The Comic Connection – No.10 – Tiger and Hurricane – 11th May 1968

This comic was originally known as ‘Tiger – The Sport and Adventure Picture Story Weekly’ and launched on 11th September 1954. There were subsequent mergers over the years with various other Fleetway publications before finally coming to an end on 30th March 1985.

‘Men of Steel’ adorns the front cover – Rod Steel, all-round athlete and international champion, had taken on the job of rebuilding the Anvil Athletic Club. He had entered the club in a district league and had organised a talent-spotting meeting to find members for the team. At the end of the meeting Rod was horrified when he saw what a new member, Reg Bones, was about to attempt.

The latest on the life and times of ‘Roy of the Rovers’ covers the next three pages.

Next up is ‘Peg-Legs Flying Penguins’ – Peg-Leg Kelso’s ‘Flying Penguins’ were a crazy, off-beat freelance squadron of World War Two, operating in North Africa. An enemy Panzer tank column vanished uncannily from where Peg-Leg had reported it – only to reappear miles away and capture the British base at Radak. Whilst on patrol two of Peg-Leg’s fliers – his son , Kid Kelso, and Tiny Taylor – ran out of petrol.

‘Typhoon Tracy’ – Typhoon Tracy was turning out an old tin chest. From deep down he dredged up a dusty, dog-eared document !

‘The Slogger from Down Under’ intrigued me and I ended up reading it with a certain amount of interest – Digger Dean, from the Australian outback, came to England to inherit a stately home in Southshire. When ancient documents proved that the estate was a tiny county in its own right, he decided to compete in a knockout competition. But a traditional river contest with the next village left Digger’s team bruised and battered just when they were to play their first knockout match: “Suffering Kangaroos ! He’s bowling left-handed, they’ll knock that stuff all over the field”. They don’t write them like that anymore !

‘The Great Thespius !’ – Irving Thespius, once a top actor, became a top crook to hit the headlines again. After Plunder- Man, an ultra-strong thief, seized the headlines, Irving decided to regain the public’s attention with the most audacious venture of his career

There was some exciting news on the following page – ‘Free in No.2 of Jag – The Big New Boys’ Paper – Out Now – Soccer ’68 – All the League Club Colours – big wall charts showing 163 footballers wearing the colours of clubs competing in the four English, two Scottish, Northern Ireland and Eire Divisions. PLUS colours worn by the five home National teams. ‘ I also noticed that for the sum of 3s 6d, you could purchase a pin-on football badge painted in your own team colours !

A character called ‘Nosey’ precedes a wonderful two pages on the history of the club and some of the current players.

‘Tiger of the Deep’ – The ferocious tiger-shark, Scarback, which had almost wrecked Louis Bernard’s boat, was causing havoc along the coast of Caribou Bay. Local businessmen had offered a big prize for its capture, dead or alive. Eager to do battle with the giant fish, a small armada of fishing boats moved out into the Pacific.

‘The Inquisitors’ – Simon Lash and his ex-convict assistant Knocker White, were investigators of the strange and the uncanny. A mysterious gang had broken into the Moldborough Police Headquarters and got clean away after playing an astounding joke on Superintendent Wormold. Called in by the Chief Constable, Lash found a schoolboy cap on the scene of the crime

‘Olac the Gladiator’ – Olac the Gladiator and his friend, Sullus, had entered the Roman arena in disguise – and Olac had successfully prevented an archer from killing Caesar. But now every gladiator knew that the outlawed Olac – previously framed for a crime he did not commit – was at large in the arena.

‘Johnny Cougar – the Redskin with the Iron Grip !’ – Johnny Cougar, the fighting Seminole wrestler and his manager, Bill Maclean, were taking a well-earned holiday on Europe’s Mediterranean coast

‘Saber – King of the Jungle’ – Saber had been reared in the African wilds. He and Umbala, his Zulu friend, stumbled on a terrible menace – huge whispering lilies which could move and prey upon living things. Two white men – the ‘Doctor’ and Mellors – seemed mysteriously involved. While escaping to warn the authorities, Saber and Umbala were caught in a net trap.

‘The Mighty Smiths !’ – Sid and Sam Smith earned a living by running a street market stall. But when business was slack, they were glad to take any odd job they were offered. This is the story of one such “odd” job. It began when an excited Sid hurried up to their stall.

Last up is ‘Skid Solo’ – For months before the World Motor-Racing Championship started, Sandy McGrath, Skid Solo’s friend, and mechanic, had been working hard on a new racing car. With just one week to go before the Spanish Grand Prix, Sandy thought he had all the bugs sorted out.but

Steve Russell