Cheeky Weekly cover date 11 February 1978

After last week's special issue we return to relative normality for issue number 17.  The banner across the top of the cover announces the Name the Snail reader participation feature, and the main part of the cover invites submissions for Joke-Box Jury with the chance to win £2.00.  The remainder of the cover is taken up by the What A Cheek feature, in which there are a couple of puzzling elements - why is the bird on the TV aerial in the first panel laughing, and where did Cheeky get that umbrella from?  Snail obviously keeps a rain hat in his shell.

On Sunday Cheeky meets Bump-Bump Bernie and decides to count how many accidents the hapless Bernie has during the week.  This is the catalogue of calamities that Bernie is subject to…


Sunday - walks into lamppost
Monday - trips over paving stone
Tuesday - slips on banana skin
Wednesday - falls down Manhole Man's manhole
Thursday - crashes cartie
Friday - trips over dog
Saturday - gets hit by football
Interval - falls from balcony onto Crunching Chris
Saturday (after cinema) - struck by letter M from cinema sign

Cheeky then declares that Bernie has had 9 accidents, just before Bernie trips over the letter M.

There's an outbreak of graffiti in Krazy Town park this week.  Fortunately Skateboard Squad apprehend the culprit and put him to good use painting lines on the football pitch.  Who needs ASBOs when Skipper, Skatie and Wipeout are around?

On Sunday evening, Cheeky wangles a visit to his Aunt and Uncle's in order that he can watch 6 Million Dollar Gran.  No wonder Cheeky has such distinctive dentition - even the members of his family who aren't blood relatives have goofy teeth.

The Joke-Box Jury page, as featured on this week's front cover, includes a selection of £2.00 - winning funnies, not all of which would be considered appropriate today.  The joke-judging panel on the feature are the same as those shown on the cover, so well done to all concerned - I half expected the characters on the panel inside to be different.


This week's Home Movie sees Sherlock Holmes meet an assortment of TV characters while pursuing a missing Lollipop.





In Space Family Robinson, Suzie and Ben meet a memorable foe, King Blubber, who will be back in future episodes.

The back cover rounds off the issue with Snail demanding (rather rudely, in my opinion) "Oi! What Is My Name?".  Readers who send in the names that Snail likes best will win £2.00. Gary Gastropod?…Mickey Mollusc?…now where's my pen…

The Cheeky's Week art this issue is provided by Frank McDiarmid pencils (5 elements), Frank McDiarmid pencils 2 (a further 5 elements), and making his first contribution to Cheeky's Week, Jim Watson, who furnishes us with 3 elements.  It's interesting that the 'count Bernie's accidents' storyline is maintained across 3 different art sources, although I'm assuming that Frank McDiarmid provided the pencils for 5 of the elements.  I have in the past been rather dismissive about how the daily elements of Cheeky's Week were assembled, but this issue shows that some care was taken to have a consistent line running throughout the week, despite 3 different artist combinations being involved.

Cheeky Weekly	Cover Date: 11-Feb-1978, Issue 17 of 117
Page	Details
1	Cover Feature 'Joke-Box Jury' 1 of 2 - Art Frank McDiarmid\What a Cheek - Art Unknown Cheeky Artist 1
2	Sunday - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils
3	Skateboard Squad - Art Jimmy Hansen
4	Sunday evening - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils
5	6 Million Dollar Gran - Art Ian Knox
6	6 Million Dollar Gran - Art Ian Knox
7	6 Million Dollar Gran - Art Ian Knox
8	Monday - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils
9	James Bold 'The Ghost Highwayman' 6 of 9 - Art Mike White
10	James Bold 'The Ghost Highwayman' 6 of 9 - Art Mike White
11	Suddenly - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils
12	Tuesday - Art Jim Watson (single art on feature)
13	Old Comic reprint from Comet 'Shorty the Deputy Sheriff'
14	What's New, Kids
15	Wednesday - Art Jim Watson (single art on feature)
16	Creepy Sleepy Tale - Art Keith Reynolds
17	Creepy Sleepy Tale - Art Keith Reynolds\Wednesday (conclusion) - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils
18	Joke-Box Jury
19	Thursday - Art Jim Watson (first art on feature)
20	Home Movie 'The Case of the Missing Lollipop' - Art Jack Clayton
21	Friday - Art Unknown Cheeky Artist 1
22	Mustapha Million - Art Reg Parlett
23	Mustapha Million - Art Reg Parlett
24	Ad: IPC 'Shoot' 7 of 13 Ad: 'Misty' 1 of 5
25	Saturday - Art Unknown Cheeky Artist 1
26	Daffy Duck 'Lucky Break'
27	Daffy Duck 'Lucky Break'
28	Interval - Art Unknown Cheeky Artist 1
29	Space Family Robinson 'King Blubber' - Art John Richardson
30	Space Family Robinson 'King Blubber' - Art John Richardson
31	Saturday - Art Unknown Cheeky Artist 1
32	Oi! What is My Name? (single appearance)

Cheeky's Week Artists Cover Date 11-Feb-1978

Artist	Elements
Frank McDiarmid pencils	5
Unknown Cheeky Artist 1	5
Jim Watson	3