1989: The Year Marvel UK Tried To Make Funny Comics

When people hear "Marvel Comics" they usually think "American Superheroes", however, they also had a hugely popular British arm, called Marvel UK. What started as reprints of  the hero-centric comics from the US, the British Marvel eventually began to specialise in owning the licence to (mostly) animated TV shows. In the US, Marvel would release these under their Star Comics banner but in the UK, the Marvel UK brand remained. Some became their own thing, with comics like Transformers actually being written in Britain by native writers and It's Wicked was a prime example of that. A short lived example, however as the weekly comic only lasted 17 issues in 1989. Designed as a competitor to popular UK comics such as The Beano and The Dandy, It's Wicked was a different direction for Marvel, a response to the "funny" comics that had been a cause of kids spending pocket money for decades so the new title had to be entirely humorous. No violent adventures of transforming alien robots trying to sell toys here, the comic had to be one or two page stories that could make children smile. Of course, in order to actually sell copies, Marvel needed to have a hook so they decided that the stories would have a supernatural bent to them. Nothing scary, just stories centred around ghosts and ghouls and who better than to be their cover star than a little green spud from a very popular cartoon that Marvel UK currently had the rights to?

The Real Ghostbusters comic from Marvel UK was a huge seller from 1988-1992 with 193 issues and four annuals so it made sense to spin-off Slimer into his own title. Except, rather than him be the star of a book of stories just about him, Marvel decided he's be the ideal character to be the figurehead of their new humour comic. The problem is, Slimer... isn't very interesting... Although, this is actually preferable to a regular comic of just him (America did that for 19 issues the same year and Marvel UK would also try it the following year, again for only 19 issues) there wasn't enough in the character to justify three pages of a weekly. And this is even with the new characters introduced in the cartoon in order to make the little turd a bigger star than he had any right to be. Anyway, enough about him...

It's Wicked is notable for more than just having a major "star" adorning its pages, it also introduced brand new characters. This was something that Marvel UK wasn't in the habit of doing, the British environmental comic Acorn Green failed to make an impression back in '86 with only 36 issues and two annuals to its (now forgotten) name. Editor Helen Stone assembled a bunch of writers and artists from other British weeklies, including Barrie Appleby (Cuddles and Dimples) and John Geering (Bananaman) to create new characters.The results were mixed.

The cast of characters in It's Wicked largely remained the same for its entire brief run, with the odd change here and there. The main problem with It's Wicked's cadre of misfits was, most of them were neither likeable nor relatable. One of the reasons for the success of comics such as The Beano, The Topper, The Beezer, Buster etc was the fact that the main characters were kids who could easily go through the same things as the nippers reading their exploits. An outlier of this is The Dandy (whose masthead It's Wicked shamelessly cribbed from) with its biggest stars being a cat and an American tough guy who eats cows baked in pies. The Dandy did have it's fair share of kid characters, though, with Cuddles and Dimples being breakouts when they joined forced in the mid-80s after It's a Hoot folded. Not many kids could relate to a snivelling postman or an unfunny skeleton or a cute dragon or a spoiled Mummy or whatever the crap Toad in the Hole was about. The characters were bland, the stories dull and unimaginative (with the exception of the aforementioned Toad in the Hole, an odd kind of continuing story that was wonderfully drawn but one I didn't appreciate as a kid) and despite the best efforts to make Slimer less annoying, the comic wasn't a success. It also sadly didn't help that the particular market there were trying to jump in on, was on the wane. With once popular titles as The Topper and The Beezer about to merge the following year before ceasing publication in 1993. The market was changing and Marvel UK was finding this out the hard way. Maybe if they tried it a decade earlier. they may have had something. As it stands, It's Wicked is nothing more than an interesting failure.

Still... it was better than The Bog Paper, Marvel UK's second attempt a few months later at a "funny" comic. That nonsense was just dire and only lasted 11 issues and doesn't deserve to be mentioned ever again.

Favourite TV Themes of the 1970s

Here are my favourite TV themes from the decade I was born, the 1970s. I have linked to Youtube videos for you to hear the themes yourself and they are in no particular order.

Gotcha (Theme from Starsky and Hutch)
Composed by Tom Scott (1976)
Not the first theme from the show, the original was a more serious tune composed by Lalo Schifrin but certainly the most famous. In fact, it is not even the last theme as season three had a completely different one until this returned for the 4th and final run, albeit in a slightly different arrangement. The full season 4 version was released on Tom Scott's album, Blow It Out, released in 1977.
Season 2 opening credits

Eye Level (Theme from Van Der Valk) 
Composed by Jack Trombey, Performed by the Simon Park Orchestra.(1972)
I was not around in the early 70s when this show first aired but I am sure I heard this on the radio as a kid. This got to number one in the charts in 1973, so that is entirely possible. The theme for a British cop show that was set in Amsterdam, it was resurrected with a faster tempo for the show's revival in the early 90s. That is what I may be more familiar with but I certainly love the original chart topper.
Eye Level

Mork & Mindy 
Composed by Perry Botkin Jr (1978)

A fondly remembered sit-com that was insanely popular for its first season until cast and tonal changes saw a severe decline in ratings leading to its cancellation in its fourth year. It did make a star out of its energetic leading man Robin Williams, so it's all good. While the original version of the theme is pretty gentle and sweet, I actually prefer this Disco arrangement of the theme.
Season 2 opening credits

Fawlty Towers
Composed by Dennis Wilson (1975)
One of the best BBC sit-coms ever produced despite there only being 12 episodes, this was one of the final themes composed by Dennis Wilson. Wilson also created the music for Rising Damp, Till Death Do Us Part and Steptoe and Son. Wilson went for a rather jaunty tune that belies the often anarchic goings on in the fictional Torquay hotel it is named for.
Full theme

Making Our Dreams Come True (Theme From Laverne and Shirley)
Composed by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel, Performed by Cyndi Grecco (1976)
This American top 40 tune from the classic sit-com is just so damn wholesome. Sung by Cyndi Grecco, this was the first of 5 singles for the singer but the only one to chart, making her a one-hit wonder. By the time season 8 of the show rolled around, it had lost the Shirley of its title duo but kept the name and the song remained the theme until the very end.
Making Our Dreams Come True single version

Theme From S.W.A.T.
Composed by Barry De Vorzon, Performed by Rhythm Heritage(1975)

Another theme tune to a TV show that got to number one in the charts, this time in the US. This is probably the most well known thing about the relatively short lived ABC show (only 37 episodes were made) but it had a big screen movie in 2003 and is currently enjoy rebooted success on CBS. Composer De Vorzon was the founder of Valiant Records and composed the music for cult classic 1979 movie The Warriors.
Opening Credits

Makin' It
Written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris, Performed by David Naughton (1979)
A case of the theme song being more known than the show it was spawned from. Makin' It starring David Naughton was inspired by the movie Saturday Night Fever and the producer of that film (and manager of the Bee Gees) Roger Stigwood had a hand in the show's creation. The show lasted 9 episodes and while early pressings of the single stated it was from the show of the same name, later ones would state it was from the movie "Meatballs" in which it also featured. This was Naughton's only released song and two years later he would star in An American Werewolf in London.
Makin' It single version

Hong Kong Phooey
Written by Hoyt Curtin, Performed by Scatman Crothers (1974)

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the absolute genius that is Hoyt Curtin? Regular composer for Hanna-Barbera, Curtin wrote the themes for The Flintstones, Top Cat, The Jetsons, Jonny Quest and this funky ditty for the short-lived classic. People tend to forget, while this character and his theme (sung by the voice actor, no less) are well known, the show only lasted one 16 episode season.
Opening Credits

Jamie and the Magic Torch
Written by Joe Griffiths, Performed by Tony Steven (1976)
This is a kid's show that, like Hong Kong Phooey, I watched repeats of in the 80s. A lot of Cosgrove Hall shows were a big part of my childhood and their theme tunes like this, Count Duckula and Danger Mouse were so memorable. The cartoon itself saw a young boy and his dog travel to a magical place called Cukoo Land via a magic torch. As you can imagine, the theme and the opening credits are the most memorable things about the show.
Opening credits

Angela (Theme from Taxi)
Composed by Bob James (1978)

This is possibly they most relaxing tune on this list. The immensely popular sit-com Taxi lasted five seasons across two networks, winning a total 18 Emmy awards and 4 Golden Globes. The theme, written by Jazz keyboardist Bob James was not the original choice. Another track by James called Touchdown was the first choice but producers heard Angela, that was written for a scene in the third episode and used it as the theme instead. Both can be heard on James' album Touchdown and incidental music from Taxi can be found on his album The Genie. It's good stuff.
Full Length Version

Retro Games: Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats.

About 1989, I got a Spectrum 128k for a Christmas present... a couple of months early because I found where it was hidden as I was a little dick back then. A few years later, as the console was on it's way out, I got a few Hanna-Barbera themed games for cheap in a local store. Atom Ant, Hong Kong Phooey, Ruff and Reddy and the game I am going to talk about here, Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats. Based, kind of, on an animated TV movie from 1988, the game from Hi-Tec software was also available on Amiga, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and Atari ST.

The movie has Benny the Ball wrongly inherit a fortune and become embroiled in a scheme by people wanting his money. The game features Top Cat working his way through a serious of mini mazes, avoiding things that can kill him (including flying birds) in order to find his lost friends. Not exactly the same but the final level does have you search for Benny in a mansion so there's that. Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats has the distinction of being one of the few games young me actually completed (along with Yogi and Friends in The Greed Monster from the same publisher) . While I never was (and still am not) a particularly great gamer, I seemed to take to this one easier than, say, Atom Ant. While I threw high pitched Scottish accented obscenities at that (and Scooby Bastarding Doo from Gargoyle Games) I enjoyed the simpleness of TC's adventure. I am hesitant to say it was "easy", it was an early console game after all, they didn't like to hold your hand through games back then. If you died, it was back to the start for you, buddy boy or girl. However, I will say once you got into the rhythm of the game, it became quite fun. Repetitive, but fun. And this is coming from someone who, while a Hanna-Barbera fan, didn't quite click with the antics of TC and his band of merry felines.

As mentioned, the object is to guide TC around various maze like screens, avoiding obstacles in order to get from one side to another. Skateboarders, fires, bees, bombs, birds and for some reason, in the final level, ghosts try to block your path. Your health is represented by a milk bottle, the contents of which drain away if you are touched by or touch any dangerous object (a moving part of the fence can mess you up if you don't time it right). Along the way, you can find milk bottles to top your health up but, somewhat pointlessly,  there is also fruit but don't eat the rotten apples, they drain your health. The first level is simple, once you get into it, rescuing the first 4 members of your crew isn't all that taxing but level two is a tad more frustrating.
                                               

Moving from the alleys of New York, the second level takes it to the streets of Beverly Hills where you complete a series of puzzles to get to the (seemingly haunted)  mansion to find Benny. When you do find your weirdly coloured sidekick, the game ends rather unceremoniously, which was par for the course with older console games.Sure, it was disappointing,  I wanted to see how TC and Benny got back home, but at least I finished it. As it stands, the game lasts barely half an hour if you can master getting through without dying. Overall, it's not a bad game exactly just a very repetitive one but one t I always looked forward to playing. If only because I was actually good at it. If only I could get past the first level of that bloody obnoxious Atom Ant game...

Next Time: Nothing to do with Hanna-Barbera, I swear...

Unbelievable Hanna-Barbera Shows That Really, Honestly Existed

Hanna-Barbera were awesome. Ok, a lot of their stuff may not hold up and they did stick to the Scooby Doo formula for far too long but at the time, they were unstoppable TV Titans. They produced so many shows, that for every Scooby Doo, there was a Clue Club and some of their output was a tad...odd...

Fonz and the Happy Days Gang
1980-1981 (24 episodes)
It probably seemed like a good idea at the time. At the very end of the 1970s, H-B signed a deal with Paramount Television to bring some of their TV shows to Saturday mornings in cartoon form. Mork and Mindy (starring the original cast but, oddly, set when Mindy was at school), Laverne and Shirley and this oddity. Why is it any stranger than the other Paramount shows I mentioned? Because this show featured the Fonz, Richie and Ralph Malph meeting a girl from the future called Cupcake (voiced by Didi Conn, Frenchie in Grease). And Cupcake has a time machine. Yup, you read that right, the 'Happy Days Gang' travel through time. Sure, the live action show dabbled in sci-fi before when it introduced Mork but here, they are knee deep in science fiction.. Also, Fonzie has an anthropomorphic dog called Mr. Cool. Voiced by the legend that is Frank Welker, Mr Cool is one of the worst characters ever created by H-B, along with Scrappy Doo, No lie.
FACT:  In the Laverne and Shirley cartoon, the characters were in the army. This is similar to Olive Oyl in the Popeye Show that was on at the same time. Both were inspired by the film Private Benjamin which was a hit the year before (1980)

View a complete episode on Youtube

               

The Gary Coleman Show
1982 (13 episodes)
Ok, this one sounds simple enough- an animated show starring the kid from Diff'rent Strokes, right? Well, yes but he isn't playing Gary Coleman. He is playing a kid called Andy who has died and gets sent back to Earth from Heaven as an Angel to help people...... Yes that is the plot of an animated kids show in 1982, it was based on a live action TV movie that aired in the same year.  Each story (there were two per episode) was basically a ten minute PSA, teaching kids life lessons which is commendable, sure, but I just can't get past that premise for a Saturday morning cartoon.
FACT: Sidney Miller who voiced the nasty Hornswoggle was a man of many talents. As well as being an actor, he was a songwriter too as well as a director, helming episodes of shows such as The Monkees, Bewitched and Get Smart. He was also the voice of Dungeon Master in the excellent Dungeons & Dragons animated series.

View opening credits on Youtube

             

The Robonic Stooges
1977-1978 (16 shorts then 16 half hour episodes)
H-B made many shows that were made up of 3 or more shorts. Yogi Bear, for example, started as a short in The Huckleberry Hound Show before getting one of his own. In 1977, the format was wearing a bit thin when they introduced The Skatebirds to Saturday mornings and in turn, that show introduced The Robonic Stooges to a world of unsuspecting kids. After Skatebirds ended, the trio were given their own show that lasted 16 episodes in 1978. Giving a modern spin on the classic characters, Larry, Curly and Moe get bionic powers and fight crime. It's as bad as it sounds. Since all of the real stooges had passed away before this monstrosity could get made, it was left to voice actors to play the parts. The problem is, especially in the case of Frank Welker, they used actors who had done impersonations of the Stooges for other shows. This is why Curly sounds exactly like Jabberjaw the shark...
FACT: Paul Winchell who voices Moe is more famous for providing the voice of Dick Dastardly. Winchell also provided the voice of Woofer in the Woofer & Wimper, Dog Detectives segment of The Skatebirds show. These segments were shortened versions of episodes of Clue Club, which lessened the human characters and focused more on the canine 'heroes'.

Watch Clip on Youtube

                     

Popeye and Son
1987 (13 episodes)
In the 1980s, every cartoon character either had kids (The Pink Panther, Captain Caveman) or were kids (Tom and Jerry, The Flintsones, the Scooby Gang etc) and in the second half of the decade H-B thought it was the turn of Popeye to have a kid. Now, correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't one of the main attractions of the original (and indeed in H-B's own Popeye toon from the 70s) the love triangle between Popeye, Olive Oyl and Bluto? In this version, Popeye and Olive are married and have a son called Junior (original). Not only that, but Bluto is also married and has a son! Despite him being a cartoon character, I swear you can see the embarrassment on Popeye's face, throughout this mess. And Junior is more annoying than his mum, which is quite a feat.
FACT: Maurice LaMarche who portrayed Popeye for this show only is more famous for being the voice of Egon in the Real Ghostbusters and Brain in Pinky and the Brain. He also does many voices on Futurama. And is a freaking legend.

                                                    View complete episode on Youtube
                       

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo 
1985 (13 episodes)
Before the fantastic 1997 direct to video animated move Scooby Doo on Zombie Island, Hanna Barbera introduced real supernatural elements in this, basically to cash in on the hit movie Ghostbusters. The shortest Scooby Doo series ever, this saw the 80s Scooby Gang (that's the one without Velma and Fred) join forces with the incredibly annoying child Flim-Flam to catch ghosts that have escaped a book. They are aided by Vincent Van Ghoul, voiced by the wonderful Vincent Price in his final regular role (he would voice Edgar Allan Poe for one episode of Tiny Toons Adventures in 1991). I remember enjoying this as a kid simply because it was offering something different but the combination of Scrappy Doo and Flim-Flam (voiced by Susan Blu) is so frustratingly annoying. It's like having two Scrappy Doos and nobody wants that.
FACT: The show was cancelled before the main arc could end but the direct to DVD movie Scooby Doo and the 13th Ghost (2019) aims to tie stuff up. As the legendary Mr Price is no longer with us, Vincent Van Ghoul is voiced by Maurice LaMarche who also portrayed him in the series Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated. 

Opening credits on Youtube

Well, hello there, here's an intro post...

Hi, I'm Shifty Bench and for as long as I can remember, I have loved television. As I am old, I loved TV before I loved movies, apart from those that aired on TV, usually in edited forms. We couldn't afford to go to the cinema in the early 80s and when we finally got a VHS recorder, it was used to tape stuff of the telly. As a child, I used to watch the little colourful box on a daily basis, children's shows after school and on a Saturday morning, especially but I used to watch sit-coms and entertainment shows in the evenings too. I even had a black and white TV in my room, which was primarily for the Spectrum computer I had but I also sneakily watched "grown up" stuff at night. And by that, I mean the news and the occasional film on Channel that had boobs in it. Anyway, point is, TV is awesome. Most of the time. In this blog, I shall be writing about stuff I like, mostly TV but also films, video games, comics and basically anything I can think of to write about. I have been "Shifty Bench" online for almost 20 years and how did I get this name? My parents were weird... Okay, it's from an episode of Buffy...

The first regular edition of the blog will be out later this week (I write this on Monday the 25th of February), so look out for it and hopefully it will be a regular thing. Later!