TV Comic's Six Of The Best - Barney Bear

MGM's Barney Bear was popular enough to have his own comic-strip adventures in the US, and via their licensing deal with Western Publishing Company, TV Comic created their own Barney stories in 1973, starting with issue #1101 on 20th January, and would grace the comic for a total of seven years (followed by reprints which lasted until the comic's demise in 84). Although only limited to one page a week, Barney would appear in colour during the first three years. His printed cartoons were first drawn by Tom & Jerry artist Bill Titcombe, and shortly after the strips switched to B&W in 1976, Bill Mevin took over cartooning duties (who surprisingly proved adept at maintaining Titcombe's design of the lumbering bruin). Most (if not all) of the stories were written by fellow cartoonist and TV Comic editor Dick Millington.

TV Comic maintained the Walter Beery-type personality of Barney, as favoured by MGM director Dick Lundy. However, they decided not to include his comic-strip nephews Wuzzy and Fuzzy. Instead, another character was introduced to the UK readers as a comic foil, a moose by the name of...erm...Moose! This character would have a more downbeat personality to counteract Barney's "know-it-all" demeanour, but would more often than not get the last laugh.

Presenting six of his best cartoons, published between 1973-9. Enjoy!

#1101 20th January 1973 (first appearance!). Artist: Bill Titcombe.

#1112 7th April 1973. Artist: Bill Titcombe.

#1179 20th July 1974. Artist: Bill Titcombe.

#1196 16th November 1974. Artist: Bill Titcombe.

#1126 1st November 1975. Artist: Bill Titcombe.

#1432 25th May 1979. Artist: Bill Mevin.

Coming up next: Droopy.