British Comics - Titles
Information welcome!
Jump to • Advice on Buying
Comics and Auction Sites • British
Comics History and General Reference • Fleetway
Comics Reference • IPC • Marvel UK
Reference
Jump to: Specific Comics Titles including: 2000AD • Action! • Action Force • Battle • The Beano • Buster • Commando Picture Library • Countdown • Crisis • The Dandy • Eagle • Girl • Hornet • Jackie Chan Adventures • Jinty • Lion • Look and Learn • Look-In • Mad Magazine (UK) • Misty • Oink • Scream • Smash • Sonic the Comic • Speed and Power • Spike • Starblazer • Starlord • Striker • TOXIC • Triffik • TV Comic • TV21 • Victor • Viz • Warhammer • Wizard
Also below: Comics Continuity
• Visit this page for
British Comics Characters from ABC Warriors - James Bond
• Visit this page for
British Comics Characters from Jeff Hawke to Wicked Wanda
Buying
Comics Advice
Please note: any "buying
advice" posted
below relating to individual comicsis intended as a rough
guide only, posted in repsonse to queries from
fans interested in buying comics via ebay or elsewhere:
it is not definitive
and may be outdated.
• E-Bay has several guides to buying comics online: search.reviews.ebay.com/buying-comics-online
Dedicated Comics Auction Sites
26 Pigs Auction
Room: www.26pigs.com/auctionroom
Comic Book Postal Auctions: www.compalcomics.com
Auctions of British and US comics, artwork, and comic
book ephemera. This site includes Market
Reports with information on recent sales
Vault Auctions: www.vaultauctions.com
London-based comics auction site selling both US and UK comics
• Please do not ask me for info on grading comics, I am not a vaulation expert.
RECOMMENDED READING • Great
British Comics: Celebrating A Century Of Ripping Yarns & Wizard
Wheezes |
| • Order from Amazon.co.uk: Click
Here • Order from Amazon.com: Click Here |
British Comics History
For an overview of
the history of British comics, check out the ComicsUK.co.uk
site. It is attempting to list and detail as many British
comics that have been published since Funny Folks (the
first British comic) hit the shops, back in 1874.
There's also another site, recently updated, called simply
British
Comics (www.britishcomics.20m.com)
which deals mainly with the adventure comics of the 1950s, 1960s & 1970s
especially The
Hotspur, The Rover, The
Wizard and British Pocket Libraries. Another
site, Retro
World colinspace.future.easyspace.com/index2.html)
is also a mine of comics information
• The BBC has its own comics web site (www.bbc.co.uk/cult/comics),
which in addition to interviews with comics creators, audio comics from
Big Finish and its own online strip, Work Experience by Simon Spurrier
and Steve Roberts, includes articles on British humour comics
by Lew Stringer, Girls Comics by Jac Rayner and recent science fiction and boys Comics by former 2000AD editor David Bishop
This site is no longer being updated.
• Bear Alley
Link: bearalley.blogspot.com
Steve Holland's brilliant blog about old British comics, packed with profiels
of artists, snippets of current comics news and more. Definitely one
worth bookmarking.
• The Gerry Anderson Complete
Comic History
Link: www.technodelic.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk
This incredibly detailed site charts the entire history of Gerry Anderson's shows
in comic strip, show by show, from his earliest ventures right through to the
present day. It's a beautifully constructed site with plenty of well-researched
features, interviews and plenty more.
This is simply one of the best themed comic strip sites on the web and if you're
a Gerry Anderson fan, it should not be missed. Congratulations to all involved
-- this is a true labour of love.
• Nigel's
Gallery of Childrens' Annuals is a great stopping off point for a snapshot
of these perennial publications down the years.
Terry Hooper
Official: www.hooperart.4t.com
Terry Hooper has been writing, drawing, and self-publishing comic books
in England for -- well years, with some titles running forover 50 or
60 separate issues. He has also been a key figure in recording British
comics history, interviewing comics artists and writers from older as
well as newer, and quite well-known British comics titles, as well as
maintaining several news groups deciated to different comics and genres.
• Tony's Trading (www.tonystrading.co.uk) is an incredible site: not only featuring photographs of a collector's
many and varied collections -- from bottles to cereal box figures --
but a wonderful gallery of British comic annual covers spanning over
four decades.
• Jim
Croasdale's British Comics Art Site
A website to show off the work of British comic artists. At the moment
it's quite small with work by Joe Colquhoun, Mike McMahon, Geoff Campion
and Mike Western, but Jim would eventually like to add work by Brian
Lewis and Ron Embleton, among others.
• The British Cartoon Archive
Web: library.kent.ac.uk/cartoons/
CartoonHub, hosted by the website of the British Cartoon Archive. The
British Cartoon Archive was established in 1973 at the University of
Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom, to collect and preserve British cartoons
of social and political comment, and make them freely available for study.
The
British Cartoon Archive has a library, archive, gallery, and is a registered
museum dedicated to the history of British cartooning over the last 200
years. CartoonHub describes the Centre's holdings, but is also a guide
to the holdings of other archives and galleries, including the partners
in the RSLP CartoonHub Project.
CartoonHub is also the world's
largest electronic archive of cartoons, with a catalogued database of
over 90,000 images. The majority of these come from the British Cartoon
Archive's collections, but the database also incorporates significant
cartoon collections from the National Library of Wales, the Library of
the London School of Economics, and the John Rylands University Library
of Manchester.
The images on CartoonHub are under copyright, and may only
be reproduced with the permission of the copyright owners. The British
Cartoon Archive maintains contact with the owners of copyright in all
its collections, and is happy to put researchers in touch with them.
• The
British Library Newspaper Library holds a number of comics.
Find out more at: www.bl.uk/collections/comlist.html
Land Address: The British Library, Newspaper Library, Colindale
Avenue, London NW9 5HE
General Enquiries: Tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7353 Fax: +44 (0)20 7412
7379
Email: newspaper@bl.uk
• Comics in the National Art Library
Link: www.nal.vam.ac.uk/nalcomic.html
Until the mid-1980s, the National Art Library's coverage of comics and
comic art was uneven and spasmodic. In the 19th century, illustrated
books and children's books were actively collected (as they are today)
and some of the classic precursors of 20th century comics found their
way into the collections: books such as Rodolphe Töpffer's L'histoire
véritable de Monsieur Crépin (Paris, 1837), Adolf Schrödter's
Herrn Piepmeyer (Frankfurt, 1848), several 19th century editions of Heinrich
Hoffmann's Struwwelpeter and Wilhelm Busch's Max und Moritz. Individual
items continued to be acquired in the 20th century, but the Library's
holdings have been significantly enhanced by the acquisition of a number
of major collections in recent years.
• British Juvenile Story Papers and
Pocket Libraries Index
Link: contento.best.vwh.net/paper
Compiled by Steve Holland, the purpose of the site is to eventually
index all British children's papers, comics and annuals, although the
index that follows is very much a work in progress. It is a huge project,
with many tens of thousands of individual issues to be checklisted...
but Steve says all projects have to start somewhere!
• The Cartoon Art Trust (CAT)
Link: http://www.cartooncentre.com/
Dedicated to preserving and promoting the best of British cartoon art
and caricature and establishing a museum of cartoon art with gallery,
archives and reference library.
• Peter Gray's Cartoons and Comics
Link: petergraycartoonsandcomics.blogspot.com
Freelance cartoonist Peter Gray not only shows off his new cartoons but also
looks at British comics. More visual
than wordy.
• Yesterday's Papers Blog
Link: yesterdays-papers.blogspot.com
Blog by John Adcock about newspaper strips and cartoons, including British
strips
• Yesrterday's Papers
Link: yesterdayspapers.150m.com
Page by page, this web site guides you through the fiction that appeared
in newspapers and magazines down the years, from the nineteenth century
to
Fleetway Comics Reference Sites
Sites devoted to individual Fleetway characters feature
on this site, see links above
Egmont owns the rights to the following
Fleetway comics and characters:
Action: Roy of the Rovers,
Action, All Action
Monthly (reprint), Battle
Picture Weekly, Jet, Scorcher, Score 'n' Roar, Scream, Starlord, Tornado,
Hot Shot, Wildcat
Humour: Big Comic
Fortnightly, Buster (the
characters published in 1970 and intrioduced afterwards in that title,
see Andrew Sumner's interview),
Cheeky, Cor
, Jackpot
Knockout, Krazy, Monster
Fun, Nipper, Oink, School Fun, Whizzer & Chips, Whoopee,
Toxic*,
Wow
Girls: Daisy*, Go
Girl*, Jinty, Katy, Lindy, Misty, Penny, Pixie, Princess*,
Sally, Sandie, Tammy
Nursery: Bonnie,
Chips, Fun to Do, Fun to Know, Pixie, Playbox, Playgroup, Robin, Teddy
Bears Playtime
* Indicates still published
 |
| Gus Gorilla from the masthead of Cor!!, drawn by either by Mike Lacey or Jimmy Hansen, who designed the character and drew the first one or two Gus strips. |
Fleetway Street
Link: www.toonhound.com/fleetway.htm
A fascinating guide to those fun British
comics Whoopee!, Krazy,
Buster, Shiver & Shake, Cheeky, Cor!!, Whizzer & Chips, Monster
Fun, Knockout, Wow, Jackpot, and School
Fun. The site editor says
they'll all be here eventually, as part of a complete database of all
the strips from all the comics and annuals....
• The
Fleetway Companion by Steve Holland. CJ Publication.
This is an extensive index of the comics published by Fleetway. Titles included
amongst many others are BUSTER, HURRICANE, LION, ROY OF THE ROVERS, TIGER, 2000
AD, VALIANT, etc. plus the Picture Libraries. All titles are fully illustrated
and give details of publication dates, characters, stories, articles, strips,
free gifts etc. This is a most comprehensive guide and a must for any collector
of any of the Fleetway Titles. 385 pages. Soft Cover Black & White 6" x
8" (15cm x 20cm) Recommended.
• £30.00 ($54.00) from Book Palace: www.bookpalace.com/acatalog/Home_Guides_34.html
IPC
IPC Media owns many comics titles and characters published before 1970.
An agreement was brokered with Egmont Fleetway which establishes who owns
what, which IPC's Andrew Sumner explains in this interview on Comics World
News
Sites devoted to individual IPC characters feature on this site, see links above
Marvel
UK
Sites devoted to individual Marvel characters feature on this site, see
links above
• MightyWorld of Marvel UK
Link
: www.mightyworldofmarvel.co.uk
A
celebration of the British end of the House of Ideas.
• Marvel UK Yahoo group (you have to aply to join this)
• Marvel
UK on Wikipedia: General Feature
• Marvel
UK on Wikipedia: Titles
SuperBrits
Link: www.superbrits.co.uk
This site features detailed guides to many British heroes including Electroman,
Captain Miracle, Captain
Valiant, Dan
Dare, Jack Flash, Masterman, Marvelman, Space
Kingley and
others.
Specific
Comics Sites
Information welcome!
Jump to: Specific Comics Titles including: 2000AD • Action! • Action
Force • Battle • The
Beano • Buster • Commando
Picture Library • Countdown • Crisis • The
Dandy • Eagle • Girl • Hornet • Jackie
Chan Adventures • Jinty • Lion • Look
and Learn • Look-In • Mad
Magazine (UK) • Misty • Oink • Scream • Smash • Sonic
the Comic • Speed and Power • Spike • Starblazer • Starlord • Striker • TOXIC • Triffik • TV
Comic • TV21 • Victor • Viz • Warhammer •
Wizard
Also below: Comics
Continuity
• Visit this page for British
Comics Characters from ABC Warriors - James Bond
• Visit this page for British
Comics Characters from Jeff Hawke to Wicked Wanda
2000AD
Official web site: www.2000adonline.com
Launched: 26 February 1997
Number of issues published: Ongoing - see
current titles list
Publisher: Rebellion
Mergers: Starlord, Tornado
Official site: www.2000ADonline.com
Britain's only surviving boy's adventure comic, still pumping out thrill
power every week.
The 2000AD Artwork Gallery
Link: www.2000ad.org/artwork
If you're interested in buying art from 2000AD check
out artdroids.co.uk,
run by Rufus Dayglo.
The
2000AD Links Project
Link: www.2000ad.nu/linksproject
You want 2000AD links, this site's got 'em!
Toothwatch
Link: www.toothwatch.co.uk
A guide to creator web sites -- where did they go from appearing in 2000AD?
Find out more here.
Zarjaz
Link: www.zarjaz.blogspot.com
The 2000AD fanzine, back in publication as of May 2005 after almost two years without an issue. Ace stuff.
2000AD Review
Link: www.2000adreview.co.uk
Excellent fan news site devoted to 2000AD and the Megazine.
Class of 79
Link: www.2000ad.nu/classof79
This online 2000AD fanzine includes creator interviews and strips
Action
Launched: 14
February 1976 - 12 November 1977
Number of issues published: 36 before ban; 50 post ban
Publisher: Now owned by Egmont-Fleetway, but
published by IPC
Mergers: Merged with Battle
Link: www.sevenpennynightmare.co.uk
This is a brilliant site devoted to the controversial
1970s comic first published by IPC, which featured strisp such as Hookjaw and
Kids Rule. Right wing moral outrage over the comic's content
lead to its suspension and subsequent much-diluted relaunch before the title
finally emerged with Battle. The brainchild of Pat Mills, the comic is largely
credited as being the direct forerunner of 2000AD.
• Spitfire Comics are to publish a Hookjaw collection
in 2006. Click here for
further information
Action Force
A brief overview of the Marvel
UK title: Go,
part of the Yo Joe! site
BATTLE: RECOMMENDED READING Titan Books are publishing
collections of Charley's War: |
Battle
Fan Site: Colonel
Marbles
Fan site devoted to the 1970s
British comic featuring characters such as Johnny Red, Darkie's
Mob, Major
Eazy other war-torn strips.
Fan Site: Charley's
War
Neil Emery's site is the definitive
online site for this Battle strip created by Pat Mills
and drawn by the late Joe Colquhoun.
Charley's War, the tale of a young soldier in the First
World War, remains one of Britain's benchmark comic strips
and is the only Battle strip to have been re-published
as a graphic novel.
Beano
The Official Site: www.beano.co.uk
Paul
Morris' History Site
Link: www.paulmorris.co.uk/beano
Features a detailed guide
to the strips of the title, including art and writer credits
where known. Fascinating.
Martin Grayling's Beano Site
Link: www2.prestel.co.uk/grayling/beano/beano.html
This site also includes a chronology of the comic, including first appearances,
some nice images and a guide to prices for early issues, first published
in The Comic Book Guide, way back in 1996.
Fine and Dandy
Link: www.fineanddandy.co.uk
Tel:+44(0)1382 778989 Fax:+44(0)1382 778989
Fine and
Dandy stock one of the largest up to date selections of Beano and Dandy
memorabilia available in Scotland and further afield.
Merchandise includes Dennis The Menace T and Beano T shirts and recently
produced sets of Beano/Dandy fridge magnets, comic kits, Beano/Dandy
tea towels and other novelty items devoted to Dennis the Menace and Gnasher
-- not forgetting of course Dennis the Menace's many friends from the
Beano and Dandy Comic Books such as Desperate Dan, Minnie the Minx and
Beryl the
Peril.
The store
also has a fine selection of Scottish Gifts.
Buster
Buster fan website: www.bustercomic.co.uk
Matt Bowen's site is totally dedicated to Fleetway's first comic release
since it took over from Amalgamated Press, Buster. The comic ran for
40 years from 1960 to 2000 and the site details history of the World's
Greatest Comic and its many varied characters -- plus find out about
the comics that spun off and merged with Buster.
Commando Picture
Library
| COMMANDO COLLECTIONS |
 • The
Dirty Dozen |
 •
True Brit - a collection of Commando's toughest
ever Second World War stories |
"Stories set in the jungles of Malay and Burma are, like all other Commando comics, packed with action and adventure," Carlton announces via Amazon.co.uk. "But there is something about these plots that really get the writers in top gear and they pull out all the stops. Who couldn't get enthusiastic about ambushes, impenetrable undergrowth, mysterious caves, deep river gorges flooded by monsoons, samurai swords, slithering snakes, fiendish fevers, strange cries in the night, menacing idols, dangerous insects and animals added to the usual threats from bullets and bombs? Featuring such stories as "Jungle Madness", "Grudge Fight", "The Black Pagoda", "Halt - or Die!", "Danger Everywhere!" and "Jungle Sniper", this carefully selected anthology will transport you into a world of sweat, swamps...where our ever invincible allied heroes battle bravely and honourably to victory." Buy Rumble in the Jungle from
Amazon.co.uk: Go |
• Commando
For Action and Adventure: ANZACS TO WAR
Rumble
in the JungleSubscription details at www.dcthomson.co.uk/subscriptions.You can also write to: DC Thomson and Co Ltd, Subscriber’s Department, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL, Scotland.
Fanzine: There's an irregular Commando fanzine, Achtung! Commando, available from Stiletto Books, 7 Bowman's Drive, Battle, East Sussex TN33 0LT. Send sae for price and subs info.
Carlton Books have
published Commando:
The Dirty Dozen: The Best 12 "Commando" Books of All Time and Commando:
True Brit --
• British
Pocket Library
Link: www.britishcomics.20m.com/pocket.htm
Perhaps the most informative
site about these titles I've found so far. Includes info
on the Fleetway War Library.
• Commando
Comics UK
Link: http://users.tinyonline.co.uk/vic2/
www26255/home.htm.htm
A detailed site devoted to these titles
-- largely a listing of every issue but no artist or writer
details. Writing credits are very hard to find for any
DC Thomson title.
• Commando
Link:
www.barelyhangingon.co.uk/commando
• Disney
and Commando Comics
A strange mix but features
a potted history and some images -- not a lot here as
of 25/9/02.
• Read an interview with Commando editor Calum Laird
Countdown
A predominantly Gerry Anderson-series led comic, this title also featured
some beautifully drawn Doctor Who strips
by Gerry Haylock and later in the short-lived run, strips like The Persuaders.
It eventually merged with TV Action.
The comic strip rights to all material published in Countdown and TV
Action are
owned by London and North Surrey Newspapers, now part of the Trinity
Mirror Southern group.
• UFO Strips have been published
online at: http://shadolibrary.org/library/comics/
Crisis
A fortnightly comic with a political edge from the creators
of 2000AD.
Contributors included Pat Mills, Garth Ennis, John McCrea
and many more.
• Tom
Allen's tribute site
Link: www.fortunecity.com/tatooine/sputnik/53/crisis.htm
Dandy (now
Dandy Extreme)
The Official site: www.dandy.com
| Dandy: Tie In Books |
|---|
| • The "Dandy" Monster
Comic
As such, be aware that the humour of the time is dated and may offeend. The Times reported on 15/11/06 that DC Thomson was asked to withdraw copies of this facsimilie reprint by anti-racist campaigners, concerned by racist language in its Smarty Grandpa strip. DC Thomson countered that the facsimile annual was "of its time and was not something they felt had to be edited" • Order from Amazon.co.uk: Click
Here |
Desperate Dan still reigns supreme, complete with cow pies and super strength, but the comic has had a total makeover (see news story), featuring many new characters.
David
Fickling Comic
Official: www.thedfc.co.uk
Publishers of the subscription-only weekly comic The
DFC featuring strips by Philip Pullman, the Etherington Brothers,
James Turner and many more. Read
the downthetubes review of the first issue
Eagle
See also Dan Dare character links, below
Official: www.dandare.co.uk
The Dan Dare Corporation Limited owns the global media rights to The
Eagle comic and the comic strip "Dan Dare". The company also owns the rights to several other comic strips published in The Eagle, e.g. "Ghost Squad", "Computer Warrior", "Doomlord", "Manix", "Storm Force" and "Ultimate Warrior".
The Eagle Society are
dedicated to the original Eagle comic. For more information
write to thier membership secretary at the address below:
Keith Howard,
25a Station Road,
Middlesex
England
HA1 2UA. The Society has a blog devoted to its magazine, The Eagle Times at:
eagle-times.blogspot.com
• The
Eagle Comic Archive
This site is dedicated to Eagle
Comic which was published in the UK from 1950 to 1969
and from 1982 to 1993.
Girl
Girl was the sister publication to Eagle and the 'older' sister publication
to Swift and Robin.
For a teenage girl growing up in 1950s' Britain, Girl was
essential reading.
Each week there'd be another gripping instalment of Susan
of St Brides: Nurse of the Year; advice column 'Mother Tells You
How' would provide wise words on how to care for goldfish; 'Concerning
You' would reveal how to choose spectacles that suit your face and the
Girl picture gallery of lovely paintings to cut out and keep would feature
pin-ups of the day such as Humphrey Littleton, Princess Margaret and various
garden birds.
Carlton Books is publishing The
Best of Girl in October 2006: described as a fascinating window
on this hilariously wholesome bygone age of fine upstanding virtue for
those too young to remember it, and a completely compulsive nostalgia trip
for those who aren't.
Hornet
Fan: www.victorhornetcomics.co.uk
Web site devoted to two of DC Thomson's classic boys titles, the other
being Victor. The site offers a brief history
of the both of the comics, and they're working on biographies of some
of the artists, writers and (and hopefully) editorial staff.
Jackie Chan: The Magazine
• www.jackie-chan-magazine.co.uk
As of September 2003, new magazine
based on the kung fu star including comic strip. Good
to see a magazine with comic strip being advertised on
prime time TV!
Jinty
• www.comixminx.net/Jinty_Come_Back.html
Jenni Scott's essay on the ace girls' comic of the 1970s. See also the
Jinty characters page on 26 Pigs: www.26pigs.com/jinty/characters.htm
Lion
The comic strip rights to Lion are
held by IPC Media.
Lion was originally conceived to be a rival for Hulton's massive
success, the Eagle. It even featured on its front cover, Captain
Condor, whose space adventures were obviously meant to mimic
those of Eagle's hugely popular Dan Dare.
Fan: www.comicsuk.co.uk/ComicInformationPages/LionPages/SteveLaming1.htm
An article by Steve Lamming on the history
of the long-running comic. There's a version of it here, too.
Fan: Great British Comics - The Lion by Alan Notton
Link: www.gatewaymonthly.com/1004lionc.html
Look and Learn
Official site: www.lookandlearn.com
Owned
by Look and Learn Magazine Company Ltd. Excluding the rights
to certain comic strips (notably The Rise and Fall of the Trigan
Empire) which have been retained by IPC Media Ltd, this company
now owns the rights to the following magazines, listed here in
chronological order: The
Children's Newspaper (1919-65), Robin (1953-69), Swift (1954-63),
Jack and Jill (1954-85), Playhour (1954-87), Harold
Hare (1959-64), Look
and Learn (1962-82), Treasure (1963-71), Teddy
Bear (1963-73), The
Bible Story (1964), Ranger (1965-66), Once
Upon a Time (1969-73), Speed
and Power (1974-75),
and World of Knowledge (1980-81). Look
and Learn also owns the rights to the annuals
and other books associated with these magazines, and the annuals and books
for the magazines Tell Me Why and World
of Wonder.
 |
| Above: Original artwork used for cover of Look and Learn #1002 (23 May 1981), where the title was added "A Hundred Journeys into Space". Just one of hundreds of images from Look and Learn now available to view on lookandlearn.com. The artwork lent to Look and Learn for scanning by The Gallery of Illustration. |
Anyone who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s will remember
this educational weekly, home to Don Lawrence's Trigan
Empire comic strip, now being re-published
by the Don
Lawrence Collection. Look and
Learn was the biggest-selling title
of its kind for many years and was able to attract some of the
best artists of the era to its pages, everyone from Ron Embleton
to John Millar Watt.
Illustrations and comic strips aside, the magazine
featured an extraordinary range of features on history,
geography, wildlife and science.
In 2004, publisher Laurence Heyworth was looking for
a title of similar excellence for his young son but
could not find anything on today's newsstands that
remotely approached the Look
and Learn's quality. He approached
the title's owners, IPC Media and, with the exception
of a few comic strips (including Trigan
Empire), bought the rights
to Look and Learn and
a number of related magazines (Ranger, Treasure, The
Children's Newspaper and
others).
With a small team of enthusiastic co-workers,
Heyworth has set up an official site
-- www.lookandlearn.com.
The site features almost
10,000 images from the various magazines
and a full history of Look and Learn and
its companions.
The site also reveals Heyworht's plans for
a limited revival of the paper.
If you're a fan of the art of Don Lawrence,
Ron Embleton, John Millar Watt, C. L. Doughty
or dozens of other top artists this site
will be a welcome arrival as a quarter of
the artwork available has been photographed
from the original boards.
"Although we are pleased to have found some of the larger collections
of surviving artwork, we are always on the look out for more," says contributor
Steve Holland.
If you have any boards you would be willing
to loan for photographing or scanning, please
get in touch via the website or you can contact
Steve Holland directly at archivist@lookandlearn.com
Look-In
The comic strip rights to Look-In are
held by IPC Media, although the rights to publishing the strips would
also require the agreement of the media comapies that own the TV series
featured.
• The
Look-In Archive launched
1 May 2004. It's attempting to display every page of every issue
of the Junior TV Times which at its peak included
stunning strips by John M. Burns, Mike Noble and many talented
others. Strip titles included The Tomorrow
People, Sapphire and Steel (drawn by Arthur
Ranson),
Catweazle, The Bionic Woman (drawn by John
Bolton) and many others. Killed by idiot editors who thought readers
only liked strips drawn in square boxes..
The site owners have taken on a massive undertaking, and
one which they are asking for help with. So "Scan when you can",
and help make this site the best one there is about Look-In.
The site is co-produced by John Stewart, the chap responsible
for the Look-Out website.
• There's also this great site dedicated to Sapphire and Steel -- www.sapphireandsteel.co.uk --which
features all the Look-In comic strips.
Mad Magazine UK
• British Covers: www.collectmad.com/britishcovers/
Misty
• mistycomic.co.uk
Complete guide to one of the
best girls' comics ever, pubished in the 1970s. In February
2006 Egmont threatened legal action to protect its rights regarding
the use of copyright material (the site featured full scans
of almost every issue of the comic) and its owner removed much of the
material in compliance. It remains, however, a terrific resource about
the comic whose contributors included 2000AD co-creator Pat Mills.
Attempts to seek a license to publish the material
are ongoing.
Oink!
Fan: www.oinkcomic.co.uk
May 3rd 1986 saw the creation of Oink!, a real breath of fresh
air for comic loving children and adults until its sad demise,
68 issues later, in 1988. Oink! was devised and created by Mark
Rodgers, Patrick Gallagher and Tony Husband because of a frustration
of churning out the same tired old comic strips week after week
for the likes of Whizzer and the Beano etc.
This site features a history of the comic, strips and more, compiled with
the help of some of the comics creators.
Red Dagger
• downthetubes
feature: Graphic Novels by Any Other Name
First posted on downthetubes 15 
July
2007: Jeremy Briggs probes the mystery of DC Thomson's little known title Red
Dagger, and wonders why the company isn't publishing
something similar today...
Rocket
Launched: 21
April 1956
Number of issues published: 32
Publisher: The News of the World
Not to be confused with: Rocket Comics (Dark
Horse - US)
Launched by the News of the World as a competitor
to Eagle, this glossy magazine failed in its mission. Great name for
a comic, though.
Scream
Fan: www.backfromthedepths.co.uk
On 24 March 1984 Scream! hit the shelves
of newsagents around the world. The fantastic stories within its
pages fans claim had kids shaking in their shoes in a way no other comic
has ever achieved. Then, after only 15 issues, Scream! mysteriously
ended. Rumours of strikes at IPC Magazines, the comic's creators,
could have been the cause. Declining comic sales in the UK another. Possibly
the grizzly nature of Scream! caused hordes of desperate mothers
to get the comic banned. Who knows? Maybe a darker mystery is at the
heart of this puzzle, a bizarre twist that no one has the answer to.
Whatever did happen the fact remains the Scream! was an awesome comic,
nearly forgotten forever… nearly, but not anymore.
Smash
26 Pigs Guide: www.26pigs.com/smash
Sonic the Comic
Fan: www.stconline.co.uk
Published in the 1990s, Sonic the Comic still has a loyal following. Sonic
the Comic is copyright © Egmont
Magazines Ltd.
Speed and Power
(With thanks to Jeremy Briggs): Speed
and Power ran from Issue 1
March 22-29 1974 to Issue 87
November 14-21 1975 after which it merged with Look
and Learn. It
covered "Cars,
Planes, Ships, Space, Science Fiction" so it
was a more technically minded version of Look and Learn and was published
by IPC Transport Press.
The only comic strip throughout the entire run of
the title was "SOS International" which began in Issue 57 April
18-25 1975 and ran to the end, drawn by Oliver Frey. Four different stores
which ran sequentially: The Death Of A Traitor Issues
57-61; Dam of Terror Issues 62-72; Space
Race Issues 73-82; and Black Gold Issues
81-87. Space Race was reprinted in Action annual
1984.
Spike
• downthetubes
Comic Companion: Spike
By the earlier 1980s, when Spike was
launched, the number of boys weekly titles published by D C Thomson was
on the wane. Jeremy Briggs delivers this
overview of the title, and a guide to its stories...
Starblazer
• DTB Feature: Blazing Through the Secrecy
The secrets of Starblazer by
Jeremy Briggs
• DTB Feature: Behind the Lines
Script writer Ray Aspden reveals the
secret workings of creating DC Thomson's fondly-remembered science fiction
title, Starblazer...
• DTB Feature: Starblazer Checklist
A complte list of the DC Thomson SF title, including some covers and creator
credits
• Starblazer on Wikipedia
Starblazer fan Douglas Nicol began this article on the
internet's contributor-based encyclopedia
Starlord
Watch the Stars
• www.watchthestars.sevenpennynightmare.co.uk
The comic that launched Strontium Dog and Ro-Busters -- but lasted just
five months. This site includes covers and scans of some of the comic's
strips.
Striker
• Striker
3D
The all-new weekly football
comic strip appearing in The Sun.
TOXIC
Official Site: www.toxicmag.co.uk
TOXIC launched in November
2002 as a monthly kids mag by Egmont, and included Team
TOXIC as
comic strip that ran across the bottom of its four
news pages. The strip was written and drawn by Jon Rushby, as were the
main character illos. From issue #5 they were bumped up to their current
two-page status and Lew Stringer took over the creative chores as of
issue #14.
Pig Brother was
added as a three-frame strip in news in issue #12,
which Mervyn Johnston continues to write and draw today. Next up was
Time Toilet by
Jaspre Barke and Mark Daniels in issue #16, Rex
by John A. Short and Alex Paterson in issue #17 and Nanas & Custard
by Stu Taylor and Paul J Holden in issue #18.
Although some of these
strips were more successful than others, the editorial team have
recently added two new originated strips to the mag: Chester
Chimp by Jaspre Bark and Paul Palmer in
issue #70 and Grott the Mighty by
Nigel Kitching in issue #71.
Triffik
Published by Creative Communications Ltd.
Launched, finally, after several dummies, in 1992, this title was billed
as a new Beano and Dandy for the 1990s but lasted just 12 issues.
Artist Tim Perkins contributed several strips to the title, working
with James Hill, now editor in chief at Toontastic. There is an
article on Triffik on Tim's website.
TV Comic
Polystyle's long-running title, featuring original
humour strips such as Mighty Moth,
humour strips based on tv shows such as Telegoons,
and adventure strips based on TV action adventure such as The
Avengers, Adam
Adamant Lives! and,
of course, Doctor Who.
The comic strip rights to all material published in TV Comic are
owned by London and North Surrey Newspapers, now part of the Trinity
Mirror Southern group.
• The Avengers Comics Strips
Link: wingedavenger.theavengers.tv
Terrific site about The Avengers comics. Works best in Explorer on
a PC and Opera on a Mac (OSX)
• Dad's Army
Link: home.btconnect.com/howejam/dadsarmy/comicstrips/da_comics.htm
A guide to the Dad's Army comic
strip, drawn by Bill Titcombe. Part of a much bigger site about Dad's Army
from Andy Howe.
•
The Telegoons
The Telegoons, an animated show based on The
Goon Show featured in TV
Comic, drawn by TV Comic stalwart Bill Titcombe,
who also drew many other strips for the title including Tom
and Jerry, Dad's Army and others. This exhaustive Telegoons
site includes information on the Telegoons strip and the part it played
in promoting the show. This link goes firect to that item: www.telegoons.org/FAQ.htm#N.
This link goes to the home page of the wonderful Telegoons
site: www.telegoons.org.
(Speaking
personally, I can't stand the creepy looking Telegoons -- but I loved the
Goons radio show)
TV21
Buying Advice (See notes on this, above)
As of June 2006: Condition of the comics
can determine the price a lot. #1 has sold for about £300
on eBay in VG+ condition but a complete poor tatty version will only
scrape about £50.
Issues are easier to come by with the advent of the internet but still
sought after. Prices vary from £5-£10 an issue, which
the newspaper style ones up to issue 154 usually get in F/Ex condition.
A
complete
set - issues 1-242 plus specials and some gifts - was offered on eBay
for £3,500
and no-one bought at that price, even after it was reduced from about £5,000.
(Thanks to Shaqui at The
Gerry Anderson Complete Comic History)
• The
Gerry Anderson Complete Comic History
Link: www.technodelic.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk
This incredibly detailed site charts the entire history of Gerry Anderson's
shows in comic strip, show by show, from his earliest ventures right
through to the present day. It's a beautifully constructed site with
plenty of well-researched features, interviews and plenty more.
This is simply one of the best themed comic strip sites on the web and if you're a Gerry Anderson
fan, it should not be missed. Congratulations to all involved -- this is a true labour of love.
• TV
Century 21 Guide
General comics and magazines site with a page devoted
to this title based on the Gerry Anderson puppet shows
which at its hgeight was selling one million copies per
week.
• Dalek
Mania
Link: www.dalek-mania.co.uk
In addition to being a great site about Daleks,
Mick Hall's site includes thumbnails of original art from The
Daleks strip, which appeared in TV21, drawn
by artists such as Richard Jennings and Ron Turner.
The entire run
of the strip was most recently published by Marvel UK in 1994 as a
Dalek special, The
Dalek Chronicles.
• Not
TV21
Sun-styled parody comic.
• TV21uk
10 Thomas Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester M4 1DH
Tel: 0161 839 5021 - email: stephen@tv21uk.com
Nothing to do with the comic at all, but heck, we'll give it a plug just
for sheer cheek. TV21uk is a television, film and arts themed venue
specifically designed to compliment Manchester's revitalised Northern
Quarter.
Victor
Fan: www.victorhornetcomics.co.uk
Web site devoted to two of DC Thomson's classic boys titles, the other
being Hornet. The site offers a brief history of the both of the comics,
and they're working on biographies of some of the artists, writers and
(and hopefully) editorial staff.
Viz
Official: www.viz.co.uk
Warhammer
Monthly
Official: www.blacklibrary.com
Probably the biggest-selling SF comic in the UK, at one time
claiming 50,000 sales per month via Games Worshop stores.
Sadly, Warhammer ended with Issue 86 in December 2004
Wizard
Link: wizardcomics1970-1974.blogspot.com
A bog devoted to DC Thomson's Great comic The Wizard (Mark ll) published
between February 14th 1970 and
December 28th 1974: the stories, the covers,the dates,the numbers, the
Ads.
Comics
Continuity
Information welcome!
For US Comics and Characters Click Here
For other Comics and Characters Click Here
Michael Norwitz
Official: www.blaklion.best.vwh.net/time_links.html
This guy has taken comics continuity
to unscaled height and there's a terrific links section
too. Well worth checking out.
• Click
here for sites dedicated to specific British Comics Characters
