The Pin-Up Pal poster of Baby Burpo gets above-the-title billing this week, and below that is a reference to the Old Comic feature, as Cheeky eagerly peers into his dad's chest of comics. This depiction of Cheeky and Snail would appear to have been specially drawn for the cover by Frank McDiarmid, unlike many of the earlier 'inside-this-week' cover pictures which featured artwork taken from panels from the comic's interior. Below this illustration is the What A Cheek strip, featuring hilarity at a height at the expense of an anonymous steeplejack.6 Million Dollar Gran recovers a stolen racehorse and carries it past the winning post in a 2-page tale, and just as we begin to wonder if one of Cheeky's Pals will be featured throughout the week in this issue, on Monday Cheeky meets mirthful mailman Postie who is puzzling over a letter with an indecipherable address. The perplexed postal worker is determined to solve the mystery by the end of the week.
Later on Monday, Cheeky settles down to read the first chapter of the new James Bold novel, Tower of Terror. Unlike last week, Cheeky manages to complete his reading of the chapter before the irate newsagent pounces.On Tuesday Cheeky ascends to the attic and raids the chest we saw on the cover to read a page from Chips, 1945, containing vintage Casey Court and Alfie the Air Tramp strips.
Malodorous miscreant Pongo Snodgrass, from Krazy comic, makes a brief appearance in this issue's Creepy Sleepy Tale, and in a memorable instalment of their adventures, the Robinson family learn that King Blubber is not what he appears. However, they won't discover what he actually IS until next week's episode of Space Family Robinson.
There are 6 pure Frank McDiarmid Cheeky's Week elements this issue, with Frank McDiarmid pencils taking over on Wednesday and providing a total of 7 elements. However, in addition to his work on Cheeky's Week, there is also pure Frank McDiarmid art on the main cover illustration and the Pin-Up Pal poster.
| Cheeky Weekly | Cover Date: 18-Mar-1978, Issue 22 of 117 |
| Page | Details |
| 1 | Cover Feature 'Old Comic' - Art Frank McDiarmid\What a Cheek - Art Frank McDiarmid |
| 2 | Sunday - Art Frank McDiarmid |
| 3 | Skateboard Squad - Art Jimmy Hansen |
| 4 | Sunday evening - Art Frank McDiarmid |
| 5 | 6 Million Dollar Gran - Art Ian Knox |
| 6 | 6 Million Dollar Gran - Art Ian Knox |
| 7 | What's New, Kids |
| 8 | Monday - Art Frank McDiarmid |
| 9 | James Bold 'Tower of Terror' 1 of 6 - Art Mike White |
| 10 | James Bold 'Tower of Terror' 1 of 6 - Art Mike White |
| 11 | Suddenly - Art Frank McDiarmid |
| 12 | Tuesday - Art Frank McDiarmid |
| 13 | Old Comic reprint from Chips 'Casey Court' 1 of 3 reprint from Chips 'Alfie the Air Tramp' |
| 14 | Ad: Weetabix (first appearance) |
| 15 | Wednesday - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils |
| 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 Frank McDiarmid pencils |
| 20 | Home Movie '2001 A Space Oddity' - Art Jack Clayton |
| 21 | Friday - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils |
| 22 | Mustapha Million - Art Reg Parlett |
| 23 | Mustapha Million - Art Reg Parlett |
| 24 | Ad: IPC 'Look and Learn' 2 of 16 Ad: 'Buster' 5 of 5 |
| 25 | Saturday - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils |
| 26 | Road Runner 'The Lucky Charms' |
| 27 | Road Runner 'The Lucky Charms' |
| 28 | Interval - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils |
| 29 | Space Family Robinson 'King Blubber's Secret' - Art John Richardson |
| 30 | Space Family Robinson 'King Blubber's Secret' - Art John Richardson |
| 31 | Saturday - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils\Ad: IPC 'Mickey Mouse' 1 of 18 |
| 32 | Pin-up pal 'Baby Burpo' - Art Frank McDiarmid |
Never really understood Pongo. On the one hand he’s just a repulsive type who likes being dirty, but then what was with the pointy ears and nose and jagged teeth? Evidently to make him appear demonic – but what’s this got to do with a penchant for an unhygienic lifestyle? Aside from both being ‘low’, I see no other real connection. Then again, the distraction of that trickle of mucus hanging pendulously from his nose precluded an in-depth pondering, for me anyhow. Yuck!
ReplyDeleteI'm flattered that you're interested enough in my blog to be delving back over 12 years! Re Pongo - I suppose the scriptwriter/artist would argue that kids enjoy the grotesque, and the late 70s saw comics embracing humour that was a bit more 'edgy' (not a word that would have been used at the time) than had featured before, hence the Walter Wurx pee gags and Pongo's nasal ornamentation.
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