OiNK Blog

COMiNG UP: THE OiNK! BOOK 1989

22 December 2023 Phil Boyce Leave a comment

I can remember my disappointment the first time I saw this full-page advert for the second OiNK! Book. Why was it 16 pages less than the previous year’s? The wonderful J.T. Dogg cover softened the blow though. When I saw it in the shops as a kid it felt very light in my hands, the glossier yet thinner paper and the page count made it feel more like a Holiday Special than a sequel to the best edition of OiNK ever. However, come that Christmas season when I finally got to read it any reservations I had soon evaporated.

It certainly stands out on this back page advert from the final edition of the comic, doesn’t it? The finished book’s logo colours would be swapped around and it’d stand out even more, as you can see in the image at the very top of the post. It’s a very different book from last year and focusses on larger strips for some of our favourite characters. So, in the review this Christmas Day expect a crossover event between Pete Throb and Pigswilla, the return of Ham Dare and a simply enormous Burp strip as The Smelly Alien From Outer Space makes a long-awaited return (in a story that taught me something about growing up, believe it or not).

In three days, crack open that once-a-year-socially-acceptable-in-the-morning booze and have a chuckle along with highlights from “Britain’s Craziest Comic Book”, The OiNK! Book 1989.

GO TO THE OiNK! BOOK 1989

CHRiSTMAS 2023

COMiNG UP: OiNK! #68

28 October 2023 Phil Boyce Leave a comment

The following post was originally written for Thursday 19th but was held back after the sad news of Tony Husband’s passing

Back in #60 of OiNK the reservation coupon held a hint that changes were afoot, a hint that would only be picked up on with hindsight. Likewise, looking back on last month’s issue the same coupon told a tale by its very absence, replaced as it was by one for 2000AD. At the time we had no idea what was about to happen. Well, unless you also collected Buster and had seen the news up to seven days beforehand. Instead, for us the next issue was all about that Frank Sidebottom cover!

I love Frank’s (Chris Sievey) retort when Little Frank asks him if he was ever small like him and the little bit of extra information about when we could pick up our copy on the day (albeit the issue actually came out between five and seven days later, more on that in the review). Having Frank on the cover meant his strip was to be the main highlight of the next big, fat porker of a monthly OiNK and as a kid I couldn’t wait! You can see what all the hype was about and if it was justified (it was) on Sunday 22nd October 2023.

GO TO iSSUE 68

COMiNG UP: BUSTER

15 October 2023 Phil Boyce Leave a comment

This was the day back in 1988 when the 68th edition of OiNK was due on the shelves, but it didn’t appear. It would be a full week late for me, finally appearing the following Saturday, 22nd October. This was potentially deliberate according to co-editor Patrick Gallagher and I’ll talk about that in the issue’s review. However a week before it arrived, behind this innocuous Tom Paterson cover of Buster, was some terrible news for any pig pals who happened to read OiNK’s sister comic.

Images taken from previous **OiNK** strips
drawn by *Lew Stringer* and *Mike Green*

Describing Pete Throb, Weedy Willy and especially Tom Thug as “funsters” doesn’t give me much confidence that the editor of Buster understood these characters or the sense of humour OiNK readers had. Indeed, Lew Stringer has told me about how he changed some popular aspects of his strips for the merge. Will they still be recognisable as the characters we’ve grown to love for two-and-a-half years? Will they still be just as funny when translated to the pages of a more traditional comic, the likes of which OiNK was created to counter and would often ridicule?

You’ll find out in one week. On the same day as the review of OiNK #68 I’ll be taking a look at the first four issues of Buster to contain these favourites. They were the only issues to feature the name of the comic they came from on the cover and at the time I only ever bought the first of them. Why? You’ll find out in seven days on Sunday 22nd October 2023.

GO TO BUSTER MERGE

OiNK MAiN MENU

COMiNG UP: OiNK! #67

13 September 2023 Phil Boyce Leave a comment

Finally Mary Lighthouse (critic) is back in an honest-to-gosh comic strip in the next issue of OiNK! A regular occurrence during the fortnightly issues, she’s only made fleeting appearances on the likes of the Grunts letters page for a long time now. That situation is about to be corrected in a few days. However, she may have had the Next Issue promo from #66 all to herself but it’s a certain smelly superhero who’ll be the cover star, backed up with a mammoth ten-page story.

That’s right, #67 sees the long-awaited return of David Haldane‘s Rubbish Man to the pages of the comic in an epic dose of silliness. Marc Riley‘s Harry the Head is back at full strength too in a full-page funny, Kev F Sutherland continues to dominate the monthlies, and Lew Stringer and Andy Roper team up for a superb spoof of a 60s Beano adventure strip. It’s definitely not to be missed, so plop back here on Sunday 17th September 2023 for OiNK #67, our penultimate issue no less!

GO TO iSSUE 67

COMiNG UP: OiNK! #66

16 August 2023 Phil Boyce Leave a comment

The Next Issue promo page in OiNK #65 elicited a level of excitement I didn’t know was still possible by this daft, silly comic after 35 years since publication and over two years of this read through. But Lew Stringer had an announcement to make and, alongside Pete Throb and his brilliant takes on Horace (Ugly Face) Watkins and Uncle Pigg, Pigswilla was the star and he was returning in the next issue with a huge nine-page strip! Although, “raunchy”? (That part would’ve been added by co-editor Patrick Gallagher.)

According to Lew this image was originally intended as a cover but was used in this context instead. A shame, but at least we got to see it. The strip itself was definitely one of the biggest highlights of these six monthly OiNKs. In fact, all of Lew’s strips in #66 are reasons to splash out on this issue if you see it on eBay, with Pete and his Pimple getting Lost in Space and Tom Thug making children’s humour comics history! Plus, one of the funniest OiNK strips ever comes from Kev F Sutherland, one I’ve been particularly looking forward to seeing again. You can see these highlights and more in the full review from Sunday 20th August 2023.

GO TO iSSUE 66

COMiNG UP: OiNK! #65

13 July 2023 Phil Boyce Leave a comment

Readers flicking to the back page of the latest OiNK back in 1988 may have let out a little piggy squeal of excitement when they saw the return of The Street-Hogs was almost here! Last appearing way back in #35, their return had been hinted at in the weeklies as one of a few new serials to come, but since then of course OiNK has gone through something of a facelift and so the entire story was printed in one issue! I can remember the excitement the moment ten-year-old me realised I could read it all at once when I flicked through the issue before reading it.

Surely there couldn’t be anything else in this issue that would be as memorable as that? Actually, there’s a first for a humour comics character which was kind of a big deal, at least for the remainder of the issues of OiNK. It’s right there in the caption on the bottom-right. I’m sure pig pals will remember which one I’m referring to. The next OiNK review will be right here this Sunday 16th July 2023. I can’t wait!

GO TO iSSUE 65

COMiNG UP: OiNK! #64

15 June 2023 Phil Boyce Leave a comment

This Sunday on the blog OiNK returns at last after what feels like a small lifetime since the last issue. As a child it did take some time getting used to only having one issue every four or five weeks but when the big, fat comics arrived they made the wait worth it. Another 48 pages of prime pork awaits, but what does it contain?

The Next issue promo would have you believe there’d be a starring role for David Haldane‘s Torture Twins, but in actual fact this was just a funny promotional piece (the twins would have their usual half-page strip). What we do get is the return of Police Vet who was first seen in The OiNK! Book 1988 and a couple of memorable OiNK additions in the shape of a John McCrea pencilled strip and a page that would go on to be read out in the House of Commons! Check back anytime from Sunday 18th June 2023 to see that one.

GO TO iSSUE 64

COMiNG UP: OiNK! HOLiDAY SPECiAL #2

27 March 2023 Phil Boyce Leave a comment

Since the last OiNK Holiday Special a few other special editions of our favourite comic have been released, namely the OiNK Crash Edition, The OiNK! Book 1988 and the OiNK Smokebuster Special and now it’s time for the latest. The second big, thick Holiday Special really stands out on its glossy paper after the paper stock changed for the regular comic in the past six months. This edition has 48 pages stuffed with prime pork and was released this week 35 years ago, announced on Patrick Gallagher‘s Grunts page in #56 by the sizzling bacon that was our editor, Uncle Pigg.

That same issue contained this promo drawn by Eric ‘Wilkie’ Wilkinson full to the brim with terrible puns and a fishy take on Cliff Richard‘s summertime hit which was already 25 years old by this point, although it was still just as popular on radio station playlists this time of year. Watch out for a special bonus from Hadrian Vile after we’d just come to terms with his diary basically ending in the weekly, Weedy Willy getting some unexpected athletic workouts in and there’s another one of those classic wordy Burp strips taking in the wonders of the universe in his inimitable style.

Also, for those long trips with the family there’s a superb board game by Frank Sidebottom, or if you prefer some quiet time you can try your hand at some OiNK puzzles to keep you (pork) scratching your head while taking a break from your loved ones on a lengthy trip to the loo. The full review will be here in just two days, on Wednesday 29th March 2023. Get the sun tan lotion ready, it’s going to be a scorcher.

GO TO HOLiDAY SPECiAL #2

Christmas, OiNK Comic Promos

COMiNG UP: THE OiNK! BOOK 1988 & OiNK! #44

23 December 2022 Phil Boyce Leave a comment

Way back in the mists of time that was June this year the special edition of OiNK that was given away free with Crash computer gaming magazine teased at a couple of upcoming treats for pig pals. The OiNK 45 record you can check out in its entirety already on the blog. As for the other part of the announcement, I was thrilled to see that plasticine piggy face for the first time in this read through!

Over the course of 1987 little mentions would be placed into some issues, beginning with the first birthday edition in April in a blink-and-you’ll miss it moment on the Grunts letters page, and again in a May issue. Then during the summer half-page teasers began to appear, before finally in the fantastic #36 the first full-page reveal showed us that glorious book cover in full for the very first time!

This brings me so much joy. That cover represents everything about OiNK to me and I can’t wait to share its review with you in a couple of days. The OiNK! Book 1988 is the best edition of Uncle Pigg‘s comic that was ever produced. How do I know this before the review and before I’ve covered the whole run? Because it’s always been my favourite (with the recent Christmas issue being my fave regular issue) and remains my favourite childhood book to this day. It’s been reread at least once every few years since!

Here it is advertised alongside Fleetway‘s other annuals from 1987. I can remember it standing out so much from all of the other comics annuals on the huge display table in my local newsagent. It was a hugely exciting prospect, but even though it was there in the shop from September, as with all annuals we wouldn’t get our hands on it until Santa brought it to us on Christmas morning. So that’s when you can expect the review of course!

The very next day (on Boxing Day) you’ll get even more OiNK in the shape of #44, the second Hogmanay issue and the last fortnightly one. It’s the end of my own personal Golden Age of OiNK (not to take away from what follows of course) and it goes out with a bang, like all years do with their fireworks and parties etc. It’s quite the festive celebration this weekend.

So when you’re full to bursting with turkey, stuffing and sprouts you can kick back, let the kids’ new toys do their job and catch up with The OiNK! Book 1988 on Christmas Day and then see off 1987 all over again with #44 on Boxing Day. Before then there’ll be a quick message from me and Psycho Gran in the evening of Christmas Eve. The holidays are here and so is OiNK, big time!

GO TO THE OiNK! BOOK 1988

GO TO iSSUE 44