Bruce of Scotland - A Junior Press Publication

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Adam Eterno
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Bruce of Scotland - A Junior Press Publication

Post by Adam Eterno »

As mentioned in the Comic buying thread, I have just purchased this comic and have very little clue as to its history as there seems to be nothing online regarding it or indeed the publishers.
Can anyone help enlighten me regarding this pre-decimal comic?
It could be that it doesn't even count as a comic as it has less than 50% in cartoon strips but I believe it definitely is.

I'll post some pictures but to add detail, the "other thrilling stories" other than Bruce of Scotland by Mary F. Flack are: Old Sam by W. Glynne Jones, Round-Up at Bar Creek by H. L. Peacock and Jeannie Gets Tough by John Dale. There are three non-fiction articles on the British Ship Adoption Society, a school buying a calf and atomic energy! There is also a puzzle page.

Printed by David S. Smith Ltd, for the Publishers Junior Press Ltd, 26, Gt. James St. WC1

The more I read of it, the more I get the feeling it was produced with something to do with schools.

Help please?
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Adam Eterno
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Re: Bruce of Scotland - A Junior Press Publication

Post by Adam Eterno »

Here are a few more pictures
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Adam Eterno
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Re: Bruce of Scotland - A Junior Press Publication

Post by Adam Eterno »

Centre page and rear cover where Ovaltine urge you to "Remind Mother to put 'Ovaltine' on her shopping list"
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koollectablz
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Re: Bruce of Scotland - A Junior Press Publication

Post by koollectablz »

This reminds me of those collections of multiple magazines that were sold as a pack, like the History of England - and each one concentrated on a particular period.

Produced as a school's item would appear likely enough, only that it has a price on the cover which I wouldn't expect?

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paw broon
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Re: Bruce of Scotland - A Junior Press Publication

Post by paw broon »

koollectablz's probably right about the school item and the cover price. But because of the cover I assumed the Bruce story was going to be a comic strip.
The Ovaltine ad pages don't show that particular ad or slogan. Nor can I see it on the pinterest page, so I can't get a rough date from that.
The Sharp's Toffee ad might be from 1945, or just after WW2. There is a variant of the ad in the book on ebay.
I think I've seen the Icicle the Eskimo strip somewhere.
There is a company called Junior Press currently publishing childrens' books. Needless to say, I can't find out anything about them.
Keep digging.

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Adam Eterno
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Re: Bruce of Scotland - A Junior Press Publication

Post by Adam Eterno »

[quote="paw broon"]

Curlytail & co was a 40s cartoon but it could have been reprinted. An article re the adoption of ships quotes "Now that the war is behind us" which makes me think it was within 10 years or so of 1945 but that's an assumption.

The Ship adoption society ran from 1935 to 1975 so no clues there.

I never thought about the adverts but "Fitness Wins" was used by Ovaltine from 1946 to 1959 so no real help there either.

Still Digging!

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colcool007
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Re: Bruce of Scotland - A Junior Press Publication

Post by colcool007 »

Well, it can't be after 1961 as Sharp's was bought up by Trebor then. Also is it me or is that quite pricey for a magazine of the 1940s or 1950s?

I have checked Alan Clark's Dictionary of British Comic Artists, Writers and Editors and Lofts and Adley's The Men Behind British Comics and not one of the four contributors gets a mention in either
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paw broon
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Re: Bruce of Scotland - A Junior Press Publication

Post by paw broon »

Still stumped so I have asked a couple of folk not on comicsuk to se if they can come up with anything. Fingers crossed, but I hae ma doots. :)

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Adam Eterno
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Re: Bruce of Scotland - A Junior Press Publication

Post by Adam Eterno »

paw broon wrote:Still stumped so I have asked a couple of folk not on comicsuk to se if they can come up with anything. Fingers crossed, but I hae ma doots. :)
Thanks for that. I've done the same and come up with nothing!

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Re: Bruce of Scotland - A Junior Press Publication

Post by Phoenix »

colcool007 wrote:Also is it me or is that quite pricey for a magazine of the 1940s or 1950s?
I don't think it's you, Col. 1/- is a high cover price for a 28-page comic of that period. For comparison purposes the first issue of Adventure in 1921 cost 2d. It had 28 pages, albeit with only the front cover in colour. Its price didn't increase until the issue for 22 September 1951 when the remaining four members of The Big Five, after the demise of The Skipper, raised their price to 3d due to an increase in the cost of paper, this reason being printed in the top margin of the covers. All issues of those four at that point had 16 pages, as wartime restrictions on the use and the availability of paper were steadily being lifted. They had been as low as 12, and on at least one occasion 10. The Amalgamated Press, who had closed down a shedload of titles near the beginning of the war, apparently in order to ensure the survival of their flagship title, The Champion, had increased its price to 3d at some point prior to 1947, and that was for 16 pages. I don't know when as I don't collect The Champion, and I don't personally have any issues to refer to between the end of 1926 and the beginning of 1947, but it does look as if Thomsons held off increasing the cost of their titles until it was uneconomic to swallow that loss of income. The cover price of the final issue of The Rover, in January 1973, the last title standing of course, was 3p although it did have 32 pages. I'll let someone else work out the equivalent in denarii.

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Adam Eterno
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Re: Bruce of Scotland - A Junior Press Publication

Post by Adam Eterno »

colcool007 wrote:Well, it can't be after 1961 as Sharp's was bought up by Trebor then. Also is it me or is that quite pricey for a magazine of the 1940s or 1950s?
Along with the Ovaltine advert running until 1959, that could narrow it down to 1959-1961. Commando, as you know, started in 1961 with a cover price of 1/- so that ties in as well.

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colcool007
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Re: Bruce of Scotland - A Junior Press Publication

Post by colcool007 »

Chatting to someone made me check one of the magazines that I currently am looking after before I send it on to its' new home and that is Look And Learn issue 1. Published in 1962, this was A3 in size and retailed for 1/-. I know that I have heard people talk about Look and Learn being really expensive for its' time and that was a slimline 24 pages.

So, this comic must have been really top of the range for its' day.

One thing I thought of was that it could have been produced for an exhibition about Robert The Bruce but I dismissed that idea as that would have then been a booklet that was exclusively about Robert The Bruce.

Hope this helps to spark a few gray cells for someone.
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