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replacing 'De Gabbers', with 'Follyfoot' beginning the issue after. This
line-up remained until the publication's end. The quality of reproduction,
notably on the full colour strips such as 'On The Buses', 'Timeslip', and
'Follyfoot', was often superior to its 'Look-In' counterparts, sometimes
including the whole artwork that normally bled off the page edge.
Only a small number of covers had their origins in
'Look-In' though, with the first 'Jamin Junior' using the photo of John
Alderton as Bernard Hodges in 'Please Sir!', from issue 30 for 1971.
Issues 6, 7, 14 and 16 use the same photos as issues 31, 7, 41 and 27
(also 1971) of 'Look-In' respectively, while issue 3 uses a different
photo of Geoffrey Bayldon as Catweazle, and issue 22 features Wendy
Padbury and Adrian Wright on location in Holland for series six of
'Freewheelers'. The others were incredibly diverse, ranging from Pippi
Langkous (Pippi Longstocking, which was on Dutch TV) in issue 4, Floris
(8), Zorro (15), Laurel & Hardy (18), and Bonanza (23).
A number of features on the British strip or TV related content would
appear through the publication's 26 issue run: 'Catweazle' in issue 2, 'De
Versierders' (The Persuaders) (4), 'On the Buses' (6), 'Please Sir!' (8),
'De Vrijboiters' (Freewheelers) (22), 'Doctor in Charge' (24), and
'Follyfoot' in issue 25. Other TV related and general features included
Barbapapa in issue 2, Pippi Langkous (10), the Olympics (12), Madame
Tussaud (14), Laurel & Hardy (18), and 'De Mounties' (another Dutch show)
in issue 19. All bar one are credited to Thera Esling who, like editor
Lisette Crevels, appears to be untraceable after 35 years.
One can only ponder on the initial deal that led to 'Jamin Junior' having
such a high degree of 'Look-In' material, but it was obviously finite.
Issue 15 saw the price rise from 25 cent to 30, and the final editorial by
Lisette implied the title could continue only if there was a significant
further increase. It can be speculated that, with all the colour
'Timeslip' strips run, there would have to be a another reshuffle in
content - the continuing black and white strip would possibly have to be
coloured at further cost, as would 'Doctor in Charge' which, as its
feature appearance in issue 24 suggested, may have been a further
addition. On top of that, distribution of 'Jamin Junior' was limited to
towns which had a store - originally mainly in the Rotterdam area of
Holland - so while sales may have been good, they would never have been as
high or profitable as a mainstream publication.
In conclusion, 'Jamin Junior' was a superb foreign take on the format, and
worthy successor to the magazine era of 'TV2000', in the same way
'Look-In' was to 'TV21', and it is a shame it did not run longer. |
