In all my years of reading and collecting comics this is one of the titles that I was a ware of but until now had never read a copy of. Originally launched in September 1922 The Wizard was a story paper rather than a comic which lasted until 1963 when it merged with Rover which was a similar story paper. I vaguely remember some Uncle giving me a copy and not being impressed.
The Wizard was eventually relaunched in 1970 and was now a "picture story paper for boys" and part of DC Thomson's line up of titles such as The Victor, Hotspur and The Hornet. Wizard lasted until 1978 when it fell due to falling sales and was merged with The Victor.
This particular issue contained not less than three stories that were set in the Burmese campaign of World War Two. The first was a pretty improbable story The Flying Tripehound in which a lowly spotter aircraft piloted by Captain Barry lancer was able to route the Imperial Japanese Army with impunity. Entertaining but quite tame by today's standards.
The second Burma adventure, The Bang Boys featured a group of criminals now serving in the British army, one of whom was a dab hand with explosives. You can see what was coming...whilst the third slightly more tongue in cheek story with art to match was Mulligan and his Mules which featured an Indian Unit.
Inevitably there were two football stories Cast Iron Bill and The Voice That Ran The Rangers which appealed to most boys but not this one as I have always hated sport.
There was one desert story Logan of the Lancers set in World War One, 1915 to be precise and a second featuring the French Foreign Legion, 5 Bullets for Idris the Cruel. Finally mention has to go to a short two page feature The Villainous Dr Klun advertiser as a Simon Gaunt story. A sort of mystery/horror adventure.
Overall this was a highly readable "boys paper" as they called them back then and there are some interesting covers that come between this issue and the run's end which I'll pick up should I ever come across any!
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