Comics UK

The 1960's were my comic collecting years as a boy and, as such, fuelled my desire to be a comic collector in later years. The comics of that decade gave me pleasure then and have continued to do so in the five decades that have passed since.
When I say comic I mean those titles that were published with content that was designed, in the main, to make us laugh and therefore excludes adventure titles for boys and girls despite their frequent, if limited, comic content and nursery titles which can all be discussed in other threads.
As the year 1960 dawned, by my accounting and you may happily challenge me on this, there were nine weekly comic titles on the newsagent's shelves. D C Thomson had four, Dandy, Beano, Topper and Beezer, Fleetway had three Film Fun, which was the oldest title of the nine, Radio Fun and Knockout and then there were T V Comic and Walt Disney's Weekly.
Again, by my accounting, by the decades end 19 different comic titles would have been available with numbers of issues as follows
DCT
Dandy 945-1466 (522)
Beano 911-1432 (522)
Topper 361-882 (522)
Beezer 207-728 (522)
Sparky 1-258 (258)
DCT total (2246)

Fleetway
Film Fun (141)
Radio Fun (60)
Knockout (164)
Buster (500)
Big One (19)
Giggle (38)
Whizzer & Chips (11)
Fleetway total (933)

T V Comic (522)

Walt Disney's Weekly (69)

Huckleberry Hound Weekly (308)
Yogi Bear's Own Weekly (76)

Wham (187)
Smash (204)
Pow (86)

Grand total of comic titles listed above (4631)
Huckelb

Wow! 4631 is a fair few to read!

I understand that these are just the humour comics of the time but what about Fleetway's Teddy Bear or IPC's TV Toyland or are they too junior?

Thats a nice round figure for Buster.

Great run to have.

Adam Eterno wrote:Wow! 4631 is a fair few to read!

I understand that these are just the humour comics of the time but what about Fleetway's Teddy Bear or IPC's TV Toyland or are they too junior?

I considered these as nursery titles so didn't include them Adam. I was conflicted about whether to include 'Wonder Weekly' though, but while it was comic title it was given away in garages so failed to make the list because it wasn't a title that was bought through newsagents.

My collecting started with issue 21 of TV Century 21 which I still have. I bought every issue of the title from that number as well as Joe 90 and the Power Comics. I also read DC comics and then discovered Marvel when I saw the cover of Amazing Spider-man 50. And I also had to find some spare cash to buy Real West every month. Fond memories of those days included waiting in the newsagents on Saturday tea time for the classified football results paper. Going to Deptford High Street with with my dad on Saturdays when he paid the weekly tv bill (hire purchase?) and once I saw a stallholder in the market cutting up live eels with the cut sections still wriggling. Once I remember finding a pile of comics tied with string on top of a dustbin. Joy!

Whenever my dad had fried tomatoes he would let me and my sister dip our slice of bread in them. I remember eating fried sprats as well.

I was wondering about Summer Specials for your titles, Kashgar. Have you calculated those numbers?

I'll be listing the summer specials tomorrow Steve.

Kashgar wrote:I'll be listing the summer specials tomorrow Steve.

I've been buying Summer and Holiday specials recenty as I love them, although not the humour ones, more Victor, Valiant, Action, Lion, Scorcher and Tiger....so far

Comic Annuals of the 1960's

DCT

Dandy (10)
Beano (10)
Topper (10)
Beezer (10)
Sparky (3)
Dennis the Menace (5)
Beryl the Peril (5)
Black Bob (2)
Broons (5)
Oor Wullie (5)

DCT total (65)

Fleetway

Buster (8)
Buster Book of Thrills (1)
Film Fun (2)
Radio Fun (1)
Knockout (3)
T V Fun (1)

Fleetway total (16)

Odhams

Wham (4)
Smash (3)
Pow (2)

Odhams total (9)

Others

T V Comic (10)
Huckleberry Hound (10)
Yogi Bear (7)
Popeye (10)
Zip (1)

Overall total (128)

Please feel free to add to this list, or quibble with my choices, if you wish.

I have a Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks annual somewhere but I presume it's early seventies? But I'm sure I've seen a sixties Flintstones annual.

Summer and Holiday Specials of the 1960's

DCT

Dandy/Beano 1963 (1)
Dandy 1964-1969 (6)
Beano 1964-1969 (6)

DCT total (13)

Fleetway/IPC

Buster Holiday Fun Special 1969 (1)

Fleetway/IPC total (1)

Others

T V Comic Summer Special 1962 (1)
T V Comic Holiday Special 1963-1969 (7)

Huckleberry Hound & Yogi Bear Summer Extra 1963-1965 (3)
Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear Winter Extra 1963 (1)
Yogi Bear's Own Winter Extra 1963 (1)
Yogi Bear's Own Summer Extra 1964 (1)

Overall total (28)

I chose not to include 'Smash Pow it's Fantastic Summer Special' for 1968 or the 'Smash Holiday Special' for 1969 on this list as I think both, content wise, will be better suited to appearing on the boys summer/holiday special listings.

stevezodiac wrote:I have a Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks annual somewhere but I presume it's early seventies? But I'm sure I've seen a sixties Flintstones annual.

Certainly a few Flintstones and Top Cat books, Phil that need adding to the list. The Pixie Dixie and Mr Jinks annuals don't seem to have arrived untll the 1970's.

After a quick check the Hanna Barbera list could include the following annuals with an association to Huckleberry Hound Weekly or Yogi Bear's Own Weekly
Flintstones 1963-1969 (7)
Top Cat 1964-1967 (4)
Quick Draw McGraw 1962 (1)
The Jetsons 1964-1965 (2)
Jonny Quest !966-!967 (2)
The only problem with the Hanna Barbera characters is that they spawned such a lot of books and albums in the 1960's that it is difficult to come up with a concise list of what has a relevant connection to either the Huckleberry Hound or Yogi Bear's Own weekly papers. If we add the above to the initial list that gives us an overall total at the moment of 144 annuals.

There’s a sixties flintsones one that says huckleberry hound presents or similar, I got outbid on it last year on eBay. Annoyingly I can’t find it in my ended items now.

Edit: holiday special that is, not books or annual

There’s all the tv comic ‘popeye’ specials as well from the sixties.

koollectablz wrote:There’s all the tv comic ‘popeye’ specials as well from the sixties.

Of course. Popeye Holiday Specials from 1965 to 1969 which takes the total up to 33.
It would be interesting to get a date for the Flintstones special you mention.