Beezer Free Gifts

Most years 'The Beezer' gave out a couple of free gifts a year. This would usually to be to either soften the blow of a penny cover price increase, to herald the change of a couple of characters or to change the new front page title logo. In spite of price change the Beezer actually upped its page count a couple of times. From the late 50's to early 60's it increased from 12 pages to 14 and finally in 1964 it went up to 20 pages.

The Super Tootle Flute 1970
Now, here's a free gift I remember very well. In March 1970 (issue) 738 the Beezer Tootle Flute marked a change from a blue background title logo to a white one. New characters 'Tommys Tick Tock Twin' and 'Mighty Mik' replaced 'General Jim' and 'Hocus Pocus'

I am sure that there was a short television commercial advertising this free gift with an an animation of Ginger playing the tootle flute. Anyone else out there remember?

Balloon with stick-on funny faces 1970

A hugely disappointing free gift came one week later with these uncharming images that you were meant to stick onto a balloon. Funny faces? Not really. I remember feeling very cheated by this.