Review of the year - December 30th 1976

On the penultimate day of 1976 I looked back at the year, and amazingly found something worth writing about.

January was all exams, February I got flu and watched the Winter Olympics from my sick bed, March nothing much. April seems to have been the biggie, the school ski-ing trip to Italy, which I do indeed still remember 40 years on. Our band also made its debut performance, under the temporary name Mercury.



May's high point was inheriting 400 Scorcher comics, which I eventually returned to their original owner Dave Lyon earlier this year; June seems rather diary-self-obsessed, and July and August were the legendary heatwave. September I started at a new school, October I'm fascinated by TV and comics, November nothing to say, and December the band plays again and I start a comic strip which, 40 years later, I have yet to finish.

Wow. The best years of your life can seem pretty dull when you sum them up. No wonder I put so much detail into the decorations of the diary pages. And check out the most popular Record For The Day of 1976. Laurie Lingo and the Dipsticks? Dave Lee bloody Travis? Bring on punk, I say.







Kev F Sutherland, as well as writing and drawing for The Beano, Marvel, Doctor Who et al, runs Comic Art Masterclasses in schools, libraries and art centres - email for details, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter. View the promo video here. 

Christmas Day 1976

Merry Christmas everyone! Here is my teenage diary from Christmas Day 1976, full to the brim with the presents I got and the TV I watched. I think Christmas telly has improved in the last 40 years. As for pressies? What can improve on the the Look-In and Willy The Kid annuals, two Stan Lee Origins Of Marvel Comics books, and the Album Of The Soundtrack Of The Trailer Of The Film Of Monty Python And The Holy Grail? Not a lot, that's what.



Actually the TV wasn't that bad. Morecambe and Wise & Parkinson were still on the BBC, Bruce Forsyth was still on the Generation Game, Christmas Top Of The Pops was on just like it should be, and Airport and Oliver qualified as New-To-TV movies. And then, just as now, ITV either hadn't bothered or we'd forgotten it existed.  God bless us every one.

I didn't feature my usual Record For The Day on Christmas Day, instead listing the records that I got as presents. The album, Queen's Day At The Races, doesn't get its mention till Boxing Day. But here are all three treats.








Kev F Sutherland, as well as writing and drawing for The Beano, Marvel, Doctor Who et al, runs Comic Art Masterclasses in schools, libraries and art centres - email for details, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter. View the promo video here.