SPARKY: I SPY--------- THE FIRST EPIC SERIAL

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

okay, time to step back a little bit, and look at the wider world of 1969: the year 'I SPY' hit the newsstands........

NEWS EVENTS of 1969:

First CONCORDE flight;
First troops pulled out of VIETNAM;
[corresponding with serious disruption re-emerging
in N. Ireland]

TED KENNEDY 'CHAPPAQUIDDICK BRIDGE' incident;

CHARLES MANSON/SHARON TATE atrocities;

UK: DEATH PENALTY ABOLISHED

events included; WOODSTOCK FESTIVAL, 'STONES in the PARK', BEATLES last-ever performance : 'GET BACK' on top of APPLE HQ roof;................oh, yeah, and MAN also landed on the MOON in JULY of this year.

the average HOUSE PRICE in the UK was £4640 [astonishing now!] and a gallon of petrol was 6/2, or just over 30p.


TELLY in 1969: 'the AVENGERS' [final, LINDA THORSON series;]

'MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS' [series one, OCT]

BENNY HILL'S first colour THAMES show;

'DOCTOR in the HOUSE' [LWT]

the 'CLANGERS'

'HR PUFNSTUF', 'SCOOBY DOO'.


popular music in 1969:

FLEETWOOD MAC: 'ALBATROSS';

DESMOND DEKKER: THE 'ISRAELITES';

BEATLES: 'GET BACK' [see above entry];

JANE BIRKIN/SERGE GAINSBOROUGH: 'JE TAIME-Mon Non Plus':
[BANNED by the BBC!]

ARCHIES: 'SUGAR, SUGAR [!]---------and the year [indeed decade] rounds off with no less than:


ROLF HARRIS: 'TWO LITTLE BOYS [!]


FILMS popular in '69: 'EASY RIDER', the 'LOVE BUG', 'BUTCH CASSIDY and the SUNDANCE KID, 'WHERE EAGLES DARE'...........

okay, now back on-topic to COMICSWORLD 1969: this particular year for some reason really sticks in my mind;-----------perhaps because it was the first time I was actually choosing what comics I bought myself.....up until this point, there were always loads of comics lying around [usually older cousin's]-------obviously no computers, DVD etc back then, so comics had a high visibility factor.

1969 was the last truly great year of the 'BEANO'; DUDLEY WATKINS done a memorable series of 'BIFFO' covers with a costumed, 'historical' theme: very impressive......even on the 'ADVENTURE' front, 'HOVERTANK' was a welcome 'BEANO' entry.

the'DANDY' of 1969 was unrecognizable to 2008's version-------'69 was the era of CHARLIE GRIGG, ERIC ROBERTS and JIMMY HUGHES [who, along with HOLROYD-drawn 'BRASSNECK'] dominated the proceedings in this era.

I especially enjoyed C. GRIGG 'adventure'[with captions] story from around this time: the' PURPLE CLOUD'.


IPC ----later in the year-----released one of their finest offerings, 'WHIZZER and CHIPS'-----which I think cost sixpence. This comic offered you the opportunity of allegiance to one of two comics: '[CHIPS is inside WHIZZER!'] and characters often used to 'infiltrate' each other's pages.

NEXT UP: as is the current trend on these cyber-pages today, I will be listing a typical 'SPARKY' comic, from '69. SEE YA THEN!

[Peter Gray]

1969 was the last truly great year of the 'BEANO'; DUDLEY WATKINS done a memorable series of 'BIFFO' covers with a costumed, 'historical' theme: very impressive

I wonder if that was drawn by the talented David Sutherland..?

[color=red:b540d47355][u:b540d47355][b:b540d47355]Nice feel of 1969 by the way[/b:b540d47355][/u:b540d47355][/color:b540d47355][/size:b540d47355]

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

PETER....the 'BEANO' 'BIFFO' costumed-themed covers were done by DUDLEY WATKINS-----they must have been among his final 'BIFFOS', before DAVEY SUTHERLAND took over the strip............[some of these covers were repeated in a 'GOLDEN YEARS' book about 5 years ago, but the pages were shrunk down a lot.

When I say that '1969 was the last great year of the 'BEANO', this is only my own personal view, and if others disagree, I quite accept this.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

COMICSWORLD 1969: continued.......


-------other highlights in 1969 COMICDOM included: the 'BEANO' SUMMER SPECIAL [price: 1/6]....this had a brilliantly imaginitive cover, depicting a GIANT 'BIFFO' hand dramatically rising from the ocean near the seaside, about to scoop up BIFFO in his speedboat.......the back page revealed this as BIFFO himself clutching a scale model of himself and the boat......I actually had to buy this in order to 'solve' the visual conundrum......



----this S.S. also included a brilliant 'DENNIS' story, in which he blasts a seaside palace with GLUE and SAND in order to win a sand-castle competition!


-------'69 also yielded my favourite-ever 'BEANO' BOOK [alright, it was technically released in late '68]------this one has the 'BASH STREET KIDS/IRON FISH' cover, and is chockablock with memorable images.......price: 8/6. The 'DANDY' ANNUAL from '69 is also a corker: this cover has KORKY tucking into his CHRISTMAS PUD, with the house-mice [here united with KORKY, for once] also savouring their mini-puds on background shelves [pale blue background]........this annual features an excellent CHARLIE GRIGG 'dramatic' strip: 'CAPTAIN WHOOSH' and features an extremely dynamic double-page spread of a mighty stone statue of a LION smashing through a MUSEUM window..........unforgettable.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

and now..........here follows a run-through of a typical issue of 'SPARKY' from 1969....[I have chosen no. 225, which is where 'I SPY' kicked off as a double-paged entity]; I will need some assistance in naming a few of these artists...KASHGAR---if you happen to be reading this---------please help!

'SPARKY' ISSUE 225: May 10, 1969:


page 1: 'BARNEY BULLDOG' by BILL RITCHIE.........BILL'S follow-up on this comic after the 'MOONSTERS'......nice and appealling.


2: 'PETER PIPER:' I shamefully admit I have always failed to put a name to this rather excellent cartoonist........he later took over 'MICKEY the MONKEY' from D.D. WATKINS.........in this period, his style is more elaborate, and very accomplished.


3; 'ESKY MO' by ROBERT NIXON; another beautifully-drawn strip, [which never ran long, however] set in and around the NORTH POLE wouldya believe! features a cute seal pup.

4-5; 'KLANKY': this very early version isn't by JAMES FOX, who took over the duties in the early 70s: 'KLANKY'S' metallic bonce definately resembles an olde-style set of traffic lights! Funny how a lot of 1960s ROBOTS always look like men in suits.....even in COMICS, where licence on anatomy rules could have been broken very easily!------KLANKY had a metallic pet hound in these early tales, who somewhat resembles a tincan PLUTO.


6-7: 'I SPY': more on this mysterious chap a little later.....


8-9; 'INVISIBLE DICK': this long-running strip featured young DICK DIXON, [owner of 'the most amazing torch in the world']-------with the 'invisibility' torch that beamed a black ray instead of a white one.......

10: 'PANSY POTTER': this version is NOT from JOHN GEERING, [who wasn't quite on the scene yet]---------it's inked---in an always dynamic, vital, energy-oozing-off-the-page---style by an artist who was very prolific for DCT in this period.


11: 'we are the SPARKY PEOPLE!' ---------JOKE MAN, PUSS, ARTIST, JULIE, PRINTER, DICK, THROGMORTON, 'SIR'...........need I add more, other than to say this was a very welcome JIM PETRIE contribution?


12-13: 'WYATT TWERP': ------exquisitely-rendered by RON SPENCER, this WILD WEST parody sadly never ran too long, either--------and, somewhat oddly, this strip returned to this same comic, [drawn by the same artist]-----featuring the same title--------but with an UNRECOGNIZABLE redesigned lead character, and wot featured his dim-witted arch-enemy, BUGZY. This----very different------early incarnation of WYATT featured the character device of 'wisecracking sidekick horse' thinking aloud [an idea reprised in 'RUDOLF the REDCOAT MOUNTIE'].


14; 'SPOOFER McGRAW' [he tells TALL tales]: possibly GORDON BELL'S most balanced strip, and one that always exhibited considerable imagination........features the gullible, duffle-coated, concertina-trousered sidekick, BO......who sometimes brought along HIS own sidekick, a small pekinese dawg.


15: 'HUNGRY HORACE': penned by one of the proficient HOLROYD artists, HORACE at this time still sports his 'skull-and-crossbones-like' crossed 'knife-and-fork' jersey motif.

16-17: 'L CARS' from the able pen of BILL HILL......looking at this now, it is clear that BILL'S work is at some sort of peak in this period-------his material was always crammed with comic incident, and BUNGLING COPPERS FRED and CEDRIC were always fresh, funny and amusing.........a solid, reliable contribution to 'SPARKY'.


18-19: 'FUN-FARE': 'win TEN SHILLINGS' or a 'SUPER TRANSISTOR RADIO' yelped the long-standing copy: features included : KARTOON KORNER, PET'S CORNER, 'WOTSIS?' and much reader's letters .Hosted by former cover-star 'SPARKY' himself, who later fell foul of the RACE RELATION people.....but, hey, this was the era when the 'BLACK and WHITE MINSTRELS' were on telly every Saturday, and nobody batted an eyelid.

20-21: 'the JUNGLE ARK': standard adventure fare, wholly typical of the era; proficiently drawn, and entertaining [to a degree]-----not exactly my bag, but I fully accept that some folks couldn't stand 'I SPY'.


22: 'HELPFUL HENRY': nice lively stuff from 'SMASHER' artist HUGH MORREN..........not the most memorable 'SPARKY' character in this issue; 'HARRY PRESTO' by the same artist had more novelty value.

23: 'KEYHOLE KATE'; some confusion here on my part: this strip always seemed to alternate between two artists with extremely similar styles.............HELP!

24: 'CAP'N HOOD and his MERRY MEN': this motley crew of sea-salts graced the back cover for a short time only..........




-------okay, that concludes this break in transmission........NORMAL SERVICE will resume as I SPY will return [in the first of the 2-page serial instalments]-----here, shortly, before too long, etc...............

[Peter Gray]

I like that...do more off the track from I Spy....

nice hearing what you think of different characters and what you liked as a kid in that period...
also nice having info on the Beano summer special...

The Klanky observation was nice.....I think its because we can relate to him more as a human then a strange machine shape...

Loved Gordon Bells Spoofer.....comics are desperate for some crazy fun imagination...bring the character back...

Capt Hood was drawn in the past by David Law in The Beezer...is it the same artist?

'the JUNGLE ARK' what was the story about? just interested...

[Kashgar]

OK ISpy, here goes re the artists who worked on Sparky No 225 in 1969.
Before I begin though it's worth pointing out that Sparky is the most underesearched of all the Thomson comic titles and therefore the title with most gaps in the artist listings. With this as an excuse I'll start by admitting that I don't know the artists responsible for either 'The Jungle Ark' or 'Cap'n Hood'. (You're thinking of Cap'n Hand by the way Peter).
The rundown of the remainder is as follows -
Barney - Bill Ritchie
Peter Piper - Vic Neill
Esky Mo - Robert Nixon
Klanky - Terry Patrick
I Spy - Les Barton
Invisible Dick - Tony Speer
Pansy Potter - Bob Webster
Sparky People - Jim Petrie
Wyatt Twerp - Ron Spencer
Spoofer McGraw - Gordon Bell
Hungry Horace - Albert Holroyd
L Cars - Bill Hill
Helpful Henry - Hugh Morren
Keyhole Kate - Brain White

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

thanks very much once again, kashgar.......I admire how easily you just reel 'em off, with such apparant ease.............'SPARKY' probably had the lowest profile of a THOMSON 'funny' in 1969------but it was up against some very stiff opposition in this year. VIC NEILL..........Hopefully, I will remember this artist's name by heart, now!

PETER.........glad you liked my 'SPARKY' listing: it seems well worth entering into this forum....as kashgar points out, it definately seems a bit neglected in COMICS history......

'JUNGLE ARK' featured Game Warden ROYDE [with his kids ROB and LUANA----]who set out to save AFRICAN animals from being marooned during a GREAT FLOOD.....this unknown artist was definately talented, and the story was a standard thriller featuring assorted dangers: secret tribes, lost civilizations, etc.


-------oh, for a TIME MACHINE..........take me BACK to 1969!!!!!!

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

'I SPY'------ the EPIC SERIALS: INTRODUCTION: WHO was MR. X?


------the single-page 'I SPY' stories had been fine, and if the strips had simply continued in this vein, I would have been happy enough with the format, and the character/stories would no doubt have remained among my favourites............HOWEVER, 'I SPY' actually succeeded in pulling off that rare feat of building upon a sound foundation, which---for me, at least,---------ensured that the strip managed to catapult itself into the COMIC STRATOSPHERE.


----the 'SPARKY' mailbag at 10, HOLLINGSWORTH ROAD had yielded a favourable response from readers, and EDITOR IAN CHISOLM greenlighted the decision to expand the strip's format to accomodate DOUBLE-PAGE stature.


---------HAPPILY, this decision co-incided with a particularly imaginitive scriptwriter, who, ----very admirably---------was not content simply to churn out 'formulae filler' and, having recognized the true potential that lay within this promising concept, set about assembling decent script material that would truly do this strip justice.......

-----the first task was to provide a GALLERY of colourful super-VILLAINS who would prove to be worthy foes for the titular hero, and the majority of these proved to be very memorable-----------and the first of these------MR. X----------is, for me, the most quintissentially definitive 'I SPY ' VILLIAN. Only the mega-rich MR. MASTERMIND [more on him later] displayed more resoursefulness and demented megalomania, but for sheer merciless recklessness, and naked-ambition-at-all-cost outrage, MR. X remains the ultimate 'I SPY' baddie.


MR. X is to this strip what the 'JOKER' is to 'BATMAN': his background is shrouded in mystery, he has no visible means of support [indicating that he commits secondary misdeeds to fund his outlandish schemes]---and he repeatedly states,---- without shame or regret,---- his wholly open plans to dominate the world.


MR. X chooses to dress in the height of 1880's VICTORIANA: namely, shiney TOP-HAT, flowing cape, and all-black garb. This is supplemented with his ever-present cigarette and holder: in the 60s, even LADY PENELOPE herself indulged in this habit: such was smoking ingrained into pop-culture of the time.


For all his bizarrely-retro dress-style, MR. X still favours the high-tech capabilities of late-60s TECHNOLOGY, another facet of his enigmatic actions. Later 'I SPY' artist BRIAN WALKER would go on to depict MR. X as a more demonic figure [even giving him PAN-like pointed ears], but I reckon that the LES BARTON version has just the right understated balance, and thus I find this original version 'definitive'.


----a worthy adversory indeed, ---even for I SPY: the scene would soon be set for a showdown......... of truly EPIC proportions.




TO BE CONTINUED.

[Kashgar]

HI ISpy, Although he has been dead several years if you want to see a more recent example of Vic Neill's work then look no further than the pages of the current issue of the Beano (No3421) which includes a reprint of one of his Billy Whizz strips.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

YUP, kashgar, I will do.........VIC was a vastly under-rated DCT artist whom was employed to great effect within the pages of 'PLUG' ---his work was featured prominently on the very first copy ,----back in '77 ---and later he obviously done some good stuff on 'SPARE-PART-KIT' for IPC.......VIC'S most memorable item, however, was the lavish set he did for 'SPARKY' annual 1971; ------this depicted various art techniques within a PETER PIPER ' story: this ranged from MICHAELANGELO-type-greatness to 'SLAPITON-PAINT' crudities: great stuff!



TALKING of VIC.........see following entry.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

'SPARKY' issue 225: MAY 10, 1969:


'I SPY versus the INCREDIBLE MR.X': [part 1 of 8]

'Mr X throws a punch......Then comes the CR-R-RUNCH!'

SYNOPSIS: I SPY is directly confronted by MR.X, who is out to 'splifficate' him, ----with his supply of 'SUPER-STRENGTH PILLS' he is out to conquer the world....and wants I SPY out of the way first. Immune even to SHELL-FIRE, MR. X counter-attacks I SPY'S armoured defences, SOCKING clean through his steel-plating, leaving our hero dazed at the base of a distant tall chimney-stack.......

About to dish out a fatal, full-on killer-punch on I SPY [who escapes via 'rocket' mode], MR.X SMASHES clean through the chimney-base, which topples directly onto the baddie......thinking MR.X is done for [he isn't!] under tons of rubble, I SPY returns to SPY H.Q., where he and BOSS notice that the entire building is airborne........MR.X [with his super-strength-pill-fuelled SUPER-EAGLE,] has usurped the entire building sky-high, and it's 'BOMBS AWAY!' as the entire structure is released, plunging earthwards.......


THIS first, 2-page episode is the opening salvo in a tale that can only be described as pure, undistilled 'I SPY', in it's most undiluted form........the previous one-pagers had been the ultimate 'gag'-fuelled entries, but from here on plot-driven stories [with weekly cliff-hangers] added much drama and tension to the events........

the extra space within this expanded format provides fine landscape frames, and even affords the strip the LUXURY of it's first proper CLOSE-UP, as MR .X realizes that having his OWN version of I SPY could assist his world-conquering aims......[MR.X. states he is out to dominate the world as casually as you or I mention we're off down the pub for a pint].


BOSS SPY finally stops merely barking orders from behind his desk, and starts becoming actively involved in the proceedings: poor BOSS would soon be reduced in rank to the status of comedy stooge, a source of much-needed comic relief admidst the dramatic mayhem.

THIS SERIAL boasts the finest-ever TITLE frame in the canon, this has a very large profile of I SPY, with scaled-down versions of himself and MR. X lobbing sticks of dynamite and round black anarchist bombs at each other.......FANTASTIC! The artist responsible for this title does a fair approximation of the LES BARTON style, but I am 75 % sure this is the work of VIC NEILL.

I SPY'S DEVICES: medium-caliber cannon [with shell], heavy-duty tank-track with reinforced, industrial-strength steel plating; also internal rocket-engine.


QUOTABLE QUIP: I SPY [in opening frame]: 'XZ XBC!' [SECRET CODE FOR 'ho-hum!']

this episode is a nice bridging link between the one-page entries and the more elaborately-mounted 2-page instalments: this opening chapter sets the scene for a series of escalating, increasingly OTT events.

'HOW can I SPY and the BOSS escape from this jam? Read next week's SPARKY and find out!'

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

see below.....

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

'SPARKY' issue 226; MAY 17, 1969;

this issue features an 'I SPY' reference on the comic cover; here, BARNEY BULLDOG dresses up as the agent [for a fancy-dress party], however, after slipping on a banana-skin and landing in a nearby dustbin, YOUNG BEN suggests that BARN should go along as KLANKY.....

'Rub-a-dub-double.......I.Spy's in TR-R-ROUBLE!'

SYNOPSIS: MR.X 's super-eagle has released SPY H.Q. [containing I SPY and BOSS] from a great height, and the building plummets earthwards.....they both escape after I SPY switches to 'SPITFIRE' mode: however, MR.X'S EAGLE snatches up a top-secret safe from the wrecked debris. Later, back in his lair, MR.X downs a 'super-strength-pill' and speedily constructs his own life-sized robotic replica I SPY from plans inside the pilfered safe...

-------I SPY, now in pursuit of MR.X, is surprized at the distant sight of his doppel-ganger approaching him, head-on......firing a shell at this imposter, the robo-double duly returns the missile to sender,[revealing the double has full 'I SPY' gadgetry capabilities], I SPY deflects this via his 'shell-proof brolly,' but falls foul of his bogus double's rocket-powered boxing-glove.

------MR.X, convinced that his robotic double is superior even to the original, sends his double [via a transistorized handset] to commit a BANK ROBBERY [presently, he drags the dazed, real I SPY away ]--------back in the city, BOSS greets the robotic double, who responds by knocking him flying-----then carries out the required BANK ROBBERY. BOSS barks out orders to 'ARREST I SPY.'.....



------this episode positively bristles with invention and vitality. Contains one of the most surreal gags of the canon ever, when I SPY simply opens a large 'door' in his coat 'Quick-in here, Boss!' --------MR.X'S lair, seen in the distance, is suitably gloomy and resembles an 'ADDAMS FAMILY' towering GOTHIC stately pile. The ROBOTIC 'I SPY' is nicely differentiated by visible rivets 'whirr/chugga!' on the 'soundtrack', and a gliding [rather than walking ] mode of transport----------another RARE close-up here, of the control-panel of MR.X'S remote-control set: 'kill', 'play' 'bank robbing' and 'spying' are all handily displayed on the dial. This is by far the most impressive instalment of 'I SPY' up until this point........even better, it would improve even further.

I SPY'S DEVICES: INTERNAL 'DOOR' [!], 'SPITFIRE'-like capabilities [wings -thru' arms, propellor,--a one-off] motorized unicycle [with horn], telescope, SHELL-BLASTER, XXL-sized 'SHELL-PROOF BROLLY'.




'NEXT WEEK- THE CEMENT TRAP..........'