PC Big Ears

One of the most talented cartoonists ever to grace D C Thomson comics throughout the 70s, John Geering produced two strips: the batttling Puss 'n' Boots, and the almost-forgotten Trouble Bruin for Sparky in the very late 60s and much of the 70s. By March 1971, his glossily agressive style had attracted sufficient attention from the Dandy to warrant an entirely new strip: and thus was born P. C. Big Ears, which was included in a 'semi-revamp' of the comic around the time of decimilization.

Great fun and zestfully energetic as any of Geering's creations, this strip followed the misadventures of a bumbling cop with massive, sensitively-attuned, radar-like ear-holes, which he used to detect distant crimes-in-progress [usually mistakenly] to much farcical.comic effect. The lanky pee-cee was usually accompanied by his faithful, police-hat sporting bulldog companion, Sniffer. Rendered in a simple black-and-white technique with occassional greytone, this solid entry lacked the outrageously violent outbursts of John's cat-and-dog comedy over on SPARKY, instead settling into a more [relatively] sedate and traditional DANDY format. Another regular character was Big Ear's long-suffering 'SARGE' who somewhat resembled MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS troupe member Michael Palin in some respects.

A playfully delightful, and very humurous and reliable strip, this one ran from issue 1529, [13 March 1971-1 Sept. 1973].