Sparky People?

[nirdles]

I think it's a pity that the Sparky comic (DCT 1965-77) isn't listed in your titles index. In the stable of DC Thompson's five it was always regarded as an outsider. I think it was read by the non conformist seven year olds te he. The sort who'd graduate to the likes of 2000ad.

One of your members has put a hell of a lot of work into creating a "Sparky" file which details its progress through those years. However I have to disagree with his personal sentiments. For me the golden era was 1974 to 1977, the later years.

My favourite strips were Planet of the Nirdles, Ali's Baba, Peter Piper, Hungry Horace, Thingummybob, the Red Baron, Mr Bubbles. In fact I loved most of them. And of course the Sparky People strip.

Sparky day was always special and involved locking myself in my room until I'd read it cover to cover. What I find startling with Sparky and other comics that I loved in those days is that when I find them online today, I can still remember every frame of artwork.

That's after reading them more than thirty years ago (I'm 41). Does anyone else have that "photographic" memory experience when revisiting the old strips?

To all those great Sparky artists and writers who gave me so much fun...cheers!

PS: Did I see Throgmorton (the deputy ed of Sparky) lurking around here somewhere? Cheers Throggie!!! Thanks for the fun...

[AndyB]

At one point, we had a subforum for every comic under the sun, but we (I) consolidated them about two years ago because it was too confusing. I still ponder sometimes whether we should have two more subforums, one for retired DCT titles and one for retired Fleetway titles.

I loved the Sparky People, and I do identify with the embattled and undervalued Chief Sub. Al had to be SIR of course - ultimately, their quality was shown when the Dandy brought in Office Hours, which was like NI amateur league compared to the Sparky People's Premiership.

(if you don't get that joke - the IFA's best teams would struggle in the English Third Division)

[Digifiend]

I think the fact Office Hours only lasted about a year says it all... whereas Sparky People only ended because Sparky itself did.

As for the retired DCT and retired Fleetway forums, why not? The Classics from the Comics and DFC forums can go, as those two titles have closed (Classics can be merged into the retired DCT forum). So we'd still have the same number of forums.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Good to see another SPARKY admirer on here, nirdles!

From the period you mention, I liked Telly Fun, the Puss n Boots centrspread and Ach-oo! [the story of a sneeze] on the back cover.

SPARKY started doing reruns later on [Rudolf the Redcoat Mountie started in colour in 1970, but the repeats from late 1976 were in black and white].

It depends what era you read the comics as an impressionable youngster: and yes, your theory is correct.....I was a Sparky addict who graduated much later on to 2000 AD!

[Phoenix]

Cheers Throggie!

I consider myself quite outspoken, nirdles, but I would never have taken such a liberty as to address one of our senior colleagues, and a moderator into the bargain, in such a familiar manner at any time, let alone in my first post. Let's have some decorum, please!

[nirdles]

Ulp! Yes S-Sir!

[nirdles]

My eight year old lad was delighted to unearth my remainin comic annuals in the attic. He reads the Beano (the last man standing, if you don't count the travesty that is Dandy Extreme) but he absolutely devours the old Sparky annuals along with the 1970's Cor!, The Beano. Topper etc. It's nice to see they still have that appeal - even for a Nintendo kid.

And to Andyb: sympathy for chief subs? Are you by any chance in the newspaper business? I work in newspapers and I reckon comics helped put me there...what about you? They're not unlike comics either

[Digifiend]

Nirdles, you obviously haven't been keeping a Dandy handy lately - Xtreme died three weeks ago, they had a major revamp and went back to weekly.

(heh, I used The Dandy's old advertising slogan there)

[AndyB]

I'm an undervalued Civil Servant, y'see

[NP]

My eight year old lad ...reads the Beano (the last man standing, if you don't count the travesty that is Dandy Extreme)

Did you somehow MISS hearing about this???
http://downthetubes.ning.com/forum/topi ... of-the-new
http://nigelparkinsoncartoons.blogspot. ... dandy.html
http://www.dandy.com/
And sometimes I think I'm going on about it too much!
If your lad likes Topper, Sparky, etc, he'll most likely enjoy The Dandy. It is in Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's. Not Waitrose but we're looking at that.

[Phoenix]

nirdles wrote:
My eight year old lad ...reads the Beano (the last man standing, if you don't count the travesty that is Dandy Extreme)

Did you somehow MISS hearing about this???
http://downthetubes.ning.com/forum/topi ... of-the-new
http://nigelparkinsoncartoons.blogspot. ... dandy.html
http://www.dandy.com/
And sometimes I think I'm going on about it too much!

Temper, temper!!! Nirdles is a new member of the forum so perhaps he just hadn't had the time or the opportunity to read any of our posts about the matter prior to writing his post. Cut the guy some slack, NP.

Incidentally, there are several copies of the revamped Dandy in my local Morrisons store, standing upright in a prominent presentation container. I can't speak for Waitrose as they do not appear to have considered opening any stores within at least twenty miles of our poverty-stricken northern backwater here in Liverpool.

[nirdles]

Thanks for pointing that out. Unlike a lot of you guys I'm just a 41 year old dad who fondly remembers his childhood comics, Sparky and 2000ad especially - although there are many more...Monster Fun and Whizzer and Chips and the borderline creepy stuff that went with some of those titles...
The reason I logged on to this forum was to take the chance to say thanks to those undervalued artists and writers who (if they're reading this forum) provided absolutely fantasitic entertainment for me and all my friends when we were nippers to the extent that we can still talk about all their characters in the pub with extreme enthusiasm. We could tell, even at age under ten, that these artists and writers put a hell of a lot love into what they did.
Being new to any forum always invites invective and you always have to wear the short pants for a while.
As the man says (cheers for that) cut me some slack - I'm not a comic nutter who eats, breathes and finds them in my pants. So as an average 41 year old bloke caught up in the thick of 41 year old bloke life, it might take me more than three weeks for me to register that the children's comic, the Dandy, in the local newsagents isn't in the same creative vein as the one I saw last time I was there.
But if they've tried to put it back on track I'm delighted.
To quote Spoofer McGraw: "Sheesh!!"

[NP]

Waitrose as they do not appear to have considered opening any stores within at least twenty miles of our poverty-stricken northern backwater here in Liverpool.

I believe they have one in Formby. Or somewhere like that. Or did. Anyway, no, they don't have one near my poverty-stricken backwater of, er, Liverpool either. But Ocado will deliver.

[NP]

... as an average 41 year old bloke caught up in the thick of 41 year old bloke life,

Seems like an average 41 year old bloke would be in Tesco, Asda or Sainsburys most every week. Take a look at the Dandy, it won't bite.

[Lew Stringer]

Temper, temper!!! Nirdles is a new member of the forum so perhaps he just hadn't had the time or the opportunity to read any of our posts about the matter prior to writing his post. Cut the guy some slack, NP.

Knowing Nigel personally I didn't see any temper outburst in his post. Without hearing tone or seeing facial expressions the internet is notorious for giving people the wrong impression. Perhaps we should all communicate via webcam.

I'm not a comic nutter who eats, breathes and finds them in my pants.

Cheers. I think it's a fair mistake to make though if someone thought that a person posting to a comics forum to comment on the current state of comics might actually know what the current state of comics is.

We'll let you off though. If you buy The Dandy for your lad. Try him with a Toxic as well. He might like it.