Cheeky Weekly cover date 08 September 1979

Art: Mike Lacey

Moonraker, the fourth James Bond film to feature suave star Roger Moore as the British super-agent, and the first (and only) 007 outing to be influenced by the Star Wars phenomenon, had its UK premiere in late June 1979. Our favourite comic is thus a bit late in jumping on the promotional bandwagon, announcing on the cover of this week's issue a competition to win a replica of the gun toted in said film by the gadget-wrangling secret service operative while aboard a space station. Below that announcement, the ever-reliable Cheeky/Manhole Man double act furnishes us with an arctic rib-tickler. I don't know what the pig has been using as a loo but I note that there's an awful lot of yellow ice about.

The toothy funster evidently undertook a swift trudge across the tundra as he's back on the streets of Krazy town by page 2, doing his usual Sunday paper round. Further space station-related matters arise as Frank McDiarmid references pioneering orbiting vessel Skylab which, amid much speculation as it reached the end of its mission about possible damage and injury that may have resulted from its planned (uncrewed) destruction on re-entry, made a not-entirely-controlled-but-non-injurious return to Earth, with remnants landing in Australia on 11 July 1979.

Art: Frank McDiarmid

The final panel of the Sunday page seems very much like it's going to turn into an introduction to the 6 Million Dollar Gran story that follows, but as documented here, Cheeky's intros to the Gran strips came to an end in the 30 July 1979 issue.

Nigel Edwards deputises for Ian Knox on 6 Million Dollar Gran for the twelfth time, depicting the aged automaton's visit to a medieval tournament. Gran clearly has a liking for these events as she previously attended one in Cheeky Weekly dated 30 June 1979.

Yet again Gran is referred to as bionic

The Joke-Box Jury panel is reduced to three members this week as the gag-evaluating team share a page with the assembly instructions for the giant Cheeky poster which concludes this week with the upper half of the toothy funster's grinning fizzog.

Things look very grim for our favourite fugitive elephant. I like the panel showing the stampeding bargain-hunters - Robert Nixon uses a nice, loose, kind-of-goofy style on Elephant on the Run that I'm not sure I've seen in his other work. This style really suits the daft nature of this feature. Lovely stuff.

Page 15 is the location of the latest What's New, Kids advertorial feature, and prominence is given to the Lone Star Moonraker Pistol referred to on the cover.

 

Cheeky enjoys a late summer visit to the seaside on Saturday.

Art: Frank McDiarmid

The back garden banter of Snail of the Century once again brings the comic to a conclusion.

Frank McDiarmid provides all 9 fun-filled Cheeky's Week elements this issue.

Cheeky Weekly	Cover Date: 08-Sep-1979, Issue 96 of 117
Page	Details
1	Cover Feature 'Moonraker Guns to be won' 'Manhole Man' 3 of 7 - Art Mike Lacey
2	Sunday - Art Frank McDiarmid
3	Calculator Kid - Art Terry Bave
4	6 Million Dollar Gran - Art Nigel Edwards
5	6 Million Dollar Gran - Art Nigel Edwards
6	6 Million Dollar Gran - Art Nigel Edwards
7	Monday - Art Frank McDiarmid
8	Ad: Signal (single appearance) 'Dracula promo'
9	Joke-Box Jury\Poster instructions (single appearance)
10	Tuesday - Art Frank McDiarmid
11	Speed Squad - Art Jimmy Hansen
12	The Gang reprint from Whizzer and Chips - Art Robert MacGillivray
13	The Gang reprint from Whizzer and Chips - Art Robert MacGillivray
14	Elephant On The Run - Art Robert Nixon
15	What's New, Kids
16	Giant Cheeky Poster (final appearance)
17	Giant Cheeky Poster (final appearance)
18	Wednesday - Art Frank McDiarmid
19	Mystery Boy reprint from Whizzer and Chips - Art John Richardson
20	Ad: Trebor 'Double Agents Night Spy Kit Promotion' 2 of 2
21	Why, Dad, Why? - Art John K. Geering
22	Thursday - Art Frank McDiarmid
23	James Bond competition (single appearance)\Ad: IPC 'Top Soccer No 1' 1 of 2
24	Chit-Chat
25	Chit-Chat\Tub - Art Nigel Edwards
26	Friday - Art Frank McDiarmid
27	Ad: IPC 'Cor Annual' 3 of 5 \Paddywack - Art Jack Clayton
28	Mustapha Million - Art Joe McCaffrey
29	Mustapha Million - Art Joe McCaffrey
30	Saturday - Art Frank McDiarmid
31	Saturday - Art Frank McDiarmid
32	Snail of the Century - Art Frank McDiarmid