We first saw Oscar and his distinctive dentition on the Thursday page of the debut issue of Cheeky Weekly, when the daffy director hailed our toothy pal to see his latest celluloid sensation. Oscar told Cheeky he had just finished this masterpiece, but his budget obviously didn't stretch to an editing machine, as he was seen grasping a pair of scissors.
First appearance - art Frank McDiarmid |
During his run of appearances, Oscar would usually call from his bedroom window to tell Cheeky that his latest on-screen opus was ready for viewing, waving the spool of film excitedly and eliciting from the toothy funster a disparaging remark about his lack of cinematic skills. Nevertheless our grinning pal would view the movie, which would appear on the following page of the comic.
In Cheeky Weekly dated 12 November 1977, we learned that Oscar had been filming Cheeky for inclusion in a future film, but sadly that footage was never seen in the comic. In the issue dated 03 December 1977, Cheeky engineered a teeth-loosening punch-up between Louise and Libby, which was filmed by Oscar but again the footage was never used.
In the 31 December 1977 Christmas issue, Oscar told Cheeky "My Christmas was so groovy, I didn't make a movie" (suggesting he was more talented as a poet than as a film-maker), and consequently there was no Home Movie page in that comic. Oscar appeared during the interval at the cinema show in the same issue, the only time he appeared other than on a Thursday.
Frank McDiarmid |
There was no Home Movie in the comic dated 04 March 1978 - Oscar explained that he had hired "some proper cinema cartoons this week", so the following page was shared by Bam Splat and Blooie and Cocky Doodle strips. Stories featuring these characters had previously been presented as supporting cartoons at the Saturday morning picture show, and all were actually reprints from Buster. The supporting feature in the Saturday morning picture show in that issue was Tweety and Sylvester.
The 25 March 1978 issue was the only time Oscar appeared anywhere other than the final panel when on the Thursday page - he calls to Cheeky in the first panel of the final row, but in the remaining 2 panels, Cheeky's progress to view the movie is interrupted by the alluring Lily Pop.
Cheeky's search for the Mystery Comic on Thursday in the 29 April 1978 issue was so urgent that he couldn't stop to see Oscar's movie which, consequently, failed to appear.
Jim Watson |
In the comic dated 17 June 1978 Cheeky, possibly wilting under the slew of sub-standard cinema, declined Oscar's invitation to his latest screening. Evidently, Oscar finally took the hint and neither he nor his movies were seen again in Cheeky Weekly.
Dick Millington |
A film director, shouting instructions through a megaphone, appeared in the Home Movie strips in the issues dated 19 November 1977, 04 February, 11 February, 25 February, 18 March, 25 March and 03 June 1978, but on none of those occasions did the director exhibit Oscar's distinctive single-toothed appearance. The director depicted in 19 November's Colditch. The Great Escape movie looked different not only in oral occupancy but also hair colour. In 26 November 1977's The Vikings, and 10 December 1977's When Knights Were Bold, only the director's megaphone was seen.
Mike Lacey |
Oscar was created for Cheeky Weekly and didn't appear in the 'Ello It's Cheeky strip in Krazy.
Character | Total Issues | First Appearance | Final Appearance |
Oscar | 35 | 22-Oct-1977 | 17-Jun-1978 |
Oscar - Number of appearances by Element
Element | Number of Appearances |
Thursday | 35 |
Interval | 1 |
Oscar - Number of appearances by Page
Page | Number of Appearances |
19 | 30 |
18 | 2 |
21 | 2 |
20 | 1 |
27 | 1 |
Count of elements by artist
Character | Artist | Total Elements |
Oscar | Frank McDiarmid pencils | 14 |
Oscar | Frank McDiarmid | 6 |
Oscar | Unknown Cheeky Artist 1 | 5 |
Oscar | Jim Watson | 4 |
Oscar | Barrie Appleby | 4 |
Oscar | Dick Millington | 2 |
Oscar | Mike Lacey | 1 |
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