I SPY

I SPY began life as a novelty strip in SPARKY comic, debuting in issue 211 [Feb 1, 1969.]

Scripts were by Peter Clark, later to become editor-in-chief of the glossy WARLORD in the mid-70s. I SPY was drawn by LES BARTON [1924-2008] in the first run of over 60 episodes, generally regarded as the peak of creativity within the series. Early strips were single-page affairs, with a definate novelty factor, however the format rapidly evolved into a danger-and-skullduggery themed melodrama, liberally spiced with much slapstick humour.

I SPY himself was a bit DREDD-like inasmuch as his features were never seen at all by readers: his face was totally obscured by an oversized trilby hat and upturned, oversized trenchcoat, which housed a never-ending array of bewildering weaponry and artillery, which extended effortlessly from within his all-black 'spysuit'. Despite this, I SPY himself certainly seemed to be human, even if his sometimes-visible hands were usually plunged into his pockets [''he operated buttons for his devices within his pockets]. ''Sometimes I SPY would abandon his still-standing suit, [a gag that appeared in the very first strip, and turned up ad-infinitum] however his greatest assets were undoubtedly his unlimited gadgetry, which enabled him to fly like a rocket, or to assemble tank-like defences [complete with caterpillar tracks] to cite but two examples.

Early I SPY villains included the Soviet SLINKY SNITCHOVITCH and the oriental KARATE CHIP, whose dastardly ambitions were usually limited to the slapstick 'lobbing a black anarchist bomb' type, to much comic slapstick effect.