This was a late-in-the-day compilation of old strips which (along with its predecesor) passed me by completely at the time. I guess I wasn't spending enough time in newsagents.
Billy Dane, owner of the supernatural footy boots of Charles 'Dead Shot' Keen lived a transitory life in British comics. The strip started in SCORCHER in 1970 before transferring to TIGER when the titles merged in 1974. He spent the next eleven years of his playing career in the pages of the sports weekly. Billy's Boots was one of the better strips to transfer to the 'new' EAGLE AND TIGER in 1985.
The strip was shuffled in the IPC portfolio again the following year, findinga more natural home in ROY OF THE ROVERS weekly (itself a Tiger spin-off, launched in 1976) where it remained until 1990. When Billy's playing days were finally over, the new strips were (true to Fleetway form at the time) reprints from the vaults. The reprints later shifted to THE BEST OF ROY OF THE ROVERS.
Sadly, Billy's Boots doesn't seem to have been covered by the recent Rebellion buy-up of old IPC properties, so no reprint omnibuseseses for him.
ReplyDeleteAlthough ex-2000ad alum Al Ewing did revisit the character in an Age Of Ultron tie-in issue of Captain Britain, where Billy was gender/race-swapped and had the lawyer-friendly moniker of "Magic Boots Mel".
That's interesting. I wonder why he wasn't part of the deal. As far as I know ROY OF THE ROVERS was (I say that because - I think - he has a little cameo in this year's Free Comic Book Day edition of 20000AD) so there is no obvious reason why Billy wouldn't have been. Unless the previous owners have already struck a deal with someone else.
ReplyDeleteDifferent story if none of the ROY OF THE ROVERS strips were included in the sale.
Billy's Boots from Rebellion is supposedly out late January ... the listing has been on Amazon for ages so hopefully it will happen
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