Here's something of a mystery (just in case you were thinking this was all too straightforward). The serial number PR124 indicates a probable date of 1972, & the artist is clearly "B" (my favourite of the Mini-Toons artists, & in fact the great Peter Archer). But Peter's work doesn't appear in the 25-48 series of Mini-Toons, or the Groovy Doodles. Is it possible that these transfer sheets are from a lost first edition of 25-48? Or is it another promotion (PR serials normally suggest as much, of course)?
I will ask. Meanwhile, it's very intriguing…
(Update: sadly; it's now too late to ask.)
The subject matter is pure Mini-Toons, & you can even guess that the titles of the sets these are from would have been "Seaside Humour" & "Ancient Antics".
At last I've come across another clue, in the form of this badly-damaged fragment of another PR124 sheet.
Clearly, it's a band, circa 1972 — although in my "other job" I seem to have a strong sensation of having photographed this particular band from onstage around 2012. But what's fifty years in pop music nowadays?
This just makes the whole topic more intriguing. How many sheets were in the set: twelve? Twenty-four? Is this a promotion? A promotion for what? Does anyone hear any bells ringing? — If so, get in touch!
Anyway, just to fill up the page a bit, here is a collection of pieces of paper which someone in Germany kindly sent me, having rubbed down some transfers on them many years earlier. It's easy to spot some of the Mini-Toons figures, but others are slightly mysterious, with heavy hints of Robert Crumb & Richard Scarry… I'm guessing Dandy Bubble Gum with Action Transfers, but you're welcome to guess for yourself — & if you happen to recognise them, please let me know!
Hang on: if I eliminate the known Mini-Toons images, we're left with these (in more detail):
There you go: two mysteries on one page! What more could you ask?
Picture Credit: The SPLAT Scan Archives
© Tom Vinelott 2023