Published in 1968 to tie in with the current TV
series, this book contains comic strip stories with Blake and Tinker up
against such historic villains as Zenith the Albino, Waldo the Wonder
Man and George Marsden Plummer. The strips are far from classic, but the
book is a nice collection of representative material of the time. There
are also some humorous strips, text features and text stories, including
the "first Sexton Blake story ever published... from the Union Jack, 4th
May 1894". This may be the first Blake story to appear in the Union Jack
but is definitely not the first Blake story ever;
that appeared in issue 6 of the Halfpenny Marvel in 1893. Well done,
Fleetway editorial team! Still, the accompanying Eric Parker illustrations
are a treat (and they are definitely not from 1894!)
Laurence Payne played Blake and Roger Foss was
Edward 'Tinker' Clark in the TV series, which ran from 1967 to 1969 with a
brief revival in 1970. There may have been 30 or 60 episodes made,
depending on where you get your "facts", but allegedly only one incomplete
episode still exists in the archives. Blimey, guv'nor, that's worse than
flippin' Doctor 'Oo! |