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For other material of interest to chroniclers of British publications, please see BCD Extended. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

On This Day: 23 Apr

Eagle (Fleetway Publications) #[423] (28 Apr 1990). [relaunch]
Doctor Who Adventures (Panini UK) vol.2 #01 (2015).

Character Births:

Brian Braddock (Captain Britain; 1956); Elizabeth Braddock (Psylocke; 1956).

Births:

Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School actor Gerald Campion (1921); Will Spencer (1921); Roy Cross (1924); Ed "Stewpot" Stewart (1941); Art Wetherell (1961)

Deaths:

William Shakespeare (1616); Leo Baxendale (2017)

Notable Events:

Gilbert Thomas Webster was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 1942.
William Timyn (Tim) was issued with a Naturalisation Certificate, becoming a British citizen, in 1949.
The Jethro Tull album Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!, illustrated by Dave Gibbons, was released in the UK in 1976.
Eagle became full-colour, and printed on better paper, with #423 in 1990.
The Comedians set of stamps, with illustrations by Gerald Scarfe, was released by the Post Office in 1998.
The Best of Low exhibition began at the Political Cartoon Gallery in 2008.
Birmingham Comics Festival began in Edgbaston Stadium, The County Ground, Birmingham, in 2016.

Monday, April 22, 2019

On This Day: 22 Apr

The Amazing Spider-Man by Dirk Maggs (BBC Audiobooks Ltd.; 1995) CD

First Appearances:

Jack Duggan (The Wild Colonial Boy) in The Victor (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #114 (27 Apr 1963).

Births:

Phil May (1864); Ernest Aris (1882); Brian Bagnall (1921); Edward McLachlan (1940); Ian Churchill (1969); Bryan Hitch (1970)

Deaths:

Denis McLoughlin (2002)

Notable Events:

World première of The Better 'Ole film adaptation, at the Alhambra, Leicester Square, in 1918.
Nostalgia & Comics incorporated in 1980.
Blackhammer Limited incorporated in 1992.
Comics 2000 convention began at Watershed Media Centre, Bristol, in 2000.

Sunday, April 21, 2019

On This Day: 21 Apr

Buster (Fleetway Publications) # (21 Apr 1990). [relaunch]

First Appearances:

Mike Morgan (A Case of Death) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #83 (24 Apr 1976).
Judge Hershey in 2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 162 (26 Apr 1980).

Births:

Len Fullerton (1909); Jim Bambra (1956)

Deaths:

Thomas Rowlandson (1827); Thomas Tegg (1845); Sir Francis Cowley Burnand (1917); Bernard Venables (2001)

Notable Events:

Lee Sullivan and John Tomlinson attended an Absolom Daak-Dalek Killer signing at Forbidden Planet, 168 Buchannan Street, Glasgow, in 1990.
Bristow radio series, based on the newspaper strip, began on BBC Radio 4 in 1999.
Rebellion's Rogue Trooper computer game for PS2, Xbox and Windows released in 2006.
Rick Brookes' cartoon of Prof. Stephen Hawking in The Metro received complaints in 2009.
The Spring Comica Comiket comic fair began at Bishopgate Institute in London in 2012.

Saturday, April 20, 2019

On This Day: 20 Apr

Space Aces! Comic Book Heroes from the Forties and Fifties! by Denis Gifford (1992)
Super Duper Supermen! Comic Book Heroes from the Forties and Fifties! by Denis Gifford (1992)

Births:

Rudolph Ackermann (1764); Herbert Foxwell (1890); Giorgio Olivetti (1908); Terry Maloney (1917); John McNamara (1918); Carole E. Barrowman (1959); Igor Goldkind (1960); Asia Alfasi (1984)

Deaths:

Robert Seymour (1836); Will Spencer (2002)

Notable Events:

The fourth Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival began in 2007.
The BBC 4 radio series The Reunion, broadcast in 2008, celebrated D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd. comics by asking editors, writers and artists to talk about their work. Contributors included Walter Fearn, Jim Petrie, Bill Ritchie and Dave Torrie, with archive recordings of Leo Baxenedale, Tony Robinson, Michael Rosen, A.N. Wilson and Jacqueline Wilson, among others.

Friday, April 19, 2019

On This Day: 19 Apr

The Tenth Doctor Archives (Titan Comics) #01 (2016)
Power Rangers: Samurai (Panini Magazines) #01 (19 Apr 2012-16 May 2012)

Tottering Hall: Family Life at Tottering-By-Gently (Orion Media; 2001) ISBN-13: 978-0752841076.

Him off the Viz: The Comic Stripped Bare by Simon Donald (Go Faster Stripe; 2015)

First Appearances:

Private Tom Green (Green's Grudge War) in Action (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #[11] (24 Apr 1976).

Births:

Mervyn Suart (1908); Camillo Zuffi (1912); Trevor Francis (1954); Phil Hall

Notable Events:

Dan Dare, Pilot of The Future radio adaptation began on BBC Radio Four in 1990.
The May un Mar Lady Dave Follows exhibition began in The Potteries Museum in 2008.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

On This Day: 18 Apr

Tottering-By-Gently: Vol. III (The O'Shea Gallery; 2003) ISBN-13: 978-0953277223

First Appearances:

Luke Kirby (Summer Magic) in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Publications) Prog 571 (1988).

Births:

Des Taylor (1971)

Deaths:

Frank Reynolds (1953); Edward Barker (1997)

Notable Events:

Nelson and Tik and Tok newspaper strips ended in 1925.
The Jinks Family newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1927.
The Daily Express published the final Jeff Hawke strip in 1974.
Forbidden Planet (New York) opened at 821 Broadway (at 12th), New York, in 1981.
The Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival took place on this day in 2008.
Alan Moore: Storyteller by Gary Spencer Millidge was released in 2011.
The inaugural Birmingham Comics Festival began at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in 2015.

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

On This Day: 16 Apr

The Best of Roy of the Rovers Monthly (Fleetway Publications) #01 (May 1988).
Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition: The Art of Doctor Who (Panini Magazines) #40 (2015).

La Squab: The Black Rose of Auschwitz by David Britton (Savoy Books; 2012) ISBN-10: 0 86130 125 0

First Appearances:

Tiger Tim in Mrs. Hippo’s Kindergarten newspaper strip (1904).
Sgt.-Major John Chard ("Kill, Kill for Kali!") in The Victor (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #61 (21 Apr 1962).

Births:

Gianluigi Coppola (1928)

Notable Events:

Film and comic strip star Charlie Chaplin was born in 1889.
Tiger Tim made his first appearance in a one–off strip in The Daily Illustrated Mirror in 1904.
The Mulligans newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1938.
Little Joe newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1973.
Jane, Grand Daughter of Jane newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1985.

Monday, April 15, 2019

On This Day: 15 Apr

Masters of the Universe sticker album - free with 2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 414 (20 Apr 1987).

Ranger: The National Boys' Magazine compiled by Steve Holland & David Slinn (Bear Alley Books) ISBN-13: 9781907081705

Births:

Allen Andrews (1913); Russell Partridge Brockbank (1913); Ian Gammidge (1916); Denis McLoughlin (1918); Alberto Breccia (1919); Mal Dean (1941); Steve Holland (Bear Alley)

Deaths:

Alberto Giolitti (1993)

Notable Events:

A bronze Dan Dare bust (sculpted by John Fowler) was officially unveiled in Southport in 2000, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the character. Given how impressive and realistic the sculpture is, what is most remarkable is that it cost a mere £1,628.

Sunday, April 14, 2019

On This Day: 14 Apr

Eagle Family Day
April 14th is Eagle Family Day, when you should try to do something to make mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, happy.
Marcus Morris.            
from Eagle (Hulton Press Ltd.) Vol.3 #01 (10 Apr 1952).

First Appearances:

Captain Brett Cantrell (Plague 2000) in The Crunch (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #14 (21 Apr 1979).

Births:

Gerry Anderson (1929); Dave Gibbons (1949)

Deaths:

Ernest Aris (1963); John Kent (2003)

Notable Events:

Eight thousand members of the Wilfredian League of Gugnuncs celebrated Pip, Squeak and Wilfred in the Albert Hall in 1928.
Just Jake newspaper strip ended in 1952.
Andy Capp newspaper strip began national distribution in The Daily Mirror in 1958.
Cicero newspaper strip began in The Sunday Times in 1968. It was the paper's first regular strip.
Dan Dare III: The Escape computer game released by Virgin Mastertronic in 1990. The game was available for Amiga, Amstrad, Atari ST, CBM 64, IBM PC and Spectrum users.
Vere Harold Esmond Harmsworth, 3rd Viscount Rothermere, was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 1996.
The Dan Dare 50th Anniversary Exhibition began at Atkinson Art Gallery, Merseyside, in 2000.
Yesterday's Tomorrow, celebrating the 65th anniversary of The Eagle, began at the British Interplanetary Society, 27/29 South Lambeth Rd, Vauxhall, London, in 2015.
Star Trek: The Classic UK Comics (IDW Publishing; 2016) reprinted the long-overlooked British adaptations of the US SF property.
International Comic Expo began in Margate in 2018.

Saturday, April 13, 2019

On This Day: 13 Apr

Beano Comic Library (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #01 (Apr 1982).
Beano Comic Library (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #02 (Apr 1982).

Births:

Ebenezer Landells (1808); Arnold Beauvais (1886); Emilio Coia (1911); Mike Payne (1944); Chris Riddell (1962)

Deaths:

René Bull (1942); Juan Zanotto (2005); Herb Trimpe (2015)

Friday, April 12, 2019

On This Day: 12 Apr

First Appearances:

Paco - Trained to Kill in Valiant and Vulcan (IPC Magazines Ltd.)

Births:

Dick Ericson (1916); Oliver Postgate (1925); Víctor de la Fuente (1927); Bambos Georgiou (1959); Frazer Diamond (Toonhound; 1968); Fehed Said (1979); Peter Cooper (1985)

Deaths:

Robert Bateman (1973); Leslie Bell (1995)

Notable Events:

Rowland Emett married Elsie May "Mary" Evans in 1941.
The Tiffany Jones feature film, based on the newspaper strip, released in 1973.
Eaglecon, a convention dedicated to the Eagle comic, began in 1980.
Sid's Snake appeared on the cover of Dave Gorman vs. the Rest of the World, an Ebury Press paperback re-release.
Dekko Comics hosted an event in Glasgow, in association with Dyslexia Scotland, to celebrate the launch of monthly subscriptions.

Thursday, April 11, 2019

On This Day: 11 Apr

Overkill (Marvel Comics UK Ltd.) #01 (24 Apr 1992)

The Last American by John Wagner & Alan Grant, Mick McMahon, Phil Felix. (Rebellion; Apr 2017) ISBN 978-1781-08544-8

Births:

George Gordon Fraser (1859); Jane star Christabel Leighton–Porter (1913); Peter O'Donnell (1920)

Deaths:

John Brosnan (2005)

Notable Events:

The first episode of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue broadcast on in 1972, with Humphrey Lyttleton as chair.
Harry Harrison underwent a quadruple bypass operation in 2000, after visiting hospital for an angiogram.
The Beano Room exhibition, focusing on Leo Baxendale artwork, began at the Mills Gallery in 2005.

Monday, April 8, 2019

On This Day: 08 Apr

Terrific (Odhams) #01 (15 Apr 1967)

Zenith: Phase Three (Rebellion; 2015)

Births:

James Herbert (1943)

Notable Events:

The funeral of Charles H. Bennett took place, at Brompton Cemetery, London, in 1867.
Patti newspaper strip ended in 1961.
The Deadline Signing Tour concluded at Forbidden Planet, at New Oxford Street, in London, in 1989.
Strip Search travelling exhibition opened at the Manchester Polytechnic, at the Righton Centre, Cavendish Street, Manchester, in 1991.

Sunday, April 7, 2019

On This Day: 07 Apr

The Eagle (Hulton Press Ltd.) vol.1 #01 (14 Apr 1950)
Civil War (Panini UK) #01 (2016)

The Rime of the Modern Mariner by Nick Hayes (Jonathan Cape; 2011) ISBN-10: 0 22409 025 9
Sooner or Later by Peter Milligan, Brendan McCarthy & Jamie Hewlett (Rebellion; 2016)

First Appearances:

Fudge the Elf in newspaper strip (1938).
The Adventures of P.C.49 in The Eagle vol.1 #01 (14 Apr 1950).
Professor Brittain in The Eagle vol.1 #01 (14 Apr 1950).
Rob Conway in The Eagle vol.1 #01 (14 Apr 1950).
Dan Dare [1] in The Eagle vol.1 #01 (14 Apr 1950).
Captain Pugwash in The Eagle vol.1 #01 (14 Apr 1950).
Skippy the Kangaroo in The Eagle vol.1 #01 (14 Apr 1950).
Tommy Walls in The Eagle vol.1 #01 (14 Apr 1950).
It Happened on D-Day in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #81 (10 Apr 1976).
Fink Angel in 2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 160 (12 Apr 1980).
Legend of the Linkits in Eagle and Tiger (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #212 (12 Apr 1986).

Births:

Gilbert Arthur à Beckett (1837); David Low (1891); David Ghilchik (1892); Primrose Cumming (1915); Peter Fluck (1941); Frank Wynne (1962)

Deaths:

William Heath (1840); Neville Duke (2007); Dora Jessie Saint (Miss Read; 2012)

Notable Events:

Fudge The Elf newspaper strip began in the Manchester Evening News in 1938.
A Raymond Briggs interview, in The Independent in 2004, revealed he is unhappy discussing The Snowman.
Clara Casian's short film House on the Borderland was screened, as part of La Modiva, in 2017.

Saturday, April 6, 2019

On This Day: 06 Apr

Eagle Monthly (Fleetway Publications) #[473] (May 1991) [monthly frequency began]

The Official Comic Book Price Guide for Great Britain 1991/1992 by Duncan McAlpine. (PGP; 1991]

First Appearances:

Corporal Bill Davy (Sign of the Skull in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #133 (09 Apr 1977).

Births:

Charles Folkard (1878); Hayden Scott–Baron (Dock; 1980)

Notable Events:

A signing session for the The Official Comic Book Price Guide for Great Britain took place at the Virgin Mega Store, Oxford Street, London in 1991. Among others, Brian Bolland, Dave Gibbons, Rian Hughes and David Lloyd were in attendance.
The Mail on Sunday gave away a copy of The Beano with the paper in 2014.
The Great British Graphic Novel exhibition began, at the Cartoon Museum, London, in 2016.

Thursday, April 4, 2019

On This Day: 04 Apr

Doctor Who: The Malignant Truth (Titan Comics; 2017)

Tottering-by-Gently: Tottering Hall Recipe Organiser (Frances Lincoln Stationery; 2013) ISBN-13: 978-0711234147.

Births:

Will Nickless (1902); Brian White (1902); Ronald Niebour (NEB; 1903)

Deaths:

Anthony Masters (2003); Dave Lamb (2011)

Notable Events:

The first series of Stan Lee's Lucky Man was released on DVD in 2016.

Monday, April 1, 2019

On This Day: 01 Apr

April Fool's Day!

Vulcan Holiday Special (IPC Magazines Ltd.) nn (1976).
Eagle and Tiger (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #[159] (06 Apr 1985).
Eagle and Wildcat (Fleetway Publications) #[368] (08 Apr 1989).
Crazy Comics! #01 in Toxic (Egmont) #137 (01 Apr 2009-21 Apr 2009).

Tottering-by-Gently: Out and Out and About with the Totterings (Frances Lincoln; 2010) ISBN-13: 978-0711230842

Judge Dredd - War Crimes by David Bishop (Big Finish Productions; 2004)

First Appearances:

Hereward the Wake in The Victor (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #111 (06 Apr 1963).
Lieutenant Oskar Ritter (Blitzkrieg Bomber) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #341 (04 Apr 1981).
Bobby Patterson (The Ultimate Warrior) in Eagle and Tiger #[159] (06 Apr 1985).

Births:

C.H. Chapman (1897); Peter Maddocks (1928); James Robinson (1963)

Notable Events:

Cecil Aldin, Tom Browne, Walter Churcher, Dudley Hardy and Phil May founded the Sketch Club in 1898, located in Dilke Street in London.
Clock Summer in with Horrabin television show, devised by (and starring) Dot And Carrie creator J.F. Horrabin, broadcast in 1938.
The first meeting of the Cartoonist Club of Great Britain took place in 1960.
John Brown Media founded in 1987 in order to publish HotAir and Viz - both previously published by Virgin.
Willie Rushton was the subject of the BBC television show This is Your Life in 1987.
The Deadline Signing Tour began at Ace, in Colchester, Essex, in 1989, before moving on to the Acme Comic Shop in Brixton.
Frank Quitely exhibition began at Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow in 2017.

Sunday, March 31, 2019

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.

Saturday, March 30, 2019

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.

Friday, March 29, 2019

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.

Thursday, March 28, 2019

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.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

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.

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

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 160th 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.

Monday, March 25, 2019

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.

Sunday, March 24, 2019

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.

Saturday, March 23, 2019

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.

Friday, March 22, 2019

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.

Thursday, March 21, 2019

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.

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

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.

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

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.

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.

Sunday, March 17, 2019

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.

Saturday, March 16, 2019

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.

Friday, March 15, 2019

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.

Thursday, March 14, 2019

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.

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

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)

Friday, March 8, 2019

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.

Thursday, March 7, 2019

On This Day: 07 Mar

Heroes (London Editions Magazines) #01 (1991)

First Appearances:

Lt. Jake Cassidy in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #233 (10 Mar 1979).
Sgt. Bert Lucas (Bring-'Em-Back-Bert) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #233 (10 Mar 1979).
The Clown in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Editions Ltd.) Prog 774 (14 Mar 1992).
Professor Hilary Tremayne (Tales from Beyond Science) in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Editions Ltd.) Prog 774 (14 Mar 1992).

Births:

Kate J. Fricero (1878); Louis Briault (1885); Jon Peaty (1914); Andrzej Krauze (1947)

Deaths:

Gerald A. Facey (1999); Scott Goodall (2016)

Notable Events:

Nothing important happened today.

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

On This Day: 05 Mar

Battle Picture Weekly (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (08 Mar 1975).
Dark Souls: Tales of Ember (Titan Comics) #01 (2017).
Doctor Who Ghost Stories (Titan Comics) #01 (2017).
Penny Dreadful (Titan Comics) #01 (2017).
World War Tank Girl (Titan Comics) #01 (2017).

First Appearances:

Red Star Roberts, Gang Buster in The Victor (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #55 (10 Mar 1962).
Dave 'Lofty' Banks (Lofty's One-Man Luftwaffe) in Battle Picture Weekly #01 (08 Mar 1975).
Sergeant Bill Battle (The Monsters of No-Man's-Land) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #24 (08 Mar 1975).
Danny Budd (The Bootneck Boy) in Battle Picture Weekly #01 (08 Mar 1975).
Sgt. Steve Dawson (D-Day Dawson) in Battle Picture Weekly #01 (08 Mar 1975).
The Flight of the Golden Hinde in Battle Picture Weekly #01 (08 Mar 1975).
Mike Nelson (Day of the Eagle) in Battle Picture Weekly #01 (08 Mar 1975).
The Rat Pack in Battle Picture Weekly #01 (08 Mar 1975).
The Terror Behind the Bamboo Curtain in Battle Picture Weekly #01 (08 Mar 1975).
Luke Clegg (H.M.S. Smokey Joe) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #282 (16 Feb 1980).

Births:

Molly Brett (1902); Jose Rafael Fonteriz (1961)

Deaths:

Peter Fraser (1950); Eric Burgin (1966); Ruggero Giovannini (1983); Martin Edmond (2004); George Worsley Adamson (2005)

Notable Events:

Philip Zec's controversial cartoon depicting a seaman adrift after the sinking of his ship was published in 1942.

Monday, March 4, 2019

On This Day: 04 Mar

Whoopee! (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (09 Mar 1974).

First Appearances:

Ad Lad in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
The Bumpkin Billionaires in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
Daisy Jones' Locket in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
Ernie Learner in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
Little Miss Muffit in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
Lunchin' Vulture in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
Snap Happy in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
Stoker-Ship's Cat in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
Toy Boy in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
The Wolf Pack in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).

Births:

Thomas Tegg (1776); John Ryan (1921); Peter Jackson (1922); Glen Baxter (1944); Simon Bisley (1962)

Deaths:

Sidney Conrad Strube (1956); Salvatore Deidda (1990); Camillo Zuffi (2002)

Notable Events:

The Universe and Eye: of Man and New Science by Timothy Ferris & Ingram Pinn published by Pavilion Books in 1993.
Dennis the Menace paid a visit to The One Show, to celebrate Comic Relief, in 2011.
An episode of What Do Artists Do All Day?, featuring Frank Quitely, was broadcast on BBC2 in 2014.

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.

Saturday, March 2, 2019

On This Day: 02 Mar

Eagle (IPC Magazines Ltd.) vol. #259 (07 Mar 1987). new look issue
Disney Mirror free with The Daily Mirror (1991).

First Appearances:

John Bull in Law is a Bottomless Pit by Dr. John Arbuthnot (1714) ?
Corporal Tom Parker (Parker's Private Army) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #128 (05 Mar 1977).
Paul Cannon (The Avenger) in Eagle #259 (07 Mar 1987).
Major Bronski (Comrade Bronski) in Eagle #259 (07 Mar 1987).
Mark Davies (Survival) in Eagle #259 (07 Mar 1987).

Births:

Alex Graham (1917); Ken Langstaff (1918); Simon Coleby (1967); Andrew Wildman

Deaths:

Frank Eric Smith (Trow; 1908); J.F. (James Francis) Horrabin (1962); Paul Raymond (2008); Bruce Cornwell (2012)

Notable Events:

Dot And Carrie ended in The Evening News with strip #11,735 in 1962.
The Fosdyke Saga newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1971.
John Noakes presented a brief history of British comics on Blue Peter in 1972.
The Fink Brothers' Mutants in Mega-City One single dropped to #75 in 1985. It would be the song's last chart sighting.
The Disney Mirror 8–page newspaper giveaway began in 1991.
Bryan Talbot did a presentation and signing at the Trent Building, University Park Campus, University of Nottingham, in 2011.
Jessica Martin's Picture Palace exhibition began at the Radlett Centre's Althorp Gallery, London, in 2015.
Bryan and Mary Talbot gave a talk in the Colin Matthew Room, Ground Floor, Radcliffe Humanities Building, University of Oxford, in 2018.

Thursday, February 28, 2019

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.

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

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.

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

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.

Monday, February 25, 2019

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.

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)

Saturday, February 23, 2019

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.

Friday, February 22, 2019

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.

Thursday, February 21, 2019

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.

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

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.

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

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.

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.

Sunday, February 17, 2019

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.

Saturday, February 16, 2019

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.

Friday, February 15, 2019

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.

Thursday, February 14, 2019

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.

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

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.

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

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.

Monday, February 11, 2019

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.

Sunday, February 10, 2019

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.

Saturday, February 9, 2019

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.

Friday, February 8, 2019

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.

Thursday, February 7, 2019

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.

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

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.

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

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.

Monday, February 4, 2019

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.

Sunday, February 3, 2019

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.

Saturday, February 2, 2019

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.

Friday, February 1, 2019

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.

Thursday, January 31, 2019

On This Day: 31 Jan

The Man Who Searched For Fear by Bill Lacey. (Bear Alley Books) GN (2014) ISBN-13: 9781907081736

V For Vendetta novelisation by Steve Moore, based on the screenplay by The Wachowski Brothers. (Pocket Books; 2006) ISBN-13: 978-1416516996
Durham Red: Manticore Reborn by Peter J. Evans. (Black Flame; Jan 2006) ISBN-10: 1 84416 323 7

Judge Dredd: Crime Chronicles - Double Zero by James Swallow. (Big Finish Productions; 2010)

Births:

Clive Hudson (1926); Grant Morrison (1960).

Deaths:

Morley Adams (1954)

Notable Events:

The Marvel Family #89 became the last Captain Marvel related title to be published by L. Miller & Son, Ltd. in 1954.

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

On This Day: 30 Jan

Misty (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (04 Feb 1978).
Hotspur and Crunch (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #?? (02 Feb 1980).

First Appearances:

Moonchild in Misty #01 (04 Feb 1978).
Miss T in Misty #01 (04 Feb 1978).
Misty in Misty #01 (04 Feb 1978).
The Sentinels in Misty #01 (04 Feb 1978).

Births:

George Denholm Armour (1864); Giorgio De Gaspari (1927)

Deaths:

Basil Blackaller (1958)

Notable Events:

Win, Lose or Draw began on ITV in 1990, with Malky McCormick as the resident cartoonist.
Knockabout Comics were cleared of all obscenity charges at Ubridge Magistrates Court in 1996, and awarded legal costs of £6,000. My Trouble With Women by Robert Crumb, Twisted Sisters II and Zap Comix #07 and #01 were declared "not obscene" by three magistrates after an eight hour hearing.
The first episode of original television series My Hero broadcast on BBC One in 2000.
Here's Johnny, a documentary about John Hicklenton's battle with MS, began screening at the Science Museum in 2008.

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

On This Day: 29 Jan

Beeb (Polystyle) #01 (29 Jan 1985-04 Feb 1985)

First Appearances:

Dumpy Dan, the Sauce Pan Man in The Victor (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #50 (03 Feb 1962).
Sub-Lieutenant Ken Kennedy (Convoy Pilot) in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #19 (01 Feb 1975).

Births:

Ted Holmes (1916)

Deaths:

Joshua Charles Armitage (Ionicus; 1998)

Notable Events:

Bruce Bairnsfather gave a lecture entitled "Old Bill and Me," at the Queen's Hall, London, in 1919.
Wes Slade newspaper strip began in The Sunday Express in 1961.
Steve Bell appeared on The Today Programme on BBC Radio 4 in 2013.
Revolutionary War: Knights of Pendragon (Marvel) #01 (Jan 2014) released in the US in 2014.
Kingsman: The Secret Service feature film released in the UK in 2015.

Monday, January 28, 2019

On This Day: 28 Jan

The Loner (Fleetway Publications) #01 (1991)

First Appearances:

Judge Anderson in 2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 150 (02 Feb 1980)

Births:

Mary Tourtel (1874); Hunt Emerson (1952)

Deaths:

Jerry Siegel (1996)

Notable Events:

Rupert Murdoch tweeted an apology, for the Gerald Scarfe cartoon published the previous day, in 2013.

Sunday, January 27, 2019

On This Day: 27 Jan

Jester (1912)
Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles Adventures (Fleetway Publications) #01 (1990)

Births:

Flo Lancaster (1881); Pete Williams (1937); Steven Appleby (1956); Richard Starkings (1958); Sean Phillips (1965); Lee Carter

Deaths:

Arthur Marshall (1989)

Notable Events:

The final appearance of Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr, in their own titles – #24 of each – published by L. Miller & Son, Ltd. (1954).
Marvelman #335 became the last weekly issue of the title, and the last regular comic to feature original adventures of Marvelman, in 1960.
Woolworths Group plc entered administration in 2008, bringing an end to their presence on the high street. The Sign of the Scarlet Ladybird obviously didn't help the company...
A Gerald Scarfe cartoon in The Sunday Times in 2013, depicting Benjamin Netanyahu trapping Palestinians in a wall with blood for mortar, was criticised for supposed anti-Semitic content by Board of Deputies of British Jews.

Saturday, January 26, 2019

On This Day: 26 Jan

Births:

Flora Klickmann (1867); Kaye Webb (1914); Oliver Passingham (1925); Jules Feiffer (1929); Michael Turner (1929); Bryan Berry (1930); Murray Ball (1939)

Deaths:

John Byam Liston Shaw (1919); Margaret Constance Belsky (1989); Jon Peaty (1991); Bernard Cookson (2016)

Notable Events:

The Fink Brothers appeared on Central Television in 1985, with predictable results.
Judge Dredd newspaper strip began in Metro (free newspaper) in 2004.
Striker newspaper strip resumed in Nuts magazine in 2010.
The Untitled Project uploaded part of a television pilot, based on LogoRobotComics and Brain Damage, in 2010.
The Sunday Post included a free comic examining The Broons family tree in 2014.

Friday, January 25, 2019

On This Day: 25 Jan

Eagle and Battle (Fleetway Publications) #306 (30 Jan 1988).
The Complete Judge Dredd (Fleetway Publications) #1 (Feb 1992).

Nikolai Dante: The Strangelove Gambit by David Bishop. (Black Flame; Jan 2005) ISBN-10: 1 84416 139 0

Births:

John Dudman (1925)

Deaths:

Guido Buzzelli (1992); Arthur Horner (1997); Bill Ritchie (2010); Mike Peyton (2017)

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.

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

On This Day: 23 Jan

World of Knowledge (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (1980)

Births:

Gerald Swan (1902)

Deaths:

Robert Peacock (2009)

Notable Events:

The InnerCity 125 locomotive named David Austin - Cartoonist was unveiled in 2007.
The funeral for Peter Weston was held in 2017.

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

On This Day: 22 Jan

First Appearances:

Drake of E-Boat Alley in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #18 (25 Jan 1975).
The Stuarts of Stalingrad in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #18 (25 Jan 1975).
Gunner Kite The Soldier and the Samurai! in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #179 (25 Jan 1978).
Lieutenant Moto The Soldier and the Samurai! in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #179 (25 Jan 1978).
Storm Force in Battle (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #?? (?? Jan 1987).
Bix Barton, Master of the Rum and Uncanny in 2000 A.D Prog 663 (27 Jan 1990).

Births:

Walter Bell (1893); Kimon Evan Marengo (KEM; 1904)

Deaths:

Carlo Pellegrini (Ape; 1889); Patten Wilson (1934)

Notable Events:

Romeo Brown newspaper strip ended in 1962.
The first episode of the original television series Stan Lee's Lucky Man broadcast on Sky 1 in 2016.

Monday, January 21, 2019

On This Day: 21 Jan

Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection (Hachette Partworks Ltd.) #01 (2015) GN

First Appearances:

Judge Death in 2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 149 (26 Jan 1980)

Births:

Ernest Shaw (1891); Albert Lock (1893); Martin Sharp (1942)

Deaths:

Martin Honeysett (2015); Alessandro Biffignandi (2017)

Notable Events:

Notorious highwayman Claude Duval was executed at Tyburn in 1670.
Alan Coren was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 1978.
John Freeman's thoughts on the future of Marvel UK, published in 1993, is available online.
A special talk about Oor Wullie's Bucket Trail began Dundee University's Saturday Evening Lecture series in 2017. David Cunningham, chief executive of the ARCHIE Foundation, and Suzanne Scott, artistic coordinator of the trail, were present at the talk, which was chaired by Ellis Watson, CEO of DC Thomson.

Sunday, January 20, 2019

On This Day: 20 Jan

Music Star (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (1973) *magazine*

Judge Dredd: The Medusa Seed by David Stone. (Virgin Publishing; Jan 1994) ISBN-10: 0 35232 895 9

First Appearances:

Det. Joe Clancy (Clancy and the Man) in The Crunch (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #02 (27 Jan 1979).
D.A.D.D. - Dial A Dawn Destructor in Eagle and Tiger (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #201 (25 Jan 1986).

Births:

Mike Peyton (1921); John McLusky (1923); Selim Jehan "Eddy" Shah (1944)

Deaths:

Mike Dickinson (2017); John Watkiss (2017); Bob Wakelin (2018)

Notable Events:

The first episode of Supergran, based on the books by Forrest Wilson, was broadcast on ITV in 1985.
A DVD of the Captain Pugwash animated series was presented with copies of The Sunday Times in 2008.

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.

Friday, January 18, 2019

On This Day: 18 Jan

Lady Penelope (City Magazines Ltd.) #01 (22 Jan 1966).
Scoop (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #01 (21 Jan 1978).

Lion King of Picture Story Papers compiled by Steve Holland. (Bear Alley Books; 2013) ISBN-13: 9781907081675.

First Appearances:

Dinky Driver in Lady Penelope #01 (22 Jan 1966).
Fatman and Sparrow in Lady Penelope #01 (22 Jan 1966).

Births:

Raymond Briggs (1934); Eddie Jones (1935); John Freeman (1943); Frank Quitely (1968)

Deaths:

George Morrow (1955); Gavin Tudor Lyall (2003); Derek Birnage (2004); John Stewart (2006); Tony Hart (2009)

Notable Events:

Pip, Squeak and Wilfred newspaper strip revived in 1947 for a second series.
The second episode of Signals, titled The Day Comics Grew Up, broadcast on Channel 4 in 1989.

Thursday, January 17, 2019

On This Day: 17 Jan

Marvel Comic (Marvel Comics Ltd.) #?? ().
Spider-Man Comic (Marvel Comics Ltd.) #311 (24 Jan 1979).
All-Action Monthly (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (Feb 1987).

Births:

Compton Mackenzie (1883); David Thomas (Tom Cain; 1959)

Deaths:

Percy Cocking (1964); Malcolm Judge (1989)

Notable Events:

The Marvel Revolution PHASE 2 (overseen by Dez Skinn) began in 1979; restructuring of the weeklies was undertaken, new names for the Spider-Man series and The Mighty World of Marvel, plus the use of photographs on Star Wars Weekly was implemented.

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

On This Day: 16 Jan

Fleetway Super Library: Fantastic Series (Fleetway) #01 (1967).
Fleetway Super Library: Fantastic Series (Fleetway) #02 (1967).
Fleetway Super Library: Front Line Series (Fleetway) #01 (1967).
Fleetway Super Library: Front Line Series (Fleetway) #02 (1967).
Fleetway Super Library: Secret Agent Series (Fleetway) #01 (1967).
Fleetway Super Library: Secret Agent Series (Fleetway) #02 (1967).
June and Pixie (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #[???] (20 Jan 1973).
Star Wars Weekly (Marvel Comics Ltd.) #100 (23 Jan 1980).

First Appearances:

Maddock's Marauders in Fleetway Super Library: Front Line Series
Johnny Nero in Fleetway Super Library: Secret Agent Series
Top-Sergeant Ironside in Fleetway Super Library: Front Line Series

Births:

Albert Edgar Beard (1902); George Thomson (1921); Michael Attwell (Zoke; 1943); Al Davison (1960); Garth Ennis (1970)

Deaths:

Kaye Webb (1996); Kenneth McDonough (2002); Barbara Wace (2003); Alan Hemus (2009)

Notable Events:

The final Bruce Bairnsfather cartoon was published in both Birmingham Weekly Post and Midland Pictorial in 1959.
The Marvel Revolution PHASE 8 (overseen by Dez Skinn) began in 1980: Star Wars celebrated 100 issues, while Incredible Hulk Weekly saw the Beast solo-strip reprints begin, as well as new features added to fill the eight new pages the title acquired.
Fleetway Editions were formally taken over by the Danish publisher Gutenberghus Press in 1992.
Thelwell exhibition began at Mottisfont Abbey in Hampshire in 2016. The first large exhibition near his former home, the exhibition ran until April.

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

On This Day: 15 Jan

Bunty (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #01 (1958).
Sparky (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #01 (1965).
Joe 90 (City Magazines) #01 (18 Jan 1969).
Look and Learn (Fleetway Publications Ltd.) #01.
Blue Jeans (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #01.
The Astonishing Spider-Man (Panini UK) vol.5 #01 (28 Jan 2015)

Greatest Hits #01 (1981)
LM (Newsfield) #01 (1987)

Births:

Ian Dickson (1905); Robert Geary (1931); Michael Daley (1944)

Deaths:

Alfred Edmeades Bestall (1986); Andrew Hutton (2015)

Notable Events:

A cutting of a Ronald Niebour Daily Mail cartoon, published in 1944, was found in the ruins of Hitler's Chancellery.
Look and Learn went on sale in 1961, amid the most thorough promotional launch given to such a title.
The Beano–Dandy Story, the third episode of the 11th season of documentary series Arena, was broadcast in 1988.
The lawsuit between Fox and Warner Bros. was resolved in 2009, allowing the Watchmen film adaptation to be released.
The first episode of original television series Utopia broadcast on Channel 4 in 2013. The series owed a great deal to comics in both its' narrative and visual style.
Revolutionary War: Dark Angel (Marvel) #01 (Jan 2014) released in the US in 2014.

Monday, January 14, 2019

On This Day: 14 Jan

Treasure #01 (19 Jan 1963).
Pow! (Odhams) #01 (21 Jan 1967).
Spike (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #01 (22 Jan 1983)

Numbercruncher by Si Spurrier & P.J. Holden. (Titan Books; Jan 2014) ISBN-13: 978-1782760047.
Solid State Tank Girl by Alan Martin & Warwick Johnson-Cadwell. (Titan Books; Jan 2014) ISBN-13: 978-1782760030.

First Appearances:

Dare-a-Day Davy in Pow! #01 (21 Jan 1967).
The Dolls of St. Dominics in Pow! #01 (21 Jan 1967).
Wee Willie Haggis, the Spy from Skye in Pow! #01 (21 Jan 1967).
Sergeant Pilot Nick Ryder, Jungle Pilot in Warlord (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #69 (17 Jan 1976).
The Bleak Street Bunch in Spike #01 (22 Jan 1983).
Squadron Leader 'Lucky' Layton in Spike #01 (22 Jan 1983).
Ticker Tait in Spike #01 (22 Jan 1983).

Births:

Anton Lock (1893); Ken Bulmer (1921); Mario Cubbino (1930); Colin Wyatt (1939); Frazer Irving

Deaths:

Arthur William à Beckett (1909)

Notable Events:

Leslie Illingworth's Daily Mail cartoon, published in 1944, attained immortality when found in the ruins of Hitler's
Chancellery.
Gerard Hoffnung was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 1957.
Television adverts promoting the launch of Look and Learn were broadcast on British television in 1961.
Michael Moorcock underwent emergency exploratory surgery in 2002 to remove blood clots.
Brett Ewins received a serious head injury from police officers during an altercation at his home in 2012.
Colin Wyatt's The Jet–Set books had an official launch at the Just Imagine Bookshop in Chelmsford in 2012. Profits from the books raise money for the Born Free Foundation animal charity.
The première of Kingsman: The Secret Service took place in London in 2015.

Saturday, January 12, 2019

On This Day: 12 Jan

The Crunch (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #01 (20 Jan 1979).

Cadet Anderson: Teenage Kyx by Alan Grant, Carlos Ezquerra, Patrick Goddard & Steve Yeowell. (Rebellion; Jan 2017) ISBN 978-1781-08539-4.
The Complete Scarlet Traces volume 1 by Ian Edginton & D'Israeli (Rebellion; Jan 2017) ISBN 978-1781-08501-1

Judge Dredd: Psykogeddon by Dave Stone. (Black Flame; Jan 2006) ISBN-13: 9781849971003.

First Appearances:

Ross Harper (Who Killed Cassidy?) in The Crunch #01 (20 Jan 1979).
Bearpaw Jay, The Mantracker in The Crunch #01 (20 Jan 1979).
Doctor Kyser (The Kyser Experiment) in The Crunch #01 (20 Jan 1979).
Mike Preston (The Walking Bombs) in The Crunch #01 (20 Jan 1979).
Mark Sabor (Arena) in The Crunch #01 (20 Jan 1979).
Durham Red in 2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 505 (17 Jan 1987).

Births:

Jack Greenall (1905); Angus Scott (1909); Juan Jesús García Alvarez (Xuasus; 1968)

Deaths:

Florence Anderson (1972); Richard Hook (2010); Tony Harding (2014)

Notable Events:

The Schoolboys' Own Exhibition at the Royal Horticultural Hall, Westminster, London, ended in 1952. Eagle was represented by a Dan Dare Rifle Range, with the best shot of the day qualifying for a specially-made B.S.A. air rifle. The best of these was awarded the Eagle Marksman of the Year trophy by Marcus Morris.
Ronald Searle was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 1959.