New readers start here... After Cheeky Weekly folded and was
incorporated into Whoopee as of February 1980 six strips that had
originated in the toothy funster's title survived the merge and
continued to appear in the amalgamated comic. Whoopee itself foundered
in March 1985 and was merged into Whizzer and Chips. Three of the
surviving Cheeky Weekly strips successfully negotiated this second merge
and went on to appear in the newly combined publication, rather
inelegantly titled 'Whizzer and Chips now including Whoopee'. The
survivors were Mustapha Million, Calculator Kid and (appearing only
twice) Stage School. Cheeky continued to appear, but as a member of The
Krazy Gang, who had moved into W&C when Krazy, the comic in which
the Gang originated, expired in April 1978. However, the Krazy Gang's
Whizzer and Chips run ended in the issue dated 08 February 1986. Calculator Kid survived a little longer, his run of reprints coming to an end in the 26 July 1986 edition and leaving Mustapha Million as the sole Cheeky Weekly survivor.
The next raid to involve Mustapha Million occurred in Whizzer and Chips dated 23 April 1988, and saw him again as victim to an incursion. Can you locate the impudent intruder? Scroll down to see the rotten raider revealed.
Art: Frank McDiarmid
Yes, once again it's the troublesome trickster, Joker. The bequiffed buffoon was the target of Mustapha's raid into Whizzer territory in the 20 February 1988 edition. Just to be extra annoying, Joker is using that oft-repeated and infuriating phrase to announce his raid when he knows I don't like it. Grrr!
Mustapha's confectionary conveying escapade was inspired by the Cadbury's Milk Tray TV ads, although I think the Mustapha scriptwriter may have confused brands and been thinking of Black Magic chocolates. The long-running series of Milk Tray ads featured a James Bond-like character undertaking highly perilous missions to deliver a box of said sugary comestibles to an unseen recipient, placing his enigmatic calling-card alongside the chocs on a bedside table before withdrawing into the night.
It's hard to see the similarity between Fatima (for whom our middle eastern mate has clearly been carrying a torch since leaving his homeland) and Mustapha's new inamorata, but the ways of love are indeed mysterious. Personally, I think anyone who calls him Musty is to be avoided.
More (not necessarily romantically-inclined) raiding fun soon!
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