Pop Stars In Picture Strips

[matrix]

Ringo made an appearence in Bad Penny, although only as a balloon!

[stevezodiac]

looking through my Power Comics last night I noticed Englebert Humperdinck (Or Dingledonk Pumpkin as he was called in the Beano at the time) appeared in Charlie's Choice a few times. David McCallum also appeared and I have a single by him (cashing in on his UNCLE fame) so he qualifies slightly. (Nancy Sinatra guest starred in a Man From UNCLE episode and Nancy sung while McCallum played guitar - never did find out if he could actually play it though). Its on youtube - natch.

[Niblet]

Leo Baxendale drew a story about a mop-topped fab foursome called the Beetles during the mid 1960s. Can't imagine where he got the idea for that from!

- Phil Rushton

1965 Dandy Book...

[McSCOTTYS GHOST]

Oh that is brilliant I love it - I had never even heard of this strip by Leo thank you for showing this here.

[Lew Stringer]

I was never sure if that was by Leo or not. It certainly looks like his style of the period, and it has a funny edge to it typical of Leo's work, but Ray Moore's Dandy Index lists it as being by Ron Spencer. If it is by Spencer it's the closest he ever got to a perfect ghosting. (I mean that as a compliment.) Most of the 1960s work by Ron Spencer was very, very close to Leo's style, but never as close as that, so it might well be by Leo.

[stevezodiac]

The boys in the first and third pictures don't have a Baxendale stance. I'm prepared to believe its not Leo's work. Its not lively enough.

[NP]

It's Ron Spencer, not Bax, you're right, Lew. Leo had left DCT by 1964 when that book was prepared and he rarely draw anything for The Dandy. I'd forgotten that strip, very funny, and couldn't be more topical in 1964!

[DavidKW]

A ha that explains the mystery of the Adam & The Ants strip! It was drawn very well in Tops as was a lot of the artwork ion it (the HI De Hi! strip I remember as good). Shame Tops never caught on - though some blamed the inferior quality of paper it was printed on.

I recently read that the artist & editor at Look-In dismissed the Haircut 100 strip as rubbish in its Best of the 80s book. It wasn't that bad - was well drawn & was a good Monkees-style comedy adventure. Like I said a Tv series like that was being planned around the group - but they imploded shortly afterwards.

I remember Look-In also did a When They Were Young strip where stars of the time told stories of younger days - the most interesting ones came from the veterans such as McCartney & Cliff; also featured current stars such as Limahl & Nick Beggs of Kajagoogoo & michael J Mullins, the second lead singer of Modern Romance.

Also did a Story So Far strip in mid-80s on current pops bands' rises.

Read that 5 Star strip in Best of 80s - as cringesome as they sounded (I saw them on a recent repeat of 3-2-1 - tacky!). The strip is best described like the group by the "Elliott" who rang Going Live! (unprintable here).

[DavidKW]

Just had another memory - I remember an amusing one in Viz years ago (when it used to be funny) starring Jimi Hendrix who faked his death to live underground with a race of people - and one day he meets their leader who's revealed as Ted Moult!

[DavidKW]

Another memory - Fast Forward did a strip called TV Centre, which sometimes featured pop stars alongside the lot off TV (Andi Peters Blue Peter's then team etc); I once saw one where Craig McLaughlin watches his record climb the charts & he does the promotional rounds.

(I worked in magazine distrubution at time, hence exposure; I never rated the artwork much though).

Also in that strip sometimes - representing Radio One - were wannabee pop stars Bruno & Liz who made annual records for cheridee. Thankfully all tanked into WH Smith & Woolworths bargain bins.

[Shaqui]

The thing was I remember an ad in 1981 Look-In saying "a swashbuckling Adam & The Ants picture strip coming soon".

Does anyone know which issue this appeared in, please?

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Niblet: thanks eternally for that Beetles strip-scan: the first page especially haunted my memory for many years: ain't saw this since primary school, and it's relieved an itch to see this again!
I myself wouldn't place any bets on who actually drew this: at first glance I thought Ron Spencer, but there's deffo Baxendale-esque bits in there---maybe even a collaboration? This happened in a later Beano annual with Dudley D and Bob Mc Grath.


It looks more like a Spencer inking over a Baxendale set of pencils, but only two people will know for sure [assuming Ron Spencer is still around]. I sure as Hell don't know for sure!

I must get the 1965 Dandy annual now........


If this is from the 1965 Dandy annual, [released in late '64] then it could have been drawn in 1963, the year of Beetle-mania, and when Baxendale was in the death-throes of his DCT stuff, which [deliciously] adds to the confusion.......

[DavidKW]

The thing was I remember an ad in 1981 Look-In saying "a swashbuckling Adam & The Ants picture strip coming soon".

I think this was circa Sept/Oct 1981, round time of Prince Charming.
Think "Tops" ad for this strip was Jan 82.

This copy may still be at parents' house back in Oxfordshire, but been unable to get there to check/pick it up with all my other odds & sods due to high train fares/unable to afford man & vans & know no one who can drive me there & back as a favour (I live in Bolton). Am busy where I am now!

[Shaqui]

Thanks - that was about the time 'Look-in' rebranded, and I had an inkling the Adam Ant strip was probably meant to be a highlight of the new style. I suppose 'Look-in' thought it was a done deal but I suspect John Burns' art may not have gone down too well. He didn't really make Adam Ant look anywhere as good as Gordon and Maureen Gray did, even if his art was as dynamic as ever...