Cheeky Weekly cover date 20 May 1978

Posh Claude is proudly featured on the main cover pic this week, although luscious Lily Pop is the real star (but why has her hand gone yellow?)

Cheeky delivers a theatre-type joke in the What a Cheek strip.  Readers of a similar vintage to me will get the 'Brian Haystax' joke on the theatre poster, a reference to veteran British farceur Brian Rix (haystacks = hayricks).

Skateboard Squad are at a dog show, and yes, the old plot device of having a thief on hand to steal the trophy is shamelessly employed again.  Some nice Mike Lacey artwork on this strip, with a variety of canine breeds on display.

Pongo Snodgrass, malodorous menace from Krazy comic, makes a cameo appearance in this week's 6 Million Dollar Gran episode.  How he managed to get himself into the background of a TV programme remains a mystery.

Doctor Braincell is the character to feature throughout Cheeky's Week this issue, as Cheeky and pals provide the feed lines for medical mirth.

For once Cheeky isn't terrified by the Creepy Sleepy Tale, although Burpo, taking inspiration from the story of Old Nick's son's fire-breathing visit to Earth, spikes the toothy funster's post-tale sandwich with extra-hot mustard.

I like the 'art thief' gag on the Friday page, and the way Snail slides to the edge of the panel.  Funny comment from him in the following panel as well.

Granny Gumdrop and her feline friend Tired Tom round off the issue on the back cover's Pin-Up Pal poster.

Barrie Appleby provides 7 Cheeky's Week elements this issue, with Jim Watson delivering 5.  Frank McDiarmid draws the cover elements and the Pin-Up Pal poster.

Cheeky Weekly	Cover Date: 20-May-1978, Issue 31 of 117
Page	Details
1	Cover Feature 'Posh Claude' - Art Frank McDiarmid\What a Cheek - Art Frank McDiarmid
2	Sunday - Art Barrie Appleby
3	Skateboard Squad - Art Jimmy Hansen
4	Sunday evening - Art Barrie Appleby
5	6 Million Dollar Gran - Art Ian Knox
6	6 Million Dollar Gran - Art Ian Knox
7	6 Million Dollar Gran - Art Ian Knox
8	Monday - Art Barrie Appleby
9	James Bold 'The Frightened Village' 4 of 9 - Art Mike White
10	James Bold 'The Frightened Village' 4 of 9 - Art Mike White
11	Suddenly - Art Barrie Appleby
12	What's New, Kids\Ad: Arena Swimwear (final appearance)
13	Tuesday - Art Barrie Appleby
14	Old Comic reprint from Film Fun 'Abbott and Costello' 2 of 2
15	Wednesday - Art Barrie Appleby
16	Creepy Sleepy Tale - Art Keith Reynolds
17	Creepy Sleepy Tale - Art Keith Reynolds\Wednesday (conclusion) - Art Barrie Appleby (first art on feature)
18	Joke-Box Jury\Ad: IPC 'Jinty' 2 of 7
19	Thursday - Art Jim Watson
20	Home Movie 'The Scarlet Pimple' - Art Jack Clayton
21	Friday - Art Jim Watson
22	Mustapha Million - Art Reg Parlett
23	Mustapha Million - Art Reg Parlett
24	Ad: Wall's (first appearance) 'Tom and Jerry lolly'
25	Saturday - Art Jim Watson
26	Tweety and Sylvester 'All Duded Up'
27	Tweety and Sylvester 'All Duded Up'
28	Interval - Art Jim Watson
29	Space Family Robinson 'Bid For Freedom'
30	Space Family Robinson 'Bid For Freedom'
31	Saturday - Art Jim Watson\Ad: IPC 'Tiger' 2 of 10
32	Pin-up pal 'Granny Gumdrop' - Art Frank McDiarmid

Cheeky's Week Artists Cover Date 20-May-1978


                     
                     
                     

Artist	Elements
Barrie Appleby	7
Jim Watson	5
Frank McDiarmid	1

Cheeky Weekly cover date 18 March 1978

The Pin-Up Pal poster of Baby Burpo gets above-the-title billing this week, and below that is a reference to the Old Comic feature, as Cheeky eagerly peers into his dad's chest of comics.  This depiction of Cheeky and Snail would appear to have been specially drawn for the cover by Frank McDiarmid, unlike many of the earlier 'inside-this-week' cover pictures which featured artwork taken from panels from the comic's interior.  Below this illustration is the What A Cheek strip, featuring hilarity at a height at the expense of an anonymous steeplejack.

6 Million Dollar Gran recovers a stolen racehorse and carries it past the winning post in a 2-page tale, and just as we begin to wonder if one of Cheeky's Pals will be featured throughout the week in this issue, on Monday Cheeky meets mirthful mailman Postie who is puzzling over a letter with an indecipherable address. The perplexed postal worker is determined to solve the mystery by the end of the week.

Later on Monday, Cheeky settles down to read the first chapter of the new James Bold novel, Tower of Terror.  Unlike last week, Cheeky manages to complete his reading of the chapter before the irate newsagent pounces.

On Tuesday Cheeky ascends to the attic and raids the chest we saw on the cover to read a page from Chips, 1945, containing vintage Casey Court and Alfie the Air Tramp strips.

Malodorous miscreant Pongo Snodgrass, from Krazy comic, makes a brief appearance in this issue's Creepy Sleepy Tale, and in a memorable instalment of their adventures, the Robinson family learn that King Blubber is not what he appears.  However, they won't discover what he actually IS until next week's episode of Space Family Robinson.

There are 6 pure Frank McDiarmid Cheeky's Week elements this issue, with Frank McDiarmid pencils taking over on Wednesday and providing a total of 7 elements.  However, in addition to his work on Cheeky's Week, there is also pure Frank McDiarmid art on the main cover illustration and the Pin-Up Pal poster.

Cheeky Weekly	Cover Date: 18-Mar-1978, Issue 22 of 117
Page	Details
1	Cover Feature 'Old Comic' - Art Frank McDiarmid\What a Cheek - Art Frank McDiarmid
2	Sunday - Art Frank McDiarmid
3	Skateboard Squad - Art Jimmy Hansen
4	Sunday evening - Art Frank McDiarmid
5	6 Million Dollar Gran - Art Ian Knox
6	6 Million Dollar Gran - Art Ian Knox
7	What's New, Kids
8	Monday - Art Frank McDiarmid
9	James Bold 'Tower of Terror' 1 of 6 - Art Mike White
10	James Bold 'Tower of Terror' 1 of 6 - Art Mike White
11	Suddenly - Art Frank McDiarmid
12	Tuesday - Art Frank McDiarmid
13	Old Comic reprint from Chips 'Casey Court' 1 of 3 reprint from Chips 'Alfie the Air Tramp'
14	Ad: Weetabix (first appearance)
15	Wednesday - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils
16	Creepy Sleepy Tale - Art Keith Reynolds
17	Creepy Sleepy Tale - Art Keith Reynolds\Wednesday (conclusion) - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils
18	Joke-Box Jury
19	Thursday - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils
20	Home Movie '2001 A Space Oddity' - Art Jack Clayton
21	Friday - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils
22	Mustapha Million - Art Reg Parlett
23	Mustapha Million - Art Reg Parlett
24	Ad: IPC 'Look and Learn' 2 of 16 Ad: 'Buster' 5 of 5
25	Saturday - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils
26	Road Runner 'The Lucky Charms'
27	Road Runner 'The Lucky Charms'
28	Interval - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils
29	Space Family Robinson 'King Blubber's Secret' - Art John Richardson
30	Space Family Robinson 'King Blubber's Secret' - Art John Richardson
31	Saturday - Art Frank McDiarmid pencils\Ad: IPC 'Mickey Mouse' 1 of 18
32	Pin-up pal 'Baby Burpo' - Art Frank McDiarmid

Cheeky Weekly cover date 31 Dec 1977

 Happy Christmas, pals!  And so we reach a Cheeky Weekly milestone, the first Christmas issue. The front page dispenses with the British comic tradition of a snow-topped title, but Frank McDiarmid furnishes a seasonal, Christmas cracker-based cover with a nice falling snow background.

This is a great issue, with Frank firing on all cylinders as he delivers a whole festive-fun-packed Cheeky's Week.  Included are such treats as a group photo featuring the whole of the Cheeky clan (hope Flash Harry used the 'reduce tooth glare' setting on his camera), and Cheeky scoffing a huge slice of Christmas pud in front of 6 Million Dollar Gran on TV.  There's even a Cheeky's Week page in full colour.

Krazy Town looks very seasonal under a blanket of snow, although it poses something of a problem for Snail.  Even Gloomy Glad has the Christmas spirit, and everyone is looking forward to the Vicar's Boxing Day party.

As promised in last week's comic, in this week's Skateboard Squad story we discover which presents the Squad bought for each other with their reward money.  Er, skateboards.  Right.  However, the ingenious team find that by inverting their boards they can travel on the snow.

Sadly, it seems Snail doesn't get a look in with the Christmas grub, but he does get to read the rather unsatisfying concluding chapter of James Bold's first adventure, Fangs of Fear. Although Bold will be back with a new adventure next week, this is the final edition to show Cheeky having a sneaky bedtime read of a Bold novel.

At the Vicar's party there are 2 interlopers; Pongo Snodgrass from Krazy comic makes his only appearance in a Cheeky's Week's strip (although he will appear in a later Creepy Sleepy Tale and 6 Million Dollar Gran episode), and Billy Bunter, also in a one-off appearance, is assumed by the other partygoers to be Krazy's Micky Mimic.  Wipeout, the canine member of The Skateboard Squad, makes his debut as part of Cheeky's Week, but I'm not sure if he was invited.  Skatie from the Squad is also present in her second Cheeky's Week appearance (her first being in the 03 December 1977 issue), but Skipper seems to be absent.

The comic ends on a cliffhanger - who will be the first person through the front door on new year's day?

As it's Christmas, I won't mention that on page 9, Cheeky's mum says that Dad gave Cheeky the racing game, when on page 2 we clearly see it's from Aunt Sarah.

 

Cheeky Weekly	Cover Date: 31-Dec-1977, Issue 11 of 117
Page	Details
1	Cover Feature 'Christmas Issue' 1 of 2 - Art Frank McDiarmid
2	Christmas Morning (single appearance) - Art Frank McDiarmid (single art on feature)
3	Christmas Morning (single appearance) - Art Frank McDiarmid (single art on feature)
4	Skateboard Squad - Art Jimmy Hansen
5	Christmas Dinner (single appearance) - Art Frank McDiarmid (single art on feature)
6	6 Million Dollar Gran - Art Ian Knox
7	6 Million Dollar Gran - Art Ian Knox
8	6 Million Dollar Gran - Art Ian Knox
9	Christmas Day (single appearance) - Art Frank McDiarmid (single art on feature)
10	James Bold 'Fangs of Fear' 11 of 11 - Art Lopez (final art on feature)
11	James Bold 'Fangs of Fear' 11 of 11 - Art Lopez (final art on feature)
12	Boxing Day (single appearance) - Art Frank McDiarmid (single art on feature)
13	Boxing Day (single appearance) - Art Frank McDiarmid (single art on feature)
14	Ad: IPC 'Spotter Book next week'
15	Wednesday - Art Frank McDiarmid
16	Creepy Pantomime (single appearance) - Art Keith Reynolds (single art on feature)
17	Creepy Pantomime (single appearance) - Art Keith Reynolds (single art on feature)\Wednesday (conclusion) - Art Frank McDiarmid
18	Thursday - Art Frank McDiarmid
19	Home Movie 'Xmas Past' - Art Jack Clayton
20	Friday - Art Frank McDiarmid
21	Mustapha Million - Art Reg Parlett
22	Mustapha Million - Art Reg Parlett
23	Friday - Art Frank McDiarmid
24	Old Comic reprint from Film Fun 'Frank Randle'
25	Joke-Box Jury
26	Saturday - Art Frank McDiarmid
27	Cocky Doodle reprint from Buster\Ad: IPC 'Roy of the Rovers' 1 of 8
28	Bam Splat and Blooie reprint from Buster\Ad: IPC 'Shoot' 1 of 13
29	Interval - Art Frank McDiarmid
30	Space Family Robinson 'Forest of Fear' - Art John Richardson
31	Space Family Robinson 'Forest of Fear' - Art John Richardson
32	New Year's Eve (first appearance) - Art Frank McDiarmid (single art on feature)