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HISTORY OF BRITISH COMICS |
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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). 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. Gifford 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
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