WEB PAGE NO. 2862 3rd December 2021 First Picture: The Perishers family

Second Picture: Boot

Third Picture: Wellington and Boot

Forth Picture: The Eyeballs in the Sky

The Perishers

Author Maurice Dodd Launch date 19th October 1959 End date 10th June 2006 The Perishers was a long-running British comic strip about a group of neighbourhood children and a dog. It was printed in the Daily Mirror as a daily strip and first appeared on 19th October 1959. For most of its life it was written by Maurice Dodd (25th October 1922 – 31st December 2005), and was drawn by Dennis Collins until his retirement in 1983, after which it was drawn by Dodd and later by Bill Mevin. When Dodd died, the strip continued with several weeks' backlog of unpublished strips and some reprints until 10th June 2006. The strip then returned to the Daily Mirror, again as reprints, on 22nd February 2010. The story is set in the fairly drab fictional town of Croynge (sometimes spelled Crunge), which is apparently a South London borough. The location as depicted often resembles an industrial Northern town and may have its roots in how Croydon appeared in the 1950s. The strip draws upon nostalgia for childhood experiences and often has a static atmosphere, similar to Andy Capp. Adults are only rarely seen; for example, every year the Perishers go on holiday but always get thrown off the train home, forcing them to walk and arrive home several weeks late yet with seemingly no repercussions. Main characters Wellington An orphan boy who lives alone with his large dog, Boot. In the early days they lived in a 10-foot diameter concrete pipe section in an abandoned builder's yard. In 1966 he and Boot moved into a small railway station that had been closed by the Beeching Axe, and they have lived there ever since. Wellington takes his nickname from his trademark wellington boots – he cannot afford proper shoes. He named his dog Boot to go with Wellington. Wellington is quite solemn and given to deep trains of thought. He can also be quite resourceful – he appears to support himself by selling handmade wooden buggies and pilfering food from sympathetic local shops. He can also be something of a worrier, always concerned that the world is going to rack an' rooney. Over the years he has worried that the world is becoming clogged up with dirt, that people might get crushed by the weight of air above their heads, and that each new year might be the same old year recycled to save money. On those rare occasions when he cheers up, a small raincloud usually appears to dampen his spirits. Boot An Old English Sheepdog who lives with Wellington. Boot is a generally affable given to flights of fancy and daydreaming. Boot is also convinced that he is in fact an 18th-century English lord enchanted into a dog by a gypsy wench (as he puts it, I knew I should have bought those damn clothespegs!) – the strip gives occasional hints that this is actually true as opposed to another fantasy. As a lord, he demands to be treated with respect, and often tells Wellington so to his face. Unfortunately, Wellington only hears barking. Wellington thinks Boot is lazy and should help out with the household chores, but Boot usually manages to find some way to "accidentally" mess things up in the hope that he won't be asked again. He hates taking baths, and his bathtime struggles with Wellington usually turn into epic battles. Boot's favourite food appears to be links of sausages, and his attempts to consume these in advance of Wellington provide the basis of many episodes. Boot was originally drawn with a short tail but Maurice Dodd later discovered that real Old English Sheepdogs' tails are docked, and so over the course of several years his tail shorter and shorter until it vanished altogether. Marlon Marlon is amiable but he is not very bright he is enthusiastic and often tries his hand at inventing. The fact that most of his inventions had already been invented did not deter him, because he felt he was slowly catching up. One of his culinary inventions was the inch-thick ketchup sandwich which splashed whenever he bit into one. Marlon also dreams of becoming either a brain surgeon or "a bloke wot goes down sewers in big rubber boots. He spends his pocket money on Wellington's buggies, which usually results in a battle between Wellington's sales skills and Maisie's desire for him to spend the money on her. Maisie An adorable little girl – at least, according to her. In fact she is domineering and a bully, with a tendency to become violent if she doesn't get her own way, and a scream that can stun woodworm. She is scared of insects and spiders. She has convinced herself she is in love with Marlon and continues to pursue him despite his continual resistance. Another character trait of hers is a fondness for paper bags (and the contents thereof). It is usually Wellington who has just managed to scrape together enough money for sweets or fish and chips, which he has then to hide lest a rustle attract Maisie, who will appear, as if from nowhere, to inquire: "Need any help with that paper bag?" Baby Grumpling A toddler who in the early days of the strip he did not speak, because he knew that once he started he would be expected to keep talking all the time. When he finally began to speak he did so in entirely in lower-case letters. In the early days of the strip he was not related to the other characters, but was later revealed to be Maisie's little brother. He used to think that school was a prison from which the older Perishers were temporarily released each evening. He digs a lot of holes, which he always blames on worms or moles. He enjoys creating mischief and has a teddy bear Gladly (short for "Gladly, my cross-eyed bear"). Recurring characters The Crabs: The inhabitants of a seaside rock pool, visited by Boot every year during the Perishers' summer holiday. Some of the crabs believe that Boot's eyes peering down at them annually are a mystical visitation – "The Eyeballs in the Sky" – and this belief is exploited by a preacher crab who uses their appearance as an excuse to extort money from his congregation. His efforts are always opposed by a scientist crab who continually attempts to invent a device to break through the surface of the pool and investigate what the "Eyeballs" really are, despite the preacher's protests that he will "rend the fabric of the pooliverse". Plain Jane: a friend of Maisie's, often seen selling potions and tonics from a home-made stall. Fred Beetle and the Caterpillar: a pair of insects often encountered by Boot. Fred is a socialist who seems to be modelled on Fred Kite from I'm All Right Jack. The Caterpillar's chain-smoking habit has stunted his growth and prevented his metamorphosis into a butterfly. This is just as well since he doesn't like heights. B. H. (Calcutta) Failed: a kindly Indian bloodhound who lost his sense of smell in an unfortunate incident involving an elephant filled with curry which exploded in the noonday sun. B. H. literally bumped into Boot one day, and they have been good friends ever since. A final, specially drawn strip appeared on the Daily Mirror's comic page on Saturday 10 June 2006. The strip depicts the silhouetted figures of Maisie, Baby Grumpling, Wellington, Boot and Marlon walking down a street into the sunset. Wellington says, "Well, dear readers, it's taken almost fifty years for you to see the back of us. In sayin' goodbye we hope that you remember us with the affecshun we feel for you." The tone of the strip is reminiscent of Charles M. Schulz's final Peanuts strip, from which the Perishers strip took its inspiration. The strip was initially replaced by the short-lived Ronaldinho, during the then-ongoing World Cup. After the tournament, the American Pooch Cafe appeared as a more permanent replacement. Annuals Regular collections of the strip were published in book form. The first was issued in the UK in 1963, often referred to as 'Meet the Perishers' but was in fact just titled 'The Perishers'. The second issue, 'The Perishers Strike Again', was published two years later. Further issues were then mostly published at the rate of two per year, commencing in 1968 (exceptions being three issued in 1972, and one in 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977). A total of 27 annuals were released, the last being published in 1981. In 1974, in addition to the regular book, an omnibus collection of previously published strips was issued, followed by two further omnibus collections in 1975 and 1976. Reprints After a gap of nearly four years, the original cartoon strip returned to the Daily Mirror as reprints, on 22nd February 2010 due to popular demand. Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com