The Beezer was a long-running weekly British comic book, which was the home to 120 different comic strips over the years. First printed in 1956, it merged with the Cracker and Plug comic strips in 1976 and 1979 respectively. It was, then, renamed into The Beezer and Topper on merging with The Topper in 1990. However, publication ceased in 1993 eventually. After its closure, some of its characters appeared in The Beano and The Dandy.
The following is a list of Beezer comic strips, organized by year of release date and in chronological order:[1]
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Ginger | Dudley Watkins, Bob McGrath | 1990 | | The original cover star of the comic. It was on the cover until 1961 before being replaced by Pop, Dick and Harry, it regained the cover spot in 1964 and remained there until 1987. |
Bushwhacker | Bill Holroyd, Terry Patrick | 1964 | Adventure | Four separate series, last of which was named Spacewhacker. The strip also appeared in Buddy |
Mick on the Moon | Ken Hunter | 1957 | Adventure | |
Lone Wolfe | Ron Smith | 1958 | Adventure | |
Pop, Dick and Harry | Tom Bannister, Peter Moonie, Brian Walker | 1990 | | Cover star from 1961 to 1964. Continued in the Beezer and Topper |
Calamity Jane | Hugh Morren | 1960 | | |
Nosey Parker | Allan Morley | 1956 | | The character was originally featured in The Rover in 1925. It also featured in The Sunday Post and Sparky. |
Nero and Zero | Allan Morley | 1956 | | The character was originally featured in The Wizard in 1930. It also featured in The Sunday Post and Buzz. |
The Hillys and the Billies | George Martin, Henry Davies | 1990 | | Three separate series which were reprinted as Ruffies and Tuffies in The Victor. This strip was surprisingly violent. |
Big Ed | Hugh Morren | 1956 | | |
Charlie Chick | Bill Ritchie | 1956 | | |
Shorty | Brian White | 1956 | | |
Smart Alice | George Martin | 1956 | | |
The Banana Bunch | Leo Baxendale, Bill Hill, Robert Nixon, Barrie Appleby | 1990 | | Continued in the Beezer and Topper and was reprinted in Dandy Xtreme in 2004 and 2010. |
Mumbo and Jumbo | Unknown/George Drysdale | 1956 | | |
The Kings of Castaway Island | James Walker | 1969 | Adventure | Four separate series, in which the final series was a reprint. |
Baby Crockett | Bill Ritchie | 1990 | | Continued in the Beezer and Topper. It also appeared in Bimbo and Little Star. |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Yellow Eye, The Jungle Kitten | Michael Darling | 1957 | Adventure | |
Bucko's Flying Bedstead | Ron Forbes | 1957 | Adventure | |
Hornet Wilson and his Educated Insects | Ken Hunter | 1958 | Adventure | |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Cap'n Hand | Leo Baxendale, David Law, George Drysdale, Michael Barratt | 1960 | | |
The Blood Brothers of the Spanish Main | Ron Smith | 1958 | Adventure | |
Buffalo Boy | Victor Peon | 1959 | Adventure | |
Caesar | William Timym | 1959 | | Appeared in the Sunday Graphic |
Colonel Blink | Tom Bannister, George Martin | 1990 | | Spinoff strip Blinky appeared in the Beezer and Topper |
Oliver's Travels | George Martin | 1959 | | |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
The Survivors | Ken Hunter | 1959 | Adventure | |
The Showboat Circus | Paddy Brennan, David Sutherland | 1970 | Adventure | Three separate series, in which the last series was a reprint. |
Merry Hood and his Robbin Men | George Martin | 1960 | | |
Blind Jumbo | James Walker | 1960 | Adventure | |
Miguel the Matador | Bob McGrath | 1960 | | Also appeared in Valiant |
Wooly West | Bill Ritchie | 1960 | | |
The Black Sapper | Jack Glass | 1961 | Adventure | Originally appeared in The Rover in 1929 as a prose story about a thief who stole the Crown Jewels with his tunnelling machine called the Earthworm |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
The Log of the S.S. Mary Anne | Albert Holroyd/Michael Darling | 1962 | Adventure | |
The Mob Next Door | Bill Hill | 1967 | | |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
The Iron Eaters | Ken Hunter, Sandy Calder | 1974 | Adventure | Two separate series about sponges from space that ate iron, causing all kinds of problems |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Tommy Taylor's Toybox | Leo Baxendale, Bill Hill, John Geering | 1984 | Adventure | Two separate series released in 1964 and 1981 respectively. |
Dreamy Dick | Unknown | 1964 | | |
Taffy the Tearaway Terrier | James Walker | 1964 | Adventure | |
Copy Cat | Bob McGrath | 1964 | | |
The Fighting Finlays | Ron Smith | 1964 | Adventure | |
The Phantom Flyer | Terry Patrick | 1964 | Adventure | |
The Space Kids | Ron Smith | 1977 | Adventure | Two separate series, in which the second one was a reprint. |
Little Mo | Bob McGrath | 1990 | | Appeared in the Beezer and Topper |
Young Sid the Copper's Kid | George Martin | 1989 | | |
My Pal Ropey | Albert Holroyd | 1987 | Adventure | Two separate series released in 1964 and 1986 respectively |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
The Scarlet Spider | Ken Hunter | 1966 | Adventure | |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Uncle Dan the Medicine Man | Bill Holroyd/Albert Holroyd | 1987 | Adventure | Two separate series, in which the second one was a reprint. It was also reprinted in Buzz. |
Space Patrol | Terry Patrick | 1967 | Adventure | Based on the 1962 television series of the same name |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Mr Flippy | Ken Hunter | 1969 | Adventure | There are two separate series, in which the second one was a reprint. |
Smiffy | Bill Ritchie | 1988 | | Unrelated to the character from The Bash Street Kids. This Smiffy was a boy who liked getting dirty |
Roly Poly | Bill Hill | 1969 | | |
Wrinkle and Twinkle | Bill Hill | 1986 | | There are two series, in which the second one was a reprint in 1986. |
Dee for Danger | Ron Smith | 1967 | Adventure | |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
General Jim | Ken Hunter | 1982 | Adventure | There are two series, in which the second one was a reprint in 1981. |
Black Bun | Bill Hill | 1975 | | |
Hocus Pocus | Albert Holroyd | 1970 | Adventure | |
Dicky Burd | Bill Ritchie | 1978 | | |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Tommy's Tick-Tock Twin | Albert Holroyd | 1971 | Adventure | |
Mighty Mik | Ken Hunter | 1985 | Adventure | There are two series, in which the second one was a reprint in 1985. |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Barney's Barmy Army | Ken Hunter | 1985 | Adventure | There are two series, in which the second one was a reprint in 1985. |
Willie Wink the Missing Link | Albert Holroyd | 1972 | | |
The Gobblers | Watson Kennedy | 1972 | Adventure | |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
The Barkers | Watson Kennedy | 1974 | | |
Hairy Dan - Football Fan | Bill Ritchie | 1981 | | |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
March of the Giants | Sandy Calder | 1975 | Adventure | |
Fiddlesticks | Ken Hunter | 1975 | |
Dan McGlue | Malcolm Judge | 1974 | | |
Blubba | Watson Kennedy | 1976 | Adventure | |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Krunch, the Monster from the Deep | Frank McDiarmid | 1976 | Adventure | |
Joey's Ark | Paddy Brennan | 1976 | Adventure | |
Pedro, the Pesky Parrot | Bill Hill | 1976 | | |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Jest a Minute | Bill Hill/Ken H. Harrison | 1979 | | Originally in Cracker |
Billy the Kid | Gordon Bell | 1979 | | Originally in Cracker |
Joe Soap | John Dallas | 1979 | | Originally in Cracker, the series later appeared in a further two issues in 1987. |
Little Orror | David Easington | 1979 | | Originally in Cracker |
Young Foo, the Kung Fu Kid | Brian Platt | 1979 | | Originally in Cracker |
Scrapper | Tom Lavery/Bill Hill, Steve Bright/Gordon Bell | 1988 | | Originally in Cracker |
Iron Hand | Paddy Brennan | 1979 | Adventure | Originally in Cracker |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Mr. Licko and his Lollipops | Ken Hunter | 1981 | Adventure | |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Plug | Vic Neill/David Gudgeon | 1986 | | Originally in Plug |
Hugh's Zoo | Gordon Bell | 1986 | | Originally in Plug |
First Ada | Gordon Bell | 1981 | | Originally in Plug |
EcBagoom | Albert Holroyd | 1981 | | Originally in Plug |
Antchester United | John Geering | 1981 | | Originally in Plug |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Saucy Sue | John Dallas | 1987 | | |
Hungry Hoss | Bill Ritchie | 1987 | | |
The Munchers | Gordon Bell | 1986 | | |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Grotty Gables, the Funniest Hotel in Town | Albert Holroyd | 1984 | | |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
The Wallies of Winkle Street | David Gudgeon | 1987 | | |
Beefy Dan, the Fast Food Man | John Geering | 1986 | | |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Tuff and Tiny | Gordon Bell | 1989 | | |
Paw, Maw and Porky | John Geering | 1989 | | Title was changed to Porky in 1988 |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
True Brit | Robert Nixon | 1988 | | Was the comic's cover star |
Twitt Hall | John Geering | 1988 | | |
Photo Funnies | Gordon Bell | 1988 | | |
Clockwise Cartoons | Gordon Bell/George Martin | 1990 | | |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Count Spatula | Gordon Bell | 1988 | | |
Club 5 | Barrie Appleby | 1990 | | Beezer's own version of The Dandy's Cuddles and Dimples |
The Beezers | Bob Dewar | 1989 | | |
Pam | Bill Ritchie | 1989 | | |
HeadHamster | Glynn Clark | 1989 | | |
Night 'n' Gale | Henry Davies | 1989 | | |
The Beezer Babies | Bob Dewar | 1990 | | |
Strip Title | Artist(s) | End Date | Genre | Note(s) |
Adrian the Barbarian | Sid Burgon | 1990 | | Was the comic's cover star. Continued in the Beezer and Topper, and was reprinted as Olaff the Madlander in The Beano |
Geezer | Robert Nixon | 1990 | | Continued in the Beezer and Topper, and similar to The Beano's Roger the Dodger |
Phoot and Mouse | Tom Paterson | 1990 | | |
Man Saturday | Gordon Bell | 1989 | | |
Scratcher | Bill Ritchie | 1990 | | Spin-off featuring cat from the Pam strip. It appeared in the Beezer and Topper. |
Sting | Bob Dewar | 1990 | | Continuation of the Beezers, and later continued in the Beezer and Topper |
Adrian's Fables | Robert Nixon | 1990 | | It featured Adrian in Adrian the Barbarian |
Wabits | Gordon Bell | 1990 | | Continued in the Beezer and Topper. |
- ^ The Book of the Beezer by Ray Moore