With a Roar of Engines, The Vroom Emerged

Climax Adventure Comic 19: (KG Murray, Australia).

One of the last Spanish series to debut in KG Murray's line of reprint comics was The Vroom, a particularly obscure series due to its inconsistent Australian publication and limited international printings.¹

Climax Adventure Comic 20: (KG Murray, Australia).

The Vroom debuted in the last three issues of Climax Adventure Comic with two covers adapted from the stories' artwork. The final cover, on Climax Adventure Comic 21, has been painting specifically for the series—although it is unknown whether it was prepared overseas or locally.

The series then transferred to Super Giant Album. After that title also ended, a further episode appeared in World of Speed,² part of KG Murray's Planet Series (series 2, number 10), a variable series that mainly included Charlton work.³

Young Man on a Big Motor, page 1(The Vroom): by José Duarte Miñarro, Climax Adventure Comic 19 (KG Murray, Australia).

It is possible that The Vroom later appeared in one of Murray's numerous one-shots in the early 1980s, but final episodes may have never been published in Australia. Seventeen stories were published in France and not all all of these are known to have been published in Australia. No other international printings have been identified.⁴

"The Vroom" is a troupe of five young stunt bike riders in the "Dumbo Circus"—Tim, Paul, Otto, Tony and Emma, along with Carter thier mentor and Emma's love interest. As the circus travels the world, the group uncovers mysteries, playing the role of vigilantes to capture criminals and spys. Although the Vroom face prejudice for their youth and bike riding, solving the crimes routinely requires their unique biking skills and courage.

Dead on Five, page 1 (The Vroom): by José Duarte Miñarro, Climax Adventure Comic 20 (KG Murray, Australia).

The stimulus for publishing the series may have come from Murray's experience with motoring magazines—such as Wheels (1953-?), Sports Car World (1957-1976), Australian Speedway (1967-?), Two Wheels (c1968-?) and The Bike Book (1974-1976)—and vehicle maintenance guides. Some of these were released by "Sport Magazine Pty Ltd", the publisher reported in Murray's mid-1970s issues of Climax and Super Giant.

Another likely impetus was the popularity of Evel Knievel (1938-2007), an iconic, flashy US stunt motorbike rider who unsuccessfully attempted to jump Snake River Canyon in Idaho on a rocket powered bike, live on television in 1974.⁵

Climax Adventure Comic 21: 1976 (KG Murray, Australia).

If Murray was testing the market for a motorbiking comic, it seems they discovered it didn't exist. The Vroom was soon buried as a back-up, while the contemporaneous Charlton-based series Hot Rods (1976) did not survive long.

Despite its short life-span, The Vroom has an distinctive art style that is detailed and realistic, as well as heavily stylised, generally with appealing whole-of-page compositions. While the work is uncredited, episodes are marked "Selecciones Ilustradas" or "SI Artists". Some episodes also include an unclear signature: "J Duarte" (see "Dead on Five" page 2 for an example).

Based on the name and style, this is José Duarte Miñarro (b. ?), a largely unknown Spanish artist who is not typically associated with the Selecciones Ilustradas agency.⁶