WHOOPEE! PULL-OUTS AND FREE GIFTS IN 1983

Compared to other years, 1983 was lean in terms of WHOOPEE! pull-outs. 

The first one was the three-part Snack Man's Munch Maze Game, in the issues cover-dated 5th, 12th and 19th March, 1983:

Here is how it looked like on the centrespreads:

The issue cover-dated 25th June, 1983 had an announcement of WHOOPEE! and WOW! merger. It was on the centre pages, so it kind of qualifies as a pull-out, but it’s hard to imagine anyone actually removing it from the comic and putting it on his or her wall :)

Towards the end of 1983 the comic was gearing up for its 500th issue, and the issues of 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th October came with Whoopee! 500-Clue Crossword. 

The first three issues had the grid, and all the clues were in the last one – a strange concept, if you ask me (who is patient enough to do a crossword that takes three weeks to assemble, and then wait another week for the clues...), but I like all the Whoopee! character faces in the borders. Here’s the three-part grid:

… and here are the clues, if you feel like having a go at the crossword:

The first issue of October (the one preceding the first part of the massive crossword puzzle), had this advert:

So besides the first part of Whoopee! 500-Clue Crossword grid, the issue of 8th October, 1983 came with a free Smurfs stickers album, plus a pack of stickers:

 

The advert below promised more free Smurfs stickers with the next week’s issue, but they are gone from my copy, so I don’t have a picture to show…

The alleged 500th issue had the cover date of 5th November, 1983, and it carried another Guy Fawkes’ mask by Brian Walker on the centrespread:

I say ‘alleged’ because it was actually the 494th issue of the paper, so the real 500th came later. I don’t know if the publisher failed in keeping his numbers right, or simply thought it was a good idea to tie the anniversary with the gunpowder plot date. 

Characters are © Rebellion Publishing Ltd