Masters of the Universe (London Editions Magazines) #01 [1986]
Caballistics, Inc.: Better the Devil by Mike Wild (Black Flame; Mar 2007) ISBN-10: 1 84416 432 2
From Russia with Lust: The Nikolai Dante Omnibus by David Bishop (Black Flame; 2007) ISBN-10: 1 84416 454 3
Births:
Edward Tennyson Reed (1860); Graham High (1957)
Deaths:
Kate J. Fricero (1923); Thomas Maybank (1929)
Notable Events:
D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd. incorporated in Scotland in 1905.
Old Bill newspaper strip ended in 1934.
Frank: The True Story that Inspired the Movie by Jon Ronson published in 2014.
Mark-Anthony Turnage's two-act opera Coraline, based on Neil Gaiman's novella, premièred at the Barbican Centre, London, in 2018.
Showing posts with label Neil Gaiman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Neil Gaiman. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Monday, March 18, 2019
On This Day: 18 Mar
Games Gazette (Games Gazette) #01 (1983)
First Appearances:
Sgt. Walter Waggers (Waggers' Winter War) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #339 (21 Mar 1981).
Births:
Shea Anton Pensa (1968)
Deaths:
Michael Attwell (Zoke; 2006); Arthur C. Clarke (2008); Bernie Wrightson (2017)
Notable Events:
IPC Magazines purchased the Once Upon a Time title from City Magazines in 1972.
Comics 101, the first British convention dedicated to homegrown material, began in 1976.
The Daily Mirror reported, in 2000, that Neil Gaiman accused J.K. Rowling of ripping off his Books of Magic character for her Harry Potter series. Naturally, there was no basis in fact for the "journalism," and Gaiman has strenuously denied any connection between the characters.
Barry Humphries announced that he was retiring his Dame Edna Everage character in 2012. He later changed his mind.
The Canny Comic Con began, at Newcastle City Library, in 2017.
First Appearances:
Sgt. Walter Waggers (Waggers' Winter War) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #339 (21 Mar 1981).
Births:
Shea Anton Pensa (1968)
Deaths:
Michael Attwell (Zoke; 2006); Arthur C. Clarke (2008); Bernie Wrightson (2017)
Notable Events:
IPC Magazines purchased the Once Upon a Time title from City Magazines in 1972.
Comics 101, the first British convention dedicated to homegrown material, began in 1976.
The Daily Mirror reported, in 2000, that Neil Gaiman accused J.K. Rowling of ripping off his Books of Magic character for her Harry Potter series. Naturally, there was no basis in fact for the "journalism," and Gaiman has strenuously denied any connection between the characters.
Barry Humphries announced that he was retiring his Dame Edna Everage character in 2012. He later changed his mind.
The Canny Comic Con began, at Newcastle City Library, in 2017.
Sunday, March 3, 2019
On This Day: 03 Mar
Tottering-by-Gently: In the Garden with the Totterings (Frances Lincoln; 2011) ISBN-13: 978-0711231856
Births:
Sir Edward Hulton, 1st Baronet (1869); Raymond Sheppard (1913); Ronald Searle (1920); Dino Leonetti (1937); Charlie Brooker (1971); David Fickling
Notable Events:
Crisis #39 (03 Mar 1990-16 Mar 1990) was published in conjunction with Amnesty International in 1990.
Leo Baxendale delivered his final I Love You, Baby Basil newspaper strip to The Guardian in 1992.
Neil Gaiman's adaptation of his and Dave McKean's The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in 2005.
Mirrormask released in the UK in 2006.
The third Gorillaz studio album, Plastic Beach, was released in the UK in 2010.
Comic Empire event began at the Royal National Hotel, Bedford Way, London, in 2013.
Bryan and Mary Talbot signing at Inky Fingers, Cowley Road, Oxford, in 2018.
Births:
Sir Edward Hulton, 1st Baronet (1869); Raymond Sheppard (1913); Ronald Searle (1920); Dino Leonetti (1937); Charlie Brooker (1971); David Fickling
Notable Events:
Crisis #39 (03 Mar 1990-16 Mar 1990) was published in conjunction with Amnesty International in 1990.
Leo Baxendale delivered his final I Love You, Baby Basil newspaper strip to The Guardian in 1992.
Neil Gaiman's adaptation of his and Dave McKean's The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in 2005.
Mirrormask released in the UK in 2006.
The third Gorillaz studio album, Plastic Beach, was released in the UK in 2010.
Comic Empire event began at the Royal National Hotel, Bedford Way, London, in 2013.
Bryan and Mary Talbot signing at Inky Fingers, Cowley Road, Oxford, in 2018.
Sunday, February 24, 2019
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)
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)
Monday, February 18, 2019
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.
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.
Thursday, January 24, 2019
On This Day: 24 Jan
Magic Comic (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #1 (31 Jan 1976).
Zoids insert in Indiana Jones (Marvel Comics Ltd.) #5 (Feb 1985).
First Appearances:
Cuddly and Dudley in Magic Comic #01 (31 Jan 1976).
Dizzy Wizzy in Magic Comic #01 (31 Jan 1976).
Flying Flapears in Magic Comic #01 (31 Jan 1976).
Magic Wanda - Superwitch in Magic Comic #01 (31 Jan 1976).
Peter Poppin in Magic Comic #01 (31 Jan 1976).
Ring for Rosie in Magic Comic #01 (31 Jan 1976).
Spaceship Lollipop in Magic Comic #01 (31 Jan 1976).
Tommy Trix in Magic Comic #01 (31 Jan 1976).
Births:
Steve McGarry (1953); Josep 'Tello' Gonzalez (1940); James Harvey (1983)
Notable Events:
A Trip into the Future newspaper strip concluded in 1925.
Lobey Dosser newspaper strip began in Glasgow Evening News in 1949.
Century 21 Productions closed its' doors in 1969 after filming wrapped on The Secret Service, the company's final puppet series.
Neil Gaiman sued Todd McFarlane in 2002, claiming copyright violation, fraud, and non-payment of royalties.
Zoids insert in Indiana Jones (Marvel Comics Ltd.) #5 (Feb 1985).
First Appearances:
Cuddly and Dudley in Magic Comic #01 (31 Jan 1976).
Dizzy Wizzy in Magic Comic #01 (31 Jan 1976).
Flying Flapears in Magic Comic #01 (31 Jan 1976).
Magic Wanda - Superwitch in Magic Comic #01 (31 Jan 1976).
Peter Poppin in Magic Comic #01 (31 Jan 1976).
Ring for Rosie in Magic Comic #01 (31 Jan 1976).
Spaceship Lollipop in Magic Comic #01 (31 Jan 1976).
Tommy Trix in Magic Comic #01 (31 Jan 1976).
Births:
Steve McGarry (1953); Josep 'Tello' Gonzalez (1940); James Harvey (1983)
Notable Events:
A Trip into the Future newspaper strip concluded in 1925.
Lobey Dosser newspaper strip began in Glasgow Evening News in 1949.
Century 21 Productions closed its' doors in 1969 after filming wrapped on The Secret Service, the company's final puppet series.
Neil Gaiman sued Todd McFarlane in 2002, claiming copyright violation, fraud, and non-payment of royalties.
Saturday, January 19, 2019
On This Day: 19 Jan
TV Century 21 (City Magazines Ltd. / AP Films) #01 (23 Jan 1965)
First Appearances:
Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in TV Century 21 (City Magazines Ltd. / AP Films) #01 (23 Jan 1965).
Sgt. Jim Garnet (Sergeant "Heavy") in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #435 (22 Jan 1983).
Births:
Tom Hood (1835)
Deaths:
Herbert Allingham (1936); Sir Robert Leicester Harmsworth, 1st Baronet (1937); Harry Hanan (1982); Richard E. Jennings (1997); Mike Docherty (2016)
Notable Events:
Lady Penelope made her debut in TV Century 21 in 1965. She wouldn't appear on television until 30 Sep that year, in the Thunderbirds episode Trapped in the Sky.
Neverwhere stage play began a run at Progress Theatre, Reading, in 2012.
The Sunday Post gave away a free comic celebrating Robert Burns in 2014, featuring The Broons.
First Appearances:
Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in TV Century 21 (City Magazines Ltd. / AP Films) #01 (23 Jan 1965).
Sgt. Jim Garnet (Sergeant "Heavy") in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #435 (22 Jan 1983).
Births:
Tom Hood (1835)
Deaths:
Herbert Allingham (1936); Sir Robert Leicester Harmsworth, 1st Baronet (1937); Harry Hanan (1982); Richard E. Jennings (1997); Mike Docherty (2016)
Notable Events:
Lady Penelope made her debut in TV Century 21 in 1965. She wouldn't appear on television until 30 Sep that year, in the Thunderbirds episode Trapped in the Sky.
Neverwhere stage play began a run at Progress Theatre, Reading, in 2012.
The Sunday Post gave away a free comic celebrating Robert Burns in 2014, featuring The Broons.
Thursday, January 3, 2019
On This Day: 03 Jan
Births:
Carlo Cossio (1907); Bernard Cookson (1937)
Deaths:
Terence Tenison Cuneo (1996)
Notable Events:
The Wilfredian League of Gugnuncs (WLOG) established in 1927.
The first of Sir Osbert Lancaster's pocket cartoons appeared in The Daily Express in 1939.
Neil Gaiman married Amanda Palmer in 2011.
Carlo Cossio (1907); Bernard Cookson (1937)
Deaths:
Terence Tenison Cuneo (1996)
Notable Events:
The Wilfredian League of Gugnuncs (WLOG) established in 1927.
The first of Sir Osbert Lancaster's pocket cartoons appeared in The Daily Express in 1939.
Neil Gaiman married Amanda Palmer in 2011.
Saturday, November 10, 2018
On This Day: 10 Nov
Starburst (Marvel Comics Ltd.) #4 (Nov 1978)
First Appearances:
"Slugger" Shaw (I Don't Wanna Be a Corporal) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #112 (13 Nov 1976).
Births:
William Hogarth (1697); David Haldane (1954); Neil Gaiman (1960)
Deaths:
Patrick Gordon Campbell, 3rd Baron Glenavy (1980); Alberto Breccia (1993)
Notable Events:
Comic artist Roy Wilson was drafted in 1918 – the day before the Armistice.
The first issue of Starburst to be published by Marvel went on sale in 1978.
Bryan Talbot made an appearance at the Cheshunt Library in 2008.
Comica Comiket Independent Comics Fair began, at The Great Hall, Bishopgate, London, in 2012. Guests included Alison Bechdel and Bryan Talbot.
First Appearances:
"Slugger" Shaw (I Don't Wanna Be a Corporal) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #112 (13 Nov 1976).
Births:
William Hogarth (1697); David Haldane (1954); Neil Gaiman (1960)
Deaths:
Patrick Gordon Campbell, 3rd Baron Glenavy (1980); Alberto Breccia (1993)
Notable Events:
Comic artist Roy Wilson was drafted in 1918 – the day before the Armistice.
The first issue of Starburst to be published by Marvel went on sale in 1978.
Bryan Talbot made an appearance at the Cheshunt Library in 2008.
Comica Comiket Independent Comics Fair began, at The Great Hall, Bishopgate, London, in 2012. Guests included Alison Bechdel and Bryan Talbot.
Friday, October 26, 2018
Shockwave #1
Feb 1991. Cover price 95p.
48 pages. Full colour contents.
London Editions Magazines / Egmont
Sophisticated Suspense for Mature Readers
Edited by Peter Nicholls.
Cover by .
Contents:
Opening with Neil Gaiman's Black Orchid, the reprint doesn't bother explaining the background to the strip. It isn't a brilliant reprint, with painted artwork reproducing slightly muddy in places, but attempts at something new must be congratulated. There's style enough in Dave McKean's work to rise above any disadvantages, though the text boxes are - in places - almost illegible.
Animal Man is extremely bright and gaudy, resembling The Tick cartoon in several places, which doesn't help the persistent sense that this is a half-hearted final stab at a market rapidly slipping from LEM's grasp. A ridiculous would-be supervillain and his little red robots don't immediately strike me as belonging to a truly mature title, but if it helped draw in readers from Batman...
Showing just how ill thought-out this title is, Hellblazer closes out the strip portion of material. It would have been the perfect way to open the issue, but is buried after a superhero reprint. It is a mistake which doesn't help the issue any, as is beginning with the twenty-fifth issue rather than the first. Expecting readers to accept picking up information from the previously published material in trades, or through the original comics in a comic store, is asking a lot from a national title.
The feature A Saucerful of Secrets highlights something which has muddied the market for a long time. Does this want to be a horror comic or a science fiction comic? They are two different markets, and the readership for one does not automatically transfer to the other - by having something which addresses readers of SF titles, it makes it difficult to see how this could have possibly managed to create a position from which it could expand and (in time) grow from the reprints into a more interesting proposition.
It's a real shame that there were no original strips.
48 pages. Full colour contents.
London Editions Magazines / Egmont
Sophisticated Suspense for Mature Readers
Edited by Peter Nicholls.
Cover by .
Contents:
2 Shockproof... Introduction text by Peter Nicholls (? uncredited). / Contents / Indicia
3 Black Orchid One Thing is Certain, part one, w: Neil Gaiman; a: Dave McKean, lettering by Todd Klein.
r: Black Orchid (DC Comics) #01 (1988).
19 Animal Man The Death of the Red Mask, part one, w: Grant Morrison; p: Chas Truog, i: Doug Hazlewood, lettering by John Costanza, colouring by Tatjana Wood.
r: Animal Man (DC Comics) vol.1 #07 (Jan 1989).
32 Hellblazer Early Warning, part one, w: Grant Morrison. a: David Lloyd, lettering by Tom Frame.
r: Hellblazer (DC Comics) #25 (Jan 1990).
44 A Saucerful of Secrets? text feature by Jay Taylor.
47 DC Checklist other titles on sale. / Back Issues.
48 Remix 1991 in-house advertisement.
The closing months of 1990 was a grim time indeed for British comics aimed at a mature audience. Along with Fleetway's REVOLVER and Marvel's STRIP, London Editions' own DC ACTION! and ZONES succumbed to the bleak climate and were forced into premature cancellation. What could this hold for the future of 'adult' British Comics? Was the whole thing (gulp!) a lost cause?I'm not sure if the tacit admission of the utter failure of other "mature readers" titles was a self-fulfilling prophecy for this short-lived run, though it is clear that the lessons which could have been learned obviously weren't heeded. The main lesson, for those paying careful attention, was that reprint titles were largely irrelevant thanks to the ease of accessing original material.
This issue kicks off in fine style with BLACK ORCHID, HELLBLAZER and ANIMAL MAN, but keep your eyes skinned in the coming months for the likes of CATWOMAN, SWAMP THING and DOOM PATROL!This is a suicide note, not an introduction. The pointlessness of reprinting something so quickly after US origination is self-evident, and yet here is a title which is repackaging three acclaimed US series (which most readers will already have read) and promising more of the same. As much as I like the material chosen, I already had the US comics, and have subsequently picked up the trades (more than once), so I'm not sure who this title was aimed at. The lack of new material is but one of the problems this suffers.
Opening with Neil Gaiman's Black Orchid, the reprint doesn't bother explaining the background to the strip. It isn't a brilliant reprint, with painted artwork reproducing slightly muddy in places, but attempts at something new must be congratulated. There's style enough in Dave McKean's work to rise above any disadvantages, though the text boxes are - in places - almost illegible.
Animal Man is extremely bright and gaudy, resembling The Tick cartoon in several places, which doesn't help the persistent sense that this is a half-hearted final stab at a market rapidly slipping from LEM's grasp. A ridiculous would-be supervillain and his little red robots don't immediately strike me as belonging to a truly mature title, but if it helped draw in readers from Batman...
Showing just how ill thought-out this title is, Hellblazer closes out the strip portion of material. It would have been the perfect way to open the issue, but is buried after a superhero reprint. It is a mistake which doesn't help the issue any, as is beginning with the twenty-fifth issue rather than the first. Expecting readers to accept picking up information from the previously published material in trades, or through the original comics in a comic store, is asking a lot from a national title.
The feature A Saucerful of Secrets highlights something which has muddied the market for a long time. Does this want to be a horror comic or a science fiction comic? They are two different markets, and the readership for one does not automatically transfer to the other - by having something which addresses readers of SF titles, it makes it difficult to see how this could have possibly managed to create a position from which it could expand and (in time) grow from the reprints into a more interesting proposition.
It's a real shame that there were no original strips.
Sunday, October 14, 2018
On This Day: 14 Oct
Thunderbirds Are Go (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #01 (2015)
Marshal Law: Origins by Pat Mills & Kevin O'Neill (Titan Books; 2008)
Doctor Who: The Coming of the Terraphles by Michael Moorcock. (BBC Books; 2010) ISBN-13: 978-1-84607-983-2.
Judge Dredd - Get Karter! by David Bishop (Big Finish Productions; 2002)
Births:
John Millar Watt (1895); Phillip Mendoza (Flam; Pip; Spike; 1898); Colin Merrett (1914)
Deaths:
Reginald Heade (1957); William Blain (1984); William John Hooper (Raff; 1996); Frank Benier (1998); Graham Coton (2003); Ray Lowry (2008)
Notable Events:
Neil Gaiman's radio adaptation of his graphic novel Signal to Noise was broadcast as part of Between the Ears in 1996. Dave McKean provided the music.
The Comica Company Ltd. incorporated in 2011, becoming company #07811409.
Lakes International Comic Art Festival began, in Kendal, Cumbria, in 2015.
Marshal Law: Origins by Pat Mills & Kevin O'Neill (Titan Books; 2008)
Doctor Who: The Coming of the Terraphles by Michael Moorcock. (BBC Books; 2010) ISBN-13: 978-1-84607-983-2.
Judge Dredd - Get Karter! by David Bishop (Big Finish Productions; 2002)
Births:
John Millar Watt (1895); Phillip Mendoza (Flam; Pip; Spike; 1898); Colin Merrett (1914)
Deaths:
Reginald Heade (1957); William Blain (1984); William John Hooper (Raff; 1996); Frank Benier (1998); Graham Coton (2003); Ray Lowry (2008)
Notable Events:
Neil Gaiman's radio adaptation of his graphic novel Signal to Noise was broadcast as part of Between the Ears in 1996. Dave McKean provided the music.
The Comica Company Ltd. incorporated in 2011, becoming company #07811409.
Lakes International Comic Art Festival began, in Kendal, Cumbria, in 2015.
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Missing Dates
Although I mentioned the missing references yesterday, I didn't elaborate. For those interested:
In adding notable events to the On This Day feature (which is only somewhere around 70,000 words, despite so much available history) there were things which seemed to elude all attempts at research. You shouldn't view this small sample as a gauntlet being thrown down, though if you happen to know any of the details it would help. Consider this a peek behind the curtain, and don't get too frustrated that any answers aren't forthcoming.
Three of a kind:
There is no date for the Odhams purchase of Hulton Press in 1959.
There is no date for the Mirror Group purchase of AP in 1959.
There is no date for the Mirror Group purchase of Odhams in 1961.
Despite being certain that I had read the information somewhere before, the dates are proving remarkably difficult to pin down.
There are stories that in the spring or summer of 1980 (annoyingly vague) 1300 people were sacked by IPC. The details are so sketchy that the report barely made it into my notes, yet I find not knowing to be a source of frustration.
There is no date for the Rebellion purchase of Solaris (Games Workshop book imprint). Come to mention it, the purchase of 2000AD doesn't have a specific date assigned either.
The Gugnunc Song, with ukulele accompaniment, by Rupert Graham & Douglas Graham needs a publication date, as well as that of a first performance.
The St. Trinians School Song, similarly, requires a publication date.
Oojah-Land (composed by Montague Ewing); Uncle Oojah's Frolic (by Cecil Rayners) and Uncle Oojah's Party (by Leslie Sarony) need publication dates. I'm not entirely certain that full-length musicals based on strips were published (completely) in sheet-music form, so the other songs in performances (including the aforementioned) might not have been properly affixed in print.
A double helping of Modesty Blaise:
Last Day in Limbo was adapted as a BBC World Service 6-part radio series in 1978, with Barbara Kellerman in the role Modesty. Not only haven't broadcast dates been easy to find, the date of initial commercial release on audio-cassette is unknown.
Similarly, I Had a Date with Lady Janet - an audio tape reading on the Pickwick Talking Books label, featuring John Thaw - was released at some point in the early 1980s. In this case I don't even have a year with which to kick off a search.
Of similar vintage, Th' Lone Groover's Abasement Tapes E.P. was released by Charly Records in Feb 1980. No day is mentioned in any of the references I have immediate access to.
Shoot Yer Load / Golden Showers, by Meng & Ecker was released in 1989, but I don't have a specific date.
Tangentially related to comics history (veeeeery tangentially), but the release date for Pete Shelley's XL1 is currently unknown. Chris Sievey's computer game The Flying Train was released on 20 May 1983 - the B-side of his Camouflage cassette single on Random Records. It counts as the first budget release, but discussion of who holds the honour of first multimedia release remains in doubt until Shelley's release date is known.
Still missing from the database:
A complete list of dates for Alan Moore's awards and accolades. I know Max und Moritz (the German comics awards) include a Lebenswerk (life achievement honour) for Moore, but my German is truly horrendous. What little knowledge of the language I possess is no tool in tackling the reports of German awards.
A complete list of dates for Neil Gaiman's awards and accolades. There are a few instances which come tantalisingly close to providing a date, such as being presented in March 1997 with a GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Award for 'positive portrayals of Gay and Lesbian characters' in Sandman. The problem? There are three dates awards were presented, and no indication which awards were presented on which dates.
Talking of Neil Gaiman... Back in the day he used to write short stories for Knave. If you happen to have those back issues (for the articles, obviously), then knowing which issues the stories appeared in, and when they were published, would be immensely helpful.
The date of Bob Monkhouse's first television appearance is giving me a headache. Three different dates have been suggested, although none have enough accompanying information to begin a search.
Archangel Thunderbird, which seemed (at the time) to get disproportionate coverage, doesn't appear to have its' initial broadcast listed anywhere. I haven't gone through each and every Visual Imagination magazine, but it isn't in Cult Times, Starburst, or TV Zone issues I have gone through. Admittedly, after a short while of looking through issues, they seem to blend into one another (the repetition of information across any dozen issues becomes painful to read) so it might have slipped through the cracks.
The NUT "Spotlight on Comics" film is missing a general release date, as well as preview screenings (mentioned by several people over the years).
The horror film The Hand, in which Michael Caine (as a British comic strip artist) faces off against a dismembered hand, was released at some point in 1981, but I can't find a UK release date. There are a few issues of Photoplay I can't track down yet - it may be noted in one of those.
It wasn't released theatrically, but the Flash! video comic (from Mountain Video, circa 1984) has so little written about it that there were serious problems in determining it actually existed. I still haven't seen it, but am hopeful that YouTube will someday provide the goods. Still, no dates on anything surrounding the video are available...
The Dominator feature is missing a UK release date, if it ever had one. It is also missing dates for any home release formats.
I have no idea where to look for either playbooks or sheet music for Ally Sloper and Bruce Barnsfather (and, for that matter, other) theatrical shows. The booklets which accompanied performances are also difficult to track down without spending a serious amount of time and money.
The opening date of Dark They Were & Golden Eyed is unknown. The closure (naturally) was much-discussed in fanzines around the time, but nobody thought to take note of the date on which it ceased trading.
Ditto for the opening of House on the Borderland.
Another World opened in October 1987, but no mention of the date seems to have been made.
Forbidden Planet, rather helpfully, announced a few opening dates as they happened. Others... Not so much. Also, the date at which FP company split in two has been given differently in references consulted. Given how extensively the shop is featured in various pages of the database, and how important they are to UK comics history, a proper outline of all important dates is needed.
Games Day '82 was when the Judge Dredd board game was previewed, but I can't find any flyers or adverts which date the event. I found the 1983 adverts, but there is nothing to indicate if it was held at the same time every year.
Clarecraft Giles Family figures, which I've seen being sold here and there, don't have launch dates which are easy to find. I'll admit that dates aren't a high priority to have, but lack of information on such a (relatively) recent product is somewhat irritating. Were press releases created? Are there catalogues sitting in someones attic with those dates?
While tackling the spin-off products, the numerous pre-war items are incredibly difficult to learn anything about. The plethora of Ally Sloper merchandise is but one example. Small ads buried in walls of tiny text aren't the most helpful in determining dates. I don't think I've ever seen the pipes which were released, but the fireplace figures are truly hideous. Also, while I'm on the subject, were the tie-pins a real thing or merely a joke? I've never seen an example, so have my doubts.
Bruce Bairnsfather's cartoons also had many items which appeared without a real launch date. The handkerchiefs are particularly odd (yet brilliant) items which deserve their place in the chronology.
The first two Dan Dare games are missing release dates.
The first Judge Dredd game is missing a release date.
UK release dates for the computer games WeaponLord and Gods are, predictably, absent. I've managed to pick out a few hundred release dates of old computer games (though most have no comics connection), yet ones which I am actively hunting for prove difficult to track down.
Dan Dare telephone cards (remember those?) were released in 1995. Again, a specific date is lacking.
That is probably more than enough for now.
Comparatively little of the history surrounding the publishers, creators, characters and titles has been recorded, and sticking it all together has been a more time-consuming than any other aspect of the database. Even with the use of a small mountain of reference material there is only a fraction of the history comprising the day-to-day goings-on of the British comic world available. Frustratingly scant on the details I was hoping to acquire, and contradictory in reference materials.
Lives are documented in broad strokes, while comics are reviewed, scoured for meaning, dissected for contributors and content. Beyond these easily-available facts we enter murky waters.
When I got back online I began to check resources for things which I had managed to create a partial index, and found that too much time had passed since pertinent events to get answers. One example: a number of exhibitions at the Cartoon Museum are no longer on the website (the curses of modern life), and hunting for the beginning and end dates of exhibitions is proving incredibly frustrating. I would like independent verification, but it seems I might have to add more information from primary sources.
In adding notable events to the On This Day feature (which is only somewhere around 70,000 words, despite so much available history) there were things which seemed to elude all attempts at research. You shouldn't view this small sample as a gauntlet being thrown down, though if you happen to know any of the details it would help. Consider this a peek behind the curtain, and don't get too frustrated that any answers aren't forthcoming.
PUBLISHERS
Three of a kind:
There is no date for the Odhams purchase of Hulton Press in 1959.
There is no date for the Mirror Group purchase of AP in 1959.
There is no date for the Mirror Group purchase of Odhams in 1961.
Despite being certain that I had read the information somewhere before, the dates are proving remarkably difficult to pin down.
There are stories that in the spring or summer of 1980 (annoyingly vague) 1300 people were sacked by IPC. The details are so sketchy that the report barely made it into my notes, yet I find not knowing to be a source of frustration.
There is no date for the Rebellion purchase of Solaris (Games Workshop book imprint). Come to mention it, the purchase of 2000AD doesn't have a specific date assigned either.
AUDIO
The Gugnunc Song, with ukulele accompaniment, by Rupert Graham & Douglas Graham needs a publication date, as well as that of a first performance.
The St. Trinians School Song, similarly, requires a publication date.
Oojah-Land (composed by Montague Ewing); Uncle Oojah's Frolic (by Cecil Rayners) and Uncle Oojah's Party (by Leslie Sarony) need publication dates. I'm not entirely certain that full-length musicals based on strips were published (completely) in sheet-music form, so the other songs in performances (including the aforementioned) might not have been properly affixed in print.
A double helping of Modesty Blaise:
Last Day in Limbo was adapted as a BBC World Service 6-part radio series in 1978, with Barbara Kellerman in the role Modesty. Not only haven't broadcast dates been easy to find, the date of initial commercial release on audio-cassette is unknown.
Similarly, I Had a Date with Lady Janet - an audio tape reading on the Pickwick Talking Books label, featuring John Thaw - was released at some point in the early 1980s. In this case I don't even have a year with which to kick off a search.
Of similar vintage, Th' Lone Groover's Abasement Tapes E.P. was released by Charly Records in Feb 1980. No day is mentioned in any of the references I have immediate access to.
Shoot Yer Load / Golden Showers, by Meng & Ecker was released in 1989, but I don't have a specific date.
Tangentially related to comics history (veeeeery tangentially), but the release date for Pete Shelley's XL1 is currently unknown. Chris Sievey's computer game The Flying Train was released on 20 May 1983 - the B-side of his Camouflage cassette single on Random Records. It counts as the first budget release, but discussion of who holds the honour of first multimedia release remains in doubt until Shelley's release date is known.
AWARDS
Still missing from the database:
A complete list of dates for Alan Moore's awards and accolades. I know Max und Moritz (the German comics awards) include a Lebenswerk (life achievement honour) for Moore, but my German is truly horrendous. What little knowledge of the language I possess is no tool in tackling the reports of German awards.
A complete list of dates for Neil Gaiman's awards and accolades. There are a few instances which come tantalisingly close to providing a date, such as being presented in March 1997 with a GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Award for 'positive portrayals of Gay and Lesbian characters' in Sandman. The problem? There are three dates awards were presented, and no indication which awards were presented on which dates.
Talking of Neil Gaiman... Back in the day he used to write short stories for Knave. If you happen to have those back issues (for the articles, obviously), then knowing which issues the stories appeared in, and when they were published, would be immensely helpful.
TELEVISION
The date of Bob Monkhouse's first television appearance is giving me a headache. Three different dates have been suggested, although none have enough accompanying information to begin a search.
Archangel Thunderbird, which seemed (at the time) to get disproportionate coverage, doesn't appear to have its' initial broadcast listed anywhere. I haven't gone through each and every Visual Imagination magazine, but it isn't in Cult Times, Starburst, or TV Zone issues I have gone through. Admittedly, after a short while of looking through issues, they seem to blend into one another (the repetition of information across any dozen issues becomes painful to read) so it might have slipped through the cracks.
FILM
The NUT "Spotlight on Comics" film is missing a general release date, as well as preview screenings (mentioned by several people over the years).
The horror film The Hand, in which Michael Caine (as a British comic strip artist) faces off against a dismembered hand, was released at some point in 1981, but I can't find a UK release date. There are a few issues of Photoplay I can't track down yet - it may be noted in one of those.
It wasn't released theatrically, but the Flash! video comic (from Mountain Video, circa 1984) has so little written about it that there were serious problems in determining it actually existed. I still haven't seen it, but am hopeful that YouTube will someday provide the goods. Still, no dates on anything surrounding the video are available...
The Dominator feature is missing a UK release date, if it ever had one. It is also missing dates for any home release formats.
THEATRE
SHOPS
Ditto for the opening of House on the Borderland.
Another World opened in October 1987, but no mention of the date seems to have been made.
Forbidden Planet, rather helpfully, announced a few opening dates as they happened. Others... Not so much. Also, the date at which FP company split in two has been given differently in references consulted. Given how extensively the shop is featured in various pages of the database, and how important they are to UK comics history, a proper outline of all important dates is needed.
OTHER
Games Day '82 was when the Judge Dredd board game was previewed, but I can't find any flyers or adverts which date the event. I found the 1983 adverts, but there is nothing to indicate if it was held at the same time every year.
Clarecraft Giles Family figures, which I've seen being sold here and there, don't have launch dates which are easy to find. I'll admit that dates aren't a high priority to have, but lack of information on such a (relatively) recent product is somewhat irritating. Were press releases created? Are there catalogues sitting in someones attic with those dates?
While tackling the spin-off products, the numerous pre-war items are incredibly difficult to learn anything about. The plethora of Ally Sloper merchandise is but one example. Small ads buried in walls of tiny text aren't the most helpful in determining dates. I don't think I've ever seen the pipes which were released, but the fireplace figures are truly hideous. Also, while I'm on the subject, were the tie-pins a real thing or merely a joke? I've never seen an example, so have my doubts.
Bruce Bairnsfather's cartoons also had many items which appeared without a real launch date. The handkerchiefs are particularly odd (yet brilliant) items which deserve their place in the chronology.
The first two Dan Dare games are missing release dates.
The first Judge Dredd game is missing a release date.
UK release dates for the computer games WeaponLord and Gods are, predictably, absent. I've managed to pick out a few hundred release dates of old computer games (though most have no comics connection), yet ones which I am actively hunting for prove difficult to track down.
Dan Dare telephone cards (remember those?) were released in 1995. Again, a specific date is lacking.
That is probably more than enough for now.
Comparatively little of the history surrounding the publishers, creators, characters and titles has been recorded, and sticking it all together has been a more time-consuming than any other aspect of the database. Even with the use of a small mountain of reference material there is only a fraction of the history comprising the day-to-day goings-on of the British comic world available. Frustratingly scant on the details I was hoping to acquire, and contradictory in reference materials.
Lives are documented in broad strokes, while comics are reviewed, scoured for meaning, dissected for contributors and content. Beyond these easily-available facts we enter murky waters.
When I got back online I began to check resources for things which I had managed to create a partial index, and found that too much time had passed since pertinent events to get answers. One example: a number of exhibitions at the Cartoon Museum are no longer on the website (the curses of modern life), and hunting for the beginning and end dates of exhibitions is proving incredibly frustrating. I would like independent verification, but it seems I might have to add more information from primary sources.
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