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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.