Buster Gets A Revamp!

This is the final post in the series of Buster posts, and this time we head back to the major revamp that took place in 1987. With issue 30th May 1987, Buster left the cheap newsprint behind and took a huge leap forwards, becoming the first comic to be printed on magazine-style paper (although not as glossy). Only a few years after this, Buster would go full colour, although I may cover another time.

Surprisingly, the revamp was hardly advertised, all it received was a one page advert in Buster and Whizzer and Chips the week before it happened (which was basically a black and white version of the cover), along with the Buster cover of the 23rd May 1987.

Whe the new Buster arrived, it came with a strapline 'New Size! New Look!'. The 'Bigger - Brighter' comic introduced some new characters, including Beastenders, Vid Kid and Dracula Dobbs.

The first new strip I'll take a look at though, is an advertisement strip for Mighty White bread. The strip was called Mighty Whiter presents The Kid and Shrimp.

This strip is very similar to a T.V. advertisement for the bread at around the same time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1T8_M8Fjy0&feature=player_detailpage

Moving on, the first episode of Beastenders appeared in this issue, a comical rip-off of Eastenders (of course!). Halloween was becoming more popular towards the late 80's, so this strip could have been chipping in with the monsters theme. (Although Buster did already have Fright School.) The difference with this strip is it was just like a soap, there was a twist at the end and the strip was continued the following week. It was illustrated by Anthony Hutchings.

Vid Kid was a very popular strip illustrated by Jack Edward Oliver, although it was signed by Sue Denim, which was a pseudonym!

Dracula Dobbs was another popular strip, and a very good one in my opinion. It was drawn by Nigel Edwards.

And finally, Blub the Sub, illustrated by Mark Bennington, and was one of his earliest strips for comics.

That is the last post in the series, and it has lasted for five weeks. If you haven't read the all of the previous posts, click on the appropriate links below!

Part 1:

http://www.wackycomics.com/2013/01/new-strips-for-buster.html

Part 2:

http://www.wackycomics.com/2013/01/sqworm.html

Part 3:

http://www.wackycomics.com/2013/01/introducing-busters-new-friends.html

Part 4:

http://www.wackycomics.com/2013/02/nurks-nerds-and-nurkettes.html


Plus, if you'd like to read an article about Tom Paterson taking over drawing Buster himself, click on this link!

http://www.wackycomics.com/2012/12/toms-very-first-buster.html