''Andy Capp'' is a British comic strip created by cartoonist

Reg Smythe Reginald Smyth (10 July 1917 – 13 June 1998) was a British cartoonist who created the popular, long-running ''Andy Capp'' comic strip. Early life and military service He was born in Hartlepool, County Durham, England, the son of Richard ...

, seen in the ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its Masthead (British publishing), masthead was simpl ...

'' and the ''

Sunday Mirror The ''Sunday Mirror'' is the Sunday sister paper of the ''Daily Mirror''. It began life in 1915 as the ''Sunday Pictorial'' and was renamed the ''Sunday Mirror'' in 1963. In 2016 it had an average weekly circulation of 620,861, dropping marke ...

'' newspapers since 5 August 1957. Originally a single-panel cartoon, it was later expanded to four panels. The strip is syndicated internationally by

Creators Syndicate Creators Syndicate (also known as Creators) is an American independent distributor of comic strips and syndicated columns to daily newspapers, websites, and other digital outlets. When founded in 1987, Creators Syndicate became one of the few suc ...

. The character is also licensed as the

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as ...

for a line of snack foods (

Andy Capp's Andy Capp's is an American Brand name, brand of flavored Maize, corn and potato snack made to look like French fries. The product was created in 1971 by Goodmark Foods, Inc., which licensed the name and likeness of the comic strip character Andy C ...

fries).

Characters and story

*Andy (short for Andrew) Capp *Florrie "Flo" Capp (named after

Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War ...

) *Chalkie White *Ruby "Rube" White *Percy Ritson, the rent collector *Jackie the barman *The Vicar *Flo's Mum (never seen) *Minor recurring characters include various constables, barmaids, barmen, referees, footballers, pub locals, door-to-door salesmen, debt collectors, job centre employees, and Guitar Bob. Andy is a working-class figure who never actually works, living in

Hartlepool Hartlepool () is a seaside and port town in County Durham, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Borough of Hartlepool. With an estimated population of 90,123, it is the second-largest settlement in County D ...

, a harbour town in

County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly �About North East E ...

, in

North East England North East England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The region has three current administrative levels below the region level in the region; combined authority, unitary author ...

. The title of the strip is a pun on the local pronunciation of "handicap"; and the surname Capp signifies how Andy's cap always covered his eyes along with, metaphorically, his vision in life. Handicap racing and

handicapping Handicapping, in sport and games, is the practice of assigning advantage through scoring compensation or other advantage given to different contestants to equalize the chances of winning. The word also applies to the various methods by which th ...

, in

sport Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

and

game A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (suc ...

s, is part of

betting Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three elem ...

, a favourite activity of Andy Capp. Andy's hobbies and activities include

pigeon racing Pigeon racing is the sport of releasing specially trained homing pigeons, which then return to their homes over a carefully measured distance. The time it takes the animal to cover the specified distance is measured and the bird's rate of travel ...

darts Darts or dart-throwing is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small sharp-pointed missiles known as darts at a round target known as a dartboard. Points can be scored by hitting specific marked areas of the bo ...

snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sport played on a rectangular table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six pockets, one at each corner and one in the middle of each long side. First played by British Army officers stationed in ...

(his cue's name is Delilah), playing

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

(which always involves fights with the other players, and frequently ends with Andy being

sent off In sports, an ejection (also known as dismissal, sending-off, disqualification, or early shower) is the removal of a participant from a contest due to a violation of the sport's rules. The exact violations that lead to an ejection vary depending ...

), occasional

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

and

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

, betting on horses (and usually losing badly), getting drunk in the local pub (often falling into the canal and being fished out by a constable, and usually arriving home late as a result), ending up in the local

jail A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, English language in England, standard English, Australian English, Australian, and Huron Historic Gaol, historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention cen ...

, fishing (and not catching anything bigger than a

goldfish The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have bec ...

), unsuccessfully mooching money from everyone for beer, unsuccessfully flirting with barmaids (also yelling at them when he is not served), attempting to pick up (mostly young) bargirls (and being rejected usually due to his age), loafing and napping on the sofa, playing poker (and usually cheating with hidden cards, although plainly seen by the readers), and fighting with his long-suffering wife Florrie (also known as "Flo"), as well as being served burnt food by her. Andy's iconic checked

flat cap A flat cap is a rounded cap with a small stiff brim in front, originating in Britain and Ireland. The hat is known in Ireland as a paddy cap; in Scotland as a bunnet; in Wales as a Dai cap; and in the United States as an English cap, Irish ca ...

is always pulled down over his eyes, even when he is napping or bathing. He is often unshaven, frequently intoxicated (indicated by a prominent red nose and dishevelled clothing), lazy, freeloading, belligerent, and confrontational, but just as frequently lovable (he always refers to Flo as "pet", and will instantly "bop" anyone who dares to be rude to her). Until the 1980s he was often seen with a cigarette dangling from his lip. When Andy gave up smoking in 1983 some readers blamed

political correctness ''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...

. However, Fergus McKenna, head of syndication at Trinity Mirror which publishes the ''Daily Mirror'', denied that the newspaper had put pressure on Smythe to change Andy's habits, saying: "The truth is that Reg himself gave up smoking and he said there was no way Andy was going to carry on enjoying cigarettes when Reg couldn't". Similarly, Andy no longer beats his wife, because of concerns about the depiction of

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for '' intimate partn ...

; instead, Andy and Florrie now attend marriage counselling. Andy and Florrie are always on the verge of poverty. Although Flo works regularly as a

charwoman A charwoman (also chargirl, charlady or char) is an old-fashioned occupational term, referring to a paid part-time worker who comes into a house or other building to clean it for a few hours of a day or week, as opposed to a maid, who usually ...

, Andy is unemployed and lacks motivation. Rent on their

terraced house In architecture and city planning, a terrace or terraced house ( UK) or townhouse ( US) is a form of medium-density housing that originated in Europe in the 16th century, whereby a row of attached dwellings share side walls. In the United St ...

and its contents is constantly in arrears, and the rent collector, Percy Ritson, despairs of ever being paid. He, as well as several others, always nag Andy to get himself a job, which is usually met with him clobbering them. Percy is also always confronting Andy on the way he treats Flo. It's obvious Percy has a crush on Flo and believes he would treat her far better than Andy does. This has led the two men to fight. Their furniture has been repossessed on several occasions. Somehow they always manage to retrieve it, and Andy is always able to afford beer and gambling money, usually by borrowing from Florrie. Almost all the characters occasionally " break the fourth wall" by delivering asides directly to the reader, or even as a very terse 'thought bubble', usually referring to Andy's low character, but more regularly by a character simply cutting their eyes to the reader in the final panel whenever something is said or done by Andy that the character finds unbelievable. The 24 October 1972 strip revealed that Andy once worked as a sign painter, but had not worked at that trade (or any other) for many years. Should anyone suggest he get a job, his response is often very terse and along the lines of 'Don't be so ridiculous!' and sometimes leads to fisticuffs. He occasionally visits the Job Centre (Labour Exchange) and is sometimes shown finding excuses why he cannot take a job that seems suitable for him, preferring instead to collect his "dole money" (government unemployment assistance). On more than one occasion, it is mentioned that Andy had been in the army (with the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, Reg Smythe's regiment) and was a World War II veteran of the North African campaign. According to

Don Markstein Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...

, The strip takes place almost exclusively in one of three locations: the pub, the street, or inside the Capps' residence at 37 Durham Street (generally with Andy on the couch and Florrie yelling from the next room). Less-frequently visited places include the racetrack (although Andy frequently bets by listening to the radio, thus saving him the trip), the marriage counsellor, and the football pitch (where Andy is either fighting, quarrelling, being sent off, or carried off on a stretcher). Andy's and Flo's best friends are their neighbours Chalkie and Rube White. Chalkie is a hard-drinking working-class type like Andy, who can often be seen sharing a pint with him at the corner pub, but Chalkie seems mellower than Andy, and more tolerant of his wife. Rube is Flo's confidante, and the two often trade gossip over the clothesline about their husbands' latest escapades. The local

vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

is also often seen. Andy despairs of his holier-than-thou attitude, as he is constantly criticising Andy for his many bad habits and vice-ridden lifestyle. He often lets his opinion be known to Flo, who agrees with his low assessment of Andy's character. At times, Flo will forcibly remove Andy from the pub when she feels he has been there for far too long (even at times, missing his tea meal). When he comes home, especially in the earlier strips, Flo often confronted him about his doings, sometimes striking him with either her fist or anything she could grab, i.e.: a rolling pin, cricket bat or something similar with the intent to clobber him. However, Flo is not without her own vices. She (along with Rube) will go to bingo with the same frequency as Andy goes to the pub. Whenever this happened (also mainly in the earlier strips), the roles are then reversed, with Andy usually confronting Flo for being late from going to bingo and sometimes striking her with either his fist or chasing her out the door with a push broom or a chair with the intent to clobber her with said object. She had also lost cleaning jobs due to her being bingo mad. Flo is also not a very good cook, regularly burning the meals with her lack of cooking skills. This often sends Andy into a rage and off to the nearest café for a meal. Flo's mother, an unseen character whose dialogue appears from out of frame, often chimes into the conversation, mostly with sarcastic criticism of her son-in-law (her feet and legs appear in one panel where she has passed out after Andy offers her too much to drink). Flo's "mam", whom Andy addresses only as "Missus", is often the subject of Andy's pointed barbs about her weight and less-than-sunny disposition, but she has been known to give as good as she gets. Andy's mother was similarly mentioned and also delivered dialogue from offstage, but her "appearances" were cut back significantly as the years passed. Andy's father has also been mentioned. Flo has an older sister named Polly who is seen once, and never-seen brother. Andy had a pet

whippet The Whippet is a dog breed of medium size. It is a sighthound breed that originated in England, descended from the Greyhound. Whippets today still strongly resemble a smaller Greyhound. Part of the hound group, Whippets have relatively few ...

, Nancy, and has always kept pigeons. Two of the constables who observe Andy's drunken behavior are named Alan and Trevor.

Continuation

Reg Smythe died on 13 June 1998, but the original strip has continued. For some time, the writer and artist were uncredited, but in November 2004 the strip began to carry a credit for Roger Mahoney (artist) and Roger Kettle (writer). Circa 2011, Kettle discontinued his work on the strip and was replaced by Lawrence Goldsmith and Sean Garnett, while Mahoney continues to draw. The appearance of the characters has not changed perceptibly since Smythe's death. Towards the end of 2020, Mahoney's credit began to be left off strips with a subtle but noticeably different style in both lettering and art. This led to at least one industry source inferring that Mahoney, at 87 years of age, and 65 years of cartooning, had retired. Mahoney died at 89, on November 29th 2022. Strips into 2021 and beyond only show credits for writers Goldsmith and Garnett and continue the subtly different style.

Animated appearances

In May 2012, Andy Capp (as well as Flo, Chalkie White, the Vicar, and Jackie the Barman) appeared as an animated series for the first time in promotional material for The Trinity Mirror-owned MirrorBingo.com website. The animation was created by Teesside-born Chris Hunneysett, who drew from his own background to place Andy Capp in Middlesbrough. Andy Capp had previously appeared in animated form in television adverts for the

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional se ...

(1986) and

Kit Kat Kit Kat (stylised as KitKat in various countries) is a chocolate-covered wafer bar confection created by Rowntree's of York, United Kingdom, and is now produced globally by Nestlé (which acquired Rowntree's in 1988), except in the United Sta ...

(1991).

Awards

Smythe received the

National Cartoonists Society The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the ...

's Humor Comic Strip Award for the strip in 1974. A statue of Andy Capp was erected in

on 28 June 2007. It was sculpted by Jane Robbins.

Book collections and reprints

United Kingdom

(All titles by Reg Smythe. Published by

Books/Mirror Group Publishers unless otherwise notedAndy Capp Gallery at TonyStrading.co.uk
/ref>) *''The Andy Capp Book (No. 1)'' (1958) *''Andy Capp Spring Tonic (No. 2)'' (1959) *''Life with Andy Capp (No. 3)'' (1959) *''The Andy Capp Spring Collection (No. 4)'' (1960) *''The Best of Andy Capp (No. 5)'' (1960) *''Laugh with Andy Capp (No. 6)'' (1961) *''The World of Andy Capp (No. 7)'' (1961) *''More Andy Capp (No. 8)'' (1962) *''Andy Capp (No. 9)'' *''Andy Capp Picks His Favourites (No. 10)'' (1963) *''Happy Days with Andy Capp (No. 11)'' (1963) *''Laugh at Life with Andy Capp (No. 12)'' (1964) *''Andy Capp and Florrie (No. 13)'' (1964) *''All the Best from Andy Capp (No. 14)'' (1965) *''Andy Capp (Nos. 15–20)'' (1965–1968) *''The Cream of Andy Capp'' (1965) First hardcover collection *''Andy Capp: His 21st Book'' (1968) *''Andy Capp (Nos. 22–46)'' (1969–1982) *''Laugh Again with Andy Capp'' – 23 volumes (1968–1980) *''The World of Andy Capp'' – 16 volumes (1981–1995) *''The World of Andy Capp'' (1990) Titan *''Andy Capp in Colour: After a Few'' (1992) Ravette *''Andy Capp in Colour: Don’t Wait Up'' (1992) Ravette *''Andy Capp in Colour: On Cue'' (1993) Ravette *''Andy Capp in Colour: A Barrel of Laughs'' (1993) Ravette *''Andy Capp Through the Ages: 1957–2000'' (2000) Syndication International *''The New Andy Capp Collection Number 1'' (2004) David and Charles Books *''The New Andy Capp Collection Number 2'' (2005) David and Charles Books *''Andy Capp at 50'' (2006) David and Charles Books *''Andy Capp Annual 2011'' (2010) Titan

Australia

*''Andy Capp, Man of the Moment!'' (1977) Mirror Books *''Down the Hatch, Andy Capp!'' (1977) Mirror Books *''Who's Buying, Andy Capp?'' (1977) Mirror Books *''You’re a Winner, Andy Capp!'' (1977) Mirror Books *''Lots More Andy Capp'' (1980) Castle Books *''Amazing Andy Capp'' (1981) Castle *''Everlovin' Andy Capp'' (1981) Castle *''This Is Your Life, Andy Capp!'' (1981) Castle *''Leave 'Em Laughing, Andy Capp'' (1982) Castle *''Flo & Andy at It Again'' (1982) Castle *''You Little Beauty, Andy Capp'' (1982) Castle *''The Incredible Andy Capp'' (1982) Castle *''We Still Luv You, Andy Capp'' (1982) Castle *''Howzat! Andy Capp'' (1983) Castle *''Laugh at Life with Andy Capp'' (1983) Castle *''Big Mouth Andy Capp'' (1983) Castle *''Summer Fun with Andy Capp'' (1983) Castle *''Amorous Andy Capp'' (1983) Castle *''Good Sport Andy Capp'' (1983) Castle *''Raging Andy Capp'' (1984) Castle *''I Can’t Stand Andy Capp!'' (1984) Castle *''It's a Hard Life, Andy Capp'' (1984) Castle *''Romantic Andy Capp'' (1984) Horwitz Grahame Books *''Strike Again, Andy Capp!'' (1984) HGB *''The New Image Andy Capp'' (1984) HGB *''Nobody's Perfect, Andy Capp'' (1985) HGB *''Down Another, Andy Capp'' (1986) HGB *''The Laid Back Andy Capp'' (1986) HGB *''The Andy and Flo Show'' (1987) HGB *''Educating Andy Capp'' (1987) HGB *''The Liberated Andy Capp'' (1985) HGB *''You’re Fine 'n Dandy, Andy Capp'' (1987) Budget Books *''Sporting Life of Andy Capp'' (1987) Budget Books *''Up the Pub with Andy Capp'' (1987) Budget Books *''Andy Capp: After Hours'' (1987) Budget Books *''Andy Capp: Home Sweet Home'' (1987) Budget Books *''Andy Capp: A Look Inside'' (1987) Budget Books *''Outrageous Andy Capp'' (1987) HGB *''The Return of Andy Capp'' (1988) HGB *''The Trivial Pursuit of Andy Capp'' (1988) HGB *''Good Morning, Andy Capp'' (1988) HGB *''Trouble in Paradise with Andy Capp'' (1988) HGB *''On the Run with Andy Capp'' (1989) HGB *''Taking It Easy with Andy Capp'' (1989) HGB *''Late Again, Andy Capp'' (1989) HGB *''Bounce Back with Andy Capp'' (1990) HGB *''Help Yourself, Andy Capp'' (1990) HGB

Adaptations

Stage

In 1981 a stage musical based on the strip had a short run at London's

Aldwych Theatre The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Aldwych in the City of Westminster, central London. It was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200 on three levels. History Origins The theatre was constructed in th ...

, with songs by

Alan Price Alan Price (born 19 April 1942) is an English musician. He was the original keyboardist for the British band the Animals before he left to form his own band the Alan Price Set. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 as a m ...

and

Trevor Peacock Trevor Edward Peacock (19 May 1931 – 8 March 2021) was an English actor, screenwriter and songwriter. He made his name as a theatre actor, later becoming known for his Shakespearean roles. Later in his career, he became best known for playing ...

, starring

Tom Courtenay Sir Thomas Daniel Courtenay (; born 25 February 1937) is an English actor. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Courtenay achieved prominence in the 1960s with a series of acclaimed film roles, including ''The Loneliness of t ...

as Andy and

Val McLane Val McLane (born Valerie Bradford25 February 1943 in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland) is an English actress, scriptwriter, director and teacher. Her younger brother is actor and musician Jimmy Nail. McLane founded the Live Theatre Compan ...

as Florrie. The stage show also produced an original West End cast recording, released on

LP record The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; an ...

by Key Records in 1982. The musical was reprised in 2016 at the

Finborough Theatre The Finborough Theatre is a fifty-seat theatre in the West Brompton area of London (part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea) under artistic director Neil McPherson. The theatre presents new British writing, as well as UK and world pr ...

in London, with

Roger Alborough Roger Alborough (born 19 February 1953) is a British TV and Theatre actor appearing in many dramas on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and in film. Recent work includes Black Mirror by Charlie Brooker Thieftakers 2, The 8 Days that Made Rome, Washington ...

portraying Andy.

Television

An attempt to transfer Andy Capp to television in 1988 met with little success. The well-known British character actor James Bolam played Andy on ITV. The

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

series consisted of six episodes that were shown once and have never been repeated. The series was poorly received and attracted some criticism for the way it played up to supposed stereotypes of

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a r ...

working-class men. In 2012 the series was released on DVD (Region 2) in the UK, licensed by Fremantle Media Ltd to the Network Label (VFD64669 / Network 7953656).

Computer game

In 1987, a

computer game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedback ...

based on ''Andy Capp'', entitled ''Andy Capp: The Game'', was released for the

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness W ...

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as the ''ZX81 Colou ...

and

Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Si ...

in Europe and North America. Players had to borrow money in order to replenish Andy's alcohol supply while avoiding fights with his wife Flo and the police.

Around the world

Konkani language Konkani () is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Konkani people, primarily in the Konkan region, along the western coast of India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages mentioned in the Indian Constitution, and the official language ...

adaptation of the comic strip, known as ''Anton Chepekar'' (आंंतोन चेपेंकार) used to feature in the Konkani daily ''

Sunaparant ''Sunaparant'' ( knn, सुनापरांत,) was a Konkani newspaper in Devanagari script. Based in Goa, India, it operated from 1987 to 2015. It published a special magazine during the Ganesh Chaturthi Ganesh Chaturthi ( ISO: ), a ...

''.

Related comics

When the children's comic '' Buster'' was launched in 1960, its masthead character was entitled "Buster: Son of Andy Capp". Buster wore a cloth cap similar to Andy's until 1992, but the connection was not recognised in the parent strip and had limited development in the children's comic. Buster often referred to his father, and Andy was seen in the comic attempting to find a gas leak in three frames of the 18 June 1960 strip. He was also shown in two drawn photographs in the 2 July 1960 issue, the first of which was displayed by Buster's mum with the pronouncement "It's a photo of Buster taken with Andy! You can see he's got his dad's fine straight nose". Buster's mum was often referred to by name and was consistently drawn to resemble Andy's wife Flo.

References

External links

''Andy Capp''
British Cartoon Archive,

University of Kent , motto_lang = , mottoeng = Literal translation: 'Whom to serve is to reign'(Book of Common Prayer translation: 'whose service is perfect freedom')Graham Martin, ''From Vision to Reality: the Making of the University of Kent at Canterbury'' ...

Daily ''Andy Capp'' comics
at

GoComics GoComics is a website launched in 2005 by the digital entertainment provider Uclick. It was originally created as a distribution portal for comic strips on mobile phones, but in 2006, the site was redesigned and expanded to include online strips ...

Andy's Facebook PageWorld of Andy Capp
at

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

"A comic-hero on his way through Europe"
in ''Nürnberger Nachrichten'' (newspaper), about Ultras Nürnberg's mascot "Jacky" (=Andy)

extensive article about Reg Smythe and the comic strip, at PlanetSlade
Interview with Andy Capp writer Sean Garnett
at The Journalix {{DEFAULTSORT:Capp, Andy British comic strips British comics characters

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 single-panel cartoon, it was later expanded to four panels. The s ...

Fictional English people Fictional unemployed people

Fictional alcohol abusers Fictional domestic abusers 1957 establishments in England Daily Mirror