Skippy Annual 1972

Published in 1972 in the UK and printed in Italy, this hardcover book is full of colour illustrations, stories and puzzles aimed at children who were fans of the Skippy television series.

Production of the television show had ended in 1969 but its popularity was clearly enduring. Skippy was the first Australian series to be so heavily merchandised and this annual is a good example of the type of tie-in product that was released to fans in the 1970s.

The cover features key elements from the show – including illustrations of Sonny, his father and Skippy. The likeness of an Aboriginal man presumably relates to the content of one of the stories.

The boat and helicopter (piloted by another series regular, Jerry King) hint that the annual will try to replicate the series' emphasis on action, and the koalas further ground the book's adventures in the Australian bush.

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen and Adam Blackshaw