Whizzer and Chips Annual 1980 (Fleetway)

 

One of my favourite comics was Whizzer and Chips, two comics published as one who had a competion between them claiming to be better than the other. The reader was invited to take sides. Of course by 1979 when this annual came out I was no longer reading the comic and was concentrating on our American rivals.

Only as I have grown a lot older have I begun to appreciate the loss of the old British comics industry. There's plenty of pre-school comics with lots of wasteful plastic things bagged with them but only a handful of the comics for older readers such as the Beano, Commando, The Pheonix  and 2000AD along with the new more adult Shift! comic there isn't much left.

Marvel reprint titles remain though courtesy of Italian publishers Pannini who are bringing their titles back shortly including one DC title Batman!

Comics like Whizzer &Chips had great cartoon strips such as Joker, Sid's Snake, Lazy Bones, Horace and so many more that used to raise a chuckle. Of course some of the humour is no longer fit in this world of wokeness being foisted upon us including the Meccano spanking machine concocted by Lazy Bone's Dad!. Corporal punishment is a thing of the past. Not that it ever stopped Dennis or the others.

I started reading Whizzer & Chips on it's launch in 1969 and stuck with it through my school years but quietly changed my reading habits. I never had an Annual though so this was a joy to read.

The first Annual (1971)

The Incredible Hulk #428 (Marvel/1995)

Peter David (w) Liam Sharp (a)

Another random pick from my collection for a re-read this time featuring two of Marvel's Green Giants, neither really can be described as Jolly since the Hulk has a permanent anger-on and as for The Man-Thing, it's just the bewildered remnants of a man infused with the nature of the swamp. If you come across him don't be afraid.

Because fear burns at the Man Thing's touch...

The story (a continuation from the last issue which I don't have) sees Bruce as the Hulk wandering around the swamp(which he hates) and gets attacked by an alligator. The stare out between "Man " and beast is a nice little touch.

And Ali Gator buggers off

However this story is not really suited for levity it turns out as the hunt is on for a missing child, in fact there are many missing children and the man responsible is talking to the Man-Thing and the inevitable fight takes place and the Hulk finally confronts the perpetrator, barely able to restrain his anger.

All turns out well enough as fire engulfs the felons home and the child is rescued, though nearly becomes dinner for a very hungry alligator. our villain is not so lucky not that we care.

Overall this is actually quite a disturbing little story especially with the type of villain involved.

Avengers Annual 1975 (World Distributors)

 

Marvel UK launched Avengers Weekly in 1973 which went on to run for 148 issues absorbing Conan the Barbarian's short lived weekly as of #95. Additional features including Shag-Chi Master of Kung Fu and Iron Fist reflecting the interests of the time along with Doctor Strange.

However it was left to World Distributors to issue a series of hardback and full colour annuals cover dated 1975 to 1978.  This was the fist and had good production standards reprinting no less than three consecutive issues of the Avengers US editions #110 to #112. Tere was also an additional Captain America short story from Tales of Suspense #64.

The first two Avengers stories see the team go to the rescue of the X-Men who have been defeated and fallen into the hands of Magneto. Along the way the survivors  pick up Black Widow and Daredevil when help is required. Magneto has learnt how to use the iron in blood to mind control people. A battle commences to save the world as Magneto plans to use kidnapped nuclear scientists to radiate the world to create more mutants even though most people will die...but it's the missing vision that saves the day!

This is followed by a Captain America  and Bucky story from the War as they face the evil of  Sando and Omar in Among Us, Wreckers Dwell by the classic Marvel team-up of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The colouring is a bit odd but it doesn't detract from this wonderful little silver age tale.

Last but by no means least the Black Panther is kidnapped by the Lion King one of a pantheon of African "Gods" who seeks to take over from the Panther God who never appears or hadn't back in those early days of Marvel.  Not sure if Lion God ever reappears despite him swearing revenge.

Magpie Annual 1974 (World Distributors)

Back in the day I seem to recall one was either a Blue Peter viewer of a Magpie fan. My family always watched Blue Peter and it was only occasionally that I got a chance to see ITV's shorter lived but well loved rival. Certainly I was happy if I was able to see both but all children's TV was crammed into two channels being broadcast at the some time during the week and video recorders were the stuff of Tomorrows World another old long lost TV Favourite.

Magpie ran from 1968 to 1980 and the presenters I always associate with the programme are Mick Robertson, Susan Stranks and Doug Rae who are all featured on the cover of the 1974 annual. This magazine programme had a similar format to the more successful (and still running) Blue Peter. The annuals reflect this with the producers seeking to educate and entertain us youn'uns at the same time.

The theme tune was based on a nursery rhyme..about Magpie's:

One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret,
Never to be told.

The Magpie Annual ran from 1970 until 1977 when it changed it's title to become the Magpie Book for the last three editions. In total there are twelve of these to collect though just the one will do me.

 

The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (Panini)

It's been a while since I read any Spider-Man comics except for the odd old Marvel UK black & White back issue or annual as generally the character is not high on my reading list. I'm also completely baffled by the proliferation of spider-related comics featuring such things as Spider -Gwen. Not a clue about that or what's up in Peter Parker's world these days.

When I was a child back in the sixties I was a fan of the Lee-Ditko Spider Man which I read through a variety of comics including Marvel Tales, Pow! and the odd Alan Class edition. Otherwise I mostly stuck to Marvel Team-Up not because of Spidey but mainly because of all the wide variety of  other denizens of the MU that appeared with him.

The last"new" story I read was some years back when I randomly picked up a hardback edition of The Other which I probably will get around tore-reading one of these days.

That aside the relaunching of Panini's titles does give me an opportunity to dip into a  more economically friendly way of catching with Marvel. Certainly at £2.99 for an edition that contains two Marvel comics is good value compared to imports and the fact it was on the racks in Sainsbury's when I went shopping made me chance a copy.

There was much more familiar to me than  realised with Kraven the Hunter, Scorpion and Rhino plus the Lizard's son. It seems "Flash" is dead and Petey seems to still be involved with Mary-Jane. I remember being pissed off with Peter Parker revealing his identity to world in Civil War and I understand that was resolved via some deal with Mephisto. Open to correction if that's wrong.

"The Hunt" is on and Kraven is using Arcade (a villain from the X-Men milieu I believe) is behind a whole series of events. Plus Black Cat's around. I admit to being entertained by the first issue and if I see the next issue I will pick it up and look out for the more pricey new X-Men title that Panini are launching in a couple of weeks. 

Rating 3 Stars (Good value, entertaining read)

Doctor Who: The "last" Monthly Adventures audio #275 (Big Finish)

 

When the TV series was in limbo there was only one way to get new Doctor Who adventures and that was from Big Finish who started releasing a monthly series of audio adventures way back in July 199 and although I didn't get these straight away being somewhat distracted elsewhere at the time I did start collecting these as they came out from the Forbidden Planet in Central London.

The very first CD featured a story featuring no less than three Doctors played by Peter Davison, Tom Baker and Sylvester McCoy. The fifth, sixth and Seventh incarnations of everyone's favourite Time Lord. It required all three to end a threat to the web of time.

These three actors were joined by other,familiar actors to play their sidekicks and eventually we got to hear new stories featuring the eighth Doctor as played by Paul McGann in the failed pilot for a new series. He picked up a new sidekick in the form of Charlie aboard the R101 as it headed to disaster and went into a different universe to create a whole new world for the listeners.

Over time Big Finish added spin-offs in the form of the Dalek Empire and even Davros was treated to a four part origin story. All these and many more joied my ever growing collection. Then theTV series came back and having purchased the bulk of Big Finishes releases I stopped. Something I came to regret.

Having retired  after leaving hospital back in 2018 I have been furiously buying new releases in this series and as many back adventures as I could afford along with spin-offs and new adventures featuring Tom Baker and David Tennant. Even Missy has had a couple of box sets.

Big Finish have sadly in my opinion decided to change the way they release Doctor Who adventures on audio so as "not to confuse new fans" apparently. So Doctor Who will continue in audio format featuring Doctors past and Christopher Eccleston is to reprise his role!

Nevertheless the "last" adventure in this series ends as it began with a multi-Doctor story featuring not three but four incarnations of the Time Lord. Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and paul McGann, the stalwarts of the past 275 releases.

And guess what. The universe is unravelling. Who would have guessed. Time for...the Doctor!

Rating: 5 Stars (Recommended)

Available from: www.bigfinish.com

Radio 1 Annual 1969 (City Magazines)

Radio One was launched in 1967 to compete with the pirate radio stations  playing popular or pop music that had previously been featured on BBC Light radio which became Radio 2. This was a success from the very beginning and the BBC managed to obtain the services of so many DJ's who had cut their teeth so to speak with the pirates.

Tony Blackburn, Stuart Henry, Rosko, Alan Freeman, Kenny Everett, Jimmy Young and so many more names that will remain forever part of radio history and certainly helped form this young child's interests in music though I was also influenced in the early seventies by Radio Luxembourg with Kid Jenson's Rock programme and Bob Harris on the old grey Whistle Test.

I would have been 12 when this annual was published and it probably wouldn't have been on my "wants" list from Santa even if I did listen to Radio One on my small transistor radio in my room and sometimes under the bed-sheets as I'm sure many of my peer group would have done.

One of my favourite DJ's was Alan Freeman who did the Chart Show on a Sunday which was essential listening especially as I gt a bit older. The music scene was gradually morphing from the flowery and tie and jacket bands to the stuff I ended up buying in the seventies which for me was a mix of Prog Rock & Glam Rock!

Some of the groups and stars back then are still well known today like Lulu, Tom Jones and Roger Daltry but I remain puzzled as to the presence of Sue Nichols (Audrey in Corrie). There's also contributions from the late stars like Bob Monkhouse, Harry Secombe & Morcombe and Wise!

My copy was certainly well appreciated by it's original owner one Janet Robinson of Class 4/2 who has made annotations throughout informing me who was married or dating who. Ed "Stewpot" Stewart was going out with Eve Graham of the New Seekers apparently.

There's so much I remember and some things I don't. There's an article on The Peddlers who I don't remember at all, though I do remember Muriel Young. There is even a young John Peel present in this volume which I thought was a great buy.

As far as I'm aware this was the only one of it's kind though there is a companion Tony Blackburn Pop Special from the same year! Sadly I no longer listen to this station having dismissed modern pop music and returned to Radio Caroline on DAB along with Planet Rock which broadcasts the syndicated Alice Cooper Show.

However I will always have fond memories of Radio One up until the eighties when radio expanded and MTV appeared on the scene. As for me I still listen to Prog Rock, Heavy Metal plus some of the "golden oldies" on the wireless.