Scoop Annual 1981

Annual (1981). 7¾"x11". £1.45.
128 pages. Hardcover; B&W, tone and color.
D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.

Painted cover (uncredited).

Contents:

..2 Endpaper photographic montage
..4 Contents Page photographs.
..6 Focus On Speed Motor-Cycle Racers text feature (uncredited).

..8 Stark Untitled w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).

.14 Skills Of The Superstars Taking On Defenders photo feature
.16 Star Features Jody Scheckter
.17 Ray Wilkins photo pin-up
.18 Photo Quiz
.20 Focus On Speed Le Mans text feature (uncredited).
.22 Worldbeaters! photo feature
.23 15 Years Of Stateside Soccer text feature (uncredited).
.27 Star Features Sandy Lyle
.28 The 4 Seasons Of Sport... part one, photo feature
.30 The Mini Maestros text story (uncredited).
.32 John Robertson photo pin-up
.33 Tommy's Tiny Team w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
.39 Sports Crossword
.40 It's A Funny Game - Rugby! photo feature.
.42 Picture Power - Tartan Style photo feature.
.44 Hitting The Heights photo feature.
.45 Hyperman On The Rampage! w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
.49 Seb Coe photo pin-up
.52 The 4 Seasons Of Sport... part two, photo feature
.54 Star Features Stan Cummins
.55 Klog Untitled w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
.56 Gordon McQueen photo pin-up
.57 Trevor Brooking photo pin-up

.58 International Computer Soccer part one, text feature (uncredited).

.60 Life With The Rovers photo feature
.62 The White Water Wonders... photo feature
.63 Star Features Kenny Dalglish
.64 Glenn Hoddle photo pin-up
.65 Kenny Dalglish photo pin-up
.66 Star Features Kenny Dalglish
.67 Star Features Ian Botham
.68 Focus On Speed Grand Prix text feature (uncredited)
.70 ...Car Wars photo feature
.72 The 4 Seasons Of Sport... part three, photo feature
.74 Ballboy Untitled w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
.80 John McEnroe photo pin-up

.85 International Computer Soccer part two, text feature (uncredited).

.87 Star Features Ivan Mauger
.88 Quiztime!
.90 Kenny The Kangaroo text story (uncredited).
.92 The Goalie's Got Guts! w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
.97 Peter Shilton photo pin-up
100 Focus On Speed Speedway text feature (uncredited).
102 Strike Force text feature (uncredited).
103 Ballboy Untitled w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
107 Star Features Pat Jennings
108 The 4 Seasons Of Sport... part four, photo feature
110 Speed Kings w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
112 Speed King Ron Hutton photo pin-up
117 Star Features Andy Gray
118 It's A Funny Game! cricket photo feature
120 Sports Crossword
121 Windsurf... Or Bust! w: (uncredited). a: photos (uncredited).

I can't seem to find an intact copy of this particular annual, so - from the three butchered copies I have managed to find - this is as close as I have come to sorting out the contents. There are some things missing (and the confusing contents page doesn't help much), so I'm leaving this entry here until I have sorted it out. The annual is a confusing mish-mash of sports, with a frentic energy which doesn't feel like the D.C. Thomson annuals I enjoyed reading. Of course, sports were never my favorite genre of reading material, so I'm possibly not the best to critique this particular publication.

Minnie The Minx - Mad About Puzzles

Collection (2004). 5⅛"x7¾". £2.99.
100 pages. Softcover; B&W contents.
Geddes & Grosset / D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.

ISBN-10: 1842054325

Cover (uncredited).

Contents:

.3 Just Mad About Puzzles title page
.4 Notice Jumble
.5 Minnie's Picture Word
.6 Get Packing word puzzle
.7 Xtra Fun crossword
.8 Lucky Numbers
.9 Comic Hero Wordsearch
10 Missing Vowels
11 Name Those Grls
12 Find The Number
13 Gone Missing
14 Find The Birds
15 Mini Canine Crossword
16 Comic Animals Wordsearch
17 Gone Missing
18 Gre t Big C ts
19 Comic Girl Wordsearch
20 How Many Times
21 Capitals Mini Quiz
22 Hidden Animals
23 Comic Boys Wordsearch
24 What Is Soppy Susan Carrying?
25 Word Count
26 Name Those Boys
27 Fun Fair Wordsearch
28 Clued Up!
29 Mins!
30 Crossed Out!
31 Sports Special
32 Countries Mini Quiz
33 Hats Off!
34 Letter Change
35 Unscramble The Letters
36 Untitled connect-the-dots
37 Minnie Market
38 Flower Power
39 Hidden Treasure
40 Holiday Homes
41 Water Puzzle
42 So Sweet!
43 Books Galore!
44 Cats And Dogs
45 Fast Food Match-Up!
46 What A Mix-Up!
47 Match Up!
48 Party On!
49 Baking Mix-Up
50 Capital!
51 Shape Up!
52 Minxed Up!
53 First Foot
54 Add Up
55 Girls, Girls, Girls!
56 It's "T" Time!
57 Question Mark!
58 What's The Birdie!
59 Spot The Gnasher
60 Face The Music
61 In A Jam
62 For Fun!
63 Minnie Code
64 Jumbled Words
65 Planet Puzzle
66 Untitled maze
67 Oh!, Yum!
68 Making Words
69 All Adds Up
70 Honey Pot Hunt! maze
71 Fill Those Blanks
72 EEK! Extra Difficult Puzzle
73 Girl Power
74 Hidden Pet
75 What A Dreamer
76 Drop A Letter
77 Add A Letter
78 Join The Dots
79 Untitled word puzzle
80 Untitled word puzzle
81 Untitled math puzzle
82 Drool! picture puzzle
83 Step Words
84 Untitled picture puzzle
85 Untitled word puzzle
86 All In Place
87 Step By Step
88 Making Words
89 Picture This
90 Easy Peasy Crossword!
91 Word Builder
92 Build A Word
93 Move Down
94 Untitled math puzzle
95 Through The Keyhole
96 Untitled maze
97 Word Change
98 Musical Mystery

Owing more to puzzle books than anything which resembles the regular strips from The Beano, this is a clever book which doesn't really need strips to bolster the content. It's difficult to recommend this to comic readers as the lack of conventional material really doesn't lend itself well to the same audience, but if you enjoy puzzles there are enough here to keep any child busy for a couple of hours. It is nice to see The Three Bears and Gnasher (among others) make cameo appearances, though their involvement is, at best, minimal. This is a curio which really does something different, and such experimentation should be celebrated.

This Way Up #3

Aug 2002. 5⅞"x8¼". Free
36 pages. Paper cover; B&W contents.
John Connors

Contents:

.2 Editorial text by John Connors
.3 Antenna ...All The Right Signals text
.5 Counting Friends Buffy review by John Connors
.9 This Is Music text feature by Tim Worthington

15 'You're Wizard, Harry!!' Harry Potter text feature by John Connors

22 Blockbusters Can FLy!! Film overview by John Connors

24 "Screech! Wah! Wah!" Doctor Who Big Finish audio adventure reviews by Chris Orton.

27 The Sulphur Man Doctor Who text feature by Dave Rolinson. Illustrated by Richard Farrell.

30 Winging It Angel season three review by Jon Hope
33 Reviews Summer 2002

This Way Up #2

Jun 2002. 5⅞"x8¼". Free
32 pages. Paper cover; B&W contents.
John Connors

Contents:

.2 Antenna ...All The Right Signals text pieces by John Connors
.3 Contents
.4 Strange Behaviour television reviews by John Connors
.7 Mex-Merised!! Gomez article by John Connors
11 The Dr Who Man text article on John Nathan-Turner by John Connors
15 Stoned! text article Stone Roses by John Connors
23 Unhappy New Year text article on New Year's Day by John Connors
25 Crossing The Boundaries text article on television by Tim Worthington
27 Reviews by Oliver Welsh
31 Dal-Lek! text feature by John Connors

33 "Screech! Wah! Wah!" Doctor Who Big Finish audio adventure reviews by Chris Orton.

35 Editorial by John Connors

This Way Up #1

Jan 2002-Feb 2002. 5⅞"x8¼". Free?
32 pages. Paper cover; B&W contents.
John Connors

Contents:

.2 Ed text introduction by John Connors
.3 Antenna Minuteman review by Oliver Wake.
.4 "Have You Got DVD Yet?" text feature by Tim Worthington.

.9 Eighth Man Bound - BBC's Eighth Doctor Books part one, text feature by Vince Stadon.

13 Moonglow Tim Worthington article about Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd

18 Everything In Contemporary US Sci-Fi Is Ripped Off 60s And 70s Dr Who!! text feature by Matt Salisbury

20 The Origins Of Dr. Who text feature by John Connors(?)

21 Everyone's Tolkien At Me... text feature by John Connors. Illustrated by Rob Clark.

24 Richard Linklater's Waking Life text feature by John Connors.

27 "Screech! Wah! Wah!" Doctor Who Big Finish audio adventure reviews by Chris Orton.

28 Reviews

Big Television Book

19?? - 19?? (??? titles)
World Distributors (Manchester) Ltd.

Note: There is, as far as I am aware, no numbering. Titles are alphabetical.

Basil Brush In Basil Makes A Film w: (unknown). a: (unknown).
Basil Brush In The Up And Down Show w: (unknown). a: (unknown).

Catweazle: Marrow Escape w: (unknown). a: (unknown).
Clangers: The Iron Egg w: (unknown). a: (unknown).

The Flintstones And Dino w: Kay Rausch Patrinos. a: Peter Alvarado, Robert Heiner & William Lorencz.

Huckleberry Hound: The Rainmaker w: (unknown). a: (unknown).
Huckleberry Hound And His Friends w: Pat Cherr. a: Ben De Nunez & Bob Totten.

The Jetsons: The Birthday Surprise w: Eileen Daly. a: Leon Jason.

Lassie And The Deer Mystery w: Jean Fiedler. a: Larry Harris.
The Lone Ranger And The Ghost Horse w: (unknown). a: (unknown).
The Lone Ranger And The Talking Pony w: (unknown). a: (unknown).

Pixie And Dixie And Mr. Jinks w: (unknown). a: (unknown).
Popeye Goes On A Picnic w: Crosby Newell. a: Bud Sagendorf.

Quick Draw McGraw: Badmen Beware w: Dorothy Haas. a: James Fletcher & Al White.

The Road Runner And The Bird Watchers w: (unknown). a: (unknown).
Roy Rogers At Lane Ranch w: (unknown). a: (unknown).

Shari Lewis' Lamb Chop: The Treasure Hunt w: (unknown). a: (unknown).
Supercar w: (unknown). a: (unknown).

Tom And Jerry And The Toy Circus w: (unknown). a: (unknown).
Tweety w: Don MacLaughlin. a: (unknown).

Yogi Bear And The Super Scooper w: Nancy Hoag. a: L. Hooper & R. Thomas.
Yogi Bear: No Picnic w: Eileen Daly. a: Frank McSavage & William Lorecz.
Yogi Bear: Our Hero w: S. Quentin Hyatt. a: M. Kawaguchi & Bob Barritt.

The Wombles Go To The Seaside w: (unknown). a: (unknown).

It is not without some difficulty that I bring this list here, rather than to the main blog, as it is woefully incomplete - the titles I have managed to find so far represent a fraction of what I believe is out there. There were a couple of entries I hesitated including, with different group titles than "Big Television Book", which might actually be a part of this range. Further information is welcomed.

Frontline - The SP Catalogue #1

Your Alternative Comics Distributor

Summer 2006. 6¼"x9⅝". £1.50.
28 pages. Card cover; B&W contents.
Smallzone Distribution

Cover includes reproductions of the covers of 10th Muse/Ezra (Arcana Press) #1 (2006), Dead By Dawn Quarterly (Scar Comics) #2 (Mar 2006), Starship Troopers: Blaze Of Glory (Markosia), Shadowmancer (Markosia) vol.1 (May 2006), Kolchak: The Night Stalker Chronicles (Moonstone) (2006) and Sherlock Holmes Mysteries (Moonstone) vol.2 (2006).

Contents:

.2 Frontline Users Guide
.3 Extra Reader Order Form - Summer 2006
.5 Comics Listings
26 Doris Danger advertisement
27 Special Offer For Retailers
28 The New Age Of UK Comics Is Here in-house advertisement

Official Website

One day these ephemeral catalogs will be considered important enough to document, though for the moment it seems they are thought tertiary to comic collectors, dumped in four-for-a-pound boxes, or worse... There is a great deal more American-style comics than more traditional photocopied small press titles, though the variety is wide enough that the few superhero titles included don't draw undue attention to themselves. The most fascinating aspect of this selection of comics is the number of licensed titles and characters from the public domain - all the while keeping the completely original material visible enough.

The only question in my mind after perusing the list of comics and graphic novels was why so many American-published titles were included. The differences between this and Previews is distinct, with less emphasis on allegedly "hot" comics, and a concrete focus on the merits of the titles - the Spotlight features which pepper the listings may have superficial similarities, though I would much rather see more done to support and promote the highly idiosyncratic individual creators who are printing their own material and distributing the work themselves, which this goes some way to doing.

Blue Peter Annual 2007

Annual (2007). 9"x12". £7.99.
112 pages; hardback. Full color.
Pedigree Books, Ltd. / BBC

ISBN-10: 1904329993

Features written by Richard Marson. Photography by Chris Capstick.

Photo cover.

Contents:

..2 Blue Peter photos.
..4 Contents
..5 Title Page
..6 Hello There! text introduction.
..8 Try Hard rugby photo feature by Richard Marsdon.
.12 All The Queen's Horses text feature by Richard Marsdon.
.14 Totally Blue Peter text feature by Richard Marsdon.
.20 Flying Angels cut-out feature by Gillian Shearing.
.24 Winter Safari To Namibia photo feature.
.28 Be A Blue Peter V.I.P. photo feature.
.30 Gethin Jones pin-up
.31 Gethin Jones text feature by Richard Marsdon.
.32 Geth Gloves Up boxing photo feature.

.36 Zarafa illustrated feature by Richard Marsdon. a: Bob Broomfield.

.40 Darth By Chocolate recipe by Gillian Shearing.
.42 Konnie Huq pin-up.
.43 Konnie Huq text feature by Richard Marsdon.
.44 Land Of The Rising Sun photo feature.
.48 No Oil Painting photo feature.
.50 Smackdown cut-out feature by Gillian Shearing.
.54 What Not To Wear...? photo feature.
.58 Who Peter Doctor Who text feature.
.62 Exterminate! Exterminate! cut-out feature by Gillian Shearing.
.66 An Eiffel Of Paris photo feature.
.70 Marie Antoinette photo feature.
.74 Socks Rocks! photo feature.
.76 Feline Fun cut-out feature by Diggy Hicks-Little.
.78 Treasure Trail text feature by Richard Marsdon.
.80 Zoe Salmon pin-up.
.81 Zoe Salmon text feature by Richard Marsdon.
.82 Commando Yomp photo feature.
.86 Badge Winners photo feature.
.90 Music Makers photo feature.
.92 Happy Endings photo feature.
.96 I'll Try Anything Once photo feature.
100 Happy Birthday Mabel photo feature.
102 Andy's Audition photo feature.
104 The Top Ten No. 10 photo feature.
106 Eggs-travaganza! cut-out feature by Gillian Shearing.
109 Solutions & Credits

Minutemen Arcade

http://www.minutemenarcade.com/uk/

From the stylish loading bar, evoking the Watchmen black-and-yellow branding perfectly, this website has a style which is unmistakably tied into the film adaptation. The diner location may be rather too simplistic - the arcade machine is the only clickable object. The newspaper in the foreground of the image could have led to reviews, the window to an image gallery, and the burger... Okay, I have no idea why that is there, other than to make me hungry, but my point stands. There is so much that could have been done with the opening screen.

The game itself begins with a rather amusing, though (once again) all too simple. There are a few issues with movement, the characters occasionally getting blocked by invisible obstacles, and the combat is limited to a punch and a kick. The availability of only two characters (Nite Owl and Silk Spectre) limits the replayability of the game, though as a few minutes of fun it is perfectly acceptable diversion - and, importantly, it is free. As long as you don't expect the level of quality as found in the the arcade game in The Wanderers, you might be entertained.

Once past the game, links to the official site, I Watch The Watchmen, and The New Frontiersman (for some reason here redirecting to the Paramount website) become available, along with an option to replay.

Very disappointing.

Doctor Who Sticker Collection, Second Edition

2007. 8⅝"x11¾". Promotional copy
52 pages. Full color contents.
Topps Europe, Ltd. / Merlin Stickers

Photo cover.

Contents:

.2 Tardis photo
.3 .[3 stickers] Are You Ready?
.4 [21 stickers] The Doctor
.8 [11 stickers] Rose
10 [11 stickers] Mickey
12 [10 stickers] Meet The Cybermen
14 [10 stickers] S2.5: Rise Of The Cybermen
16 [10 stickers] S2.6: The Age Of Steel
18 [10 stickers] S2.7: The Idiot's Lantern
20 [10 stickers] S2.8: The Impossible Planet
22 [10 stickers] S2.9: The Satan Pit
24 [10 stickers] S2.10: Love & Monsters
26 [10 stickers] S2.11: Fear Her
-- [14 stickers] Monsters And Aliens Uncovered full-color poster (16¼"x23¼").
28 [10 stickers] S2.12: Army Of Ghosts
30 [10 stickers] S2.13: Doomsday
32 [10 stickers] The Daleks
34 [11 stickers] The Doctor & Rose's Adventures
36 [20 stickers] S3. The Runaway Bride
40 [11 stickers] Martha Jones
42 [11 stickers] S3.1: Smith & Jones
44 [11 stickers] S3.2: The Shakespeare Code
46 [11 stickers] S3.3: Gridlock
48 [11 stickers] S3.4: Daleks In Manhattan
50 .[4 stickers] TARDIS Adventures
51 .[4 stickers] Completion Sticker Box / mail-order sticker information & indicia

Pending Information: Marked For Murder

This is an entirely frustrating title to index, and the closest I have come to discovering a full list of issues is a German reprint title named Geheim Brigade (Secret Brigade), which ran for twenty issues in the late sixties - indicating that Marked For Murder had at least as many issues. That there is such a sparsity of information on the title is unsurprising, though I would hope someone can identify at least some of the writers and artists involved, or merely indicate which titles are missing from the index.

1962 - (20 issues)
Thorpe And Porter

01 (1962; cover price 1/) The Murder Of The Lonely Sailor
02 (1962) The Rat
03 (1962) One Body Too Many
04 (1962) Unknown Title
05 (1962) Unknown Title
06 (1962) Unknown Title
07 (1962) Unknown Title
08 (1962) Conspiracy To Kill
09 (1962) Unknown Title
10 (1962) Unknown Title
11 (1962) Unknown Title
12 (1962) Unknown Title
13 (1962) Unknown Title
14 (1962) Unknown Title
15 (1962) Unknown Title
16 (1962) Unknown Title
17 (1962) Unknown Title
18 (1962) Unknown Title
19 (1962) Unknown Title
20 (1962) Unknown Title

Blue Peter - Eighteenth Book

Annual (1982). 8"x11". £1.95
80 pages; hardback. Full color.
BBC

ISBN-10: 0563179384

Features written by Biddy Baxter, Edward Barnes & John Adcock.

Photo cover.

Contents:

.2 Blue Peter Animals part one
.3 Contents
.4 Hello There! text by Simon Groom, Sarah Greene & Peter Duncan.
.6 Time Gentlemen Please! text feature by Peter Duncan.
.9 Rags Goes Back To School text feature (uncredited).
10 Who Stole The Stone? illustrated feature by Dorothy Smith. a: Robert Bloomfield.
16 Who's Who? text feature (uncredited).
18 Witches And Wizards cut-out feature by Margaret Parnell.
20 Joey text feature (uncredited).
25 Weddings photo feature (uncredited).
26 Great Jumping Bullfrogs photo feature (uncredited).
28 Leap Frog cut-out feature by Margaret Parnell.
30 Kevin Keegan photo feature.
31 Tina's Baby text feature (uncredited).
34 End Of An Era text feature (uncredited).
36 HMS Ark Royal cutaway. a: Roland Berry.
38 Christmas Stamps text feature (uncredited).
40 Marathon Man text feature (uncredited).
44 The Case Of The One That Got Away text story (uncredited).
47 The Big One text feature by Peter Duncan.
50 Malaysia text feature by Sarah Greene.
54 Butterflies And Headhunters text feature by Dorothy Smith. a: Robert Bloomfield.
57 I Don't Care A Pin photo feature by Sarah Greene.
58 Bradgate Park text feature by Simon Groom.
60 Goldie's Puppies photo feature (uncredited).
62 What A Snip! illustrated feature (uncredited). a: Cindi Harwood.
64 Simon And The Thirty Theaves text feature (uncredited).
66 Blue Peter Meets Grange Hill text story by Paul Manning. a: Brian Delaney.
69 The Fishers Of Mousehole text feature by Sarah Greene.
72 Star Gazey Pie recipe by Margaret Parnell.
74 The Bear Facts! illustrated feature.
76 Solutions answers to puzzles printed in reverse.
77 Spot The Spots competition.
78 Blue Peter Animals part two

Under a bolder cover than previous years, the contents are - surprisingly, given the changes made in previous years - rather less different than readers might have expected. There are overly familiar elements, which have been reported on at length in episodes (the Stone of Destiny, the Ark Royal), and blatant plugs for other BBC shows (Doctor Who, Grange Hill), but the essential Blue Peter-ness is maintained throughout, with features on things to make at home, recipes, and plenty of photos of the presenters. This annual is appearing here rather than on the main blog, due to the lack of comic-specific content, and even the aforementioned Doctor Who article is merely a brief overview of the series' history rather than a meaningful contribution.

The most immediately noticeable thing about the features is the bluntness of language. The article on Joey Deacon uses the word 'spastic' freely, which probably contributed to the proliferation of the word as a term of insult in school playgrounds up and down the country in the 1980s, and is at odds with later annuals careful use of language. Of course, even with the worrisome contents, there is enough here for readers to consider - an especially interesting two-page article on Rupert Bear lays out the history of the character, and his early creators. There are gaps in the narrative, along with what seems like a joke on 'Girl Power' over a decade before it was coined, but it does enough to justify its' inclusion.