The Leopard from Lime Street

The Leopard from Lime Street was a comic strip appearing in the British comic Buster from 1976 to 1985. Written by Tom Tully,[1] it was drawn in a 'realistic' comic style by Mike Western and Eric Bradbury,[2] much like Marvel Comics's Spider-Man comic (to which it bears numerous similarities), in direct contrast to the stylized cartoony style of the rest of Buster.

The Leopard from Lime Street
Cover to the first collected edition.
Publication information
PublisherIPC Magazines Ltd
Fleetway
First appearanceBuster #802 (1976)
Created byTom Tully (writer)
Eric Bradbury
Mike Western
In-story information
Alter egoWilliam "Billy" Farmer
SpeciesHuman mutate
Notable aliasesThe Leopard Man
The Leopard
Abilities
  • Enhanced strength
  • Enhanced agility
  • Enhanced speed
  • Enhanced endurance
  • Enhanced senses

Publishing history

Original run

The strip appeared regularly in Buster from 27th March 1976 to 18th May 1985, also appearing in annuals and specials span off from the title. The weekly instalments were typically three pages long, and printed in black and white. "The Leopard of Lime Street" briefly returned to the pages of Buster in 1990, with a selection of reprints being recoloured and ran between 14th April and 5th May. The strips were translated and published in French, in the comic Sunny Sun[3] and in Greek in the Blek comics series (where it was translated as "Panther Kid"),[4] mostly during the 80s. The origin of The Leopard from Lime Street was reprinted in the independent comic Starscape, along with the final published adventure from the Buster Annual 1987.[5]

Revivals

The Leopard of Lime Street was one of the superheroes assembled to fight the Lloigor in the 2000 AD strip Zenith. After having his appearance openly mocked by the strip's title character he was sent to a parallel Earth known as Alternative-666. The group were ambushed at a London Underground by the Lloigor, and the Leopard was killed when the Lloigor-possessed Mr. Why snapped his neck (in the same frame as another Buster-originated character, Fishboy, was also killed).[6]

An adult version of the character referred to as simply "The Leopard" appeared in Rebellion Publishing's 2000AD Presents: The Vigilant in 2018 as a member of a super team alongside the likes of Adam Eterno, Doctor Sin and the Steel Commando. This was written by Simon Furman, with art by Simon Coleby. A second one-shot by the same team, 2000AD Presents: The Vigilant - Legacy, followed in 2019.

A new story Totem (again written by Furman and illustrated by Laurent Lefeuvre) was published in Rebellion's Monster Fun Halloween Spooktacular in October 2021,[7] and the strip was in the re-launched Monster Fun in April 2022 (and every two months until April 2023, then monthly from June 2023),[8]

Story lines in Monster Fun
  • "Totem": Written by Simon Furman, Illustrated by Laurent Lefeuvre.[7]
  • "Birthright":

Fictional character biography

Billy Farmer lived with his Aunt Joan and Uncle Charlie[17] in the fictional town of Selbridge, where the 13-year old attended secondary school, where he was often bullied. Billy was also the editor, sole writer and photographer for his school magazine, Farmer's World, and as such was sent to take pictures for the publication at a nearby Zoological institute ran by Professor Jarman. There he was scratched by a radioactive leopard called Sheba, and after returning home found he had enhanced strength, speed, reflexes and agility after an altercation with his abusive uncle. Billy quickly realises he has been granted the abilities of a leopard as a result of the scratch, including a "leopard sixth sense". To hide his identity, he reworks his costume from a school pantomime Puss-in-Boots costume and decides to use it to foil the dangerous burglar known as the Cat-Man. He not only captures the robber and delivers him to the police, but is also able to snap a picture of the criminal in action, which he attempts to sell to Thaddeus Clegg, editor of the local newspaper Selbridge Sun, who believes he has faked the shot and refuses to buy it.

Thereafter Billy has to balance fighting crime with enduring the bullying of both his uncle and other pupils, realising that fighting back with his new powers could kill them. However, he does find various other ways to show them up. He also tries to carve out a career at the Selbridge Sun, where Clegg frequently tries to exploit Billy while simultaneously trying to find out more about the mysterious crime-fighting 'Leopardman'. Much of the story and format bore a strong resemblance to Spider-Man, including the origin and nature of his powers, an orphan with a kindly but frail aunt, the distrust the Leopardman suffers from both the police and the press; Billy being the target of bullies, but realising he can't use his powers against them; the unwitting newspaper editor searching to expose the hero, while unaware his alter ego is in his employ; and so forth. The main differences, beyond the small-town British slant, are that Billy's uncle not only lives but is an aggressive, antagonistic presence; and that while the Leopard occasionally fights costumed criminals such as Cat-Man, circus acrobat Vampello and thief Snow-Beast, they had no powers and mixed in with more mundane criminals such as arsonists and thieves.

Collected editions

The series has been republished in trade paperbacks by Rebellion Publishing as part of The Treasury of British Comics.[18][19] The Llimited hardback editions were available exclusively from the 2000 AD / Treasury of British Comics webstores (for Volume 1, this included a numbered bookplate and art print[20]) - the hardback editions for volumes 1 and 2 used the same ISBN number as the TP versions, whereas volume 3 had different ISBNs for both HB and TP editions:

TitleISBN (pb)ISBN (hb)Hardbacks
Issued		Release dateOriginally Serialised
The Leopard From Lime Street Book 1 9781781085974 200[20] 12 Jul 2017[20] Buster from 27 March 1976 - 11 June 1977
The Leopard From Lime Street Book 2 9781781086780 250[21] 12 Jun 2019[21] Buster from 18 June 1977 - 15 July 1978
The Leopard From Lime Street Book 3 9781786188304 9781837860364 tbc[22] 15 Mar 2023[22] Buster from 22 July 1978 - 29 September 1979

References
  1. Tully author page, Simon and Schuster website. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  2. Ian Wheeler, Mike Western remembered Archived 2011-10-15 at the Wayback Machine, Down The Tubes, 21 May 2008
  3. Mon Journal : Le Léopard de Lime Street, Un félin appelé à régner
  4. Blek - The best comics (article in Greek)
  5. Starscape Comic
  6. Morrison, Grant (2015). Zenith: Phase Three. Rebellion Publishing. ISBN 9781781083208.
  7. Furman, Simon (w), Lefeuvre, Laurent (a), Lefeuvre, Laurent (let). "The Leopard from Lime Street: Totem" Monster Fun Halloween Spooktacular, no. 2021, p. 36–41 (6 October 2021). Oxford, UK: Rebellion Publishing, ISBN 9781786184764.
  8. "Monster Fun Comics Shop". Inside Britain's kookiest anthology you'll find the hilarious antics of characters such as Frankie Stein, Kid Kong, Draculass, Sweeny Toddler, Gums, Teddy Scare, and The Leopard from Lime Street![...]The new ongoing Monster Fun launches in April 2022, and will appear every two months thereafter.
  9. Furman, Simon (w), Lefeuvre, Laurent (a), Lefeuvre, Laurent (let). "The Leopard from Lime Street: Birthright (Part 1)" Monster Fun Easter Special, no. 2022, p. 236–31 (6 April 2022). Oxford, UK: Rebellion Publishing, ISBN 9781786184764.
  10. Furman, Simon (w), Lefeuvre, Laurent (a), Lefeuvre, Laurent (let). "The Leopard from Lime Street" Monster Fun School's Out Special 2022, no. 2022, p. 26–31 (1 June 2022). Oxford, England: Rebellion Publishing, ISBN 977275500800608.
  11. Furman, Simon (w), Lefeuvre, Laurent (a), Lefeuvre, Laurent (let). "The Leopard from Lime Street" Monster Fun Summer Special 2022, no. 2022, p. 26–31 (3 August 2022). Oxford, England: Rebellion Publishing, ISBN 977275500800606.
  12. Furman, Simon (w), Roche, Nick (a), Bove, John-Paul (col), Sanchez, O.J. (let). "The Leopard from Lime Street" Monster Fun Halloween Spooktacular 2022, no. 2022, p. 26–31 (5 October 2022). Oxford, UK: Rebellion Publishing, ISBN 977275500800610.
  13. Furman, Simon (w), Roche, Nick (a), Bove, John-Paul (col), SquakeZz (let). "The Leopard from Lime Street" Monster Fun Christmas Special 2022, no. 2022, p. 26–31 (7 December 2022). Oxford, England: Rebellion Publishing, ISBN 977275500800612.
  14. Furman, Simon (w), Holden, P.J. (a), Bove, John-Paul (col), SquakeZz (let). "The Leopard from Lime Street" Monster Fun Ghoulish Gaming Special, no. 2023, p. 23–28 (1 February 2023). Oxford, UK: Rebellion Publishing, ISBN 977275500800602.
  15. Furman, Simon (w), Holden, P.J. (a), Bove, John-Paul (col), SquakeZz (let). "The Leopard from Lime Street" Monster Fun Twisted Time Travel Special, no. 2023, p. 23–28 (5 April 2023). Oxford, UK: Rebellion Publishing, ISBN 977275500800604.
  16. Furman, Simon (w), Holden, P.J. (a), Bove, John-Paul (col), SquakeZz (let). "The Leopard from Lime Street" Monster Fun Dino-Scare Special, no. 2023, p. 23–28 (7 June 2023). Oxford, UK: Rebellion Publishing, ISBN 977275500800606.
  17. Although it was never mentioned in the strip itself what happened to Billy Farmer's parents, according to a biography of the character published in a cut-out-and-fold booklet called The Leopard from Lime Street, published in weekly parts by Buster during the late 1980s, they were killed in a plane crash when Billy was only three years old. (The aforementioned booklet also featured a reprint of the very first story in compilation form.)
  18. Faceache, Marney, Leopardboy, One-Eyed Jack... coming back!
  19. 2000 AD to revive children's comics from the '70s and '80s | The Bookseller
  20. "THE LEOPARD FROM LIME STREET - BOOK 1 [LIMITED EDITION HARDBACK]". Rebellion Publishing. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  21. "THE LEOPARD FROM LIME STREET BOOK 2 - LIMITED HARDBACK EDITION". Rebellion Publishing. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  22. "THE LEOPARD FROM LIME STREET BOOK 3 - LIMITED HARDBACK EDITION". Rebellion Publishing. Retrieved 28 January 2023.


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