Welcome to episode twenty-four of HM&D! That’s two years, folks, and all for free! Oh, please, I do this for love of comics — put your wallet away, cancel the fireworks and take down the bunting. There’s need to celebrate or send me money or gifts or even buy some of my books.
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, Aug
25 years ago:
September – Buster Classics final issue.
Publisher: Fleetway
From: Feb 1996
To: Sep 1996
Duration: 7 months
Issues: 8
Buster’s second monthly reprint title: the first — The Best of Buster — ran for 93 issues from May 1987 to January 1995.
03 September – Mickey and Friends final issue.
Publisher: Fleetway
From: 17 Oct 1992
To: 03 Sep 1996
Duration: 3 years, 11 months
Issues: 218
This one replaced Fleetway’s The Disney Weekly (6 Mar 1991 to 14 Oct 1992, 85 issues), which should not be confused with London Editions’ Disney Weekly (17 May 1990 to 30 Aug 1990, 16 issues). The history of British Disney comics is infuriatingly complex but I fully intend to commit to thinking about getting around to unravelling it one day.
30 years ago:
07 September – Havoc final issue.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: 13 Jul 1991
To: 07 Sep 1991
Duration: 2 months
Issues: 9
As mentioned in the July 2021 edition of Hatch, Match & Dispatch, this excellent Marvel title was far too short-lived.
35 years ago:
26 September – Pippin final issue.
Publisher: Polystyle Publications
From: 24 Sep 1966
To: 26 Sep 1986
Duration: 20 years
Issues: 1044
Absorbed into Buttons.
Briefly became Pippin in Playland after it absorbed Playland in 1975. See also: Comics on TV: Call the Midwife
27 September – Warlord final issue.
Publisher: DC Thomson
From: 28 Sep 1974
To: 27 Sep 1986
Duration: 12 years
Issues: 627
Absorbed into The Victor.
Warlord had a pretty good run for its era, but I do find it a little sad that the comic that had initially seemed so exciting and fresh compared with much of DC Thomson‘s other output should end its days as the lesser half of a merger with a comic that still felt very firmly entrenched in the old ways.
40 years ago:
19 September – Dreamer launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 19 Sep 1981
To: 15 May 1982
Duration: 8 months
Issues: 35
45 years ago:
11 September – Cracker final issue.
Publisher: DC Thomson
From: 18 Jan 1975
To: 11 Sep 1976
Duration: 1 year, 8 months
Issues: 87
Absorbed into The Beezer.
25 September – Roy of the Rovers launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 25 Sep 1976
To: 20 Mar 1993
Duration: 16 years, 6 months
Issues: 851
Weekly. Revived after six months as Roy of the Rovers Monthly (1993) which ran for 19 issues (and should not be confused with the 1990 Roy of the Rovers Monthly which was a relaunch/rebranding of the reprint title The Best of Roy of the Rovers).
25 September – Spellbound (1976) launched.
Publisher: DC Thomson
From: 25 Sep 1976
To: 14 Jan 1978
Duration: 1 year, 4 months
Issues: 69
Classic girls’ spooky comic that should have lasted a lot longer. See also: Pocket-Money Comics: Debbie
50 years ago:
01 September – Rave final issue.
Publisher: Newnes
From: 01 Feb 1964
To: 01 Sep 1971
Duration: 7 years, 7 months
Issues: 88
Absorbed into Fabulous.
Monthly music magazine. Issue-count and end date are estimated. This wasn’t a comic by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s part of the My Guy Timeline, so it gets a shot here!
25 September – Jet final issue.
Publisher: IPC
From: 01 May 1971
To: 25 Sep 1971
Duration: 4 months
Issues: 22
Absorbed into Buster.
See also: Pocket-Money Comics: Jet
25 September – TV 21 & Joe 90 final issue.
Publisher: City Magazines/IPC
From: 27 Sep 1969
To: 25 Sep 1971
Duration: 2 years
Issues: 105
Absorbed into Valiant.
Spawned from the merger of TV Century 21 (23 Jan 1965 to 6 Sep 1969) and Joe 90 Top Secret (18 Jan 1969 to 6 Sep 1969), Renamed TV 21 from #37 (6 Jun 1970).
60 years ago:
15 September – Wonderland launched.
Publisher: Holding
From: 15 Sep 1961
To: 23 Dec 1966
Duration: 5 years, 3 months
Issues: 275
Weekly. Issue-count is unconfirmed because this one annoyingly reset its issue numbering on 16 April 1965 from regular numbers to ‘Vol. 6, No. 1.’ which makes it tricky to be sure how many issues were published.
70 years ago:
September – Cute Fun final issue.
Publisher: Swan
From: Jun 1946
To: Sep 1951
Duration: 5 years, 3 months
Issues: 43
September – Pecos Bill (1951) launched.
Publisher: Westworld Publications
From: Sep 1951
To: 1959
Duration: 8ish years
Issues: 91
15 September – Tarzan – The Grand Adventure Comic launched.
Publisher: Westworld Publications
From: 15 Sep 1951
To: 03 Apr 1953
Duration: 1 year, 7 months
Issues: 62
Relaunched as Tarzan Adventures vol 3, #1
75 years ago:
20 September – The Comet (1946) launched.
Publisher: J.B. Allen
From: 20 Sep 1946
To: 17 May 1949
Duration: 2 years, 8 months
Issues: 70
Relaunched as Comet (24 May 1949 to 22 Mar 1952, 122 issues), then relaunched again under the same title (29 Mar 1952 to 10 Oct 1959) before being absorbed by Tiger.
90 years ago:
05 September – Midget Comic final issue.
Publisher: Provincial
From: 05 Jun 1931
To: 05 Sep 1931
Duration: 3 months
Issues: 13
Relaunched as Merry Midget (see below).
12 September – Merry Midget launched.
Publisher: Provincial
From: 12 Sep 1931
To: 23 Jan 1932
Duration: 4 months
Issues: 20
Relaunch of Midget Comic (see above).
12 September – Sparkler (1931) launched.
Publisher: Provincial
From: 12 Sep 1931
To: 23 Jun 1932
Duration: 9 months
Issues: 20
100 years ago:
17 September – Adventure launched.
Publisher: DC Thomson
From: 17 Sep 1921
To: 14 Jan 1961
Duration: 39 years, 4 months
Issues: 1878
A story paper, the first of DC Thomson’s “Big Five” titles — and the one that kicked off their entire empire.
105 years ago:
09 September – Ally Sloper’s Half-Holiday (1884) final issue.
Publisher: Dalziel Brothers
From: 03 May 1884
To: 09 Sep 1916
Duration: 32 years, 4 months
Issues: 1679
Title had been simplified to Ally Sloper from 6 Jun 1914.
115 years ago:
01 September – The Boys’ Friend Library (1906) launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 01 Sep 1906
To: 01 May 1925
Duration: 18 years, 8 months
Issues: 764
Relaunched as: The Boys’ Friend Library (1925)
Initially the Jack, Sam and Pete Library for the first two issues.
28 September – Young Folk’s Tales (1906) launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 28 Sep 1906
To: 7 May 1921
Duration: 14 years, 8 months
Issues: 546
Rusty Staples 
Warlords end was heart breaking, it had changed comics allowing a grittier edge in the decade to come and yet the Victor and Warlord only lasted three months before Warlord was gone
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Man, what I wouldn’t give for a hefty chunk of Adventure! I’ve seen one issue, and it was a great time capsule
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Old comics are absolutely fascinating in that regard! I still stand by the statement I made at the end of the Merry & Bright review: https://michaelowencarroll.wordpress.com/2018/03/22/merry-bright-22-march-1919/
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Researching the extent of BritIsh comics runs recently, it’s surprised me how short-lived so many “classic” titles actually were, even given my regular coverage of so many. A guide to Disney titles would be welcome. I think a lot of people are surprised to learn just how much of early incarnations content was originated here in the UK.
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