Whizzer and Chips
Encyclopedia
Whizzer and Chips was a British comic magazine
that ran from 18 October 1969 to 27 October 1990, when it merged with the comic Buster
. As with most comics of the time, Whizzer and Chips was dated one week ahead.
The format of Whizzer and Chips was to have the comic divided into two separate parts, a novel idea at the time. One part was called Whizzer and the other was called Chips, with Chips existing as a separate pull-out section in the middle. The slogan was "Two comics in one, double the fun!". It had no relation to earlier British comic Illustrated Chips
. In the offices at Fleetway, it was always regarded as one comic.
In common with most British comics of the time, both sections originally included some of their strips in semi-colour using black, white, and red (duotone
), with others in plain black and white. To reinforce the distinction between the two sections, the duotone strips in Chips were later changed to black, white, and blue. Whizzer and Chips went full colour on the week of 4 May 1990.
The comic Knockout
merged with Whizzer and Chips in 1973, followed by Krazy in 1978,Whoopee!
in 1985 and finally Scouse Mouse in 1989.
s in the story
of one in the other magazine would be described as a "raid", and the other comic would seek its revenge with a raid of its own the following week. The first raid didn't appear until issue 2.
Readers were encouraged to become either a "Whizz-Kid" or a "Chip-ite", depending on which section they preferred. The leader of the Whizz-Kids was a boy called Sid and his snake
Slippy, from the Sid's Snake
comic strip. The leader of the Chip-ites was a boy called Shiner from the comic strip of the same name, who had aspirations to become a boxer
. In the first issue of Whizzer and Chips, Sid's Snake was on the cover of Chips, as Shiner didn't appear until issue 2.
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
that ran from 18 October 1969 to 27 October 1990, when it merged with the comic Buster
Buster (comic)
Buster was a long-running British comic which carried a mixture of humour and adventure strips, although the former increasingly replaced the latter...
. As with most comics of the time, Whizzer and Chips was dated one week ahead.
The format of Whizzer and Chips was to have the comic divided into two separate parts, a novel idea at the time. One part was called Whizzer and the other was called Chips, with Chips existing as a separate pull-out section in the middle. The slogan was "Two comics in one, double the fun!". It had no relation to earlier British comic Illustrated Chips
Illustrated Chips
Illustrated Chips was a British comic published between 26 July 1890 and 12 September 1953. It was produced by Alfred Harmsworth and his Amalgamated Press.After a brief initial run of six issues, Illustrated Chips was relaunched and ran for 2,997 issues...
. In the offices at Fleetway, it was always regarded as one comic.
In common with most British comics of the time, both sections originally included some of their strips in semi-colour using black, white, and red (duotone
Duotone
Duotone is a halftone reproduction of an image using the superimposition of one contrasting color halftone over another color halftone. This is most often used to bring out middle tones and highlights of an image...
), with others in plain black and white. To reinforce the distinction between the two sections, the duotone strips in Chips were later changed to black, white, and blue. Whizzer and Chips went full colour on the week of 4 May 1990.
The comic Knockout
Knockout (comic)
-1939 series:The first ran from 4 March 1939 to 16 February 1963, 1251 issues, when it merged with Valiant. Magnet was discontinued in 1940; but its lead character, Billy Bunter, was thereafter granted his own cartoon strip in Knockout. Comic Cuts merged with it in 1953...
merged with Whizzer and Chips in 1973, followed by Krazy in 1978,Whoopee!
Whoopee! (comic)
Whoopee! was a British comic that ran from 9 March 1974 to 30 March 1985, when it merged with Whizzer and Chips. It was published by IPC Magazines Ltd....
in 1985 and finally Scouse Mouse in 1989.
Concepts
One ongoing concept was that the two comics were fierce rivals. A guest appearance by a character from one of the comic stripComic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
s in the story
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
of one in the other magazine would be described as a "raid", and the other comic would seek its revenge with a raid of its own the following week. The first raid didn't appear until issue 2.
Readers were encouraged to become either a "Whizz-Kid" or a "Chip-ite", depending on which section they preferred. The leader of the Whizz-Kids was a boy called Sid and his snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
Slippy, from the Sid's Snake
Sid's Snake
Sid's Snake was a long-running comic strip in the British comic Whizzer and Chips. It first appeared in issue 1, dated 18 October 1969, and was originally drawn by Mike Lacey, with Jimmy Hansen taking over later on.The strip's simple premise featured Sid, and his pet snake Slippy...
comic strip. The leader of the Chip-ites was a boy called Shiner from the comic strip of the same name, who had aspirations to become a boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. In the first issue of Whizzer and Chips, Sid's Snake was on the cover of Chips, as Shiner didn't appear until issue 2.
Whizzer
Notable comic strips or characters in Whizzer throughout the comic's 21-year run included:- Belle Tent
- Bobby's GhoulBobby's GhoulBobby's Ghoul was a comic strip originally appearing in the British comic Whizzer and Chips, and later Buster after the two comics merged.The story revolved around a boy, Bobby, and his girlfriend, who happened to be a ghost...
- ChampChamp (comics)Champ was a British comic strip that ran in Whizzer and Chips for a number of years, and was drawn at assorted times by Leo Baxendale, Colin Whittock, Jack Edward Oliver and finally Paul Ailey, before being rested in the early 1980s....
- Doodle
- Happy FamiliesHappy FamiliesHappy Families is a traditional card game played in the UK, usually with a specially made set of picture cards, featuring illustrations of fictional families of four, most often based on occupation types. The object of the game is to collect complete families. The player whose turn it is asks...
- JokerJoker (comic strip)Joker first appeared in Knockout issue 1 , the 12th June 1971. Knockout merged with Whizzer and Chips in 1973. Joker stayed in Whizzer and Chips as a Whizz-kid until the end, when he continued in Buster until the close of the comic, January the 4th 2000. The strip was written by Malcolm Morrison,...
(from KnockoutKnockout (comic)-1939 series:The first ran from 4 March 1939 to 16 February 1963, 1251 issues, when it merged with Valiant. Magnet was discontinued in 1940; but its lead character, Billy Bunter, was thereafter granted his own cartoon strip in Knockout. Comic Cuts merged with it in 1953...
) - Lazy BonesLazy BonesLazy Bones was originally a comic strip in the British comic Whizzer and Chips. It made its first appearance in 1978.The strip was about a boy called Benny Bones, who would constantly fall asleep everywhere, much to the annoyance of his parents. Until 1986 the strip was drawn by Colin Whittock, and...
- Memory Banks
- Mystery Museum
- Odd Ball
- Sid's SnakeSid's SnakeSid's Snake was a long-running comic strip in the British comic Whizzer and Chips. It first appeared in issue 1, dated 18 October 1969, and was originally drawn by Mike Lacey, with Jimmy Hansen taking over later on.The strip's simple premise featured Sid, and his pet snake Slippy...
- Slowcoach
- Store WarsStore WarsStore Wars was originally a comic strip in the British comic Whizzer and Chips. During its run it was drawn by Doug Goodwin, Jim Watson and Jimmy Hansen.The story of the strip was of two shops...
- Strange HillStrange HillStrange Hill is the title of two British comic strips, one of which ran in Whizzer and Chips, the other in The Dandy. The title is a reference to the long running BBC TV show Grange Hill about a school of that name...
- Sweet ToothSweet Tooth (comics)Sweet Tooth was a fictional character in a comic strip in the British comic Whizzer and Chips, first appearing in January 1973. A "Whizz-Kid" in the comic, and about a boy who has a fixation for sweets, continually hounded by Greedy Greg , it joined Buster after Whizzer and Chips merged with it in...
- Sweeny ToddlerSweeny ToddlerSweeny Toddler , also known as Help! It's Sweeny Toddler, was a fictional character and comic strip in, originally, the UK comic Shiver and Shake, first appearing in issue 1, dated 10 March 1973 in the "Shiver" section....
(from Whoopee!Whoopee! (comic)Whoopee! was a British comic that ran from 9 March 1974 to 30 March 1985, when it merged with Whizzer and Chips. It was published by IPC Magazines Ltd....
) - The 12½p Buytonic BoyThe 12½p Buytonic BoyThe 12½p Buytonic Boy was a fictional character who had his own strip in the UK comic Krazy.For much of its life the strip was drawn by Robert Nixon, although Brian Walker frequently deputised when Bob was on leave....
(from Krazy) Later Known as Super Steve. - The Bumpkin BillionairesThe Bumpkin BillionairesThe Bumpkin Billionaires was originally a comic strip in the UK comic Whoopee!. It first appeared in issue 1, dated 9 March 1974.The main characters in the story were a family of four country yokels — "Ma" and "Pa" and their children Billy and Daisy — who had come into a great deal of...
(from Whoopee!) - Timothy Tester
- Tiny Tycoon
- Toy Boy (from Whoopee!)
- Whizz Wheels
Chips
Notable comic strips or characters in Chips throughout the comic's 21-year run included:- Bewitched Belinda
- Beat Your NeighbourBeat Your Neighbour (comic strip)Beat Your Neighbour was a British comic strip which appeared in Knockout in September 1971 and also in Whizzer and Chips.The strip centred around two families which lived next door to each other. Although the introductory title picture shows them arguing, the two families often tried to be...
(from Knockout) - BookwormBookworm (comics)Bookworm was the eponymous fictional character in a comic strip in the British comic, Whoopee!. It first appeared in the early 1980s, and survived Whoopee!s merger with Whizzer and Chips in 1985, becoming a Chip-ite...
(from Whoopee!Whoopee! (comic)Whoopee! was a British comic that ran from 9 March 1974 to 30 March 1985, when it merged with Whizzer and Chips. It was published by IPC Magazines Ltd....
) - Bottom Of The Class
- Boy Boss (from Whoopee!)
- Buffalo BillBuffalo BillWilliam Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
- Calculator Kid (from Whoopee!)
- Cocoa
- Creepy Comix (from Whoopee!)
- Footsie the Clown
- Fuss PotFuss PotFuss Pot was originally a comic strip in the UK comic Knockout. It made its first appearance in Issue 1, dated 12 June 1971. The strip was about a girl with a pointy nose of the same name, who fussed about everything and everyone in her path...
(from Knockout) - Ginger's Tum
- Guy Gorilla
- Hal's Holdall
- Harry's Haunted House
- Junior RotterJunior RotterJunior Rotter was a fictional character who had his own strip in the British comic Whizzer and Chips, and later in Buster when the two comics merged in 1990. The strip was about a boy called Junior Rotter who is always scheming up plans which generally fail. The character is loosely based on the...
- LoserLoserLoser may refer to:In music:*Loser , an American rock band* "Loser" , a 1993 song by Beck* "Loser" , a 2000 song by 3 Doors Down* "Loser" , a 2005 song by AyreonIn other media:...
- Lucky Dick
- Mustapha MillionMustapha MillionMustapha Million was the name of an eponymous fictional character in the UK comic Cheeky, which later merged with Whoopee!. Mustapha Million later appeared in Whizzer and Chips after Whoopee! merged with it....
(from Whoopee!) - Phil Fitt
- Percy's Pets
- Police Dog and Cat Burglar
- Sammy Shrink (from Knockout)
- Shiner
- Super Dad
- Town Tarzan
- The Krazy Gang (from Krazy)
- The Slimms (from Cor!!Cor!!Cor!!, a British comic book Was launched in June 1970 by IPC , their sixth new comic in just over a year. Cor!! was edited by Bob Paynter....
) - Watford Gapp
- Wear Em Out Wilf