I'll check but from memory I think that the 'Sparrows' strip was originally in Buster in the early 1960's. I have a feeling that Tom Kerr also drew a strip called 'Thunder Boult' for Buster in the same period which also had a wartime setting. If memory serves, I think the hero was a magician who used his skills to outwit the Nazis.
Coote's Crocks was certainly a lightweight football strip that Tom Kerr drew for DCT's Wizard so this can be added to the list.
Jag what was it like?
Moderator: AndyB
Jag what was it like?
No idea who Fred Baker is Lew, maybe he was a scriptwriter and he's been wrongly assigned artist status over the years. This happened with Ted Cowan re Robot Archie in Denis Gifford's comic characters book for instance. The only Baker I can think of who drew for the juvenile market, in the time frame concerned, ( years ago there was of course Julius Stafford Baker who I think devised Tiger Tim) was the lad who did a number of adaptations of novels etc for Look & Learn but I'm pretty sure his christian name wasn't Fred.
Re: Jag what was it like?
Cap Haggis wrote: If you want I'll copy some of these for you (hope thats ok re (c)?) it'll save you searching for them (my scanners totally wrecked I'm afraid)
Thanks - if you do get the chance to post one, I'd be especially interested in seeing a Kid Commandos to see how he tackled the Blitz setting.
Jag what was it like?
A few updates. Fred Baker was indeed a scriptwriter for Fleetway/IPC who seems to have had a penchant for sports stories as his credits include the football series Legge's Eleven and Billy's Boots and the motor-racing series The Skid Kids.
The Kid Commandos was originally published in Buster as 'The Sparrows go to War' in 1965.
And to add to the list of Tom Kerr strips for the mainstream Fleetway?IPC titles there is also from Valiant the carry on strip from Jack o' Justice, Jack Justice which ran from June 1966 to May 1967 in which the highwaymans descendant fights crime in modern times.
Then, also in Valiant, there was 'Kraken and the Ogre from the Past' which ran in the paper in Aug-Sept 1964 and 'The Man called 39' about a British secret agent which appeared between Feb and May 1965.
While, in Lion, as well as being responsible for the whole series of Oddball Oates (May 1969-Nov 1970) and Phil the Fluter (Mar 1971-Jan 1972) he also entirely drew the sci-fi invasion of the bodysnatchers type series 'The Mind Stealers' (Dec 1968-Apr 1969) and 'The King of Keg Island' (Nov 1970-Mar 1971) about an orphan boy who inherits a remote island off the Devon coast. At this time he also drew a number of picture covers for Lion alternating for the most part with Geoff Campion.
The Buster strip I mentioned in an earlier post had the full title 'Thunder Boult - the Magician who went to War' and Tom Kerr drew all but the first two instalments between Apr 1964 and Jan 1965.
The Kid Commandos was originally published in Buster as 'The Sparrows go to War' in 1965.
And to add to the list of Tom Kerr strips for the mainstream Fleetway?IPC titles there is also from Valiant the carry on strip from Jack o' Justice, Jack Justice which ran from June 1966 to May 1967 in which the highwaymans descendant fights crime in modern times.
Then, also in Valiant, there was 'Kraken and the Ogre from the Past' which ran in the paper in Aug-Sept 1964 and 'The Man called 39' about a British secret agent which appeared between Feb and May 1965.
While, in Lion, as well as being responsible for the whole series of Oddball Oates (May 1969-Nov 1970) and Phil the Fluter (Mar 1971-Jan 1972) he also entirely drew the sci-fi invasion of the bodysnatchers type series 'The Mind Stealers' (Dec 1968-Apr 1969) and 'The King of Keg Island' (Nov 1970-Mar 1971) about an orphan boy who inherits a remote island off the Devon coast. At this time he also drew a number of picture covers for Lion alternating for the most part with Geoff Campion.
The Buster strip I mentioned in an earlier post had the full title 'Thunder Boult - the Magician who went to War' and Tom Kerr drew all but the first two instalments between Apr 1964 and Jan 1965.
Jag what was it like?
Oh just remembered Tom Kerr was also the first artist to draw 'The Avengers' when they returned to the pages of TV Comic in 1968 with Tara King as Steed's side-kick. He drew the first 11 issues (877-887) and the thirteenth (889). Brilliant work and probably the best of all the artists who drew the Avengers at capturing the tongue-in-cheek nature of the show and Steed's suave urbanity.