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When Alan Moore wrote football comics…a look back at Marvel UK’s “Not the World Cup: The Official Souvenir Brochure”

By John Freeman on June 14, 2018

downthetubes contributor and comics archivist Richard Sheaf has shared plenty of strange British comic one shots and short-lived titles over on his brilliant Boys Adventure Blog, and while his recent coverage of Gilbert’s Fridge intrigued, I think it’s more than out trumped by Marvel UK’s 1982 Not the World Cup: The Official Souvenir Brochure…

With a cover by 2000AD artist John Higgins, the magazine includes a three page strip by Roy of the Rovers artist Barrie Mitchell, written by Alan Moore.

Written at a time when Moore was writing strips for various British annuals, including The Dukes of Hazard, it’s not likely to be regarded as his best, but what’s not to like about a strip centring on a television interview between Ted Drinkproblem and “the controversial star player of the Republic of Santa Mafiosa, Ricardo del Wolverine,” who shares a variety of helpful football tips such as how best to foul opposing players.

He also suggests scoring goals is best accomplished by calmly showing the goalkeeper a photograph of his family being menaced by a mobster with a tommy gun is a pretty funny.

As you settle down for your World Cup marathon, enjoy this flashback to what was probably a highlight of the 1982 tournament… at least, for comic fans!

• Richard’s Boys Adventure Blog is at boysadventurecomics.blogspot.com

• More about Alan Moore’s more obscure work of the 1980s over at Erudition Press

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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.