FREE! The "SPARKY FILE - 1965 -1977" To any & all!

[Lew Stringer]

Thanks Tony.

Here is the 129-page document.

One is an MS Word version and the other is a PDF.

http://www.comicsuk.co.uk/Sparky%20File.doc

http://www.comicsuk.co.uk/Sparky%20File.pdf

And a major thank you to Alan Smith for allowing us to share his phenominal work on this great DCT comic title.

Al

That's a fantastic achievement. Congratulations on Alan's hard work.

I'll give it a plug on my blog tomorrow if I may?

[alanultron5]

Certainly Lew - and many thanks for compliments! I'm sure it can't be error free-and if anyone spots any major `blips` (Fresh eyes & all that!) I am very welcome for corrections please!

I did `ammend` my comments on certain strips to try and be more objective-particulary Brian Walkers colour `I. Spy` work, which I hope reads better! But, I have to stand by my view on so many of the `Invisible Dick` plots!? though, as I really got to intensly dislike that strip when first reading my Sparky's way back then!

Mostly though; the `file` is a Facts & Figures document which I hope will interest those who like such things! Cheers!

[steelclaw]

Nice one Alan must have taken ages.Now scan them all.
Did you come across any wrong numbering? I know Peter has the issues that were wrong on his site,I just wondered if their's anymore.

[Peter Gray]

Nice one Alan took a long time to read But very informative..

[Digifiend]

Nice one Alan. I'm having a look at the PDF now.

Mistakes:
Typo: the issue 2 listing refers to Hugry Horace.
Issue 86 listing: Grockle was in the first issues of The Dandy as well as Rover.
Issue 403 listing: Snip and Snap was later reprinted in Dandy Xtreme, you didn't mention that.
1975: Discrepancy -

By now the serious `adventure` strips were discontinued leaving only Klanky and Mr Bubbles to represent that type of strip. The final original Mr Bubbles strip was in issue 545. In 1976 the old 1970/1971 Mr Bubbles adventures were repeated.
In issue 546 the two page “Pop Mad” strip commenced. Issue 546 also saw the last original `Mr Bubbles` story.

Which was it, 545 or 546?
1976: When referring to the reprint of Rudolph the Red Coat Mountie, when you say it was originally in colour, there's a missing right bracket.
1977:

From the following week in an innovative move; Topper and Sparky comic had a fold up pull out insert, which when folded, read like a small magazine. In this insert were Sparky strips, `Puss and Boots`, `Ali’s Baba` `Hungry Horace` `The Sparky People` `Thingummyblob`, `Peter Piper and `L. Cars`.
This insert survival of the six Sparky strips lasted to 1981. After this date, only `Hungry Horace`, `Peter Piper`, and `Ali’s Baba` continued in the pages of Topper.

That's seven strips, not six.
Post 1980: Ali's Baba in the Dandy was Jimmy's Green Genie, not Johnnie's Genie. Also, Puss n Boots was called Mutt and Moggy, not Moggy and Mutt.

Trivia to add regarding Minnie the Tea Lady (1973) - she and Olive the Dinner Lady from Beano's Bash Street Kids are based on the same person, the DC Thomson tea lady, who according to beanotown.com retired recently.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

This is a staggering amount of work that Alan has done on this subject: obviously, it must have been done in bite-sized chunks: how long do you reckon it took you altogether, Alan?

Clearly, this piece has been put together by a true SPARKY enthusiast [I certainly can't reel off stats/dates/appearences/departures of characters at the drop of a hat,] and I am keeping this record of SPARKY permanently: it's very handy for helping fill in the blanks regarding issues I don't have.

Yes, there may be the odd mis-spelling or whatever, but I think we can excuse this in relation to the massive amount of data on offer here. Slight mistakes can also be ameded on WORD by Alan himself, if an updated version is ever required.


Well done, Mr Smith!

[Lew Stringer]

Certainly Lew - and many thanks for compliments!

There you go Alan:

http://lewstringer.blogspot.com/2010/05 ... hands.html

I may disagree with some of your opinions on the 1972 I-Spy strips but I have to commend your work on this index. True dedication and an essential resource for comic fans.

I'm sure it can't be error free-and if anyone spots any major `blips` (Fresh eyes & all that!) I am very welcome for corrections please!

I did `ammend` my comments on certain strips to try and be more objective-particulary Brian Walkers colour `I. Spy` work, which I hope reads better! But, I have to stand by my view on so many of the `Invisible Dick` plots!? though, as I really got to intensly dislike that strip when first reading my Sparky's way back then!

I was never too keen on most of the Sparky adventure strips; Invisible Dick, Klanky, Bushboy, Mr.Bubbles didn't do anything for me I'm afraid. I felt that Sparky excelled at the humour strips though. I don't know why I threw most of my issues away now, as that 1969-72 period was brilliant.

One thing that surprised me reading your index was that there were no free gifts in Sparky after 1974. With its sales falling one would expect Thomsons to try and change its fortunes with another run of gifts in 1976 perhaps, but maybe they felt it was too late.

[Digifiend]

Yes, there may be the odd mis-spelling or whatever, but I think we can excuse this in relation to the massive amount of data on offer here. Slight mistakes can also be ameded on WORD by Alan himself, if an updated version is ever required.

He did ask for any mistakes to be pointed out.

I'm sure it can't be error free-and if anyone spots any major `blips` (Fresh eyes & all that!) I am very welcome for corrections please!

A lot of them are minor, I'll admit. It's a good document, well done Alan.

[alanultron5]

I have now corrected the 546 "Mr Bubbles" error! Digi! Thanks for the `Topper` Pullout Six or Seven? I will check me `Topper` pullout and correct it! Afraid my English punctuation is poor, always my weakest School subject!

It took about a year to compile Rab! One reason for length of time was acquiring enough 1966 & 67 issues to get my factual data better on length of 1966 Adventure stories!

Lew! I don't know if you have had time to read the latter part of the 1971 section where I re-adress the colour `I. Spy` series! I have tried ammended my earlier comments and to `moderate` meself as best with `Objective` (I hope!) criticisms and hope you might find it a easier read! Cheers!

[alanultron5]

I just corrected the `Hungry Horace` error! I never noticed that at all! Cheers! Of course the `File` isen't `Set in Stone` and I will update it when I can! One artist I hoped to trace was the person responsible for "Granny Cupp" they also did "Dotty Daydream" & "Stoneage Stella" in the 1967 & 1968 Sparky books! If anyone can help here please?

[alanultron5]

Steelclaw! Wrong numbering! Yes! I covered this in the `1971` section. There was those two sets of 316 - 319 from Feb & March 71 and a wrong way 332 & 333 (I think!) later in May- I think!

[alanultron5]

Just to say-that I have put a bit more about certain stories- "Nine Hundred Years Ago" "Police Horse Hadrian" "Rory the Horse of Many Masters" and "The Cave Kids" It was unfair to readers to put "I can't recall this strip"

I truly couldn't remember those strips-but! Having the issues now, means I can put short synopsis on! So, the `file` should be a more informative document now!

Also- many thanks to Digi & others pointing out my errors! I need fresh `eyes & perspective` to help me there! Any more errors-please do let me know!

[steelclaw]

The latest Classics from the comics has this Sparky front page, I haven't seen one of those in it for a long time unless I've missed one.

[alanultron5]

That `Fun` strip actually had a proper ending when the comic ended! Most fun strips just vanish with no explanation!

[Kashgar]

Trivia to add regarding Minnie the Tea Lady (1973) - she and Olive the Dinner Lady from Beano's Bash Street Kids are based on the same person, the DC Thomson tea lady, who according to beanotown.com retired recently.

The beanotown site isn't being entirely honest, although being a site visted by kids, in the main, I can understand why.
Both Minnie the tea-lady and Olive from the Bash Street Kids were indeed based on the same person, a Meadowside canteen worker named Olive Milne but Olive retired in 1986, not recently, and sadly died, aged 80, in May 1993.