ARCHIVES 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 STORYLINE ARCS Dr Spoon - Pre-Bollox Comics - 4 Parts These comics were made before Bollox Comics was officially launched in January 2002. This was a simple introduction of Dr Spoon, Cuthbert’s evil but nice neighbour. Virtual Reality - Pre-Bollox Comics - 7 Parts This was an experiment in using a very basic 3D tool to take Cuthbert and Hugh in a 3D Virtual Reality game. Hand-Drawn Week - 15th April 2002 to 20th April 2002 - 6 Parts After buying a new flatbed scanner, this was an intentionally sketchy style and rather silly story of Cuthbert and Hugh discovering they’ve become hand-drawn. M.F. Smitts - 22nd April 2002 to 15th June 2002 - 40 Parts The first real storyline in which Cuthbert and Hugh get their jobs at M.F. Smitts, a retail store that's high on stock and low on morale. These comics provided a lot of development for the characters and layout of the comic. It features many first appearences of the other staff members of Smitts, as well as how Cuthbert ended up on the till. Top 5 Most Annoying Things - 23rd September 2002 to 22nd October 2002 - 24 Parts This is kind of multiple plot storyline. The first week is about some of the most annoying things that occur at the till. It then breaks off into a surreal Hulk parody dubbed The Incredible Sulk (featuring the first use of hand-drawn/MS Paint interaction). After this Cuthbert feels he has to complain to his manager. Best Of British - 24th October 2002 to 30th October 2002 - 6 Parts One of the bigger appeals of Cuthbert is his unashamed Britishness. So it was fitting that Cuthbert provides a little guide to the best bits of Brits, but with a twist. The Back Door - 4th November 2002 to 23rd November 2002 - 18 Parts This storyline allowed Hugh to take the spotlight in his first leading role. It was also an oppotunity to do a slightly more atmospheric comic with more focus on lighting and less dialogue. The Black Cat - 3rd February 2003 to 22nd March 2003 - 30 Parts Another multiple plot storyline. The rational Cuthbert is plagued by unexplainable things happening to him due to an unlucky black cat. This lead to them getting a dog named William. Hugh believes William is a super genius where as Cuthbert purely wanted to use it to hunt down the cat. A misunderstanding lead to Cuthbert getting arrested. Mother's Day - 24th March 2003 to 29th March 2003 - 6 Parts Cuthbert and Hugh go home to see their mum for Mother's Day. A Bedtime Story - 7th April 2003 to 12th April 2003 - 6 Parts As a twist to the regular style, this short story was made entirely out of crayons. To further add to the child-like visual style, the story was told as if it was a kids book (including intentional misspellings). Bubbles Resurrection - 14th April 2003 to 19th April 2003 - 6 Parts A very Bill Watterson inspired story. Timed around Easter, this story was about Hugh believing his goldfish, Bubbles, was resurrected. There's a lot of religious subtext with Cuthbert and Hugh's arguing being like fact vs faith. The answer is still ambiguous. M.F. Smitts vs Wellworths - 12th May 2003 to 28th June 2003 - 41 Parts A football match is declared with a rival store, but Cuthbert is determined to defeat his old nemesis, Robert Poker, even it is means by cheating. Mary - 30th June 2003 to 14th September 2003 - 61 Parts Cuthbert returns to work to meet a new work-experience kid - a 19 year old sexy bad girl. What started as an exchange of harsh insults soon changes as he realises he has feelings for her. But she then goes missing along with £300 and the blame points to Cuthbert. Anger Management - 10th November 2003 to 29th November 2003 - 18 Parts Due to his increasingly violent behaviour with customers, Cuthbert is sent to therapy. But upon returning he's become too nice! Cuthbert And The Parallel Universe - 5th January 2004 to 10th January 2004 - 6 Parts A mini one-off storyline created as an excuse to fool around with plasticine versions of Cuthbert and Hugh. Spring Cleaning - 23rd February 2004 to 13th March 2004 - 18 Parts Cuthbert decides it's time for a spring clean and, reluctantly, Hugh helps him. The Gameshow - 15th March 2004 to 10th April 2004 - 23 Parts Cuthbert ends up on a corny TV gameshow, but due to Cuthbert's rebelious nature, it soon ends in disaster. The Passion Of Bubbles - 12th April 2004 to 17th April 2004 - 6 Parts Cuthbert refuses to believe that Hugh's goldfish is back from the grave. The Incredible Sulk Vs The Stockroom Ninja - 3rd May 2004 to 22nd May 2004 - 18 Parts Two old characters reunite as Hugh's stationary-weilding acrobat takes on Cuthbert's terrifying gargantua in this epic storyline. Wheeler Calligraphy Set - 24th May 2004 to 29th May 2004 - 6 Parts Cuthbert wants Hugh to search for the stockroom for a particular calligraphy set for a customer. Simple task, right? Holiday Break - 31st May 2004 to 13th August 2004 - 60 Parts Only a short time before his holiday to America, Cuthbert breaks his foot. This vastly reduces his enjoyment of his holiday and the American's attitude to his Britishness doesn't help either. Covering Cuthbert - 14th August 2004 to 21st August 2004 - 7 Parts With Cuthbert still off work with his broken foot, Hugh is put on the till instead. He soon learns what Cuthbert has to deal with on a daily basis. Burglars And Bungles - 23rd August 2004 to 4th September 2004 - 12 Parts A chav steals the contents of Cuthbert's till leading to The Chief dismissal. Cuthbert And The Chocolate Escapee - 6th September 2004 to 18th September 2004 - 12 Parts A much younger Cuthbert catches baby Hugh eating chocolate from the shelves of the supermarket and, in an effort not to be told off, seeks to get him cleaned up before their mum discovers them. Old Whisper - 20th September 2004 to 25th September 2004 - 6 Parts A non-dialogue story telling the tale of Willy and his final days. British Intelligence - 27th September 2004 to 2nd October 2004 - 6 Parts Hugh awakens in a mysterious location and interrogated for information about Dr Spoon. Perry Crockett - 4th October 2004 to 30th October 2004 - 24 Parts A famed children's author comes to M.F. Smitts for a book signing. However his arrogant behaviour irritates Cuthbert into finding ways to get his own back. The End - 1st November 2004 to 20th January 2005 - 70 Parts After a financial crisis and many staff redundencies, M.F. Smitts is finally bought out by corporate giant, Wheeler Enterprises. The store's new manager insists upon political correctness throughout the store and eventually this becomes too much for Cuthbert.