The 12½p Buytonic Boy

"The 12½p Buytonic Boy" was a fictional character who had his own strip in the UK comic "Krazy".

For much of its life the strip was drawn by Robert Nixon, although Brian Walker frequently deputised when Bob was on leave.

It first appeared in issue 1, dated 16 October 1976. The strip was about a boy called Steve Ford, who, after buying a special tonic from Professor Nutz for 12½ pence, gained special powers. He would later be hired by the Everso Secret Service, using his powers to interfere with the plans of the villainous spies from rival organisation, the "NME".

The name and strip itself was a pun on "The Six Million Dollar Man" television series, whose main character was called Steve Austin. Ford and Austin are both popular car manufacturers.

His most famous catchphrase, following an altercation with a robotic Australian villain, was "Fingers over nose in case you pop one of those corks again... and a thump on your brain-box because the price is right!" Oft-imitated in classrooms, to the dismay of fellow-pupils and teachers alike, one boy was reportedly caned in 1981 by his headmaster for repeating this popular slogan once too-often.

After "Krazy" finished in 1978, he became a "Whizzer and Chips" Whizzkid, and stayed in that comic until early 1986. Around the time the half penny ceased being legal tender, the strip was retitled "The Buytonic Boy", variously attributing to "BB: Buytonic Boy" and "The Buytonic Boy starring Steve Ford". It would later be retitled, more permanently, to "Super Steve", and, after that, "Super Steve vs NME Nasties", in which readers would write to the NME and suggest ways of defeating Steve (which always failed).

He was also known for three weeks in 1984 as "W4" during a short-lived spell when "Whizzer and Chips" code-number titled its characters in an attempt to attract a teenage audience.