Here’s a post Christmas present for loyal and appreciated downthetubes readers out there, thanks to Dan Dare and Unit 666 artist and comics archivist Bill Storie: two episodes of “Time Bank” – what we believe was the last regular strip art TV Century 21 and Look-In artist Mike Noble ever drew.
“Time Bank” ran in issues of Piggy Press magazine published by NatWest Bank, a tie in with its hugely popular piggy bank promotion of the 1980s. The strip launched in Issue 13, the first story presented here with the second, published in Issue 14 – but does anyone out there know how many adventures were published?
(Although Mike, best known for drawing strips such as “Fireball XL5”, “Zero X”, “Timeslip”, “Black Beauty” and “Robin of Sherwood” also drew a four page strip for BHS Explorer in the 1990s, that was a one-off, so we’re not counting that).
If anyone has any other information about the “Time Bank” strip, feel free to let us know, below, thank you! In the meantime, a late Merry Christmas to all!
The NatWest Piggy Banks
The now very collectible NatWest Piggy Family made their first appearance with the launch of a special NatWest children’s account that enabled young savers to collect the whole family as their savings grew. Launched on 5th December 1983, it was the first really popular bank account in Britain aimed exclusively at children and is still fondly remembered by many people today.
As NatWest themselves explain here, children could open the account with as little as £3, and would be welcomed with a gift of a ceramic money box in the shape of a baby pig called Woody. As the account balance grew, other pigs in the family would be issued: Woody’s sister Annabel when the account exceeded £25, then brother Maxwell at £50, mum Lady Hilary at £75 and dad Sir Nathaniel Westminster at £100.
Now very rare, and beware, as fakes abound, a sixth piggy bank, Cousin Wesley, was introduced in 1998, as part of a children’s bond.
“It was immediately clear that the new account provided an opportunity that customers really appreciated,” NatWest note. “Some 1,500 piggy accounts were opened on the first day alone and by 1985 a million pigs had been issued. Today the ceramic pigs have become collectable ’80s memorabilia, valued for their retro charm.”
The pigs themselves, initially produced by Paul Cardew and Sunshine Ceramics, with world famous Wade taking over pig production as the account’s popularity grew to cope with demand, are now huge collectibles, still traded on sites like eBay and Etsy today.
Tie-in merchandise included a “Piggy Pullovers” knitting patterns book created by Gary Kennedy (Intarsia), who also created tie-in knitwear designs for other properties in the 1980s and 90s, including Count Duckula, Donald Duck, the Mr Men and Thunderbirds.
Piggy Press magazine
Piggy Press magazines were issued a few times a year over the course of the five year campaign, which ran between 1983 and 1988. Featuring interviews with celebrities, colouring challenges, comic strips, games and more, the title also offered opportunities to buy “Piggy” merchandise, including calculators, a pendulum clock, a card game and t-shirts.
Piggy Press was one of a number of publications published by NatWest aimed at attracting young customers, which also include the six-issue wildlife focused World Savers poster magazine, announced in Issue 15, which came with a World Wildlife Fund World Savers poster that introduced the bank’s next savings campaign.
“There were several ‘Time Bank’ episodes,” Bill tells us. “I don’t have any complete copies of others – Mike kindly sent me the set to copy in the 1990s, but they went missing during a house move. I know there was one involving dinosaurs (of course), one with pirates I think, and another with the kids being swept up in a whirlwind.”
Copies of Piggy Press are sometimes offered on ebay but do note that Mike didn’t draw every episode. The strip started in issue 13 and the second was in 14.
“There was a variation on the strip in the Nat West Wide World magazine, I think,” Bill adds, “but I’m still trying to figure that part of the story out.”
NatWest has, of course, regularly utilised comic strip as a way to sell its services to younger investors.
If anyone has any other information about the “Time Bank” strip, feel free to let us know, below, thank you! In the meantime, a late Merry Christmas to all!
Head downthetubes for…
• Mike Noble Artist Extraordinary Facebook Group
• downthetubes: In Memoriam: Look-In and TV21 artist Mike Noble
• downthetubes: Archive Comic Creator Interview: TV Century 21 and Look-In artist Mike Noble
• downthetubes: Creating Comics: Thunderbirds Step by Step, by Mike Noble
A fan site devoted to the NatWest pigs and associated merchandise
• Jasmine Birtles’ Money Magpie: Make money collecting NatWest piggy banks
• PipStrip eBay NatWest Piggy Press Search
• PipStrip eBay NatWest Pigs Search
• eBay: Wade Nat West Pigs – Full Set Including Cousin Wesley – “All Genuine & Excellent”
During the 1980s and 90s Intarsia were the leading company worldwide producing intarsia knitting patterns (picture knits) and had a following at that time of 60,000 knitters
• Archive of Gary Kennedy Intarsia patterns
• Retro Musings: NatWest Online Account Ads
- About the Author
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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.
Categories: British Comics, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes News, Features
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