The Harpoon

The Harpoon was a BBC Radio 4 series broadcast between 1991 and 1994, written by Julian Dutton and Peter Baynham in the form of an affectionate spoof of the "Boys Own" style comics of the early 20th century. Each issue promised "six colour plates and numerous black and white illustrations", as well as adventure stories (such as "The Adventures of Maisie Drummond", on the trail of schoolmates missing in mysterious circumstances), general knowledge ("The Story Of The Comb" by Carl Bravado), practical advice ("How To Build An Up-Hill Sledge"), Readers' Letters, bizarre advertisements and "Your old chum the Editor [voiced by Alistair McGowan] deep in the bowels of Harpoon House".