The Late Sparky..

Peter Gray · Post by **Peter Gray** » 05 Apr 2009, 13:02

1975.
Sparky was great at any year...I like the zaniness of it..

colcool007 · Post by **colcool007** » 05 Apr 2009, 15:30

Lovely bit of Andrew Christine artwork there. I always loved his style. Always seemed to be a bit wacky in comparison to the usual DC Thomson artwork.

Peter Gray · Post by **Peter Gray** » 05 Apr 2009, 15:53

Thanks for the artist name..

John Geering

Lew it doesn't matter how this comic is stacked in WHSmiths...its wally proof...unless its stacked back to front

..

ISPYSHHHGUY · Post by **ISPYSHHHGUY** » 05 Apr 2009, 17:05

here's the last-ever cover of the last-ever 'SPARKY', PETER:

[including inset for the following week's merger]. I had stopped buying comics altogether by this point, and was unaware of the comic's passing at the time.......inside, there is evidence of 'repeated' work [always a bad sign] and the high point seems to be 'PUSS and BOOTS' which still maintained a high level of quality throughout. The comic is still easily recognizable in it's death-throes, but one of the reasons I stopped getting it was, I was over-familiar with the format/material.

I know that 'BEANO' for example goes ever-onward with the same winning formula, but I just simply discovered other things in life [opposite sex, music, booze, etc] in the turbulent teenage years. 'SPARKY' in it's heyday definately left a lasting imprint on my memory, however.

I just noticed that the merger is dated 3 days BEFORE the final 'SPARKY'.

Peter Gray · Post by **Peter Gray** » 05 Apr 2009, 18:54

Thanks Spy..

Some Mummies do ave em is a top strip..like the way the story mirrors the comic closing..very sad..

Also liked the green blobby characters that played around on the cover..

alanultron5 · Post by **alanultron5** » 06 Apr 2009, 14:59

I have a few 1974 to 77 Sparky's now! I'm afraid i'm no fan of Baron Reisch Pudding, but Thingummyblob is great!! Sadly, by the last 20 or so issues in 1977 the majority of content is re-prints! I am buying the Sept 74 to Sept 75 issues for the James Fox drawn "I.Spy"

Oh! nearly forgot-"Circus of P.T Bimbo?? (Is that the correct title?) What the Sossidges is that about?

colcool007 · Post by **colcool007** » 06 Apr 2009, 15:10

And that brings me nicely onto an artist check. Who did draw Thingummy Blob and did he also draw Slim Jim the Fighting Cook in the Victor? Stylistically to me, it looks like the same artist, but I'm not 100% sure.

ISPYSHHHGUY · Post by **ISPYSHHHGUY** » 06 Apr 2009, 15:56

'P.T. BIMBO' was an example of THOMSON importing a US strip [they did this with 'NANCY' in 'TOPPER' for a long time] and it looked even 'American' than 'NANCY' did.

'REICHS-PUDDING' was OK sometimes, with elaborate visual gags.

ALBERT HOLROYD drew 'THINGUMMYBLOB', colcool.

Kashgar · Post by **Kashgar** » 07 Apr 2009, 09:19

And Albert Holroyd also drew Slim Jim too Col just to put your mind at rest.

alanultron5 · Post by **alanultron5** » 07 Apr 2009, 15:03

"Thingummyblob" was a fantastic strip! Perhaps the comics last really innovative idea! I just didn't like the `german stereotyping` personally in `Reisch-Pudding` I just don't see any humour in WW1.

In the Sparky annual 1979, there is a `Ma Fia, and her family` strip! every half-backed Italian stereotype jibe in the book in that! Racial characteristics used as fun didn't end on 1 Feb 69 in Sparky!

Sorry if I come on a bit strong-but I personally see little difference in "Reisch-Pudding" "Ma-Fia" and the old "Sparky" strip.

colcool007 · Post by **colcool007** » 07 Apr 2009, 20:05

Kashgar wrote:And Albert Holroyd also drew Slim Jim too Col just to put your mind at rest.

I thought I recognised the style! Get in there! Makes up for the fact that my main comic PC has fallen over and I have lost lots of goodies....hopefully, it's only a temporary loss though as I have a feeling it is just being tempramental as I am leaving it for the sleekness of a new lap-top.... Won't go on with that analogy as the wife is here!

Digifiend · Post by **Digifiend** » 11 Apr 2009, 23:28

alanultron5 wrote:"Thingummyblob" was a fantastic strip! Perhaps the comics last really innovative idea! I just didn't like the `german stereotyping` personally in `Reisch-Pudding` I just don't see any humour in WW1.

In the Sparky annual 1979, there is a `Ma Fia, and her family` strip! every half-backed Italian stereotype jibe in the book in that! Racial characteristics used as fun didn't end on 1 Feb 69 in Sparky!

Yeah, I have that annual too. Always thought Ma Fia looked out of place. Never in the comic itself then?

BTW, I'm no fan of the Baron either. I Spy was good though - somebody at Thomson's must have thought so too because they revived him twice (in Champ in the 1980s and in Dandy Fun-Size in the early 2000s).

Captain Storm · Post by **Captain Storm** » 14 Apr 2009, 12:49

Did the Mummies strip move onto the Topper merger?BTW,thank you for showing the last Sparky strip!

The Cap.

ISPYSHHHGUY · Post by **ISPYSHHHGUY** » 14 Apr 2009, 17:59

As far as I'm aware, the MUMMIES strip ended with the last official 'SPARKY', Cap.

Captain Storm · Post by **Captain Storm** » 14 Apr 2009, 18:18

Thanks,I-Spy. A shame as I thought it was a great strip and the editor of Sparky must have thought so too,seeing as it was in color most of the time.I presume it saw active service in future Specials and Annuals though? Any info on artists/writers? Does anybody have a full discography of the strip?

The Cap.

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