The End of Chips!
Posted: 22 Jan 2014, 19:07
When is a merger not a merger?
...Possibly when it applies to the discontinuation of Chips in September 1953, just three weeks short of its 3,000th edition. Here's the cover of the last issue, in which long-time stars Weary Willie and Tired Tim finally wind up with a comfortable berth in the mansion of a grateful millionaire after years of homeless wandering (art by the wonderful Percy Cocking).
And here's the editor's 'Important News', followed by a similar message from 'Philpot Bottles' - supposedly Chips' resident Office Boy.
Both these statements clearly imply that, although Chips won't be continuing in its current form, its replacement will be a brand new paper starting from no.1 the following week. And sure enough the same issue carries this full-page advert for the 'Great New Laughter Weekly - T.V. Fun'.
In addition there are no less than seven more reminders for readers to make a point of 'asking for TV Fun in the future' - as can be seen at the conclusion of Paul Power's epic battle against 'The Menace from Mars' (art by Colin Merritt).
...So why on earth were those same readers confronted with a wholly unheralded addition to the title banner of Film Fun (seen here on the Christmas 1953 issue) when they arrived at the newsagent to pick up their new comic next week???
Because of this tiny detail all the histories now authoritatively state that Chips officially 'merged' with Film Fun on September 19th 1953...yet none of Chips' traditional features seem to have continued in either title.
In the circumstances I can't help wishing that this distinguished comic was simply allowed to follow in the footsteps of another one of its long-running characters and just "fade quietly away into the shadows."
- Phil Rushton
...Possibly when it applies to the discontinuation of Chips in September 1953, just three weeks short of its 3,000th edition. Here's the cover of the last issue, in which long-time stars Weary Willie and Tired Tim finally wind up with a comfortable berth in the mansion of a grateful millionaire after years of homeless wandering (art by the wonderful Percy Cocking).
And here's the editor's 'Important News', followed by a similar message from 'Philpot Bottles' - supposedly Chips' resident Office Boy.
Both these statements clearly imply that, although Chips won't be continuing in its current form, its replacement will be a brand new paper starting from no.1 the following week. And sure enough the same issue carries this full-page advert for the 'Great New Laughter Weekly - T.V. Fun'.
In addition there are no less than seven more reminders for readers to make a point of 'asking for TV Fun in the future' - as can be seen at the conclusion of Paul Power's epic battle against 'The Menace from Mars' (art by Colin Merritt).
...So why on earth were those same readers confronted with a wholly unheralded addition to the title banner of Film Fun (seen here on the Christmas 1953 issue) when they arrived at the newsagent to pick up their new comic next week???
Because of this tiny detail all the histories now authoritatively state that Chips officially 'merged' with Film Fun on September 19th 1953...yet none of Chips' traditional features seem to have continued in either title.
In the circumstances I can't help wishing that this distinguished comic was simply allowed to follow in the footsteps of another one of its long-running characters and just "fade quietly away into the shadows."
- Phil Rushton