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An issue of The Modern Boy comic.
The next old comic book to materialise was this copy of The Modern Boy, another flimsy comic book, dating to w/e June 20th 1936. Priced at 2d (2 pence), it was sold weekly to youngsters keen on reading exciting adventure stories. The headline story for this week's issue was by Alfred Edgar, ".. the World's Best Motor-Racing Story Writer...". The cover artwork, unsigned as far as I can see, shows a Bugatti Type 35 dicing with a P2/P3 Alfa Romeo, the former car doing its level best to destroy itself against a tree unfortunately sited at the edge of the racing circuit. The lucky child who received this comic was in for a stirring read no doubt, the story kicking off like this ... "Two hundred boys were jammed on a corner of the road through Archer Park, hopping with excitement as they watched a Bugatti roar into the turn. It came up howling, shuddering under the brakes as the driver crashed them on. Two hundred boys from Hambledon College let up a yell as the tail of the blue car slashed around, their shout drowned by the skittering rush of straining tyres and the screech of brake-shoes. The car shot nearly broadside, tearing dust and stones from the road surface .... " And so the excitement continued, as the fictitious race unravelled before the spectators' eyes, over the next five pages or so. The next story in this comic also has a motoring theme to it, with an illustration showing some bounders in an open-topped motorcar speeding along, being overtaken by the boys in blue (Police) in their fixed-head saloon car ... "The blue patrol car passed them and slowed down. A gong clanged, and a wooden arm shot out of the side of the car bearing the words 'Stop - Police'. Hugo smiled and slowed down. The trick had worked!" In addition to these motoring stories, a few other - briefer - tales of daring-do include a yarn about a brave chap being attacked by a gigantic crocodile. Factual articles also get a look in too, with two interesting transport-related articles making this week's issue. First of these is a description of a fast lap around the Isle of Man TT circuit, with a circuit diagram naming the various corners and landmarks, illustrated with two motorcyclists going head to head - Stanley Woods (the 1935 TT winner apparently) and Jimmy Guthrie (who came second). There's also a fun article about a chap who decided to build himself a miniature aeroplane - the Flying Flea, a terrifying machine that anyone could (in theory) build in their back garden and take for a spin around the locality, once registered with the Air Ministry that is. One of the closing paragraphs makes you wonder how successful this particular build might have been, the builder saying... "Neither of us can fly - but the great advantage of the Flea is that you can teach yourself to fly it by taxi-ing around the ground and getting used to the controls, which are simpler than on an ordinary plane. To obtain a pilot's licence you have to be seventeen and in good health. We are both still at school, and not quite seventeen. But we soon will be." Inspiring, if slightly scary stuff! The final stories, designed to keep young Norman reading by candlelight long after he should have gone to sleep, include one about a dogfight between fighters during WW1, and a story about some unfortunate souls imprisoned deep below the frozen surface of the moon - all eye-opening stuff for a young lad in 1930s Britain. Even if the tales were quite far-fetched, it makes you wonder if reading these comic books ignited more interest and curiosity in the minds of children, than the kids today who spend hour upon hour sat in front of a TV, or glued to some inane computer game? many weeklies were available for youngsters like The Modern Boy and Pluck, and slightly older children could transfer their loyalty over to a title such as the Meccano Magazine, again were packed with interesting articles and stories. Return to the car collectables section, or read about other racing items here. |
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