Alf Tupper
Encyclopedia
Alf Tupper was a fictional working class
, 'hard as nails' runner, whose adventures appeared in first The Rover
and then The Victor
, British
boys' comics
from D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd
. His adventures appeared over almost a 40-year period, under the title The Tough of the Track.
Alf, a character created by Bill Blaine, written by Gilbert Lawford Dalton
and illustrated in The Victor by Pete Sutherland, has appeared in several guises in British comics over the years.
) almost invariably involved falling asleep on the train
and missing his stop.
Sometimes his tardiness was caused by skullduggery of the worst kind by 'stuck-up' rich boys from a university
somewhere, but usually it was because he could not stop himself from rescuing people in distress or just generally being a selfless chap. Regardless of this, he always got there in the nick of time and, having just finished his fish and chips
, went on to win the championships or even, in 'end of series' stories, break the world record
for the mile and utter his famous catchphrase “I ran ‘em all!”.
Vic Whittle writes:
in the employ of Charlie Chipping of Gas Street, Graystone.
The 1968 version of Alf, (in The Victor Book for Boys) is a self-employed welder
- "Welding done here" - and is still located under the railway arches in fictional Greystone, a drab town with cobble
d streets where heavy industry
employs thousands of manual workers.
By the 1970s, some of the early 1950s storylines were being re-introduced to a new generation. There was even a 'prequel' series about Alf's 'Rough tough boyhood' and his struggle with the authorities as an orphan
.
Alf's last published appearance came in the Scottish
newspaper, The Sunday Post
in 1992 and featured Alf in training for the Barcelona Olympic games.
UK punk rock band The Boys used the name of Alf Tupper whenever they talked about their producer, as a tribute to their hero. They used the name on records and in adverts in the music press as a top producer who could do anything.
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
, 'hard as nails' runner, whose adventures appeared in first The Rover
The Rover (comics)
The Rover was a British boys' comic which started in 1922. The comic merged with Adventure in 1961 and later merged with The Wizard in 1963. The comic eventually folded in 1973....
and then The Victor
The Victor (comics)
The Victor was a British comic paper published weekly by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd. The Victor ran for 1657 issues from 25 January 1961 until it ceased publication on 21 November 1992. Associated with it was the annually published The Victor Book for Boys. This annual was first published in 1964,...
, British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
boys' comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
from D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd
D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd
D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd, is a publishing company based in Dundee, Scotland, best known for producing The Dundee Courier, The Evening Telegraph, The Sunday Post, Oor Wullie, The Broons, The Beano, The Dandy and Commando comics...
. His adventures appeared over almost a 40-year period, under the title The Tough of the Track.
Alf, a character created by Bill Blaine, written by Gilbert Lawford Dalton
Gilbert Lawford Dalton
Gilbert Lawford Dalton was a prolific writer of stories for British boys' comics.He wrote under several pseudonyms so the extent of his writing may not be entirely clear, but is believed to include Wilson the Wonder Athlete, Alf Tupper and Matt Braddock.Clive James wrote that he enjoyed the...
and illustrated in The Victor by Pete Sutherland, has appeared in several guises in British comics over the years.
Alf Tupper's storyline and character
Whatever his job and wherever it was located, Alf was the eternal underdog. Regarded as a 'guttersnipe' by the posh blokes from the AAA's, he was at his best the day after a night on late shift, lifting heavy objects and getting little sleep. His journey to the track (often White CityWhite City Stadium
White City Stadium was built in White City, London, for the 1908 Summer Olympics, often seen as the precursor to the modern seater stadium and noted for hosting the finish of the first modern distance marathon. It also hosted speedway and a match at the 1966 World Cup, before the stadium was...
) almost invariably involved falling asleep on the train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
and missing his stop.
Sometimes his tardiness was caused by skullduggery of the worst kind by 'stuck-up' rich boys from a university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
somewhere, but usually it was because he could not stop himself from rescuing people in distress or just generally being a selfless chap. Regardless of this, he always got there in the nick of time and, having just finished his fish and chips
Fish and chips
Fish and chips is a popular take-away food in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada...
, went on to win the championships or even, in 'end of series' stories, break the world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
for the mile and utter his famous catchphrase “I ran ‘em all!”.
Vic Whittle writes:
Alf Tupper was 18 years of age when he first appeared in Rover in 1949 and he continued his adventures in Victor in the early 1960s. He lived with his Aunt Meg in Anchor Alley, Greystone. The house had one room upstairs and one room downstairs; Alf's bed was a mattressMattressA mattress is a manufactured product to sleep or lie on, consisting of resilient materials and covered with an outer fabric or ticking. In the developed world it is typically part of a bed set and is placed upon a foundation....
on the kitchen floor. He was employed as a welderWelderA welder is a tradesman who specializes in welding materials together. The materials to be joined can be metals or varieties of plastic or polymer...
working in Ike Smith's welding shop which was located under a railway arch, his wages were £1 5s (£1.25p) per week of which he paid his Aunt £1.2s.6d (£1. 12½p) for rent. This meant he had 2/6d (12½p) for himself. Following a bust up with his Aunt Meg, he moved into Ike Smith's weldingWeldingWelding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes...
shop, sleeping on a mattress by his workbench. Alf joined the Greystone Harriers paying a subscription fee of half a guineaGuineaGuinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
; he was only a member of the Harriers for three weeks and was instructed to return his membership card by Bob Richards the Hon Secretary, following an ontrack fight with Vic Mason in the 440 yards at the Greystone Harriers Sports meeting. Alf's staple diet was fish and chipsFish and chipsFish and chips is a popular take-away food in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada...
wrapped in newspaperNewspaperA newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
.
Appearances
The 1950s (The Rover - No. 1303) version of Alf was variously, a Millwright at Greystone Aviation Factory and (The Rover - No. 1338) a plumberPlumber
A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable water, sewage, and drainage in plumbing systems. The term dates from ancient times, and is related to the Latin word for lead, "plumbum." A person engaged in fixing metaphorical "leaks" may also be...
in the employ of Charlie Chipping of Gas Street, Graystone.
The 1968 version of Alf, (in The Victor Book for Boys) is a self-employed welder
Welder
A welder is a tradesman who specializes in welding materials together. The materials to be joined can be metals or varieties of plastic or polymer...
- "Welding done here" - and is still located under the railway arches in fictional Greystone, a drab town with cobble
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
d streets where heavy industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
employs thousands of manual workers.
By the 1970s, some of the early 1950s storylines were being re-introduced to a new generation. There was even a 'prequel' series about Alf's 'Rough tough boyhood' and his struggle with the authorities as an orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
.
Alf's last published appearance came in the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
newspaper, The Sunday Post
The Sunday Post
The Sunday Post is a weekly newspaper published in Dundee, Scotland by DC Thomson, and characterised by a 'folksy' mix of news, sentimental stories and short features...
in 1992 and featured Alf in training for the Barcelona Olympic games.
UK punk rock band The Boys used the name of Alf Tupper whenever they talked about their producer, as a tribute to their hero. They used the name on records and in adverts in the music press as a top producer who could do anything.