Comics UK

After the merger, Creepy Crawler joined Young Arfur and Softy Sir joined Walt Teaser. How did it look? Here's a "before" and "after" look.

There have been requests for Time Bus, so here is the first episode. Incidentally, they go back to caveman school in another episode.

And the last episode of Time Bus:

And now, this episode of Schoolditz from the School Fun holiday special, just because it's a fun episode. By the way, the commandant's name is Gunther, so that must be where the nickname "Goony" comes from.

Is there anything else that someone would like to see from School Fun?

These are all great Tammyfan, and most of them are completely new to me.

Incidentally, is it just me or does one of the passengers on the Time Bus look surprisingly similar to Tom Thug???

- Phil R.

philcom55 wrote:These are all great Tammyfan, and most of them are completely new to me.

Incidentally, is it just me or does one of the passengers on the Time Bus look surprisingly similar to Tom Thug???

- Phil R.

I think it's just you Phil. The shape of the head, nose and body are all different, as are the clothes. The only similarity is a shaved head, which is hardly unique in comics:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hCEuZ2I5IGg/T ... HIZZER.jpg

I'm glad you're enjoying them. I'll post up some more.

I forgot Softy Sir was drawn by Jim Petrie...

Thanks for showing Time Bus...in 1890 did they have cars!! the theives were using to rob the cup..

I have that school Fun Special and it was a good one..

Also enjoyed your School Belle joining Buster with Kate...and the Boy George reference..

philcom55 wrote:...is it just me or does one of the passengers on the Time Bus look surprisingly similar to Tom Thug???

Lew Stringer wrote:I think it's just you Phil. The shape of the head, nose and body are all different, as are the clothes. The only similarity is a shaved head, which is hardly unique in comics:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hCEuZ2I5IGg/T ... HIZZER.jpg

You're right, Tom looks much more threatening!

I do think that last episode has a certain 'Stringeresque' quality to it though. Does anyone know who the artist was?

- Phil R.

philcom55 wrote:

philcom55 wrote:...is it just me or does one of the passengers on the Time Bus look surprisingly similar to Tom Thug???

Lew Stringer wrote:I think it's just you Phil. The shape of the head, nose and body are all different, as are the clothes. The only similarity is a shaved head, which is hardly unique in comics:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hCEuZ2I5IGg/T ... HIZZER.jpg

You're right, Tom looks much more threatening!

I do think that last episode has a certain 'Stringeresque' quality to it though. Does anyone know who the artist was?

- Phil R.

Looks like Tom Williams I think. Thing is, IPC required a certain house style at the time, (to a certain extent anyway) so a lot of us have similar elements to our work in parts. I never based my style on Tom Williams' but both of us would have had the same influences.

Time Bus was by Keith Reynolds, who later took over (and redesigned) School Belle. Also worked for DCT, drawing the Teeny Toppers, Tom Tum and Tom, Dick and Sally.

School Fun has the distinction of being the last funny comic in the traditional form. Subsequent funny comics (Rainbow, Nipper and Oink!) were aimed at younger readers - and they all followed School Fun into a merger with Buster.

AndyB wrote:Time Bus was by Keith Reynolds, who later took over (and redesigned) School Belle. Also worked for DCT, drawing the Teeny Toppers, Tom Tum and Tom, Dick and Sally.

Ah yes, sorry. I always used to think that style was Tom Williams for some reason. Must be thinking of a different cartoonist.

Tammyfan wrote:School Fun has the distinction of being the last funny comic in the traditional form. Subsequent funny comics (Rainbow, Nipper and Oink!) were aimed at younger readers - and they all followed School Fun into a merger with Buster.

Oink! was aimed at the same age range as all the previous funny comics (School Fun, Whoopee, Cor, etc). It also attracted an older following.

Didn't know about a Rainbow revival but whatever happened to it, it didn't merge into Buster.

I have just found the School Fun annual and ordered it. So hopefully I should have some goodies from it to post up here before long.