MOONSTERS ON SPARKY BACK COVERS – PART 1

A while ago I did a series of SPARKY front covers featuring The MOONSTERS by Bill Richie. I like this busy feature, so I thought I might do another string of posts and show every single installment which appeared on the back cover of the paper. 

There were a total of 33 episodes (starting from SPARKY No. 2) before The Moonsters were promoted to the front page, and here are the first 11. I like the adverts at the bottom of the page in the first 8 installments. They look very 60s and very DC Thomson to me. Enjoy!

Images are © D.C.Thomson & Co. Ltd.

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! 

 

SERIALISED FACEACHE STORIES – PART FOURTEEN: WATERLOO

The next hilarious 4-part FACEACHE story arc written and drawn by Ken Reid came immediately after the previous one, and can be found BUSTER cover dated 22 September - 13 October, 1979. 

Check out the summary below, but before you do, please, remember that I am celebrating Ken's 100th birthday by offering free prints of his original artwork with every purchase of THE POWER PACK books!

Belmonte pupils are to re-enact the battle of Waterloo for the school pageant, and Mr. Snipe asks the Headmaster for his suggestions for creating sound of imitation cannon fire.  The Headmaster says he’ll think about it later, but in the meantime, he offers Faceache 50 p to blow up the new inflatable office furniture for him...

Faceache decides to take his revenge...

Sitting in his new inflatable arm-chair, Mr. Thrashbottom is thinking about battle sound effects for the boys’ Waterloo re-enactment. Faceache prangs the arm-chair and the burst sends the Headmaster crashing through the roof. He lands on the inflatable settee whose explosion sends him crashing though the roof, and then back inside again, and so forth… 

Hearing the terrible sounds, Mr. Snipe marvels the Headmaster’s ingenuity in simulating cannon fire as well as military voices…

The chain-reaction of exploding furniture continues, and Mr. Thrashbottom believes himself to be back at the battle of Waterloo: 

Meanwhile, Luis de Fleury, the first Frenchman to fly from Paris to London pedalling a flying contraption, is flying over Puddleditch moor. The Headmaster accidentally smashes into De Fleury’s home-made aeroplane... 

...causing the two of them zoom down and crash through all floors of the school, and down into the cellar. Faceache heads for where terrible Waterloo screams can be heard.

The lad puts a stop to the violent British-French conflict by scaring Louis de Fleyry off with one of his scrunges:

...and phoning for an ambulance to rush Mr. Thrashbottom to hospital. 

The doctor prepares to give the Headmaster an injection to make sure he gets a good night’s sleep, but Mr. Thrashbottom’s nervous twitch sends the syringe flying in the air and pranging his inflatable mattress. The blast re-starts the chain reaction, as there are 30 beds in that ward – all with inflatable mattresses. The Headmaster thinks he commands the battle of Waterloo once again…

 

Characters are © Rebellion Publishing Ltd

Click on the POWER PACK banner in the right-hand column and get your copy of the POWER PACK OF KEN REID - the deluxe two-volume set of Ken’s strips in WHAM!, SMASH! and POW! comics of the ‘60s.