I kept this issue as it meant a lot to me. Fifty years ago, when I was seven years old and had this comic, my mum was in hospital for a serious operation so my dad and I went to live with my grandad and my aunt for a couple of weeks. Fortunately my mum made a complete recovery and lived for another 47 years after that, but I still vividly remember reading this issue at my grandad's house and having fireworks in his back yard. I asked my dad to send a rocket over towards the hospital side of town, hoping my mum would see it. (She didn't of course, but she told me she did when I visited her to cheer me up.) Precious memories of people all gone now, sadly.
Anyway, back to this issue, which is why you're here. Several fireworks-themed stories appeared that week in 1966, such as this Billy Whizz story. Art by Billy's original artist, Malcolm Judge...
The Bash Street Kids story that week was a delight, with a bizarre instance of them sharing the same dream! Art by David Sutherland...
On the back page in those days before he graduated to the front cover, Dennis the Menace, drawn by Gordon Bell doing a fill-in for Davy Law...
I hope you've enjoyed this year's selection of fireworks comics. Wishing you a happy and safe November 5th!
I have this comic But the whole cover is cut off...someone must of used this has a poster..
ReplyDeleteThanks for your posts...
Enjoyed your little story at the beginning of the column. It puts a personal touch to these comics. I wish I still had my comics from that I had in the sixties but they are long gone.
ReplyDeleteA much loved comic, book or toy can often evoke such precious childhood memories. As old age begins to cloud the memory a trigger for me is the 1967 Dandy annual. It reminds of a particularly happy time before my parents had a messy divorce.
ReplyDeletePenny Banger...? Wonder whether there was much sniggering in the Beano offices when that script turned up! Fantastic cover.
ReplyDeleteA great firework cover. I still have my copy of this one. It somehow survived and I had it professionally bound along with my collection of 1940s , 1950's and a few 1960s issues which I'd managed to gather. A lovely fat book gold-blocked and even cased.It's what these gems deserve, really .i so much love the style of artwork in those days.
ReplyDeleteI have a few bound comics too (mainly stuff IPC sold off from their archives) and it really preserves them well.
ReplyDelete