THE Q-BIKES! - 1966

Who better to get a 60's school kid in the mood for going out cycling, than the Q-Bikes.
This gang of cycling do-gooders, drawn by Andy Hutton, first appeared in the Beano in 1963. Each week the team would get up to all sorts of adventures which would always result in them either rescuing people in distress or catching villains!
They also looked pretty cool, dressed way ahead of their time, wearing helmets with built-in headsets!
The above image comes from an old Beano I have from June 1966, just as they start a new series. The gang are introduced and take the opportunity to give a couple of safety tips while they're at it. In this particular episode, the Q-Bikes went on to capture a pickpocket who was operating on Blackpool beach. Cycling on sand - now that's impressive!
In 1969, however, they ditched their bikes and became the Q-Karts!
So I'm gonna take my cue (Q) from that, and bring this little 60's cycle run to a close.

VIZ COMIC - ISSUE 1

Most of us were brought up on DC Thomson comics as kids - the Beano, Dandy, Topper, Beezer etc. However, we also reached the stage when we all grew out of them. This is where Viz stepped in, giving the older teenager/young adult something to giggle at with it's mix of crude & clever material.
I suppose not many of you have seen the rare 1st issue of Viz though (above). Looking more like a fanzine than a fully-fledged comic, it came out in December 1979. Only 150 were printed, and all sold out in one night at a punk gig in a pub in Newcastle.
Issue 1 began as a "Bumper Christmas Special", which is a good wee joke in itself, but another good laugh is that it cost 20p...30p for students!
As you can see on the cover, there is also a nod to the Beano, with Billy Whizz having a speedy look through the comic and appearing to be very impressed with it.
The Dundee seal of approval..!!
Click image to read full size version.

MUSIC CELEBS WITH DCT MAGS #1

A wee bit of fun now as I indulge in a short, quirky sequence featuring famous music biz personalities photographed reading DC Thomson publications.
Starting with this LP released in 1966, the John Mayall Blues Breakers album which has Eric Clapton reading a well known Dundee comic on the cover. The image has become so iconic, that the record has since become known as "The Beano Album".
Although it's quite an amusing sight, the album itself is seriously considered to be one of the most influential LP's in rock history because it spotlights for the very first time, the sound of a Gibson Les Paul being powered through a Marshall amp. A phenomenon which itself eventually became a bit of a cliche in rock music and was comically parodied in Spinal Tap...remember..."the numbers all go to 11"

BEANO'S TEASER TIME - 1960'S

Even at primary school age, I was always interested in all things arty, whether it be a visit to Dundee Museum's galleries, or a wee read of the Dundee comics. One of the highlights as a school kid was to be found in the Beano. It was called "Teaser Time" and it featured puzzles & word games sent in by readers around UK. The section I looked forward to most was the "Strange Object", a simple optical illusion graphic you had to solve.
You can give the one above a go before moving onto some more examples below that I recall from the mid 60's.