Over the past few weeks I’ve been spending far too much time lost in the labyrinthine maze of land-mine-packed rabbit-warrens known as “researching comics on the internet” for a potential project for this blog.
If you’ve read my article from May 2020 about the difficulties of comics research, you’ll have some idea of how complex these things can get. It’s not just a case of “one thing leads to another.” It’s often more like “one thing leads to three things and one of those things is secretly poisoned, and one of the others eventually leads back to the first thing again but now it’s wearing a different hat and putting on a fake accent.”
With this latest project, more than once I’ve had that moment of clarity where the bubble bursts and I abruptly realise that even if I do manage to finish it I might well be the only person who’ll ever read the thing, so I just tell myself, “Nope, it’s too hard to get my head around all this stuff, it’s all trivial anyway, and surely if other people cared about this then someone else would have already done all this work.”
So I save all my notes, close the two dozen+ open web-browser tabs, and walk away into blessed freedom. And then come back to it a day or two later because, y’know, I want to get it done.
I’m happy to announce that the project is about 90% finished. I figured it was about 90% finished last year, too, when it was less than half the size it is now. So… that’s progress, of a sort.
Blog News:
- Our recent Friday Flashback features on Warrior and Tornado both proved to be popular. I knew that the former is widely considered a classic, but it seems that the latter is still very fondly remembered. Give them a read if you’ve not done so already, and do let me know if you have a favourite British comic (or a hated one) that we’ve not already covered in any of our other reviews.
- Speaking of which: I’ve updated the Reviews Round-Up list to include the latest posts — we’re up to 75 reviews now! All totally free, as always!
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, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
25 years ago:
November – Manga Mania final issue.
Publisher: Dark Horse International/Manga Entertainment/Titan Comics
From: Jul 1993
To: Nov 1998
Duration: 5 years, 4 months
Issues: At least 45
Relaunched as Manga Max.
Good friend of this blog Richard Sheaf informs me that Comics International lists issue #46 of Manga Mania as going on sale in June 1998. The latest issue I’ve been able to confirm is #45 (cover-dated May/June 1998).
22 November – Disney’s Planet launched.
Publisher: Sunday Telegraph
From: 22 Nov 1998
To: 26 Nov 2000
Duration: 2 years
Issues: 106
A free comic issued with the Sunday Telegraph newspaper.
30 years ago:
November – Battletide (1993) final issue.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: Aug 1993
To: Nov 1993
Duration: 3 months
Issues: 4
November – Bloodseed final issue.
Publisher: Marvel Frontier Comics
From: Oct 1993
To: Nov 1993
Duration: 1 month
Issues: 2
November – Die-Cut vs. G-Force launched.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: Nov 1993
To: Dec 1993
Duration: 1 month
Issues: 2
November – Die-Cut launched.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: Nov 1993
To: Feb 1994
Duration: 3 months
Issues: 4
November – Plasmer launched.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: Nov 1993
To: Feb 1994
Duration: 3 months
Issues: 4
01 November – Sonic the Poster Mag launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 01 Nov 1993
To: 24 Dec 1994
Duration: 1 year, 1 month
Issues: 9
Contained a Sonic comic-strip
November – Super Soldiers final issue.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: Apr 1993
To: Nov 1993
Duration: 7 months
Issues: 8
17 November – Rupert: Learn and Play launched.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: 17 Nov 1993
To: 08 Mar 1995
Duration: 1 year, 4 months
Issues: 18
Every four weeks.
35 years ago:
November – Barbarienne final issue.
Publisher: Harrier Comics
From: Mar 1987
To: Nov 1988
Duration: 1 year, 8 months
Issues: 8
Issues #6 to #8 featured a crossover with Cuirass, and this was reflected on the cover.
November – Heartbreak Hotel final issue.
Publisher: Willyprods/Small Time Ink Ltd.
From: Dec 1987
To: Nov 1988
Duration: 11 months
Issues: 6
Bi-monthly. Date of first issue unconfirmed. Some on-line sources state that the comic was launched in January 1988, but issue #1 features a subscription ad that reads, in part, “Offer valid until January 1, 1988” which strongly implies that the comic was at least expected to be in the stores before the end of 1987. So until I receive confirmation otherwise, I’m assuming that it was published in December 1987.
40 years ago:
November – The Daredevils final issue.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: Jan 1983
To: Nov 1983
Duration: 10 months
Issues: 11
Absorbed into The Mighty World of Marvel (1983).
See also: Friday Flashback: The Daredevils
45 years ago:
November – Batman Pocketbook launched.
Publisher: Egmont Methuen
From: Nov 1978
To: 1980
Duration: 1 year, 7 months (estimated)
Issues: 10
Bi-monthly. Actual dates unknown.
50 years ago:
21 November – Lamb Chop Weekly final issue.
Publisher: Shelbourne
From: 01 Nov 1972
To: 21 Nov 1973
Duration: 1 year
Issues: 56
At least 56 issues… Info on this one is scarce! Dates are unconfirmed.
60 years ago:
16 November – The Wizard (1922) final issue.
Publisher: DC Thomson
From: 23 Sep 1922
To: 16 Nov 1963
Duration: 41 years, 2 months
Issues: 1970
Absorbed into The Rover (1961).
70 years ago:
04 November – Sparkle launched.
Publisher: Pearson
From: 04 Nov 1953
To: 03 Feb 1954
Duration: 3 months
Issues: 14
75 years ago:
November – Children’s Pictorial (1947) final issue.
Publisher: Barrett
From: Apr 1947
To: Nov 1948
Duration: 1 year, 7 months
Issues: 9
85 years ago:
04 November – Wags final issue.
Publisher: Powers
From: 01 Jan 1937
To: 04 Nov 1938
Duration: 1 year, 10 months
Issues: 88
Not strictly a British comic: Wags was printed and published in the USA for distribution in the UK (alongside a separate edition for Australia and New Zealand).
19 November – Modern Fairy Tales launched.
Publisher: Popular Fiction
From: 19 Nov 1938
To: 1940s
Duration: 1 year, 7 months
Issues: Unknown
90 years ago:
01 November – Wild West Yarns final issue.
Publisher: Aldine House
From: 15 Mar 1932
To: 01 Nov 1933
Duration: 1 year, 8 months
Issues: 68
11 November – The Surprise final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 05 Mar 1932
To: 11 Nov 1933
Duration: 1 year, 8 months
Issues: 89
Absorbed into The Bullseye.
29 November – The Christmas Comic final issue.
Publisher: Pearson
From: 08 Dec 1931
To: 29 Nov 1933
Duration: 1 year, 11 months
Issues: 3
95 years ago:
03 November – Schooldays (1928) launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 03 Nov 1928
To: 02 May 1931
Duration: 2 years, 6 months
Issues: 131
100 years ago:
November – Tales for Little People (1923) launched.
Publisher: Aldine House
From: Nov 1923
To: Mar 1928
Duration: 4 years, 4 months
Issues: 100
17 November – Playtime (1919) final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 29 Mar 1919
To: 17 Nov 1923
Duration: 4 years, 8 months
Issues: 243
Relaunched as: Playtime (1923).
17 November – Young Britain (1919) final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 14 Jun 1919
To: 17 Nov 1923
Duration: 4 years, 5 months
Issues: 232
Relaunched as: Young Britain (1923).
19 November – Pals (1922) final issue.
Publisher: Hulton
From: 09 Oct 1922
To: 19 Nov 1923
Duration: 1 year, 1 month
Issues: 59
Absorbed into Boys’ Magazine.
24 November – Playtime (1923) launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 24 Nov 1923
To: 12 Oct 1929
Duration: 5 years, 11 months
Issues: 307
Relaunch of: Playtime (1919)
Note: The eponymous star of the strip Mickey Mouse and his Jungle Friends is not the well-known Disney character, who wasn’t created until 1928.
24 November – Young Britain (1923) launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 24 Nov 1923
To: 16 Aug 1924
Duration: 9 months
Issues: 39
Relaunch of: Young Britain (1919)
115 years ago:
10 November – Funny Cuts (1890) final issue.
Publisher: Trapps & Holmes
From: 12 Jul 1890
To: 10 Nov 1908
Duration: 18 years, 4 months
Issues: 958
Relaunched as Funny Cuts (1908)
10 November – Smiles final issue.
Publisher: Trapps & Holmes
From: 05 May 1906
To: 10 Nov 1908
Duration: 2 years, 6 months
Issues: 133
Absorbed into Funny Cuts (1908).
17 November – Funny Cuts (1908) launched.
Publisher: Trapps & Holmes
From: 17 Nov 1908
To: 03 Jul 1920
Duration: 11 years, 8 months
Issues: 608
Relaunch of: Funny Cuts (1890)
120 years ago:
03 November – Rob Roy Library launched.
Publisher: James Henderson
From: 03 Nov 1903
To: 26 Apr 1904
Duration: 5 months
Issues: 16
130 years ago:
11 November – The Halfpenny Marvel launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 11 Nov 1893
To: 23 Jan 1904
Duration: 10 years, 2 months
Issues: 533
Actually called The Halfpenny Marvel Library for the first year. Retitled The Marvel from #228 (19 Mar 1898). Later relaunched as The Marvel.
Rusty Staples 
Hi Michael, Research projects that grow? Hahhaha – I have no idea what you mean (he says, some decades on from 1990) 😉 Keep on keeping on, Rob
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Looking forward to this project.
Excellent to see some Battle collections on the shelves!
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Oh crikey. As someone who has also been working on a fool’s errand of a UK comics research project for far too long now (new blog incoming) your experience sounds chillingly familiar.
In short, almost all online info about most titles gets at least some details wrong, no one agrees on anything, and finding genuine documentary proof – even if just clear, readable cover scans — gets harder the further back in time you go.
Oh, and never trust Gifford. A legend he may be, but an oft inaccurate one.
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