On This Day: 28 Feb

Anderson, PSI Division: Fear the Darkness by Mitchel Scanlon. (Black Library; Feb 2006) ISBN-10: 1 84416 326 1.
Thrill Power Overload by David Bishop. (2007)

The Adventures of Luther Arkwright by Bryan Talbot. (Big Finish Productions Ltd.; 2005)

First Appearances:

Moses Rayker (Sergeant Rayker) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #232 (03 Mar 1979).

Births:

Sir John Tenniel (1820); Thomas Maybank (1869); Jim Baikie (1940); Barry Fantoni (1940); Philip Reeve (1966)

Deaths:

Salomon van Abbé (1955); Charles Edmund Brock (1938)

Notable Events:

The funeral of Charles William Shirley Brooks took place, at Kensal Green Cemetary, London, in 1876.
Donald and Mickey was set to be launched by IPC in 1972, though its' actual appearance was delayed by power cuts crippling the country.
An exhibition of 1800s comic art began at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1974.
The first episode of Spitting Image broadcast on ITV in 1984. Co-created by Roger Law and Peter Fluck, it would launch multiple spin-off media.
The Fosdyke Saga newspaper strip ended in 1985.
The Larks newspaper strip ended in 1985.
2000 A.D. held a 25th Anniversary Party at Ministry of Sound in London in 2002.

On This Day: 27 Feb

Red Dwarf Magazine (Fleetway Editions Ltd.) vol.1 #01 (Mar 1992)

The Blob Books:
Ghostly White      Inky Black        Poppy Red
Puppy Purple       Rainbow Blob      Sailor Blue
(D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.; 1981)
Anderson, PSI Division: Sins of the Father by Mitchel Scanlon. (Black Library; Feb 2007) ISBN-10: 1 84416 456 X.
Fiends of the Rising Sun by David Bishop. (Black Flame; Feb 2007) ISBN-10: 1 84416 455 1

Births:

Elliott O'Donnell (1872); Harry Banger (1897); Dudley D. Watkins (1907); Helen McCarthy (1951)

Deaths:

John Arbuthnot (1735); Dennis Castle (1993)

Notable Events:

The Flutters newspaper strip ended in 1947.
Fleetway Editions celebrated 2000 A.D.'s 15th anniversary with Panic in the Year Zero: Dancing Towards the Apocalypse (which began at 10pm, running until 3am) at The Camden Palace, London, in 1992. Chris Coco, Crusher, Mark Moore and Roxilla provided the music, while art and script droids provided the Thrill-Power. All proceeds of the event were donated to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.

On This Day: 26 Feb

Doctor Who Comic (Titan Comics) #01 (2015)

First Appearances:

Judge Dredd in 2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 2 (05 Mar 1977).

Births:

John Cassell (Jack) Morrow (1872); F.H. Townsend (1868); Steve Bell (1951); Enrique Alcatena (1957)

Deaths:

Charles Folkard (1963)

Notable Events:

William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody born in 1846. Tales of his adventures (both real and imagined) would continue long after his death.
The Greens newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1987.
Cardiff International Comic Expo began, at Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel, in 2011.
Alice's Adventures in Comics-Land panel took place at the British Library, London, in 2016, with Paul Gravett, Chie Kutsuwada and Bryan Talbot in attendance.

On This Day: 25 Feb

Battle (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #[356] (27 Feb 1982) *new look*

Megaton (Skyjack Publishing) #01 (2010) *magazine*

First Appearances:

The Fists of Jimmy Chang in Battle #[356] (27 Feb 1982).
The Hunters S16 in Battle #[356] (27 Feb 1982).
Truck Turpin in Battle #[356] (27 Feb 1982).

Births:

Antonio Canale (1915); Frederic Mullally (1918); Clifford Makins (1924); Cyril Alfred Jacob (Chic; 1926); Colin Whittock (1940); Arthur Wyatt

Deaths:

Sir John Tenniel (1914); Virgilio Muzzi (2010)

Notable Events:

Victorian thief Charlie Peace was hung from the neck until dead in 1879. His fictional adventures would later be serialised in Buster.
Jimmy Gimmicks newspaper strip began in The Daily Sketch in 1957.
Forbidden Planet opened a store at 36 Dawson Street, in Dublin, in 1989.
London Super Comic Con began at the ExCel Centre, London in 2012.

On This Day: 24 Feb

Coraline by Neil Gaiman. (Bloomsbury; 2002)

First Appearances:

Sgt. Jake Ryman (Long Sally) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #388 (27 Feb 1982).

Births:

David Langdon (1914); Bryan Reading (1935); Mike Williams (1940); Bryan Talbot (1952); Stephanie Drewett (1983)

Deaths:

Frank H. Mason (1965); Mal Dean (1974)

On This Day: 23 Feb

Births:

Jack Monk (1904); Colin Wheeler (1938)

Deaths:

Charles William Shirley Brooks (1874); Jorge B. Gálvez (Jordi Badía Romero; 1984)

Notable Events:

Seduction of the Innocent by Fredric Wertham M.D. was published in the UK by Museum Press in 1955.
London's first cartoon museum (at 35 Little Russell Street) was opened in 2006 by The Duke of Edinburgh. You can find it online here.
The Daily Telegraph began featuring Matt cartoons on their podcast's picture window in 2006.
The world première of Watchmen took place at the Odeon, Leicester Square, in London in 2009.

On This Day: 22 Feb

Vulcan (IPC Magazines Ltd.) vol.1 #01
Topper 89 (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #?? (25 Feb 1989).

Births:

Harold McCready (1897); John Bertram Musgrave-Wood (Emmwood; 1915); Andy Diggle (1971)

Deaths:

James H. Thorpe (1949); Victor Weisz (Vicky; 1966); Ernest Shaw (1986); Steve Whitaker (2008); John Cooper (2015)

Notable Events:

Gwilym Lloyd George, the Home Secretary, appeared at the dispatch box for the second reading of the Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1955 with a copy of Tales From The Crypt he had borrowed for the occasion.
Andy Capp television series began broadcast of its first – and only – series on ITV in 1988.
Denis Gifford and Bob Monkhouse looked back at British comics in A Hundred Laughs for a Ha'penny, broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 1998.
The Perishers newspaper strip reprints began in The Daily Mirror in 2010.

On This Day: 21 Feb

Champion (Fleetway Publications Ltd.) #01 (26 Feb 1966)

The Gaberdine Swine by Roy Mitchell. (Marshall Pickering; 1991) ISBN-13: 978-0551021358.
Treasury of British Comics The Beatles Story (2018)

First Appearances:

Bartok and his Brothers in Champion (Fleetway Publications Ltd.) #01 (26 Feb 1966).
Crowe Street Comp. in Eagle (IPC Magazines Ltd.) vol.20 #[49] (26 Feb 1983).
Gil Hazzard - Codename Scorpio in Eagle (IPC Magazines Ltd.) vol.20 #[49] (26 Feb 1983).
Thaddius Thorn (The Fifth Horseman) in Eagle (IPC Magazines Ltd.) vol.20 #[49] (26 Feb 1983).


Births:

Douglas Bader (1910)

Deaths:

Benjamin Edwin Minns (1937)

Notable Events:

John Leng & Company Limited incorporated in 1967.
Garth newspaper strip reprints began in The Daily Mirror in 2011.
Simon's Cat newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 2011.
Sunderland Comic Con began, at the Seaburn Centre, Whitburn Road, in 2015.

On This Day: 20 Feb

The Victor (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #01 (25 Feb 1961).

First Appearances:

Sgt. George Bourne (strip; I Flew with Braddock) in The Victor #01 (25 Feb 1961).
Sgt.-Pilot Matt Braddock, VC and Bar (strip; I Flew with Braddock) in The Victor #01 (25 Feb 1961).
Boss Danskin (The Gaunt Hounds are Out) in The Victor #01 (25 Feb 1961).
Joe Jagger (prose; Jungle Joe) in The Victor #01 (25 Feb 1961).
Sid Rollins, Snapshot Sid - the Camera Kid (prose) in The Victor #01 (25 Feb 1961).
Gunner Wild (Jimmy the Dodger) in The Victor #01 (25 Feb 1961).
Sgt. Pilot Jimmy Kells (The Bonzo Express) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #544 (23 Feb 1985).
Captain Tom Kerr (The Bonzo Express) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #544 (23 Feb 1985).

Births:

Cecil Harmsworth King (1901); Reg Beaumont (1919); Mario Capaldi (1935)

Deaths:

Ken Petts (1992)

Notable Events:

The installation of Rowland Emett's Aqua Horological Tintinnabulator, at the Victoria Centre, Nottingham, was completed in 1973.
Rogue Trooper computer game for Wii released in 2009.

On This Day: 19 Feb

2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 01 (26 Feb 1977).
Captain America (Marvel Comics Ltd.) #01 (25 Feb 1981).

First Appearances:

Airlift Limited (We Fly Anything-Anywhere!) in The Victor (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #53 (24 Feb 1962).
Dan Dare [2] in 2000 A.D. Prog 01 (26 Feb 1977).
Flesh in 2000 A.D. Prog 01 (26 Feb 1977).
Harlem Heroes in 2000 A.D. Prog 01 (26 Feb 1977).
John Probe (M.A.C.H. 1) in 2000 A.D. Prog 01 (26 Feb 1977).
Bill Savage (Invasion!) in 2000 A.D. Prog 01 (26 Feb 1977).
Tharg the Mighty in 2000 A.D. Prog 01 (26 Feb 1977).

Births:

Alan Hunter (1923); Paul Sample (1947); Leslie Ash (1960)

Deaths:

Achille Beltrame (1945)

Notable Events:

Douglas Bader took his first solo flight, after only 11 hours, 15 minutes flight experience, in 1929.
First episode of Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School broadcast on BBC in 1952.
A blue plaque from The Ramsgate Society, was unveiled by Sybil Burr's son William and Lucy Mangan, in 16 Sotheastern Road, Ramsgate, in 2011.
Scorer newspaper strip ended in 2011.
Revolutionary War: Super Soldiers (Marvel) #01 (Feb 2014) released in the US.

On This Day: 18 Feb

Emma (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #01 (25 Feb 1978).
Speed (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (23 Feb 1980).
Scooby-Doo and His T.V. Friends (Marvel Comics Ltd.) #01 (24 Feb 1982).

First Appearances:

Sergeant Baker (Baker's Half-Dozen) in Speed #01 (23 Feb 1980).
Timothy Barlow, Speedboy in Speed #01 (23 Feb 1980).
Luke Cassidy (Quick on the Draw) in Speed #01 (23 Feb 1980).
Blake Edmonds (Death Wish) in Speed #01 (23 Feb 1980).
Mickey Jordan, The Fastest Footballer on Earth! in Speed #01 (23 Feb 1980).
Journey to the Stars in Speed #01 (23 Feb 1980).
Bullet Slick (£1,000,000 Challenge) in Speed #01 (23 Feb 1980).
Eddie Topps (Topps on Two Wheels) in Speed #01 (23 Feb 1980).

Births:

Douglas Rushkoff (1961)

Deaths:

Jim Holdaway (1970); Walter Henry Booth (1971)

Notable Events:

A set of stamps commemorating Halley's Comet, designed by Ralph Steadman, were released by the Post Office in 1986.
Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean began a signing tour, promoting Violent Cases and Black Orchid, in Peterborough in 1990.
Bryan Talbot discussed his work, with Steve Bell, as part of the LSE Literary Festival, at Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building, London, in 2011.

On This Day: 17 Feb

Champ (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #01 (25 Feb 1984).

First Appearances:

Kingsway Comprehensive (Kids Rule-OK) in Champ #01 (25 Feb 1984).
The Sinister World of Mr. Pendragon in Champ #01 (25 Feb 1984).
Mike Sadler (Mike's Mi££ions) in Champ #01 (25 Feb 1984).
Joe Pearson (We Are United) in Champ #01 (25 Feb 1984).

Births:

J.T. Edson (1928); Jonathan Pugh (1962)

Deaths:

George Denholm Armour (1949); Franco Bignotti (1991); Tony Luke (2016); Alan Aldridge (2017)

Notable Events:

The Elementary Education Act 1870 came into effect on this date, paving the way for the publication of George Newnes' Tit-Bits.
The first of the The Wonderful Adventures of Pip, Squeak & Wilfred animated shorts began their cinema run in 1921. Luvly.
Sir Osbert Lancaster was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 1955.
When the Wind Blows adaptation broadcast on Radio 4 FM, as part of The Monday Play series, in 1983.
George Melly's Last Stand was broadcast on BBC Two in 2008.

On This Day: 16 Feb

Nikki (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #01 (23 Feb 1985).
Comic Relief Comic (Fleetway Publications; 1991).

Judge Dredd: Wetworks by Dave Stone. (Virgin Publishing; Feb 1995) ISBN-10: 0352329750.

First Appearances:

Sergeant Mike Mason (Hit and Run!) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #126 (19 Feb 1977).
Fludd (The Dead) in 2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 510 (21 Feb 1987).

Births:

John Worsley (1919); Carol Baker (1938); Warren Ellis (1968); Ron Wilson

Deaths:

Norman Pett (1960); Alfred Mazure (1974); Sheridan Morley (2007); Brett Ewins (2015); Mick O'Connor (2015)

Notable Events:

Ernest Howard Shepard was made an acting captain in the Royal Garrison Artillery, while second-in-command of a siege battery, in 1917.
Liquidators were appointed for The Cardal Publishing Company Limited in 1951.
The Comic Relief Comic went on sale in 1991. Uniting characters from a number of companies (from television as well as comics), for the first (and, predictably, last) time in the name of charity. Things didn't exactly go to plan, and a hoped-for second printing wasn't made available for Comic Relief's big day.
The Commando website was officially launched in 2011, with information on the hardware featured in each issue along with other interactive elements.
Facebook suspended the official Viz page in 2016, only to reinstate it later in the day with a halfhearted apology.

On This Day: 15 Feb

Once Upon a Time (1969).
Troubled Souls (Fleetway Publications; 1990].

Births:

H.M. Bateman (1887); Sir John William Maxwell Aitken, 2nd Baronet, DSO, DFC (1910); Art Spiegelman (1948); Martin Rowson (1959)

Deaths:

Rinaldo Dami (1979)

Notable Events:

Jeff Hawke newspaper strip began in The Daily Express in 1955.
The Winged Avenger, the sixth episode of the fifth season of The Avengers, broadcast in 1967. Artwork for the episode was provided by Frank Bellamy.
Decimal Day, when the new British currency came into use in 1971, changed the cover price of every comic, annual and book on sale. It was a remarkably smooth transition, with increases in price staved off as long as possible.

On This Day: 14 Feb

Valentine's Day

Shockwave (London Editions Magazines) #01 (1991)

Births:

Bernard Venables (1907); Anthony J. Bryant (1961); Roger Langridge (1967)

Deaths:

James Crighton (1962); Dennis Castle (1993)

Notable Events:

Tiger Tim made his first comic–book appearance in 1914 after starring in Victorian supplements.
Tik and Tok newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1925.
William Davis was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 1988.
The Hi-Ex comics convention began, at Eden Court, Bishop's Road, Inverness, in 2009.

On This Day: 13 Feb

Fantastic (Odhams) #01 (18 Feb 1967)
Countdown (Polystyle Publications Ltd.) #01 (20 Feb 1971)

Kingsman: The Secret Service Original Motion Picture Score by Henry Jackman & Matthew Margeson (2015)

First Appearances:

The Missing Link in Fantastic #01 (18 Feb 1967).
Countdown in Countdown #01 (20 Feb 1971).
Colony Earth! in 2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 52 (18 Feb 1978).
Burt Anders (Wolverine) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #282 (16 Feb 1980).
Joe Bunce (Wolverine) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #282 (16 Feb 1980).
'Posh' Keeley (Wolverine) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #282 (16 Feb 1980).
Chuck Lennon (Wolverine) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #282 (16 Feb 1980).
Sgt. Pierre Revelle (Wolverine) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #282 (16 Feb 1980).
Fritz Muller (The Best of Enemies) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #282 (16 Feb 1980).
Sgt. Tom Wilson (The Best of Enemies) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #282 (16 Feb 1980).
Bob Trent (The Brothers) in Eagle (IPC Magazines Ltd.) vol.20? #100 (18 Feb 1984).
Peter Trent (The Brothers) in Eagle (IPC Magazines Ltd.) vol.20? #100 (18 Feb 1984).
Cathy Biltmore (News-Team) in Eagle (IPC Magazines Ltd.) vol.20? #100 (18 Feb 1984).
Dex Donovan (News-Team) in Eagle (IPC Magazines Ltd.) vol.20? #100 (18 Feb 1984).
Kurt Goppel (News-Team) in Eagle (IPC Magazines Ltd.) vol.20? #100 (18 Feb 1984).
Jerry Maddox (News-Team) in Eagle (IPC Magazines Ltd.) vol.20? #100 (18 Feb 1984).

Births:

Frank Reynolds (1876); Robert Stewart Sherriffs (1906); Anthony Tollin (1952)

Deaths:

Ron Embleton (1988); W. Howard Baker (1991); Gordon Bell (2014); Dave Holmes (2017)

Notable Events:

The Sunday Dispatch published Comics that Bring Horror to the Nursery, a piece by Marcus Morris regarding imported horror comics in 1949.
The first episode of The Sitcom Trials, created by Kev F. Sutherland, broadcast on ITV in 2003.
Modesty Blaise: The Silver Mistress radio adaptation began on the "15 Minute Drama" slot on BBC Radio 4 in 2017, starring the voices of Daphne Alexander, Paul Bazely, and Ian McNeice. The series ran for five fifteen minute episodes.

On This Day: 12 Feb

Baptised in the Blood of Millions by David Britton (Savoy Books; 2001) ISBN-10: 0861301013

First Appearances:

Jack Smythe Soldier Smith) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #21 (15 Feb 1975).
Peter Ryan (Ryan's Revenge) in Battle Picture Weekly (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #[50] (14 Feb 1976).
Angus McBride (The Boat) Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #595 (15 Feb 1986).
Mike Rankin (The Boat) Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #595 (15 Feb 1986).

Deaths:

Betty Roland (1996); E.W. Hildick (2001)

Notable Events:

The Hoffnung Music Festival was revived at the Royal Festival Hall, London in 1988.
Phoo Action, based on Get the Freebies, broadcast on BBC Three in 2008.
Revolutionary War: Death's Head II (Marvel) #01 (Feb 2014) released in the US in 2014.

On This Day: 11 Feb

Lord Horror: Reverbstorm (Savoy Books) GN (2013)

First Appearances:

Sam Walker (The Camera Commandos) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #73 (14 Feb 1976).
Fiends of the Eastern Front in 2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 152 (16 Feb 1980).
Stanley Danzig (Danzig's Inferno) in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Publications) Prog 718 (16 Feb 1991).

Births:

Derek C. Eyles (1902)

Deaths:

H.M. Bateman (1970); Clive Uptton (1997)

Notable Events:

The first Reading of the Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1955 took place in Parliament.
The fortieth anniversary of 2000 A.D. was celebrated with a festival at Hammersmith Novotel, 1 Shortlands, in London, in 2017. Exclusive merchandise was available, and a number of creators were on hand for signings.

On This Day: 10 Feb

Spider-Man Comics Weekly (Magazine Management London Ltd.) #01 (17 Feb 1973).

Births:

Bernard Greenbaum (1917); Scoular Anderson (1946)

Deaths:

Charlie Pease (1964); Walter Robertson (1983); Mel Calman (1994)

Notable Events:

The Perishers newspaper strip began in the Northern edition of The Daily Mirror in 1958.
The first episode of Grandpa in my Pocket broadcast on CBeebies in 2009. Although unrelated, it shared a premise with D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.'s Peter's Pocket Grandpa.

On This Day: 09 Feb

Action (IPC Magazines Ltd.) vol.1 #01 (14 Feb 1976).
Bullet (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #01 (14 Feb 1976).
Hammer Horror (Marvel Comics UK Ltd.) #01 (Mar 1995).

2000 AD's Greatest: Celebrating Forty Years of 2000 A.D. (Rebellion; 2017).
The Wild Side: A Cartoon Collection of Footballing Animals by Steve English. (Summersdale; 2017) ISBN-13: 978-1-84953-979-1
Judge Dredd: Every Empire Falls by Michael Carroll, Paul Davidson, Colin Macneil, Henry Flint, PJ Holden & Carlos Ezquerra. (Rebellion; Feb 2017) ISBN 978-1781-08531-8

Adventureman by Jamie McDonald. (Summersdale; 2017) ISBN-13: 978-1-84953-969-2.
Thrill Power Overload - Revised and Expanded by David Bishop and Karl Stock. (Rebellion; Feb 2017) ISBN 978-1781-08522-6

First Appearances:

Action Mouse in Action vol.1 #01 (14 Feb 1976).
Jack Barron (Blackjack) in Action vol.1 #01 (14 Feb 1976).
Mike Carter (The Running Man) in Action vol.1 #01 (14 Feb 1976).
The Coffin Sub in Action vol.1 #01 (14 Feb 1976).
Dredger in Action vol.1 #01 (14 Feb 1976).
Major Kurt Hellman (Hellman of Hammer Force) in Action vol.1 #01 (14 Feb 1976).
Hook Jaw in Action vol.1 #01 (14 Feb 1976).
Alec Shaw (Play Till You Drop!) in Action vol.1 #01 (14 Feb 1976).
Dan Walker (Sport's Not For Losers!) in Action vol.1 #01 (14 Feb 1976).

Births:

Harry Hargreaves (1922); Haro Hodson (Haro; 1923); The Reverend Robert Lionel Fanthorpe (1935); Suzy Varty (1949)

Notable Events:

The Times published an apology for Barry Fantoni's caricature of Terry-Thomas in 1965.
The Fink Brothers' single Mutants in Mega-City One entered the UK charts at #75 in 1985. It would continue to chart for a further three weeks.
Brett Ewins appeared before Uxbridge Magistrates Court charged with GBH with intent, and remanded on custody, in 2012.

On This Day: 08 Feb

Nutty (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Batman Monthly Presents (London Editions Magazines) #02 The Riddler (1991).

Primo Club Magazine (Primo) #01 (1965)
Smash Hits (EMAP National Publications Ltd.) #05 () *first fortnightly issue*

2000 A.D. Space Quiz Book by Roy Preston (Mirror Books; 1980)

First Appearances:

Lt. Kurt Stahlmann (Iron Annie) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #177 (11 Feb 1978).
Sgt. Jim Steadman (The Tankies) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #177 (11 Feb 1978).
Eric Wimp (Bananaman) in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
The Bar-O Boys in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Big 'n' Bud in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Dick Turban in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Doodlebug in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Ethel Red in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Mitey Joe in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Pearl Potter in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Peter Pest in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Pig Tales in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Samuel Creeps in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
The School Belles in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Scoopy in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Steevie Star in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
Wacky the Crackpot Inventor in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
The Wild Rovers in Nutty #01 (16 Feb 1980).
CPO Sam Steele (Steele's Squad) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #490 (11 Feb 1984).
Paul (Finn) in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Editions Ltd.) Prog 770 (15 Feb 1992).

Births:

Cyril Price (1905); Frank S. Pepper (1910)

Deaths:

Fortunino Matania (1963); Franco Caprioli (1974); John Miles (1998)

Notable Events:

Feature film From Hell, based on the comic by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, released in the UK in 2002.
Revisiting the House of Hammer video uploaded to YouTube by Dez Skinn in 2013.

On This Day: 07 Feb

The Wizard (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) vol.2 #01 (14 Feb 1970).
Sandie (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (12 Feb 1972).

First Appearances:

Wilfred in Pip, Squeak newspaper strip (1920).
Brenda's Brownies in Sandie #01 (12 Feb 1972).

Births:

Bert Wymer (1891); George Worsley Adamson (1913); Fernando Fernández (1940); Alan Grant (1949)

Deaths:

Jack Le Grand (1986); Dennis Bardens (2004); Norman Thelwell (2004); Phil Meigh (2008)

Notable Events:

The AAARGH! comic exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, organised by Michael Kustow, ended in 1972. It was the first serious exhibition of comic art in the UK.

On This Day: 06 Feb

Buddy (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #01 (14 Feb 1981).

Pages from History - Illustrated by C.L. Doughty (Bear Alley Books; 2012) ISBN-13: 9781907081590.
The Diary of Dennis the Menace by Steven Butler (Puffin; 2014) ISBN-13: 9780141350820.

First Appearances:

Shauna McCullough (Zippy Couriers) in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Publications) Prog 613 (11 Feb 1989)

Births:

H.R. Millar (1869); Arthur Catherall (1906); Keith Waterhouse (1929); Michael Hardcastle (1933); Clive Collins (Collie; 1942); John Springs (1962)

Deaths:

R.B. Saxe (1953); Gomer Berry, 1st Viscount Kemsley (1968)

Notable Events:

The Penny War Weekly became Vivid War Weekly in 1915.
David Nixon was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 1956.

On This Day: 05 Feb

Births:

Basil Cooper (1924); Charles Edmund Brock (1970); George Parlett (1902); John Bernard Handelsman (JBH; 1922)

Character Births:

Daniel MacGregor Dare (1967)

Notable Events:

No End of Blame, a play about Victor Weisz's life, began at the Oxford Playhouse in 1982.
LWT filmed a sequence for Surprise! Surprise! in the Marvel UK offices in 1988, allowing 15 year-old Christopher McRoberts to meet some of the creators.
Comix Creatrix: 100 Women Making Comics exhibition began at House of Illustration, London, in 2016.
Sci-Feb superhero event began at Humber Royal Hotel, Grimsby, in 2017.

On This Day: 04 Feb

Batman: Gotham Central (Titan Comics) #01 (2016)

First Appearances:

Brigand Doom in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Publications) Prog 717 (09 Feb 1991).

Births:

Mike Western (1925); Kenneth Mahood (1930); Derek 'Dez' Skinn (1951); Leah Moore (1978)

Deaths:

Sir John Paget Mellor, 1st Baronet (Quiz; 1929); Sydney George Hulme Beaman (1932); Stephen Roth (1967); James Friell (Gabriel; 1997); Dick Millington (2015)

Notable Events:

Bruce Bairnsfather began a tour of his "Old Bill and Me" lecture in 1919, with the first appearance at Hove Town Hall.
Rick Martin newspaper strip began in The Daily Sketch in 1957.
Marvel's Bullpen were present at the comic mart, at the Central Hall, Westminster, in 1984.
The first episode of original superhero sit-com My Hero broadcast on BBC One in 2000.
Neil Tennant was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 2007.
The SWALC micro-arts festival took place, in the Lord Clyde pub, London, in 2012. Bryan and Mary Talbot were in attendance.

On This Day: 03 Feb

Fantastic and Terrific (Odhams) #01

Births:

Charlie Pease (1905); Mary Cathcart Borer (1906); Eric Burgin (1926)

Deaths:

Ruth Adam (1977)

Notable Events:

Marvelman #25 and Young Marvelman #25 (the first issues starring the titular characters) were published in 1954, the characters having appeared in the titles in the preceding issues to make the change–over from Fawcett reprints less abrupt.
Punch published the controversial "Man Goeth Forth Unto His Work And To His Labour Until The Evening" cartoon in 1954.
Both Marvelman and Young Marvelman dropped to monthly schedules and began reprints in their titles cover–dated this day in 1960. Just three years later the characters would find flung into publishing limbo...
Forbidden Planet (Scotland) Limited incorporated in 1988.

On This Day: 02 Feb

Batman Superman (Titan) vol.2 #01 (2017)

Births:

James Crighton (1892); Powys Evans (Quiz; 1899); Racey Helps (1913); Anthony Haden-Guest (1937)

Deaths:

Sir Owen Seaman, 1st Baronet (1936); Ken Reid (1987); Stanley Franklin (2002); Guglielmo Letteri (2006); Adrian Kermode (2009); Michael Fleisher (2018)

Notable Events:

Ken Reid suffered a stroke, while working on a Faceache strip, and died in 1987.
Rupert Bear stamps released by the Post Office in 1993.
Denis Gifford and Bob Monkhouse looked back at British comics in Sixpence for a Superman, broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 1999.
The first Hi-Ex comics convention began, at Eden Court, Bishop's Road, Inverness, in 2008.
Holy Mackerel - It’s My Life! broadcast on BBC Radio 4 to celebrate Frank Dickens in 2012.

On This Day: 01 Feb

Smash! (Odhams Press Ltd.) #01 (05 Feb 1966).
Tammy (IPC Magazines, Ltd.) #01 (06 Feb 1971).
Star Wars Weekly (Marvel Comics International Inc.) #01 (08 Feb 1978).

Judge Dredd: The Final Cut by Matthew Smith. (Black Flame; Feb 2005) ISBN-10: 1844161358.

First Appearances:

Bad Penny in Smash! (Odhams) #01 (05 Feb 1966).

Births:

Keith Watson (1935)

Deaths:

George Cruikshank (1878); L. Bruce Mayne (1968); Godfrey Douglas Giles (1941); Harry Parlett (1971); Bill Holroyd (2000); Ernest Dudley (2006); Shirley Bellwood (2016)

Notable Events:

Peter Fluck and Roger Law were castaways on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 1987.
The Royal Mail released Greeting Stamps - Messages, a set of ten first class stamps bearing the likeness of Dan Dare, Rupert Bear and Biggles among others, in 1994. Released alongside the stamps were envelope stickers with comic-book iconography.
A statue of newspaper strip character GI Bride (from Lobey Dosser), sculpted by Ranald MacColl, was unveiled in Glasgow in 2011.