Harlem Heroes, Part 19

NAME
Harlem Heroes, Part 19 (according to Wikipedia, this is the fourth part of a strip also known as 'Gorgon's Gargoyles')

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. Prog 19

DATELINE
2 July 77

PAGE COUNT
3

REPRINTS
Sam Slade Robo-Hunter (Volume 2, Issue 17), 2000AD Extreme Edition 13 and The Complete Harlem Heroes.

SYNOPSIS
Gruber's contact mine explodes and the Harlem Heroes fall out.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First and last appearance of Dale Parker.

INFORMATION
The umpire has discretion as to whether to allow a team to abandon the game.

GIANT
Allowed the aeroball that Gruber meant for him to go to Dale Parker. Giant almost comes to blows with Slim and Hairy.

SLIM
When given the option to abandon the game, he declines. He checks 'Toots' Tomlinson into the recoil surface. Slim almost comes to blows with Giant and Hairy.

HAIRY
When given the option to abandon the game, he declines. He throws the ball at one of the Gorgon's Gargoyles ten metres from the score-tank. Hairy almost comes to blows with Slim and Giant.

ZACK
When given the option to abandon the game, he declines. Zack punches a Gorgon's Gargoyles player in the face whilst passing the ball to Hairy.

OTHER CHARACTERS
DALE PARKER
Harlem Heroes substitute player who catches the aeroball carrying Artie Gruber's contact mine and is killed when it explodes. (It's implied that this his first match)

ARTIE GRUBER
He is frustrated when another attempt on Giant's life fails.

'TOOTS' TOMLINSON
Gorgon's Gargoyles player. Slim checks him into the recoil surface and parts of him break off.

DEATHS
One. Dale Parker, dies when the contact mine explodes.

BEST LINES
Dale Parker (thinks just before exploding): "This is my big break!"

WORST LINES
Slim: "Quit buggin' me, Giant--Or I'll lay one on you!"

CATCHPHRASES
Gorgon's Gargoyles grunt continue with a "Hssss!", an "Aaarnk!", a "Nnnnrrrg!", and a "Gawwwrg!", while Dale Parker provides an understandable "Aieeeee!"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
Dale Parker was presumably one of the substitutes that King was training in Part 6.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
There are no credits printed in the strip itself and so the following are taken from Barney.

Script: Tom Tully
Artist: Dave Gibbons
Letters: Dave Gibbons

REVIEW
This part achieves a lot in only three pages. It's a shame that we didn't get a chance to know Dale Parker a bit before he was blown into tiny pieces. Chico's death last time around galvanised the team and made them play better. It's a nice touch that given the option to abandon the game in similar circumstances, the Harlem Heroes play on and that drives them apart.

Shako's Fur's As White As Snow, And All His Victims Die Real Slow!