Happy 60th Birthday Topper!

[Dunder Ed]

Just wanted to point out that it is the 60th Birthday of the Topper yesterday! The Topper started on the 7th of February, 1953. Here is a great strip featuring most of Topper's most memorable characters! Enjoy!

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Hope somebody, somewhere, had a TIP-TOP celebration!

[Peter Gray]

whats your favourite topper stars...?

[Dunder Ed]

Definetly Micky the Monkey! I also love Fred the Flop even though hes not a true Topper character.

[starscape]

Nothing beats The Whizzers from Ozz but Flip McCoy, Ghastly Manor and Danny's Tranny were also pretty good.

[DavidKW]

Always thought the Topper was very underrated & still not given the recognition it deserves.

Been discovering the the quirky humour (discussed before on this site) & adventure strips starting via the annuals.

Liked the quirky humour of Lumbering Jack, Willie Nillie & later Hoosie The Wotsit, Piggy Banks and The Crows.

The Sky Shark was one its best adventure strips.

Also loved its mainstay Beryl The Peril (annoys me that the media keeps saying she was always a Dandy character. No! Topper! then later Dandy). B the P was in my view at her best in the 70s by John Dallas (more anarchic); didn't like the watered-down version from the merged Beezer & Topper onwards.

Fred The Flop was originally from the Buzz comic which merged into the Topper. Fred was ok but Badd Lads from Beezer better.

Must say "Nobby" who also came via Topper was one of these comics weaker strips (a more accident -prone version of the Beezer's Ginger). One of Buzz's best that didn't make the Topper but should've was Bill Ritchie's amusing Twitz Of The Ritz.

[Digifiend]

Also loved its mainstay Beryl The Peril (annoys me that the media keeps saying she was always a Dandy character. No! Topper! then later Dandy). B the P was in my view at her best in the 70s by John Dallas (more anarchic); didn't like the watered-down version from the merged Beezer & Topper onwards.

A few days ago, the Sun mentioned Bananaman (in reference to a celebrity wearing a blue and yellow ensemble) and correctly stated that he was a TV, Dandy and Beano star. They did omit Nutty though. At least they didn't only mention Beano, which would be akin to saying Beryl was only a Dandy character when she was in Topper for longer.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Blanket media statements like that [and that SUN one was a very typical example] are always aimed at 'regular Joes', that is: everyone has heard of BEANO and DANDY, but sadly the likes of NUTTY has slipped into near-oblivion, remembered mostly by readers of the time, and comics enthusiasts like us. It's like the newspaper writers don't want to put in any needless distractions, whether it's accurate or not.

[starscape]

I see nothing wrong with not mentioning a comic that is remembered by very few. Its a bit like complaining that nobody mentions that Iron Man began his solos in Tales of Suspense. Apart from diehards, the audience being pitched to doesnt either need or want to know. it is simply chin scratching to think that is important.

[Digifiend]

While that may apply to Nutty, it doesn't apply to Topper, does it? It ran for almost 40 years!

[Gilly]

I suppose that depends what age group you are from.

Anybody who was a child between the 50s to the 80s is more likely to have heard of The Topper.

Anyway Happy 60th Birthday Topper, shame DC Thomson didn't bring out a special publication to commemorate this.

[George Shiers]

I'm surprised I forgot about this. Condsidering it's such a successful title I'm surprised D C Thomson didn't release anything special, although they're probably planning for the Beano's 75 anniversary later this year. And as far as I'm aware, there wasn't anything in the news about it etiher.

Maybe I'll remember the Beezer's 60th birthday - only 3 years to wait!

[Peter Gray]

Tricky Dicky is back so a kind of Topper comic nod about its Birthday..

[matrix]

I have fond memories of 'Topper' through the sixties, mainly through the annuals, which thanks to mum and dad we recieved each year at xmas, along with the Beezer, Beano, Dandy, Look and Learn etc, making our Santa sacks look very large!!

The annuals always looked so bright and colourful, to such young eyes!

[DavidKW]

It's scandalous that nothing was released to commemerate Topper - I can't see DCT doing anything for the Beezer either - just be brushed under the carpet.

Seem to think that just the Beano & Dandy only ever existed because they've lasted longer & been going (up until recently in Dandy's case, but still existing on the web).

Could've at least done a one-off classics compilation or a hardback history of the Topper.

I guess one reason I (& others?) like Topper & Beezer & Sparky etc over DCT's Beano & Dandy is perhaps due to lack of recognition to these in any media.