History of British Comics

British Comics' History

It is generally agreed that Funny Folks (1874 – 1894) became the first publication to meet the accepted definition of a comic. Funny Folks began as a supplement to the Weekly Budget. Its popularity led to it being published as a separate weekly paper. The success of Funny Folks encouraged the publication of other weekly comics. One such comic was the famous Victorian comic, Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday (1884 – 1916). Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday was the inspiration of the engraver and publisher, Gilbert Dalziel. Ally Sloper had a characteristic red nose, battered top hat and he was usually drunk. Ally Sloper is notably the first ever comic strip hero and undoubtedly laid the foundations for the likes of Chubblock Homes -(Comic Cuts), Weary Willie and Tired Tim – (Illustrated Chips), Roy of the Rovers – (Tiger), Desperate Dan – (The Dandy), Dan Dare – (The Eagle) and more recently Judge Dredd – (2000AD). These are but a few names from the canon of British Comic heroes.

The late 1890’s saw an explosion in comic publishing. Alfred Harmsworth’s Comic Cuts (1890 – 1953) cost just half a penny, which was half the cost of its contemporaries. Comic Cuts soon had competition from rival publishers with titles such as Funny Cuts (1890 – 1920). Harmsworths response was to bring out further titles of his own including Illustrated Chips. Although these publications were classed as comics, they were primarily aimed at and published for an adult audience. Comics for young children (Nursery Comics) didn’t start being published until the early years of the twentieth century. Rainbow (1914 – 1956) is generally accepted as the first children’s comic although Puck (1904 – 1940) did have a junior section after issue eleven and gradually became a children’s comic.

Puck was the first comic to print a s substantial number of its pages in colour but it wasn’t until Mickey Mouse Weekly (1936 – 1955) that a comic was published completely in full colour photogravure. Photogravure is a picture produced from a photographic negative and transferred to a metal plate where it is etched on.

The 1930’s are known as the Golden age of comics. The Golden age saw the appearance of comics like Tiny Tots (1927 – 1959), Crackers (1929 – 1941), The Dandy (1937 – Present) and The Beano (1938 – Present). Both the Beano and the Dandy appeared just prior to the outbreak of the 2nd World War and their timing can be considered fortunate because paper shortages led to laws prohibiting the launching of new comics during the war years. The Beano and Dandy became a vanguard of a new era with the introduction of a new size and style of comic artistry, which included the introduction of speech bubbles in some of the stories.

The success of the two DC Thomson titles (Beano and Dandy) led Thomson’s rivals, The Amalgamated Press, to launch two of their own rival comics namely Radio Fun (1938 – 1961) and Knockout (1939 -1963). Although The Beano and Dandy are still continuing to be published, Radio Fun and Knockout ended their days in the early 1960’s. In July 1939 DC Thomson had launched a comic called The Magic Comic (1939 – 1941) but it was short lived due to the over saturation of the comics market at that time. The Dandy continues to be the oldest British comic still in publication.

Eagle comic annualThe 1950’s is known as the Silver Age and it saw the appearance of a more sophisticated type of comic epitomised by the Eagle (1950 – 1969) with its hero Dan Dare. The silver age comics were post war publications and gone were the paper shortages of the war years, these comics were printed on a better quality paper with full photogravure.

No history of British comics would be complete without paying homage to the great Denis Gifford who was born on Boxing day 1927. Gifford’s contribution to British comics both as a contributor in the 1940s and 1950s, including Flip & Flop’, and historian is immeasurable. Gifford, who died in 2000 aged 72, wrote over fifty books on British comics which included ‘The Best of the Eagle (1989).

Such was his passion for comics that he stored any edible free gifts in his fridge and his home became so overwhelmed by his collection of over 20, 000 comics that it became difficult for him to move around his home. Denis Gifford had collected comics from an early age and his collection had included the first issue of The Dandy with its free gift of a tin whistle (A replica of The Dandy number one with replica free gift is available through britishcomics-com.preview-domain.com). The first issue of The Dandy and the other comics in his collection were lost when he was evacuated during the Second World War. Although vehemently denying any involvement, his mother remained prime suspect for disposal of the comics during his absence.

In the early 1940’s, Gifford began drawing for The Dandy after sending in a drawing to The Dandy publishers, DC Thomson in Dundee, Scotland. It was during this time while he was at Dulwich College that he made friends with Bob Monkhouse. Not only did Bob Monkhouse and Denis Gifford later go on to produce their own comic together but they also gave concerts together when they served in the RAF with Monkhouse being the straight man to Gifford the comedian.

Once the war was over, Gifford returned to his love of drawing and worked as a freelance artist working for newspapers such as the London evening News and the Sunday Despatch. He worked as a freelance artist until the 1960’s when he started creating panel games for radio including Sounds Familiar which later successfully transferred to television as Looks Familiar. Gifford had many successes with television and worked for ITV, BBC and worked on designing stunts for The Generation Game.

However, Gifford’s first love was British comics and in particular Christmas issues. Gifford once said “I loved the way the snow used to hang over the title on the front page and the last page was always a Christmas party”.

The first British Comics Convention which was held in 1976 was organised by Denis Gifford who managed to bring together over 250 dealers and artists.

British Comics Royal Mail Stamp CollectionGifford and Monkhouse remained friends and shortly before his death worked on a two part radio show entitled A Hundred Laughs for a Ha’penny which was a history of comic papers.

Gifford’s books included ‘The British Film catalogue 1895 – 1995 (1986) which took him twenty years to complete, Laughter in the Air (1979) Run, Adolf, Run (1975, a compilation of cartoons from the war), The Best of Girl Annual (1952-1959), Monsters of the Movies (1977), The Great Cartoon Stars (1979), The Complete Catalogue of British Comics (1985).

Chronology

2000 AD : 26 Feb. 1977 –

Ally Sloper’s Half-Holiday : 3 May 1884 – 9 Sept. 1916

Beano : 30 July 1938 –

Big Comic : 17 Jan. 1914 – 28 Sept. 1918

Bimbo : 18 March 1961 – 22 Jan. 1972

Bo-Peep and Little Boy Blue : 19 Oct. 1929 – 14 April 1934

Bubbles and the Children’s Fairy : 16 April 1921 – 24 May 1941

Buster : 28 May 1960 –

Butterfly : 17 Sept. 1904 – 18 May 1940

Champion : 28 Jan. 1922 – 19 March 1955

Chicks’ Own : 25 Sept. 1920 – 9 March 1957

Chuckler (Bath) : 31 March 1934 – 15 Oct. 1938

Chuckles : 10 Jan. 1914 – 1 Dec. 1923

Coloured Comic : 21 May 1898 – 28 April 1906

Comet : 14 Jan. 1950 – 17 Oct. 1959

Comet (Sale) : 20 Sept. 1946 – 17 Oct. 1959

Comic Cuts : 17 May 1890 – 12 Sept. 1953

Comic Home Journal : 11 May 1895 – 10 Sept. 1904

Cor!! : 6 June 1970 – 15 June 1974

Crackers : 23 Feb. 1929 – 31 May 1941

Dandy : 4 Dec. 1937 –

Dazzler (Bath) : 19 Aug. 1933 – 8 April 1939

Eagle : 14 April 1950 – 2 March 1963

Eagle and Swift : 9 March 1963 – 26 April 1969

Favorite Comic : 21 Jan. 1911 – 31 March 1917

Film Fun : 17 Jan. 1920 – 8 Sept. 1962

Firefly : 20 Feb. 1915 – 31 March 1917

Fireman Sam : 9 Dec. 1989-

Flintstones and Friends : 21 May 1988 – 25 March 1989

Frolix: The Children’s Weekly Comic : [Aug. 1928] – 9 May 1930

Funny Cuts : 12 July 1890 – 3 July 1920

Funny Folks : 12 Dec. 1874 – 28 April 1894

Funny Wonder : 4 Feb. 1893 – 25 May 1901

Funny Wonder : 2 Jan. 1915 – 25 May 1940

Coloured Comic: 16 July 1898

Favorite Comic: 13 January 1917

Giggle: A Chidren’s Comic : 29 April 1967 – 13 Jan. 1968

Girl : 2 Nov. 1951 – 3 Oct. 1964

Golden : 23 Oct. 1937 – 11 May 1940

Golden Penny Comic : 14 Oct. 1922 – 28 Jan. 1928

Halfpenny Comic : 22 Jan. 1898 – 29 Dec. 1906

Hey Diddle Diddle : 25 March 1972 – 15 Sept. 1973

Hornet : 14 Sept. 1963 – 7 Feb. 1976

Hwyl! (Liverpool) [Welsh] : July 1949 – Summer 1989

Illustrated Chips : 26 July 1890 – 23 Aug. 1952

Its a Hoot : 26 Oct. 1985 – 25 Oct. 1986

Its Wicked : 27 May 1989-

Jack and Jill : 7 March 1885 – 7 May 1887

Jack and Jill : 27 Feb. 1954 – 29 June 1985

Jackie : 11 Jan. 1964 – 3 July 1993

James Bond Jr. : 1 Oct. 1993 – 4 Feb. 1994

Jester : 27 Jan. 1912 – 18 Dec. 1920

Jester : 23 Feb. 1924 – 18 May 1940

Jester and Wonder : 24 May 1902 – 20 Jan. 1912

Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies : 3 Jan. 1987 – Sept. 1988

Jingles : 13 Jan. 1934 – 29 May 1954

Jinty : 11 May 1974 – 21 Nov. 1981

Joker : 18 July 1891 – 28 Oct. 1897

Joker : 5 Nov. 1927 – 18 May 1940

Jolly Comic : 19 Jan. 1935 – 28 Oct. 1939

Jolly Jester : 25 Dec. 1920 – 16 Feb. 1924

Kinema Comic : 24 April 1920 – 15 Oct. 1932

Krazy : 16 Oct. 1976 –

Larks : 1 May 1893 – 29 Dec. 1906

Larks : 29 Oct. 1927 – 18 May 1940

Little Sparks 24 April 1920 – 30 Sept. 1922

Lot-o’-Fun : 17 March 1906 – 16 Feb. 1929

Jack and Jill : 2 January 1886

Lot-o’-Fun : 24 April 1926

Mandy : 21 Jan. 1967 – 5 May 1991

Mask : [1986 preview issue]; 3 Jan. 1987 –

Merry and Bright : 22 Oct. 1910 – 19 Jan. 1935

Mickey Mouse Weekly : 8 Feb. 1936 – 24 Sept. 1955

Mirabelle : 10 Sept. 1956 – 22 Oct. 1977

Monster Comic : 23 Sept. 1922 – 25 Jan. 1930

My Favourite : 28 Jan. 1928 – 13 Oct. 1934

Nuggets : 26 Nov. 1892 – 10 March 1906

Picture Politics : March 1894 – Feb. 1914

Picture Fun : 16 Feb. 1909 – 3 July 1920

Pippin : 24 Sept. 1966 – 26 Sept. 1986

Playbox : Nov. 1904 – May 1910

Playbox : 14 Feb. 1925 – 11 June 1955

Pow! [and Wham!] : 21 Jan. 1967 – 7 Sept. 1968

Princess : 30 Jan. 1960 – 16 Sept. 1967

Puck : 30 July 1904 – 11 May 1940

Rainbow : 14 Feb. 1914 – 28 April 1956

Rattler (Bath) : 19 Aug. 1933 – 15 Oct. 1938

Real Ghostbusters : 26 March 1988 – Sept. 1992

Robin : 28 March 1953 – 25 Jan. 1969

Romeo : 31 Aug. 1957 – 14 Sept. 1974

Roxy : 15 March 1958 – 14 Sept. 1963

Roy of the Rovers : 25 Sept. 1976 – 22 Sept. 1990

My Favourite : 8 December 1928

Playbox : 14 February 1925

Scraps : 1 Sept. 1883 – 30 April 1910

Smash : 5 Feb. 1966 – 3 April 1971

Snap-Shots : 9 Aug. 1890 – 19 Nov. 1907

Sparkler : 20 Oct. 1934 -5 Aug. 1939

Sparks : 5 Oct. 1918 – 17 April 1920

Sparky : 23 Jan. 1965 – 16 July 1977

Star Wars : 8 Feb. 1978 – 7 June 1986

Sun : 20 Jan. 1948 – 17 Oct. 1959

Sunbeam : 7 Oct. 1922 – 25 May 1940

Superted : 10 March 1990 – Dec. 1995

Swift : 20 March 1954 – 2 March 1963

Tammy : 6 Feb. 1971 – 23 June 1984

Teddy Bear : 21 Sept. 1963 – 15 Sept. 1973

Tiger Tim’s Weekly : 31 Jan. 1920 – 18 May 1940

Tiny Tots : 22 Oct. 1927 – 24 Jan. 1959

Tip Top : 21 April 1934 – 29 May 1954

Topper : 7 Feb. 1953 – 15 Sept. 1990

Treasure : 19 Jan. 1963 – 16 Jan. 1972

TV Comic : 9 Nov. 1951 – 22 June 1984

Twinkle : 27 Jan. 1968 –

Valentine : 19 Jan. 1957 – 9 Nov. 1974

Valiant : 6 Oct. 1962 – 3 April 1971

Victor : 25 Feb. 1961 – 21 Nov. 1992

Whizzer and Chips : 18 Oct. 1969 – 27 Oct. 1990

Wonder : 30 May 1942 – 12 Sept. 1953

World’s Comic : 6 July 1892 – 10 Nov. 1908