Terry Bave, Sid Burgon and Roy Davis (writer) interview in Golden Fun 1980's and many more thanks to Phil Rushton

'A Line in Chuckles' was serialized over three consecutive issues of Golden Fun
- no's 15, 16 and 17. As Terry and Sheila always hoped to publish it as a proper
book I don't think it'd be fair to post the whole thing on the internet. To give
you a sample, however, here's a page from the first installment in which Terry
describes his transition from Odhams to IPC during the late 1960s.

As you can see the miniscule type allowed GF editor Alan Clark to cram a great deal into every page, leaving room for several chapters in each issue (the first part, for example, contained four more pages of text just like the one above, as well as several well-chosen illustrations). Incidentally, Golden Fun no.15 has an extra bonus for fans of IPC's humour comics as it also features an interview with Terry's contemporary pen-pusher Sid Burgon.- Phil Rushton

Although I'm a bit too old to have any nostalgic recollections of Burgon or Bave from when I was still a child one thing that really impresses me is the extent to which they both seem to have genuinely enjoyed their work.- Phil Rushton

Oddly enough I'd guess that most subscribers to GF at the time were rather more interested in seeing articles about the comics of previous decades than those, like Whizzer & Chips, that were still being published. If the reaction on Comics UK is anything to go by this material would appear to have become a lot more popular now that a whole new generation of 'eighties kids' have grown up.

If Alan Clark himself is out there somewhere (and as far as I know he's still alive) I hope he forgives me for making these brief 'samples' available to a wider audience - especially as they seem to show there'd now be a very real demand for some kind of publication which gathered together the 'Best of Golden Fun' in full.- Phil Rushton


Here is a list of the main contents of the 19 issues of Golden Fun.

1.
The Hotspur by D. Neil [10 sides]
The career of Dixon Hawke by Derek Adley [7 sides]
Sports Fun by Bill Lofts [6 sides]

2.
The rise and fall of the English adventure strip by David Ashford [31 sides]

3.
Teddy Tail of the Daily Mail by Derek Adley [5 sides]
Homeless Hector - the tail (sic) of a lost dog by Bill Lofts [4 sides]
The Detectives by Will Costain [11 sides]
The Silent Three and other secret societies by Mary Cadogan [8 sides]

4.
My favourite characters in comics by Mary Cadogan [5 sides]
An appreciation of Denis McLoughlin by David Ashford [2 sides]
Over the rainbow to Happy Days - Alan Clark interviews Denis Gifford [3 sides]
Collector's notebook by Sarah and Colin Baddiel - with David! [4 sides]

5.
Roy Wilson 1900-1965: a biography/appreciation by Alan and Laurel Clark [15 sides]
An interview with Roy's widow [12 sides]

6.
A short story by Mrs Wilson [8 sides]

7.
Wilson the Wonderman! by Bill Lofts and Derek Adley [15 sides]
Radio Fun by Will Costain [3 sides]
George and Terry Wakefield - a biography/appreciation by Alan and Laurel Clark [10 sides]

8.
David Ashford interviews Frank S. Pepper [11 sides]
The Shipwrecked Circus by Alan and Laurel Clark [6 sides]
Percy James Cocking by Bill Lofts [8 sides]

9.
The comics of war by Mary Cadogan [21 sides]
The man who drew Claude Duval by F. T. Holmes [4 sides]
Tom Browne, R. I. - a biography/appreciation by Walter Bell [4 sides]
Alan Vince interviews Ron Embleton - action artist [7 sides]

10.
Alan Clark interviews Reg Parlett - master of the art [17 sides]
The hardboiled man is back! Denis McLoughlin by David Ashford [3 sides]
Alan Clark interviews Brian Walker [8 sides]
In search of Strang the Terrible - a biography/appreciation by Keith Hodkinson [5 sides]
Dan Dare - studio of tomorrow by Alan Vince [5 sides]

11.
The fantastic art of Ron Turner - a biography/appreciation by John Lawrence [12 sides]
Alan Clark interviews Wally Robertson [7 sides]

12.
Alan Clark interviews Bob Nixon [9 sides]
The Wolf of Kabul by Bill Lofts and Derek Adley [6 sides]
Alan Clark interviews Alfred Bestall [10 sides]
Alias Barry Ford - a tribute by David Ashford [5 sides]
Alan Vince interviews Charles Chilton [8 sides]

13.
Braddock - master of the air by Colin Morgan [12 sides]
Gerald G. Swan's Funnies and Thrills by David Ashford [20 sides]
An Oojah sketch by Will Costain [3 sides]

14.
Alan Clark interviews Ken Reid [19 sides]
Daft I call it! - the story of Hugh McNeill by David Ashford [14 sides]

15.
Dennis! - an appreciation of the comic characters of David Law by Norman Wright [7 sides]
Alan Clark interviews Sid Burgon [8 sides]
Reg Perrott - trailblazer of the adventure strip by David Ashford [10 sides]
A line in chuckles (Pt. 1) by Terry Bave [10 sides]
Rupert Little Bear : the story of Mary Tourtel by Alan and Laurel Clark [5 sides]

16.
Frank Minnitt by Alan Clark [13 sides]
Alan Clark interviews Roy Davis [8 sides]
A line in chuckles (Pt. 2) by Terry Bave [9 sides]

17.
Sexton Blake in pictures by David Ashford [11 sides]
The art of Paddy Brennan by Ray Moore [15 sides]
A line in chuckles (Pt. 3) by Terry Bave [6 sides]

18.
William Blain by Alan Clark [5 sides]
J. H. Valda by Len Hawkey [4 sides]
Allan Morley by Alan Clark [10 sides]
Down the wishing well - a profile of James Clark by Ray Moore [5 sides]
What the comic artist should know - John Turner by Alan Clark [11 sides, 10 of which reprint the chapter Drawing For The Children's Comics from his book What The Press Artist Should Know (London: Isaac Pitman, 1936)]
Big Scion - the story of a small publisher by Steve Holland [3 sides]

19.
H. S. Foxwell by Alan Clark [13 sides]
B. O. Wymer by Alan Clark [6 sides]
David Ashford interviews Alan Philpott [6 sides]
The cat's whiskers - a profile of James Crighton by Ray Moore [5 sides]
R. G. Thomas by Alan Clark [3 sides]

Please note that all articles and interviews are liberally illustrated.


Thanks Phil Rushton its been amazing discovering this...lets hope these can be available in full some how maybe some kind of payment to Terry Bave to read and sent by email?
I'd personally love to read it..
See the post at comicsuk for more info on Golden Fun and other info..
http://www.comicsuk.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4636&start=15