Ivor Lott and Tony Broke
Encyclopedia
Ivor Lott and Tony Broke was a British
strip
which originally appeared in the comic book Cor!!
in the early 1970s, before being in Buster
when the two comics merged in June 1974.
The strips revolved around two boys who lived close to each other. Tony Broke (a pun on the English slang
term 'stony broke', meaning to have no money at all) was the penniless hero of the stories, while Ivor Lott (which sounds like "I've a lot") - a spoiled, rich snob
- was the villain. The format of the strips was usually the same; Tony would be enjoying himself with some simple, cheap toy or activity, and Ivor would show off with an incredibly expensive version of the toy, bullying his neighbour in the process. In each strip, Tony would ultimately win out, by getting Ivor into trouble or by tricking him to break his own toy, for example. A typical storyline had Tony playing with paper plane
s by himself, before Ivor appears with an expensive remote control
model aircraft
, shooting down Tony's planes. Tony would then paint a wall to camouflage
it, making Ivor break his plane by flying it into the wall. On seldom occasions Tony would be foiled by something beyond his power, such as having to cancel a cricket
game on account of rain. Ivor then claims that is not an issue as he presents an expensive inflatable stadium. While it may have been useful for Tony and Ivor to continue playing, Ivor's lousy cricket skills cause the ball to fly through the roof, popping the stadium and resulting in him being chased by angry spectators. On a few, very rare, occasions, the strip would end with Tony being astonished at how much money Ivor was prepared to throw around: once, after spending vast amounts on a haircut, Ivor ended up literally having a single hair cut.
A similar strip appeared in the comic Jackpot
, but this time it features a pair of girls called Milly O' Naire and Penny Less (a play on the words 'millionaire
' and 'penniless'). When Jackpot and Buster merged in 1982, the two strips merged as well: Milly became Ivor's girlfriend, while Tony preferred the more down to earth Penny. The girls would often behave the same way as their male counterparts; Milly attended an exquisite boarding school
; then she is in shock to see Penny also attending, only her diligent study has awarded her a scholarship to the same private school
.
In the 1990s, the adult comic Viz
ran a strip lampooning Ivor Lott and Tony Broke, which contained slightly more mature themes. For example, in one strip, the Ivor character boasts about the breast implant surgery that he has paid for his girlfriend to get.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
which originally appeared in the comic book Cor!!
Cor!!
Cor!!, a British comic book Was launched in June 1970 by IPC , their sixth new comic in just over a year. Cor!! was edited by Bob Paynter....
in the early 1970s, before being in Buster
Buster (comic)
Buster was a long-running British comic which carried a mixture of humour and adventure strips, although the former increasingly replaced the latter...
when the two comics merged in June 1974.
The strips revolved around two boys who lived close to each other. Tony Broke (a pun on the English slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
term 'stony broke', meaning to have no money at all) was the penniless hero of the stories, while Ivor Lott (which sounds like "I've a lot") - a spoiled, rich snob
Snob
A snob is someone who believes that some people are inherently inferior to him or her for any one of a variety of reasons, including real or supposed intellect, wealth, education, ancestry, taste, beauty, nationality, et cetera. Often, the form of snobbery reflects the snob's personal attributes...
- was the villain. The format of the strips was usually the same; Tony would be enjoying himself with some simple, cheap toy or activity, and Ivor would show off with an incredibly expensive version of the toy, bullying his neighbour in the process. In each strip, Tony would ultimately win out, by getting Ivor into trouble or by tricking him to break his own toy, for example. A typical storyline had Tony playing with paper plane
Paper plane
A paper plane, paper aeroplane , paper airplane , paper glider, paper dart or dart is a toy aircraft, usually a glider made out of paper or paperboard; the practice of constructing paper planes is sometimes referred to as aerogami , after origami, the Japanese art of paper folding.-History:The...
s by himself, before Ivor appears with an expensive remote control
Remote control
A remote control is a component of an electronics device, most commonly a television set, used for operating the television device wirelessly from a short line-of-sight distance.The remote control is usually contracted to remote...
model aircraft
Model aircraft
Model aircraft are flying or non-flying models of existing or imaginary aircraft using a variety of materials including plastic, diecast metal, polystyrene, balsa wood, foam and fibreglass...
, shooting down Tony's planes. Tony would then paint a wall to camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
it, making Ivor break his plane by flying it into the wall. On seldom occasions Tony would be foiled by something beyond his power, such as having to cancel a cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
game on account of rain. Ivor then claims that is not an issue as he presents an expensive inflatable stadium. While it may have been useful for Tony and Ivor to continue playing, Ivor's lousy cricket skills cause the ball to fly through the roof, popping the stadium and resulting in him being chased by angry spectators. On a few, very rare, occasions, the strip would end with Tony being astonished at how much money Ivor was prepared to throw around: once, after spending vast amounts on a haircut, Ivor ended up literally having a single hair cut.
A similar strip appeared in the comic Jackpot
Jackpot (comic)
Jackpot was a British comic book that ran from the issues dated 5 May 1979 to 30 January 1982, when it merged with Buster. Its strips included:*Jack Pott *Angel's Proper Charlies, a parody of Charlie's Angels*Adam and Eva*Class Wars...
, but this time it features a pair of girls called Milly O' Naire and Penny Less (a play on the words 'millionaire
Millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account...
' and 'penniless'). When Jackpot and Buster merged in 1982, the two strips merged as well: Milly became Ivor's girlfriend, while Tony preferred the more down to earth Penny. The girls would often behave the same way as their male counterparts; Milly attended an exquisite boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
; then she is in shock to see Penny also attending, only her diligent study has awarded her a scholarship to the same private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
.
In the 1990s, the adult comic Viz
Viz (comic)
Viz is a popular British comic magazine which has been running since 1979.The comic's style parodies British comics of the post-war period, notably The Beano and The Dandy, but with incongruous language, crude toilet humour, black comedy, surreal humour and either sexual or violent storylines...
ran a strip lampooning Ivor Lott and Tony Broke, which contained slightly more mature themes. For example, in one strip, the Ivor character boasts about the breast implant surgery that he has paid for his girlfriend to get.