Wasgij Rare puzzle 'Carry On Capers! ' – Mystery – 13459 – 2×1000 pieces

This is a rare puzzle.

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Name PuzzleCarry On Capers
Price€ 25 - € 30
Number of Pieces2x1000 Pieces
Number13459
Year of IssueUnknown
Issue byJumbo
draftsmanGraham Thompson
Description

Carry On Capers! – Rare Wasgij Mystery puzzle (2×1000 pieces)

This puzzle is special in several ways. Not only because of the subject matter – the legendary British Carry On film series (aired from 1958–1992, with only one film remaining in 1992; not a success) – but also because of the unique concept: two puzzles of 1000 pieces each in one box, one of which you must complete without a reference image.

What are the Carry On films?

The Carry On series is a British comedy franchise of 31 films, featuring a regular ensemble cast including Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Hattie Jacques, Barbara Windsor, and Bernard Bresslaw. The films are known for their slapstick, double entendre humor, and typically British sense of comedy. In 2002, Carry On Cleo and Carry On Up the Khyber were even included in a list of the 100 Greatest Films Ever Made.
On the box image of this puzzle, dozens of recognizable Carry On scenes and characters have been brought together in one large tableau. For example, you see Barbara Windsor and Sid James on an elephant in the center of the image, a reference to Carry On Up the Khyber. Sid James also appears as a cowboy from Carry On Cowboy, and Terry Scott swings from a palm tree from Carry On Up the Jungle.

The Wasgij concept

With a regular puzzle, you place what you see on the box. With a Wasgij Mystery, it works differently: the box image shows a situation, and you have to figure out and place what happens next. The name Wasgij is simply "jigsaw" spelled backwards.
Carry On Capers! is a Wasgij Mystery of 2 x 1000 pieces in one box, allowing you – unlike with a regular Wasgij – to assemble both the box image and the solution. The first puzzle is the familiar box image. The second puzzle is the Wasgij solution – what happens next – and you assemble this without a reference picture.

The illustration

The Wasgij puzzle series was created by Jumbo's regular illustrator Graham Thompson. Thompson is the same illustrator who also drew the early Falcon Puzzle Club editions, including Sunday Driver, Late Booking, and Full Monty Fever. His recognizable style—busy scenes full of funny details and a British sense of humor—fits the Carry On universe perfectly.

Why rare?

This puzzle is hard to find for several reasons. Carry On Capers! is part of a small group of Wasgij editions based on a British cult brand – Jumbo released similar special editions for Coronation Street and Only Fools and Horses. All of these editions are now out of production and are not being re-released, meaning they can only be found second-hand. Furthermore, the combination of two complete 1000-piece puzzles in one box – including the Wasgij solution – is a unique format that Jumbo used for only a limited number of these special editions. Anyone who comes across it is in luck.
Review

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