SERIALISED FACEACHE STORIES – PART SIXTEEN: MARATHON (GUINNES BOOK OF RECORDS)

Faceache took a recuperation break of one week after Mr. Thrashbottom used his spring-loaded, lead-filled, double handed automatic thrasher on the poor lad in the last episode of the previous story arc, and came back even crazier than before in BUSTER cover-dated 24 Nov., 1979 where the next three-part story began. 

Before you scroll down to read the synopsis, I’d like to remind you that I am celebrating Ken's 100th birthday by offering free prints of his original artwork with every purchase of THE POWER PACK books! Press here and claim your copies now!

Faceache overhears the headmaster and Mr. Snipe discuss Belmonte’s financial problems that could only be solved by attracting more paying pupils through advertising that they can’t afford. Faceache silently gets an idea he might arrange for some free publicity by scrunging himself into the Guinnes Book of Records as a boy who could scrunge 5,000 times non-stop. He sneaks into the lantern lecture room that has an automatic self-operating camera and starts taking pictures... 

As Mr. Snipe and Albert Thrashbottom carry on with their brainstorming, Mr. Snipe suggests that perhaps parents don’t send their boys there because they’ve heard of Faceache’s scrunging antics. Mr. Threashbottom agrees and promises to thrash every scrunging muscle out of the freakish boy if he catches the unnatural brat scrunging again… 

Faceache’s well-intentioned 5,000 scrunge marathon continues... 

In the meantime, Mr. Thrashbottom gets an idea that smartening the school up might be a good way to attract new pupils. He plans to shine a powerful spotlight on the school’s noble name so it’ll stand out for miles around, but at that point Faceache gets completely carried away and crashes through the school roof in a huge monster scrunge… 

Mr. Thrashbottom is in hysterics…

A newspaper photographer who happens to be nearby takes a picture of the head of a diabolical monster sticking through the school's roof... 

...and the story takes an unexpected turn…

Characters are © Rebellion Publishing Ltd

WARM-UP POST TO THE NEXT SERIALISED FACEACHE STORY

If you follow my series of Faceache story arcs by Ken Reid, you may have noticed that 1979 was the year of serialised ‘Faceache’ tales: ten were published all in all, with as many as three spanning four weeks and two that were three weeks in length. 

The last one for that year was three weeks long and started in BUSTER cover-dated 24 November 1979. In it, Faceache set out on a 5,000 scrunge marathon!.. Expect to see some of the best of Faceache’s face-pulling exercises in my next post in a few days' time. In the meantime, here’s Brian Walker’s 'Boxatricks' cover of the BUSTER issue with the first episode of the Marathon tale.

Characters are © Rebellion Publishing Ltd

Don't forget that I am celebrating Ken's 100th birthday by offering free prints of his original artwork with every purchase of THE POWER PACK books! Press here and claim your copies now!

SERIALISED FACEACHE STORIES – PART FIFTEEN: MORTGRAVE MILL

The next little Faceache story arc was presented in the four issues of BUSTER cover dated 20 October – 10 November, 1979. Here‘s a synopsis: 

During local history lesson Mr. Snipe tells a legend about the nearby mill and its ghost Magnus Mortgrave who’s looking for his stolen golden watch in the gaunt ruins:

 At night Faceache and Willy go to the mill to search for the watch, hoping it will be worth a fortune. Possessed by greed and craving for gold, Mr. Snipe also heads for the mill...

The boys hear something ticking in the flour loft, but how can they get there? Faceache makes use of his Boyington Bouncer scrunge (the only one in this 4-weeks long tale):

Ticking seems to be coming from all sides; Faceache thinks it must be the ghost trying to confuse him. Meanwhile, Mr. Snipe approaches the mill; he decides that the quickest way to get to the flour loft is by using the lower sail as a ladder. Meanwhile, Faceache hears the ticking coming from the outside. The lad climbs out to have a look. He and Mr. Snipe see each other...

The wind’s getting stronger and Faceache finds himself holding to one of the sails as they start turning… Trapped on the sails in a rising gale, Faceache and Mr. Snipe both start calling for help. Willie can hear the sails whizzing, but he can also hear the mysterious ticking sound near him. He realises it’s the death-watch beetles nibbling and gnawing at the old the wooden structure!

Faceache and Mr. Snipe land in Mortgrave Mire as the building collapses:

Faceache and Mr. Snipe are getting out of the mire when they hear the overexcited Willie who has found the valuable antique watch in the rubble. They set after him claiming their rights to the find: 

Back at school, it turns out that it’s Mr. Thrashbottom’s watch. He received it as a present from the Bratsville Education Committee for devising an invention 'which restored order and discipline for the schools in this parish when all else had failed'. The headmaster lost it only the day before when he was visiting Mortgrave Mill to make notes for an article he was writing. 

Since the mill is out of bounds to both pupils and teachers, Mr. Thrashbottom demonstrates his invention on the two boys and Mr. Snipe.

Characters are © Rebellion Publishing Ltd

Don't forget that I am celebrating Ken's 100th birthday by offering free prints of his original artwork with every purchase of THE POWER PACK books! Press here and claim your copies now!