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30 July 2015

The Returning Officer: Illustration III

Liberal candidate Bob Webster was a graphic artist and much of his work appeared in the comic Sparky.

By Stephen Brasher

The Liberal Bob Webster ran for Sevenoaks in 1970 and October 1974. He was a graphic artist and much of his work appeared in the comic Sparky (produced by D C Thomson, which published the Beano) between 1965 and 1977, when it merged with the Topper. His main contribution was a strip called Klanky, which concerned the adventures of a robot from outer space who lived with the Huggins family.

One of his predecessors as Liberal candidate was Nelia Muspratt, a niece of Max Muspratt (the Liberal MP for Liverpool Exchange between the two elections of 1910). She stood in the 1945, 1959 and 1964 elections, the last two attempts under her married name, Nelia Penman. She was a founding member of the Liberal debating society the 8:30 Club, along with Jo Grimond.

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