Welcome to the Cheeky Weekly blog!


Welcome to the Cheeky Weekly blog!
Cheeky Weekly ™ REBELLION PUBLISHING LTD, COPYRIGHT ©  REBELLION PUBLISHING LTD, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED was a British children's comic with cover dates spanning 22 October 1977 to 02 February 1980.

Quick links...
Basic Stats
Cheeky Weekly Index - Cheeky Annuals and Specials Index
Cheeky Weekly Artist Index
Features by Number of Appearances
Cheeky Weekly Timeline
Major Characters from the Cheeky pages
Features Ordered by Date of Commencement

*** ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHT ©  REBELLION PUBLISHING LTD, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Used with permission. ***
*** CHEEKY WEEKLY, KRAZY, WHOOPEE!, WHOOPEE, WOW!, WHIZZER AND CHIPS and BUSTER ARE ™ REBELLION PUBLISHING LTD, COPYRIGHT ©  REBELLION PUBLISHING LTD, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ***
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Thursday 31 January 2019

Cheeky Special 2019!

...Well, not quite, but it seems that Lew Stringer has included our toothy pal in his intro that will appear in the forthcoming Cor!! and Buster Special. Nice touch. Clearly, Cheeky never appeared in either of the vintage comics in question but Lew is of course aware of this so the intro probably features a selection of IPC characters from across their titles. But maybe the contents aren't restricted to strips that appeared in Cor!! and Buster. The cover, by Neil Googe, includes Hit Kid who certainly never appeared in Cor!! and I would imagine if he appeared in Buster it was in the form of reprints from Krazy.

Monday 28 January 2019

Profile – Ivor E Tugger

In Cheeky Weekly’s first issue our toothy pal tracked down the latest edition of the Mystery Comic in the waiting room of dentist Ivor E Tugger, although the tooth-wrangler himself did not appear on that occasion. Considering Cheeky’s mouthful of magnificent munchers it’s surprising that dentists did not figure more regularly in his life, and the funster's next dental encounter was presented on the cover of the 02 September 1978 issue, in the What A Cheek strip. Presumably the forceps-equipped gentleman causing Cheeky's discomfort was Mr Tugger.

Mr Tugger's debut
Art: Frank McDiarmid

Our grinning hero's next interaction with the molarmeister came almost a year later in the 04 August 1979 edition, and it seems Ivor had grown a moustache in the intervening period.

Frank again

The dentist returned in the comic dated 08 September 1979, although his name had been removed from the plate by the surgery door at this stage (but his upper-lip adornment was more luxuriant than previously).

More Frank
 
The final dentist gag, a single-panel quickie, appeared in the 13 October 1979 edition, by which time the funny fang-fixer had evidently decided his 'tache was surplus to requirements. UPDATE - this wasn't in fact Ivor's farewell - see below.

NOT Mr Tugger's farewell
Frank once more



The above joke references Michael Bentine, the presenter of kids' TV show Potty Time, and Dentyne chewing gum.




 


UPDATE 14 March 2019 - I've just found another appearance by Mr Tugger, in the final edition of Cheeky Weekly - see below...

Mr T's final appearance in the last Cheeky Weekly
Frank


Ivor never appeared in the Cheeky pages in Krazy.


Character Total Issues First Appearance Final Appearance
Ivor E Tugger502-Sep-197802-Feb-1980

Monday 21 January 2019

Whizzer and Chips - The Cheeky Raids part 37

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.

A month after heroically raiding Memory Banks, our middle eastern mate was intruded upon by a weaselly Whizz-kid once again. The raider-infested Mustapha Million strip which appeared in Whizzer and Chips dated 25 July 1987 was originally presented in Cheeky Weekly's 15 July 1978 edition (minus interloper, of course), and had previously been reprinted in the 27 October 1984 issue of Whoopee. If you're feeling lazy you can scroll down to see the identity of the intruder.


Whizzer and Chips 25 July 1987
Art: Reg Parlett



Whoever the raider is revealed to be, I just hope they don't say it....





I mean, they've used the same phrase over and over again...





Surely they'll come up with something different this time...












....AAAAAARRRRGH!

...to be fair, I suppose it's a little unrealistic of me to expect the indolent Benny 'Lazy' Bones to expend any energy on thinking up a new slogan.

The weary Whizz-kid had previously summoned enough stamina to raid Calculator Kid in the 15 February and 31 May 1986 issues of Whizzer and Chips.

More (hopefully mug-free) raiding fun soon!



Whizzer and Chips Cover Date Raider Raided
06 April 1985Mustapha MillionSuper Steve
04 May 1985Bloggs (Store Wars)Mustapha Million
11 May 1985JokerThe Krazy Gang (Cheeky)
18 May 1985Calculator Kid & CalcOdd-Ball
01 June 1985
Animalad
Mustapha Million
The Krazy Gang (Cheeky)
Boy Boss
08 June 1985Odd-BallCalculator Kid
06 July 1985Toy BoyCalculator Kid
13 July 1985Pa BumpkinThe Krazy Gang (Cheeky)
27 July 1985JokerMustapha Million
24 August 1985CheekySid's Snake
14 September 1985
Odd-Ball
Calculator Kid
Calculator Kid
Store Wars
05 October 1985Mustapha MillionAnimalad
19 October 1985Odd-BallMustapha Million
23 November 1985
Sweeny Toddler
Sweeny Toddler
Sweeny Toddler
Calculator Kid
The Krazy Gang (Cheeky)
Mustapha Million
18 January 1986Mustapha MillionSuper Steve
25 January 1986
Odd-Ball
Cheeky
Mustapha Million
Odd-Ball
08 February 1986
The Krazy Gang ends this issue
AnimaladMustapha Million
15 February 1986Lazy BonesCalculator Kid
15 March 1986Odd-BallCalculator Kid
29 March 1986Calculator KidMaster P Brain
05 April 1986Bumpkin BillionairesMustapha Million
12 April 1986AnimaladCalculator Kid
31 May 1986Lazy BonesCalculator Kid
07 June 1986Mustapha MillionJoker
28 June 1986Sweet ToothMustapha Million
26 July 1986
Calculator Kid ends this issue
No Cheeky-related raid this issueNo Cheeky-related raid this issue
16 August 1986Mustapha MillionJoker
23 August 1986Sweet ToothMustapha Million
18 October 1986Winnie the Royal NagMustapha Million
06 December 1986Toy BoyMustapha Million
13 December 1986Mustapha MillionOdd-Ball
17 January 1987SidMustapha Million
14 February 1987Odd-BallMustapha Million
11 April 1987Pa BumpkinMustapha Million
25 April 1987Mustapha MillionOdd-Ball
20 June 1987Toy BoyMustapha Million
27 June 1987Mustapha MillionMemory Banks
25 July 1987Lazy BonesMustapha Million

Monday 14 January 2019

Profile - Hot Air Balloon

My decision to devote a Profile post to this particular Krazy Town inhabitant contradicts my declaration here that to qualify for this honour the character must possess a name. In fact, the 'character' under examination this time is an inanimate object (although there is a human being associated with it), but then again so are the Knock-Knock Door and time-traveling Phone Box, both of which have received a Profile post despite not having names as such, so let's press on.

It seems to me that the Hot Air Balloon (HAB) was a creation of a Cheeky's Week artist who I am unable to identify, and refer to on the blog as Unknown Cheeky Artist 1 (UCA1), since this artist was the only one to depict the blimp floating above Krazy Town. HAB made its debut appearance, being pursued by a large bird, on the Saturday page in the 11 February 1978 issue. This wasn't the first occasion on which UCA1 had drawn an aerially-drifting object, as the same artist included Bubblegum Boy (BB) hovering above Cheeky's home town in the comic dated 14 January 1978. That was the only occasion on which UCA1 drew the perpetually-drifting Fred Holroyd, so fortunately readers were spared the sight of a mid-air collision between HAB and BB.

Hot Air Balloon's debut
Art: Unknown Cheeky Artist 1


The next issue to include artwork by UCA1 was that dated 18 February 1978, but HAB was not in evidence on any of the 4 pages which the artist contributed that week. UCA1 next provided work in the 04 March 1978 edition, and 2 of the 5 pages that were delivered by the unidentified artist did feature the subject of this post; on Thursday the balloon was punctured by an arrow, the source of which was unseen, and the following day the perforated sphere continued to  Proooooop!! across the sky.

Art: Unknown Cheeky Artist 1

A week later 3 of the 6 Cheeky's Week elements drawn by UCA1 contained images of the still-damaged dirigible being propelled through the firmament by the gas leaking from its unwelcome aperture, the occupant remaining surprisingly mute considering his predicament.

UCA1 was next drafted in to provide visuals for the 25 March 1978 edition, which was the last to include the hot air balloon, and was the only time that its occupant spoke.

Please note the following page contains material which would be considered inappropriate today...

Hot Air Balloon's final appearance
Art: Unknown Cheeky Artist 1


HAB never appeared in the Cheeky strips in Krazy.


Character Total Issues First Appearance Final Appearance
Hot Air Balloon411-Feb-197825-Mar-1978

Count of elements by artist
Character Artist Total Elements
Hot Air BalloonUnknown Cheeky Artist 17

Sunday 6 January 2019

Cheeky Weekly cover date 26 January 1980

Art: Frank McDiarmid
It’s the penultimate edition of Cheeky Weekly, although readers picking it up from the newsagents’ counters all those years ago would have been unaware that was the case (however there are intimations of the imminent demise of our favourite comic inside this issue as we’ll see). A rather strange cover suggests that Cheeky’s Sunday paper round has been extended to include Tarzan’s jungle abode. This rather jarring cover, abandoning any pretence of a link with the toothy funster's Krazy Town locale, makes me wonder whether  the creators were, by taking this liberty with the setting, signalling (maybe subconsciously) that the end of the title was looming. Nevertheless, Frank McDiarmid furnishes a nice depiction of the bellowing vine-swinger.













Over the page we’re back in Krazy Town for the remainder of Cheeky’s deliveries, and the weather has improved since the snowy conditions that prevailed in last week’s comic, although Gloomy Glad’s personal rain cloud is, as ever, precipitating.

Frank again

The kids of Stage School are on an educational trip to the museum, but they’re not enjoying it so use their showbiz wiles to trick Sir into spinning what he thinks is a piece of ancient pottery atop his cane.

 
Art: Robert Nixon


This gets Teach into a state of nervous exhaustion and the entire group ejected from the building, so the kids head for their Stage School and a lesson from their (rarely-seen) cravat-sporting showbiz teacher. This is the final time Robert Nixon will draw the aspiring performers in Cheeky Weekly - Barry Glennard will deputise next week.




This week’s episode of Elephant on The Run sees our pachyderm pal return to employment in the circus. Cheeky Weekly readers who have followed this feature since its first episode will recall that in the opening instalment a terrible accident befell the amnesiac tusker while he was appearing at Tingaling’s Circus. The final panel of this week’s adventure could almost serve as a conclusion to the story, with The Man in the Plastic Mac seemingly frightened off and Elephant happy in his new circus role. What is missing, of course, is an explanation of why our be-trunked hero is being pursued. Maybe we’ll discover the reason in next week’s comic (non spoiler alert – we won’t).


Robert again

 
Mike Lacey takes over the artwork duties from Frank McDiarmid on Cheeky’s Week as of Thursday.

 
I don’t often show Tub strips, mainly because it’s not a favourite of mine, but this one’s not too bad as our portly pal gets one over on his rather unpleasant dad.

Art: Nigel Edwards
 
Cheeky’s Chit-Chat message cryptically refers to an upcoming 'exciting' event…


There’s no particular theme to Cheeky’s Saturday, so our toothy chum roams Krazy Town exchanging gags with his pals, as he does most days. Is the billboard a deliberately ironic inclusion?

Art: Mike Lacey

This issue sees the final Cheeky Weekly appearances of


And we also say goodbye to the Paddywack strip (although the witless welly-wearer will continue to confound in Whoopee!). This week's Cheeky's Cut-Out Comedy Catalogue, featuring gags relating to Krazy Town's jovial joiner Mr Chips, is the final one. Ian Knox delivers his final 6 Million Dollar Gran artwork (Nigel Edwards will provide the visuals next week).

Frank McDiarmid furnishes 5 Cheeky's Week elements, and Mike Lacey gives us his final 4 renditions of the Cheeky pages.



Cheeky's Week Artists Cover Date 26-Jan-1980
Artist Elements
Frank McDiarmid5
Mike Lacey4


Cheeky Weekly Cover Date: 26-Jan-1980, Issue 116 of 117
PageDetails
1Cover Feature 'Tarzan of the Apes' - Art Frank McDiarmid
2Sunday - Art Frank McDiarmid
3Calculator Kid - Art Terry Bave
4Paddywack (final appearance) - Art Jack Clayton (final art on feature)
5Ad: IPC 'Mickey Mouse' 17 of 18 Ad: 'Shoot' 12 of 13
6Monday - Art Frank McDiarmid
7Ringer Dinger reprint from Whizzer and Chips - Art Terry Bave
8Stage School - Art Robert Nixon (final art on feature)
9Stage School - Art Robert Nixon (final art on feature)
10Tuesday - Art Frank McDiarmid
11Ad: IPC 'Tiger' 9 of 10 \Ad: Pop-A-Points (final appearance)
12Soggy the Sea Monster reprint from Shiver and Shake - Art Robert Nixon
13Cheeky's Cut-Out Comedy Catalogue (final appearance) 'Mr Chips Jokes'
14Cheeky's Cut-Out Comedy Catalogue (final appearance) 'Mr Chips Jokes'
15Wednesday - Art Frank McDiarmid
16Disaster Des - Art Mike Lacey
17Elephant On The Run - Art Robert Nixon
18Mustapha Million - Art Joe McCaffrey
19Mustapha Million - Art Joe McCaffrey
20Thursday - Art Mike Lacey (final art on feature)
21Tub - Art Nigel Edwards
22The Gang reprint from Whizzer and Chips - Art Robert MacGillivray
23The Gang reprint from Whizzer and Chips - Art Robert MacGillivray
246 Million Dollar Gran - Art Ian Knox (final art on feature)
256 Million Dollar Gran - Art Ian Knox (final art on feature)
26Friday - Art Mike Lacey (final art on feature)
27Joke-Box Jury
28Speed Squad - Art Jimmy Hansen
29Chit-Chat
30Saturday - Art Mike Lacey (final art on feature)
31Saturday - Art Mike Lacey (final art on feature)
32Snail of the Century - Art Frank McDiarmid