Last minute Summer Special thing

Tomorrow's the last day of August, which SORT OF means it's the last day of Summer. Again. And Summer's not Summer without a few Summer Specials, right? Well, with that in mind, and with a slightly undersized scanner meaning lots of fiddling about with MS Paint, let's be having a look at...

The Bash Street Kids Summer Special 1999!

See what I mean about the scanner? Got no problem with over-sized comics, but it doesn't help with people who're doing important things like this!

There's a LOT in this special, stuff by nearly every active artist at DC Thomson at the time. You've got your cover there by Tom Paterson, and elsewhere there's stuff from Robert Nixon, Terry Bave, Barrie Appleby, Nick Brennan... There's also this silly little history of Bash Street School. Worth a chuckle if anything:

There's not one, but TWO strips from Bob Dewar, an artist I'll always have time for. He can make anything look like the most hilarious/mad thing in the world. Here he does one about the Janitor of Bash Street School, and one about Wilfred:

Fun? Certainly. Different? Yes! The Summer Specials and the annuals are always great for seeing different takes on familiar characters. And NOTHING could be more different than this nutty thing from Graham P. Manley (previously featured on this very blog!)...

See what I mean? Plug doesn't look all that ugly in the real world, as it turns out. Fatty's a bit of a nightmare to look at, mind. And the old "light-bulb-over-the-head" gag's done in a funny way there too.

And... Those are the main highlights of this particular Summer Special. A pleasing all-rounder? Yeah, I'd say so. I'll try and get another Summer Special up tomorrow before September rears its unwelcome, filthy head.

Stupid bloody undersized scanner...