''Spike'' was a British

comics anthology A comics anthology collects works in the medium of comics, typically from multiple series, and compiles them into an anthology or magazine. The comics in these anthologies range from comic strips that are too short for standalone publication to co ...

that ran from 22 January 1983 to 28 April 1984. Published by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd, it was a traditional 'action comic for boys', with many of its strips revolving around

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 ...

, athletics, school, war, sci-fi, espionage and mystery. After just 67 issues it merged with ''Champ'' comic in May 1984.

Strips published in the comic

* The Spike Report concerning the adventures of Spike, a rebellious teenager, with a hatred of authority. Drawn by artist Brian Walker. * Iron Barr about an incredibly talented

working class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...

amateur goalkeeper, and scrap-metal merchant, named Charlie Barr, (similar in concept to Tough of the Track). * The Man In Black a story revolving around the fictional legendary British athlete William Wilson. * The Bleak Street Bunch a

Grange Hill ''Grange Hill'' is a British children's television drama series, originally produced by the BBC and portraying life in a typical comprehensive school. The show began its run on 8 February 1978 on BBC1, and was one of the longest-running program ...

school-style serial dealing with contemporary issues in the fictional town of Slagley. * Ticker Tait an espionage story about a British secret agent with a bomb implanted in his heart. * Midshipman Coward a tale about a sailor boy. * The Taming Of Johnny Tough a story about a teenage boy who is trained (by unorthodox methods) to be a top British footballer. * Powerbeast a science fiction, serial set in the 26th century, about an evil entity intent on destroying the universe. * Krazy Kops a comedy comic strip about incompetent police officers, which had originally appeared in Sparky under the name ''L Cars''.

External links

downthetubes guide to ''Spike''
DC Thomson Comics titles Comics magazines published in the United Kingdom Magazines established in 1983 Magazines disestablished in 1984 1983 comics debuts 1984 comics endings Association football comics Defunct British comics {{UK-comics-stub