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Τρίτη 23 Ιουνίου 2009

Roy of the Rovers aims to score again with new collection


KEEPING football alive during the off-season, Titan Books hopes to net a winner with its new collection The Best of Roy of the Rovers: The 1970s, out on June 21.

The book is a bumper collection of 70s stories from the classic British comic strip about the life and exploits of fictional footballer Roy Race, star player for Melchester Rovers.

Readers can join Roy Race as he competes to win the £30,000 Goal Rush Challenge, learns how to play American Football, tackles the problem of hooliganism head on, and struggles to control Melchester's latest signing - the fiery, arrogant but highly talented Paco Diaz!

With an introduction from top comedian Frank Skinner, this volume also contains features and articles from the original Roy of the Rovers comic, including Roy's Summer Quiz League, a two-page feature written by Eric Morecambe, and photos of a cardboard cut-out Roy with the likes of former Man United manager Tommy Docherty. Plus, there's a selection of period adverts for legendary toys from Chopper, Dinky and Corgi.

Football-themed stories were a staple of British comics from the 1950s onwards, and Roy of the Rovers was the most popular ever produced.

Revelling in the nostalgia that saw celebrities wax lyrical on BBC4's Comics Britannia, this new volume reprints collectable classic British football stories from the glory days of Roy Race, whose name is still called out by commentators for match-saving footballing feats.

The Best of Roy of the Rovers: The 1970s (paperback) is priced £12.99. Also available are The Best of Roy of the Rovers: The 1980s (£9.99) and The Bumper Book of Roy of the Rovers (£12.99).

There's also a special offer. You can join the Melchester Rovers line-up as Roy Race's new star player in a 1970s personalised story, printed especially for you. Visit egmont.co.uk/royoffer for details.

The Roy of the Rovers strip debuted in Tiger magazine in 1954. The exploits of Roy and his famed "rocket" left-foot ran in various titles until the Roy of the Rovers magazine was launched in 1976.

The title switched from weekly to monthly in 1993, when Roy lost his left foot in a helicopter crash, ending his playing career, and the focus switched to his son, Rocky.

The magazine survived for only 19 editions as a monthly and closed in 1995. Roy and Rocky were reunited briefly in Match of the Day magazine in 2001.


By David Bentley on Jun 10, 09 05:57 PM

http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/thegeekfiles/2009/06/roy-of-the-rovers-aims-to-scor.html