Sparky (comic)
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Sparky was a British comic book that ran from (issues dates) 23 January 1965 to 9 July 1977, when it merged with The Topper after 652 issues. It featured:
- Ali's Baba - an invisible guardian angel Ali, who lived on a cloud and wore a cape, following an unknowing toddler Baba at all times and protected him from harm
- Baron Von Reichs-Pudding (The flying Hun from vorld var von!)
- Barney Bulldog - similar to Biffo the Bear and the cover strip
- Captain Cutler and his Butler - a Victorian era explorer Egbert Cutler searching for the source of the river Bongo, and his polite but long-suffering manservant Crumbs. This strip was notable for including the writer and artist as off-panel characters; Crumbs would interact with them and request changes to the strip in order to assist the clueless Cutler
- Dreamy Daniel - a boy with a rich internal fantasy life who easily confused his imagination with reality
- Dreamy Dave and Dozy Dora
- Hungry Horace (originally from The Dandy) A boy who thought of nothing but eating.
- I-Spy He was a secret agent with a long coat which consealed hundreds of weapons and gadgets.
- Invisible Dick He was a boy who had a magic torch which shone black light and made things invisible.
- Keyhole Kate (originally from The Dandy) She was a nosey girl with pigtails and glasses who spied through keyholes.
- L-Cars - two incompetent policemen (the name comes from the contemporary show Z Cars, but with a pun on learning 'L-plates')
- Mr Bubbles - a 'bubble imp' living in a plastic bottle similar to washing-up liquid. Each strip someone would squeeze it and he would grant three wishes
- Pansy Potter, the storng-man's daughter- drawn by John Geering
- Peter Piper A boy with magic pipes which could make objects and pictures alive.
- Planet Of The Nirdles
- Puss 'n' Boots - "they fight like cat and dog", an eternally warring cat and dog duo, drawn by John Geering
- Snip and Snap - two dogs eternally conspiring to bite the visiting postman
- Some Mummies Do 'Ave 'Em
- Sparky People - a semi-fictional office staff who produced Sparky
- Spoofer McGraw - "He tells tall tales", who continually gave outrageous explanations for the origins of tractors, mummies etc. to his gullible duffelcoat-wearing friend Bo
- Thingummy Blob
- Wee Tusky
- Willie Getaway] or will he not - who thinks he is a wanted criminal as he can't read the small print on the 'wanted' posters that he has in fact inherited a large fortune, spending each strip trying to escape 'capture' by people wanting the reward for finding him
It was a D.C Thomson comic and aimed at a slightly younger audience than The Beano and The Dandy. It changed its name to The Sparky Comic in 1973.
