A Christmas Gift--------from me to you

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

------well, it's from Dudley D Watkins, actually, and this sumptuous Ghost of Christmas Past from 42 years hence, or 1969, otherwise.

The master craftsman passed on in July of this year, so I'm not sure if this same-year GINGER is a rerun from Christmases Past or a stockpiled piece, prepared well in advance for the Festive season.

At any rate, it's a Christmas Cracker [groan!] although my favourite-ever Festive BEEZER is the 1967 edition, which I have yet to locate.



Any Festivity-and-snowbound vintage comic images would be most appreciated within this thread, 'specially stuff never shown on this site thus far [this is my fourth Christmas on COMICS UK!

[Jonny Whizz]

I'm guessing that this strip is a reprint. I seem to recall reading that Ginger ran as reprints from when the last new Dudley Watkins was reprinted in late 1969, through to about 1973-74 when Bob McGrath took over. However, whether it was new or reprinted, I agree that it is an excellent piece of work by the master craftsman.

By the way, I'm sure that Dudley Watkins died in August 1969, not July - unless I'm very much mistaken I think it was 20th August when the great man passed away.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

I'll take your word for it, Jonny! Thanks for clarifying matters.

[Digifiend]

That's not the Christmas issue. Here's the following one.


And looking at the previous Christmas covers on Comic Vine, I don't think either are reprinted.
http://www.comicvine.com/the-beezer/49-27927/?page=2

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Yes I did actually wonder that, Digi: it was the snow-topped logo that threw me!

Well worth seeing: however, two or three of the stories in the Dec 20 edition are Christmas-themed, to add to the confusion......

[Niblet]

Merry Christmas, Rab and a merry crimble to all forum chums.

Here's a cover that I hope hasn't been seen on the forum before. I used to like the December issues of IPC's 'Best Of' and 'Funny Monthly' reprint collections, as they would feature reprinted Christmas strips (more in some issues than others). I think they all used rehashed cover artwork that previously appeared on Christmas covers from the weeklies, so I presume this one is based on a W&C cover (can't be bothered to look through my collection to find which one it is). Think it's by Mike Lacey.



From the back cover of the same issue. I like the first panel, where Nobby is just chillin' out, thinking about the forthcoming festivities. Conjures up memories of days long ago when responsibilities were few. Nowadays it would be a case of 'I'm just going to sit here and think about - what am I going to buy for Auntie Fred and Uncle Mabel, have I got enough wrapping paper, will the kids like their presents, have I got enough booze in, have I gone over me credit limit, who just trod a mince pie into the carpet' etc.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Thanks for getting into the spirit of things, Nibbles! Yes, I'm pretty sure that first image you put in is by Mike Lacey.


To make up for my error or two earlier here's a definite Christmas issue that I hope hasn't appeared within this festive, frothy, and fun-filled forum:







-----and from the back page of the same issue, here's what Dennis was up to, 45 years ago this week:

[philcom55]

In my opinion nobody could match the sheer joyous exuberance of Roy Wilson's covers - especially when they featured some of the wonderfully mischievous animals that were his trademark. Added to his seemingly effortless ability to completely redesign a comic's logo this meant that he was the perfect choice for any issue that celebrated Easter, Christmas, New Year, Bonfire Night, Bank holidays, etc.

If anything this 1946 Tip Top cover is quite restrained by his own standards, yet I'm willing to bet that it still managed to outshine everything else on the newsagent's counter that year!



_ Phil Rushton

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Roy Wilson must be in the all-time top 5 of UK 'funnies' artists of any era : it's clear that Robert Nixon was influenced by his appealling style.

[philcom55]

...As good an excuse as any to post Bob's rarely-seen seasonal cover for the Winter 1981 issue of Golden Fun.



Bob doesn't mention Roy Wilson in his interview, though he's full of praise for Reg Parlett. As a matter of interest I wonder if anyone knows what his first ever comic strip was - produced for Beano round about April 1964? Also, what were the two sets he drew for Sparky?

- Phil Rushton

[Phoenix]

As we are allowing rear covers to be portrayed in this thread, this rear cover of Adventure 680 (Nov. 10 1934) may well be of some interest, as it is clearly a major drumming-up of interest in Thomsons' annuals for 1935. The reason it seems to fail to mention an annual for The Wizard is that, despite this text comic having appeared weekly since issue 1 in 1922, the 1926 strike apart of course, its first annual didn't appear until late in 1935 for 1936.

[Digifiend]

Wow, Adventureland 5 shillings, the other three are 2/6 - so I assume that Adventureland had double the page count of the others, since it was double the price?

[felneymike]

I beleive Adventureland was the same size as the story papers, whereas the other three were in a smaller "book" format. They were all around the same thickness of 150-200 pages (but the pages were very thick, like card, making the books 'look' bigger).

[Digifiend]

------well, it's from Dudley D Watkins, actually, and this sumptuous Ghost of Christmas Past from 42 years hence, or 1969, otherwise.

The master craftsman passed on in July of this year, so I'm not sure if this same-year GINGER is a rerun from Christmases Past or a stockpiled piece, prepared well in advance for the Festive season.

At any rate, it's a Christmas Cracker [groan!] although my favourite-ever Festive BEEZER is the 1967 edition, which I have yet to locate.

From the same source as the 1969 cover I posted earlier, I believe one of these two is the one you wanted.




I wonder why neither of these use the Christmas masthead like the 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969 and 1970 issues?

[Peter Gray]

I love the Golden Fun cover by Robert..I'll try not to ask for an example of the interview with Robert Nixon which you showed in the Sammy Shrink post...I'll really try.. anyway its interesting that he was a big fan of Reg Parlett..