BLIMEY! The Blog of British Comics: Buster

Showing posts with label Buster. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 07, 2019

Preview: THE LEOPARD FROM LIME STREET Volume 2

The next book in the Treasury of British Comics series sees the return of the Leopardboy in another nice collection of strips from Buster (18th June 1977 to 15th July 1978). Here's the info and a preview strip...

• CREATIVE TEAM: Tom Tully (w) Mike Western, Eric Bradbury (a)
• RELEASE DATE: 13th June 2019 (UK)
• PAPERBACK, 184 pages
• PRICE: £14.99 (UK)
• ISBN: 9781781086780
• DIAMOND: APR191913

The ‘UK’s answer to Spider-Man’ returns in the second collection of this long lost classic from the hugely popular and long running Buster comic. After being scratched by a radioactive leopard, Billy Farmer discovered that he had somehow developed the powers of the mighty jungle cat. Life is getting tougher for Selbridge’s premier crime-fighter. The criminals are getting tougher, his the local newspaper editor is out for his blood and now his new leopard skin costume is turning him into a savage beast! To make matters worse, a girl from his school suspects his true identity! Is this the end for the Leopard from Lime Street…?

Available in print from: 2000 AD webshop, book stores, Amazon, and comic book stores via Diamond

Available in digital from: 2000 AD webshop & apps for iPad, Android and Windows 10

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Today's the day! The COR!! BUSTER HUMOUR SPECIAL is here!

Cover art by Neil Googe, coloured by Jim Boswell.

It's the day that fans of British humour comics have been waiting for. The Cor!! Buster Humour Special will be on the shelves of WH Smith and selected newsagents and comic shops from today!

Many of the classic IPC characters are back, revived and rebooted for a new generation for the first time this century! The last time some of these characters were seen was in the final issue of Buster at the end of 1999 (apart from a reprint special in 2009)... and some characters had last appeared long before that! Now they're back, in a 52 page full-colour glossy special in all-new stories!

The comic kicks off with a fantastic three-page strip featuring Sweeny Toddler, and it's written and drawn by Tom Paterson, the artist who drew his adventures throughout most of his original run!

Then it's on to reboots of other favourites, including Deadly Hedley by Paul Goodenough and Neil Googe, with colouring by Jim Boswell...

Hit Kid by Robin Etherington and David Follett...

Grimly Feendish by Ned Hartley and Tom Paterson...

...plus Frankie Stein! X-Ray Specs! Gums! Kid Kong! Hire A Horror! and many more, including brand new characters Swines of Anarchy by The Feek and Pye Parr...

...and a gathering of classic characters in Who's In Charge? by John Freeman and Lew Stringer...

There's even some vintage art by Ken Reid to top things off, as well as a couple of puzzle pages and a breezy look back at where some of the characters first appeared.

Publishers Rebellion and editor Keith Richardson are to be congratulated for bringing these favourites back for a whole new generation. No doubt some older readers will miss the old art styles but sadly most of the original artists are no longer around. It's also important that the comic doesn't look like a clone of The Beano or The Phoenix but has its own identity. From Comic Cuts to Oink!, humour comics have always evolved to reflect the times and changing styles so it's only natural for today's artists and writers to be given an opportunity to work on this new special. After 19 years or more in limbo, these characters will be regarded as totally new by today's young readers, and that's who this comic is aimed at, so a fresh revamp is the way to go.

That said, there are various nods to the past as a tribute to the heritage of the old comics. Even Weary Willie and Tired Tim and Homeless Hector have a cameo!

Having been one of the artists/writers on the original Buster from the late 1980s and through the 1990s it's a good feeling to be back for this one-off revival. I hope it receives the support and appreciation it deserves so that hopefully it won't be the last we see of Buster and his pals!

The Cor!! Buster Humour Special is out now from WH Smiths, newsagents, and comic shops. 52 pages for £4.99.

A couple of photos of it on display in WH Smiths in the Midlands...

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

EIGHT new specials coming our way from Rebellion this year!

Rebellion Publishing have just announced the titles of the specials they'll be publishing this year... and there are more than we expected! We already knew about some, such as the Cor!! and Buster Special and the 2000AD Villains Takeover Special but there will also be several more!

The supplied image states that these aren't the final covers. Hopefully the Cor!! and Buster Special will use the original logos (which were very strong and stylishly timeless).

Anyway, here's the press release...

Rebellion is making holidays special again this year with a whole slate of classic comic book specials for new readers and nostalgic parents alike!

We're resurrecting some of the most beloved comic books in British history – from humour to football, from superheroes to girls’ comics, they'll be packed with all-new material!

SEVEN new specials will be storming the newsstands between April and October, each one honouring a different part of the British comic industry - the Cor!! and Buster Special, 2000 AD Villains Takeover Special, 2000 AD Regened, 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special, Tammy and Jinty Special, The Vigilant, Roy of the Rovers 65th Anniversary Special, Scream and Misty Presents The Thirteenth Floor.

Buster and Cor!! were two of the biggest humour comics in Britain – and now they’re back and they’ve brought their friends! The 48-page Cor!! and Buster Special will hit newsstands in on 17th April, retailing at £4.99. From the world’s naughtiest baby, Sweeny Toddler, to Gums, the most incompetent shark in the seven seas, this one-shot special will feature top comics talent including a cover by Neil Googe (The Flash), and strips by Ned Hartley (Star Wars), Cavan Scott (Doctor Who), John Freeman (Crucible), Lew Stringer (Combat Colin), Abigail Bulmer (2000 AD) and Tanya Roberts (TMNT)!

The dastardly and the iniquitous will be taking over 2000 AD on 4th May – the 32-page US-format 2000 AD Villains Takeover special sees the baddies from some of the 2000 AD’s biggest strips, including Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, and Sláine, get their moment in the spotlight! Available only from comic book stores for the low price of just 99p/99c!

On 8th May, the kids are taking over as 2000 AD gives way to 2000 AD Regened – a one-off special issue of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic intended for all ages! Following the massively successful Free Comic Book Day issue of Regened in 2018, the pint-sized anti-heroes return for another bumper Prog for kids of all ages and species! 2000 AD Prog 2130 will be 100 packed pages, retailing at £4.99 from all good stockists!

In 2018, the comics world lost one of its best creators – Carlos Ezquerra. This June, the 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special will pay tribute to the co-creator of Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog with a special issue focusing on some of his greatest moments. It will also include his unpublished work on Specter, a new series he was working on with long-time collaborator John Wagner. The 48-page special hits shelves on 19th June at £4.99.

In the 1970s and 1980s, comics aimed at girls outsold those aimed at boys – and Tammy and Jinty were two of the biggest titles. This June, these classic titles return, retooled for the 21st Century and with a host of new creators producing high-quality strips that pay tribute to the legacy of trail-blazing comics while introducing a new audience to the medium! The 48-page Tammy and Jinty Special lands on 27 June, priced at £4.99.

After its smash hit debut last year, The Vigilant returns in August, resurrecting the greatest home-grown superheroes Britain has to offer – a team unlike any other, a challenge none have faced before! Even if superhero comics have never been your thing, take up the call of The Vigilant with this 64-page special – out on 14th August , priced at £4.99.

Following his spectacular return to comics, Roy of the Rovers gets his first new special in September for his 65th birthday and the start of the new footie season! The golden-footed hero is back for a new generation! The Roy of the Rovers 65th Anniversary Special kicks off on 11th September with a bumper 128-page £9.99 issue!

And in time for Hallowe’en, the Scream and Misty Presents The Thirteenth Floor arrives on 16th October with a 48-page £4.99 special filled with the best chills that British comics can deliver! Created by John Wagner, Alan Grant, and José Ortiz, The Thirteenth Floor is where the homicidal caretaker computer Max puts those he doesn't like – a mysterious floor of the tower block he controls where he keeps their worst fears. Few, if any, survive if they get on Max’s wrong side!

All the Rebellion specials will be available from good newsagents, as well as comic book stores via Diamond Distribution, and through 2000 AD’s webshop and apps.

Release dates for six of the specials are:

Cor!! and Buster Special - 17th April
2000 AD Villains Special - 1st May
2000 AD Sci-Fi Special Carlos Ezquerra Tribute - 19th June
Tammy and Jinty Special - 27th June
The Vigilant - 14th August

Scream and Misty Presents The Thirteenth Floor – 16th October

A mock up by me, using the original logos.

Rebellion currently have a special offer where you can order six of the eight specials as a bundle. The page to go to is here:
https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/specials/B0011

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Announcing the COR!! AND BUSTER SPECIAL

Cover by Neil Googe.

This April, Rebellion are launching a Spring Special featuring brand new stories of classic humour characters!

Cor!! and Buster Special features a cover by Neil Googe showing a cast of classic characters in Trafalgar Square, including Ivor Lott and Tony Broke, Faceache, Frankie Stein, X-Ray Specs and Buster himself, - and I'm pleased to say that the special will include a three-page intro strip that I drew, from a script by John Freeman.

Here's the PR....

The greatest characters from Britain’s golden age of humour comics return this Easter for a one-shot celebration of daft and zany fun!

Rebellion Publishing is proud to announce the Cor!! and Buster Special will be tickling your funny bone this spring and a whole new generation of readers are about to experience comics’ humour at its finest!

The 48-page special will hit newsstands in the UK and Ireland, and comic book stores in the UK, Ireland, and North America, on 17th April, retailing at £4.99.

It will be the first use of the vast number of classic humour characters by Rebellion since it acquired the archive of comics publisher IPC and the Cor!! and Buster Special offers new takes on some of the greatest characters from Britain’s golden age of humour comics, with an edgy celebration of daft, zany fun.

From the world’s naughtiest baby, Sweeny Toddler, to Gums, the most incompetent shark in the seven seas, this one-shot special will feature top comics talent including a cover by Neil Googe (The Flash), and strips by Ned Hartley (Star Wars), Cavan Scott (Doctor Who), Abigail Bulmer (2000 AD) and Tanya Roberts (TMNT).

The special will also complement Funny Pages, Rebellion's title for Free Comic Book Day on 4th May, which will be available for free from participating comic book stores around the world.

Editor on the Cor! and Buster Special, Keith Richardson, said: "Humour titles like Cor!! and Buster were a massive part of many a childhood but have been sadly missing from the newsstand for years - the time is ripe to bring these amazing characters back for a new generation. Just at a time when many kids will be on their Easter break, this special will introduce them to some of our favourite classic characters, but all with a modern twist. For us, it's time to put the comical back into comics!"

Humour comics were once a constant staple of the British newsstand, with dozens of titles filled by some of the industry's greatest talents, such as Leo Baxendale and Ken Reid. IPC/Fleetway titles such as Cor!!, Buster, Whizzer and Chips, and Shiver and Shake entertained generations of children for decades. They were part of the acquisition by Rebellion of arguably the world's largest archive of English-language comics in 2016 and 2018.

More info soon, - and keep an eye on the Down the Tubes website for an exclusive interview with the project's editor, Keith Richardson!

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Announcing BUSTER comic... in 1960

From my blog's archives, here's how Buster comic was announced to readers of the Daily Mirror. The full page advert above appeared in the Mirror dated Monday 23rd May 1960....

...but two days before that, on Saturday 21st May 1960, this news item was the first announcement of the character...

Update: To explain further, back in 1960 the Mirror Group owned Fleetway, so this was a legitimate connection. However, I understand that Reg Smythe (Andy Capp's creator) wasn't happy about it so he never put Buster in the Andy Capp strip. Buster dropped the "Son of Andy Capp" sub-title after several months, but the comic continued until the last week of 1999, just five months short of its 40th anniversary! One of the longest-running comics in history.
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This blog is rarely updated now but you can still follow my other blog here:
http://lewstringercomics.blogspot.com

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

James Hansen

I'm very sorry to hear of the passing of the artist James Hansen (often known as Jimmy Hansen) who died on Tuesday 19th June 2018. Although I never met him, I had communicated with him several times on Facebook and of course I was well aware of his work for comics such as Whizzer and Chips, Buster, Beano, Dandy, Wallace and Gromit, and many more.

In a career spanning more than 40 years, Jimmy Hansen drew thousands of pages for British comics, working on strips such as The Bumpkin Billionaires, Ricky Rainbow, P5, a stint on Dennis the Menace, and Buster amongst others. He was the cover artist on Buster for the last several years of the comic, bringing a great sense of energy and fun to the strip, as he did with all his pages.

In more recent times, he contributed the sci-fi strip Slash Moron to Aces Weekly, which he worked on with Bambos Georgiou and John Burns.

Tributes are starting to come in from people who knew and worked with him, remarking on his professionalism and friendliness. He was one of the top humour artists in the business whose work entertained countless readers over the decades.

My condolences to James' family and friends on their loss.

Here's a small selection of pages by the artist...

Friday, May 11, 2018

Fireworks Buster sells for £111.00

Everyone who had this 1965 issue of Buster remembers it fondly for its free Guy Fawkes mask. I certainly do. (One of the first issues of Buster that I had.) It's become a much-sought after item by collectors, mainly due to most masks ending up on bonfires that year, affixed to the Guy Fawkes dummies.

Anyway, a copy has sold on eBay this morning after 15 bids for £111, sold by popular comics dealer Silver Acre. Condition described as "COMIC IS CLEAN AND SUBTLE WITH NO PEN, IT HAS A 1 INCH MAGIC TAPE REPAIR AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SPINE". (I think he means "supple".)

Not bad for a comic that originally cost 7d (3p). I bid on it in the early stages but that's far too much for me to consider paying for a comic so I've no regrets not winning. Congratulations to whoever nabbed it though!

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

The Christmas BUSTER (1984)

By 1984, Buster was still printed on increasingly flimsy newsprint but it contained some good stuff. This festive cover by veteran artist Reg Parlett is simple but effective. I wonder how many Christmas strips Reg drew in his long career that stretched to about 60 years?

Inside, The Leopard from Lime Street continued to be one of the most popular British superheroes around. I think the art was by Mike White by this time...

School Fun had merged into Buster months before, and appeared as a separate pull-out section, akin to Chips in Whizzer. The School Fun Section only had 12 pages though, (leaving Buster with 20) so it wasn't an equal 50/50 split like Whizzer and Chips. Artwork on School Team was usually by Vic Neill but this is a fill-in by Doug Jensen. (Thanks to Andy Boal for his observations.)

School Belle was another strip that had joined the comic from School Fun. Art by Tom Paterson...

A festive Faceache page by Ken Reid, even scrunging at Christmas.

Good Guy that issue had a smashing festive decorative border. Terry Bave going the extra mile there...

On the back page, Buster's Diary, with Reg Parlett again on the artwork, and the story ending with the traditional slap-up feed!

Another Christmas comic tomorrow. Or maybe even two! Stay tuned!

Wednesday, November 01, 2017

Review: MARNEY THE FOX

The weekly comic Buster presented its readers with a good variety of stories over the years, from laugh-out-loud humour strips such as Clever Dick by Leo Baxendale, to gripping adventure serials such as Maxwell Hawke. One strip that had a unique quality of its own was Marney the Fox by Scott Goodall and John Stokes than ran in the weekly from 1974 to 1976. Now, Rebellion have collected the entire series into one quality hardback graphic novel.

Buster was a comic aimed at both boys and girls, although I suspect the majority of its readers were boys. Marney the Fox was unusual in that it was the sort of strip that would typically be considered solely for a girls' comic. The story of an orphaned fox cub, struggling to survive in a hostile environment, is one that provokes an emotional response from readers; something quite different to Buster's usual action-orientated adventure strips. However, that was part of Marney's appeal, - it was different for a Buster strip, and that made a refreshing change. Respect to editor Len Wenn on taking the risk.

The quality of the script and artwork helped of course. Scott Goodall was one of the best comics writers of the 1970s, producing tightly written, compelling scripts that hooked the readers week after week. John Stokes was the perfect choice of artist, depicting the Devon countryside in wonderful detail, and making Marney a truly sympathetic creature.

It has to be said though that Marney the Fox did provoke a divided reaction. Some readers loved it as their favourite strip, while others hated it, but response was balanced. In the end, it only ran for two years, but perhaps that was enough. Any longer and the strip could have become stale (as many long-running series did).

Rebellion's collection of Marney the Fox gives us the entire series within hardback covers (with a new cover and introduction by John Stokes). It's Rebellion's best book yet of their Treasury of British Comics series and should appeal to old and young alike. (Unless they're foxhunters or farmers, in which case they might have a different opinion on the wandering cub.) Animal lovers and children will love it though, as will fans of quality comics art, making the book a fine present for Christmas.

You can order it directly from the publisher here:
https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/RCA-H0003

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Leo Baxendale's CLEVER DICK (1970)

Leo Baxendale produced some excellent laugh-out-loud strips in his career and one of those he created for IPC was Clever Dick, the boy inventor. It started in Buster dated 7th February 1970 (shown above) and must have proved popular as it continued until 1982.

When Leo quit mainstream comics in 1974/75 I understand his son Martin took over the strip. (I thought Tom Paterson may have worked on it too, but not according to Steve Holland's Buster Index.)

The strips are still funny today, and it'd be good to see a collection published by Rebellion at some point. Here's a couple of examples of the ones I have...

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Running from 2006 to 2019, BLIMEY! was dedicated to British comics past and present. The images of old comics on my blog are copyright their respective publishers and are only used here for review purposes. They have been scanned from my own personal comics collection, in over 50 years of collecting.The prose articles, with the exception of press releases, are Copyright © Lew Stringer and must not be reproduced without permission.