. 

Billy goes to retrieve his ball, but as he peers over the fence, he sees a man and woman looking to see what the crash was before discovering the ball has broken the greenhouse and smashed up the man's orchids. 

At football training, all Billy can think about is the trouble he might be in. His lack of concentration doesn't go unnoticed by Mr Harris, who decides he will have a word with Billy afterwards. 

The football action that opened the strip was good enough, but it was the following page and the appearance of two businessmen that enthralled me. With their suits and bowler hats, they were a throwback to an older era, an era before my time, and they presented a real curiosity on the page. Having them holding umbrellas added to the Englishness of the image, and I was fascinated by it. 

The fallout from this encounter propelled the drama to the next page and continued to influence the story through to the next week. On the back of this chance meeting, we now have two new characters introduced with the couple whose plants were damaged, as well as Billy's play being affected, and Mr Harris looking to get involved. This adds several elements of interest, and coupled with the injury to Micky Brown, the story is branching in different directions. I'm not sure even his boots can get him out of this one. Whatever happens next, Billy will have to face the consequences on his own.    

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Steady on, Simpson, old man!" 

Tornado Jones

Tornado Jones has received a telegram inviting him for some work in the film industry. Arriving at set, Jones is told he will play the part of a dispatch rider in a war film, and he is soon dressed in character and ready to go. 

Instructed to follow the white arrows in the forest, things soon go wrong for Jones. He crashes through a brick wall (luckily made of cardboard) before driving wildly down the hill toward the car park. He comes to a calamitous end as he crashes into a jeep, sending the driver and Wild Bill Bannon flying. Bill Bannon comes up with his fists clenched, and Jones is warned that he's trouble with a capital T.

Although I am not overly fussed by the thought of Tornado Jones being a stunt rider, it did give us several attention-grabbing images. The pick of these was Jones smashing through the brick wall, an image that pre-empted the crash that would round out the strip. 

The stunt riding could be short-lived, and from what we have seen here, there does not seem to be much future in it for Jones or for the storyline. Already, we are seeing a move out of the immediate story with Jones crashing into Bill Bannon. This will either spin off into a direct confrontation with Jones and Bannon, or it will greatly colour what comes next in the making of the movie. I shall be happy either way we go. The movie has failed to deliver thus far, but the appearance of Bill Bannon has reset the clock in the final panel, and wherever we go from here, he is bound to play a big part in it. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Wow, that was quite a prang...and the bloke I clobbered doesn't look too happy about it!" 

Martin's Marvellous Mini 

Hot on the heels of a kidnapped Henry, Tiny and Martin find themselves in a fun house on Mr Twastle's Island. Tiny has disappeared through a trap door on the floor, and Martin follows his voice until they are reunited at the centre of a hedge maze. Henry is there too and tells them that he was kidnapped by two of Mr Twastle's waiters who are asking for two thousand pounds for his return. 

All three drive at high speed back to Mr Twastle, and when they arrive, they learn that he has already paid the ransom. Tiny and Martin get back into the car, and after some more high-speed driving, they see the kidnappers sailing out of the harbour. With little pause for thought, they jump on the nearest boat to give chase. However, as they leave the harbour, they find the seas rougher than expected, and the boat struggles to stay upright. 

"When a man is tired of Twastles Island, he is tired of life" - Samuel Johnson

Well, sir, mark me down as tired of life. I am weary of this constant tomfoolery on Twastles Island. I thought we had had enough of this from the last time we were here, yet one year later, I still see characters falling through trap doors or running around mazes. The first time, I passed it off as fun; this time, I was not so accommodating, especially as there was a kidnapping at hand, something far more exciting and thrilling than seeing Tiny disappear through the floor. 

The final panels restored the comic's reputation somewhat, and we ended on the right note as Tiny and Martin gave chase - albeit on a boat at sea rather than their normal means of transport. This was a better fit for the weighty storyline, and although one could laugh at their final predicament, it wasn't played for laughs. 

Although I wasn't a fan of this week's episode, the second half played much better than the first, and we are well-placed for a strong issue next week. Seeing the boys at sea promises much, and as long as we don't return to the island, I shall be happy with whatever comes next. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Fancy asking two thousand pounds...for me!"

Nipper

Nipper is lining up a penalty against the Dutch side, with only Jan, his nemesis of the last two weeks, in his way. 

Nipper sends the keeper the wrong way, but his shot hits the post. The English players race for the rebound, but Jan is too good for them and makes the save. He continues his sterling efforts in goal, foiling Nipper at every opportunity. Nipper is eventually subbed off, and Jan continues his heroics until the end.

After the game, Nipper tries apologising to Jan, but Jan tells him he won't accept the apology. Nipper inspired him to great heights, and he promises more of the same next time. 

Nipper wonders what he means by next time but finds out when he returns to Blackport training. Blackport's next European opponent is Zeeden of Holland, with Jan Eyke in goal. 

The storming action and magnificent artwork ensure that Nipper stays at the top of my reading pile this week. The action was cast equally across both Nipper and Jan Eyke, with Jan almost stealing the story from Nipper's top billing. He was excellent throughout the story and well served by the artwork and storyline that accompanied him. He looked strong, yet carried a natural humanity about him that played well within the strip. He was a tough opponent who never came across as a villain. Instead, he was Nipper's equal in every way -  which should drive the story for the coming weeks. 

It goes without saying that the best panels belonged to Jan, and there were a number of images showing him pulling off dynamic saves. All of these helped ramp up the tension and, coupled with the frustrated facial expressions of Nipper, helped build the idea that Jan is a human barrier as well as a mental one for Nipper. The most pleasing aspect of this is that it isn't just a one-off, and Nipper must face Jan again in the European Cup. Expect plenty more of the same, with lots of dramatic saves as Jan continues to keep Nipper at bay. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Have a rest, lad... it's just one of those games! I don't think you'd score if we played all night!"

Roy Of The Rovers

Roy has put his faith in Gerry Holloway, and although Holloway arrives twenty minutes after kickoff, he is subbed into the game. 

The team is still disjointed, but a quick throw-in by Roy sends Duncan McKay away. McKay crosses to Blackie, only for Holloway to appear and head the ball home for the opening goal. 

Holloway is quiet for the rest of the game, until midway through the second half when he unexpectedly manages to catch up with a loose ball that was threatening to go out. A beautiful cross lands at Roy's feet, and Roy strikes the second goal to win the match. 

After the game, Roy tells Blackie that he will explain why he is lenient on Holloway, knowing that his reason had better be good or he will face a full-scale mutiny. 

The Holloway storyline is gaining momentum, and after last week saying that I hoped it would end soon, I once again find myself engaged with the story as Holloway takes the field. 

Helped in no small part by the various factions coming together in the story and David Sque's efficient artwork, things moved quickly. Other weeks have barely moved in the Holloway story, and this week more than makes up for it as the story jumped forward on the back of Holloway's strong performance on the field. With Roy promising to tell the team why he has been lenient on Holloway, I expect the story to take another large step forward next week.

Although this wasn't my favourite story this week, it wasn't too far off it, a surprising development after last week. It just goes to show that while form is temporary, class is permanent. The class of Barrie Tomlinson and David Sque is clearly on display here, and with last week's issue forgotten, once again, the future looks good for Roy Of The Rovers. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Er, sorry about that, Roy, but I thought I had a better chance than Blackie!"

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Skid Solo 

Best Line: "If I can pass Mareilla...I can pass the others too! All of them!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz:

Tiger 6th March 1976

After sitting through a couple of wet months, summer has finally arrived. It's a beautiful day outside, and the last thing on my mind is football or comics. Still, this is the bed I have made for myself, and I'm committed to putting down my thoughts on these comics. I have decided to make some changes in the next few months. Nothing will affect this comic; I'm just shuffling my life around to make it a little better. More on that next week, but until then, here are my thoughts on Tiger from early March 1976.

Tiger 

6th March 1976

Roy Of The Rovers

Hansfield has taken a shock 3-0 lead against Rovers, and when the referee refused to award a penalty for a foul on Roy, some of the Melchester fans invaded the pitch.

Roy talks the fans off the pitch and takes the free kick, narrowly missing the goal. The game ends with Hansfield winning 3-0, and the fans are downhearted as they leave the ground. 

The Melchester players exchange harsh words in the dressing room, and an equally angry Roy tells them to stop whining and accept their defeat like men. 

The next day, Roy is still simmering with fury, and he tells Penny of his dilemma on whether or not to bring Gerry Holloway back into the squad. 

Roy visits Holloway's flat but is told that Holloway is away up north for an archaeological dig. That doesn't deter Roy, and he names Holloway in the team. 

Come the day of the game, and everyone is questioning Roy's decision. Holloway still hasn't returned, yet he is named as a substitute. The game kicks off, and Roy finds himself playing in a defensive role as the team is on the back foot. However, help is at hand, and the final panel shows Holloway emerging from the tunnel and Taffy preparing him to come on.  

Despite the pitch invasion, everything felt flat this week. Roy easily talked the fans back off the field, and the brewing trouble of last week dissipated under Roy's stern words. Roy's looking directly off the page and telling the supporters that they don't need any more trouble from football mobs was a direct plea not just to the Melchester fans but to the wider footballing community. A direct comment on the football violence of the 1970s, it dated the comic immediately and reminded me what a time capsule some of these moments are. 

After the match, most of the strip revolved around Roy's mood and his interaction with various other characters. We saw him talk with Penny about his problems before coming into direct conflict with the club's directors. Although this was all drama-infused, there were a lot of talking heads, and for a football comic, it greatly slowed the story down. Of course, all of it was necessary, but it was a change from the previous few months, and it feels like the story is changing focus. 

I'm all for this if it continues in this way, although I would like to see the talk and drama be about something more substantial than Gerry Holloway. I'm still not on board with this story, and the fact that Gerry Holloway didn't appear on the page didn't help his or the story's cause this week. Even a panel showing him working at the archaeological dig would have been nice and said more than Roy talking to his flatmates. 

There is no doubt that Roy Of The Rovers is evolving. This wasn't the best example of the strip, but we can see some key changes. Once we throw off this Holloway story, some of these changes can be more fully embraced. I just need a few weeks more patience, but already I can see that Roy is being put on course for a golden period (and his own comic), and these are the first seedlings of that change.  

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "How can you even consider a player who has been missing since Wednesday?"

Johnny Cougar

The three-way fight between Johnny Cougar, The Masked Maniac, and The Pirate is about to begin. 

Johnny is up against it from the start as the other two wrestlers gang up against him. His quickness keeps him in the fight early on, but a combination between his two opponents sends him crashing to the floor, and the referee begins to count him out. 

The Pirate congratulated The Masked Maniac on their teamwork and was rewarded with a surprise strike from his opponent, sending him to the floor for a count as well. The strip ends with the count sitting at eight for Johnny Cougar and four for The Pirate, while The Masked Maniac looks on, gleeful at the prospect of a double knockout. 

Wrestlers wrestling - no gimmicks, no stunts, now that's what I like. The Pirate didn't do silly Pirate things, the Masked Maniac stuck to wrestling (albeit underhanded wrestling), and Johnny didn't play any silly pranks. All fought strongly, and the wider plot was forgotten as the sheer physicality of wrestling was put in the spotlight. 

The ending, with two of the three wrestlers laid out on the canvas, highlighted what a hard-hitting match this was. The final strike by the Masked Maniac was the most impactful panel of the strip, for not only did it look powerful, but it also signalled his betrayal of the Pirate and twisted the story into its second half. It's hard to imagine that next week's issue will be as hard-hitting as this one, but should it stay focused on the events in the ring, we should be on firm ground. The tournament did what it needed to do to get us here, but now the time is right to strip the story back to the wrestling alone and let the characters tell their own story. 

The most important element of this week's strip was the artwork, and it delivered in spades. A variety of panels showed the wrestlers in various acts of hurting each other. The artwork remained crisp and unobtrusive, telling the story quickly while embellishing the size and power of the wrestlers fighting in the ring. Less is more, and the more uncluttered the art, the better the story was. I can't see the story going much past next week, but I sure wish it would. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "But this dissolves our partnership...right now!" 

 

Hot Shot Hamish

Jock McBell has accused Hamish's landlord, Ian McCash, of running off with some of his money when they ran a business together. While Hamish holds the two men apart, each explains their side of the story. 

McCash tells how he knocked his head and found himself on a boat for Canada. In Canada, he built his fortune from the ground up before returning to Scotland a rich man. 

He realises he must have used Ian McBell's money to get to Canada and tells him that he's happy to have found him and he will share his fortune with him. With that, the two men are friends again, and this story is closed.

Back at Princes Park, the team is training for their next match, although many of the team are struggling with the after-effects of the flu, and by the end of the training session, many are out on their feet. 

On Saturday, the game kicks off at Alexanda town on a heavy and muddy pitch. The pitch becomes muddier as the game progresses, and after consulting McBell, Hamish tells the team to keep the ball in the air as much as possible. 

This they do, but it is unsuccessful as the ball is headed to Angus, who takes it full in the face and collapses to the ground. 

The story of Alexanda town and the muddy pitch is a step down from the story of McBell and McCash and was a weak ending to what has been an entertaining couple of weeks. I have greatly enjoyed the artwork depicting the two men and their troubles. I will whisper the next bit, but I also enjoyed the break from football. 

The first page contained all my favourite moments, and it's not too much of a stretch to say every panel was a delight. The images of McCash building his fortune gave one the sense of how hard he worked, while the image of him as a successful man in a suit topped it all. The final coming together of McCash and McBell was done quickly, yet it did what it needed to do across three panels. 

The next page was all about the muddy pitch. Normally, I'm a fan of such things, but coming off the back of the McCash and McBell story, it wasn't as much fun, or indeed funny, and the story fell back on something we have seen several times already. There may be a twist next week that fires my enthusiasm, but for now, I am reading without much joy. An unusual thing to say about a Hot Shot Hamish comic, but the recent highs have cast this storyline into the shadows, and it's going to take something special for it to get its shine back.  

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "But now I'm back...and rich! And I've found you again! So...everything I have, I share with ye! Half of all ma fortune is yours, mon!"

Skid Solo

Tommy has entered two events this week - the sports car race on Saturday and the invitation race at Charfield. Participation in the Charity race depends on a good performance in the sports car race, and two officials from the Charfield race are at the sports car race to judge Tommy's performance. 

Tommy starts fast and leads from the front. The rains come, and Tommy extends his lead as other cars crash out or slow in the conditions. Sandy wants him to take a conservative approach, especially since Tommy has been given the nickname "Crash"

Sandy holds a pit sign, and Tommy can see that Mellors is seven seconds behind and Oliver nine seconds behind. With that, Tommy drives even harder, determined to make the grade for the invitational race. 

Tommy wins his race and is told he can drive in the invitational. However, Sandy chastises him for not following his pit instructions. The two look at the pit board, and Tommy points out that Sandy had been holding it upside down - it said "Go SLW" not "M7S, 09" as Tommy read it. 

A typical ending for a Skid Solo, and one that could never happen nowadays. The pit boards used by Skid and Sandy are often integral to the stories being told, yet they don't exist these days, and some of the stories told could never happen in 2025. The outcome of all this was rather low-key, and I didn't find the final panels particularly amusing if that was indeed the intent. 

On the other hand, the racing was fantastic and felt a million miles from the story being told with the blackboards. The cars looked fast, and Tiommy shone in the poor conditions. Even better, he proved his worth, and next week, we get to see him in a Grand Prix car. We have waited a long time for this moment, and there is a certain thrill in seeing the young boy achieve his dream. His journey has proceeded in fits and starts, but since Skid has been confined to a wheelchair, it has moved quickly, and the time is right for Tommy to take centre stage.

This has me wondering when Skid might be making a return himself. With Tommy performing well on the track and in the comic, Skid needn't be rushed back. It is his name across the masthead, but Tommy's stories have been as fun and enjoyable as any Skid Solo story we saw last year. Tommy is appealing to a younger readership, and although the sight of the two racing together will be a joy, I don't need to see it just yet. Tommy is performing well, and we should all just sit back and enjoy it.     

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "We've come along to look at the boy wonder of yours..."

Tornado Jones

Tornado Jones breathed in some leaking engine gases and became light-headed while attempting to leap the Avon Gorge in his rocket car.

He is unaware that his car has looped around, and at that very moment, he is flying upside down back towards where he took off. The people on the ground are well aware of what's happening, and then there is general panic as a hurried message is radioed to Tornado Jones. 

This snaps him out of his drowsiness, and he realises that he has to get the car on an even keel to make a landing. He barely regains control of his car as he crash-lands in a field of cabbage. Luckily, Jones is thrown from the car as it rolls over and is helped to his feet by a worried Professor Caine. 

Jones thinks he has made the leap across the gorge, but the situation is soon explained to him. He is disappointed, however, the Professor points out that he had brought entertainment t to the crowd here and watching TV at home. This isn't enough for Jones, who tells us that he is a perfectionist and will have to start proving himself as a stuntman all over again. 

Wonderful artwork papered over some of the silliness of this story. I shouldn't have liked it as much as I did, but the final page was beautiful and swept away my doubts about the story. Jones, crashing into a field of cabbages, looked spectacular and caught all the details of the disastrous stunt. It's normally the faces of Tornado Jones that capture my attention, an odd thing to say about a story full of stunts, but this issue finally gave us a stunt worthy of the art, and Jim Bleach did a wonderful job of capturing the final touchdown. 

The only downside is this is the end of Jones' dalliance with a rocket car. Next week, we shall be taking on a new stunt, and it will be another step into the unknown. We have seen good Tornado Jones stories in the past, immediately followed by weaker ones. I hope this won't be the case this time, and we get two great stories back to back. Only time will tell, but for now, this was a great ending to the rocket car saga and easily the best story in this week's issue. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Stone the wombats, what have I been doing? Got to get on an even keel!" 

Martins Marvellous Mini

After seeing Henry in the back of a car holding a sign saying he had been kidnapped, Tiny and Martin find themselves in pursuit.  However, they lose sight of the car, and coming to a river, they attempt to cross on a flat barge. It doesn't go well, and as the barge sinks in the water, they resort to jumping the rest of the way across. 

Although they land in the water, they are close enough to the shore to drive off while the ferry sinks to the bottom behind them. 

Driving on, they reach a building called "Twastles Fun Palace" Within, they find a hall of fun mirrors before Martin picks up a phone to call for help. The phone is a prank, and Martin gets a face full of water for his trouble. Tiny finds this hilarious, until a panel later when a trap door opens in the floor, swallowing him up. The final panel sees Martin realising the seriousness of the situation and commenting that maybe this place isn't a joke.

The boys had a lot happening this issue, but nothing seemed to dominate, nor, indeed, thrill me. The pursuit of the car was a strong start, but it was strangely glossed over as we got deeper into the story. The river crossing on the barge was something we had seen before in the boys' worldly adventures, and as such, it didn't thrill us more, nor did it feel like it belonged in this particular story. Their final arrival at the fun house is more weirdness than we have come to expect on this island (remember the giant pinball machine they drove down last time they were here), and the sight of it had me forgetting all about the car they were chasing. 

I'm sure the main story of the kidnapping will be picked up again in the next issue, and I am confident that somewhere in this fun house, they will find Henry. Yet, it doesn't quite feel right and is disconnected. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Another joke...and it's on you this time!" 

Billy's Boots

It looked as though Billy and Jimmy were out of the team again after upsetting Mr Harris by not turning up to support the last game. However, they are surprised when Mr Harris names Jimmy as a starter and Billy as a substitute.

On Tuesday, Billy polishes his boots in anticipation of the cup quarter-final the following day. On the day of the game, he rushes to the dry cleaners during his lunch break to collect something for his Gran before hurrying on to his game.

At the game, he changes and realises he has left his boots at the dry cleaners. He scurries back to collect them and returns to the game to find that Mr Hariris has been desperate for him to come on as a substitute. Groundwood has been playing with ten men after an earlier injury and is now one-nil down. 

Billy comes on and struggles against the many taller opposition players. However, he reads the play well, pouncing on a lazy back pass by the other team and scoring a goal to tie the game. 

He is heavily marked after this, but after finding himself surrounded by four opposing players, he deftly flicks the ball over the top to Jimmy Dawson, who is making a run towards the goal in the final moments of the game. 

This is exactly what I expect from a Billy's Boots story, and it was satisfying to see all the key elements fall into place. We had another appearance of Billy's Gran in a homely setting, Billy leaving his boots at the dry cleaners, and Hardnut Harris chastising Billy. This all builds wonderfully to the final moments when Billy, reunited with his boots, takes the field and delivers what we have come to expect over the years. 

One could mock it all, or even become bored, but I revelled in every moment of it as I realised that this is the charm of the story. Recently, we have seen these various elements appearing one or two times in a story, but to see them all occur across two pages made for a fast-moving story that was the essence of Bily's Boots. 

The artwork facilitated this fast-moving action with clean lines and panels that gave us chunks of plot in a single image. Billy at the dry cleaners was a good example of this - the dialogue sketching out the situation, while the art showed us Billy fishing in his pockets while the lady watches patiently on. It was simplistic, yet loaded with detail that made it instantly recognisable. 

Another day, and this would have been my favourite story in this week's comic. Even so, it was a joy to read, and although Billy's Boots and I have had our ups and downs over the years, this strip reminded me of why I fell in love with it in the first place. A simple boy trying to make his way through life, football, and school, it was relatable to me now as it was then. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "My boots! I- I left them in my bag at the cleaners shop!" 

Nipper

Due to his memory loss, Nipper has had a nasty run-in with Jan, the Dutch goalkeeper he is about to play against. 

Jan won't listen to Nipper's apology, and he vows that Nipper will not score against him. He makes good on this promise, pulling off a series of spectacular saves and reiterating his promise to Nipper 

Nipper tries something different, and a short corner move leads to the ball bobbling around the area. Nipper is about to shoot when he is shoulder-charged from behind, sending him crashing into Jan. This is seen as a deliberate violent act by the rest of the Dutch players, and for the rest of the match, Nipper finds himself at the end of some rough treatment. 

This climaxes when Nipper is taken out inside the box, and a penalty is awarded. With all eyes on him, Nipper is one-on-one against Jan, wondering what he has to do to get it past this granite-like keeper.   

As I picked up this week's comic, I was unsure of what direction Nipper would go. I had expected to see Nipper competing directly with Jan in the opposing team, but I don't think I realised Jan was a goalkeeper until this issue. This cast a different light on the events that followed. Nipper was constantly tussling with Jan, obviously, but the rest of the players were brought into the action as they rallied around their keeper. 

This broadened the scope of the story and made things all the more challenging for Nipper. It also became the driving force of the story as Nipper battled eleven players before the final panels when the challenge again became one-on-one. Jan was at the centre of the action throughout, saving all Nipper's shots on goal, but this final panel of the two facing off was the crux of the story and the hook we needed to bring us back next week.

Once again, the art was strong and every bit as enjoyable as the story. We had plenty of football action, with panels dedicated to showing Jan saving Nipper's shots in a variety of poses as he stretched his body in all directions. He was portrayed as a superman in goal, which only made the final prospect of Nipper taking a penalty shot against him all the more intriguing. How Nipper can beat such a man remains to be seen, and next week's issue promises to be just as exciting as this one. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Before the match, I make a little vow - whatever happens, Lawrence shall not get the ball past me!" 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Tornado Jones 

Best Line: "I've got my reasons, Mister Barlow! But if you don't like the way I'm running things, then you'd better find a new manager!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: