Tuesday, July 31, 2012

A LOOK AT COR!! STRIPS: FIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS


The appearance of Fiends and Neighbours in COR!! issue dated 24th November, 1973 (No. 182) was probably the last good thing that happened to COR!!  Alfred Jones and his wife (whose name I haven’t found mentioned in the strip), a childless mid-aged traditional couple, got new neighbours Mr. and Mrs. Really-Ghastlies and their two kids – daughter Bella and son ‘Orrid (who had tiny horns and slept hanging down from the curtain rail). Later in the series the Joneses discovered that their neighbours also had a giant baby who used to go missing for weeks on end hiding in the bushes. Mister Really-Grastly’s name was Igor and the Mrs. was never addressed by name (as far as I can tell)

In the opening episode the nosey Mrs. Jones is eager to meet their new neighbours so she pops round and pretends she wants to borrow a cup of flour. The lady is in for a series of shocks at the peculiar looks and ways of the new neighbours as she makes their acquaintance:

First episode in COR!! issue dated 24th November, 1973 (No. 182)

The Really-Ghastlies were a strange lot indeed, without any doubt they were close relatives of the famous Adams Family in America (no direct references were made in the strip though) and they also had family in Transylvania (we know that Bella’s grandmother lived there). The chambers of their crumbling mansion were decorated with coffins, skulls and old family portraits of witches, devils and fiends. The family’s favourite pet was a monster-octopus by the name of Cyril who appeared in many episodes. Little ‘Orrid had a pet vampire bat Grockle. Other pets included meat-eating fish and a jelly-monster by the name of Fido who fed on ant eggs. Besides, the Really-Ghastlies had a baby dragon and a vulture named Vernon, not to mention a whole swarm of other small creepy creatures that inhabited the mansion and the hideous man-eating plants that grew in the garden. Over the weeks the unfortunate Joneses also got to know their neighbours’ visiting relatives such as gnome cousins from the haunted wood and the giant cousin Boris. To make things even more exciting, in the last COR!! episode ‘Orrid made himself a Frankenstein friend by the name of Clunk-Click.

The comedy of the strip was created by “cultural differences” between the neighbours who never ceased to shock and surprise each other. There is probably no need to say which family always fell victim to the ‘shocks’ part of the bizarre neighbourly relationship. The Really Ghastlies, however, were also puzzled at the ways of the Jonses who they thought were a couple of very weird neighbours...

From COR!! issue dated 8th December, 1973 (No. 184)
The feature was beautifully illustrated by Graham Allen who drew all but one of the 30 episodes in COR!! weeklies (the episode in the issue with the cover date of 18th May, 1974 (No. 207) was by another artist). During the short run of the strip the Really Ghastlies appeared on two front covers of COR!! issues dated 1st December, 1973 and 2nd March, 1974 (Nos. 183 and 196). They also led the crowd of COR!! characters on the front cover of the last issue of COR!! marching to join the lineup of BUSTER. 

The feature survived merger with BUSTER and continued there until 22nd November, 1975. Ray Moore’s BUSTER index says that the script writer was Les Lilley, so I believe it is safe to assume that the same writer also contributed scripts for the COR!! episodes. 

I saw some Fiends and Neighbours reprints in the short-lived SCREAM horror comic of the 80s.

From COR!! issue dated 11th May, 1974 (No. 206)


Here are details about appearances of Fiends and Neighbours outside of COR!! weeklies. As this is one my favourite strips and a highlight in COR!!, there is a good chance to find examples of the artwork in my blogposts dedicated to the particular Holiday Specials and Annuals.

1974 Special – 2 episodes by an artist whose name I don’t know
1975 Annual – 1 episode by an artist whose name I don’t know
1976 Annual – 1 episode by an artist whose name I don’t know
1977 Annual – 1 episode signed by Tom Paterson
1978 Annual – 1 new episode by Graham Allen
1979 Annual – 2 episodes by Les Barton (one signed) + 1 reprint
1980 Annual – 2 episodes by Les Barton
1981 Annual – 2 episodes by Les Barton
1981 Special – 1 episode by Les Barton
1982 Annual – 2 new episodes, one by Les Barton and one by an artist whose name I don’t know
1982 Special – 1 episode by Nigel Edwards
1983 Annual – 1 episode Les Barton
1983 Special – 1 new episode by an artist whose name I don’t know
1984 Annual – 1 new episode by Les Barton
1985 Annual – 1 new episode by Les Barton
1986 Annual – 1 new episode by Nigel Edwards

10 comments:

  1. It is a great strip to look at...I also love the grey wash he uses...
    Fleetway were great at the comic horror strips..

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  2. You're probably aware that Fiends and Neighbours appeared in Jackpot on 25/4/81, issue 101. If you weren’t you are now! Not sure if it lasted until Jackpot's closure in early '82 but with the Scream reprints only 2 years after, someone obviously realized it was a monstrously memorable masterpiece!

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  3. Mrs Jones DID have a first name - Alfred calls her Mildred on 20/4/74! Score one for Colindale Newspaper!

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    1. Thanks for this! The name suits her well, I think :)

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    2. Corporal Jones in the Home Guard?! Sounds familiar! The Cousin Boris story was reprinted in the ’86 Scream Holiday Special; not sure if any stories appeared in the ’87 and ’88 Special, but certain they didn’t in the ’89 Spinechillers Special. With the loss of the Cor Annual (to name but one), this would’ve been the strip’s last hurrah! BTW talking of Scream, heard the sad news re Jose Ortiz?

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    3. I will check if any were reprinted in the 87 and 88 Scream Specials when I have time, but I seem to remember that some episodes were included. As for Jose Ortiz, I remember him vividly from Once Upon A Time children's magazine for which he drew quite a large number brilliant colour covers and inside illustrations.

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    4. I have now checked my copies of Sceam! specials and can confirm that there were 3 two-page episodes in 1985 Holiday Special and 1 episode in the 1986 edition, all were reprints. There were no Fiends and Neighbours in the 1987 and 1988 Specials.

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  4. I wonder if the title is based on this film..

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends_and_Neighbours

    A 1959 film.

    Or more likely this
    http://www.tv.com/shows/bless-this-house-uk/friends-and-neighbours-212106/

    Bless this house episode called Friends and Neighbours
    Jean is worried about strange noises coming from next door.

    The title does feel its based on a tv show or film?

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  5. On 1/12/73, as you show, Alfred grumbles “Bother” when Mr Really Ghastly comes to the door. However, when reprinted in Jackpot no 102 (2/5/81) the B is replaced with an M: a small change, but one which implies that the Joneses have children! I’ve got a nose for this sort of thing haven’t I!

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