ZIGIMAR, MASTER SPY

Full Name:	Zigimar
Nationality:	British
Organization:	Military Intelligence
Occupation	Agent

Creator:	Unknown
Time Span:	1964 - 1967

ABOUT THE SERIES

Zigimar is an agent with British Military Intelligence.

The time period for the activities of this operative is World War I. The location for the missions is, naturally, the European continent, almost exclusively behind enemy lines in German territory.

Zigimar is a codename. It is not the British agent's real name - that is a piece of data that is never revealed, either to the those he works work, those he fights against, or those of us who are able to follow any of his numerous exciting and varied missions. It is not even explained to use how he came to be called such an interesting name.

And it is not explained (as far as I would find) why he was disposed to make sure that he left a bit of a calling card, of sorts, behind in every assignment - the capital letter 'Z'. He might put it in bold paint on a wall or scratched deeply into concrete or etched onto a container holding explosives. He was inventive with his placement and he seldom repeated his Z-targets but he never forgot to leave it.

The name Zigimar is well known to the Germans who are his primary targets but what their nemesis looks like is not and therein lies the major problem they have with this man. He is referred by many of his victims as a "man of a thousand faces" because he is not only extremely good with his disguises, he can whip up one in just a few minutes if pushed and on many, many occasions has walked past his pursuers. Even better for his own amusement are the instances when he takes the role of a farmer or a beggar or a tradesman and finds a reason to get in their way, only to be ordered out of the area.

COMIC BOOKS, GRAPHIC NOVELS, AND MANGA

Number of Stories:	50
First Appearance:	1964
Last Appearance:	1967

The Hotspur was a British boy's publication put out by D.C. Thomson & Co. for 48 years.

It started on September 2, 1933 as an anthology of short story adventures and produced a new issue each week for 26 years (939 issues), with the last of the issues being on October 17, 1959.

The next week, it reinvented itself as an anthology of graphic adventures and resumed as such until it was merged into a sister publication, The Victor, on January 24, 1981. It began this new incarnation as The New Hotspur, now numbering each issue starting with #1. Issue #174 saw the content stay the same but the name reverting to the original The Hotspur.

The range of genres was both standard for such anthology publications at the time and varied to make sure that a wide range of interests would be appealed to. Westerns, space adventures, sports, exploration, horror, mystery, and so on, each got represented.

Sometimes the stories, both in its text days and in its graphic days, were single shots. More often they were series in nature with characters appearing suddenly and having several adventures told before disappearing from the pages forever.

Zigimar, Master Spy, was one of those but he would do so in three different sequences, all in the mid-60s.

According to www.victorhornetcomics.co.uk, the first series ran from issue #256 to #270. The artist credited with each story was James Bleach.

After a rest of just over half a year, the second series ran from #300 to #319, this time drawn by Terry Patrick.

Another six month hiatus followed before the third series, a very short one, ran from #356 to #361 with Patrick again doing the artwork.

According to a member of the comicsuk.co.uk forum, a quarter year later, #375 - #379 had additional stories. And finally, that same member mentioned "he also appeared in the first two revived Hotspur Books for 1966 and 1967, again drawn by Terry Patrick".

In all cases, the writer of these stories is unknown to me.

There are a fair number of gaps in the stories I have been able to get hold of. As far as I have seen, each issue had a complete story. The earlier ones lasted three pages while the second and third series were mostly told in two pages.


1			Adventure 1 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: James Bleach (artist) Copyright: 1964 Published in The Hotspur #256, 09/12/1964. [plot unknown]

2			Adventure 2 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: James Bleach (artist) Copyright: 1964 Published in The Hotspur #257, 09/19/1964. [plot unknown]

3			The Matter of the Butterfly Wings Published by DC Thomson Contributors: James Bleach (artist) Copyright: 1964 Published in The Hotspur #258, 09/26/1964, 3 pages. To learn where the Germans have been flying their mission out of, Zigimar goes undercover as a butterfly collector and to sneak his map out under the careful eyes of the enemy, he uses his specially drawn butterfly diagrams. Click here to read the story.

4			Adventure 4 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: James Bleach (artist) Copyright: 1964 Published in The Hotspur #259, 10/03/1964. [plot unknown]

5			Adventure 5 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: James Bleach (artist) Copyright: 1964 Published in The Hotspur #260, 10/10/1964. [plot unknown]

6			Adventure 6 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: James Bleach (artist) Copyright: 1964 Published in The Hotspur #261, 10/17/1964. [plot unknown]

7			Adventure 7 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: James Bleach (artist) Copyright: 1964 Published in The Hotspur #262, 10/24/1964. [plot unknown]

8			Adventure 8 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: James Bleach (artist) Copyright: 1964 Published in The Hotspur #263, 10/31/1964. [plot unknown]

9			Adventure 9 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: James Bleach (artist) Copyright: 1964 Published in The Hotspur #264, 11/07/1964. [plot unknown]

10			The Matter of Boots On The Ground Published by DC Thomson Contributors: James Bleach (artist) Copyright: 1964 Published in The Hotspur #265, 11/14/1964, 2 pages. Zigimar wants to find a way to distract Lt. von Bulow, his chief pursuer, so he can take out a large ammunition dump. His solution calls for strange footprints to lure the officer away - and a cow to make those prints. Click here to read the story.

11			The Matter of the Old Lady and the Eggs Published by DC Thomson Contributors: James Bleach (artist) Copyright: 1964 Published in The Hotspur #266, 11/21/1964, 2 pages. Zigimar needs to come up with a way to pass on a repeated basis German troop positions. He does so by taking the disguise of an elderly woman constantly carrying eggs to her daughter several miles away. His maps are drawn on the eggs and then turned invisible. But how does he manage to get his Z mark on a boiled egg inside the shell! Click here to read the story.

12			The Matter of the Enthusiastic Trombonist Published by DC Thomson Contributors: James Bleach (artist) Copyright: 1964 Published in The Hotspur #267, 11/28/1964, 2 pages. To infiltrate a special dinner and meeting of the German High Command to uncover their latest plans, Zigimar takes the role of a trombone player in the German's military band. Click here to read the story.

13			The Matter of the Faux Prince Published by DC Thomson Contributors: James Bleach (artist) Copyright: 1964 Published in The Hotspur #268, 12/05/1964, 2 pages. To find his way into another German High Command planning session, Zigimar disguises himself as Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria. Click here to read the story.

14			The Matter of the Simple Woodcutter Published by DC Thomson Contributors: James Bleach (artist) Copyright: 1964 Published in The Hotspur #269, 12/12/1964, 2 pages. Zigimar is called to a British Army unit in Belgium to help them find how the Germans are able to strike their artillery positions every day despite the British moving them every night. Click here to read the story.

15			The Matter of the Undercover Explosives Expert Published by DC Thomson Contributors: James Bleach (artist) Copyright: 1964 Published in The Hotspur #270, 12/19/1964, 2 pages. After a particularly dangerous mission in which he snuck under barbed wire to reach German trenches to see what he could learn about what they were up to, Zigimar is ordered to take two week's rest. He decides to visit the spy school where he was trained and while there, he is asked interrogate a Dutch businessman who Zigimar knows is up to no good. Click here to read the story.

16			Adventure 16 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Possible story published in The Hotspur #300, 07/17/1965. There is some disagreement whether this issue had a Zigimar story. [plot unknown]

17			Adventure 17 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Possible story published in The Hotspur #301, 07/24/1965. There is some disagreement whether this issue had a Zigimar story. [plot unknown]

18			The Matter of the Fake Fireman Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #302, 07/31/1965, 2.5 pages. While undercover as a teacher in the German school for spies, Zigimar receives orders he is to find a way to sabotage the War Office in Berlin. Taking the place of a fireman and faking a fire is a good way to get into the intended target and start an actual blaze. Click here to read the story.

19			The Matter of the Spy Inspector Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #303, 08/07/1965, 3 pages. A Colonel Hesse appears at the school for spies where Zigimar is working undercover, informing the administrator that it is suspected that Zigimar is doing just that. To stop him, Zigimar disguises himself as Hesse and cause a bit of trouble. Click here to read the story.

20			Adventure 20 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #304, 08/14/1965. [plot unknown]

21			The Matter of the Stolen Laundry Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #305, 08/21/1965, 2 pages. Zigimar is asked a leak of information from a sector of the British positions. It coincides with a quirky habit of German planes swooping in to snatch clotheslines! Click here to read the story.

22			The Matter of the Explosive Coal Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #306, 08/28/1965, 2.5 pages. Zigimar is on the bridge of a new British destroyer undergoing sea trials with an explosion scuttles the vessel. As he interviews some of the survivors, he decides it was no torpedo but sabotage and he is drawn to the place where the ship picked up its supply of coal. Click here to read the story.

23			The Matter of the Troop Movement Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #307, 09/04/1965, 2.5 pages. A portion of the German front line is especially quiet lately and Zigimar is determined to find out what the enemy is up to there. Click here to read the story.

24			The Matter of the Mustard Garden Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #308, 09/11/1965, 2 pages. Sneaking into an estate where German commanders were devising a new battle plan was not too difficult for disguise expert Zigimar but finding a way of sneaking out the troop placement plans was tricky. Click here to read the story.

25			The Matter of the Dud Flairs Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #309, 09/18/1965, 3 pages. To learn how the Germans have been able to be especially accurate with their artillery fire in a section of the front line, Zigimar goes undercover in that region. He discovers there is a mole in the British forces. Click here to read the story.

26			The Matter of the Floating Buoy Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #310, 09/25/1965. A new British training firing range has seen numerous officers shot from out of nowhere. Zigimar is called in to learn more and he quickly realizes that the range, built along the coast, is within shooting distance of a large navigation buoy. Finding a sniper there, he then has to wonder if the death of a few officers was the entire purpose. Click here to read the story.

27			The Matter of the Molding Clay Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #311, 10/02/1965. The year is 1916. Zigimar is operating deep inside Germany to disrupt supply and troop movements. After he blows up a railway bridge with a train on it, he goes back to his cover identity as a sculptor only to learn that the enemy has brought in a new expert hunter, Doctor Frann of the German Secret Service, to find him. Click here to read the story.

28			The Matter of the Irresistible Trap Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #312, 10/09/1965. A new German artillery gun bound for the front sits on a train car on a side track, a tempting target for Zigimar but he knows it is a trap set by Doktor Frann. The challenge is thus on for Zigimar - complete his sabotage from inside a known trap. Click here to read the story.

29			The Matter of the Many Z's Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #313, 10/16/1965. Still inside Germany to stymie their train movements, Zigimar knows that Doktor Frann is still hot on his trail and he uses that determination by hiring young boys to place the mark of the Z on various locations near the tracks, causing Frann to stop all trains while investigating. Click here to read the story.

30			The Matter of the Suggestion Letter Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #314, 10/23/1965. The task before Zigimar is how to destroy the Krupp munitions factory at Annen, a feat fraught with danger because Doktor Frann is on the scene to make sure such things did not happen. Click here to read the story.

31			The Matter of the Other Doktor Frann. Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #315, 10/30/1965. Having just destroyed a military air transport plane deep inside Germany, Zigimar was about to make his escape when Doktor Frann arrives, sealing off the base. Zigimar knows he has just one disguise he can use to have a chance of leaving. Click here to read the story.

32			The Matter of the Bad Batch Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #316, 11/06/1965. Zigimar has the audacity of taking the place of Doktor Frann's chauffeur to sneak onto a munitions plant. There he learns of a major production of vital steel using up the last of the available manganese. Zigimar wants to ruin that production. Click here to read the story.

33			The Matter of the Belgian Baker Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #317, 11/13/1965. The British High Command is concerned about the German use of zeppelins so Zigimar is at one of the bases inside Germany housing one. With Doktor Frann there ahead of him, Zigimar will have to be clever to bake up a good idea for destroying the craft. Click here to read the story.

34			The Matter of the Zeppelin Factory Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #318, 11/20/1965. The note to Doktor Frann from Zigimar tells the spy-hunter that Zigimar is tired of blowing up zeppelins so he is changing his tactics and going after a factory creating the crafts. Click here to read the story.

35			The Matter of the Kaiser's Son Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1965 Published in The Hotspur #319, 11/27/1965. With his latest campaign against zeppelins under full power, Zigimar goes into overdrive by taking as his latest disguise to sneak into a plant by going as 'Little Willie', the Kaiser's eldest son. Click here to read the story.

36			Adventure 36 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1966 Published in The Hotspur #355, 08/06/1966. [plot unknown]

37			Adventure 37 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1966 Published in The Hotspur #356, 08/13/1966. [plot unknown]

38			Adventure 38 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1966 Published in The Hotspur #357, 08/20/1966. [plot unknown]

39			Adventure 39 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1966 Published in The Hotspur #358, 08/27/1966. [plot unknown]

40			Adventure 40 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1966 Published in The Hotspur #359, 09/03/1966. [plot unknown]

41			Adventure 41 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1966 Published in The Hotspur #360, 09/10/1966. [plot unknown]

42			Adventure 42 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1966 Published in The Hotspur #361, 09/17/1966. [plot unknown]

43			Adventure 43 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1966 Published in The Hotspur #375, 12/24/1966. [plot unknown]

44			The Matter of the Turkish Telegrapher Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1966 Published in The Hotspur #376, 12/31/1966. Traveling to another enemy's lands, Zigimar is in Turkey to help a British prisoner escape from the prison he is being held in. Click here to read the story.

45			Adventure 45 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1967 Published in The Hotspur #377, 01/07/1967. [plot unknown]

46			Adventure 46 Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1967 Published in The Hotspur #378, 01/14/1967. [plot unknown]

47			The Matter of the Clumsy Juggler Published by DC Thomson Contributors: Terry Patrick (artist) Copyright: 1967 Zigimar is still in Turkey, this time taking the role of a Turkish street juggler. After he finds a way to get hold of the plans for latest German offensive, he comes up with a clever plan which calls on returning the plans to the enemy. Click here to read the story.

MY COMMENTS

The artwork provided by the artists is darn good - black and white with impressive use of shading. Reading the stories was very enjoyable.

Also quite delightful was the clever stories that this terrific artwork brought to life. The trick for each story was to present the situation, show how Zigimar chose to handle that situation, and then watch that resolution come about. All in usually 2, sometimes 2.5 or 3 pages. And each one was pulled off remarkably well.

Of course with such limited space, showing anything about the character other than mission related was impossible but nevertheless, the audacity of the operative and the delight he took in pulling off each mission made the stories a hoot.

GRADE

My Grade: B

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