Nick Jolly,the Flying Highwayman

This brilliant comic strip character Nick Jolly-the Flying Highwayman was a firm favorite of mine from the 70s.He first featured in the Hotspur way back in 1973 but I would have encountered him a little later on around 1977 from the Annuals.The image above is taken from Hotspur Annual 1977.He was drawn by Ron Smith who of course also drew King Cobra for Hotspur.

Series 1 Hotspur Nos 714(23/6/73)-728(29/9/73)
In this first series of 'Nick Jolly-the Flying Highwayman', to give the strip its full title, the eponymous hero is an 18th century Robin Hood figure who steals from the rich to give to the needy while being stalked by the corrupt constables and Bow Street Runners of the period. And it is during one of his encounters with the authorities, when his death seems to be the certain outcome that fate intervenes in the shape of a time-travelling spacecraft piloted by a race called the Oregans who to save Nick's skin transport him through time to the year 1973.
Once in 1973 Nick finds that not only have his sword and pistol been transformed into weapons of astonishing power but that his trusty steed Bess has been transformed into a jet-propelled mechanical horse with the ability to fly all because the Oregans have decided to strand him in the future, temporarily, as a kind of sociological experiment and as can be imagined Nick rises to the ocassion by becoming a modern day fighter for justice on the side of the honest and the down-trodden.
At the end of the story the Oregans return Nick to the 18th century with the idea of maybe repeating the experiment again one day, which they do in two further series.
The art for the first series was provided by Ron Smith Nos714-724,726,728
and Jim Watson Nos725,727.
Second Series Nos 781(5/10/74)-792(21/12/74)
In this series Nicks main adversary is a master criminal named Scarza who is descendant of Scarza the Alchemist a foe of Nick's from his own time.
All art for this series by Ron Smith.
Third Series Nos 802(1/3/75)-819(28/6/75)
In this final series Nicks main adversary is the Black Magician, Simon Death.
The art for this series was provided by Ron Smith Nos 802-814, 819
and Dave Gibbons Nos 815-818.
All three Nick Jolly series were front page strips.
Nick Jolly also featured in four editions of the Hotspur Book
1975 7pgs Ron Smith
1976 7pgs Ron Smith and book cover also drawn by Ron Smith.
1977 8pgs Ron Smith
1986 9pgs Felix Carrion and book cover drawn by Ian Kennedy.