Hidden Titles: Kids Alive!

There aren't many people who seem to be interested in Kids Alive!, despite it running (in one form or other) since 1881. While I understand the reluctance to divert too much time and effort into what is a niche title, it is bewildering that such a sustained and identifiable brand has been passed over by much of the accepted comic histories. If nothing else, it is getting (presumably middle class) youngsters to read comics on a regular basis, and laying the groundwork for their purchase of mainstream titles.

Actually getting my hands on a decent run of the comic, however, is proving to be rather more problematic than I anticipated. Nevertheless, there's definitely a lot of strips which need to be covered in the guide. The art is clean and appealing, the colouring bright, and the printing seems to be very professional indeed. When I first heard about Kids Alive! I had expected something substantially less engaging, and with an air of amateur enthusiasm, so reading a very accomplished production was something of a surprise.

To understand just how marginalized the title is, simply go looking for it in your comic-book website of choice. Take your time. Be thorough.

If you followed that link at the top of the post, you'll see that the current issue is #7120. Let that sink in for a moment. In this day and age, especially with mighty behemoths such as The Dandy falling away, that is an amazing achievement. That Kids Alive! has managed to continue unabated, with so little exposure, also contains a horrifying realization - if this has managed to slip through the cracks, what else has been overlooked? Which titles are bravely plugging away against a wall of indifference?

Highlighting titles is something that is important for the health of British comics, and it shouldn't automatically be the well-known titles receiving recognition. Whatever difficulties may lie in promoting religious titles, which might be an uphill struggle for some, at least a little effort can be expended just to acknowledge such an impressive run.