I’ve been wanting to scan this for a while, but various things just left me unable or unwilling to do so but for reasons today I’ve decided to sit down and work on it.
In reading back through some of this, it’s very much a product of 1989; traces of sexism & racism, but a unique sense of humour that was very much Glasgow. Maybe mostly to be remembered for launching Frank Quitely on the world stage. Anyway, I kind of feel a lot of this makes very little sense outside of a Glaswegian mindset, very much so at the beginning. I’m going to assume there’s no-one still too attached to this and any chances at making any money are passed, and some of the people are dead and or pretending to be dead so they don’t have to deal with John Brown Press anymore. The full mag is linked below, but for now let’s get annotating.
I’ve scanned it as A3 so covers are presented as a pair, if you want to split them and reupload be my guest. I just ask you don’t claim credit for scanning.
The Covers. Both Front and Back are by Dave Zander and featuring the breakout characters of the MacBam Brothers. Arguably inspired by Gilbert Shelton’s Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, the MacBam’s would outlast Electric Soup but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves.
The front cover depicts a double decker bus, I’m assuming the number 20 went to Drumchapel (The Drum / “Ra Drum Ur Bust”) in 1989. The sign beside the driver states “Seezi Right Ferr”, a request for the correct bus fare. The driver says “Haw! Nae Smokindoonasterrzerr!” (Hey, no smoking down the stairs there!). Also, there’s a character with yellow hair which looks remarkably like Fat Freddy.
The top deck has a Punk version of Oor Wullie in the front seat, a church minister & Frankenstein’s Monster (drinking Vino Glesga) in the second window, some non-descript entities vomiting out of the third window and the much loved trio of Margaret Thatcher, Mary Whitehouse & Ronald Reagan in the last one.
The pub in the background is the Kickyir Heid Inn (Kick Your head In) offering Meths & Turps (Methylated Spirits / Turpentine supposedly favoured by alcoholics unable to acquire legitimate spirits), with a Dennis The Menace looking kid urinating into the street. Also scattered on the streets are chips, a pie, some cans and bottles (Dregz lager, Old Piss, Puko Lager, none of which seem to be specifically inspired by brands of the time such as Tennents), a pack of cigarettes (Kool Koafs / Coughs) and some dandelions (Pee the beds in the venacular).
The back cover has the MacBam’s standing urinating against a wall, the younger MacBam carrying their carry out (a bag of cans or bottles). in the foreground a polis (policeman) says “Cheezus! The Pertick Sewer Station Huzny Sprung a Leak Efteraw!” (Jesus, The Partick Sewer Station Hasn’t Sprung a Leak After All!).
Inner front cover features A. Busturd, Traffic Warden. The second row depicts a traffic meter with a Glasgow Chibs Better decal. This is inspired by Glasgow’s 1980s rebranding as GlasgowsMilesBetter featuring Mr. Happy from Roger Hargreaves Mr. Men books. Chibs is a local word for stabs, an association that Glasgow’s marketer’s were eager to get away from. The next panel features a Johnny Bag, local slang for a condom. Nooky is a slang term for sex and / or for the female partner in the sexual act. The second last panel has the terms Jakies (alcoholics / homeless) and “on the Pat ‘n Mick” (rhyming slang for on the sick, unable to work). The pox here is a sexually transmitted disease of some kind.
The editorial illustration mentions Barlinnie (a large prison on the outskirts of Glasgow), the People’s Friend (The world’s longest-running women’s weekly magazine, your Glaswegian granny has loads of them) and Durty Books, Manky Books & Filth (all pornography synonyms). Editor Ed has a Blackhill jacket, this was a deprived area of Glasgow in the early 20th Century and the reputation stuck with it for years. Also of note, Ed is clutching a bottle of LD, and this is where the comic name comes from. El Dorado wine was a popular cheap drink favoured by the aforementioned jakies, one of a variety of drinks known as Electric Soup (See also Buckfast, and emptying a can of hairspray into a bottle of milk).
The first appearance of Frank Quitely’s “The Greens”, a parody of the long running Sunday Post strip “The Broons”. I’m just going to let this speak for itself for now, but I’ll write about the Greens / Broons in future.
Next is Billy Pope, an amalgam of fans of the two main football teams of contemporary Glasgow, Rangers and Celtic. And if you thought stuff was impenetrable already, whoo boy howdy here we go.
Panel 1. The Billy Boys was the signature song of a Glasgow Protestant Razor Gang. Billy McNeill was arguably the most successful Celtic Manager, and an extremely accomplished player for the team.
Panel 2. Blue Nose & Hun are two local terms for Rangers supporters, whereas a Tim is a Celtic supporter. Not sure about the “aloy” part.
Panel 3. Taggart was a police procedural show on Scottish TV, the title character played by Mark McManus, who died in 1994. The show continued without him until about 2011. The Masonic handshake refers to some of the marching groups often associated with Rangers.
Panel 4/5. No Surrender is a UK / Unionist / Loyalist song and phrase aimed with a particular derision towards the IRA / Catholics. “The Celts are here” comes from the song Hail! Hail!
Panel 8. Orange & Blue Nose are terms for Rangers supporters, Fenian a derogatory / sectarian term for Celtic supporters.
Helmet is a local-ish term for the glans of the penis. Ginger is a term for carbonated drinks (e.g. Irn-Bru), Trongate is a region in Glasgow. Champer & Wanger are terms for the penis.
The MacBams strip pretty much explains itself. The Fairy Tale is credited to one Ghandie, but it kind of looks like early Frank Quitely. Fury Murrys was a club in Glasgow, I think it was the one with a dancefloor than moved between floors. Mars I’m assuming was the later night in the same place (i.e. starting at 11PM).
Oh god another Billy Pope strip. McUrines lager here is a play on McEwans lager, once sponsors of Rangers. I don’t think it exists any more? It was a horrible lager though. “Fuck yer Mo” is a dig at Maurice Johnston, famously the first Catholic signed for Rangers by Graeme Souness. Joey Miller was signed by Celtic around the same time for a record transfer fee. London Road is the location of Celtic Park, where the aforementioned team play. Bead-Rattlin’ is a contemptuous term aimed at catholics. Fritz a Grand old Team refers to The Celtic Song, God Save The Queen a favourite of Rangers. I don’t think there’s anything to add to the Mr Majestico strip, other than to mention it’s maybe riffing on the movie Mr. Majestyk, in which Charles Bronson plays a Melon Farmer. Yes, really.
Nothing to add to the Jack Russel strip. On the other page you can see someone has already filled out the join the dots. And the less said about the jokes the better.
And now the middle spread, a double page featuring the MacBam Brothers. Rusty staples are free. Byres Road was at the time a most desirable location to live in Glasgow, but these three manky bastards probably couldn’t afford it these days. Paddy’s Market was a flea market operating out of coal bunkers in Glasgow where you could get old clothes (among other things) but in it’s later years seemed to have acquired a reputation for illicit goods and crime so was shut down in 2010 or so.
A Saveloy is a bright red sausage popular in a Sausage Supper (Sausage & Chips from a chippy), the word supposed derived from the Swiss / French Cervelat.
Afghan Black is a Indica variety of Hash, bear in mind this was 1989 and skunk grass hadn’t really flooded the scene.
Nothing to say about the first strip, the second page here has a couple of strips that look a bit Quitely again but I’m sure I’m wrong. Parnie Street was roughly where the comic was printed, A1 Comics / Games was located here for a while but that’s gone now. Chinas is rhyming slang for China Plates / Mates, iirc. Polari it’s not.
Advert on the left. MacBams on the right. Wee Barra is a term of endearment for a child. Specky McSporran credited to Ghandie again, but this is almost certainly Frank Quitely.
Wendy The West End Trendy, again looking very like Quitely but credited to Sadie here. Groveller in the first panel probably referring to the Grosvenor Hotel & bar, Oblongboz / Sodthemoff probably Oblomov (renamed back to Whistler’s Mother in the 00s). iD was a style magazine of the time, I think Vice absorbed it? Rot Garden referring to the Rock Garden once of Queen Street in Glasgow. Crooz Scantz – Cruise Underwear (Scantz – Pants). Chimmey Chungers likely Chimmichangas, which I think has been gone for 20 years but was on Great Western Road. Flip was a US heavy second hand fashion clothes store, there’s a lovely photo of it here.
The second page here is a spoof of a terrible newspaper.
What is this? A crossover episode?
More familiar looking strips, an old joke home one in the middle credited to Dunn which doesn’t look like it’s by Quitely though. I don’t think I need to explain what a joint is.
Right, the end. Pudden’s Problem Page fairly self explanatory. The Greens has a Poll Tax monster that resembles Margaret Thatcher. The Poll Tax was a system of taxation implemented in the late 80s that was considered unfair, experimental and in most cases turned out higher than expected. It was wildly unpopular and it’s deployment to Scotland ahead of rollout to other areas of the country led to Thatcher’s downfall. Which is fine because she was a fucking cunt.