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: 26 Mar

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

First Appearances:

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

Births:

Tony Crawley (1938); Brian Bolland (1951)

Notable Events:

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

On This Day: 22 Mar

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

The World of Batman sticker album (Panini; 2016)

Births:

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

Deaths:

Malcolm Douglas (2009)

Notable Events:

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

On This Day: 20 Mar

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

First Appearances:

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

Births:

Bruce C. Windo (1920)

Deaths:

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

Notable Events:

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

On This Day: 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.

On This Day: 21 Feb

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

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

First Appearances:

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


Births:

Douglas Bader (1910)

Deaths:

Benjamin Edwin Minns (1937)

Notable Events:

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

On This Day: 11 Dec

First Appearances:

Keepers of the Sun Stone in The Victor (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #43 (16 Dec 1961).
The Secret Quest of Tiger Shaw in The Victor (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #43 (16 Dec 1961).

Births:

René Bull (1872); John Buscema (1927); Peter Firmin (1928); David William Boutland (1938)

Deaths:

F.H. Townsend (1920); Willie Rushton (1996)

Notable Events:

The Daily Mirror demonstrated their fact-checking skills by calling Judge Dredd an American comic-book character in a 1991 article.
The first episode of Black Mirror, co-written by Charlie Brooker, was broadcast on Channel 4 in 2011.
The short film Nothing to Declare, written by Frank Quitely, was funded through IndieGoGo in 2016.

On This Day: 06 Dec

Warlord and Bullet (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #220 (09 Dec 1978).

Grandville: Bete Noir (2013)

Births:

Reg Carter (1886); Bruce Angrave (1912); Nick Park (1958); Robin Riggs (1961); Paul Jenkins (1965); Noel Clarke (1975)

Deaths:

Jane star Christabel Leighton–Porter (2000); Lesley Hatch (2014)

Notable Events:

Little Willie, the first British tank, was completed in 1915. The name derived from William Kerridge Haselden's cartoons of Kaiser Wilhelm and his son, The Crown Prince.
A Trip into the Future newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1924.

On This Day: 05 Dec

First Appearances:

Jane Gay in newspaper strip.

Births:

Betty Larom (1920); Sheridan Morley (1941); Gary Smith (1963)

Deaths:

Jack Trevor Story (1991)

Notable Events:

Jane's Journal - The Diary of a Bright Young Thing newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1932.
Sebastian Melmoth II, the author of Do What the F**k I Say, was revealed to be Felix Dennis in 2013.

Jane

Collections

Jane's Journal (Thomas Publications; Mar 1942) cover price 2/6
Another Jane's Journal (Thomas Publications; 1943) cover price 3/6
Pett's Annual (Thomas Publications; 1944) cover price 3/6

Jane's Summer Idle! (Mirror Features; Jun 1946) cover price 1/

Jane's Journal (A. Rylee; Nov 1946) cover price 3/6

Jane on the "Sawdust Trail" (Mirror Features; 1947) cover price 2/

Another Journal (A. Rylee; Jun 1950) cover price 2/6
Another Journal (A. Rylee; Nov 1951) cover price 3/6
Jane Souvenir (UNKNOWN; 19##) cover price 1/6

On This Day: 21 Nov

Births:

Sir Leslie Matthew Ward (Drawl, Spy; 1851); D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd. chairman Brian Thomson (1918); Martin Aitchison (1919); Rich Johnston (1972)

Deaths:

Harold Underwood Thompson (H. Botterill; 1996)

Notable Events:

The Ally Sloper Manifesto published in 1885, where he set out his plans to stand for parliament as member for Shoe Lane and the Sloperies.
Tich newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1931.
The first day of the Hoffnung Interplanetary Music Festival took place at the Royal Festival Hall in 1958.
Pip, Squeak and Wilfred newspaper strip revived in The Daily Mirror in 1998.
A runaway trailer carrying steel beams crashed into the wall of D.C. Thomson's Guthrie Street printing plant in 2007. Thankfully there were no injuries.

On This Day: 08 Nov

Rogue Trooper: Tales of Nu-Earth Vol.3 (2012) ISBN-13: 978-1-78108-068-9.

First Appearances:

Rupert Bear in newspaper strip

Births:

Franco Bignotti (1929); Richard Curtis (1956)

Deaths:

Edward Ardizzone (1979); Chad Varah (2007)

Notable Events:

Rupert Bear appeared for the first time in the story entitled "The Adventures of a Little Lost Bear" in The Daily Express in 1920.
Nelson newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1924.
In 1930 the Laurel and Hardy strip started a 27 year run in Film Fun, drawn initially by George Wakefield.
A Festival of Girls' Choirs, organised by Girl, was held at the Royal Festival Hall, London, in 1952. Glyn Jones, BBC choral conductor, and the Girls' Choirs of Eastbourne, Hastings, Ilford, and Manchester sang their most popular songs, and George Melachrino conducted his Grand Concert Orchestra.
An Earful of Zit audio-cassette released on the Funny Business label in 1993.
Bryan Talbot presented a free talk and slide-show, at the Wheatsheaf Lending Library, Rochdale, in 2002.
The lacklustre CGI animated series Rupert Bear, Follow The Magic... began broadcast on Five in 2006.
Comica Presents Kevin O'Neill: An Extraordinary Century, with the artist discussing his collaboration with Alan Moore, took place in 2012.
Roger Perry, while living in Tacloban City, was caught in typhoon Haiyan in 2013.