I SPY--------- THE SECOND EPIC SERIES

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

I SPY'S DEVICES: 'goldfish bowl' space helmet and built-in respirator/ sucker-pad rocket and cable/ portable heat-shield/ landing wheels [x4] and drag-parachute/ 'instant-set' cement/ hat-elevated mini power-vaccum.




BUT I SPY'S REST WON'T LAST FOR LONG! Look out for a great new adventure...NEXT WEEK!





I SPY will return in 'THE SKYWAYMEN'.

[alanultron5]

The Summer 1972 story, is in my view-quite the worst ever Mr X story in Sparky history-worse for me, than any of the James Fox offerings circa 1974-76. Was it really Peter Clark who wrote it?

This one though is a very good work! I rate it alongside the `Fleas Mystery` and just behind that first Mr X 8 parter! For me, Mr X finest hour was "The Ghost of Mr X" one of the all time great I. Spy stories!

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

INTRODUCTION to the next story:

The very first LES BARTON-drawn series was of a very high standard: however there was a solitary lapse in quality, with the 5-part 'I SPY and his T-T-Terrible Granny, which lacked a cohesive plot in the earlier chapters, and the overall story was salvaged mostly by energetic artwork. 'T-TTERRIBLE GRANNY was the most untypical story of the bunch, and for all it's flaws, it was still better than Peter Clark simply belting out a reheated sequel to 'I SPY versus the Incredible MR X.'

This second BRIAN WALKER series also features an off-kilter, skewed entry, in the shape of the upcoming-on-here-soon THE SKYWAYMEN. Happily, this delightful experiment-----though odd and jarring in some respects------makes for one of the most action-packed, spectacular stories in the entire saga, with much memorable, if eccentric imagery. I wasn't too keen on the tale first time around, but today I recognize it as an undiscovered gem, in some ways perhaps the proverbial 'Holy Grail' of the entire spy-stories.




SERIAL SEVEN: SPY in the SKIES:

I SPY and the SKYWAYMEN


a thrilling, exhillerating phable of olde, in six delightful consumer-sized chunks, for your delight and delectation.....


........DON'T MISS IT!!!!!!!

[alanultron5]

I really wish I was still reading Sparky by Sepy 1971 (I have stopped in June) As I know I would have loved the `Skywaymen` offering!

It is possibly, the most unique and inventive story of the first three seasons! Unusually, it is the only story of the longer ones that started with the Mr X 8 parter in where there is no single main Villian / Adversary but instead a group of villians! And yes! I havn't forgotten `Operation I. Spy` but that was very much `Masterminds` show; Tempest, Mahairee & Cammy were only `support acts`

Brians art perks up for this story as the premise must have intrigued him!

Perhaps the story does have a link to the `Mr Tempest` outing in that the prize seeked (Gold) is the same-but the use it would be put to is very different!

It was a `VERY` welcome surprise to me when I got hold of many 1971 Sparky's last year-to thoroughly enjoy this story! I'm sure that if I had read it fist in 1971 I would have enjoyed it more!

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

SPARKY COMIC numero 344: 21/Aug/1971.

I SPY and the SKYWAYMEN: part one of six.

THE BAFFLING MYSTERY IN THE CLOUDS!


synopsis: BOSS presents I SPY with a new 'wonder-gadget': the fully robotic AUTO-HOUND, who can sniff out a crime, as well as being packed with I SPY-like gadgetry. Meanwhile, a gold bullion van is heading for a misty moor, and just as gloom descends, the motor mysteriously seizes up........so thick is this pea-souper, that when the cloud finally disperses, the entire gold van has completely vanished! A quick SOS to SPY HQ offers up the opportunity for I SPY to try out his new gadget.

At the crime-scene, a cynical inspector listens to the van-drivers' recounting of the events, and this routine enquiry is interrupted by the remote-control Autohound, which is comandeered by the shhh!-guy. Swiftly, Autohound roars into action.....pursuing it's quarry UPWARDS, into the distant skies! This mere trifle of logistics is, of course, no problem to our hero, who simply takes to the heavens himself, with BOSS on pillion.

At a fair height skywards, the eerie, unlikely sight of the ransacked van is spotted impossibly hovering in mid-air: along with Auto-hound, the pair foolishly enter the rear-doors of the bullion vehicle........and an unseen figure [unseen except for 17th-Century-like elaborate cuffs] locks the vaultlike doors shut..........and now, from this vast height......the entire vehicle including it's hapless occupants plummets eartwards, at a perilous rate of knots.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

the mystery elements are established within frame four of this very atmospheric page.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

cont: this very atypical tale starts off in a traditional enough manner, with a standard crime mystery at the heart of the opening proceedings......fine eerie ambience on the scenes on the moor, which are augmented by the unusual framing of the guards' word-balloons, which are deliberately kept hazy-looking. The 'battleship to a jam butty' comment in frame one is quintessential I SPY, and AUTOHOUND himself is a valid new contribution: stylistically, he foreshadows the BAKER-era DOCTOR WHO and it's 'K-9' character.....sadly, Autohounds' tenure will be cut short.


The sense that something mysterious and otherwordly is certainly afoot is established in the UFO-like scenes of the hovering bullion-van: this looks like the work of malevolent aliens, but it is not the case, as will be revealed shortly. Cracking pace and setting up of the story ingredients in this episode, which from the very next chapter serves up some of the most unusual,imaginitive and vital imagery within the series.


I SPY'S DEVICES: four-wheel motor-drive/ internal rocket-engine.

AUTOHOUND'S DEVICES: wheeled motor-capabilities, 'sniffer' accessory, and internal power-rocket [semi-controlled by remote-control by I SPY.


DOWN THEY PLUNGE FROM 10,000 FEET........CAN THEY ESCAPE BEFORE the CRUNCH?

[alanultron5]

This is a fine opening episode with a superb cliffhanger!

It stated that `Autohound` was developed by I. Spy! Interesting, as previously it had been intimated that a team of `boffins` such as Froghoppit had devised I. Spy's devices!

yes! this is one of the finest I. Spy stories in my opinion; and I`know` I would have adored it back in 71!

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

SPARKY COMIC, issue 345: 28Tth August, 1971.

I SPY and the SKYWAYMEN: part two of six].

THE ASTONISHING SKYWAY ROBBERY!

synopsis: I SPY and BOSS are trapped inside a rapidly-descending, heavily-reinforced security van, which is so tough, that even our hero has his work cut out trying to escape from this dilemma: his all-purpose SUPERSAW buckles like rubber under the strain, and even a high-explosive shell fired at point-blank range creates but a tiny dent.....this is all that is needed, however, for the shhh!-guy's handy patent SUPER-JACK, which forcefully prizes open an escape route,allowing the three -[this includes AUTOHOUND] to soar to the skies in a successful escape bid.

As the van crash-lands into a million fragmented pieces, I SPY flies onwards, as his robotic sniffer-hound takes to the skies in pursuit of clues. At that very second, a massive Jumbo Jet perilously conks out in mid-air, and the pilot crew are alarmed at the surrealist sight of a band of centuries-old villains [bedecked in full Highwayman-like regalia] storm the 'plane from thousands of feet high, terrorizing all on board, and demanding the bullion gold supplies held onboard.

The suspended-in-mid-air liner represents the illogical, perplexing sight that startles our heroes as they approach the crime scene.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

A double-spreader is presented on here today, due to the sheer power of the dramatics and visuals offered up by this hyper-charged episode.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

cont: ......an absolute stonker of an instalment, old bean, and for me at least this ranks amongst the finest-ever I SPY episodes in existance: the pace, drama, and twist-and-turns in plotting never let up at any time, all of which is deliciously topped with dynamic thrills-and-spills, augmented by surrealist imagery of an especially high calibre. The entire events take place in mid-air, for a kick-off, and we plunge straight into the hi-octane action with a superior escape scene, detailing the drama in trying to escape from a plummeting armoured van.........one of the very best dramatic sequences within the saga, I reckon [a fairly similar scenario was encountered by JUDGE DREDD and his fellow Judges in a descending pat-wagon in 'JUDGE CALGULA, circa 1979].

Page 2 is devoted to the intensely surreal mid-air Highway Robbery, a remarkable blend of the hi-tech and anachronistic sense of ancient menace.....great 'splash' pic in long-shot of the 'plane being stormed, and check out that BWA [BRIAN WALKER AIRWAYS] logo on the Jumbo, in the days when artists were verboten to sign their work for D C Thomson.

All-in-all, this is a visually-impressive, enduring episode that delivers satisfying goods on every level.


[b I SPY'S SECRET DEVICES: super-saw/ high-explosive shell-blaster/ super-jack/ rotor-copter/ internal rocket-engine.

AUTOHOUND'S DEVICES: internal rocket-engine.


CAN I SPY STOP THE AMAZING SKYWAY ROBBERY/ DON'T MISS NEXT WEEK'S STORY.......

[alanultron5]

This episode is a beauty-i agree! Gosh! I do wish i'd caught it in 1971!

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

SPARKY issue 346:4/9/71.

I SPY and the SKYWAYMEN: part 3 of 6.


The Skywaymen take a hostage!

cont: The BWA airliner is systematically looted of it's gold bullion stock in mid-air, by the mysterious, medievel Skywaymen......I SPY --flanked by Autohound------is hot on the bandits' trail, however, and he flies into a well-prepared trap of vintage cannon. Skilfully dodging a mid-air barrage of whizzing cannonballs [at the cost of temporarily abandoning his pillion passenger, BOSS] , our hero remote-activates the versatile Autohound to go round up his 'superior' in mid-air, and once again the hunt is on to locate the villains of the piece...

A sinister-looking cloud looms ahead, as does a distant seafiring ship on the horizon. Handy binoculars pinpoint the markings of the 'CREST', a known gold bullion carrier. I SPY himself is under surveillance from one of the Skywaymen, who views him on a vintage spyglass.........landing on the ships' deck, our intrepid trio wait hiding behind a vast funnel to hopefully catch the bandits red-handed. Autohound sends out warning signals as BOSS is apprehended from above, just as the ship conks out........and I SPY flies up ahead to confront the villains, who have BOSS as captive hostage, just as Autohound is finished off by a volley from an ancient pistol.....

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

A sense of menace permeates the opening scenes in this gloomy, but thrilling offering:

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

MORE thrilling highjinks in the great blue yonder, as the SKYWAYMEN reveal themselves to be lethal mercenaries of considerable skill, and can handle a mean armoury of considerable clout; these guys pose quite a threat to the hero of the piece, and how on Earth do they achieve their anti-gravity feats? All will be revealed later on, dear reader.......

The artwork seems to be slightly scaled-down in this and coming episodes, but it's still great stuff, and I doubt even if Les Barton would have delivered quite as sinister and gloomy set of panels as BRIAN has turned out here......the choice of differentiated, ghost-like speech balloons by the Medievel villains adds great frission to the piece.

Some really cool mid-air visuals from our flying shhh!-guy, which lead into the mysterious MARIE CELESTE--like ambience in the early shots aboard the CREST. I SPY is revving up for action in the final panels, but the Skywaymen have him over a barrel as BOSS is held at gunpoint.

Poor old AUTOHOUND of course, has 'bought it', in a gesture from the Skywaymen who ruthlessly destroy the flying gadget in a show of callous expedience. This character only lasted a mere three episodes, and only here begins to show dog-like anthromorphosized qualities, when he tries to get BOSS' attention.


I SPY'S DEVICES: internal rocket-engine/ binoculars/ shell-blaster [unused].


AUTOHOUNDS' DEVICES: inner rocket capabilities, remote-control [by I SPY] sensor application, and powerful front-suction grip.



NEXT WEEK----I SPY is forced to help the Skywaymen!