|
|
The Hotspur was the last of the ‘Big
Five’ to be published.
The first issue appeared
With the last issue (1197)
October 17th 1959.
The New Hotspur was launched the following
week
There were several merges with
this publication inc: The Hotspur and Hornet 1976, Victor
and Hotspur 1979, Hotspur and Crunch 1980, and the final
demise January 24th 1981 with issue 1110, when it was incorporated with The Victor.
The mainstay of this story paper
from the beginning were the
I didn’t personally read The Hotspur
but
I must admit that the cover illustrations certainly caught the eye.
Below are some of the characters
featured:
CANNONBALL KID,
CAPTAIN ZOOM, CHARLIE THE KETTLE, GREAT BIG BENN, HOPPY THE HOBO, JOHNNY JETT,
KARGA
LEATHERFACE,
NAPPER TODD, THE CLUTCHER, THE IRON TEACHER, THE SMASHER, THICK-EAR DONOVAN.
And the stories:
RITCHIE-HE
BUILDS FOOTBALLERS!, SAMMY THE FEARLESS FUNK, THE GUN MASTER, THE IRON MEN OF
THE SEA, THE MYSTERY OF THE SLEEPING ATHLETES,
THE SCARLETT
SPADE, THE TERRIBLE QUESTS OF BLIND MCGRAW, TONGUE-TWISTING CHAMPION OF
TOO OLD AT
TWENTY.
|
A SELECTION OF THE HOTSPUR COVERS |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
342 |
542 |
576 |
612 |
|
March
16th 1940 |
May
18th 1946 |
June
14th 1947 |
May
15th 1948 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
636 |
668 |
685 |
725 |
|
December
25th 1948 |
August
27th 1949 |
December
24th 1949 |
September
30th 1950 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
733 |
735 |
740 |
744 |
|
November
25th 1950 |
December
9th 1950 |
January
13th 1951 |
February
10th 1951 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
749 |
751 |
763 |
788 |
|
March
17th 1951 |
March
31st 1951 |
June
23rd 1951 |
December
15th 1951 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
906 |
1022 |
1115 |
1197 |
|
March
20th 1954 |
June
9th 1956 |
March
22nd 1958 |
October
17th 1959 |
Following are a selection of stories featured
in THE HOTSPUR:
RED
CIRCLE SCHOOL STORIES:
These
stories were the mainstay for The Hotspur and appeared from the beginning.
Click here to read ‘Japers of the
Click here to read a Red Circle Story.
Click here to read a double episode of
THE
BADGE OF THE BOLD:
A great
new yarn about doctors who had to save their patients from the jungle—and the
Japanese Army!
This
first episode appeared in the Hotspur in 1955.
Click here to read the first episode of The Badge of the Bold.
CHARLIE
THE KETTLE:
Charlie,
a small time crook, becomes a British spy.
Click here to read the first episode of Charlie the Kettle.
THE
GUN DOCTOR:
His
patients are Colt six-guns, Winchesters, Derringers, Carbines—Anything that
fires hot lead.
This
first episode appeared in the Hotspur in 1951.
Click here to read the first episode of The Gun Doctor.
HYSTERICAL
HISTORY:
The
first tale about the Clotwolds, Who Made The King Bathe, the story of King
Canute.
Click here to read the first episode of Hysterical History
THE IRON TEACHER:
The
Iron Teacher appeared in The Hotspur in 1942.
He was
controlled by his inventor, Sim.
Click here to read the first episode of The Iron Teacher.
THE
MARK OF LAUGHING TOM:
The
story of Thomas Telford, stone mason.
Click here to read an episode of The Mark of Laughing Tom.
NAPPER TODD:
Napper
Todd, football is his game, below read two episodes.
Click here to read an episode of Napper Todd.
Click here to read the first episode of Ninety-Minute Napper.
THE
SHIPS THAT WORE FALSE FACES:
A deep
sea detective seeks a fleet of stolen ships!
This
complete story appeared in the Hotspur in 1956.
Click here to read the first episode of The Ship that wore False
Faces.
OUR
TEACHER’S A PIRATE:
Every
boy would have like to have sailed the
Here’s
the thrilling story of a class of boys who had to!
This
first episode appeared in the Hotspur in 1953.
Click here to read the first episode of Our Teacher’s a Pirate.
S.O.S.
FROM PLANET X:
The
story of two
Click here to read the first episode of S.O.S. From Planet X.
Vic Whittle 2007
© D. C. Thomson
& Co Ltd