Remember we thought that last month was a bit sparse? Well, this month is even sparser! But don’t fret, dear readers: next month’s Hatch, Match & Dispatch will contain over three times as many comics as this one!
Standard disclaimer: unless I decide otherwise, these are only the “big” anniversaries (25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 75, 80, 90 & 100+ years); dates are cover-dates where known; monthly comics with no confirmed day of launch default to the start of the month; and this list is accurate only to the best of my knowledge, so do please let me know of any important errors or omissions!
Previous episodes of Hatch, Match & Dispatch:
2019: Oct, Nov, Dec
2020: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2021: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul
30 years ago:
August – Dreamstone final issue.
Publisher: London Editions
From: Dec 1990
To: Aug 1991
Duration: 8 months
Issues: 6
Bi-monthly. As mentioned in the December 2020 edition of Hatch, Match & Dispatch, this was apparently based on a cartoon.
August – Meltdown launched.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: Aug 1991
To: Jan 1992
Duration: 5 months
Issues: 6
A cracking good comic from Marvel UK featuring reprints of Akira, The Light and Darkness War, Clive Barker’s Nightbreed and The Last American. Deserved to last a lot longer than it did!
August – Tom & Jerry (1991) launched.
Publisher: London Editions
From: Aug 1991
To: Oct 1992
Duration: 1 year, 2 months
Issues: 15
Monthly.
35 years ago:
09 August – Play-Group final issue.
Publisher: IPC
From: 24 Mar 1984
To: 09 Aug 1986
Duration: 2 years, 5 months
Issues: 125
Absorbed into Playhour.
Ran until at least 9 Aug 1986 (#125).
40 years ago:
29 August – Mates final issue.
Publisher: IPC
From: 08 Feb 1975
To: 29 Aug 1981
Duration: 6 years, 6 months
Issues: 342
Absorbed into Oh Boy!. Part of the My Guy Family Tree.
60 years ago:
02 August – Famous Romance Library final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: Jun 1956
To: 02 Aug 1961
Duration: 5 years, 2 months
Issues: 171
The start and end dates for this one are unconfirmed (the issue-count seems to be accurate though).
20 August – The Boys’ Magazine final issue.
Publisher: The Scripture Union Ltd.
From: 20 Aug 1886
To: 20 Aug 1961
Duration: 75 years
Issues: 901
Monthly. Not to be confused with its contemporary Our Boys’ Magazine (below), or Boys’ Magazine (published by Hulton / Allied Newspapers) or the U.S. publication The Boys’ Magazine published by Scott F. Redfield Co. from 1910 to c. 1925.
85 years ago:
22 August – Football Weekly launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 22 Aug 1936
To: 23 Jan 1937
Duration: 5 months
Issues: 23
135 years ago:
August – Our Boys’ Magazine launched.
Publisher: Children’s Special Service Mission
From: Aug 1886
To: Dec 1926
Duration: 40 years, 4 months
Issues: 725
Not to be confused with its contemporary publication The Boys’ Magazine (see above, and also below), ultimately absorbed it. Also not to be confused with Our Boys’ Journal (330 issues, 30 Aug 1876 – 27 Dec 1882), Our Boys’ Paper (117 issues, 18 Nov 1880 – 31 Jan 1883) or even Our Boys’ Paper (1 issue, 1 Jul 1886).
That said, it’s pretty likely that there is some confusion here because even though there were apparently 725 issues I can’t find a single cover for this one anywhere… help, anyone?
20 August – The Boys’ Magazine launched.
Publisher: The Scripture Union Ltd.
From: 20 Aug 1886
To: 20 Aug 1961
Duration: 75 years
Issues: 901
See above.
Rusty Staples 
You might want to check Famous Romance Library again. 1958 to 1961 isn’t five years.
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Thanks, Richard — good catch! It’s now been corrected (although the comic’s actual start date is still uncertain: some sources say it was launched in 1958, but there’s strong evidence that it was actually 1956).
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