It's summary time once again, and today, I have part one of my summary of the 1978 Sparky Book for Boys and Girls. Additions and corrections for this special supplied to me by Andy Boal. Thanks mate. :)
Title: The Sparky Book for Boys and Girls 1978
Publisher and Printer: D. C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.
Released: September 1977 (here's a challenge for our Topper readers, can you find the date the Sparky Book was first advertised in the Topper and let me know, and as usual, I will give credits here.)
No. of pages: 128 Price: 85p
Cover: Baba's Mum (of Ali and Baba fame) finds a snowman in the fridge. How did it get there? Baba is not saying anything, while Throgmorton, Boots, Superwitch, Peter Piper, Daddymummy and a very worried Ali look on. Art by Malcolm Judge.
Bruce's notes. The twelfth (of fourteen) Sparky Books published between 1966 and 1979 (not including the Topper and Sparky Book for 1981 which was released in 1980) and in this volume, some strips make their only appearance, while others make their debut this year.
This volume feels like it was a showcase of new strip that while not appearing in Sparky, but may appear in other DCT titles down the track.
The Strips: L Cars, Dreamy Daniel, Ali's Baba, Puss and Boots, the Sparky People, Peter Piper, Thingummyblob, I Spy, A. Trocious, Hungry Horace, Some Mummies Do 'Ave 'Em, Baron Von Reichs-Pudding, Brainless, Planet of the Nirdles, Arfer, Ma Fia and her mob, Mr. Ackroyd, Superwitch, The Circus of P. T. Bimbo, Ah-Choo
Features: Korny Klassics of the old west, The Station now Standing, Sir at large, Horrible Hobbies, the Order of the Boot (A. Trocious feature), Photo Laff,
Pages 2-3: Brainless - the witless one makes a mess of some sports (photo feature. Art by John Geering)
Page 4: Contents A chocolatey selection of strips appearing in this volume
Page 5: the book's opening ceremony. art by Phil Millar
Pages 6-8: Hungry Horace - The park attendant thinks that making our gluttonous hero do litter pickup duties will stop him from swiping food - Yeah right. ;) - Art by Albert Holroyd
Pages 9-11 - The Sparky People. Throgmorton and co wonder what it would be like to produce a comic during the stone age. Art by Jim Petrie
Pages 12-15 - Baron Von Reichs-Pudding. The baron plans to do some surveillance behind the lines. Art by Alan Rogers.
Page 16: Speaking of photography, we have on this page the Baron's family photo album. Art by Alan Rogers.
Pages 17-19: Ali's Baba. Tired of being nursemaid to Baba, Ali wonders what he would be like when he is older. Art by Malcolm Judge
Pages 20-23: Puss an' Boots - going on a conker hunt is anything but easy for Puss and Tich. Art by John Geering.
24-25: Horrible Hobbies 1 - making teacher your pet. Art:
26-28: Peter Piper - There is no tea in the house, and the shops are closed, Peter tries to help. Art by Vic Neill
Pages 29-30: Dreamy Daniel - How yoa gonna keep Daniel away from the farm, when to Daniel, he is in the wild. Art by Gordon Bell.
Pages 31-32: Brainless - Our witless one tries to get a ball out of a tree - the hard way. Art by John Geering.
Pages 33-35: Some Mummies do 'ave 'em - The mummy family has found some lost property of theirs in the museum, Causing more headaches for the curator. Art by Charles Sinclair
Page 36: Photo Laff: The Mummy Family on holiday.
Page 37: Korny Klassics of the old west: a twist on the old trick of shooting a hole in a silver dollar.
Pages 38-39 - Planet of the Nirdles - King Nirdle is having problems with paranirdles. Art by George Martin
Pages 40-45: Thingummyblob - Professor T. Pott sees a new scheme to get rid of Thingummyblob - have the creature getting involved in a car accident. As usual, things don't go to plan. Art by Albert Holroyd
Pages 46-47: The Sparky People: things are going wrong in the Sparky office. Maybe a kick may help things along. Art by Jim Petrie
Page 48: Sir at large - you csn tell that Sir has been at the complaints department at a department store. Art by Jim Petrie
Pages 49-52 - I Spy - At the spies annual outing, chaos is sure to abound. Art by Brian Walker.
Page 53: Arfer - our canine pal drools at the meat hung up at the butchers - if only his pal could see it.
Pages 54-55 Ma Fia and her mob - Ma has to find a way of feeding her bambinos.
Page 56: Mr Ackroyd - the short sightd fellow tries to sleep by counting sheep
Pages 57-58: Superwitch - Gran is off to see a kids football match, until she is stopped by a pesky salesman... but not for long. Art by David Gudgeon.
Pages 59-64 - L Cars fed up with Frederic and Cedric's short temper, the inspector admonishes the boys on self control. A lot of good this will do the boys. Art by Bill Hill.
This concludes part one of the summary. Part two will appear in thirty minutes.
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