Index
» Introduction
» #1
» #2
» #3
» #4
» #5
» #6
» #7
» #8
» #9
» #10
» #11
» #12
» #13
» #14
» #15
» #16
» #17
» #18
» #19
» #20
» #21
» #22
» #23
» #24
» #25
» #26
» #27
» #28
» #29
» #30
» #31
» #32
» #33
» #34
» #35
» #36
» #37
» #38
» #39
» #40
» #41
» #42
» #43
» #44
» #45
» #46
» #47
» #48
» #49
» #50
» #51
» #52
GOODIES COR!! COMIC SYNOPSIS #50
(by Linda Kay)
(from C&G 126 – May 2006)
Issue 185
15th December, 1973 No. 72
(Note that this issue of Cor!! was incorrectly numbered ... it should have been issue #73 but instead was listed as a second No. 72! This was not corrected, as the following issue is #73 and it continues on from there afterwards)
The Goodies television show was firmly based in fantasy, so anything could happen and any number of wondrous creatures could exist. So it was no stretch for this month's Cor!! Comic creator to have our heroes facing an honest-to-goodness dragon!
Header: THE GOODIES "SERPENTLY" HAVE TROUBLE DRAGON HUNTING!
The Goodies are huddled around a candle on the desk in their office when a man wearing smoking and burned clothing dashes in hurriedly.
BURNING MAN: Quick, Goodies - there's a *dragon* loose in the woods!
GRAEME: Chatter . . . you must be kidding! Brr!
BILL: I - I hope he's h-hot! I could do with w-warming up!
AND SO ...
The Goodies ride their trandem into the woods (we know this because there is a sign on a tree which reads "The Woods"). Tim and Graeme are shouldering a long pole (it is also hitting Bill on top of the head).
GRAEME: Well, here we are at the woods - now to find the dragon!
They find a cave and gather around it, Tim holding the pole up on its end.
BILL: According to the map drawn by the guy in our office, this is the dragon's hide-out!
TIM: One of us had better go in and take a look!
Graeme and Bill immediately start to push Tim toward the cave's opening.
GRAEME: A *volunteer!* Good man!
TIM: Hey! W-what .. ?
A dragon comes running out of the cave after Tim with a ROAR! Tim runs for it, still clutching the pole.
TIM: ARRGH! It ... it's a for-real dragon all right! Help!
The pole sticks in the ground and Tim climbs up it and out of the dragon's reach. The dragon stands up on its hind legs and eyes Tim with a RAARGH!
TIM: I knew this pole would come in useful!
The dragon angrily shoots fire at the bottom of the pole, which begins to burn. Graeme and Bill watch from behind a log.
TIM: Gulp! Maybe I wasn't such a bright spark after all!
The burnt section of the pole snaps in two and Tim falls, landing squarely on the dragon's back! Graeme and Bill are still observing from behind the log.
TIM: OOF! Ouch!
GRAEME: Ride him, Tim!
BILL: I'm going to get the fire extinguisher from our bike, before Tim gets his socks singed!
Bill grabs the fire extinguisher and starts to run forward but trips as he's reading the instructions.
BILL: It says here ... turn upside down, tap nozzle smartly and ... OOPS!
As Bill hits the ground with a CLUNK! the fire extinguisher goes off and sprays foam all over Graeme.
GRAEME: Gargh! You're supposed to put the dragon out - grough! Not me - Yourp!
Graeme stumbles while covered with foam and when the dragon sees him it becomes frightened and its fire goes out as Tim flies from its back.
TIM: Crumbs! Foamed-up Graeme has frightened all the fire out of the dragon!
DRAGON: Eeeek! A horrible ... slimy something!
The dragon runs off into the woods in fright. Tim goes to shake Graeme's slimy hand in congratulations.
DRAGON: Yelp! Yelp!
TIM: Good riddance ... he saw it was *pointless* arguing with The Goodies!
Suddenly a knight on horseback and carrying a lance comes riding up behind them. The knight's lance hits Tim right in the rear. The dragon is behind, using the knight for protection.
TIM: Yelp! Now *I'm* getting the point!
ST. GEORGE: Gnaah! You bad Goodies, teasing a poor dragon!
GRAEME: Yikes, it's St. George! Hey, I thought you slew a dragon!
St. George turns away with the dragon following behind him cockily.
ST. GEORGE: I only put that story around to stop people bothering my pet .. !
The Goodies are dejected and Bill sits down on what seems to be a rock, only it starts to splinter apart!
BILL: Pathetic - pathetic ... that's what it was!
GRAEME: There, there - don't crack up, Bill!
TIM: It ... it's not Bill that's cracking up, it's that stone - it's a giant EGG!
Bill leaps up when his bottom is suddenly burned, slamming right into Tim's face. Graeme leaps up in shock as well as a baby dragon emerges from the egg.
BILL: Ye-OUCH!
GRAEME: Oh, no! A baby dragon ... run for it!
BABY DRAGON: Haw!
The Goodies climb up onto a tree branch and assume the classic Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil monkey poses. Fortunately the baby dragon is very small and sits under the tree breathing fire and smoke and looking playful.
GRAEME: Hey, I think it wants to be friendly! Let's take it home with us - I've an idea!
Back in their office the Goodies are sitting around their boiler comfortably as the baby dragon breathes fire into it. A tea kettle on top of the boiler is starting to whistle. Graeme brings the dragon a bowl of food.
GRAEME: Ahh, this is better! I *thought* this dragon would be hot-stuff!
BILL: I'll never cold-shoulder one again! Every home should have one!
TIM: Tea will be ready soon!
Sign-Off Line: The Goodies Return In Next Week's Super Issue!
RATING (using the BLACK PUDDING RATING SYSTEM):
III - Goody goody yum yum.
This is a very cute outing with some clever moments. The dialogue may not have as many puns and jokes as usual (and oddly enough many of the puns come *before* their explanations this time) but the artwork is delightful and the story plays along well.
There are a number of fun things to notice in the background as well. In the first panel the Goodies' apartment is so cold even their single light bulb hanging from the ceiling has frozen! And huddled around the candle with them is their resident mouse who's made appearances in previous episodes as well. But where's the cat? Look closely, he's peering from just behind the table!
While riding their trandem into the woods a fox is watching them from the bushes. Outside the dragon's cave we can clearly see what will turn out to be the egg later on! After Tim climbs up the pole to escape from the dragon a startled bird eyes him from a branch at the same level Tim has reached. It's at this moment that Graeme and Bill dive for cover behind the log. For some odd reason when Bill is going for the fire extinguisher Graeme is not wearing his glasses in that panel.
The way Graeme is drawn with foam all over him is particularly funny, but in the first panel his glasses are on, then off in the next, then on again! And in the last panel when the Goodies are seated around the boiler the cat is in full view, enjoying the heat right next to them (only this time there's no sign of the mouse). The boiler has also been attached to the room's radiators, making it very cozy ... so cozy that the Goodies are wearing summer clothes!
All in all this is a delightful little strip which is simply cute and fun.
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