A Closer Look - Walt Teaser

Today we take a closer look at Walt Teaser, illustrated by Anthony Hutchings. This particular episode appeared in Buster dated 20th September 1986.

And now, if we zoom in onto the eighth panel, we can see somebody throwing a welly at Walt, just like you would at a screeching cat! Everybody gets annoyed when Walt is yapping on, and it's funny when his blabbing turns against him.

The Beano And Dandy Winter Games

Of all the comics and books I've ever read, few have had a much of an impact on me as the 2010 Beano and Dandy Winter Games. Not only does it have the best cover of any Beano and Dandy annual, but it also introduced me to the great Leo Baxendale.

Inside the front and back covers are a couple of very memorable pieces - two Banana Bunch panels spread over two pages. So much is going on in these panels, I have no idea how Leo managed to draw them every single week!

I love this book, comic strips with snow in them are my favourite type, and this book is crammed full of them! Not only can a lot of fun be had with snow, but it also adds a lot more detail to the panels. Sometimes it is so good it even feels real and that you're actually there - or is that just me?

This Week In... 1990 - Buster!

This time we head back two-and-a-bit decades into the past to this very week in 1990, and take a look at Buster; the all colour comic, or so they claimed. Anybody who has ever looked or glanced into a copy of this 'All-Colour' comic will know it is anything but. Many pages, which I'll be showing later on in this post, used only two or three very basic 'pallet' colours, which are very bold and striking and, to be honest, don't look that good. Still, the slogan was enough to put Buster ahead of its main rival - The Beano, which didn't go full colour until Dennis sprayed his fellow characters with paint late in 1993 (a possible fatal blow for Buster, but one that was bound to come).

Buster's story continued on the back cover, where he comes up with an ingenious solution to help the mounted police and their smelly problem.

The first strip inside was printed in full colour, which it needed to be of course, as it was about a boy who could change colour. If you haven't already guessed that character is Ricky Rainbow, illustrated by Jimmy Hansen.

Next in the comedy line-up is Lew Stringer's Tom Thug. The conclusion is funny, I don't know what type of teacher would do that (or be carrying all those books with them), but it's all for laughs!

Melvyn's Mirror, which I covered the origin of a few days ago (here), was now drawn by Terry Bave, following on from the original artist Dave Follows. This is a very fun strip, there are so many story possibilities surrounding the idea!

Next up is School Belle, the first strip that was apparently in full colour, but isn't. I don't think I need to explain any further...

Vampire Brats isn't in full colour either, and is illustrated by Lew Stringer. I love the Ghoulfish, they have hilarious faces!

And Captain Crucial takes the center pages to a whole new level of coolness. This is what I call Tom Paterson's "other" style; it's very weird but very good!

A few pages on and Terry Bave illsutrated something even weirder, a poem about a lad called Harry, who had a very long nose.

And finally, a comical mic-take of The Nightmare on Elm Street - The Nightmare on Erm Street. This Freddy however, illustrated by Vic Neill, wasn't very scary...

We get back in the time machine to take a look at another comic soon!

A FREE Beano Summer Special in Tomorrow's Beano!

The "digitally-restored" front cover.

Tomorrow's issue of The Beano, issue #3685, comes with a free digitally restored copy of the 1981 Beano special, as read by Doctor Who (which I'd assume is why they're doing it).

Here is what The Beano had to say over on their Facebook page:

"The secret revealed! Travel back in time with this week's issue of The Beano! It'll feel like the summer of 1981 all over again with a complete, digitally-restored copy of The Beano Summer Special completely FREE inside! The Beano no. 3685, on sale 15th May!"

I'd really like to see a reprint of the very firt Beano and Dandy summer special, from 1963. I couldn't afford a real one, so a reprint is the only way I'd get to read it.

UPDATE:

Turns out that they are giving it away because it appeared in Doctor Who. Still, I'd like to see some other Summer Specials. Here's the cover...

A Three Part Faceache!

It wasn't often that Ken Reid's Faceache lasted any longer than a page a week, but this changed for a few weeks in 1980 when a special adventure lasted not one, not two, but three weeks! The artwork is incredible; it is simple but so detailed (that makes sense in my head)! Enjoy...