The Beezer, cover date 28 August 1976

Here’s an eye-catching cover, with some nice panel layouts by Ginger artist Bob McGrath. It’s interesting in that it’s not a ‘story’ as such, just two kids enjoying themselves with some unusual visuals. It's the design that sells it, not the narrative.

Maintaining a weekly comic’s front page slot must have been a tough business. Ginger was A-list in the 70s, alongside the likes of Korky the Cat, Dennis the Menace, Mickey the Monkey and Sid’s Snake. His was an ‘everyday lad’ kind of appeal – not too good, not too naughty.

They say that crime fiction sells; The Beezer’s take on this is to run two crime-related funnies. The Badd Lads, drawn by Malcolm Judge, are the perps while Young Sid: The Copper’s Kid (George Martin) presents the police side of things. Both sides equally hapless, of course.

There isn’t much editorial in The Beezer (just a small letters section on one-third of a page). It’s one classic strip after another. Favourites include Colonel Blink: The Short-Sighted Gink (Tom Bannister), The Numskulls, Baby Crockett (Bill Ritchie) and Little Mo (McGrath).

The back page regulars (although they did usurp Ginger from page one for a few years in the late 50s/early 60s) were Pop, Dick and Harry (Bannister). I always think of these guys when I see my hair first thing every morning. Here’s Pop trying to get the dog clean. Poor Pop.