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Brian obviously improved greatly in his `colour` art work as in Sparky's 360 & 361, the first two colour stories he did-are in my opinion-very poorly drawn! Until i was corrected; I thought it was a new artist! really did!!

I do differ from Rab, in that my favourite stories of the Les Barton 1969-70 season are the latter five stories where the humour is regned back and better plots (in my view) are unveiled!

Though the first of the longer stories ("I Spy versus the Incredible "Mr X") is very good, to me the plot hasn't truly been developed beforehand! "Mr X" gets hold of Spy HQs "I Spy" building map by sheer chance! For me, the way the stories develop in the series second half is preferable.

Les' art in those later stories is, to my eyes, ever improving! I really enjoy those three page stories with larger panels!

The weakest stories for me (ignoring the first 14 issues) were "I Spy's T.T.Terrible Grannie" (Featuring "Cammy Flage") "The Fantasmajor Diamond Hunt" (too disjointed) and "The Tartan Terror". Don't get me wrong! I do enjoy them, but nowhere as much as the final five stories!

It's probably the only thing that Rab and I differ on in that series, the stories that we rate best! Oh! and I differ with my choice of deadliest "I Spy" villian; in that I rate "Mr Mastermind" only just above "Mr X" in this arena.

Phil: glad you seem to appreciate the BRIAN WALKER hand-coloured strip you scanned in [above];

TRAINSPOTTER'S CORNER: back in late '72, I copiously studied this stuff so much, I registered BRIAN WALKER'S 'B W' signiature skilfully slipped in amongst the debris in the bottom right-hand corner [clearly visible, above];

ALAN: I probably will continue on into the WALKER 'I SPY' era [so long as SOMEONE appears interested] so long as I can add new critical angles to the respective tales. the SPARKY ANNUAL 'I SPY' one-off stories '71- 74 will certainly be covered, as they represent decent, worthwhile goodies in this field.

PETER: I fully agree, BRIAN'S ' SCREAM INN' IPC stuff [ 'shiver and shake', if memory serves] was possibly the peak of his creative powers, the strip just oozed with gothic comic atmosphere.....



------back to the ' I SPY' chronologickal saga next posting, readers.......

Did you have a nice holiday.you missed the snow and ice...

and making a snowman

welcome back..

I heard it was snowing a bit here, PETER, but I didn't expect Aberdeen to be a sheet of snow and ice [which greeted me as the plane flew back home];

----I went from this:




-----to THIS:




the best part of me hols was a trip on a CATAMARAN to a tropical isle, and the worst part was me being singled out as a 'potential cocaine smuggler' at FRENCH CUSTOMS:

'just 'pee-pee' into this plastic beaker, monsieur'......


[2 minutes later]: 'I can't 'pee-pee' into this plastic beaker with you two 'monsewers' standing there watching me!'



'no pee-pee, and you no return to Aberdeen!'


---'OK, is it allright if I run these two taps 'for inspiration'?


---'you do whatever it takes, m'seuir.'

------and poor me, who doesn't even even put SWEETEX in his tea........ah, well. never a dull moment, and all that........

SPARKY issue 248. [OCT 18, 1969]:

'I SPY and his T-T-TERRIBLE GRANNY' [part 2 of 5]:

'S not so nice......when a plan misfires TWICE!'

SYNOPSIS: GRANNY sends I SPY and BOSS to toil it out, getting dusty old SPY HQ into spick-n-span shape, and down in the basement, I SPY unearths his decrepit old VINTAGE CAR [used in the days 'before I SPY got mechanized']. Reasoning that the motors' ROCKET ACCELERATION button could well be a great method of getting rid of the whinging GRANNY for good, she rather surrealistically circles the globe in seconds, 'K O'-ing our heroes into the bargain.
CAMMY flees to freedom from a hole conveniently created in his cell wall by the careering boneshaker, and his chances of success are heightened by I SPY having his own ROCKET MOTORS put out of action [temporarily] by the crash.

Opting to pursue CAMMY in the rocket-powered vintage heap, the trio career wildly out-of-control in an attempt to master the motor's 'ROCKETIZED' capabilities. More surrealism as CAMMY cannily disguises himself as a mobile rock, however, he reckons without the pursuing car's errant steering, and this episode ends with the carnage of the four main players strewn in the debris of a quarry.





A slapstick-heavy outing that rattles along at a brisk pace. Not a lot in the way of drama, but this episode is remarkable for revealing that I SPY was indeed 'normal' in the days before the ROBODOCS 'got at him', and apparantly he spent his younger SPYING DAYS in which he he used his 'SUPER SPY CAR' [which, going by the cars 1920s look, dates him as being fairly old, even accounting for the 1969 setting.]


'SPY HQ TORTURE CHAMBER' [see illustration'] what with it's medievel stretching-rack and human skull on display, is distinctly non-GENEVA CONVENTION, and indicates that the SPY organization has been around fer yonks.

Still a bit too much 'situation comedy' for my tastes, but there's no denying the vigour and vitality within this two-page spread: 'interesting' more than 'essential'.


I SPY'S devices: power-wash spray, internal rocket-motor [temporarily kaput].


'NEXT WEEK.......THE SECRET PASS is found.....BUT......well, you'll see NEXT WEEK'

'SPARKY' issue 249, OCT. 25TH, 1969;

'I SPY and his T-T-TERRIBLE GRANNY' [part 3 of 5]:

'Surprise Surprise....TWO I. SPYS!!'

SYNOPSIS; I SPY, BOSS and CAMMY are instructed by GRANNY to drag, by rope, the boneshaking vintage car back to SPY HQ: the motor [and I SPY] are given the full M.O.T. treatment as GRAN pops out for some books requested by CAMMY for his cellbound reading. At the library, she almost hands over the missing PASS being sought after by everyone [it's hidden in her hat foilage, remember] whilst back at SPY HQ, CAMMY is given the FEET-TICKLE treatment by BOSS in his cell.

CAMMY finally 'cracks' under this 'sinister torture', revealing that he last actually saw the PASS just before GRANNY crashed into him by motorbike, back in EPISODE ONE. GRANNY returns, handing over CAMMY'S 'light reading' ['JAIL-BREAKING MADE EASY', etc] and once more he gains freedom, after a speed-reading of 'the SECRET of SUPER KARATE-CHOPS'.........popping into disguise once more, [this time in a barely-adequate I SPY costume just good enough to fool the short-sighted GRANNY] after conveniently slicing her motorbike in two with his new-found skills.

GRANNY unwittingly hands the PASS over to CAMMY, as I SPY and BOSS turn up too late, the awful truth dawning on them that CAMS will be able to access the lethal SUPERTANK.


The best scene in this instalment sees I SPY and his vintage-boneshaker car getting the full-works treatment in SPY HQ GARAGE, from a a load of eccentric technicians, a 'bit-of-business' that has been almost casually thrown in, but to great effect.

Good dynamic stuff as CAMMY breaks free from his cell, and the slicing in two of GRANNY'S motorcycle is a welcome comic diversion admist the relatively restrained [at least, by 'I SPY' standards]events.

No I SPY devices of any sort in this one, [surely the only time this happened.....?] which shows just how far this tale has strayed from the usual 'jack-in-the-box' mayhem usually served up from our titular star.


'NEXT WEEK: GRANNY helps CAMMY to STEAL a TANK!'



'CAMMY FLAGE':





------it has to be said that CAMMY FLAGE is the least impressive, unexotic VILLIAN of the LES BARTON era,; beyond his surrealistic DISGUISE skills, he seems little more than an opportunist jail-breaker, though once he gets his mitts on the SUPERTANK he desires, his true colours emerge.

Nevertheless, the basic idea of his 'lil 'ole bag of disguises' must have struck a chord with someone at 'SPARKY', as this was used as a central device in the slightly later 'RUDOLPH the REDCOAT MOUNTIE' from the same comic, in which DANGEROUS DAN Mc GURK utilized an extremely similar tiny disguise bag to limitless effect:







above: the swansong edition from this very good 1970 'SPARKY' strip: love the evocative, open-ended 'conclusion'. Even as an eight-year-old in 1970, I knew that it was extremely unusual to see the work of premier IPC artist MIKE LACEY appear in a THOMSON comic: brilliant work that was greatly welcomed in this 'I SPY' --free era [he would return for the debut WALKER instalment, the following week].





-----this has been a 'TRAINSPOTTER-O-GRAM'.

"Cammy" was put to far better use in the final story of the series "Operation I Spy" he worked far better as part of a villianous team than a lone player!

The "Rudolph" strip appeared on-and-off right up to 1977, and No! Rudolph never caught McGurk!!

Much earlier Rab stated how he felt "I Spy" carrying around a menagerie of live animals was a bit too much to take; and he was glad this idea was soon dropped!

However! In the "Mr X" story that was the penultimate in the 1969-70 run, "I Spy" utilises his Bloodhound again! It is actually quite vital to part of that story!

Concerning who actually wrote the "I Spy" episodes, I should like to foreward three Ex Sparky staff who might have been responsible.

These are

(1) Gordon Cook.

(2) Mike Baird.

(3) Pete Clark.

WOW! where did you glean that info, Alan? It's an I SPY-scaled mystery I would love to clear up.....whoever wrote these scripts was blessed of a tireless, boundless imagination, of which I will always be grateful.

The dynamic visuals of the strip were obviously paramount, but like all else in this field, a decent script is equally --if not more------crucial to success.

I have yet to properly revisit the final MR X tale of the initial run, but I anticipate looking forwards to seeing it again.

'SPARKY' comic issue 250; NOV 1st, 1969.

' I SPY and his T-T-TERRIBLE GRANNY' [part 4 of 5]:


'
All's well and then.....GRANNY STRIKES AGAIN!'

SYNOPSIS: I SPY and BOSS soar thru' the skies in hot pursuit of the escapee CAMMY, who once more utilizes his deft disguise skills, this time in the form of a bush-shrub. His recently-acquired KARATE skills successfully K-O I SPY and BOSS once they reach ground-level, but the ever-prepared I SPY has donned his 'karate-chop-proof' suit [as ever] and, just as he is about to nab CAMMY, that interfering old battleaxe GRANNY succeeds in running down her favourite grandson in the rocket-powered old JALLOPY again.

the ever-fleeing FLAGE is about to be thwarted by a long-range SHELL courtesy of I SPY'S artillery, but his shell-blaster [bent in this recent collision] results only in the unfortunate action of I SPY seeing his own shell return back in his own direction, to devastating effect, in a U-TURN manouvere.....


Once again, the decrepit vintage motor is brought into play; only this time, with the recent MOT improvements, the car's I SPY-like 'jack-in-the-box' device applications come into play, seizing CAMMY with an extending grabber. GRANNY sadly mis-presses the motor's EJECTOR-SEAT functions, however, and once more CAMMY legs it, at last reaching the MILITARY BASE where the desired SUPERTANK is situated.

Entering the DEVICES FACTORY in his convincing I SPY costume, the real I SPY radios the BASE to avert disaster: but it's too late; CAMMY has busted free into the outside world, and the only obstacle in his way now is our 3 intrepid heroes, who confront the deadly SUPERTANK head-on in in their less-than-modern ancient boneshaker.....




An incident-packed entry that finally sees drama and danger come into play, after the SOAP-OPERA [or is that 'SPY-OPERA' ?] events of the previous instalments. A cracking return to form, with vigorous pacing and the first real 'cliffhanger' of this story. THIS is more like it! And the best is yet to come in this one.....




above: CAMMY goes for it, doing what he does best. Postage-stamped sized creativity from LES BARTON.



I SPY'S DEVICES: internal rocket-engine, 'karate-chop-proof' suit, shell-blaster, internal radio set.




above: MISMATCHED MAYHEM: 1920s hi-tech vs. 1969 hi-tech, as the tale approaches it's climax.



NEXT WEEK: 'SPY CAR versus SUPERTANK in the FINAL BATTLE'.

Rab! Info comes via forum section of 26 Pigs. It was in the Sparky forum where both Gordon and The chap who drew Sparky People added comments! Gordon mentioned the other two staff members! I think he intimated that he, and they were writers circa 1967 to 76.

I've asked around and the consensus of opinion is that the main scripwriter on I Spy was Peter Clark.

cheers for that deduction, kashgar; I will stick with that name as writer-creditor until any other evidence comes to light, [if ever].

LES BARTON himself also wrote script-material, and I even toyed with the idea that he himself may have written some of the earlier material.

'SPARKY' isue 251; NOV. 8, 1969:

'I SPY and his T-T-TERRIBLE GRANNY' [part 5 of 5]:

' I SPY FUMES------when Granny 'VROOMS!'

SYNOPSIS; I SPY and BOSS [with the demented GRANNY catching up rapidly] take on the considerable might of the renegade CAMMY FLAGE, who confronts the pair in their souped-up vintage JALLOPY with the ultra-high-tech, marquee-tent-sized SUPERTANK. I SPY tests out his ancient vehicles' gadget-capabilities, eventually unleashing full CARNAGE-ROCKET capabilities, and MEGA-SHELL BLASTER, which is unleashed, full-on, into the range of the oncoming SUPER-CRAFT.





CAMMY at the controls utilizes his commandeered craft's DRILLING capabilities, however, enabling him to bury to safety, out-of-range of the oncoming shells. I SPY responds with an ultra-barrage of high-velocity CARNAGE-SHELLS, [attached to rockets] which prove useless against the craft's 'everything-proof'-like shield. The SUPERTANK hurtles ahead, just as our heroe's decrepit boneshaker collapses in a clapped-out heap, which is mowed into the ground by the oncoming COLLOSUS.




the short-sighted GRANNY mistakes CAMMY'S ultra-tank for the vintage motor, and advances into the heart of the action. I SPY and BOSS, however, have latched onto the ongoing TANK'S undercarriage, presently, [courtesy of I SPY'S all-purpose POWER-MAGNET, though poor BOSS has his 'derriere' scraping along the ground] and now I SPY'S 'super can-opener' enables him to gain access to CAMMY'S stolen prototype. A circular opening is cut around the base of CAMMY'S seated position, and a deft vertical move sees him bang his headbone on the armour-plated ceiling.

GRANNY, meanwhile, has used her knitting-needles-and-ball-of-steel-wool LASSOO to gain entry onboard the careering craft, and she unleashes a skilful BROLLY-BASH onto the bonce of the emerging CAMMY, which sends hin spiralling downwards again, ending in the dazed heap of CAMS, I SPY and BOSS on the battlefield as the SUPERTANK eventually grinds to a halt.

CAMMY is last seen as a K-O'D wreck, and this highly eventful edition ends with the spectacle of I SPY with BOSS pursuing GRANNY at the controls of the onhurtling SUPERTANK, which she has mistaken for the bus home [or something].