On This Day: 31 Mar

Tiger and Jag (Fleetway) #[] (1969).

On Comedy; The Beano and Ideology by Leo Baxendale (Reaper Books; 1989)
Wallace and Gromit: The Complete Newspaper Comic Strips Collection (Titan Comics) vol.3 (2015) ISBN-10: 1782762043

First Appearances:

Luke Jarvis (The Mindstealers) in The Crunch (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #12 (07 Apr 1979).

Births:

Bill McCail (1902); Bill Humphries (1911); Frank Humphris (1911); Jack Kirkbride (1923); Pablo Marcos (1937); Ian Gray (1938); Simon Henwood (1965)

Deaths:

Leonard Raven–Hill (1942); Dennis M. Reader (1995); Barry Took (2002); Massimo Belardinelli (2007)

Notable Events:

Roscoe Moscow in "Who Killed Rock 'N' Roll?" by Alan Moore, using the pen–name Curt Vile, began in Sounds magazine in 1979.
Douglas Bader was the subject of BBC television's This is Your Life in 1982.
Millie newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1990.
The Glasgow Comic Art Convention began in City Chambers, George Square in 1990.
Songs from the stage show Andy Capp: The Musical released on CD in 2014.

On This Day: 30 Mar

Disney Elena of Avalor (Panini) #01 (2017)

First Appearances:

Marlon Shakespeare (Chopper) in 2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 206 (04 Apr 1981).

Births:

Lawrence Hector Siggs (1900); Kurt Caesar (1906); Jack Trevor Story (1917); Richard Evans (1945)

Deaths:

Rudolph Ackermann (1834); Franco Cosimo Panini (2007)

Notable Events:

The Exeter Express & Echo slandered John Gullidge's magnificent Samhain magazine one more, with further sensationalist, exploitational nonsense.
Hawkwind: Do Not Panic television documentary broadcast on BBC 4 in 2007.
The Mindscape of Alan Moore 2–disc DVD released in the UK in 2007.

On This Day: 29 Mar

World War Tank Girl (Titan) #01 (2017)

Kick-Ass: Music from the Motion Picture (2010)

Births:

Christopher Chancellor (1904); David Austin (1935)

Notable Events:

2000 A.D. (Fleetway Publications) Prog 729 (04 May 1991) published the Future Shock Marksman, written by 12 year old Westley Smith, the creation of which was recorded for posterity by the BBC for their School Programmes Unit program Comics One.
Gorillaz: Live in Manchester television special broadcast in 2006.

On This Day: 28 Mar

Batman (London Editions Magazines) #20 (1990) new look

Tank Girl - Original Soundtrack from the Motion Film (1995)
Nikolai Dante: Honour Be Damned! by David Bishop (Black Flame; Mar 2006) ISBN-10: 1 84416 324 5

First Appearances:

Combat Colin in Action Force (Marvel Comics Ltd.) #5 (04 Apr 1987).

Births:

Dan Lloyd (1931); John Royle (1968)

Deaths:

Jack Butler Yeats (1957); Albert Bernard Hollowood (Hod; Mammon; 1981)

Notable Events:

The Cartoon Museum announced that it was to relocate to 55 Wells Street, due to a rent increase, at the launch of the 50 Glorious Shows exhibition, in 2018. 50 Glorious Shows, running until the second of September, showcases the best of the exhibitions which have taken place at the Museum thus far.

On This Day: 27 Mar

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.

On This Day: 26 Mar

Psycho Gran (Titan) #01 (2014) digital edition

First Appearances:

Davock of Grey Woods in The Victor (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #58 (31 Mar 1962).
Roy Fane (Return from Mars) in The Victor (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #58 (31 Mar 1962).
Smasher (robot) in The Victor (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #58 (31 Mar 1962).
Nina Coltrane (Shadows) in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Publications) Prog 672 (31 Mar 1990).

Births:

Tony Crawley (1938); Brian Bolland (1951)

Notable Events:

The Eagle Sportsman of the Year trophy was awarded to Peter May, at the Royal Albert Hall, in 1956.
Grimbledown Down cartoon strip began in New Scientist in 1970, and ended on this day in 1994.
The Disney Mirror 8–page giveaway ended in 1994 with the 160^th issue.
Gorillaz, the band's eponymously–titled debut album, released in the UK in 2001.
Kick-Ass feature film, based on the comic by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr., released in 2010.
Bryan Talbot signed copies of his books at Forbidden Planet, 40-41 Southbridge Street, Edinburgh, in 2011. Later in the day he did a presentation at Plan B Books, 5 Osborne St, Glasgow.
Revolutionary War: Omega (Marvel) #01 (Mar 2014) released in the US in 2014.
Nigel Parkinson was featured in The Guardian's 'Work & Careers' section on this day in 2015.

On This Day: 25 Mar

TV Action + Countdown (Polystyle) #59 (01 Apr 1972)

Doctor Who: After Life (Titan Comics; 2015)

First Appearances:

Hotfoot Harry in The Victor (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #110 (30 Mar 1962).


Births:

Carlo Pellegrini (Ape; 1839); Jeffrey M. Boatfield (1924)

Deaths:

Ken Barr (2016)

Notable Events:

Leslie Gilbert Illingworth was a guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs in 1963.
Paper by Barry Gurbutt published by Franklin Watts Ltd in 1976.
D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd. became the owners of the Friends Reunited website in 2009.

On This Day: 24 Mar

The A-Team Spring Special (Marvel) #02 (1986).
Fraggle Rock Spring Special (Marvel) #nn (1986).
Get Along Gang Spring Special (Marvel) Collected Comics #02 (1986).
Secret Wars II Spring Special (Marvel) #01 (1986).
Transformers Spring Special (Marvel) Collected Comics #3 (1986).
Zoids Spring Special (Marvel) Collected Comics #01 (1986).
Team Toxic Classic Comic Collection in Toxic (Egmont) #159 (2010).

The Adventures of Meng and Ecker by David Britton. (Savoy Books; 1997)
Horror Panegyric by Keith Seward. (Savoy Books; 2008) ISBN-13: 978-0861301188.

Births:

Malcolm Muggeridge (1903); Glenn Fabry (1961); Steve Pugh (1966)

Deaths:

Ernest Howard Shepard (1976)

Notable Events:

The Greens newspaper strip ended in 1990.
Alan Grant, Simon Jacob, David Roach and John Tomlinson took part in a 2000 A.D. signing session at Forbidden Planet, 5 Duke Street, Cardiff, in 1990.

On This Day: 23 Mar

TV Fun (Fleetway Publications) #01 (23 Mar 1988-05 Apr 1988)

Freestyle BMX (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (1984) *magazine*

First Appearances:

Sergeant Rob Hunter (Hunter) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #133 (26 Mar 1977).

Births:

Patten Wilson (1969); Julius Stafford Baker, Jr. (1904); Sam Fair (1909)

Notable Events:

The Pet Shop Boys featured in a Smash Hits interview, looking back at Neil Tennant's career, in 1988.
The Glasgow UK Comic Art Convention took place in 1991, with winners of the UK Comic Art Awards being announced by Penguin.
Dave Gibbons became the first artist to be featured in a Superstar Evening by the Cartoon Art Trust in 1996.
The Warren Ellis–scripted Hostile Waters computer game, by Rage Games Limited, was released by Interplay in 2001.
Stanley McMurtry was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 2008.

On This Day: 22 Mar

Thundercats (Panini UK) #01 (22 Mar 2012-18 Apr 2012)

The World of Batman sticker album (Panini; 2016)

Births:

Gerard Hoffnung (1925); Brian Walker (1926); Lew Stringer (1959); Steve Dillon (1962)

Deaths:

Malcolm Douglas (2009)

Notable Events:

Buck Ryan newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1937.
Garth newspaper strip's final episode appeared in The Daily Mirror in 1943.
Kick-Ass feature film given a London première in 2010.
Liquidators were appointed for Pedigree Books in 2016.

On This Day: 21 Mar

World of Wonder (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (1970).
Toxic! (Apocalypse) #01 (1991)

Tank Girl: Armadillo and a Bushel of Other Stories by Alan C. Martin. (2008)
Hurricane and Champion: The Companion Papers to Valiant by Steve Holland (Bear Alley Books; 2011) ISBN-13: 9781907081538

V for Vendetta: Music from the Motion Picture by Dario Marianelli (2006)

First Appearances:

Robina Hood in June (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #[576] (25 Mar 1972).

Births:

Alfred Sindall (1900); Evelyn Flinders (1910); Bill Holroyd (1919); Gallieno Ferri (1929)

Deaths:

Eric Parker (1974); Ron Clark (2009)

Notable Events:

The Perishers animated series began on BBC 1 in 1979.
Nemesis, Torquemada and Purity Brown appeared at the Forbidden Planet store in Denmark Street, London in 1987, where Pat Mills and Bryan Talbot were signing copies of Nemesis Book 5.
Alan Moore appeared on the television series Inside Out in 2008.
Bear Alley Books published their first book in 2011.

On This Day: 20 Mar

Valiant Holiday Special (IPC Magazines Ltd.) nn (1978).
St. Swithin's Day (Trident Comics; 1990).
Batman (Fleetway) Vol.2 #01 (Mar 1993).

First Appearances:

Medivac 318 in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Publications) Prog 619 (25 Mar 1989).

Births:

Bruce C. Windo (1920)

Deaths:

J.R. Monsell (1952); James Herbert (2013)

Notable Events:

Terror Keep newspaper strip ended in 1937.
Inaugural Ally Sloper Award held at Comics 101 on this day in 1976.
Patty's Hours of Agony: A Reconstruction of the Life of Patty Hearst newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1976.
Raymond Briggs was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 2005.
The Royal Mail released World of Comics, a set of ten first class stamps bearing the likeness of Dennis the Menace, Dan Dare, and Judge Dredd among others, alongside the titles they appeared in, in 2012.
Brainstorm! The Art of Bryan Talbot began, at The Muse, 269 Portobello Rd., London, in 2014.

On This Day: 19 Mar

Tornado (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (24 Mar 1979).
Eagle (IPC Magazines Ltd.) vol.21 #01 (27 Mar 1982).
Scream (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (24 Mar 1984).

First Appearances:

The Angry Planet in Tornado #01 (24 Mar 1979).
Captain Klep in Tornado #01 (24 Mar 1979).
Victor Drago in Tornado #01 (24 Mar 1979).
The Mind of Wolfie Smith in Tornado #01 (24 Mar 1979).
Wagner's Walk in Tornado #01 (24 Mar 1979).
The Collector in Eagle vol.21 #01 (27 Mar 1982).
Doomlord in Eagle vol.21 #01 (27 Mar 1982).
Ernie in Eagle vol.21 #01 (27 Mar 1982).
Sgt. Streetwise in Eagle vol.21 #01 (27 Mar 1982).
Mick Tempest (The Tower King) in Eagle vol.21 #01 (27 Mar 1982).
Thunderbolt and Smokey! in Eagle vol.21 #01 (27 Mar 1982).
The Dracula File in Scream #01 (24 Mar 1984).
Library of Death in Scream #01 (24 Mar 1984).
Monster in Scream #01 (24 Mar 1984).
Max (The Thirteenth Floor) in Scream #01 (24 Mar 1984).
Tales from the Grave in Scream #01 (24 Mar 1984).
The Terror of the Cats in Scream #01 (24 Mar 1984).
Frank Weitz (Armoured Gideon) in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Publications) Prog 671 (24 Mar 1990).

Births:

Achille Beltrame (1871); Sep E. Scott (1879); William Blain (1903); Keith Waite (1927); Richard Williams (1933); Pasqual Ferry (1961); Simon Donald (1964)

Deaths:

Steve Dowling (1986); Johnny Hicklenton (2010)

Notable Events:

Jim Barker took voluntary redundancy to become a freelance artist in 1982.
The Sun published an attack on St. Swithin's Day in 1990. Failed politician Teddy "dial-a-quote" Taylor was on hand to offer his opinion on the comic, though it later transpired he hadn't even read the story.
Revolutionary War: Warheads (Marvel) #01 (Mar 2014) released in the US in 2014.
Cursed Edge – Prog 5 fan film released on YouTube in 2016.

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.

On This Day: 17 Mar

Superman (London Editions Magazines) #20 (Apr 1989) first monthly issue
Adventure Time Comic (Titan) #01 (2017)

Births:

Paddy Nevin (1912); Ken Barr (1933); Yishan Li (1981)

Deaths:

Thomas Dalziel (1906); Harold Earnshaw (1937); Allan Aldous (2000)

Notable Events:

Neptune Comic Distributors Limited incorporated in 1987.
V for Vendetta feature film, based on the Warrior strip by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, released in 2006.
The New European, a pro-EU newspaper, gave over its' front cover to a comic strip by Tim Bradford, explaining Brexit, in 2017.

On This Day: 16 Mar

Fury (Marvel) #01
Thundercats (Marvel Comics Ltd.) #01 (21 Mar 1987)
Total Carnage (Dark Horse Comics International) #01 (Apr 1993)

Now! (Fleetway) #01 (1994)

The Batman Movie Sticker Album (Merlin Publishing Limited; 1990)

First Appearances:


Tao de Moto in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Publications) Prog 723 (23 Mar 1991).

Births:


Roy Ullyett (Berryman; 1914); G. Freeman Allen (1922); Gino D'Antonio (1927); Chris Foss (1946)

Deaths:


H.G. Hine (1895); Tom Browne (1910); Ian Chisholm (1981); Marcus Morris (1989); Terry Maloney (2008); Steve Moore (2014)

Notable Events:


The Gambols newspaper strip began in The Daily Express in 1950.
Bryan Talbot signed copies of Luther Arkwright and Nemesis Book 6 as part of his Luther Arkwright UK Tour '88 at Exeter University Comics Group, Devonshire House in 1988. Signing appearances continued over the next few weeks at locations across the Britain.
The Comic Relief Charity Pool Championship took place in the Edinburgh Castle public house, in Camden, in 1991. Creators and representatives from Fleetway Publications, Marvel Comics and Stateside Comics PLC took part, with Fleetway winning 12 games and the Championship, raising over £600 in sponsorship for Comic Relief. The teams for Deadline, John Brown Publishing and Titan bowed out in the face of such strong opposition.
Now! replaced Look-In as IPC's teen title in 1994, though it was a title which never quite worked...
Striker newspaper strip became the first newspaper strip to use 3D software in its creation in 1998.
BBC Radio broadcast the first of the six–part Neverwhere adaptation in 2013.

On This Day: 15 Mar

Big K (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (Apr 1984).
Beyond #01 (1995)

King Solomon's Mines (Bear Alley Books; 2013) ISBN-13: 9781907081699.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson; w: Mike Butterworth, a: John Millar Watt. (Bear Alley Books; Mar 2013) ISBN-13: 9781907081682

Births:

Sir Hildebrand Aubrey Harmsworth, 1st Baronet (1872); Eugenio Juan Zoppi (1923); Mervyn Haisman (1928); John Coulthart (1962)

Deaths:

Mary Tourtel (1948); Joseph Lee (1975); Nadir Quinto (1994)

Notable Events:

Keyboard Skills one-panel cartoon gags, by Tony Benyon, began in Big K magazine in 1984.
The BBC Schools television block broadcast a feature on "new wave" comics (including Crisis) in 1989.
UKCAC began at the Institute of Education, London, in 1997.
London Super Comic Convention began at ExCel Centre, London, in 2014.

On This Day: 14 Mar

Happy Pi Day

Speed & Power (1974)

First Appearances:

Tyranny Rex in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Publications) Prog 566 (19 Mar 1988)

Births:

Sally Artz (1935); Davy Francis (1958)

Deaths:

Jose Casanovas, Snr. (2009)

Notable Events:

Two illustrations of Old Bill, drawn by Bruce Bairnsfather as part of his lecture tour, were auctioned for charity in 1919.
Toskanex Limited incorporated in 1978, becoming company no. 01357592. The name on the covers of their books is Knockabout.
GlasCAC (Glasgow Comic Art Convention) began at Candleriggs Town Hall, Glasgow, in 1992.

On This Day: 13 Mar

Donald and Mickey (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (1972).

Zzap! 64 (Newsfield Limited) #01 (1985)

Births:

Sir George Newnes, 1st Baronet (1851); Sir John Paget Mellor, 1st Baronet (Quiz; 1862); James H. Thorpe (1876); James Friell (Gabriel; 1912); Sam 'Subi' Brown (1973)

Deaths:

Isaac Robert Cruikshank (1856); Walt Howarth (2008); Jose 'Pepe' Gonzalez (2009)

On This Day: 08 Mar

International Women's Day

First Appearances:

The Broons (newspaper strip) in the Fun Section of The Sunday Post (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #?? (08 Mar 1936).
Oor Wullie (newspaper strip) in the Fun Section of The Sunday Post (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #?? (08 Mar 1936).

Births:

Arthur Martin (1911)

Deaths:

John Hassall (1948); Mario Uggeri (2004); Franco Paludetti (2008)

Notable Events:

Rick Martin newspaper strip concluded in 1958.
The relaunched Smash! made its' first appearance in 1969, eliminating the Marvel reprint material.