When did Tiger become a fully sport oriented comic?

[SID]

Hi, guys.

A question for Tiger fans.

At its inception, Tiger was an adventure paper which included some sports related strips. Now can anyone tell me when it became a fully sports comic?

[philcom55]

Beginning in 1954 it was pretty sports-oriented from the outset (even Olac the Gladiator was originally based on chariot racing and gladiatorial bouts in the Roman arena). The range of genres didn't really widen significantly until Tiger swallowed Comet in 1959, after which it became a more general adventure title for most of the 1960s, joining forces with Hurricane in the process. Finally the merger with Jag in 1969 revived the idea of it being an all-sports title, which is mostly how it remained right up to the merger with the revived Eagle in 1985.

[SID]

Hi, Phil. Thanks for setting me straight.

One last question: Do you know when the Saber strip finished?

[philcom55]

I think Saber was one of the few remaining non-sports strips to survive the merger with Jag in April 1969, managing to hold on for a further six months until November 1st of that year. He did, of course, return in reprint form in the pages of Vulcan a few years later.

[Lew Stringer]

Hi, guys.

A question for Tiger fans.

At its inception, Tiger was an adventure paper which included some sports related strips. Now can anyone tell me when it became a fully sports comic?

It happened with the issue dated 7th February 1970 (on sale 31st Jan 1970). Editor Barrie Tomlinson gave it a new look and all the stories now had sports-related themes, having dropped the last of the non-sports stories (such as Typhoon Tracy) the week before.

[SID]

Thank you, gentlemen. Just the information I needed.

The next round's on me.