The Sorcerer's Apprentice - Wizard Mk II

[Kashgar]

It will be forty years next week since the first issue of Thomson's boys' picture weekly, the Wizard, was published. A new title but with an already illustrious name amongst fans of boys' story papers. The original boys' story paper of the same name having been amalgamated with Rover in Nov 1963 after 1970 issues to form the Rover & Wizard which then carried on until Aug 1969 when it became plain Rover and the Wizard name was extricated with thought to recycling it as the title for the new picture paper launched six months later.
I distinctly remember buying that first issue with its free Sure-Shot Shooter, a plastic pop-gun of indeterminate parentage given free with a number of Thomson titles over the years and also the issues that followed with free football photos in glorious colour.
In fact football was the mainstay of the title in it's early days to the extent that it had a whole middle section devoted to it although surrounding it were adventure strips devoted to other themes as you would expect to find in a Thomson boys' picture paper of the time with artists on hand including Bill Mainwaring (The Voice that Ran the Rangers), Allan Pollack (Out of the Ice He Came) Geoff Jones (Trooper Bo-Peep) George Ramsbottom (Scrappy - a Boy all Alone) and Martin Asbury (Soldiers of the Jet Age).

[grumpy old man]

I must say Wizard had its share of weird stories in its first year; The Clutching Hand about a disembodied superpowered metal hand that went around robbing banks (wonder where that idea came from?), The Place of Battles about people being killed at a Scottish castle over the centuries, The Man From USH sort of I Spy meets the Avengers over a meal of magic mushrooms and my own favourite Soldiers of the Jet Age where the UN peacekeeper army of 1990 is armed with jetpacks, laser guns and sonic cannons!

I was relieved when I bought a batch of these on eBay to find that these stories really existed and I hadn’t dreamt them up.

[Phoenix]

The Clutching Hand about a disembodied superpowered metal hand that went around robbing banks (wonder where that idea came from?)

The Clutching Hand ran in The Wizard from 13 (May 9 1970) - 25 (Aug. 1 1970). The criminal mastermind behind the metal hand is a diamond merchant called Mr Marsden. He could at least have had the decency to pass the secret on to me before he drowned after the hand turned on him! A fairly immediate precursor, and I suspect a major influence, was The Clutching Terror in Rover And Adventure (Feb. 2 1963) - (Mar. 16 1963). The stories are completely different but, in both stories, the disembodied hand is an efficient killer.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

come along there, Steelclaw: we are dying to hear your measured contribution!

Incidentally, is your rather wizard WIZARD site closed down, temporarily or permanently? I couldn't access it last week.......

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

The Man from USH sounds familiar....is this a long-lost fantasy cartoon strip done by original I SPY artist LES BARTON? There was one strip LES done in this era that I'd love to see again......something tells me it was a DCT strip......

If this is the case, any chance of a scan, Steelclaw?

[steelclaw]

Wizard was the first comic I started collecting and keeping, I don't have them all though but I have No.1 to No.254 which is the end of 1974 + another 70 between 1975/78.
And next week I indeed to read them all from the beginning 1 a week, memorable stories were 'Scrappy a boy all alone' 'The boy from winter Island plus loads more.
I used to love the Early years of the footballers they did, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Charlton.

Their were 437 Issues of Wizard the last one being from 24th June 1978 it then merged with Victor.

ISPYSHHHGUY I might start it up again I'm working on another comic now.Sorry not much of a contribution!





Ad for a later issue of Wizard

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

great stylized stuff in the MAN from USH, Steelclaw; sadly it's not the strip I had in mind..... this work is by BOB WEBSTER, who done Sparky stuff from the same period. Many thanks for sharing this imagery, however: it's weird-n-wonderful, and certainly worthy of our attention.

In the very early 70s, LES BARTON turned out another fantasy strip [done as a double-spread] that spruced up the more traditional fare of a non-humour comic, it's possible that it was WIZARD, and if not, it was something along these lines.........this comics work was typically very detailed, with a large cast of characters who explored exotic vistas.......can the ever-reliable kashgar or anyone else help me on this?

Sorry my info is a bit obscure and non-defined.......

[Phoenix]

There were 437 Issues of Wizard

My records only show 435.

[steelclaw]

There were 437 Issues of Wizard

My records only show 435.

Mmmmm maybe I have miscalulated.

[Phoenix]

Oh I wonder who is right.
I have them all listed with dates.

You'd probably had a few cartons of best Borough Market liquor when you came up with that number. Shall I count them now then, seeing as I have them all, and no liquor has passed my lips?
P.S. What have you done with your post?

[steelclaw]

Oh I wonder who is right.
I have them all listed with dates.

You'd probably had a few cartons of best Borough Market liquor when you came up with that number. Shall I count them now then, seeing as I have them all, and no liquor has passed my lips?
P.S. What have you done with your post?

Never mind my heart I think my brains gone.

I've just recounted I now make it 436

I opened my post this morning and got a Depeche Mode Ltd CD I bought it's brill.
(I keep doing my posts wrong so I edit them just as your answering)


Phoenix are you still counting?

[Phoenix]

I've just recounted I now make it 436 I opened my post this morning and got a Depeche Mode Ltd CD I bought it's brill. (I keep doing my posts wrong so I edit them just as your answering) Phoenix are you still counting?

No, I haven't started. I used to be a teacher, remember. I delegate. However, if you can't count up to 435, I'm going to have to check myself after all. I'll do it tomorrow. I've come all the way back here this afternoon from London, I'm on my third glass of red and I'm nak...knake...nack... really very tired. Talk to you tomorrow,...well later today.

[tony ingram]

Admittedly not a publication known for its accuracy, but the Comic Book Price Guide lists 435.

[steelclaw]

Admittedly not a publication known for its accuracy, but the Comic Book Price Guide lists 435.

2-0
OK I admit defeat, I haven't got them all so must have muddled the dates up.

[Phoenix]

2-0
OK I admit defeat, I haven't got them all so must have muddled the dates up.

I take it that means I don't have to count them now.