On this day, 16 April 1977: Action
Action in 1976 had been the go-to comic for thrills, drama and violence. In 1977, post-ban, it was the comic with a goat on the front cover.
Look Out for Lefty was one of the stories that had created the furore that led to Action’s original ban. In 1977 it was still a fun strip, with artist Tony Harding’s particular sharp and heavy lines and script, I think by Roy of the Rovers’ Tom Tully, but more innocent in tone.
In 1976, Lefty’s girlfriend Ange had thrown a glass bottle at a player and there was violence on the terraces. This is one of the scenes (see the final scan below) that sparked a media crusade (fronted by the Sun and Frank Bough) against ‘the Sevenpenny Nightmare’.
