Belated Bowie 'Bituary

Well if that's not a terrific way to start the new year, I don't know what is, bah... It's been a LONG time since the death of a musician has affected the world in such a way, so it only seems right that Mr. Jones be remembered in these quarters too - and with thanks going to Mr. Ben Baker for the suggestion, we return once more to Zig and Zag's Zogazine, from the second issue dated November 1994 (the scratch 'n' sniff issue) - this highly referential and gag-filled number from Kev Sutherland and John Moore...

Count the references!

For more Bowie-based comic-stuff, have a look at Mr. Baker's write-up on the whole Bowie/Viz connection here and here.

Them's the vagaries

Two whole years ago I started a "thing" that involved looking at some of my favourite annuals from over the years (because it was December, and annuals are "traditionally" given/received at Christmas). Like most things in life, I didn't get anywhere near finishing it, but 'tis the season and all that so here's another entry. One from my ninth Christmas now, it's Zig and Zag: The Killer Official Annual from Outer Space!

You'll have to excuse the image quality here - all my scanner settings got reset after Windows 10 was installed, and I've only just figured them out again AFTER I'd scanned in this lot, so... apologies for that? Still worth a gander though.

It cannot be left at 35!

Call it an emergency posting, or call it "doing a 2014 round-up like everyone else" - I just couldn't end the year with having thirty-five posts. It's my least-favourite number you see, so here you go...

Okay, bit of a mixed bag, this whole 2014 thing. Started out in the worst way possible, with the death of a friend only a couple of years older than me. Following that was a reduction in my working hours (and obviously, a reduction in the amount of money I get), a slight mental breakdown on what should have been a fun night out, my first ever panic attack (leaving work in an ambulance, something surely everyone does at least once in their lifetime), a bit of confidence-shattering from a certain quarter, and of course, the deaths of four of the most influential famous people that I've known of - a quadruple devastation of Harold Ramis, Rik Mayall, Sue Townsend and Jim Petrie. What a bugger.

Somewhere in the middle of the "good/bad" spectrum, I developed a love/knack for ten-pin bowling. Went plenty of times this year, and thought it'd be my "thing", but then all the enthusiasm for it was completely shattered by the rude staff at the local Megabowl, one day in October. Never mind.

On the other hand, as in, the "good" end of it all, there's been plenty. Two great weekends working for Replay Events, proper "family unit" stuff there. I'd drop anything and everything to work with them full time, but there we go. Had a fun week in that London as well, went to a wedding, saw a few bands (Space for the third time, the Australian Pink Floyd Show, Republica and Half Man Half Biscuit for the first time - all better than anything), had the strange realisation that some people actually like me, and made a good handful of new friends, whilst also keeping up with slightly older friends, using the power of the Internet. It's a small island, maybe we'll all get to meet up someday in 2015? That'd be fun. Not all at once, obviously, I'm aware that some of you don't exactly get along, but it could still be fun.

Erm, quick round-up of cultural artefacts enjoyed this year? The only albums I heard were by those bands I went to see, so we'll give "Album Of The Year" to Half Man Half Biscuit's Urge For Offal, with the runner-up prize going to Space for Attack of the Mutant 50 Ft Kebab. Three films were seen this year, and only one of them I'd happily watch again, so we'll give the prize to Guardians of the Galaxy. The prizes for "Best Book That You Can Buy In Waterstone's Or Similar" go to Where's Dennis? by Wilbur Dawbarn, and Comics Unmasked by Paul Gravett and John Harris Dunning, and the award for "Best Book That You Have To Order Specially From The Internet" goes to TATP: Talk About The Passion by Ben Baker et al. Mostly for the chapters on Viz and Earl Brutus. I enjoy comics too much to pick a favourite, and this year saw (possibly) the most "new" purchases on my behalf since... 2006? Favourites include Up Yours! by Lee Turnock, this year's output by Eyeball Comix, States of Mind by Nigel Maughan et al, and the endlessly interesting stuff put out by The Comix Company. All of this and more will be "looked at" properly in 2015, if all goes to plan.

At the end of it all, I'm still in more or less the same position as I was in at the start of it all, only I now share my flat with an overweight cat called Gus, so there's an improvement at least. Oh, and there's only a couple of hours left of this year - I'm staying in on my own for the tenth year running, it's more enjoyable this way, definitely. Still didn't get time to find an appropriate "thing to enjoy" to go with this post, so instead you can have the "new year themed" comic that was posted here at the START of the year. Again.

It's Zig & Zag's Zogmany Special, from 1995. Written and drawn (mostly) by Kev Sutherland (who's acquaintance was also made this year!):

(More by clicking and so on)

Is this too late? Probably

Greetings, and a merry new year to one and all. Yes, I'm late saying that, but I AM working on... something. It's in keeping with previous themes, but it's also a theme-within-a-theme. While that's in development, I thought I'd best do something quick here - nothing screams "dead blog" like a miserable post made on Christmas Eve being at the top of the page when we're half way through January, so you're having this:

Zig and Zag's Zogazine - the New Year special! The Zogazine has been featured on this part of the Internet in the past. Twice, in fact. It honestly, honestly, REALLY IS one of the funniest comics to ever come out of Britain, thanks in no small part to it being headed by a certain Kev Sutherland, yet if the modern world is anything to go by, it seems that I'm 50% of the people who remember it. The other 50% made a video all about it, with genuine enthusiasm and everything - take a look at it, perhaps? Then go back to this thing, unless something else on YouTube distracts you. There's some pages to see if you want, and some "clues" as to what the next thing around here will be, if you're keen enough...

Chill...

No, really - relax. It's getting cold outside, and ice creams and lolly ices are also cold, so there's a link for you. This is what's getting looked at now:

That's right, it's a comic called Chill, brought to you by Wall's ice cream. Normally I wouldn't go near superhero stuff, and the whole thing's really just a slightly-more-interesting-than-usual advert, but hey, free comic! If memory serves accurately, it came from Dickinson's Newsagents, which is now a smoothie bar of some sort. Just so you know.

More Beano things

Typical, isn't it? I spend weeks looking through all my stuff for amusing alternative takes on the Beano, spend an evening posting them all up here, then two days later a couple more turn up. Not to worry though, because here they are. And they're both (sort of) the fault of Kev F. Sutherland.

Back in the early 1990s, Mr. Sutherland ran a comic called UT. One of the "regular things" about the comic (and one which may ultimately've led to its demise) was the back cover being an upside-down parody of another comic or magazine, such as Hello!, Shoot or, in this case, The Beano. And a fairly convincing knock-up it is, too:

That particular cover leads into a typically surreal (and VERY un-Beano-ish) episode of Funny Bunnies by Phil Baber. Just for the fun of it all, here it is:

The next item is also from a Kev Sutherland product (and POSSIBLY drawn by him too). It's from the first issue of Zig and Zag's Zogazine, a comic based on that puppet duo (obviously), with each issue following a loose theme. For the first issue, that theme was comics, and one of the features is this nice spread, titled Zig and Zag's Wacky World of Comics. Not only does it feature a Beano spoof, it also satirizes The Dandy, The Topper, 2000AD, Action Comics, The Fantastic Four, Eagle, The Amazing Spider-Man and even Viz!

Click on it to read it "properly", of course. 

Oh, and now that I've done this, logic dictates I'll find more takes on the  Beano within the week.

Scream Soda!

Even though it was sort-of "invented" over here, Hallowe'en's never been as popular in the UK as it is across the Atlantic. So whilst that lot get to enjoy all sorts of spider/Frankenstein/pumpkin-themed foodstuffs, what do we get? Themed bags of Haribo, and Milky Bar Ghosts if we're lucky. Oh, a couple of years ago Tango declared themselves to be the "official sponsors of Hallowe'en" and stuck some zombies on their cans, which was mildly exciting.

THIS year, however, the powers-that-be have only gone and re-branded my favourite drink! Observe:

Scream Soda! It's like cream soda, only scary. Yeah! Covered in cobwebs, gravestones, spiders and bats, and it even says "spooky value" on it.

There's also a weird claw-handed man lurking amidst the trees, which is something different. I only saw these cans for the first time yesterday, but the one pictured above is my fifth one. Wonder if Barr will be turning any of their other drinks into "scary" drinks? They could have "Banshdy" as a clumsy way of integrating a banshee into their shandy. Or "Cloudy Lemon-afraid". Perhaps "Dandelion & Murder-dock" or "Igor Bru". It's a nice thought.

While we're at it, let's take a moment to remember another vaguely monstrous soft drink... 

Nemesis! Launched in 1994 to celebrate the new ride at Alton Towers, the most delicious blend of blackcurrant and liquorice you'll ever find in a can. Think I only had perhaps three of these before they disappeared forever, and still I mourn.

There was another one too, Zig and Zag's Zog Juice - named after those puppets. Only ever had it once, from a vending machine. It was more or less a small-sized carton of Ribena, but it had globs of jelly floating about in it. Strange stuff, and I can't even find a picture of it to prove its existence (this makes it "spooky").

And as much as I think about it, that's all of the Hallowe'en-ish drinks I can think of, and even Nemesis is stretching it. See what I mean about the whole thing just not being as big over here? Ah well. Here's the Tango zombies again, at least they tried:

Zig and Zag's Zogozine - Scary Special!

Everyone knows who Zig and Zag are, don't they? A pair of beings from the planet Zog, who started their TV career in Ireland back in 1987, before making their way over to the UK to help out with presenting The Big Breakfast in 1992. Go and read the Wikipedia page if you've no idea what I'm on about.

Whether you know them or not, by 1994 they were popular enough to get their own comic, in the form of Zig and Zag's Zogozine. Presented here is the paranormal special ("More horrific than Gary Glitter!"), dated December. Weeeeeird!