Comics UK

A friend texted me the following the other day:

"Hi mate bit of an out there one but do you remember a british comic series where a group of children come across a time machine ( possibly a pump) then travel through time and have adventures? I remember some annual with a strip where they went to 1666 and says the great fire of london - any ideas ?"

He thinks it may have been in a Hotspur, Victor or Vaiant annual.

Can anyone help my friend?

Think I recognise the scenario as a tale from a mid 70s humour annual (therefore not Hotspur, Victor or Valiant) - probably Sparky? - some kids and their scruffy dog find an abandoned slot machine in a dump and are transported into the past when a coin is inserted - they transfer to different adventures in time whenever a coin is inserted, but do not appear able to control their destination and are effectively lost in time - the last haunting panel shows them once again fading from view about to start another adventure in another time. The story was only about 6 or 7 pages long and I don't recall it ever being a continued serial in a comic, but it was really well drawn and quite gripping. Sorry I can't provide more detail as I no longer have any of my old annuals from childhood but hopefully someone can follow up this post and let both of us know where this excellent story was printed?

I reckon this was the TIME KIDDS, [I think the story was called,] and it featured in the 1980 SPARKY annual [the final all-SPARKY book, although Sparky-Topper variations continued into 1981 at least].

The artist was not a Sparky regular, and the full-painted artwork was quite groovily stylized, and featured a cool robot, I seem to recall.

A lovely Sparky experiment, that harked back to their whimsical 60s past!

It''s not much use but I definitely remember this one as either me or my younger brother had this in an annual. It's going to bug me now!!

There is a a rather weird time travel story in the 1980 Sparky Annual where some drag racers are transported into the old West by an all-powerful robot called the Juggler - I don't think it's the one being referred to though.

- Phil R.

I think you are right, Phil: my SPARKY books are packed away, however I will hazard a guess at 1973---or more likely 1974.

[the one with I SPY crossing on the cover]

Edit: the Sparky 1973 annual is in my bedroom, and a quick shufty confirms it ain't that one either-------it's 1974 I'm almost certain.

How did I confuse it with the 1980 Sparky entry? ---probably the similar time-travel themes.

I just dug out my Sparky Book 1974, and yes it was the Time Kidds in this annual.

many thanks for confirming that, my good Mr Blaing!

^Mr Laing actually, lol. B is his first initial.