Hatch, Match & Dispatch – February 2023

Ah, comics!

Comics comics comics.

Well, that’s about all I have for this month’s introduction, folks, but I think it says all I need it to say, which is basically that comics are great and in general things that aren’t comics aren’t quite so great.

Of course, the word “comics” conjures up different images for different people, and I’m not just talking about comedians. In some parts of the world comics are monthly full-colour single-tale publications about superheroes, in other places comics are daily three-panels strips in newspapers, or oversized slender hardcover albums, or phone-book-thick paperbacks that you start reading at the back… but my default image of a comic is a weekly black-and-white newsprint anthology with mix of genres.

Back in the days when I had a lot of penpals from all over the world (long story, but in the late 1980s I had about 75 penpals with whom I regularly communicated) my American friend Levi had heard that “comicbooks” in the UK and Ireland were quite a bit different to those in the USA, and asked me to send him something. Levi had mentioned that he loved Superman and he regularly bought Action Comics. So I sent him a copy of IPC’s Action just to see what he made of it.

Pre-production cover for issue #1 of Action

Levi’s reaction was quite succinct: “That Brit version of Action is so weird! Eight different stories and only three pages each!? And only the Jaws rip-off has color! And one of them has a nazi as the hero — that is so messed up!” I guess I could have sent him a copy of a Marvel UK title because they were a lot closer to the US format and thus would have been less of a culture-shock, but that would have defeated the purpose.

I don’t know what happened to Levi — we lost touch in the early 90s — but I like to think that his life was at least marginally enriched by exposure to a different culture. Because, well, that’s one of the great things comics can do. As a kid I learned more about America from comics than from TV or movies. The Thing kicking over a fire-hydrant, Batman swinging around the Gotham rooftops, Superman flying past a skyscraper (and more often than not catching Lois Lane in the process), Spider-Man crashing through a water-tower… Clark Bars, Slim-Jims, Charles Atlas, 175-piece fishing kits, zip-codes, glow-in-the-dark bb-guns, mail-order sea monkey diplomas… America was a new, strange, exciting world. I knew the stories weren’t real, but the settings were. Or close to real, and that was good enough.

I have friends who moved to Japan because they fell in love with the culture thanks to Manga and Anime, and another friend who’s multi-lingual having learned to read French through Asterix books and German through issues of Mosaik (which I’ve still never read… sorry, Jan!).

I know that some comics fans hate that we’re frequently misunderstood, misrepresented, marginalised or shunned by the mainstream media — “Biff! Pow! Comics Aren’t Just for Kids Anymore!” screamed a hundred lazy headlines after The Dark Knight Returns, Maus and Watchmen didn’t so much shake the apple-tree as run a fleet of trucks through the orchard — but I no longer let that bother me. If other people can’t or won’t understand our interest, it’s their loss.

Comics can unite people from all over the world — and beyond, if the galactic-groats prices on the covers of early issues of 2000AD are to be believed, which they are — and being on the margins is more fun, as the great comic creator Sergio Aragones proved over and over in the pages of Mad Magazine…

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Blog News:

• Added two recently-rediscovered comic covers featuring The Goodies to the post on the Goody Goody comic.

• And in case you missed them, I’ve also fairly recently added some omitted Marvel UK comics to the appropriate timeline.

• Next month’s Hatch, Match & Dispatch will be uploaded on February 27th, so publishers wishing to have their publications included should remember to retroactively launch, merge or cancel said publications in March 1998, or earlier in five-year intervals.

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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, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2022: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2023: Jan

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25 years ago:

1 February – Warhammer Monthly launched.
Publisher: Games Workshop
From: 1 Feb 1998
To: 1 Aug 2004
Duration: 6 years, 6 months
Issues: 85
Monthly.

30 years ago:

February – Batman Monthly (1988) final issue.
Publisher: London Editions/Fleetway
From: 21 Jul 1988
To: Feb 1993
Duration: 4 years, 7 months
Issues: 56
Relaunched as Batman Monthly (1993).

The history of this comic is a little muddy… it might have been retitled Batman Magazine at some stage. See also: Pocket-Money Comics: Batman Monthly

February – The Terminator final issue.
Publisher: Trident Comics/Dark Horse International
From: Aug 1991
To: Feb 1993
Duration: 1 year, 6 months
Issues: 17

Monthly. Published by Trident Comics from #1 to #12 (Jul 1992), then Dark Horse International from #13 (Oct 1992).

35 years ago:

February – Avalon final issue.
Publisher: Harrier Comics
From: Oct 1986
To: Feb 1988
Duration: 1 year, 4 months
Issues: 14

13 February – Action Force final issue.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: 07 Mar 1987
To: 13 Feb 1988
Duration: 11 months
Issues: 50
Absorbed into The Transformers.

21 February – Winnie the Pooh Magazine launched.
Publisher: London Editions
From: 21 Feb 1988
To: Jul 1990
Duration: 2 years, 5 months
Issues: 27

Dates and issue-count unverified. Initially bimonthly, then monthly from #4 (Aug 1998). Renamed Winnie the Pooh Comic sometime around #7, then Winnie the Pooh and his Pals from #13 (May 1989).

29 February – Centurions PowerXtreme final issue.
Publisher: London Editions
From: 30 Jun 1987
To: 29 Feb 1988
Duration: 8 months
Issues: 10

45 years ago:

04 February – Misty launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 04 Feb 1978
To: 12 Jan 1980
Duration: 1 year, 11 months
Issues: 101

08 February – Star Wars Weekly launched.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: 08 Feb 1978
To: 01 Jul 1983
Duration: 5 years, 5 months
Issues: 171

Weekly until #140, monthly thereafter. Retitled Star Wars Weekly: The Empire Strikes Back from #118, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back from #140, Star Wars from #159. Continued in Return of the Jedi.
See also: Pocket-Money Comics: Star Wars Weekly

25 February – Emma launched.
Publisher: DC Thomson
From: 25 Feb 1978
To: 08 Sep 1979
Duration: 1 year, 7 months
Issues: 83

50 years ago:

10 February – Melanie launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 10 Feb 1973
To: 19 Oct 1974
Duration: 1 year, 8 months
Issues: 89
At least 89 issues

17 February – Debbie launched.
Publisher: DC Thomson
From: 17 Feb 1973
To: 15 Jan 1983
Duration: 9 years, 11 months
Issues: 518

See also: Pocket-Money Comics: Debbie

17 February – Spider-Man Comics Weekly launched.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: 17 Feb 1973
To: 14 Dec 1985
Duration: 12 years, 10 months
Issues: 666

An obscure “super-hero” comic that had no influence on me whatsoever.
See also: Branding: Spider-Man Comics Weekly

24 February – Dracula (1972) final issue.
Publisher: New English Library
From: 30 Sep 1972
To: 24 Feb 1973
Duration: 5 months
Issues: 12

24 February – Once Upon a Time (1973) launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 24 Feb 1973
To: 23 Jun 1973
Duration: 4 months
Issues: 18

Weekly. A revival of Once Upon a Time (1969): these editions were marked as ‘Re-published’ on the cover.

55 years ago:

03 February – Terrific final issue.
Publisher: Odhams/IPC
From: 15 Apr 1967
To: 03 Feb 1968
Duration: 10 months
Issues: 43
Absorbed into Fantastic.

60 years ago:

03 February – Marvelman final issue.
Publisher: L. Miller and Son, Ltd.
From: 03 Feb 1954
To: 01 Feb 1963
Duration: 9 years
Issues: 346

Marvelman replaced Captain Marvel Adventures (1953), which had run to issue #24. Consequently, issues of this comic were numbered #25 to #370

03 February – Young Marvelman final issue.
Publisher: L. Miller and Son, Ltd.
From: 03 Feb 1954
To: 01 Feb 1963
Duration: 9 years
Issues: 346

Replaced Captain Marvel Jr. (1953). Issues were numbered #25 to #370.

09 February – Serenade final issue.
Publisher: Fleetway
From: 22 Sep 1962
To: 09 Feb 1963
Duration: 5 months
Issues: 25
Absorbed into Valentine.

16 February – The Knock-Out Comic final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press/Fleetway
From: 04 Mar 1939
To: 16 Feb 1963
Duration: 23 years, 11 months
Issues: 1251
Absorbed into Valiant.

The comic’s title loses “the” sometime between #52 and #58 (it absorbed Magnet with #52), then loses the hyphen sometime between #252 and #299. From #664 or #665 the title is simplified to Knockout, but it’s briefly changed to Billy Bunter’s Knockout from #1163 (10 Jun 1961) to #1220 (14 Jul 1962).

23 February – Diana launched.
Publisher: DC Thomson
From: 23 Feb 1963
To: 27 Nov 1976
Duration: 13 years, 9 months
Issues: 720

23 February – Marty final issue.
Publisher: Pearson
From: 23 Jan 1960
To: 23 Feb 1963
Duration: 3 years, 1 month
Issues: 161
Absorbed into Mirabelle.

70 years ago:

07 February – The Topper launched.
Publisher: DC Thomson
From: 07 Feb 1953
To: 15 Sep 1990
Duration: 37 years, 7 months
Issues: 1963

Oor Wullie featured on the comic’s masthead for the first thirteen years – although not in any internal strips, as far as I know.

75 years ago:

February – Merry Moments (1946) launched.
Publisher: Martin & Reid
From: Feb 1948
To: 1948
Duration: 4 months
Issues: 5

85 years ago:

12 February – The Modern Boy (1928) final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 11 Feb 1928
To: 12 Feb 1938
Duration: 10 years and a day
Issues: 523
Relaunched as Modern Boy (1938).

19 February – Modern Boy (1938) launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 19 Feb 1938
To: 14 Oct 1939
Duration: 1 year, 8 months
Issues: 87
Relaunch of Modern Boy (1928)

19 February – Uncle Oojah’s Travels launched.
Publisher: Warne
From: 19 Feb 1938
To: 1938
Duration: 10 months
Issues: 2, maybe?

Possibly only two books in the series, both published 1938

26 February – Confessions launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 26 Feb 1938
To: 1939
Duration: 1 year, 4 months
Issues: 53

26 February – Okay Comics Weekly final issue.
Publisher: TV Boardman
From: 16 Oct 1937
To: 26 Feb 1938
Duration: 4 months
Issues: 20

Tricky one, this: it’s listed by comics historian Denis Gifford as running from 15 Jan 1938 to 13 Apr 1938 but that’s contradicted by other sources.

90 years ago:

18 February – The Union Jack (1903) final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 17 Sep 1903
To: 18 Feb 1933
Duration: 29 years, 5 months
Issues: 1531
Relaunched as Detective Weekly.

25 February – Detective Weekly launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 25 Feb 1933
To: 25 May 1940
Duration: 7 years, 3 months
Issues: 379
Relaunch of The Union Jack (1903).

95 years ago:

11 February – The Modern Boy (1928) launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 11 Feb 1928
To: 12 Feb 1938
Duration: 10 years almost exactly
Issues: 523

100 years ago:

February – Romance (1923) launched.
Publisher: Odhams Press
From: Feb 1923
To: Jul 1927
Duration: 4 years, 5 months
Issues: 54

17 February – The Rocket launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 17 Feb 1923
To: 11 Oct 1924
Duration: 1 year, 8 months
Issues: 87

Later relaunched as The Triumph.

115 years ago:

15 February – The Magnet Library launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 15 Feb 1908
To: 03 Aug 1929
Duration: 21 years, 6 months
Issues: 1120

Later relaunched as The Magnet.

125 years ago:

26 February – Dan Leno’s Comic Journal launched.
Publisher: Pearson
From: 26 Feb 1898
To: 02 Dec 1899
Duration: 1 year, 10 months
Issues: 93

26 February – Girls’ Best Friend launched.
Publisher: Harmsworth/Amalgamated Press
From: 26 Feb 1898
To: 10 Jun 1899
Duration: 1 year, 4 months
Issues: 89

Later relaunched as The Girls’ Friend

130 years ago:

04 February – The Funny Wonder (1893) launched.
Publisher: Harmsworth/Amalgamated Press
From: 04 Feb 1893
To: 25 May 1901
Duration: 8 years, 3 months
Issues: 109

Issue count is definitely incorrect here…! See The Mysteries of Wonder!