In this month’s list, and as we’ve seen several times in recent episodes of HM&D, there’s a small bunch of Marvel UK titles from the 1990s that are marked as “final issue” — and readers might recall that a few months ago John Freeman — former Marvel UK writer/editor and currently the curator of the essential Down the Tubes blog — took the time to remind me that many of those comics were designed to be limited series… They weren’t cancelled, they were completed.
Yes, some comics are indeed cancelled prematurely but I believe it’s extremely important to remember that a comic reaching its final issue is often a sign of success, not one of failure.
But luckily for comics fans, sometimes cancelled (or completed) comics don’t stay dead…
Reprint News:
IPC’s Scream!, launched forty years ago in March 1984 and making its first appearance in HM&D on today’s list, was put to rest after only fifteen weekly issues, ostensibly because of an industrial dispute by the National Union of Journalists. The comic was merged with the 1980s incarnation of Eagle (see the Eagle Timeline for more info), but its fans remained loyal, always clamouring for a revival.
In 2015, Hibernia Comics obtained the rights to reprint the strip The Dracula File in its entirety, and followed this a year later with their retrospective It’s Ghastly: The Untimely Demise of Scream!
Also in 2016, Rebellion (now owners of most of IPC’s back-catalogue) released a collected edition of the strip Monster, which was well-received and triggered an almost-revival: In October 2017, Rebellion partnered Scream! with the equally-missed and similarly-themed (albeit girl-targetted) Misty to create the Scream! and Misty Halloween Special. It contained all-new material, and was followed by further specials in 2018 and 2020. Rebellion also released collections of The Thirteenth Floor and The Dracula File in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
But those volumes are mere saplings compared to what’s coming next… The Treasury of British Comics will be publishing a massive 464-page tome that reprints every single strip from Scream!‘s fifteen weekly issues…
Available in two editions — regular and limited “webshop” edition with a brand-new cover inside an exclusive slipcase — 40 Years of Scream!: The Archival Collection — is scheduled for publication on April 24th.
Blog News:
- Small-Press and Independent comics are often overlooked, but here at Rusty Staples we love to champion the underdog! I recently put out a call to small-press British and Irish publishers with recently-published or upcoming titles to get in touch… and quite a few responded — check them out in our Small Press and Indie Comics Round-Up!
- Yesterday — Sunday Feb 25th 2024 — the mighty Cavan Scott bestowed upon me the honour of appearing in the Perfect Sunday section of his blog!
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, Nov, Dec
2024: Jan, Feb
25 years ago:
30 March – Blue Moon launched.
Publisher: Quill Publications
From: 30 Mar 1999
To: 20 Dec 1999
Duration: 9 months
Issues: 12
Initially fortnightly; monthly from #6
30 years ago:
March – Batman & Superman launched.
Publisher: Egmont
From: Mar 1994
To: Jan 1995
Duration: 10 months
Issues: 11
Relaunch of Batman Monthly (1993) and The Adventures of Superman
March – Death’s Head II (2) final issue.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: Oct 1992
To: Mar 1994
Duration: 1 year, 5 months
Issues: 16
March – Genetix final issue.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: Oct 1993
To: Mar 1994
Duration: 5 months
Issues: 6
March – Gun Runner final issue.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: Oct 1993
To: Mar 1994
Duration: 5 months
Issues: 6
March – Immortalis final issue.
Publisher: Marvel Frontier Comics
From: Sep 1993
To: Mar 1994
Duration: 6 months
Issues: 4
March – Max Overload! launched
Publisher: Dark Horse International
From: Mar 1994
To: Apr 1994
Duration: 2 month
Issues: 2
Update: Richard Sheaf of the always-helpful Boys Adventure Comics blog has corrected my misinformation that Max Overload only lasted for one issue: it actually made it to a second issue! See Richard’s post on his blog.
March – Postman Pat Fun-To-Do final issue.
Publisher: London Editions
From: 1990
To: Mar 1994
Duration: 3 years, 9 months
Issues: 37
At least 37 issues… possibly lasted longer. Info on nursery-age comics is often very scant!
12 March – Look-In final issue.
Publisher: ITP/IPC
From: 09 Jan 1971
To: 12 Mar 1994
Duration: 23 years, 2 months
Issues: 1210
Billed as the “Junior TV Times,” Look-In was as well-known for its run of fantastic painted covers as for its comic-strip adaptations of TV shows and biographies of popular bands. See: Pocket-Money Comics: Look-In
35 years ago:
March – !Gag! final issue.
Publisher: Harrier Comics
From: Jan 1987
To: Mar 1989
Duration: 2 years, 2 months
Issues: 7
March – Amazing Stories of Suspense final issue.
Publisher: Alan Class
From: May 1963
To: Mar 1989
Duration: 25 years, 10 months
Issues: 241
The title was Initially Tales of Suspense for the first two issues, and also for issues #133, #134, #161, #167, #199 and #205. Reprinted material from the US Marvel series Astonishing, Mystic, Strange Stories of Suspense, Marvel Tales, Strange Tales, Spellbound, Journey into Mystery, Tales to Astonish, Tales of Suspense, Strange Tales of the Unusual and more. See Before Marvel UK
March – Secrets of the Unknown final issue.
Publisher: Alan Class
From: Oct 1962
To: Mar 1989
Duration: 26 years, 5 months
Issues: 249
Reprinted material from the US Marvel series Strange Tales, Journey into Unknown Worlds, Adventures into Weird Worlds, Strange Tales of the Unusual, Journey into Mystery, Strange Stories of Suspense, World of Fantasy, Mystery Tales, Mystic, Astonishing, Marvel Tales, and others. See Before Marvel UK
25 March – Beep! Beep! launched.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: 25 Mar 1989
To: 10 Feb 1990
Duration: 11 months
Issues: 24
25 March – Funny Fortnightly launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 25 Mar 1989
To: Jun 1993
Duration: 4 years, 3 months
Issues: 43
Fortnightly at first, became monthly and rebranded as Funny Monthly after 16 Jun 1990. End date and issue-counts are estimated.
25 March – The Flintstones and Friends final issue.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: 07 May 1988
To: 25 Mar 1989
Duration: 10 months
Issues: 24
Fortnightly. I suspect this might have been relaunched as Cartoon Time, but I’ve not yet been able to confirm that.
25 March – Wildcat final issue.
Publisher: Fleetway
From: 22 Oct 1988
To: 25 Mar 1989
Duration: 5 months
Issues: 12
Absorbed into Eagle (1982).
Fortnightly. A free preview issue was given away with other Fleetway comics.
40 years ago:
24 March – Play-Group launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 24 Mar 1984
To: 09 Aug 1986
Duration: 2 years, 5 months
Issues: 125
Ran until at least 9 Aug 1986 (#125) — possibly longer. If you can confirm otherwise, please let me know!
24 March – Scream! launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 24 Mar 1984
To: 30 Jun 1984
Duration: 3 months
Issues: 15
28 March – StoryLand launched.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: 28 Mar 1984
To: 10 Aug 1985
Duration: 1 year, 5 months
Issues: 71
28 March – The Thing is Big Ben launched.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: 28 Mar 1984
To: 25 Jul 1984
Duration: 4 months
Issues: 18
31 March – Princess (1983) final issue.
Publisher: IPC
From: 24 Sep 1983
To: 31 Mar 1984
Duration: 6 months
Issues: 28
Absorbed into Tammy.
45 years ago:
March – Funtime (Byblos) launched.
Publisher: Byblos
From: Mar 1979
To: Jul 1980
Duration: 1 year, 4 months
Issues: 17
07 March – Hulk Comic launched.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: 07 Mar 1979
To: 15 May 1980
Duration: 1 year, 2 months
Issues: 63
Retitled The Incredible Hulk Weekly from #47 (23 Jan 1980), then The Incredible Hulk from #59 (17 Apr 1980).
10 March – Patches launched.
Publisher: DC Thomson
From: 10 Mar 1979
To: 06 Jan 1989
Duration: 9 years, 10 months
Issues: 515
24 March – Tornado launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 24 Mar 1979
To: 18 Aug 1979
Duration: 5 months
Issues: 22
See: Friday Flashback: Tornado
31 March – Photo-Love Weekly launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 31 Mar 1979
To: 29 Jan 1983
Duration: 3 years, 10 months
Issues: 197
50 years ago:
09 March – Noddy and his Friends launched.
Publisher: Hudvale
From: 09 Mar 1974
To: 30 Apr 1975
Duration: 1 year, 1 month
Issues: 49
09 March – Whoopee! launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 09 Mar 1974
To: 30 Mar 1985
Duration: 11 years
Issues: 572
16 March – Bonnie launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 16 Mar 1974
To: 10 May 1975
Duration: 1 year, 2 months
Issues: 61
22 March – Speed & Power launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 22 Mar 1974
To: 22 Nov 1975
Duration: 1 year, 8 months
Issues: 87
I don’t know whether Speed & Power ever included any comic-strips, but it certainly ran some text stories (see Steve Holland’s excellent blog for tons of great info on Speed & Power — and hundreds of other comics). It was ultimately absorbed into Look & Learn, so it deserves a place on this list for that reason alone. Update: Richard Sheaf of the Boys Adventure Comics Blog says “Speed & Power did indeed have at least one comic strip in it – ‘SOS International’ by Oliver Frey.”
55 years ago:
22 March – Bobo Bunny launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 22 Mar 1969
To: 27 Jan 1973
Duration: 3 years, 10 months
Issues: 201
29 March – Jag final issue.
Publisher: Fleetway/IPC
From: 04 May 1968
To: 29 Mar 1969
Duration: 10 months
Issues: 48
Absorbed into Tiger.
Launched as a tabloid-sized comic; shrunk to standard IPC size with issue #43 (22 Feb 1969).
60 years ago:
07 March – The Bible Story launched.
Publisher: Fleetway
From: 07 Mar 1964
To: 19 Sep 1964
Duration: 6 months
Issues: 29
28 March – Yogi Bear’s Own Weekly final issue.
Publisher: City Magazines/Robert Hayward and Sons
From: 27 Oct 1962
To: 28 Mar 1964
Duration: 1 year, 5 months
Issues: 75
Absorbed into Huckleberry Hound Weekly.
65 years ago:
March – Combat Picture Library (1959) launched.
Publisher: G.M. Smith
From: Mar 1959
To: 1960
Duration: 1 year, 3 months
Issues: 52
Numbering continues with Combat Picture Library (1960), published by Micron.
70 years ago:
20 March – Swift launched.
Publisher: Hulton
From: 20 Mar 1954
To: 02 Mar 1963
Duration: 9 years
Issues: 461
A “companion comic” to Eagle, aimed at slightly younger readers.
85 years ago:
04 March – Golden Star launched.
Publisher: Pearson
From: 04 Mar 1939
To: 17 Aug 1940
Duration: 1 year, 5 months
Issues: 76
04 March – The Knock-Out Comic launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press/Fleetway
From: 04 Mar 1939
To: 16 Feb 1963
Duration: 23 years, 11 months
Issues: 1251
Title loses ‘the’ sometime between #52 and #58 (absorbed Magnet with #52), loses hyphen sometime between #252 and #299. From #664 or #665 the comic’s title is simplified to Knockout, then Billy Bunter’s Knockout from 10 Jun 1961 (#1163) to 14 Jul 1962 (#1220),
11 March – The Wild West Weekly final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 23 Mar 1938
To: 11 Mar 1939
Duration: 1 year
Issues: 49
Absorbed into The Thriller.
Renamed Wild West from #26 (3 Sep 1938)
12 March – Glamour launched.
Publisher: Pearson
From: 12 Mar 1939
To: 30 Sep 1956
Duration: 17 years, 6 months
Issues: 725
A story-paper, published fortnightly at first, later weekly. When it absorbed Woman’s Friend the title became Woman’s Friend and Glamour, though the ‘Woman’s Friend’ part of the logo was much smaller than the ‘Glamour’: a reversal of how most comic mergers were titled. Later relaunched as New Glamour, a comic.
90 years ago:
26 March – The Spring Comic final issue.
Publisher: Pearson
From: 21 Mar 1932
To: 26 Mar 1934
Duration: 2 years
Issues: 3
31 March – Chuckler launched.
Publisher: Target Press
From: 31 Mar 1934
To: 15 Oct 1938
Duration: 4 years, 7 months
Issues: 238
100 years ago:
March – The Captain (1899) final issue.
Publisher: George Newnes
From: Apr 1899
To: Mar 1924
Duration: 24 years, 11 months
Issues: 300
01 March – Robin Hood Library (1924) launched.
Publisher: Aldine House
From: 01 Mar 1924
To: 29 Oct 1927
Duration: 3 years, 7 months
Issues: 88
This series Initially ran from 19 Oct 1901 to Jun 1906 (88 issues), then was revived from Oct 1912 to sometime in 1914 (14 issues), revived again from Mar 1924 to 29 Oct 1927 (88 issues again: it’s possible that these were reprints/reissues of the first run), then again in 1930 for 8 issues.
105 years ago:
22 March – The Children’s Newspaper launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press/Fleetway
From: 22 Mar 1919
To: 01 May 1965
Duration: 46 years, 2 months
Issues: 2404
Source: Philsp
29 March – Playtime (1919) launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 29 Mar 1919
To: 17 Nov 1923
Duration: 4 years, 8 months
Issues: 243
110 years ago:
March – Work and Play launched.
Publisher: Odhams Press
From: Mar 1914
To: Apr 1917
Duration: 3 years, 1 month
Issues: 129
21 March – Sparks (1914) launched.
Publisher: Henderson/Amalgamated Press
From: 21 Mar 1914
To: 29 Dec 1917
Duration: 3 years, 9 months
Issues: 198
21 March – The Penny Wonder final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 10 Feb 1912
To: 21 Mar 1914
Duration: 2 years, 1 month
Issues: 64
Relaunched as The Halfpenny Wonder.
The history of this comic is quite confusing and murky, but I managed to shine some light on it… See: The Mysteries of Wonder!
28 March – The Halfpenny Wonder launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 28 Mar 1914
To: 12 Sep 1953
Duration: 39 years, 6 months
Issues: 1760 (estimated)
Because of all the relaunches and rebrandings, the issue count for this one is unverified: See: The Mysteries of Wonder! for more details. Note that the final issue heavily advertises the upcoming TV Fun (1953), but a small notice informs us that this comic was being absorbed by Radio Fun.
115 years ago:
20 March – Big Budget final issue.
Publisher: Pearson
From: 18 Jun 1897
To: 20 Mar 1909
Duration: 11 years, 9 months
Issues: 614
Relaunched as The Comet (1909 — see below.
Absorbed The Boys’ Leader in 1905.
27 March – The Comet (1909) launched.
Publisher: Pearson
From: 27 Mar 1909
To: 26 Jun 1909
Duration: 3 months
Issues: 14
Relaunch of Big Budget — see above.
Rusty Staples 