- Jonah (comics)
Jonah was a
fictional character in acomic strip in the UK comic "The Beano ", drawn byKen Reid . It first appeared in issue 817, dated15 March 1958 . The title character- asailor and a skinny, gormless, chinless wonder- was feared by all other mariners because he would (accidentally) sink everyship he sailed on (and often all other vessels in the neighbourhood to boot). In one episode he started a war between the nations of Gorgonzolia and Parafinalia and this resulted in the utter destruction of the combined fleets of both countries (a possible reference to theCold War ). The strip ran until issue 1090, dated8 June 1963 , when he unintentionally flooded Sludgeport Museum.Punch and Jimmy took over Jonah's page as from the following week.Jonah returned 30 years later in
1993 , albeit this time inThe Dandy . Here he met thecaptain of the Ragworm's Revenge, Timmy Fogg (nicknamed 'Thick' Fogg) and obtained a magicearring , which if pulled would turn him into amonster -like man. The strip continued in The Dandy for a few years afterwards. The revival was drawn by Keith Robson, Ken Reid having passed away by this point.In the 1980s, Jonah appeared in several Beano Comic Libraries, meeting "The Topper"'s
Puss 'n' Boots twice. Ironically, they also joined The Dandy in 1993!Uncle Albert from "Only Fools and Horses " was sometimes referred to as 'Jonah' due to his less than distinguished naval career.
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