Ringer Dinger Reprint Data

 

Dinger's debut - Whizzer and Chips
02 January 1971
Art & script - Terry Bave

I am extremely grateful to Stephen Archer who has researched Ringer Dinger's original run in Whizzer and Chips during 1971. As all Friends of Cheeky know, Dinger was first exhumed from the mouldy vaults of IPC to help fill the Cheeky Summer Special of 1978, and went on to make a total of 36 appearances across Cheeky Specials, Annuals and 3 issues of the weekly comic...

Date	Title	Element	Episodes
01-Jul-1978	Cheeky Summer Special	Ringer Dinger	5
01-Sep-1978	Cheeky Annual 1979	Ringer Dinger	4
01-Jun-1979	Cheeky Summer Special	Ringer Dinger	4
01-Sep-1979	Cheeky Annual 1980	Ringer Dinger	5
06-Oct-1979	Cheeky Weekly	Ringer Dinger	1
26-Jan-1980	Cheeky Weekly	Ringer Dinger	1
02-Feb-1980	Cheeky Weekly	Ringer Dinger	1
01-Apr-1980	Cheeky Holiday Special	Ringer Dinger	4
01-Sep-1980	Cheeky Annual 1981	Ringer Dinger	4
01-Jun-1981	Cheeky Summer Special	Ringer Dinger	3
01-Aug-1981	Cheeky Annual 1982	Ringer Dinger	4
		TOTAL	36

The telephone-toting tyke had a very year-specific original outing, dialing in to 1971's new year issue of the mighty two-in-one title, appearing in every edition, and hanging up in the same year's Christmas comic, with a call into Whizzer and Chips Holiday Special 1971 along the way. Stephen has provided dates, and details of the characters summoned by the magical but unreliable communication device, for each of Dinger's Whizzer and Chips appearances. I have given the Holiday Special a notional cover date of 01 June. As I'm not familiar with the early years of Whizzer and Chips, I was interested to learn from Stephen that in two Dinger tales our young hero summons characters who had previously featured in Whizzer and Chips strips of their own - 06 Feb 1971's Mummy from The Mummy's Curse, and Miss Fizz and Ivy who formerly starred in The Scareys of St. Mary’s. The Mummy episode was not one of those reprinted in the Cheeky titles, but the Scareys' escapade was resurrected in the 1982 Cheeky Annual.

Below are details of Ringer Dinger's 54-episode original run - thanks once again to Stephen Archer for the information.

Title	Cover Date	Element	Summoned
Whizzer and Chips	02-Jan-1971	Ringer Dinger	Father Time, animated numbers 1,9,7,1
Whizzer and Chips	09-Jan-1971	Ringer Dinger	Cannibal
Whizzer and Chips	16-Jan-1971	Ringer Dinger	Ferno the fire-eater
Whizzer and Chips	23-Jan-1971	Ringer Dinger	Jack Frost
Whizzer and Chips	30-Jan-1971	Ringer Dinger	Jolly Roger
Whizzer and Chips	06-Feb-1971	Ringer Dinger	The Mummy (former W&C character from The Mummy’s Curse)
Whizzer and Chips	13-Feb-1971	Ringer Dinger	Dinger’s teacher
Whizzer and Chips	20-Feb-1971	Ringer Dinger	Hippie artist
Whizzer and Chips	27-Feb-1971	Ringer Dinger	Royal Engineer
Whizzer and Chips	06-Mar-1971	Ringer Dinger	Swordsman
Whizzer and Chips	13-Mar-1971	Ringer Dinger	Loch Ness Monster
Whizzer and Chips	20-Mar-1971	Ringer Dinger	Old King Cole
Whizzer and Chips	27-Mar-1971	Ringer Dinger	Baron von Flugel
Whizzer and Chips	03-Apr-1971	Ringer Dinger	Captain Ahab
Whizzer and Chips	10-Apr-1971	Ringer Dinger	Egg Egg-spert
Whizzer and Chips	17-Apr-1971	Ringer Dinger	Jester (Dinger, bored with TV, dials Jester to entertain him)
Whizzer and Chips	24-Apr-1971	Ringer Dinger	Miss Fizz and Ivy (former W&C characters from The Scareys of St. Mary’s)
Whizzer and Chips	01-May-1971	Ringer Dinger	Speed Spring Cleaning man
Whizzer and Chips	08-May-1971	Ringer Dinger	Highwayman
Whizzer and Chips	15-May-1971	Ringer Dinger	Danny the discus thrower
Whizzer and Chips	22-May-1971	Ringer Dinger	Cap’n Cutlass
Whizzer and Chips	29-May-1971	Ringer Dinger	Dinger’s double
Whizzer and Chips Holiday Special 1971	01-Jun-1971	Ringer Dinger	Wagon master, Lift Attendant
Whizzer and Chips	05-Jun-1971	Ringer Dinger	Jumping Jack
Whizzer and Chips	12-Jun-1971	Ringer Dinger	Shriek of Araby
Whizzer and Chips	19-Jun-1971	Ringer Dinger	Walter Tapitt
Whizzer and Chips	26-Jun-1971	Ringer Dinger	Hans Upp
Whizzer and Chips	03-Jul-1971	Ringer Dinger	Hazel Nut
Whizzer and Chips	10-Jul-1971	Ringer Dinger	Chimney sweep
Whizzer and Chips	17-Jul-1971	Ringer Dinger	Marcel Du Dah
Whizzer and Chips	24-Jul-1971	Ringer Dinger	Cricketer
Whizzer and Chips	31-Jul-1971	Ringer Dinger	Jock MacGregor
Whizzer and Chips	07-Aug-1971	Ringer Dinger	Baker
Whizzer and Chips	14-Aug-1971	Ringer Dinger	Jack Boot
Whizzer and Chips	21-Aug-1971	Ringer Dinger	Jack the Reaper
Whizzer and Chips	28-Aug-1971	Ringer Dinger	Shot-putter
Whizzer and Chips	04-Sep-1971	Ringer Dinger	New spook
Whizzer and Chips	11-Sep-1971	Ringer Dinger	William the Conkerer
Whizzer and Chips	18-Sep-1971	Ringer Dinger	Sniffer the bloodhound & policeman
Whizzer and Chips	25-Sep-1971	Ringer Dinger	King Pinn
Whizzer and Chips	02-Oct-1971	Ringer Dinger	Spaceman
Whizzer and Chips	09-Oct-1971	Ringer Dinger	I. Wirem
Whizzer and Chips	16-Oct-1971	Ringer Dinger	Big game hunter
Whizzer and Chips	23-Oct-1971	Ringer Dinger	Joiner
Whizzer and Chips	30-Oct-1971	Ringer Dinger	Sports curler
Whizzer and Chips	06-Nov-1971	Ringer Dinger	Gail Force
Whizzer and Chips	13-Nov-1971	Ringer Dinger	Man with spinning top
Whizzer and Chips	20-Nov-1971	Ringer Dinger	Lino layer
Whizzer and Chips	27-Nov-1971	Ringer Dinger	Jester (Dinger, playing football, dials for ‘full back’, gets ‘fool back’)
Whizzer and Chips	04-Dec-1971	Ringer Dinger	Bowman
Whizzer and Chips	11-Dec-1971	Ringer Dinger	Golfer
Whizzer and Chips	18-Dec-1971	Ringer Dinger	Tank and crew
Whizzer and Chips	25-Dec-1971	Ringer Dinger	Lumberjack

I was curious to learn more about Marcel Du-Dah, who was conjured forth by the magic phone in W&C dated 17 July. This tale was not chosen for reprint, so is one I have never seen. Most of the character names give a good idea of their role, but Monsieur D-D was something of a mystery. Stephen explains, "Marcel Du-Dah was a beret specialist when berries were required". In naming this character Terry Bave was clearly referencing fellow artist Marcel Duchamp, something of a surprise since I don't think Terry's involvement in Cubism was particularly extensive. Or maybe I missed the issue of Whizzer and Chips containing Terry's Odd-Ball Descending a Staircase.

The table below shows all the Dinger elements to appear across the Cheeky titles, and the date of each tale's original appearance. As you'll see, all the Ringer reprints in the 1982 Cheeky Annual were, by means of expanding the artwork, converted from single page to double page adventures. You'll also note that the sequence of reprints completely ignored the original publication order. It's understandable that the Christmas episode wouldn't be appropriate for a Summer Special, but most of the tales I have seen were not specific to a time of year.

It's not clear whether the jester who materialised in W&C dated 17 April was the same medieval merry-maker who was summoned in the 27 November comic, but neither Dinger nor jester acknowledged having met before in their November encounter, which is lucky for the Cheeky editor who reprinted the two tales in reverse order (Cheeky Annuals 1980 and 1981).

Title	Date	Page	Origin	Summoned
Cheeky Summer Special	01-Jul-1978	9	Whizzer and Chips 24-Jul-1971	Cricketer
Cheeky Summer Special	01-Jul-1978	28	Whizzer and Chips 19-Jun-1971	Walter Tapitt
Cheeky Summer Special	01-Jul-1978	38	Whizzer and Chips 03-Apr-1971	Captain Ahab
Cheeky Summer Special	01-Jul-1978	46	Whizzer and Chips 31-Jul-1971	Jock MacGregor
Cheeky Summer Special	01-Jul-1978	52	Whizzer and Chips 16-Oct-1971	Big game hunter
Cheeky Annual 1979	01-Sep-1978	24	Whizzer and Chips 11-Dec-1971	Golfer
Cheeky Annual 1979	01-Sep-1978	41	Whizzer and Chips 18-Sep-1971	Sniffer the bloodhound & policeman
Cheeky Annual 1979	01-Sep-1978	75	Whizzer and Chips 21-Aug-1971	Jack the Reaper
Cheeky Annual 1979	01-Sep-1978	122	Whizzer and Chips 25-Dec-1971	Lumberjack
Cheeky Summer Special	01-Jun-1979	8	Whizzer and Chips 18-Dec-1971	Tank and crew
Cheeky Summer Special	01-Jun-1979	24	Whizzer and Chips 12-Jun-1971	Shriek of Araby
Cheeky Summer Special	01-Jun-1979	43	Whizzer and Chips 09-Oct-1971	I. Wirem
Cheeky Summer Special	01-Jun-1979	64	Whizzer and Chips 25-Sep-1971	King Pinn
Cheeky Annual 1980	01-Sep-1979	25	Whizzer and Chips 27-Nov-1971	Jester (Dinger playing football, dials for ‘full back’, gets ‘fool back’)
Cheeky Annual 1980	01-Sep-1979	36	Whizzer and Chips 30-Oct-1971	Sports curler
Cheeky Annual 1980	01-Sep-1979	49	Whizzer and Chips 04-Sep-1971	New spook
Cheeky Annual 1980	01-Sep-1979	97	Whizzer and Chips 13-Mar-1971	Loch Ness Monster
Cheeky Annual 1980	01-Sep-1979	113	Whizzer and Chips 20-Mar-1971	Old King Cole
Cheeky Weekly	06-Oct-1979	28	Whizzer and Chips 11-Sep-1971	William the Conkerer
Cheeky Weekly	26-Jan-1980	7	Whizzer and Chips 13-Feb-1971	Dinger’s teacher
Cheeky Weekly	02-Feb-1980	11	Whizzer and Chips 09-Jan-1971	Cannibal
Cheeky Holiday Special	01-Apr-1980	13	Whizzer and Chips 08-May-1971	Highwayman
Cheeky Holiday Special	01-Apr-1980	23	Whizzer and Chips 28-Aug-1971	Shot-putter
Cheeky Holiday Special	01-Apr-1980	27	Whizzer and Chips 01-May-1971	Speed Spring Cleaning man
Cheeky Holiday Special	01-Apr-1980	39	Whizzer and Chips 23-Oct-1971	Joiner
Cheeky Annual 1981	01-Sep-1980	7	Whizzer and Chips 16-Jan-1971	Ferno the fire-eater
Cheeky Annual 1981	01-Sep-1980	84	Whizzer and Chips 17-Apr-1971	Jester (Dinger bored with TV, dials Jester to entertain him)
Cheeky Annual 1981	01-Sep-1980	103	Whizzer and Chips 30-Jan-1971	Jolly Roger
Cheeky Annual 1981	01-Sep-1980	113	Whizzer and Chips 29-May-1971	Dinger’s double
Cheeky Summer Special	01-Jun-1981	26	Whizzer and Chips 27-Feb-1971	Royal Engineer
Cheeky Summer Special	01-Jun-1981	27	Whizzer and Chips 27-Feb-1971	Royal Engineer
Cheeky Summer Special	01-Jun-1981	41	Whizzer and Chips 06-Mar-1971	Swordsman
Cheeky Summer Special	01-Jun-1981	49	Whizzer and Chips 27-Mar-1971	Baron von Flugel
Cheeky Annual 1982	01-Aug-1981	44	Whizzer and Chips 24-Apr-1971	Miss Fizz and Ivy (former W&C characters from The Scareys of St. Mary’s)
Cheeky Annual 1982	01-Aug-1981	45	Whizzer and Chips 24-Apr-1971	Miss Fizz and Ivy (former W&C characters from The Scareys of St. Mary’s)
Cheeky Annual 1982	01-Aug-1981	62	Whizzer and Chips 10-Jul-1971	Chimney sweep
Cheeky Annual 1982	01-Aug-1981	63	Whizzer and Chips 10-Jul-1971	Chimney sweep
Cheeky Annual 1982	01-Aug-1981	76	Whizzer and Chips 07-Aug-1971	Baker
Cheeky Annual 1982	01-Aug-1981	77	Whizzer and Chips 07-Aug-1971	Baker
Cheeky Annual 1982	01-Aug-1981	104	Whizzer and Chips 26-Jun-1971	Hans Upp
Cheeky Annual 1982	01-Aug-1981	105	Whizzer and Chips 26-Jun-1971	Hans Upp

These are the original stories which weren't reprinted in any of the Cheeky titles...

Title	Date	Feature	Synopsis
Whizzer and Chips	02-Jan-1971	Ringer Dinger	Father Time, animated numbers 1,9,7,1
Whizzer and Chips	23-Jan-1971	Ringer Dinger	Jack Frost
Whizzer and Chips	06-Feb-1971	Ringer Dinger	The Mummy (former W&C character from The Mummy’s Curse)
Whizzer and Chips	20-Feb-1971	Ringer Dinger	Hippie artist
Whizzer and Chips	10-Apr-1971	Ringer Dinger	Egg Egg-spert
Whizzer and Chips	15-May-1971	Ringer Dinger	Danny the discus thrower
Whizzer and Chips	22-May-1971	Ringer Dinger	Cap’n Cutlass
Whizzer and Chips Holiday Special 1971	01-Jun-1971	Ringer Dinger	Wagon master, Lift Attendant
Whizzer and Chips	05-Jun-1971	Ringer Dinger	Jumping Jack
Whizzer and Chips	03-Jul-1971	Ringer Dinger	Hazel Nut
Whizzer and Chips	17-Jul-1971	Ringer Dinger	Marcel Du-Dah
Whizzer and Chips	14-Aug-1971	Ringer Dinger	Jack Boot
Whizzer and Chips	02-Oct-1971	Ringer Dinger	Spaceman
Whizzer and Chips	06-Nov-1971	Ringer Dinger	Gail Force
Whizzer and Chips	13-Nov-1971	Ringer Dinger	Man with spinning top
Whizzer and Chips	20-Nov-1971	Ringer Dinger	Lino layer
Whizzer and Chips	04-Dec-1971	Ringer Dinger	Bowman

So following publication of the Cheeky Annual 1982 in the autumn of 1981, there were a further 17 Dinger adventures which had not been revived (re-using 10 April's story, which I'm assuming had an Easter theme could have been problematic, and to reprint the first Dinger tale at this late stage was clearly not possible). However, for some reason no further Ringer Dinger stories would feature in the upcoming Cheeky titles, namely the Cheeky Summer Special of 1982, which would be the final Cheeky Special, and the Cheeky Annuals dated 1983-1985. It's certainly not the case that these publications would be free of reprints, but for some reason the editor chose to extract historic material from elsewhere in the catacombs of IPC to use as fillers. Maybe those 17 Dinger pages had been misplaced or no longer resided in IPC's vaults.