The Comic Connection – No. 16 – Tiger and Scorcher – 19th June 1976

This edition of ‘Tiger and Scorcher’ is dated 19^th June 1976 and features Stan Bowles on the back page. Ian Shanks of South Ruislip won ¬£2 for successfully having his choice included.

Following on from the front cover the first main feature is ‘Billy’s Boots’ – Billy Dane owned an ancient pair of cricket boots that used to belong to an old-time sportsman, “Dead-Shot Keen”. In some strange way, the boots enabled Billy to play in Dead-Shot’s style. During a school cricket match, when Billy was fielding on the boundary

Next up is ‘Skid Solo’ – With Kid Solo out of racing after being seriously injured in a crash, Tommy Carter, Skid’s young mechanic, took over the driving. After three Grand Prix races, Tommy had gained only a point in the drivers’ championship and while he practiced for a major French race and kept a cheerful smile on his face, he was a worried young man. Skid and chief mechanic Sandy McGrath watched him during practice

‘Roy of the Rovers’ follows (in colour) – While holidaying on the Italian Riviera, Roy Race, player-manager of Melchester Rovers, and his wife, Penny, were persuaded to represent Melchester in the ‘Palappo Pentathlon’, an inter-city sports tournament. Now they were playing Palappo in a seven-a-side cricket competition. Expecting an easy victory, Roy was astonished to find that the Italians were magnificent fielders, and Melchester quickly lost two wickets for no runs. But Roy was playing well

‘Hot Shot Hamish’ – Hamish Balfour played for Princes Park, a club in the Scottish First Division. On the club’s American tour, there was a mix-up over dates and Hamish and the team found themselves playing in a baseball game

Articles from the world of cricket are next and these are followed by ‘Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton’ – While in the New Forest on a camping holiday with a group of schoolboys, Johnny Cougar managed to capture two escaped prisoners who were in the forest, trying to retrieve some money from a bank robbery that they had hidden there some years before. But the leader of the crooks managed to get away with the money!

‘The Amazing Exploits of Tornado Jones’ – At a port of call on his way home to Australia with Jo Tallon and the ‘Flying Ospreys’ speedway team, stuntman Tornado Jones had his wallet stolen at an hotel. To earn some extra cash, Jo and Tornado organised a spectacular elephant-jumping stunt on a motor-bike and sidecar. But the take-off ramp collapsed, and

‘Billy’s Sports School’ – At this school you can win ¬£4! Write to Billy Dane today!

‘Martin’s Marvellous Mini’ – Martin Baker and Tiny Hill were competing in a Cairo-to-Capetown rally, in Martin’s mini which they called “George”. While leading, on the last but one stage of the rally, the pals took a wrong turningand found themselves in a cattle market!

‘Nipper’ is the final strip – Nipper Lawrence of First Division Blackport Rovers, had become involved with the villagers of Pudley who were hoping to raise vitally-needed money by doing well in a national knock-out cricket competition for villages. Now, as Nipper surveyed some of the members of his team

The ‘Tiger’ had merged with a number of other publications over the years. In 1974 it joined forces with the football magazine ‘Scorcher’.

Steve Russell