The ninth week of IPC's 1979 Star Guest promotion saw Cheeky Weekly's resident middle eastern moneybags
Mustapha Million embark on a promotional outing into the pages of
Whizzer and Chips. This was the first time our prosperous pal had
been pressed into Star Guest service (but it wouldn't be the last).
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| Whizzer and Chips 26 May 1979 Art: Joe McCaffrey |
In this story Mustapha meets Richie
Moneybags (the scriptwriter would probably have liked to bestow upon
the affluent Arab's rival the more alliterative monicker Richie Rich,
but there was of course another comic character of that name, to whom
Master Moneybags does bear a slight resemblance – well, insofar as
his choice of neckwear, anyway). Richie also bears a striking resemblance to Boastful Bertie who Mustapha met in the 24 February 1979 comic.
This Star Guest tale, which was new and never appeared in Cheeky Weekly, doesn't present Mustapha in the best light as his actions leave his competitor in tears. One might argue that the self-satisfied Richie deserved to be taken down a peg or two, but Mustapha himself regularly flaunted his wealth in a similar (although admittedly not as boastful) manner.
This Star Guest tale, which was new and never appeared in Cheeky Weekly, doesn't present Mustapha in the best light as his actions leave his competitor in tears. One might argue that the self-satisfied Richie deserved to be taken down a peg or two, but Mustapha himself regularly flaunted his wealth in a similar (although admittedly not as boastful) manner.
The page was drawn by Joe McCaffrey who had taken over as regular artist on the feature in Cheeky Weekly (replacing original artist Reg Parlett) as of February 1979. Mustapha enjoyed double-page
adventures in his home comic, but was restricted to a single page in
W&C to comply with the Star Guest format.
Unlike certain other of the Cheeky
Weekly Star Guests in companion comics, Mustapha did appear in the
contemporaneous issue of Cheeky Weekly so Whizz-Kids and Chip-ites
who were sufficiently intrigued by his story to return to the
newsagents' to pick up a copy of the toothy funster's title were able
to enjoy a further two pages of their new chum's adventures that same week, and the loaded lad would be absent from just one issue before Cheeky Weekly came to and
end. After the demise of our grinning pal's comic, Mustapha
transferred into Whoopee and subsequently into Whizzer and Chips.
You are right it is out of character...
ReplyDeleteDo you want me to show the introduction to them getting ready for Cheeky doing his Movie Masterpieces in Whoopee!! ?
Yes please!
Delete