Gang Pong Merrily on High - Part 2

Cheeky fans perusing 1979's festive edition of Whizzer and Chips would have been gratified to see their toothy chum on the cover (as we saw in the first part of my examination of that issue), and were no doubt anticipating more Cheeky chuckles inside in his role as a member of the Krazy Gang, but maybe they wouldn't have expected to see him make an appearance in Super Store.

Whizzer and Chips 29 December 1979
Art: Bob Hill
Santa's route takes him via IPC's offices
in King's Reach Tower.

A rather intoxicated-looking Cheeky attends the Super Store slap-up feed and, unlike the cover scene, the whole Krazy Gang are in attendance (Store artist Bob Hill is familiar with the Gang's mugs since he's also the artist for their strip).

 

Among the gathered diners enjoying the festive feast is Steve Ford who was absent from the cover, as well as the full cast of Happy Families who were somewhat depleted on the front page. As well the current stars of the comic, the ever-generous Uncle Rich has invited along a few comic celebs from days gone by. Can you name all the characters in the final panel? There are three whose names elude me - the character wearing a ruff and seated between Chip-ite and Willoughby, the face that can barely be seen above the table between Willoughby and Shiner, and the lad between Shiner and Bewitched Belinda. UPDATE - See Stephen Archer's comment below. There also seems to be a disembodied hand gripping a glass of pop (or maybe something stronger if Cheeky's apparent condition is anything to go by) that's floating above Nobby's party hat. I was a bit confused by Benny 'Lazy' Bones, from whose bonce a rather alarming punk-style hairdo seems to have erupted, but then I realised that it's another example of festive headgear. Pongo Snodgrass is absent. UPDATE - No he's not!

Our toothy pal gets to enjoy a further slap-up nosh at the Krazy Gang's hut in their story.

Art: Bob Hill

Pongo endures a second 'clean-up' this issue (see link above for his first wash), and the tale pleasingly resolves with seasonal goodwill all round. I can only echo Liz's sentiments - Merry Christmas, Readers!

Gang Pong Merrily on High - Part 1

In the same week of 1979 that Cheeky was enjoying festive frolics in his own title, he was also of course appearing in his side hustle as a member of the Krazy Gang over in the Chrimbo edition of Whizzer and Chips.

Art: Sid Burgon

Cheeky is among the comic celebrities gathered together on the front cover. I take it the front page reference to 'The Gang' is supposed to encompass all the assembled funny folk and not just the members of the Krazy crew, who are in fact under-represented as Sporty and Blue are absent. The incomplete Krazy Gang on the cover is probably to avoid the scene becoming cluttered with characters. As it is (if my counting is not at fault) there are 15 Chip-ites (I'm not counting the bat which I assume is accompanying Bewitched Belinda) and 14 Whizz-kids. Cast members of Whizzer's ensemble piece Happy Families are also missing (Mum, Dad and Grandad), as are The 12½p Buytonic Boy, Sweet-Tooth and Tiny Tycoon. We probably wouldn't expect to see characters from the adventure serials Island of Fear and Sheriff Starr. Sadly, seasonal goodwill does not extend to a mingling of comic stars, who resolutely stick to their own Whizz-kid and Chip-ite halves of the page.

Cover artist Sid Burgon seems to been inspired by Bob Hill's Krazy Gang title panel, which has this week been adorned with the traditional sprinkling of snow, when drawing his tongue-lolling depiction of Cheeky.

The Gang's erstwhile Krazy colleague, the existenchialist Pongo Snodgrass, is welcomed onto the cover, and other than Fuss-Pot's askance gaze, his Chip-ite chums are too polite to object to the niff. Pongo's adventure inside the comic concludes with a splat-up feed rather than the traditional slap-up meal. A similar scenario unfolded in the Why, Dad, Why? strip in that week's edition of Cheeky Weekly (see the link in the first paragraph above).

Art: Nigel Edwards

Join me again in a few days when I'll be examining some more festive frolics from this issue of Whizzer and Chips.

A Cavalcade of Christmas Capers

I thought I'd create this entry to gather together all the links to the Christmas-related posts I have made. So here you go...

18/12/76    Krazy  Part 1, Part 2
25/12/76    Krazy  Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
31/12/77    Cheeky Weekly  Link
23/12/78    Cheeky Weekly’s lost pre-Christmas issue  Follow the links at the bottom of each post to progress through the series.
30/12/78    Cheeky Weekly’s lost Christmas issue  Follow the links at the bottom of each post to progress through the series.
29/12/79    Cheeky Weekly  Link
27/12/80    Whoopee with Cheeky  Link
26/12/81    Whoopee  Part1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
25/12/82    Whizzer and Chips Part 1, Part 2
27/12/86    Whizzer and Chips  Part 1, Part 2

I'll be posting an examination of another issue containing festive fun with Cheeky very soon.