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''The Perishers'' was a long-running
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics terminology#Captio ...
about a group of neighbourhood children and a dog. It was printed in the ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...
'' as a daily strip and first appeared on 19 October 1959. For most of its life it was written by
Maurice Dodd Maurice Dodd (25 October 1922 – 31 December 2005) was an English writer and cartoonist best known for his years spent working on ''The Perishers'' comic strip published in the ''Daily Mirror''. Biography Dodd was born in Metropolitan Borough ...
(25 October 1922 – 31 December 2005), and was drawn by Dennis Collins until his retirement in 1983, after which it was drawn by Dodd and later by Bill Mevin. When Dodd died, the strip continued with several weeks' backlog of unpublished strips and some reprints until 10 June 2006. The strip then returned to the ''Daily Mirror'', again as reprints, on 22 February 2010, replacing ''
Pooch Café ''Pooch Café'' is a Canadian gag-a-day comic strip written and illustrated by Paul Gilligan. It was also made into a series of online shorts with RingTales. Gilligan is also the writer for the comic ''Poptropica'', which debuted on June 9, 20 ...
''. Many ''Perishers'' strips are
polyptych A polyptych ( ; Greek: ''poly-'' "many" and ''ptychē'' "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) which is divided into sections, or panels. Some definitions restrict "polyptych" to works with more than three sections: a diptych is ...
s—a single continuous background image is divided into three or four panels and the characters move across it from panel to panel. The story is set in the fairly drab fictional town of Croynge (sometimes spelled Crunge), which is apparently a
South London South London is the southern part of Greater London, England, south of the River Thames. The region consists of the Districts of England, boroughs, in whole or in part, of London Borough of Bexley, Bexley, London Borough of Bromley, Bromley, Lon ...
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...
. The name is a
portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.
of
Croydon Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...
and
Penge Penge () is a suburb of South East Greater London, London, England, now in the London Borough of Bromley, west of Bromley, north east of Croydon and south east of Charing Cross. Etymology The name ''Penge'' is first attested in charter of ...
. The location as depicted often resembles an industrial Northern town and may have its roots in how Croydon appeared in the 1950s. Collins's artwork in particular gives the town detailed, realistic architecture and a consistent geography. Thematically, the strip draws upon
nostalgia Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a neoclassical compound derived from Greek language, Greek, consisting of (''nóstos''), a Homeric word me ...
for childhood experiences and often has a static, almost limbo-like atmosphere, in a similar manner to its companion strip in the ''Daily Mirror'', ''
Andy Capp ''Andy Capp'' is a British comic strip created by cartoonist Reg Smythe, seen in the ''Daily Mirror'' and the ''Sunday Mirror'' newspapers since 5 August 1957. Originally a panel (comics), single-panel cartoon, it was later expanded to four ...
''. The main characters largely exist independently of 'the real world' and adults are only rarely seen; for example, every year the Perishers go on
holiday A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...
but always get thrown off the train home, forcing them to walk and arrive home several weeks late (a joke on how a short scene in comic book time can take several weeks when told in daily instalments), yet with seemingly no repercussions.


Main characters


Wellington

An orphan boy who lives alone with his large dog, Boot. In the early days of the strip they lived in an approximately diameter concrete pipe section in a seemingly abandoned builder's yard. In 1966 he and Boot moved into a small railway station that had been closed by the
Beeching Axe The Beeching cuts, also colloquially referred to as the Beeching Axe, were a major series of route closures and service changes made as part of the restructuring of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain in the 1960s. They are named ...
, and they have lived there ever since. Wellington takes his nickname from his trademark
Wellington boots A Wellington boot, often shortened to welly, and also known as a gumboot, rubber boot, or rain boot, is a type of waterproof boot made of rubber. Originally a type of leather riding boot adapted from Hessian boots, a style of military foot ...
– he cannot afford proper shoes. He named his dog Boot to go with Wellington. Wellington is quite a solemn intellectual and given to philosophical trains of thought. He can also be quite resourceful – he appears to support himself by selling handmade wooden buggies (or "boobys" as Maisie calls them) and pilfering food from sympathetic local shops, or convoluted schemes to create sudden crowds in order to celebrate his birthday on 25 October (which also happened to be Maurice Dodd's birthday). Wellington can also be something of a worrier, always concerned that the world is going to ''rack an' rooney'' (rack and ruin). Over the years he has worried that the world is becoming clogged up with dirt, that people might get crushed by the weight of air above their heads, and that each new year might be the same old year recycled to save money. Actually there might be something in that; Wellington has actually noticed that he and his friends never seem to get any older, although this is never followed to its logical conclusion. On those rare occasions when he cheers up, a small raincloud usually appears to dampen his spirits.


Boot

An Old English Sheepdog (sort of) who lives with his boy, Wellington. Boot is a generally affable and mellow character, given to flights of fancy and daydreaming. In this respect, Boot is the UK equivalent of
Snoopy Snoopy is an anthropomorphic beagle in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by American cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. He also appears in all of the ''Peanuts'' films and television specials. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of ...
from Charles M. Schulz's ''
Peanuts ''Peanuts'' (briefly subtitled ''featuring Good ol' Charlie Brown'') is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run ext ...
'' strip. Boot is also convinced that he is in fact an 18th-century English lord enchanted into a dog by a
gypsy {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...
wench (as he puts it, ''I knew I should have bought those damn clothespegs!'') – the strip gives occasional hints that this is actually true as opposed to another fantasy. As a lord, he demands to be treated with respect, and often tells Wellington so to his face. Unfortunately Wellington only hears barking. Wellington thinks Boot is lazy and should help out with the household chores, but Boot usually manages to find some way to "accidentally" mess things up in the hope that he won't be asked again. He hates taking baths, and his bathtime struggles with Wellington usually turn into epic battles (Once it cost 2 weeks of school for Wellington). Boot's favourite food appears to be links of sausages, and his attempts to consume these in advance of Wellington provide the basis of many episodes. Boot was originally drawn with a short tail (on one occasion he met a bob-tailed sheepdog, and on hearing the name decided to call his own tail Fred), but Maurice Dodd later discovered that real Old English Sheepdogs' tails are docked, and so over the course of several years Collins drew his tail shorter and shorter until it vanished altogether – Boot still appears completely white, rare for the breed. "Who is the Mother of Boot?" was a long-running mystery until a reader informed Wellington that Boot's dam was named "Cherry Blossom." ("Cherry Blossom" happens to be a well-known brand of shoe and boot polish). Additionally, Boot's sire is called T.O.E.cap, and was a
Gun dog Gun dogs (gundogs) or bird dogs are types of hunting dogs developed to assist hunters in finding and retrieving game, typically various fowls that are shot down on the wing (in flight). The term hunting dog is broad and includes all breeds and s ...
.


Marlon

Marlon is amiable but he is not very bright. This has not dampened his ambitions; he is enthusiastic and often tries his hand at inventing. The fact that most of his inventions – fire, the wheel, the horse and cart and so forth – had already been invented did not deter him, because he felt he was slowly catching up. He also claimed to have invented a "micro-stetho-deeposcope" – supposedly a high-tech instrument for probing deeply below the earth's surface, but which actually turned out to be a piece of broken mirror tied to a chair leg. One of his culinary inventions did make a splash – literally: the inch-thick
ketchup Ketchup or catsup is a table condiment with a sweet and sour flavor. "Ketchup" now typically refers to tomato ketchup, although early recipes for different varieties contained mushrooms, oysters, mussels, egg whites, grapes, or walnuts, amon ...
sandwich A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...
(subsequently renamed the thick ketchup sandwich when Marlon decided to go metric). The splash in question occurred whenever he bit into one, caused by a huge dollop of ketchup hitting whoever happened to be standing nearby. The ketchup sandwich is used as a recurring gag, occasionally replaced with other types of filling for variety. Marlon also dreams of becoming either a brain
surgeon In medicine, a surgeon is a medical doctor who performs surgery. Even though there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon is a licensed physician and received the same medical training as physicians before spec ...
(which is spelt ''brane surgeon'' in his speech balloons), or "a bloke wot goes down sewers in big rubber boots" – he considers either career to be equally prestigious. In the meantime he spends his pocket money on Wellington's buggies, which usually results in a battle between Wellington's persuasive skills and Maisie's desire for him to spend the money on her.


Maisie

An adorable little girl – at least, according to her. In fact she is domineering and a bully, with a tendency to become violent if she doesn't get her own way, and a scream that can stun
woodworm A woodworm is the Xylophagy, wood-eating larva of many species of beetle. It is also a generic description given to the infestation of a wooden item (normally part of a dwelling or the furniture in it) by these larvae. Types of woodworm Woodbo ...
. She is scared of
insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...
s and
spider Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...
s; on one occasion, when Wellington tells her that the field they are walking through may contain thousands of hidden insects, she is too terrified to move. She has convinced herself she is in love with Marlon and continues to pursue him despite his continual resistance – their relationship has been described as a ''one sided
love triangle A love triangle is a scenario or circumstance, usually depicted as a rivalry, in which two people are pursuing or involved in a romantic relationship with one person, or in which one person in a romantic relationship with someone is simultaneo ...
''. She imagines herself and Marlon as the heroine and hero of a
romantic novel A romance or romantic novel is a genre fiction novel that primarily focuses on the relationship and romantic love between two people, typically with an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. Authors who have contributed to the developm ...
– he bold as a hawk, she soft as a dove. In reality, of course, she is tough as nails and he is thick as a plank. Another character trait of hers is a fondness for paper bags (and the contents thereof). It is usually Wellington who has just managed to scrape together enough money for sweets or
fish and chips Fish and chips is a hot dish consisting of batter (cooking), battered and fried fish, served with French fries, chips. Often considered the national dish of the United Kingdom, fish and chips originated in England in the 19th century. Today, ...
, which he has then to hide lest a rustle attract Maisie, who will appear, as if from nowhere, to inquire: "Need any help with that paper bag?" Maisie bears a resemblance to Lucy van Pelt in Charles Schulz's ''
Peanuts ''Peanuts'' (briefly subtitled ''featuring Good ol' Charlie Brown'') is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run ext ...
'' strip. The British actress
Maisie Williams Margaret Constance "Maisie" Williams (born 15 April 1997) is an English actress. Williams made her acting debut in 2011 as Arya Stark, a lead character in the HBO epic medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019). She g ...
was christened Margaret but has always been known as Maisie, after the character.


Baby Grumpling

A toddler, possibly named after the "Baby Dumpling" character in the US comic strip ''Blondie''. In the early days of the strip he did not speak, because he knew that once he started he would be expected to keep talking all the time. When he finally began to speak he did so in entirely in lower-case letters. In the early days of the strip he was not related to the other characters, but was later revealed to be Maisie's little brother (a
retcon Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in fictional story telling whereby facts and events established through the narrative itself are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subsequently published work ...
– in an earlier strip Maisie had referred to Baby Grumpling's parents as if they were not her own). He used to think that school was a prison from which the older Perishers were temporarily released each evening. He digs a lot of holes, which he always blames on worms (a significant part of his diet) or moles. He enjoys creating mischief with his
space hopper A space hopper (also known as a moon hopper, skippyball, kangaroo ball, bouncer, hippity hop, hoppity hop, sit and bounce, or hop ball) is a rubber ball (similar to an exercise ball) with handles that allow one to sit on it without falling off ...
, or by putting insects into Maisie's underwear drawer, when he isn't embarking on some improbable business venture or other (usually worm-related; he invented the wormburger, for instance, though nobody but Wellington ever bought one, and Wellington didn't initially believe it had real worms in it). He often discusses philosophy with the new baby (an
unseen character An unseen character in theatre, comics, film or television, or a silent character in radio or literature, is a character who is mentioned but not directly known to the audience, but who advances the action of the plot in a significant way, and w ...
in a pram). He is also frequently seen questioning the plausibility of
fairy tales A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the Folklore, folklore genre. Such stories typically feature Magic (supernatural), magic, Incantation, e ...
or
nursery rhymes A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song for children in Britain and other European countries, but usage of the term dates only from the late 18th/early 19th century. The term Mother Goose rhymes is interchangeable with nursery rhymes. Fro ...
read out by Maisie, while at the same time vandalising an alarm clock or other household item. His
teddy bear A teddy bear, or simply a teddy, is a stuffed toy in the form of a bear. The teddy bear was named by Morris Michtom after the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt; it was developed apparently simultaneously in the first deca ...
Gladly (short for " Gladly, my cross-eyed bear") puts in occasional appearances.


Recurring characters

Not all of these characters appeared during the same time periods * The Crabs: The crustacean inhabitants of a seaside rock pool, visited by Boot every year during the Perishers' summer holiday. Some of the crabs believe that Boot's eyes peering down at them annually are a mystical visitation – "The Eyeballs in the Sky" – and this belief is exploited by a preacher crab who uses their appearance as an excuse to extort money from his congregation. His efforts are always opposed by a scientist crab who continually attempts to invent a device to break through the surface of the pool and investigate what the "Eyeballs" really are, despite the preacher's protests that he will "rend the fabric of the pooliverse". The conflict usually ends up in a full-scale crab fight, and Boot is left none the wiser as to crustacean behaviour. Usually, one of the crabs claims that something is "bad fer y'r 'ealth". *Plain Jane: a cross-eyed friend of Maisie's, often seen selling potions and tonics from a home-made stall. *Fiscal Yere: a millionaire's son who always complains about the problems of being rich, whilst maintaining his chocolate cigar habit to the others' chagrin. *Fred Beetle and the Caterpillar: a pair of insects often encountered by Boot. Fred is a socialist who seems to be modelled on Fred Kite from ''
I'm All Right Jack ''I'm All Right Jack'' is a 1959 British comedy film directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting from a script by Frank Harvey, John Boulting and Alan Hackney based on the 1958 novel ''Private Life'' by Alan Hackney. The film is a sequel ...
''. The Caterpillar's chain-smoking habit has stunted his growth and prevented his
metamorphosis Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth transformation or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and different ...
into a butterfly. This is just as well since he doesn't like heights. The ''Cat''erpillar, apparently, is a "meowist", and is depicted when it first appeared as meowing about. *Adolf
Kilroy Kilroy may refer to: * Kilroy (surname) * ''Kilroy'' (TV series), a BBC day time chat show hosted by Robert Kilroy-Silk * Kilroy, a main character beginning with Season 2 in the television series '' Taken'' * Kilroy's College, a distance educat ...
: a tortoise shaped like a World War 2 German helmet. He thinks he is the reincarnation of
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
and speaks in
Fraktur Fraktur () is a calligraphic hand of the Latin alphabet and any of several blackletter typefaces derived from this hand. It is designed such that the beginnings and ends of the individual strokes that make up each letter will be clearly vis ...
. He sometimes teams up with Fred Beetle and Caterpillar in an attempt to overthrow Boot, but the fact that Boot is much bigger always defeats them. This character last appeared in the summer of 1983 and it is said upon his 1984 take-over of the ''Daily Mirror'' that Robert Maxwell, a Czech whose family had been murdered by Nazi German troops during the war, objected to the Kilroy character appearing in the strip. *B. H. (Calcutta) Failed: a kindly
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n
bloodhound The bloodhound is a large scent hound, originally bred for hunting deer, wild boar, rabbits, and since the Middle Ages, for tracking people. Believed to be descended from hounds once kept at the Abbey of Saint-Hubert, Belgium, in French it is ...
who lost his sense of smell in an unfortunate incident involving an elephant filled with
curry Curry is a dish with a sauce or gravy seasoned with spices, mainly derived from the interchange of Indian cuisine with European taste in food, starting with the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and British, and then thoroughly internatio ...
which exploded in the noonday sun. B. H. literally bumped into Boot one day, and they have been good friends ever since, despite B. H.'s frequent attempts to steal Boot's meat bones. One of the strip's odder elements is B.H.'s claim to be a reporter for "The West Crunge Clarion and Dubious Advertiser", a low budget and downmarket local newspaper. He has a journalist's ear for an attention-grabbing headline, but his career may be held back by his inability to remember how to make the letter "b". *Tatty Oldbitt (the Sailors' Friend): an over-amorous female
basset hound The Basset Hound is a short-legged breed of scent hound. The Basset Hound was developed in Great Britain from several now-extinct strains of France, French basset breeds. It was bred primarily for hunting rabbit and hare on foot, moving slowly en ...
who likes to chase sailors (and other dogs) – although just what she intends to ''do'' if she catches one is probably best left unexplored. She also chases Boot from time to time, but since he considers himself a lord she never gets very far with him, and often ends up going off with B. H. instead. *Dirty McSquirty: the dirtiest boy in town, always accompanied by a cloud of
flies Flies are insects of the Order (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwin ...
. He resembles
Pig-Pen Pig-Pen is a fictional character in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles M. Schulz, syndicated in Daily newspaper, daily and Sunday newspaper, Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. While amiable, he is a young boy who is, ...
in Charles Schultz's
Peanuts ''Peanuts'' (briefly subtitled ''featuring Good ol' Charlie Brown'') is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run ext ...
strip. *Cousin Worsoff: an unseen character. Dirty McSquirty's cousin, he is the proverbial "person who is worse off than you". He lives in the sewer, and Dirty speaks to him through drain covers. *Poor girl: a girl who harasses Wellington with constant tales of poverty, despite wearing an impressive fur coat and claiming to have a household full of equally impoverished staff. *Beryl Bogey: a large and physically intimidating dim-witted girl, or possibly gorilla, whose presence on Maisie's
netball Netball is a ball sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of seven players. The primary objective is to shoot a ball through the defender's goal ring while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own. It is one of a ...
team gives them the ability to break down the opposition, literally. Her idol is
King Kong King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...
. *The cat: an unnamed cat recently adopted by Wellington, much to Boot's annoyance. The cat and Boot are engaged in a permanent battle of wits. *The goldfish: another new pet of Wellington's. Contemplates philosophy while swimming around in his tiny bowl. *The water-snail: the most recent arrival, bought by Wellington to clean the goldfish's bowl. The snail considers this a degrading job. *The Ghengis St. Gang: An always-unseen rival gang of children. In general the Perishers argue about how to respond (run or fight) and are usually beaten up while trying to decide what to do.


Catch phrases

This is a partial list of the phrases coined or made popular by the Perishers. * " Go-faster stripes" – Wellington's big selling-point on the buggies he tries to persuade Marlon to buy. It has become a way of describing any useless or frivolous addition to a product. * "GRONFF!!" – The sound of Boot gobbling up something tasty, often something meant for another character, once the contents of a bird table. Also used sometimes when other characters eat. * " Parasite! Trotskyite! Marmite!" – Insults hurled at each other by the Beetle and the Caterpillar whenever they brawl, which is frequently.
Marmite Marmite ( ) is a British savoury food spread based on yeast extract, invented by the German scientist Justus von Liebig. It is made from by-products of beer brewing ( lees) and is produced by the British company Unilever. Marmite is a vegan ...
is, of course, not exactly a valid insult, but does end in "-ite". * "Vilson Kepple und Betty!" – Kilroy the Tortoise's favourite exclamation. It derives from the music hall stage act
Wilson, Keppel and Betty Wilson, Keppel and Betty formed a popular British music hall and vaudeville act in the middle decades of the 20th century. They capitalised on the fashion for Ancient Egyptian imagery following the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. The "Sa ...
. * "Need any help with that paper bag?" – Maisie can detect the opening of a bag of
crisps Potato chips (North American English and Australian English; often just chip) or crisp (British English and Hiberno-English) are thin slices of potato (or a thin deposit of potato paste) that has been deep fried, baked, or air fried until ...
from far away, appearing almost instantly to help with the consumption of the contents, uttering this phrase as soon as she arrives. * "Yeuk!!" – Marlon's reaction to Maisie's perennial romantic advances. He responds to her in this way so often that Maisie has actually asked Marlon, "Is 'yeuk' the only word you know?" * "Ratbag" – The kids' favourite insult. Absent from the very early days of the strip, it quickly became a staple. Maisie is particularly fond of the word, and constantly uses it to refer to Marlon. * "Berk" – New Baby's final response to anything said to it by Baby Grumpling. Might be construed as calling him a berk, but is intended as baby noise.Various Perishers Omnibus books


Final strip and editorial comment

A final, specially drawn strip appeared on the ''Daily Mirrors comic page on Saturday 10 June 2006. The strip depicts the silhouetted figures of Maisie, Baby Grumpling, Wellington, Boot and Marlon walking down a street into the sunset. Wellington says, "Well, dear readers, it's taken almost fifty years for you to see the back of us. In sayin' goodbye we hope that you remember us with the affecshun we feel for you." The tone of the strip is reminiscent of Charles M. Schulz's final ''Peanuts'' strip, from which the Perishers strip took its inspiration. The strip was initially replaced by the short-lived ''
Ronaldinho Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho () or simply Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian former professional Association football, footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or left winger. Widely reg ...
'', during the then-ongoing
World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...
. After the tournament, the American ''
Pooch Cafe The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherer ...
'' appeared as a more permanent replacement.


Annuals

Regular collections of the strip were published in book form. The first Perishers book was issued in the UK in 1963, often referred to as 'Meet the Perishers' but was in fact just titled 'The Perishers'. The second issue, 'The Perishers Strike Again', was published two years later in 1965. Further issues were then mostly published at the rate of two per year, commencing in 1968 (exceptions being three issued in 1972, and one in 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977). A total of 27 annuals were released, the last being published in 1981. In 1974, in addition to the regular book, an omnibus collection of previously published strips was issued, followed by two further omnibus collections in 1975 and 1976.


Reprints

After a gap of nearly four years, the original cartoon strip returned to the ''Daily Mirror'' as reprints, on 22 February 2010 due to popular demand.


Animation

In 1979, 20 five-minute animated shorts featuring the strip's characters were made by
Bill Melendez Productions Melendez Films (formerly Bill Melendez Productions and Melendez Features, Inc.) is a film animation studio. It was founded in 1962 by Steven C. Melendez, the son of ''Peanuts'' animator Bill Melendez. The studio produced the ambitious animat ...
(coincidentally, the same studio behind the ''Peanuts'' animated specials) for the BBC.


LP record

Around 1980 an LP record album entitled ''THE PERISHERS SING! (WELL SORT OF)'' was issued by Response Records, with lyrics written by Maurice Dodd and music by Trevor Evan Jones. An instrumental version of the final track "It's Great to be a Kid" was also the theme music for the animated TV version. Dodd's official website claims 12 songs were penned, but the finished album only contained 10 tracks. It featured narration by
Bernard Cribbins Bernard Joseph Cribbins (29 December 1928 – 27 July 2022) was an English actor and singer whose career spanned over eight decades. During the 1960s, Cribbins became known in the UK for his successful novelty records " The Hole in the Ground" ...
, and also credits
Nicky James Nicky James (2 April 1943 – 8 October 2007), born Michael Clifford Nicholls, was a British musician and songwriter. Biography James was born in Tipton, Staffordshire, England. He attended Park Lane School, and at age sixteen moved to Scunthor ...
and Barbara Sexton with vocals.


Track list

Side 1: #Ole Boot and Me (Wellington) #Battle of Vindaloo (B.H. Calcutta)* #Pervided I Get My Way (Maisie) #Eyeballs in the Sky (the Crabs)* #Dreaming (Wellington) Side 2: #Boot (Boot)* #At Least We've Got Each Other (Wellington) #Speed Demon (Marlon) #Für Adolf (Adolf Kilroy) #It's Great to be a Kid (all the kids) * Lyrics for the three (*) noted songs can be found on Dodd's official website under "The Battle of Vindaloo", "A Crabby Lament" and "The song of Boot".


Compilations, annuals, and books

* * * * * * * * * * *


References


External links


An unofficial ''Perishers'' page
– This has some useful descriptive material, but poor quality images.
''The Perishers''
comic strips at ''Mirror Online''

archived at Archive.org. Overview with a message from Dodd's son {{DEFAULTSORT:Perishers, The British comic strips 1959 comics debuts 2006 comics endings Comics characters introduced in 1959 Child characters in comics Comics about children Comics about dogs Comics set in London British comics characters Gag-a-day comics Comics adapted into animated series 1979 British television series debuts 1979 British television series endings Daily Mirror Comics about orphans