GIGGLE – ONE DOWN, THREE MORE TO GO

I rarely visit eBay these days anymore because my collection of UK comics is as complete as I will ever want it to be, but I am still after a few elusive issues of BUSTER, GIGGLE and SPARKY.

A few days ago I crossed one more issue of GIGGLE off my wants list, and although it is not special in any way, I thought I might show its cover and a few inside pages here.

The comic offered a combination of humour and adventure, and had a large share of reprints of strips by UK and European artists, but I believe the pages below were all new (Helpful Hettie was later reprinted in COR!!, but I am unsure if this particular episode was).

At this point I only need GIGGLE issues cover-dated 2 Sept., 11 Nov. and 25 Nov., 1967. I would also buy the issue of 1 July, 1967 because my copy is missing its centre pages.

My wants list of BUSTER consists of the issues cover-dated 31 Dec., 1960, 4 Feb., 1961 and 4 July, 1964.

I am also after SPARKY issue No. 620 (4 Dec., 1976), and would buy a complete copy of No. 110 (25 Feb., 1967).

Please, let me know if you have copies of the above and wish to sell :)

 

  

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.

WEEKLY OUTPUT – REG PARLETT

Reg Parlett’s page count in IPC comics cover-dated 30^th March 1974 was 7 pages. The artist had such a natural and flowing style, that it seems almost effortless but still very appealing to the eye. The quality of the art shows no signs that he struggled drawing his pages or had to rush them in order to meet his deadlines. 

Two two-pagers in Whoopee! and Whizzer and Chips were centered around the much-overused but apparently very popular theme of poor kids vs the rich:

…while one page in Whoopee! represented the new favourite line of horror comedy:

And of course there were two pages of Billy Bunter in Valiant:

Had Buster not missed that week, the artist’s stats would have been not 7 but 10 pages. This is how Reg Parlett’s regular features in Buster looked like in the issue of the week before.  Happy Family was a reprint, so under normal circumstances Reg Parlett’s weekly output amounted to the impressive quantity of 9 pages at that time! 

Mike Lacey is next in line...

Images are © Rebellion Publishing IP 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.

GUEST APPEARANCES AT SCREAM INN – EVIL EYE

The next WHOOPEE! fellow-character to turn up at Scream Inn was the wicked Evil Eye. Illustrated by Reg Parlett, the character was part of the original WHOOPEE! lineup since the very first issue of the comic. The Scream Inn and the Evil Eye episodes shown below are from WHOOPEE! & SVIVER ND SHAKE No. 75 with the cover date of 30th August, 1975. 

I hope you are enjoying this series of guest appearances, and there are a few more left, including Sweeny Toddler, the Bumpkin Billionaires (this bunch actually hoped to get rid of some of their wealth rather that win the measly million offered by Innkeeper & Co), Toy Boy, and Smiler, so be sure to come back soon to see them!

GUEST APPEARANCES AT SCREAM INN – ‘ORRIBLE HOLE!!

‘Orrible Hole, illustrated by Reg Parlett, started in WHOOPEE! (or rather WHOOPEE! & SHIVER AND SHAKE) No. 43 (January 18, 1975), appeared regularly throughout 1975 and 1976 and the first half of 1977, then became less frequent. It continued to pop up during 1978 and 1979 as part of the Ghostly Go Round Feature, and ended in WHOOPEE! No. 300, cover-dated January 12, 1980.

This little weird character knocked on the door of Scream Inn in Whoopee! & SHIVER AND SHAKE No. 58 (May 3, 1975). Check out the two-pager, followed by the ‘Orrible Hole strip proper from the same issue of the excellent and hilarious WHOOPEE! comic. Aren't they marvelous?!! I really must get round to doing a detailed overview of WHOOPEE! when I have more free time on my hands…