The issue of Shiver and Shake that went on sale this week 41 years ago saw the introduction of not one, not two but "four super fun features". The full-page advertisement from the previous week's issue shows what they were.
Although it isn't the order in which they appeared inside the comic, I'll look at them as they appeared on the advertisement, starting with Charlie Williams and moving clockwise. Williams was a Shake resident, appearing on page five of the elephant's comic or page fifteen overall. Illustrated by Alf Saporito this strip is rather similar in format to the celebrity strips that appeared in Buster in the early 1960's. Below is Charlie's page with a Charlie Drake page underneath for comparison. Illustrated by Arthur Martin, it can be found in Buster dated 19th May 1962.
Wizards Anonymous is next, and it appears just over the page. This strip is my favourite of all the new features - it has a good, fun story with excellent accompanying artwork by Brian Walker.
The other two new features both appear in the Shiver section. Ghouldilocks is next on the above advertisement, and appears on page eight. The artist is Stan McMurtry and this particular episode is a reprint from Jag, although some fresh pages were drawn for her run in Shiver and Shake.
The final of the "new fun features", both on the advert and in the comic, is Grimly Feendish, a character originally created by Leo Baxendale as Eagle Eye's arch nemesis in Wham. Here the artist is Stan McMurtry and this episode is a reprint from Smash no. 58. Some new strips were produced for Shiver and Shake by a young Tom Paterson.
6 comments:
I thought the Grimly page looked like it was also by Stan, but I could be wrong...
The episode of Grimly Feendish is a reprint from Smash! No. 58. The first 11 episodes in Shiver and Shake were all reprints before the strip was given to the young Tom Paterson to illustrate. Details are in the Grimly Feendish post on my blog: http://kazoop.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-look-at-shiver-shake-strips-grimly.html
The Grimly page you've shown is definitely by Stan McMurtry.
Thanks for the info that it was a reprint from Smash, Irmntas. And Lew, thanks for confirming that it is by Stan McMurty. I'll amend the post.
His surname is McMurtry, George. Two 'r's. Easy mistake to make, as for years I thought it was McMurty too.
I learn something new every day! Thanks Lew, I've changed it again :)
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