Happy 80th birthday to my good pal Mike Higgs! Mike created The Cloak for Pow! comic in 1967 and went on to create Space School for Whizzer and Chips, the Moonbird syndicated newspaper strip, and the Baz and Co strip in the Daily Mirror. He also drew Thundercap for Buster comic, plus loads of childrens books such as Dopey Dinosaur as well as compiling and designing lots of books for Hawk Books and others such as the Dan Dare volumes. Forty years ago I was working for Mike briefly as his assistant on various children's books and we've been friends ever since. He'll be celebrating with his family today but if you want to leave a birthday message for him below I'll be sure to forward it on to him.
How rare and wonderful these days to log onto the internet and find an upbeat story. There were many great strips in those Odhams weeklies but the Cloak's synthesis of Marvel superheroes and Beano-style anarchy absolutely summed up the spirit of its companion features.
ReplyDeleteI must have read them all but it was the western ghost town story, about four months in, that really caught my imagination and I followed it faithfully from that point. The Cloak barely lasted two years before an untimely end, but they were a great two years.
Many Happy Returns to Mr Higgs and my eternal thanks for creating one of my happiest childhood memories.
Thanks for your comment, Tony. I'll pass it on to Mike. Yes, The Cloak was so unique and entertaining. One of the best strips in UK humour comics.
ReplyDeleteLoved The Cloak ❗👍
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