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GOODIES COR COMICS SYNOPSIS #27
(by Linda Kay)
(from C&G 99 – March 2004)
Issue 162
7 July, 1973 No. 50
There were many instances when The Goodies would incorporate American culture into their humour ... institutions such as the military and medicine shows weren't safe on either side of the pond in the hands of the trio's biting humour. Country / western themes were also played upon in their songs "Cactus in my Y-Fronts" and "Good Ol' Country Music." I'm not certain how popular (if at all) rodeo's were or are in England, but that didn't stop Cor!! comics from giving this cowboy theme a go.
COVER ARTWORK: The Goodies are seen in their "western" gear; Bill dressed as a cowboy, Tim as an Indian chief and Graeme as an old west doctor. Bill is riding a bucking bronco, which has "bucked" Tim high up in the air (the two hoofprints on Tim's behind are evidence of this) and Graeme runs for cover. Above them are the words "Bill's Horsing Around" and below the horse a caption reads "See - The Goodies Inside!"
Header: THE GOODIES GET SADDLED WITH JOBS AT A RODEO!
The Goodies are in their office when a man dressed very similarly to Buffalo Bill Cody barges into their office (the door hangs on a broken hinge so he must have made a very dramatic entrance). He is holding his two six-shooters at the trio, who throw up their hands.
RODEO MANAGER: Ah'm staging a *rodeo* but ma riders have *walked out*! Kin I persuade you Goodies to take their place?
GRAEME: Er ... if you put it like that - we do anything and we need the cash!
The Goodies are next seen riding their trandem to the rodeo. They have outfitted the bike with huge longhorn steer horns in place of the handlebars. Bill is dressed as a cowboy, Tim as an Indian chief with a full feathered headdress and Graeme is in an old-fashioned suit with a top hat. A startled housewife waiting at a station stop reacts with shock (or perhaps it's the arrow embedded in the sign above her head which has startled her!).
BILL: What are you dressed like that for, Graeme?
GRAEME: I'm *Doc Happyday*! You may need me, lads!
AT THE RODEO ...
The Goodies watch as a wild bucking bronco kicks off a rider. Bill is approaching the horse to ride next while Graeme squirts glue from a bottle onto the horse's saddle.
ANNOUNCER: Now the bucking bronco event! The daring rider must stay in the saddle for a minute!
GRAEME: You do just that, Bill! My super-stick glue should help!
BILL: M-me? *Gulp!*
Bill climbs into the saddle and the horses bucks wildly, trying to throw him. Bill stays firmly in the saddle, although the saddle is flying wildly into the air. Graeme and Tim stand watching safely on the sidelines.
BILL: Ooer! S-someone show me the brake!
GRAEME: At least Bill can't come out of the saddle!
The strap holding the saddle on the horse snaps in two and Bill goes flying in the air toward Graeme and Tim. Graeme calmly removes his top hat.
TIM: No - but the *saddle* can come off the horse - and it *has*!
GRAEME: Time to bring my special opera hat into play .. !
Graeme sets his hat on the ground and Bill lands head-first on it with a BONK! The hat springs back up and launches Bill back into the air with a BOINGGG! toward the horse, which is now grazing quietly.
TIM: My hat! Your topper sure springs a surprise!
Bill lands backwards on the horse's back with a BONG! The horse is too startled to react.
BILL: *Hey!* The minute's up - I've done it!
Graeme next pushes Tim toward a corral with a longhorn steer inside.
GRAEME: The next event is throwing the steer - in you go, Tim!
TIM: Ooer ... reckon I'm going to "beef" about this!
The longhorn steer bursts through the corral fence with Tim barely hanging onto its horns.
TIM: YEEAAGH! How do you *steer* this thing?
Tim pulls off his large Indian headdress.
TIM: Perhaps I can solve this *ticklish* problem!
Tim begins tickling the steer with the feathers of his headdress. The steer falls about laughing, rolling onto its back.
BILL: A submission ... that's won the steer wrestling match!
TIM: Bully for me ... that's a *feather in my cap!*
Finally the Goodies each man a covered chuck-wagon; Tim and Graeme facing one direction and Bill facing toward them. The rodeo manager stands to one side with a pistol, ready to start them off.
ANNOUNCER: Now for the exciting chuck-wagon display! Watch them thar wagons thunder past each other with inches to spare!
RODEO MANAGER: On yo' marks! ... git set .. !
The rodeo manager fires the gun into the air as the wagons race toward each other. A confused rabbit sits in between the oncoming wagons.
RODEO MANAGER: GIT!!
GRAEME: Gulp! Guess who forgot to measure the width of the wagons?
The wagons slam into each other with an enormous KER-RUMP! Wheels, parts and Goodies fly in all directions, Bill taking moment to a sign an Insurance Policy. The rabbit now cowers beneath the flying debris.
TIM: RODEO HOG!
BILL: Hold your horses!
Before they know it, the teams of horses have taken off in opposite directions, each dragging a Goodie behind them sans wagon!
GRAEME: *Eek!* We're being taken for a ride - without a wagon!
When the Goodies get back, looking bedraggled and beaten, they confront the rodeo manager.
GRAEME: We give up, we retire! But we've learned one thing .. !
RODEO MANAGER: What's that .. ?
The Goodies ride off on their trandem, moaning in pain upon the seats of the bike.
GRAEME: Why you call this lark a *RODE-OH ... OH!*
BILL: *OOH!*
TIM: *OW!*
Sign-Off Line: Our T.V. Chuckle Champs Return in Next Week's Cor!!
RATING (using the BLACK PUDDING RATING SYSTEM):
III - Goody goody yum yum.
This is a fun outing which really benefits from some outstanding and energetic artwork. It's always fun to see the Goodies in costume and this strip takes good advantage of the rodeo setting to put them into some wildly imaginative outfits which work well with their personalities. The background jokes aren't as numerous in this comic, although in the first panel a wanted poster (held up by an arrow) hangs in the Goodies office and reads "Wanted: Notorious Nigel Blenkinsop alias The Terror of Tunbridge Wells," so the cowboy theme is established immediately.
The horse and steer are particularly well drawn as are the Goodies in the panels with these animals. The chuck wagon dash is also beautifully depicted, as is the resulting crash. Another funny subtle joke is that the rodeo manager's pants fall down when he fires the starting pistol into the air. The puns work well and overall the theme is played out in a clever manner. All in all this is a very enjoyable episode.
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