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The Wizard was the third of the ‘Big
Five’, first published September 22nd 1922 ran to 1970 issues.
The last issue of The Wizard (1970) was published
November 16th 1963.
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424 |
424 |
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January
17th 1931 |
January
24th 1931 |
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There
were two issues numbered 424. Issue 425 was issued January 31st 1931. |
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The Wizard merged with The Rover and the first issue of Rover and
Wizard was issued the following week November 23rd 1963.
The title ran to 447 issues
before reverting to The Rover August 16th 1969.
The Wizard was relaunched
February 14th 1970 and so after nearly 56 years, June 10th 1978 saw the last
issue of The Wizard with issue 435.
Below are some of the characters
featured in The Wizard:
WILLIAM WILSON, COOL
CASSIDY, CAPTAIN SCARLETT, CATAMOUNT JACK, RED MACGREGOR, GEORGEOUS GUS, RED STAR
ROBERTS, TOM SMITH, LESLIE THOMSON, ARNOLD TABBS, MAGNUS THE MUSCLE MAN, THRUSTER
JOHN.
And the stories:
THE “Q” TEAM, THE
HAUNTED HEAVYWEIGHT, THE VOICE ON THE WIRE, THE CIRCUS OF SUDDEN DEATH, SMITH
OF THE LOWER THIRD, V FOR VENGEANCE, THE TRUTH ABOUT WILSON, LIMP ALONG LESLIE,
MY NUMBER IS NINE, THE SECRETS OF THE HANDCUFF KING, KASHGAR THE TERRIBLE, THE
WOLF OF KABUL.
A SELECTION OF THE WIZARD COVERS |
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120 |
189 |
350 |
494 |
529 |
January
3rd 1925 |
May
1st 1926 |
August 17th 1929 |
May
21st 1932 |
January
21st 1933 |
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578 |
628 |
683 |
754 |
786 |
December
30th 1933 |
December 15th 1934 |
January
4th 1936 |
May
15th 1937 |
December 25th 1937 |
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801 |
883 |
898 |
1169 |
1289 |
April 9th 1938 |
November
4th 1939 |
February
14th 1940 |
April
10th 1948 |
October 28th 1950 |
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1326 |
1599 |
1686 |
1744 |
1970 |
July 14th 1951 |
October
6th 1956 |
June 7th 1958 |
July 18th 1959 |
November
16th 1963 |
#1970 November 16th 1963 Was the last issue merged with
The Rover |
The Wizard Title List 1942
- 1963
Following are a selection of stories featured
in THE WIZARD:
ADVENTURE STORIES
4
CHALLENGES FROM “Z”
Two of the world’s greatest masters of magic are face to face in a challenge
that means death for one of them!
Click here to read the last episode of 4 Challenges from “Z”
Island.
CAPTAIN
JANUARY:
Read about Captain January, of the Special Investigation Branch of the
Royal Military Police.
Click here to read an episode of Captain January.
THE CLUTCHING
HAND:
Inspector Lannigan has finally caught up with the man behind the
Clutching Hand.
Click here to read the last episode of The Clutching Hand.
FAMOUS
MEN OF THE WEST (WILD BILL HICKOK):
FAMOUS MEN OF THE WEST also had stories of: Doc Holliday, Jesse James,
Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid and others.
Click here to
read the Wild Bill Hickok episode.
I WAS WITH
John Caldicott sails on the Beagle with Charles Darwin, a mixture of
fact and fiction.
Click here to
read the first episode of I was with Darwin.
THE MONSTER IN
Overnight in the heart of London, a plant
has sprung up.
It’s already 300 feet high – and still
growing.
Click here to read the First episode.
THE
VOICE ON THE WIRE:
Police are assisted in solving various crimes by an anonymous telephone
caller.
Also printed under the title: “It’s The Voice on the Wire” & “The
Telephone Terror”.
Click here to
read the first episode of The Voice on the Wire.
Click here to
read the last episode of The Voice on the Wire.
THE
WOLF OF
Along the untamed North-West Frontier of India two dauntless men were
famed, even among the brave, for their bravery.
Click here to
read the first episode of The Wolf of Kabul.
SCHOOL STORIES
SMITH
OF THE LOWER THIRD:
Lipstone College, a famous public school, gets a new pupil, Tom Smith, a
council schoolboy who wins a scholarship. The series continued under the title:
“Smith of the Fourth Form”.
Click here to
read an episode of Smith of the Lower Third.
SPORTS
STORIES
BERNARD
BRIGGS:
Bernard appeared in WIZARD, HOTSPUR and HORNET.
Bernard (Bouncing) Briggs was a powerful young fellow who earned his
living as a General Dealer, he had a yard of his own in Slagton, and he rode a
motor bike with a sidecar made from an old bathtub. He was a keen amateur
sportsman taking up various sports including: Baseball, Boxing, Football, Ice
Hockey, Rugby League, Tennis and Wrestling. Bernard excelled at all the sports
he tried.
Click here to read an episode of Bernard Briggs –
Bernard takes up tennis.
Click here to
read another episode of Bernard Briggs - This time he’s a goalkeeper.
THE BOYHOOD
OF BERNARD BRIGGS:
Bernard is eleven and following the death of his parents and a bust up
with his only relative, Uncle George, Bernard becomes a dealer in scrap to keep
his independence.
Click here to read episodes 1 - 5 of The Boyhood of
Bernard Briggs.
Click here to read episodes 6 - 10 of The Boyhood
of Bernard Briggs.
Click here to read episodes 11 - 15 of The Boyhood
of Bernard Briggs.
Click here to read episodes 16 - 20 of The Boyhood
of Bernard Briggs.
GORGEOUS
GUS:
Jeepers! A footballer with his own
dressing-room, creases in his shorts, a valet to attend him!
Ah, but this is no ordinary footballer, boys!
This is Gorgeous Gus.
Click here to read the first episode of Gorgeous
Gus.
LIMP
ALONG LESLIE:
Leslie Thomson (Limp along Leslie) a lame boy had two ambitions: to play
football for the famous Rangers (based in the town of Darbury) and to train
'Pal' his sheepdog into a champion. Nicknamed because of a limp caused by a
childhood accident, Leslie a young sheep farmer was torn between his love of
farming and football.
Click here to
read a double episode of Limp along Leslie, in which Leslie meets Nick Smith in
an F.A. Cup semi-final.
MAGNUS
THE MUSCLE MAN:
Magnus carries out amazing weight-lifting feats, accompanied by his
coach, Charlie Corbett, and Clifton, his stately manservant. The Muscle Man’s
adventures begin in Moscow.
Click here to read the first episode of Magnus the Muscle Man.
MY
NUMBER IS NINE:
Centre forward, Stan Stagg, plays for Bradwick City, which is fine
except the fans hate the club.
Click here to read the first episode of My Number is Nine.
THE
BAFFLING BOWLER FROM NOWHERE:
Broadshire’s spin bowler, Bob Gregory, has a secret past as a wanted
criminal.
Click here to read the first episode of The Baffling Bowler from
Nowhere.
THE Q
TEAM:
The Q Team taken from The Wizard 1946.
This is the first story entitled The Q Team and not to be confused with
the second story which appeared in The Wizard 1962.
Click here to
read the first episode of The Q Team.
THE
TRUTH ABOUT
William Wilson was born at Stayling village in 1795.
At the age of 14 he ran away, and determined to improve his physique
beyond normal, lived wild on Ambleside Moor. There he met a hermit who passed
on to him the secret of long life.
First recorded sighting of Wilson was at the British Summer
Championships held at Stamford Bridge, London in 1938.
At these Championships, Wilson leaped over the barrier onto the track,
just before the start of the mile race; Wilson won the race running the mile in
just three minutes.
Up to the start of the war in 1939, Wilson’s athletic feats at home and
abroad astounded the world.
During the war he served in the Royal Air Force as a Spitfire pilot.
After winning 25 air victories he was shot down in the Battle of Britain.
After the war he devoted his skill and knowledge to helping wounded and
disabled men back to normal at an Army Convalescent Hospital.
Wilson next took on the task of finding and training men to represent
Britain in the 1948 Olympic Games.
He next penetrated into the African Congo, alone, and discovered an
ancient Greek civilization—an African Athens. He competed against the picked
Greek athletes of this secret city.
Following this, he then pitted his astounding athletic skill against
Chaka’s black athletes.
Wilson saved Africa from warfare to which the Zulu leader was bringing
the country.
As a supreme test of mental and physical powers, Wilson set out to
conquer Mount Everest.
Read some of the chapters below:
Click here to
read an episode of Wilson.
Click here to
read double episode of Wilson from 1946.
Click here to read another double episode of
Wilson.
THERE
ONCE WAS A GAME CALLED FOOTBALL:
The year is 2148 and two schoolboys, Phil Mason and Lawrie Hill
re-discover the ancient game of Association Football.
Click here to read the first episode of There Once Was a Game
Called Football.
Click here to read the last episode of There was once a Game
Called Football.
WAR
STORIES
V FOR
VENGEANCE:
V for Vengeance was the motto of The Deathless Men.
These were underground fighters who had escaped from German prison camps
during the Second World War to wage a war of vengeance and terror against top
Nazis. A list of names and members of the Gestapo, and Nazi officials of
various ranks, finishing with the final three - Goebbels, Goring and Hitler -
would be pinned to the victim after they had been killed, with that victim's
name crossed off with a thick red line. They were also nameless men with each
member given a 'Jack number'. Wearing black hoods to hide their identity, none
were taken alive, as each member would bite on a poison capsule to avoid
capture. Their leader Colonel Von Reich, second in command to Himmler in the
Black Guards, was Jack One.
Click here to read an episode of V for Vengeance from 1942.
Click here to read an episode of V for Vengeance from 1959. (See
below for next three episodes).
Click here to read three episodes of V for Vengeance from 1959.
RED
VENGEANCE:
The last episodes of V for Vengeance were published in The Wizard in
1961.
The episode below is the very last one.
Where The Faceless Men finally reach Berlin.
Click here to read the very last episode of Red Vengeance from
1961.
THE
YELLOW SWORD:
Dazed by the suddeness with which their country has been conquered, the
people of Britain are handing in all arms.
They are too bewildered to fight back—yet!
This first episode appeared in the Wizard in 1955.
Click here to read the first episode of The Yellow Sword.
The signal to fight for freedom rings round the world—from the
Hopebridge school bell.
This last episode appeared in the Wizard in 1956.
Click here to read the last episode of The Yellow Sword.
WILL
O’ THE WHISTLE:
For a second time, Britain is conquered by the dreaded Kushantis, but
again secret fighters dare the invaders bullets to free the land.
This last episode appeared in the Wizard in 1956.
Click here to read the first episode of Will O’ the Whistle.
Carried by radio, the shrill note sounded by Will o’ the Whistle was the
signal for resistance fighters all over Britain to rise as one against the
Kushantis.
D-for-Deliverance Day had come!
Click here to read the last episode of Will O’ the Whistle.
MISCELLANEOUS
THE
DOG WITH THE
The first of the ‘Talking Dog Series’ from 1946.
Click here to read the first episode of The Talking Dog Series.
GO,
MAN GO!:
“With a one, two, three—we’ll jive all day.” So begins the story of rock-and-roller
Danny Dixon.
Click here to
read the first episode of Go, Man, Go!
GINGER
AND THE DUKE – AND THE WEE BLUE BOOK:
The story of two eleven year old loco spotting pals and their tour
around Britain in a special railway coach.
Click here to read the first episode of Ginger and
the Duke – and the wee blue book.
Click here to
read an episode of Ginger and the Duke – and the wee blue book.
Click here To
read the last episode of Ginger
and the Duke – and the wee blue book.
THE
COMPLETE STORIES
Click here to
read: The Demon Barber of Hut 15.
Click here to
read: Hank the Swank – the crook with the look.
Click here to read: The Spring-Heeled Spy.
Click here to read: The Twisted Trail of the Forty Fakes.
Click here to
read: The Weird One on my Wing.
Click here to read: The
Wrong Road for Big Willie.
Vic Whittle 2019
© D. C. Thomson
& Co Ltd